In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Horace Zona—longtime investment banker and now Managing Director at DigitalBridge—for a wide-ranging conversation on dealmaking, discipline, and the evolution of digital infrastructure. Horace recounts his front-row seat to some of the industry’s most pivotal transactions, from AboveNet and RCN to Zayo’s rise, and the hard-earned lessons behind them. He shares why price discovery is both art and science, how curiosity shaped his career, and what really went down in boardrooms and dinners that nearly derailed deals. They dig into the financial chess match of buying fiber in the wake of the telecom crash, the strategic tensions with rival bidders, and how relationships with investors like Charlesbank and Providence shaped outcomes. Horace also opens up about career milestones and explains why today’s AI, quantum, and robotics revolutions remind him of the late ’90s infrastructure boom. Learn more about DigitalBridge: https://www.digitalbridge.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
The Bear Roars
In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan Caruso sits down with Seth Levine—co-founder and Partner of Foundry and one of the architects behind Colorado’s modern venture landscape—for a special live recording. Seth shares his path from the telecom trenches of the 1990s into venture capital, and how mentors and early investors shaped his view of what community-driven entrepreneurship could look like. He recounts the shaky years after the dot-com bust, when many firms disappeared, and how a new wave of collaboration led to the birth of Foundry and Techstars. Seth also draws parallels between past downturns and today’s market reset, offering candid thoughts on valuations, timing, and the cycles that keep reshaping venture. Looking ahead, Dan and Seth explore where the next breakthroughs will come from: defense tech, advanced energy, quantum, and Colorado’s unique role in space. They examine the delicate balance between homegrown capital and outside investment, and how regulation could either fuel or hinder the state’s momentum in AI. Learn more about Foundry: https://foundry.vc/ 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
In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Judge Andy Hartman—a Boulder District Court judge appointed in 2013, former Big Law partner, and devoted civic leader. Andy reflects on his journey: from chairing the Colorado litigation practice at Cooley LLP and serving as general counsel for Keen, to being appointed to the bench by Governor Hickenlooper in 2013. He’s handled felony criminal cases, civil disputes, domestic relations, probate, juvenile, mental health, and treatment court cases.   Dan and Andy explore how he shaped legal education by serving as the first Director of Experiential Learning at CU Law, teaching there for 12 years and serving on the Leeds Business School’s Deming Center Venture Fund board. Andy shares how Boulder has evolved and how civic engagement, trust in the justice system, and community institutions like Sundance underscore the evolving role of the bench in a polarized era. Learn more about Colorado’s 20th Judicial District: https://www.coloradojudicial.gov 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
In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Chris Pearson—CEO of Agile Space Industries, for a wide-ranging conversation on propulsion, defense tech, and Colorado’s rise as a space hub. Chris explains how falling launch costs and the explosion of mega-constellations are transforming the space economy, why propulsion and mobility in orbit are critical to both national security and commercial growth, and how Agile is meeting the moment with thrusters built through advanced additive manufacturing. They dive into Agile’s roots in Durango as a propulsion test company, its expansion into full engine design and production, and the upcoming Tulsa facility that will help ease one of the industry’s biggest choke points. Learn more about Agile Space Industries: https://agilespaceindustries.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
In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan continues his conversation with Molly Bloom—bestselling author, entrepreneur, and the inspiration behind the Oscar-nominated film Molly’s Game. If Part 1 explored Molly’s rise, Part 2 takes us deep into the chaos of her fall—and the remarkable resilience that followed. Molly recounts how her move to New York turned her games into a Wall Street phenomenon, with $250,000 buy-ins, billionaires, and the lure of unimaginable stakes. With success came darker forces: organized crime, violent threats, federal raids, and the collapse of everything she had built. Molly reveals the pivotal choices she had to make—between protecting her players or saving herself, and between spiraling further or rebuilding her life from scratch. She opens up about discovering meditation, repairing her family relationships, and finding strength in integrity, even when prosecutors pressured her to betray others. Dan and Molly also talk about how her story made its way to Hollywood, what it was like to work with Aaron Sorkin and Jessica Chastain, and how the film Molly’s Game gave her a second chance. Today, she reflects on her life as a speaker, author, and mother—and the lessons about risk, resilience, and redemption that continue to guide her. 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
In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Michael Zeisser, founder of FMZ Ventures and one of the most globally seasoned investors in tech and media. Michael reflects on a career shaped by transformation—beginning in a small village in France, earning a scholarship to Kellogg, and rising through the ranks at McKinsey to become a partner. He then joined Liberty Media, where he worked alongside John Malone on digital strategy and acquisitions, before leading U.S. investments at Alibaba Group during one of its most expansive global phases. Today, he runs FMZ Ventures, a $300 million growth equity firm focused on companies that enable, stage, or distribute experiences. The conversation explores the four types of experiences FMZ targets—kinetic, psychotherapeutic, functional, and virtual—and how these align with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Dan and Michael also discuss how AI, AR, and changing work-life dynamics are reshaping the way people pursue connection, meaning, and purpose. 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
