Dr. Ewelina Kurtys is a scientist-turned-entrepreneur pushing the frontier of bio-inspired computing. In this conversation, she traces her path from a PhD in neuroscience and 20+ peer-reviewed papers to commercializing deep-tech and advising startups. Curiosity pulled her beyond academia into fast-moving environments where she could turn technical knowledge into real-world impact.Ewelina explains her work with FinalSpark, where teams are prototyping processors made from living neurons—3D “neurospheres/organoids” of ~10,000 neurons placed on electrode arrays. Researchers stimulate these neurons electrically or via chemicals (like dopamine) and read their spiking activity, aiming to program living tissue to process information. It’s early: they’ve demonstrated storing one bit and are building methods and automation (Python-scripted experiments, 24/7) to scale learning.Why do this? Energy efficiency. Neurons are vastly more energy-efficient than today’s AI hardware. While digital systems excel at speed and memory for repetitive tasks, biological systems may better handle complex, generative tasks at a tiny energy cost. The goal isn’t niche accelerators but eventually general biocomputing, culminating in cloud-style bio-servers people can connect to—like today’s GPU clouds.She is frank about the challenges: we still lack a full mathematical framework for how neurons encode information; brains are plastic and messy, so outputs vary over time; and biology brings stability and longevity hurdles. FinalSpark has kept neurons alive on electrodes for months and is pushing toward years, while also engaging philosophers on ethics as public interest grows. Their remote neuroplatform lets universities and companies run experiments over the internet, scaling collaboration and reproducibility; 10+ universities already use it, and first commercial subscribers have arrived.Key takeaways:- Transition: from academic neuroscience to startup commercialization and strategy.- FinalSpark vision: living-neuron processors for AI tasks with orders-of-magnitude lower energy.- State of the art: organoids on electrodes, chemical/electrical programming, automated, scriptable lab.- Hard problems: encoding frameworks, plasticity, stability, neuron longevity, ethics.- Platform: remote, 24/7 wetware lab for global teams; growing academic and commercial interest.- Past papers: PET imaging, microglia & diet, CAR-T tracking—methods that shaped her applied mindset.- Future: bio-servers accessible like cloud GPUs; LLM-driven automation accelerating science.About Ewelina Kurtys:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ewelinakurtys/- https://finalspark.comAbout Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io- ✅ https://prevetted.ai🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast00:00 From Neuroscience to Entrepreneurship02:13 Lessons from Academia03:46 Bio-Inspired Computing: The Future of Technology08:45 Challenges in Developing Living Computers13:52 The Complexity of the Brain19:22 Nutrition and Brain Health24:41 The Nature of Scientific Discovery27:53 Challenges in Peer Review and Publication29:22 The Power of Imaging in Neuroscience32:33 Translating Animal Research to Humans34:28 The Debate on Full Body Scans38:26 Advancements in CAR T Cell Therapy41:08 Innovations in Remote Biocomputing46:15 The Future of Science and Biocomputing

Ken Pickering, CTO of Scripta Insights, joins Federico to unpack how his team is using AI and large-scale data to tackle the opaque, often unfair U.S. pharmacy pricing system. Ken explains why drug costs vary wildly person-to-person, how that opacity drives prescription “abandonment,” and where Scripta intervenes: ingesting messy plan documents, inferring benefits and conditions, modeling deductibles, and recommending clinically sound, lower-cost alternatives (including cash-pay options). He draws a surprising parallel to his work at Hopper: much like airfare, drug pricing is non-deterministic to consumers, so the real job is reducing ambiguity with clear UX and trustworthy recommendations.Ken reflects on what excites him now—building at startup speed while doing work that measurably helps people afford and adhere to their meds. He traces his path from a curious kid disassembling record players, to BASIC and web tinkering, to early hardware work on military vehicles, then into consumer and B2B2C software. His move into leadership was the familiar story of “you’re in charge now,” but he stayed because he loves teams, shipping, and the thrill of delivering products people actually use.On leadership, Ken argues CTOs should remain hands-on enough to understand hard tradeoffs, coach principal ICs, and prototype ideas—especially with modern AI tooling that enables quick scaffolds between meetings. He shares how growth changes the job: leading 20 engineers vs. 200+ means shifting from direct architecture decisions to building managers, processes, and culture that still produce on-time, high-quality outcomes.Culture under stress is a recurring theme. Ken favors blamelessness, psychological safety, and trust—so people raise problems fast, learn, and move on. In startups, chaos is guaranteed (demos, P0s, shifting roadmaps), so resilience and clarity about “shipping matters” are essential. On hiring, he rejects “soft yes/no” and trains interviewers to make clear calls; for senior leaders, he even starts at “no” and asks candidates to convert him to “yes,” given the high blast radius of a bad leadership hire. He and Federico also discuss humane rejections with actionable feedback and “not yet” guidance.Ken opens up about the hardest, least visible part of being a CTO: the weight of responsibility for budgets, headcount, and company outcomes—especially during downturns or black swan events (like selling flights in 2020). Layoffs, misses, and market shocks carry a personal, emotional toll leaders rarely get to share, yet the work demands steady judgment and care for people.Takeaways for aspiring leaders: stay technical enough to lead credibly; cultivate trust and a shipping mindset; design hiring you can scale without lowering the bar; and choose problems worth your energy—ideally ones that make complex systems simpler, fairer, and better for the people who rely on them.About Ken Pickering:- http://www.scriptainsights.comAbout Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io- ✅ https://prevetted.ai🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast00:00 Introduction to Scripta Insights and Pharmacy Pricing Challenges02:40 The Role of AI in Pharmacy Solutions05:12 Ken Pickering's Journey in Technology and Leadership07:50 Navigating Engineering Leadership and Team Dynamics10:33 Building Trust and Motivation in Startups13:36 The Importance of Technical Knowledge in Leadership16:10 Challenges and Stress in Startup Environments25:52 Navigating Stressful Demos and Live Presentations29:27 The Evolution of Engineering Roles33:05 Managing People and Processes36:24 The Burden of Leadership43:49 The Emotional Toll of Hiring and Firing

