Pioneers: Startups from Dreams to Reality

Ideas alone can’t change the world. It takes grit, and serious funding. In Pioneers, host Peng Cau sits down with startup founders to discuss the startup lifestyle— from concept to execution— and the big ideas that fuel these pioneers. From the future of farming to autonomous flight, there’s no frontier too far.

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From Spider-Man to Spidey Tek: How Roberto Velozzi is Spinning the Future of Sustainable Materials

October 31, 2025

What if Spider-Man’s web were real? For Roberto Velozzi, founder and CEO of Spidey Tek, that question turned into a…

By Katherine Cerrone
< 1 MIN READ

From PhD lab to industry leader: Paul Webster’s journey to a hard tech exit

October 3, 2025

What if your PhD side project could turn into a multimillion-dollar acquisition in just five years—without going through endless VC…

By Katherine Cerrone
2 MIN READ

From big tech to robots: Cobot founder Brad Porter and the race to robotics 

August 28, 2025

Before founding Cobot, Brad Porter held senior roles at Amazon, Scale AI, and even helped pioneer voice applications at Tellme…

By Katherine Cerrone
2 MIN READ

Forged in War, Proven in Business: The Story of Peng Cau

June 30, 2025

What does it take to build a company from nothing—and then start again to help others do the same? How…

By Katherine Cerrone
2 MIN READ

50% Less Fuel, Fewer Emissions: JetZero’s Game-Changing Aircraft Design

March 31, 2025

What if the shape of an aircraft could unlock 50% fuel savings and drastically cut carbon emissions? How can innovative…

By Katherine Cerrone
< 1 MIN READ

Reducing Failure Rates and Improving Product Development With AdaIQ

February 28, 2025

In this second part of our Pioneers Podcast special on Ada IQ, host Paul Musto, co-host Tucker Marion, and CEO…

By Katherine Cerrone
2 MIN READ

40% of New Products Fail: AdaIQ’s AI Solution Might Change the Game

January 31, 2025

What if AI could transform product design by seamlessly integrating consumer insights and predictive analytics? How can startups and established…

By Katherine Cerrone
< 1 MIN READ

32 Engines, Zero Emissions: What Startup Innovators Can Learn from Cosmic Aerospace’s Skylark

January 23, 2025

How can aviation achieve zero-emission flight without compromising performance and range? What does it take to build the next generation…

By Katherine Cerrone
< 1 MIN READ

First Flight Venture Center: Launching Startups Successfully

December 2, 2024

What does it take for deep tech startups to move from idea to impact? How can innovation hubs like First…

By Katherine Cerrone
2 MIN READ