In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan Caruso sits down with Mike Conover, founder and CEO of Brightwave, for an in-depth conversation about artificial intelligence, investing, and the hidden structures that shape our world.Mike begins by sharing his academic roots in complexity and network science at Indiana University, where he studied how information, disease, and influence spread across interconnected systems. From modeling airline networks and pandemics to analyzing early social media polarization, he explains how understanding complex systems led him into machine learning and ultimately into building AI products.The conversation turns to the launch of ChatGPT and why it surprised even experts. Mike explains the breakthrough moments that made generative AI feel different from previous waves of technology, breaking down concepts like gradient descent, model training, and the emergence of autonomous AI agents in practical terms. He shares what it was like staying up late experimenting with early models and realizing the world had shifted.Dan and Mike then dive into Brightwave, the AI-powered research platform built for investment professionals. Mike explains how AI agents can analyze massive data rooms, connect details across documents, surface long-tail risks, and generate structured outputs such as financial models. They discuss how these systems augment human judgment rather than replace it, helping investors move faster and think more comprehensively while still relying on experience and context.Learn more about Brightwave: https://brightwave.ioOrder Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/bookListen to Dan's Song Stretch: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dancaruso/stretchCheck out music by Jason Mendelson (Jace Allen): https://www.youtube.com/@jaceallen To nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan Caruso sits down with Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty for a candid conversation about prosecuting serious crime, leading through public crises, and what the Attorney General’s job demands.

Michael reflects on his path from prosecuting homicide and sex crimes in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to leading Boulder County as DA. He shares how that experience shaped his approach to complex cases, including human trafficking, domestic violence, and public corruption, as well as his work launching Colorado’s first human trafficking unit.

The conversation covers Michael’s hands-on role in responding to major events such as the King Soopers mass shooting and the Marshall Fire, and how prosecutors coordinate with law enforcement and federal partners during emergencies. Michael also explains Boulder County’s use of diversion, mental health programs, and risk assessment tools to reduce repeat offenses while improving public safety.

Dan and Michael discuss crime trends in Colorado, why consistent enforcement of the rule of law matters, and the dangers of politicizing the justice system. Michael also explains what the Attorney General’s office does day to day and why experience, independence, and integrity matter when leading Colorado’s largest law office.

Learn more about Michael Dougherty: https://www.michaelforag.com/

Reach out to: hello@michaelforag.com

Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/book

Listen to Dan's Song Stretch: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dancaruso/stretch

Check out music by Jason Mendelson (Jace Allen): https://www.youtube.com/@jaceallen

To nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan Caruso sits down with Ebs Burnough, award-winning filmmaker, producer, and Chair of the Board of the Sundance Institute, for a wide-ranging conversation on storytelling, cultural impact, and the future of independent film.As Sundance prepares for its final year in Park City and its historic move to Boulder, Ebs reflects on the Institute’s mission, Robert Redford’s founding principles, and why nurturing artists rather than chasing commercial outcomes has always been at the heart of Sundance. Drawing on his experience as a documentary filmmaker, former White House communications leader during the Obama administration, and longtime cultural strategist, Ebs shares how storytelling shapes politics, technology, and community alike.They explore Sundance’s artist labs, the power of convening creators in physical spaces, and why human connection matters more than ever in a post-COVID, AI-accelerated world. Ebs also weighs in on how artificial intelligence is transforming creative work, both the promise and the risk, and why better storytelling around new technology is essential to avoid fear-driven outcomes.The conversation touches on legacy, community-building, the evolving role of festivals, and why Boulder and Colorado more broadly offer a rare opportunity to reimagine what Sundance can be for the next 40 years.Learn more about the Sundance Institute: https://www.sundance.org/Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/bookListen to Dan's Song Stretch: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dancaruso/stretchCheck out music by Jason Mendelson (Jace Allen): https://www.youtube.com/@jaceallen To nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan Caruso sits down with Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, for a one-year update on how the company has evolved since their last conversation.

Blake explains how Boom’s original plan to outsource its engine nearly doomed the company—and why walking away from that forced a radical reset. Building a fully custom supersonic engine not only revived Boom’s technical roadmap, but unexpectedly enabled a breakthrough: breaking the sound barrier over land without a sonic boom, helping reopen the door to legal supersonic flight in the U.S. for the first time in 50 years.

As the AI data center boom accelerated, Boom realized its engine was uniquely suited to serve as a high-performance power turbine. What began as a side insight quickly turned into a billion-dollar backlog, providing the funding, validation, and testbed needed to make supersonic passenger flight commercially viable.