Jason Fishman: In this episode, growth marketer, investor, and podcaster Jason Fishman traces his path from action-sports consultant and Gen-Y specialist to co-founder and SVP of Digital Strategy at Digital Niche Agency (DNA). He explains how early work across social gaming and mobile ad networks shaped his obsession with measurable, scalable acquisition—and why that lens ultimately pulled him into the capital-raising arena (Reg D 506(c), Reg CF, and Reg A+).Jason breaks down his “Eight Point Plan” strategy: start with an industry overview, run a competitor marketing audit, then craft headline-worthy creative that mirrors what the target audience already consumes. Success leaves clues, and the best campaigns fuse social proof, third-party validation, and crystal-clear numbers into concise, shareable stories.We dive deep into investor marketing mechanics: audience targeting, pixel discipline, and funnel design that moves prospects from consideration to conversion and repeat engagement. Jason shares crowdfunding realities—why average Reg CF investments hover around the four figures, how many total site visits you should expect per 2,000 investments, and why the first week’s momentum (often fueled by your first-degree network) can set the conversion rate for the entire raise. He also details the “crowd dynamics” behind social proof: everyone wants to be first to be second, so your job is to make the campaign feel already in motion.On channels, Jason argues YouTube is still underrated for direct response—if (and only if) you can nail the hook, value proposition, support, and CTA in seconds. He outlines how paid and organic have blurred, why creative now outweighs targeting, and how to scale what works through a relentless test-optimize-scale loop.Common founder mistakes? Treating marketing as an afterthought, launching without a pre-launch plan, and assuming “if we build it, they will come.” His remedy: start strategy months before go-live, publish a content calendar with built-in third-party validators, and define the algorithmic roadmap for getting 50k–250k qualified visits to the offering page.We close on mindset. Top issuers “do more”—more content, more conversations with experts, more advertising, and more amplification of what’s working. For Jason, disciplined experimentation plus bold, consistent execution is how brands earn attention, build trust, and raise at scale.About Jason Fishman:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jafishman/About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io- ✅ https://prevetted.ai🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast00:00 Introduction to Jason Fishman and His Journey04:22 Navigating Regulations in Crowdfunding and Investor Marketing08:47 The Importance of Digital Acquisition and Scalable Marketing Strategies13:20 Effective Marketing Strategies in a Noisy Digital Landscape17:37 Measuring Demand and Analyzing Market Trends21:49 Underrated Digital Channels for Customer Acquisition24:23 Mastering Organic Content on YouTube28:32 Navigating YouTube's Advertising Landscape32:28 The Evolution of Performance Marketing34:29 Building Momentum in Crowdfunding41:29 Common Mistakes in Investor Marketing

Danielle Costa-Nakano shares how, as Chief Product Officer at Grassroots Analytics, she’s leading a shift from data-as-a-service to software-as-a-service to help nonprofit and political organizations escape spreadsheet sprawl and tool fragmentation. Danielle explains why many teams still spend half their day importing/exporting CSVs across 7–10 systems and how a central data platform—with strong APIs, embedded analytics, and AI-assisted workflows—can surface “the right ask, to the right person, at the right time,” replacing manual busywork with actionable insight.She introduces Quiller, an AI-first content creator that drafts emails, texts, letters, and taglines in the organization’s own voice, keeping a human-in-the-loop to augment rather than replace staff. Beyond any single tool, Danielle argues for a post-CRM approach: orchestrate multiple CRMs and best-of-breed apps via APIs to form a unified, 360° picture—then predict, decide, and act.Drawing on two decades across NGP VAN/Bonterra and the National Geographic Society, Danielle breaks down the foundations of trustworthy AI and data products: data governance, clear data contracts, and an SDLC applied to data itself. She also goes deep on team craft: people-first leadership; treating QA as an ally and “internal power user”; investing early in UX research and design to drive product-market fit; and insisting on reliable CI so “green means green.”On rapid alignment, her teams use “vibe coding” and AI prototyping (e.g., Vercel v0, Figma AI) to explore ideas and test information architecture—useful for shared understanding, but not production-ready code. Engineers then rebuild with reusable components and proper abstractions.Danielle also maps the sector’s headwinds—donor fatigue, tougher planning cycles, and the vast range from volunteer-run nonprofits to global impact orgs—and underscores a simple value promise: modern, efficient tools at the right price, in service of the mission. - Moving from DaaS to SaaS to reduce manual data work and unlock insight - Quiller: AI content creation that preserves brand voice (human-in-the-loop) - Post-CRM orchestration: connect many CRMs and tools via APIs for a unified view - Data governance & contracts as prerequisites for analytics/AI that lasts - UX as a PMF driver; QA as partner; CI you can trust - Vibe coding/AI prototyping for speed and alignment—then rebuild properly - People-first leadership through mergers, rebuilds, and launches - Advice to newcomers: go deep on data—there’s a role for every skillset (APIs, risk, interfaces, science)About Danielle Nakano:- https://www.daniellecostanakano.comAbout Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io- ✅ https://prevetted.ai🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast00:00 Introduction to Danielle Costa-Nacano and Grassroots Analytics03:09 Transitioning from Data as a Service to Software as a Service06:02 The Role of AI in Content Creation and Data Management08:54 Lessons from Previous Roles at National Geographic and Bonterra11:59 Building Products for Nonprofits and Social Good15:02 Challenges Faced by Nonprofits Today17:52 Data Infrastructure and Integration Issues20:48 The Importance of Data Governance24:01 Enhancing Donor Relationships with AI26:54 Conclusion and Future Outlook27:24 Integrating Data for Better Decision Making29:38 The Importance of People in Leadership32:48 Collaboration Across Teams38:08 Quality Assurance and Development39:48 User Experience as a Key Factor45:19 Prototyping and AI in Product Development51:33 Advice for Future Data Professionals

