Dan Caruso

Colorado Innovators

Podcast

Colorado Innnovators: Katie Stanton, Founder and General Partner of Moxxie Ventures

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan Caruso sits down with Katie Stanton—founder of Moxxie Ventures and former executive at Yahoo, Google, and Twitter—for a deeply insightful and personal conversation about career, conviction, and catalyzing innovation.

Katie traces her path from early product roles at Yahoo Finance and Google to her pivot into public service with the Obama administration. She shares vivid stories of helping scale Twitter globally, co-founding #Angels to tackle gender disparity in tech, and eventually founding her own venture firm, Moxxie Ventures.

Dan and Katie also explore how AI, healthcare, and climate innovation are reshaping the startup landscape—and why founders who “live in the future” are the ones to watch. This episode is packed with founder insights, reflections on meaningful leadership, and Katie’s signature blend of warmth and wisdom.

Learn more about Moxxie Ventures here: https://www.moxxie.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

Podcast

CO Innovators: Jim Packer, President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution at Lionsgate

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan Caruso sits down with Jim Packer—President of Worldwide Television and Digital Distribution at Lionsgate—for a sweeping conversation on the past, present, and future of content.

Jim’s career spans from his scrappy start delivering hand-addressed resumes to Disney studios, to leading global content strategy at some of the most storied names in Hollywood—including MGM and Lionsgate. Along the way, he’s helped shape how we experience film and television across traditional media, streaming platforms, and now AI-enhanced environments.

The two dive into the seismic impact of AI on media production and content curation—from sound editing to predictive performance modeling for thousands of titles. Jim also shares how old TV classics are being remastered and reborn thanks to cutting-edge upscaling technology, and how platforms like YouTube are reshaping long-form storytelling and fandom.

This episode is filled with real industry wisdom, lessons from media’s most iconic leaders, and an insider’s take on how the entertainment business is being reinvented in real time.

Learn more about Lionsgate here: https://www.lionsgate.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

Colorado Innovators: Jeff Williams, CEO and CTO of Exum Instruments

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Jeff Williams, CEO and CTO of Exum Instruments, to explore how his company is transforming materials analysis with its groundbreaking Massbox™ technology. Exum’s innovation allows for rapid, precise elemental analysis, making advanced scientific tools more accessible across industries like aerospace, battery technology, and national security.

Podcast

Colorado Innovators: Chuck Morris, Chairman Emeritus of AEG Presents Rocky Mountains

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Chuck Morris, a legendary music promoter, manager, Chairman Emeritus and former President/CEO of AEG Presents Rocky Mountains, and the driving force behind some of the most iconic moments in live music. From booking local bands at The Sink in Boulder to managing the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for 25 years, Chuck has worked with legends like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Elton John, U2, and Bruce Springsteen.

Podcast

Colorado Innovators: Gregg Spiridellis, co-founder of JibJab Studios, founder and CEO of Moments

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Gregg Spiridellis, a digital media pioneer who went from Wall Street to reshaping online entertainment. Gregg co-founded JibJab, the viral content studio behind This Land and Elf Yourself, which dominated the early internet era with political satire and personalized videos. After two decades of innovation in digital storytelling, he and his brother launched StoryBots, a modern-day Sesame Street that became a Netflix hit and featured celebrity guests like Snoop Dogg, Jay Leno, and Scarlett Johansson.

Podcast

Colorado Innovators: Natty Zola, Partner at Matchstick Ventures

Dan sits down with Natty Zola, Partner at Matchstick Ventures. Matchstick Ventures invests in early-stage technology companies in rapidly growing yet under-served startup ecosystems “between the coasts.” Before joining Matchstick, Natty co-founded Everlater, a travel startup backed by Techstars which eventually merged with Mapquest. Later he served as Managing Director of Techstars Boulder, guiding 63 companies through the accelerator, including transformative startups like Veho, Soona, and Tilt.

Podcast

Colorado Innovators: Ron Garan, Former NASA Astronaut

Dan sits down with Ron Garan, a former NASA Astronaut, author, keynote speaker, and businessman. Ron has had an extraordinary journey starting as a fighter pilot in Desert Shield and Desert Storm to becoming a NASA astronaut on the Space Shuttle Discovery and a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Ron’s published books include Railroad to the Moon, The Orbital Perspective, and Floating in Darkness.