DARE

Most founders think they're investor-ready. Very few actually are. Jim Chi of the Oregon Startup Center has spent two decades helping early-stage companies understand the difference, and in this episode, he pulls back the curtain. From his years at Nike and The Home Depot to co-founding a coffee company and advising private equity firms, Jim brings a rare multi-industry lens to the startup wor...

He ran a food truck. Then a bank teller's seat. Now he sits on both sides of the lending desk, and he's not holding back. Travious Shanklin takes us inside the real cost of starting a food business: the wrong cart, the wrong location, and the brutal truth about getting funded with zero business history. In this episode, we talk market research, tariffs reshaping the Pacific Northwest econo...

Every gamer has someone in their life they wish they could play with. Antigone Nastos , Founder & CEO of No Sequels Cooperative , built her entire studio around that one insight, crafting couch co-op games designed to bridge the gap between gamers and the people they love who have never touched a controller. In Episode 21, Antigone and host Ned Hayes dig into what it really takes to build an i...

Nearly 500 construction workers die in roadway incidents every year in the US. Gordon Larson, CEO of Audible Cone Alert Systems Inc. , has been working to change that number since 1996 — and he's finally got the product, the patent, and the traction to do it. In this episode of the #DAREwithDarwoft podcast — in collaboration with the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network — Gordon shares how he built a...

Most founders look for gaps in software. Ricky Lee, co-founder and CEO of VYE , found his in a nicotine pouch, and decided to rebuild the category from the ground up. In this episode of the #DAREwithDarwoft podcast, hosted by Ned Hayes in collaboration with the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, Ricky shares how AI tools compressed years of R&D into months, why they're launching in the UK befor...

Water is the most essential resource on Earth, and one of the least understood by capital markets. That's the gap Michael Ulwelling, CEO of Kreneon , is determined to close. In this episode, Michael explains how creating a commodity market for water — similar to how energy markets work — could unlock the private investment needed to solve the global water crisis. With 70% of water basins in de...

In this episode of #DAREwithDarwoft, Ned Hayes sits down with Ron Khormaei, PhD, Founder & CEO of STEELPORT Knife, a Portland-based company redefining what American-made manufacturing can look like. Ron shares how a gap in the market, no U.S.-made kitchen knives in retail stores, sparked a mission to build heirloom-quality cutlery designed to last a lifetime. Drawing on his background at HP an...

In this episode of #DAREwithDarwoft, Ned Hayes sits down with Jim Ferry, Partner at Volition Capital, to get the unfiltered VC perspective on AI, SaaS valuations, and what it really takes to survive the current funding landscape. Jim shares why every company today is either AI-native or at risk, why inflated AI valuations worry experienced investors, and what founders must bring to the table befor...

In this episode of #DAREwithDarwoft, Ned Hayes sits down with Charity Andrews, CEO & Founder of Stellify, a company that helps growing organizations turn operational chaos into structured, scalable workflows. This conversation dives into the gap between buying tools and actually making them work: the behavior change, the process design, and the human elements most teams overlook. Charity share...

In this episode of #DAREwithDarwoft, Ned Hayes sits down with Tim Hysell, Co-Founder & CEO of Zinc Five Inc., the world leader in nickel-zinc battery technology with over 80 patents and nearly 2 gigawatts deployed globally. This conversation dives into the infrastructure behind AI: the batteries that power data centers through outages, millisecond spikes, and the growing demands of machine int...

What does it take to keep a tech ecosystem alive when the rules of the industry are changing? 🤔💭 In this episode of #DAREwithDarwoft, Ned Hayes sits down with Soley Azer, Executive Director of Silicon Forest Partnership and former Intel leader, to explore what’s really at stake in the future of semiconductors. This conversation dives into the real challenges behind the chip industry—from Moore’s...

What does it really take to make AI work in the real world? In this new episode of #DAREwithDarwoft, Ned Hayes sits down with Santosh Kaveti, CEO & Founder of ProArch, to explore what happens after the AI hype, when companies actually try to implement it. This episode is about building technology that works in the real world, and using AI not just to optimize systems, but to solve meaningful c...