Travis Summers brings a remarkable dual career journey to this episode of the PreVetted Podcast. With over 23 years of military service in the U.S. Army and more than 25 years of experience in human resources, Travis has dedicated his life to building high-performing teams, shaping organizational culture, and aligning people strategies with business goals.In this conversation, Travis shares how the discipline, resilience, and leadership skills he developed in the military translated seamlessly into corporate HR. As a Regional Recruiting Manager and later in operations, he learned the value of workforce planning, efficiency, and resource allocation—skills that became the backbone of his corporate leadership style. Transitioning into HR, he discovered deep fulfillment in helping people grow, align with opportunities, and provide for their families.Travis discusses the importance of aligning employee development plans with organizational objectives, illustrating how strategic HR practices can reduce turnover and boost engagement. At Anywhere Talent, for example, he implemented a performance management system with quarterly reviews, regular training, and one-on-one coaching, resulting in improved productivity and an average tenure of three to four years—well above industry norms.The conversation explores his philosophy of leadership rooted in integrity, accountability, and empathy. He emphasizes active listening, cultural sensitivity, and the balance between adapting to an organization’s needs and standing firm on values. Federico and Travis dive into the challenges of fostering resilience in both military and civilian teams, with Travis noting that people everywhere thrive when they feel trusted, supported, and empowered to make decisions.They also discuss the evolving role of HR—from an administrative function to a strategic partner shaping innovation, culture, and employee experience. Travis reflects on how technology and AI are reshaping the field, cautioning against over-reliance while recognizing the productivity benefits when used transparently. He highlights adaptability and continuous learning as essential traits for modern HR leaders, sharing how earning his PHR certification reinforced the value of lifelong education.For veterans transitioning to corporate leadership, Travis offers advice: carry forward the discipline and resilience learned in service, but also remain open to new cultures, new ways of working, and personal investment in growth.As he looks to the future, Travis is most excited about HR’s role in advancing employee engagement, building diverse global teams, and using technology alongside empathy to create workplaces where both people and businesses thrive.This episode is a thoughtful exploration of leadership, adaptability, and the human side of organizational success.About Travis Summers:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-summers-phr-56685134/About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io- ✅ https://prevetted.ai🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast00:00 Introduction to Travis Summer's Journey02:22 Transitioning from Military to HR09:54 Aligning People Strategies with Business Goals15:50 Adapting Leadership Across Organizations22:27 Building Workplace Culture for Retention27:33 Navigating AI Challenges in Recruitment34:55 The Importance of Continuous Learning37:42 Instilling Resilience in Teams40:34 The Evolving Role of HR45:19 Future of HR and Organizational Leadership

Shiva Kumar is the Co-Founder & CTO of Dentulu, a health-tech platform unifying the fragmented world of dentistry into a single ecosystem for providers, offices, patients, and suppliers. In this conversation, Shiva shares how Dentulu evolved from mobile dentistry to a comprehensive telehealth platform—accelerated by COVID—and why meticulous, millimeter-level clinical workflows demand a very different approach than “move fast and break things.”

We discuss Dentulu’s core innovations, including virtual post-op care and remote diagnostics powered by MouthCam—an affordable, patient-use intraoral camera that streams images directly to the patient chart so dentists can decide whether an in-office visit is necessary. Shiva explains how the team standardized salivary diagnostics—linking oral health to systemic conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers—through integrated lab partnerships. He also details Dentulu’s sleep apnea program: dentist-designed mandibular advancement devices that can be prescribed and managed largely through virtual workflows, with typical insurance reimbursements in the $4,000–$6,000 range.

On the tech side, Shiva opens the hood on Dentulu’s HIPAA-compliant, microservices-based architecture, emphasizing reliability, scenario testing, and patient safety over speed. He outlines Dentulu’s AI layer: domain-specific chat agents for dental Q&A, voice dictation to SOAP-note summaries, and an app marketplace where third-party AI tools can plug into the platform via middleware. He also shares lessons from raising $3.5–$4M, investing personal capital and sweat equity, and leading a 120-person engineering effort to ship and scale the product.

A major theme is global team building. Shiva breaks down how to maintain quality and culture across time zones (clear product ownership, rigorous evaluation, vertical expertise in health tech, and a shared vision), plus the practical rhythms—project managers spanning zones, a universal daily sync, and relentless documentation—to keep delivery predictable.

Shiva also reflects on co-founder dynamics with Dr. Raj, a third-generation dentist: pairing deep domain expertise with technical leadership. His advice for founders seeking a technical counterpart: look beyond coding skill to solution architecture, business judgment, cost discipline (e.g., cloud spend), and the ability to make hard trade-offs under investor pressure. Co-founding is “a marriage”—you won’t find perfect, but you must commit, communicate, and grow into 100% together.

About Shiva Kumar:

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivakumarc/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Denlulu and Its Vision

02:47 Building a Unified Dental Ecosystem

05:34 Challenges in Software Development for Dentistry

08:26 Telehealth Transformation in Dentistry

11:10 Innovative Solutions for Remote Dental Care

14:03 The Role of Co-Founders in Tech Startups

16:48 Finding the Right Technical Co-Founder

19:34 Trade-offs in Tech Development

22:10 Maintaining Quality Across Global Teams

25:14 Building Effective Global Teams

28:01 Navigating Time Zone Challenges

31:15 Implementing AI in Healthcare

34:36 Understanding Target Customers

36:54 Overcoming Challenges in Healthcare Innovation

38:25 Insights from Speaking at the UN

41:07 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

43:25 Future Plans for DENTULU

Joey Brabo, co-owner, COO, and head editor of Respect My Region (RMR), joins the PreVetted Podcast to unpack how music, cannabis, and community intersect, and why thoughtful media can de-stigmatize an entire industry. Raised across Seattle, Indiana, and Texas and now based in Los Angeles, Joey traces his path from lifelong music fan to culture builder, sharing how personal health challenges, exposure to technology, and hands-on sales/marketing roles shaped his advocacy and editorial lens.

Across this conversation, Joey tackles the stigma around cannabis with nuance. He contrasts cannabis with highly marketed but unhealthy habits (energy drinks, processed foods, excess sugar), explains why smoking isn’t for everyone, and clarifies the difference between cannabis and nicotine/tobacco use. He highlights fast-onset use cases (e.g., nausea relief) while emphasizing safer alternatives, quality standards, and the critical role of regulation in protecting consumers from contaminants like pesticides. Joey also notes how rules vary country by country and argues that legal frameworks, lab testing, and accountability make products safer—while tax revenue can fund schools, infrastructure, and community programs.

Zooming out, Joey frames cannabis as one part of a broader public-health and civic conversation: vote for sensible policy, invest in youth sports and education, eat better, move more (“motion is lotion”), and build communities that help people thrive. He rejects culture-war absolutism in favor of respect, open dialogue, and allowing people to make their own informed choices without imposing anyone’s “perfect” lifestyle.

On the business and media side, Joey details how RMR evolved into a multi-format podcast network (in-person, live streams, and recorded shows), producing hundreds of episodes with artists and operators. He breaks down a sponsor-powered model that blends content with warm introductions (lead generation) for partner brands—accounting firms, labs, tech tools, and more—delivering practical ROI beyond views and likes. We hear about consumption-lounge interviews, collaborations across states and Canada, and the gear and automation increasingly used in modern cannabis production. Looking ahead, Joey plans to expand into sports, technology, food, and small-business storytelling, encouraging “regular” businesses—restaurants, barbers, agencies—to collaborate openly with licensed cannabis companies on community events and creative campaigns.

