Dan Caruso

Month: July 2025

Podcast

Colorado Innovators: Bryan Leach, Founder and CEO of Ibotta

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Bryan Leach, the founder and CEO of Ibotta—a Denver-based marketing platform that helps brands engage millions of consumers.

Bryan shares how watching his father build a public company sparked his own entrepreneurial journey. After relocating to the U.S., Bryan eventually founded Ibotta and led the company through the challenges of scaling a high-growth business—all the way to ringing the bell on the New York Stock Exchange in April 2024, a rare achievement in today’s tough IPO climate.

From his unique vantage point, Bryan discusses what it takes to build a resilient company culture, recruit and retain top talent, and stay true to a long-term vision amid the short-term pressures of public markets. He also reflects on the evolving promise of the American dream, the power of education and networks in shaping opportunity, and why fostering community is essential for lasting impact.

This episode offers candid insights on scaling with purpose, leading through volatility, and the grit it takes to take a company public when the odds are stacked against you.

Learn more about Ibotta: https://home.ibotta.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

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

Podcast

Bandwidth: Drake Livingston, Telecom Lead at Hudson River Trading

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Drake Livingston to unpack the story behind Spread Networks—an ultra-low latency fiber route built to connect Chicago and New York faster than ever before. What started as a bold idea from a former trader turned into one of the most talked-about infrastructure builds in telecom and trading history.

Drake reflects on how Spread’s team—backed by Jim and David Barksdale—quietly constructed a perfectly straight fiber line, cutting through the noise (and terrain) of traditional networks. From navigating right-of-way challenges to stripping down optical gear for speed, they engineered every detail for one purpose: to give traders an edge measured in microseconds.

Drake and Dan also dive into the acquisition of Spread by Zayo, how that move unlocked new ways of thinking about pricing, route design, and customer relationships, and why telecom companies often overlook the power of focus. Their conversation touches on the culture that made Spread different, what it taught the broader Zayo team, and where they see infrastructure innovation heading next—including quantum networks and precision timekeeping.

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

For more information, check out Drake’s recommended podcast and reading lists:

Drake’s High Frequency Trading Reading List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nzytFOoJxoB79EO7l32ulm9Z6ouy-IVqGJiCDBQJdms/edit?usp=sharing Drake’s High

Frequency Trading Podcast List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EUOPEzA8O1HolobqpgOfXxOU0dPVfQvE8RkZDvV_pio/edit?usp=sharing

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