What if your symptoms weren’t the problem, but the clue? In this thought-provoking episode of #DAREwithDarwoft , Ned Hayes sits down with Haresh Patel , Founder of DiagnosticMD AI , to explore a new approach to healthcare, one that goes beyond treating symptoms to uncovering root causes. This is a conversation about redefining diagnosis, embracing a more human approach to health, and daring to ask...

In this inspiring episode of #DAREwithDarwoft , Ned Hayes sits down with Dr. Jennifer Berry , CEO of SmartLab , to explore how hands-on, project-based learning is transforming the way students connect with STEM. If you care about the future of education, innovation, and empowering the next generation, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. 🎙️ Watch and listen to the full episode on all pla...

In this powerful episode of #DAREwithDarwoft , Ned Hayes sits down with Tyrone Poole , CEO & Founder of OneApp , a platform transforming the rental process to make housing more accessible—especially for those who need it most. This conversation dives into entrepreneurship, systemic barriers, and the role of community in building solutions that truly scale. This isn’t just a startup story, it’s...

In this new episode of #DAREwithDarwoft , Ned Hayes sits down with Brianne Mees , CEO & Co-Founder of Tender Loving Empire , a multi-million dollar retail business supporting hundreds of artists across Oregon and Washington. If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, the creator economy, or building businesses with purpose, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Watch and listen to the full episode on all...

In this new episode of #DAREwithDarwoft , Ned Hayes sits down with Katie Thomson , Co-Founder & CEO of Square Baby , to unpack the reality behind baby nutrition—and how one startup is working to change it. If you care about food innovation, entrepreneurship, or building products that truly impact people’s lives, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.  🎙️ Watch and listen to the full ep...

In this new episode of #DAREwithDarwoft , Ned Hayes sits down with Tyler Wells , CTO and co-founder of BrainGridAI , to explore how AI is reshaping the earliest stages of software development. If you're thinking about how AI is transforming the way software gets built, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. 🎙️ Watch and listen to the full episode on all platforms.

Welcome to a new season of #DAREwithDarwoft! The show for innovators, entrepreneurs, and 'startup leaders' who dare to shape the future. In each episode, we dig into the journey of innovation, traveling through doubt, failure, and experimentation on the path toward success and fulfillment. In this new episode of #DAREwithDarwoft, Ned Hayes sits down with Mike Vaona, founder of Rose Hill So...

Welcome to a new season of #DAREwithDarwoft! The show for innovators, entrepreneurs, and 'startup leaders' who dare to shape the future. In each episode, we dig into the journey of innovation, traveling through doubt, failure, and experimentation on the path toward success and fulfillment. In this new episode of #DAREwithDarwoft , Ned Hayes sits down with Kyra Boveda , Founder & CEO of...

Welcome to a new season of #DAREwithDarwoft! The show for innovators, entrepreneurs, and 'startup leaders' who dare to shape the future. In each episode, we dig into the journey of innovation, traveling through doubt, failure, and experimentation on the path toward success and fulfillment. A master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership, and how you too can dare to dream big. New epis...

Welcome to a new season of #DAREwithDarwoft! The show for innovators, entrepreneurs, and 'startup leaders' who dare to shape the future. In each episode, we dig into the journey of innovation, traveling through doubt, failure, and experimentation on the path toward success and fulfillment. A master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership, and how you too can dare to dream big. New epis...

Welcome to a new season of #DAREwithDarwoft! The show for innovators, entrepreneurs, and 'startup leaders' who dare to shape the future. In each episode, we dig into the journey of innovation, traveling through doubt, failure, and experimentation on the path toward success and fulfillment. A master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership, and how you too can dare to dream big. New epis...

Relive the best startup advice, innovation strategies, and founder stories from 2025! 🚀 In this special year-end rewind, we’ve compiled the most powerful moments from our interviews with top global entrepreneurs who are reshaping the tech industry. In this episode, we cover: Best Moments of 2025, what is happening with startups? What failure teaches you? , the future of tech entrepreneurship in 2...

As founder of Volcano Veggies, Shannon Barra has been through the full cycle of entrepreneurship. Shannon shares with us lessons learned from her deep experience as a venture-funded entrepreneur. She is helping new business owners, and often her advice is “Don’t Start That Business.”