Throughout, Joey returns to two anchors: positivity and opportunity. As head editor, he’s intentional about giving students and emerging creators a first shot, learning from mistakes, and building a team culture that’s curious, generous, and resilient.

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Joey Brabo and Respect My Region

02:39 The Role of Cannabis in Health and Wellness

05:12 Stigmas and Misconceptions Surrounding Cannabis

07:52 The Importance of Quality and Safety in Cannabis Products

10:49 Legalization and Its Impact on Society

13:23 Community Health and the Role of Cannabis

16:08 Personal Experiences and Perspectives on Lifestyle Choices

18:58 The Importance of Positivity and Community Engagement

23:17 Navigating Social Interactions in Networking

25:41 The Purpose Behind Podcasting

31:58 Building a Self-Sustaining Podcast Network

35:14 The Intersection of Cannabis and Traditional Business

38:25 Promoting Healthy Lifestyles and Respecting Choices

Harshil Ahuja is not your typical college student. At just 16 years old, he founded Novarus Technologies, a startup with an ambitious mission: to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges by ensuring universal access to clean air, clean water, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture. Now at 19, while studying Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M, Harshil is scaling Novarus into a global force for health tech and sustainability.

In this episode of the PreVetted Podcast, Harshil shares the personal spark that inspired his journey—seeing his mother in India forced to wear an N95 mask just to step outside due to dangerous air pollution. That early moment ignited his belief that no one should need expensive gear or scarce resources simply to breathe or drink clean water.

We explore Novarus’s mission to design affordable, high-standard solutions for basic necessities. From N99 air filtration masks and advanced water filters to modular renewable energy systems and experimental piezoelectric flooring that generates power from footsteps, Harshil and his team are reimagining how communities can thrive. He also reveals how Novarus is innovating in desalination technology, creating scalable systems that dramatically lower the cost of turning seawater into safe drinking water—potentially shifting the future of water infrastructure.

Harshil discusses the real-world impact of Novarus projects, particularly in rural communities in the Philippines, India, Haiti, and Africa, where access to clean water and energy can transform education, economic opportunity, and quality of life. He describes the emotional experience of watching children drink clean water from Novarus filtration systems for the first time—a powerful reminder of why he started this journey.

We also dive into:

• The challenges of building a hardware-focused startup—manufacturing, supply chain, and scaling beyond prototypes.

• Lessons Harshil learned from winning the Enterprise Leadership Conference, including the power of networking and pitching.

• The balance between dreaming big as an entrepreneur and executing practically, along with insights from books like The E-Myth and Made to Stick.

• His philosophy on nonprofit vs. for-profit models in mission-driven work, and why sustainability requires independence from constant fundraising.

• His advice for young entrepreneurs: master the problem before chasing the solution, embrace objectivity, and avoid overthinking—just take action.

Harshil’s long-term vision for Novarus is bold: to move beyond consumer products and into infrastructure-scale solutions that eliminate the need for stopgap measures like filters and purifiers altogether. His goal is a future where access to clean water, air, and energy is universal and sustainable.

About Harshil Ahuja

- http://www.novarustech.com

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/harshil-ahuja-085167249/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Harsil Ahuja and Novarus Technologies

04:06 The Mission of Novarus: Clean Air and Water

08:34 Expanding Horizons: Renewable Energy and Agriculture

12:08 Real-Life Impact: Transforming Communities

19:47 The Nonprofit vs. For-Profit Debate

28:03 Navigating Entrepreneurial Challenges

31:48 The Journey of Survival and Scaling

35:42 Recognition and Learning from Competitions

41:41 Future Aspirations and Innovations

53:13 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Shira Krishnan charts her path from hands-on engineer to product leader at Fivetran, the global leader in data movement. Shira explains why she traded pull requests for product briefs, how she rewired her mindset from “how do we build it?” to “why does it matter?”, and the frameworks she now uses to make hard trade-offs between reliability, speed, and business impact. We dig into the nuts and bolts of “just-works” data pipelines, the chaos of changing SaaS APIs, and what it really takes to serve AI/ML, analytics, and operational workloads at enterprise scale. Shira also shares candid lessons from early PM missteps, the mentors who helped her navigate the transition, and how she keeps her technical edge sharp without living in the codebase. If you’re an engineer eyeing product, or a PM wrestling with deep technical products, this episode is your roadmap—plus a peek at how AI is reshaping both product work and software engineering careers.

About Shira Krishnan:

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirakris/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Intro — Who is Shira Krishnan

01:03 Starting out in engineering

02:03 Grad school & the leap to the U.S.

03:43 Cisco days and seeing a product scale to $1B

07:30 Missing the “why” — seeds of a PM transition

09:50 Founding a startup and chasing product–market fit

12:10 First official PM role & lessons learned

14:30 Joining Fivetran: pricing, buying, and infra

16:40 Balancing technical debt vs. business priorities

20:50 AI’s impact on PM and engineering workflows

23:35 A 10-year-old wins a hackathon — vibe coding in action

25:35 Opportunities and limits of AI-assisted building

28:10 Ethics, data quality, and responsible AI

30:05 Parenthood, learning, and fresh perspectives

33:00 Advice to engineers eyeing product management

36:10 Advice for moving countries and embracing new cultures

37:30 Wrap-up & where to learn more

Makoto Kern, Founder of IIIMPACT, joins Federico Ramallo on the Prevetted Podcast to share his journey from robotics engineering to becoming a product strategy and UX design leader helping enterprises de-risk complex software development. With more than 21 years of experience across cybersecurity, energy, healthcare, and SaaS, Makoto has guided Fortune 500 executives and high-growth startups to launch market-ready products while building sustainable product development practices.

In this conversation, Makoto reflects on his early career in manufacturing automation and how optimizing software for non-technical operators sparked his passion for user experience. He shares how he transitioned into entrepreneurship during the dot-com boom—landing early contracts through Craigslist, eventually working with major companies, and building IIIMPACT into a trusted partner for enterprise leaders.

At the core of the discussion is IIIMPACT’s Strategic Immersion methodology: a process designed to align executives, product owners, and technical teams around business goals before jumping into design or development. Makoto explains why stakeholder alignment is essential, how poorly communicated assumptions create costly scope creep, and why treating product strategy like “therapy for organizations” is often the difference between failed features and long-term success.