Along the way, Blake reflects on flying XB-1 for the first time with everything on the line, how small teams and fast iteration outperform legacy aerospace models, and why luck is often just information—if you’re willing to listen.

Learn more about Boom Supersonic: https://boomsupersonic.com/

Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/book

Listen to Dan's Song Stretch: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dancaruso/stretch

Check out music by Jason Mendelson (Jace Allen): https://www.youtube.com/@jaceallen

To nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan Caruso sits down with film producer Jason Berman, founder of A/Vantage Pictures, for an in-depth conversation on storytelling, persistence, and building a career across independent and studio filmmaking.

Jason traces his journey from growing up with dyslexia in Baltimore—where movies became a powerful way to learn and connect—to producing films at USC, breaking into the industry as an assistant, and ultimately premiering his first feature at Sundance. He reflects on the risks and realities of independent filmmaking, raising capital for early projects, and what it takes to shepherd a film from script to screen.

The conversation turns to Jason’s decision to launch A/Vantage Pictures, why Boulder has become a meaningful creative base for him, and how Sundance’s move to Colorado could shape the region’s future as a hub for film, technology, and entrepreneurship. Dan and Jason also discuss the evolving role of producers, the importance of authentic point of view, and how AI may improve efficiency in filmmaking without replacing human creativity.

Learn more about A/Vantage Pictures: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-vantage-pictures/⁠Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/bookListen to Dan's Song Stretch: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dancaruso/stretchCheck out music by Jason Mendelson (Jace Allen): https://www.youtube.com/@jaceallen To nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com

To ring in the New Year, we’re re-releasing this conversation with Blake as a timely look back at the origins of Boom Supersonic and the vision behind faster-than-sound travel. Since this episode first aired, Blake and the Boom team have continued to make major strides—and Dan recently sat down with Blake again for a brand-new conversation.

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, who is designing a supersonic airliner. Blake founded Boom Supersonic in September 2014 with the goal of making high-speed travel mainstream and enabling a new world of human connection. Prior to founding Boom, Blake held leadership roles at Amazon and Groupon and co-founded mobile technology startup Kima Labs. At Groupon, Blake held multiple executive roles, culminating in responsibility for relevance, email, and search.

In this episode, learn about the history of commercial flight, Blake’s experiences with Groupon and AWS, his past work with Boom Supersonic and the vision for the company's future. Find out when you can travel supersonic.

Click here to learn more about Boom Supersonic: https://boomsupersonic.com/.

To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please send an email to contact@loudbearproductions.com.

With exciting news on the horizon for Caruso Ventures’ portfolio company Agile Space Industries, we’re re-releasing this episode featuring CEO Chris Pearson. In this conversation on The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Chris to explore the future of propulsion, the evolving defense tech landscape, and Colorado’s emergence as a leading hub for space innovation.Chris explains how falling launch costs and the explosion of mega-constellations are transforming the space economy, why propulsion and mobility in orbit are critical to both national security and commercial growth, and how Agile is meeting the moment with thrusters built through advanced additive manufacturing.They dive into Agile’s roots in Durango as a propulsion test company, its expansion into full engine design and production, and the upcoming Tulsa facility that will help ease one of the industry’s biggest choke points. Learn more about Agile Space Industries: https://agilespaceindustries.com/Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/bookTo nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits back down with Seth Levine—Founding Partner at Foundry Group—for part two of their conversation, diving deep into the experiences that shaped his path from telecom dealmaker to one of Colorado’s most influential venture capitalists.

Seth takes us back to his early days on Wall Street, grinding through 100-hour weeks at Morgan Stanley during the telecom boom. He recounts witnessing the rise and collapse of competitive carriers, navigating chaotic boardrooms, issuing high-yield debt in a market racing toward overcapacity, and learning the craft of business inside an industry on the brink.

Dan and Seth also revisit the origins of Foundry Group, the unlikely formation of the four-person partnership, and how Brad Feld’s mentorship and generosity influenced Seth’s approach to founders, community-building, and leadership. They unpack what it really takes to be a founder, why comfort with the unknown is a superpower, and how Seth is now thinking about the next chapter of his career.

Check out Seth Levine and Elizabeth MacBride's new book: Capital Evolution: https://www.amazon.com/Capital-Evolution-New-American-Economy/dp/1637747780

Learn more about Foundry: https://foundry.vc/

⁠Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/book

Listen to Dan's Song Stretch: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dancaruso/stretch

Check out music by Jason Mendelson (Jace Allen): https://www.youtube.com/@jaceallen

To nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com