Growth Pioneers

Doug Erwin sits down with Tristan Pollock, Managing Director of Generator’s Electrify Nevada program, to talk about Reno’s growing startup ecosystem, Nevada’s strategic advantage in energy and hard tech, and why the region is positioned for a new wave of founder growth. They cover Tristan’s path from startup founder to accelerator operator and investor, the role of AI in entrepreneurship, and how...

On this special episode of the Growth Pioneers Doug joins host Mary Meyer of the Health Happy Wise and Wealthy podcast to discuss Reno Startup Week 2025.Mary Meyer brings together an inspiring panel of Reno's entrepreneurship leaders—including Doug Erwin, Candi Block, Monica Terrero, Daniel Smith, Melissa Saavedra, and Allison Greene—to give you an insider’s look at Reno Startup Week. Whether you’...

On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Joe Chauklin the founder of Freedom Air. Freedom Air is a new charter air service in Reno operating multiple turbo prop aircraft and executive helicopters. They discuss the origin of Freedom Air, the need it fills in our community and the intricacies of running a charter service. Special thanks to Joe and team for hosting Reno Startup Week's Poker To...

On this episode Doug speaks with Mitesh Agrawal the CEO of Positron.ai. Positron is advancing the world of AI hardware right here in the Biggest Little City, with their first product that provides 3X the performance of NVIDA at a lower cost. They discuss the changing landscape of AI, the importance of purpose built hardware and Positrons unique value. They discuss the Positron team, their investor...

On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Jon Dalton, President of the Nevada Coalition for Psychedelic Medicine. JD, a former Navy SEAL of 23 years, shares his personal story of overcoming debilitating depression and anxiety because of multiple traumatic brain injuries and combat related trauma. They discuss the current state of Veterans mental health, suicide rates and treatment modalities...

On this episode of the Growth Pioneers, Doug speaks with Sean Montgomery. Sean has a PhD in Neuroscience, is an immersive experience artist, and the founder of a medical wearables company. They talk about Sean's journey to Reno and dive deep into his current product which detects minor cognitive decline. They also have a wide ranging conversation about the future of wearables as it relates to cons...

In this episode of The Growth Pioneers Podcast, I’m thrilled to welcome David Ezell, a brand strategist at Meta and host of the podcast How to Ride a Roller Coaster. David shares his journey as a recent transplant from Dallas to Reno, bringing a unique perspective on ecosystem building in both cities. Together, we dive into his experiences interviewing entrepreneurs, his insights into the dynamics...

In this episode of the Growth Pioneers, Doug speaks with Candi and Juston from the EDAWN entrepreneurial team. They discuss the why behind Startup Week, its impact on the community and some key insights and highlights from this years event. They also discuss the Reno Startup Deck 4.0, the importance of core values in community building, their personal motivations for doing this work and new events...

On this episode of Growth Pioneers, Doug speaks with Rachel Macintyre, the City of Reno Activation Manager, to explore the transformative power of revitalizing urban spaces. Rachel shares her journey as a serial entrepreneur, detailing the highs and lows of her career and how she has channeled her passion for creation into projects that breathe new life into downtown Reno. From activating underuti...

On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Tyson Falk the Government and Public Affairs manager of Ioneer. Ioneer is a mining company that has discovered a unique deposit of Lithium and Boron in Nevada. They discuss the local, regional and global significance of Lithium, Ioneers unique value proposition and the exciting prospect the project has on Nevadas Economy.

On this episode of the Growth Pioneers, Doug speaks with Jennifer Mcdonald who is The Assistant Director of Activism Special Projects from the Institute for Justice (IJ). The IJ is a national nonprofit law firm dedicated to protecting individuals' rights against government violations. Jennifer Mcdonald started her career in California politics before transitioning into evidence-based policymaking,...

On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Matt Nordby the Founder and Managing Partner of Flume Ventures based in Incline Village. Matt is an amazing human with a really interesting career path. He was an young executive at Sun Microsystems, went on to start a company, which was later sold, then became the President of Playboy Enterprises , and is now currently in the role of managing partne...

On this special episode of the podcast Doug speaks with his colleagues Juston Berg and Katie Freeman about Reno Startup Week. They discuss the rationale for Startup Week, the importance for the startup community and its value alignment with EDAWNs mission. They dive deep into the events, people and activities that are making Reno Startup Week a unique inaugural event. Sept 25-29 RenoStartupWeek.co...

On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Cisco Aguilar Nevada's Secretary of State. Cisco is a former Entrepreneur who is committed to streamlining government and supporting entrepreneurs. They discuss the role of the Secretary of State and some of the key initiatives impacting entrepreneurs including revamping the states business portal Silver flume, changes in the accredited investor stan...

On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Denis Phares the Founder and CEO of Dragonfly Energy. Dragonfly is one of Reno's Startup success stories, having started a decade ago and recently going public. They have a wide ranging conversation on the technology, the business and the personal side of the Dragonfly story. They also discuss energy storage and Nevadas Lithium Loop.

On this episode Doug speaks with his good friend Tony Lillios. Tony is a serial entrepreneur, endurance athlete , integral coach and president of the Reno/ Tahoe EO Chapter. They go deep into leadership development topics including what is enough, overcoming resistance, living well and much more.

On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Mo Collins the CEO of Entrepreneurial communities. They discuss the recent Nevada entrepreneurial ecosystem report going deep into the challenges, opportunities and recommendations outlined for Reno, Las Vegas and Rural Nevada.

On this special episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with his dear friend and coach Robert Ellis about his new book Coaching From Essence. They discuss Roberts personal journey, how it informed his philosophy, coaching methodology and led to his first book.

On this episode of the podcast Doug speakers with Kate Cotter, the executive director of the Sierra Psychedelic Society and the Nevada Colition for Psychedelic Medicine. The discuss a wide range of topics exploring the potential of psychedelic medicines for healing, the role of her organizations in eduction and advocacy and much more.

On this episode of the podcast , Doug speaks with the CEO of Mental, Anson Whitmer. Mental's goal is to improve mens mental health using proven tools and daily practices which are easy to integrate into daily life. They have an in-depth conversation on the factors effecting mens mental health and the tools and philosophy Mental employs to address these them.

On this episode Doug speakers with Eaton Dunkelberger the CEO of the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada. They cover a wide range of topics on philanthropic giving, structures, strategies and the important roll the foundation plays in transforming communities.

In this episode of the podcast Doug speaker with Edward Park the founder and CEO of Neuro Reserve, a neuro protective supplement company. Ed's passion for tackling cognitive decline comes from a deeply personal place. They discuss a broad set of topics around brain health, diet and the role of supplements in this informative and moving conversation.

In this episode Doug speaks with Anklet Fender the CEO of Grant Cycle, one of the Gener8tor Reno/Tahoe Cohort companies. They discuss the ups and downs of her journey , the unique challenges of scaling a tech company in a small town and the benefits of the Gener8tor.

In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Dawson Lamb, CEO of Loop another Gener8tor cohort company. They discuss Loops service in detail and get into the Dawsons origin story. He is a young and engaging founder and with deep Nevada roots.

In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Dan Feliciano the CEO / Cofounder of Clotheslyne. Clotheslyne is democratizing wash and fold laundry service through its Airbnb style marketplace. They cover topics including, the psychology of laundry, the challenges of 2 sided marketplaces, the value of the Gener8tor investment accelerator and more.