The conversation dives into real-world lessons on:

• Moving from ad-hoc development to outcome-driven roadmaps.

• The role of UX research in preventing wasted effort on unused features.

• Building scalable design systems instead of fragmented, inconsistent interfaces.

• Why accessibility is both a compliance requirement and a usability advantage.

• The challenges of startup CEOs acting as de facto product owners and how to extract their vision effectively.

• Navigating resistance within large enterprises where siloed teams often slow down innovation.

Makoto also shares his perspective on AI’s impact on product development. While many companies rush to add AI for the sake of branding, he cautions that real value comes only when AI features solve genuine user pain points. He highlights the danger of skipping product strategy in the AI rush, comparing it to hype cycles around VR and the metaverse.

Finally, Makoto offers advice to C-suite leaders preparing to launch software: prioritize clear business goals, invest in upfront alignment, and continuously measure outcomes rather than assuming success ends with launch. He emphasizes that AI, while powerful, is best used to augment experts—not replace them—and that sustainable product growth comes from disciplined strategy, not shiny objects.

About Makoto Kern:

- https://www.iiimpact.io/

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/productuxdesigner/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Makoto Kern and Impact

02:01 The Journey from Robotics to UX Design

09:48 Understanding the Strategic Immersion Process

15:17 The Importance of User-Centric Design

19:55 Collaboration Between Developers and Designers

27:17 Challenges in Enterprise Software Development

29:06 The Importance of Accessibility in Software Design

31:48 Stakeholder Alignment: A Key to Successful Projects

35:58 Navigating Misalignment in Organizations

39:16 Challenges in Startups: The Role of the CEO

43:56 AI's Impact on Product Development

46:27 Advice for C-Suite Leaders on Software Launches

50:07 The Future of AI in Development

Franca Comparetto is the CEO and co-founder of Cigar Sense Inc., a pioneering platform that delivers unbiased, personalized cigar recommendations based on sensory science and consumer preferences—not marketing hype. In this conversation, Franca shares her remarkable journey from her early career in Brussels at the European Commission, through a decade at Cisco leading business operations and data governance, to co-founding Cigar Sense with her husband.

Franca explains how her frustration as a cigar lover in the U.S. led to building the world’s first independent recommendation engine for premium cigars. She details how Cigar Sense educates consumers, helps them avoid costly trial and error, and empowers them to trust their own palates. The platform’s unique approach is rooted in blind testing, statistical rigor, and sensory panel training, ensuring its recommendations remain unbiased and authentic.

We explore:

- Franca’s transition from a corporate career to entrepreneurship, and the values that guided her.

- Why she believes sensory autonomy is both a pleasure and a fundamental consumer right.

- How Cigar Sense uses data and sensory insights to serve both consumers and manufacturers.

- The problem with hype-driven marketing and how it damages trust between brands and consumers.

- The role of ethics in building a sustainable, value-based business—even when it comes with sacrifices.

- Personal stories of discovering cigars, cultural differences between Italy and the U.S., and how flavors connect to memory, identity, and tradition.

Franca also reflects on the broader significance of cigars: not just as luxury products, but as companions to celebration, resilience, and mindful moments of rest. She highlights how cigars have historically served roles from spirituality to social status, and why today they are best understood as experiences that enhance life when chosen authentically.

Despite bootstrapping Cigar Sense from the start, Franca has stayed committed to impartiality, transparency, and putting consumers first. She explains why companies that genuinely listen to their customers earn lasting loyalty and why she continues to push for clarity, standards, and education in the cigar industry.

This episode is not only about cigars—it’s about purpose, trust, and building businesses that put values before hype. Franca’s story is an inspiring example of how to merge science, ethics, and passion into a venture that makes a real difference in people’s lives.

Whether you are a cigar aficionado, an entrepreneur, or someone interested in consumer advocacy, you’ll find rich insights in this conversation about integrity, sensory discovery, and the power of building with purpose.

About Franca Comparetto

- http://www.cigarsense.com

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Franca Compareto and Cigar Sense

09:52 The Art and Science of Cigar Tasting

24:33 Consumer Advocacy and Ethical Business Models

28:24 The Value of Quality in Wine and Cigars

29:18 Blind Testing and Real-Time Recommendations

30:40 The Role of Statistics in Sensory Analysis

32:47 Trusting Algorithms and Ethical Business Models

35:08 Consumer-Centric Approaches in the Cigar Industry

38:35 The Importance of Clarity in Cigar Tasting

42:00 The Risks of Hype in Product Launches

44:38 Building Trust and Loyalty in the Cigar Market

47:44 The Purpose Behind Ethical Business Practices

51:02 Celebrating Life's Moments with Cigars

Jose Herrera is a creative force whose journey spans cultures, industries, and decades of storytelling. Born in Eureka, California, raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, and later building his career in San Jose, Jose embodies the spirit of bridging worlds. From his early days producing at Telemundo, Univision, and CBS, to founding MiO Productions, he has spent over 25 years telling powerful stories through video, events, and digital media.

In this episode, Jose shares the fascinating story of Corazón Musical: Escúchalo en tu Corazón, the groundbreaking TV production that celebrated Latino music and culture. What began as a bold idea scribbled on a napkin grew into a show that outperformed corporate competitors like Telemundo in ratings. Jose reveals how the concept was inspired by Guadalajara’s vibrant nightlife and his vision of showcasing positivity, community events, and music—without politics or negativity. Corazón Musical became more than entertainment; it became a cultural bridge between Mexico and the Latino community in California.

Jose also takes us behind the scenes of MiO Productions, a company that started with just two people and grew into a full creative studio offering video, web, audio, print, and event production. He explains how understanding nostalgia—the flavors, sounds, and traditions people miss when far from home—allowed him to connect with audiences in deeply personal ways. From commercials that became local sensations to events that captured cultural pride, Jose shows how blending heritage with creativity can transform storytelling.

But his journey didn’t stop there. Today, Jose is also driving innovation at Adco Outdoor, a billboard company with over 60 years of history. He describes the challenges of entering an industry dominated by family-run traditions, the resistance to change, and how he brought “new blood” and fresh strategies to revitalize the business. From learning the nuances of outdoor advertising to navigating delicate family dynamics, Jose offers candid insights into what it takes to succeed in a “boring” business that is anything but boring once you’re inside it.

Along the way, we dive into rich cultural anecdotes—from tortas ahogadas and pajaretes to mariachi traditions and the competitive spirit of Guadalajara, a city known for setting the cultural tone for the rest of Mexico. Jose reflects on the culture shock of moving to the U.S., the discrimination he faced simply because of his name, and the resilience it took to reclaim his identity and prove himself as a professional in a new environment.

If you’re interested in media, entrepreneurship, or the power of cultural roots in shaping business success, this conversation will inspire you to embrace your own journey and create opportunities where others see obstacles.

About Jose Bernardo Herrera:

- https://vimeo.com/user11323801

- https://mioproductions.com/

- https://adco-outdoor.com/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Jose Herrera and Corazón Musical

01:30 The Birth of Corazón Musical

07:49 Cultural Significance of Guadalajara

17:12 The Impact of YouTube on Broadcasting

20:11 Nostalgia and Cultural Identity

27:37 Challenges of Cultural Adaptation in Business

27:57 The Quest for Authentic Ingredients

29:38 Cultural Adaptation and Identity

33:32 Navigating Discrimination and Stereotypes

36:18 The Billboard Business Opportunity

40:44 Adapting to New Business Challenges

45:47 Leadership and Team Dynamics

Jonathan Collazo is an inventor, relentless builder, and the mission-driven founder and CEO of Ostrich Air and FireBot Labs—two pioneering deep-tech companies redefining the role of autonomous robotics in public safety, defense, and critical infrastructure. In this episode of the PreVetted Podcast, host Federico Ramallo dives deep into Jonathan’s fascinating and unorthodox path—from a teenage computer repair business in Florida to building battle-tested robots in Silicon Valley.

Jonathan shares how picking up a drone for the first time sparked an obsession that led to founding Ostrich Air, originally an R&D lab for custom drone and robotic systems. His approach was simple: no fancy credentials, just trial, error, and a lot of explosions in the garage. That passion evolved into creating everything from ground and underwater robots to autonomous aerial systems—with zero reliance on venture capital and full reliance on grit, curiosity, and team collaboration.

Later, faced with the growing threat of wildfires in California, Jonathan and his team pivoted their attention to real-world impact. Without waiting for funding or permission, they started building autonomous drones to detect and eventually suppress fires. This work became the foundation of FireBot Labs, now a fully independent venture focused on saving lives through AI-powered autonomous systems.

The conversation covers:

• Jonathan’s early passion for tearing things apart to learn how they work

• Why Ostrich Air’s name is a metaphor for doing the “impossible”

• How trial-and-error—and honesty—shape the team’s fast-paced innovation culture

• The origin story behind Double Tap, their undefeated BattleBot featured on Discovery Channel

• Why he believes theory is only half the equation, and “building messy” is where real innovation lives

• How FireBot Labs is creating autonomous drones that can respond to wildfires with just a few clicks—no training required

• Why he measures success not in profit but in impact, and his dream of providing life-saving tools to underfunded fire departments

• The power of finding your “3AM buddies”—people who’ll show up for you when it really counts

Whether you’re a robotics enthusiast, founder, engineer, or someone chasing purpose-driven work, Jonathan’s story will remind you that building the future doesn’t require a pedigree—just a little obsession, a lot of learning, and an unstoppable team.

Learn more about Jonathan Collazo:

- https://www.ostrichair.com/

- https://www.firebotlabs.com/

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/robotics-think-tank/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Jonathan Colazo and His Journey

06:53 The Birth of Ostrik Air and Firebot Labs

11:46 Innovative Solutions for Fire Safety

19:42 The Importance of Practical Knowledge in Innovation

25:44 Finding Purpose in Work and Team Dynamics

31:12 The Power of Ideas and Team Dynamics

33:52 Learning from Mistakes and Building Trust

37:21 Integrity and Team Cohesion

38:44 The 3 A.M. Buddy Concept

40:20 The BattleBots Experience

53:36 Future Aspirations and Innovations

Stephen Klein, Founder & CEO of Curiouser.AI, Harvard MBA, and Berkeley instructor, joins the PreVetted Podcast to challenge the way we think about artificial intelligence and its role in shaping our future. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top 1% Voice in AI, Klein is on a mission to flip the script: instead of humans prompting AI, his vision is AI prompting humans: What he calls Reflective AI™.

In this conversation, Klein shares how his journey from leading innovation at the world’s largest law firm to founding Curiouser.AI was sparked by a troubling realization: society was outsourcing its ability to think. Generative AI promised speed and convenience but risked diminishing imagination and critical thought. Klein decided to build an AI that asks better questions, pushing people to think more deeply, articulate why their work matters, and imagine boldly.

He explains how Curiouser.AI’s first use case focuses on entrepreneurs and small businesses—the true engine of job creation. With 90% of small businesses failing within 5–7 years, Klein envisions an AI “co-founder” that democratizes access to world-class strategy, marketing, and growth expertise at a fraction of the cost. Instead of charging $25,000 per month like top consulting firms, his platform makes the same level of strategic insight available for $25. The result: improving the odds of survival even slightly could mean hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

Klein also offers a candid critique of today’s AI industry. While companies like OpenAI and Anthropic chase scale at massive losses, he highlights the dangers of what he calls the “automation myth”—the false promise that AI can immediately replace jobs. He argues that error rates and hallucinations make generative AI unreliable for full automation, but powerful as an augmentation tool to enhance human work. He points out that many corporate layoffs attributed to AI are more about PR and stock price boosts than real efficiencies.

The conversation dives into venture capital incentives, the hype cycle around AI, and why Klein has chosen to bootstrap his company rather than chase traditional VC funding. Instead, he’s exploring crowdfunding as a way to let customers and supporters invest directly, aligning incentives with the entrepreneurs he serves. Despite a small team, Curiouser.AI is already profitable with strong margins—an anomaly in today’s AI landscape.

This episode is a masterclass in vision and philosophy. Klein challenges us to rethink AI not as a replacement for human ingenuity, but as a tool to elevate it. He believes the future belongs to those who can still see the invisible, imagine boldly, and dream audaciously—and that AI, designed differently, can help us do exactly that.

About Stephen Klein

- https://curiouser.ai

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Reflective AI and Curioser AI

01:13 The Inspiration Behind Curioser AI

04:28 Job Creation and the Role of Small Businesses

07:27 Challenges with Institutional Investors

10:42 Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital

12:15 Crowdfunding as a New Approach

13:42 AI's Impact on Job Markets

15:39 The Myth of Job Replacement by AI

21:12 The Reliability of AI and Its Limitations

25:00 The Financial Incentives Behind AI Implementation

25:46 Investing in Future Growth

28:17 The Role of Small Businesses in Economic Growth

29:40 Capitalism with a Social Mission

31:17 The Financial Challenges of AI Companies

33:38 Market Mania and Economic Bubbles

36:51 Bootstrapping and Real Value Creation

39:21 Finding Purpose in Entrepreneurship

Phi Pham is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Building Beats, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people through DJing, digital music production, and creative workshops that integrate entrepreneurial, leadership, and life skills. Since its founding in 2009, Building Beats has reached thousands of youth across New York, Los Angeles, and beyond, helping them discover their creative voice while preparing them for success far outside the music studio.

In this episode, Phi shares how his journey as a DJ and music producer led him to see DJs not only as entertainers but as community organizers—bringing people together, sparking movements, and building culture. That perspective became the foundation for Building Beats, where music becomes both a passion and a tool for personal growth.

Phi reflects on the early challenges of launching a music-focused nonprofit, including shifting from a grant-giving vision to hands-on teaching and building sustainable models where schools directly invest in programming. By approaching the nonprofit like a small business—treating schools and students as clients—Building Beats ensures accountability, quality, and long-term impact.

We also dive into the role of technology in shaping music education: from the days of Winamp, CDs, and mashups, to the rise of MP3s, Serato, and social media, and now into a future transformed by AI music tools. Phi explains how technology continually reshapes DJ culture and how Building Beats adapts, ensuring that youth learn not only music but also digital fluency and resilience.

A highlight of our conversation is the story of Jada, a student from Far Rockaway who began as a high school participant and eventually became a teacher and leader for Building Beats’ Los Angeles programs. Stories like hers illustrate how music workshops can grow into pathways of leadership, mentorship, and community change.

Phi emphasizes that impact isn’t just about numbers: It’s about transformation. Whether working with students in schools, youth in transitional housing, or young people navigating the justice system, Building Beats creates spaces where passion meets possibility. The organization also embraces cultural relevancy, designing lessons around artists, platforms, and trends that resonate with students today—from TikTok challenges to K-pop and anime.

Looking forward, Phi envisions a “Building Beats University”—a place where learning is driven by passion, whether in music, skateboarding, design, or digital creation. With unlimited resources, he would scale interest-based education that empowers students to “learn what they love until they love to learn.”

This episode is an inspiring look at how music, technology, and community can combine to shape the next generation of leaders. Phi reminds us that while algorithms and AI may influence creativity, authentic human connection and shared passion will always remain at the heart of transformation.

About Phi Pham

- https://buildingbeats.org/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Building Beats and Its Mission

07:00 Transformative Stories: Impact on Students

09:24 Challenges in Nonprofit Music Education

12:57 The Role of Music in Life Skills Development

17:56 Sustainability and Business Mindset in Nonprofits

22:00 Impactful Partnerships and Collaborations

22:50 Transformative Impact on Students' Lives

29:40 Engaging the Next Generation

36:04 Building a Community of Creatives

41:55 The Soundtrack of Building Beats

Mustafa Qutub is the co-founder and CEO of PaloBio, a Silicon Valley startup using AI to unlock human resilience and improve neurological health. In this thought-provoking conversation, Mustafa shares how his journey through law, philosophy, and technology led him to focus on one of humanity’s biggest challenges: helping individuals and organizations thrive in the age of AI.

We explore the roots of resilience—what it really means to persevere, how it goes beyond simple perseverance, and why it’s deeply tied to our cognitive, emotional, biological, and social environments. Mustafa draws on thinkers like Thomas Hobbes to explain how human will, consciousness, and creativity emerge from sensory input, and why those very qualities may become the line between human uniqueness and machine intelligence.

At PaloBio, Mustafa and his co-founder are building what he calls an AI advocate—a system that doesn’t just coach or cheerlead but truly understands the individual. By combining personal health, cognitive, and behavioral data, PaloBio aims to provide tailored insights for family caregivers, patients, and eventually broader populations. Their vision is to create a persistent companion that remembers who you are, adapts to your goals, and can even represent you in medical or therapeutic contexts with more accuracy than you could yourself.

The conversation also tackles the ethical and social challenges of AI:

• Could positive reinforcement from AI become addictive and isolating?

• How do we balance risk vs recklessness in resilience-building?

• What happens when AI knows us better than we know ourselves?

• How can individuals retain control and even economic value from their most personal data?

Mustafa argues that the future lies in empowering individuals to own and license their resilience data, making it both impactful for healthcare and meaningful in a world where automation is redefining human contribution.

We also discuss how too many possibilities can overwhelm innovation, why avoiding “new paradigms” that limit creativity is critical, and how serendipity and flexibility are essential traits for founders navigating uncharted waters.

By the end of the episode, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for resilience—not just as a buzzword, but as a core human capacity that can be measured, supported, and enhanced with technology. And you’ll see how PaloBio is working to become a trusted advocate for individuals, caregivers, and society at large.

👉 If you’ve ever wondered about the intersection of AI, healthcare, resilience, and human purpose, this conversation with Mustafa Qutub is one you won’t want to miss.

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to PaloBio and Mustafa Kutub

01:37 The Inspiration Behind PaloBio

07:52 Understanding Resilience and Its Importance

10:27 Defining Resilience: A Deeper Look

17:25 The Role of AI in Personal Resilience

25:14 The Future of AI and Human Interaction

39:34 PaloBio's Vision for the Future

In this episode of the PreVetted Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Tanguy Chau, Founder and CEO of Paxton, the AI-powered legal platform making waves in the industry by helping lawyers work 10x more efficiently.

With a PhD from MIT and a background in engineering, venture capital, and early-stage investments in groundbreaking companies like Ironclad, Tanguy brings a rare blend of technical precision and business insight to the world of legal tech.

We dive deep into:

• The broken state of traditional legal research and why Boolean queries are holding law firms back

• How Paxton eliminates AI “hallucinations” to ensure 100% citation accuracy in legal work

• Why legal-specific AI models are the future — and how they protect sensitive client data

• The three pillars of Paxton’s platform: legal research, document analysis, and rapid drafting

• The secrets behind finding product–market fit in complex industries

• Patterns Tanguy has seen in successful legal tech startups from his years as an investor

• His vision for the next 5 years of AI in law and why ignoring AI could become an ethical breach for lawyers

Whether you’re a solo attorney, part of a small law firm, or working inside an AmLaw 100 giant, this conversation is packed with insights on how AI can transform your legal practice making it faster, safer, and more cost-effective than ever.

Learn more about Tanguy Chau and Paxton:

- https://paxton.ai

About Federico Ramallo:

Software Engineering Manager | Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | Connecting U.S. teams with top nearshore LATAM engineers.

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

PreVetted Podcast:

- https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Paxton AI and Its Vision

01:57 Challenges in Legal Research

06:30 Expanding Features Beyond Legal Research

08:44 Understanding Hallucination in Legal AI

14:07 Ensuring Citation Accuracy in Legal AI

16:41 Differentiating Paxton AI from Competitors

18:23 Accessibility for All Law Firms

21:25 The Future of AI in the Legal Industry

23:31 Advice for Law Firms on AI Adoption

29:28 Insights on Successful Legal Tech Startups

35:41 Customer Research for Product Development

38:16 Future Developments for Paxton AI

Tara Maddala, Founder & CEO of Pandora Bio, joins us to explore how smartphone signals, wearables, and emoji-simple check-ins can spot early shifts in student mental health and nudge the right next step. We talk privacy-first design (individual data stays with the student), campus-level insights, and why limiting recommendations to three clinically vetted options prevents overwhelm. Tara explains how a biostatistician’s rigor—study design, bias control, real-world evidence—translates from cancer diagnostics to digital mental health, and why catching changes “upstream” matters. We also unpack social-media incentives, cultural differences in support systems, and the power of small, hopeful actions.

Tara has a PhD in Statistics and 25+ years across pharma, biotech, and genomic diagnostics. She builds cross-disciplinary teams and ML-based personalized diagnostics from feasibility through commercialization. With Pandora Bio, she’s applying that playbook to empower young adults on their mental-health journey.

Learn more about Tara Maddala:

- https://pandorabio.com

- https://www.linkedin.com/company/pandora-bio-inc/

- https://www.instagram.com/pandora.bio/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Tara Madala and Pandora Bio

00:59 Understanding the Mental Health Crisis Among Young Adults

04:12 The Role of Technology in Mental Health Solutions

08:46 Empowering Students Through Personalized Resources

12:36 Cultural Differences in Support Systems for Young Adults

15:05 Normalization of Mental Health Issues and Seeking Help

20:32 Early Detection and Proactive Mental Health Strategies

23:49 Gathering Mental Health Data

26:28 Personalization in Mental Health Solutions

28:52 Implementing Meet Pandora in Colleges

30:40 The Meaning Behind the Name 'Pandora'

32:02 The Role of Hope in Mental Health

32:57 Future Availability of Meet Pandora

34:00 Goals and Milestones for Pandora Bio

37:59 Her Biostatistics Backbone

40:47 The Importance of Early Detection in Mental Health

Narasimha Krishnakumar explains how QuantMomo translates institutional-grade factor models into simple, rules-based portfolios that everyday investors can follow. He breaks down the “why” behind momentum, all-weather, and value strategies, emphasizing process over hunches: position sizing, risk controls, and a clear rebalance cadence. By connecting directly to a user’s brokerage, QuantMomo helps investors execute consistently and reduce the stress that comes from discretionary, emotion-driven decisions.

Narasimha is a hands-on technologist and financial strategist with 15+ years of experience in software engineering, product development, and algorithmic trading. Currently he is serving as the part-time CEO of QuantMomo, where he architected and deployed multi-strategy, rule-based systems across U.S. and Indian markets using real-time data pipelines and execution layers.

About Narasimha Krishnakumar:

- https://quantmomo.com

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to QuantMomo and Nara Narasimha Krishanakumar

04:14 Exploring the Indian vs. US Market Dynamics

09:07 Investment Opportunities in the Indian Market

13:44 Understanding Rules-Based Investing Strategies

20:01 Understanding Rules-Based Investment Strategies

24:25 The Role of Backtesting in Investment

28:23 Navigating Investor Emotions and Market Drawdowns

33:48 Position Sizing and Risk Management

40:14 The Future of Financial Coaching with AI

Linda Baker has guided hundreds of devoted clients since 2003 through the biggest financial milestones of their lives—always with a blend of genuine care and strategic, forward-thinking execution. A former director of finance who oversaw marketing events at the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Linda brings uncommon rigor to every transaction: innovative marketing, design sense, and tech savvy on the sell side; a visionary, collaborative approach on the buy side that helps clients see potential in neighborhoods and properties they might have overlooked. It’s why her repeat-and-referral flywheel keeps spinning—and why she founded Milestone Realty in 2021 to deliver a more vibrant, client-first experience.

Linda Baker shares how authenticity, clear communication, and “high-road” ethics earn trust that lasts decades. We dig into her negotiation tactics, contract discipline, and the Silicon Valley practice of upfront inspections to reduce surprises. She explains how to set healthy boundaries in a 24/7 business, why “location, lifestyle, and livability” beats checkbox shopping, and how a timely nudge—grounded in trust—can help clients seize the home that truly fits. Along the way, we touch on market shifts (inventory rising, buyers pausing), pricing realities, and practical advice for first-time buyers, emotional sellers, and new agents learning the craft. Linda is a YWCA Tribute to Women and Industry honoree; outside work she’s with her husband, two sons, and two dogs—often at their mountain getaway, Baker’s Acres—playing games, traveling, or savoring a chilled glass of wine.

What you’ll learn with Linda Baker

• How to market a listing with design, data, and story to attract the right buyers

• When (and how) to guide hesitant clients toward the decision they already want

• The “location, lifestyle & livability” framework for smarter home choices

• Why upfront inspections and contract rigor prevent renegotiation drama

• Boundary-setting tactics that keep you responsive and sane in a 24/7 business

About Linda Baker:

- http://www.remilestone.com

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Linda Baker and Her Journey

02:47 Launching Milestone Realty: A Personal Milestone

05:37 The Importance of Client Relationships

08:29 Building Trust Through Genuine Care

11:31 Navigating the Real Estate Market

14:02 The Sensory Experience of Home Buying

17:03 Funny and Impactful Stories in Real Estate

20:06 Advice for Success in Competitive Markets

22:46 Guiding Clients Through Their Decisions

25:34 Finding the Right Home: Balancing Needs and Wants

31:40 The Emotional Landscape of Home Selling

37:05 The Spirit of the House

42:05 Balancing Work and Family Life

50:39 Navigating Market Imbalances