How do you turn science fiction into science fact—and convince the world to fund it?

Roman Axelrod, founder and CEO of Xpanceo, joins Felicia Shakiba to share the bold vision behind raising nearly $300M to build smart contact lenses designed to expand human capability. Operating at the frontier of deep tech, Roman opens up about what it really takes to move breakthrough ideas from prototype to reality—and why leadership clarity becomes non-negotiable when the stakes are this high.

This episode explores how leadership conviction, disciplined decision making, and clear C-suite strategy drive value creation in frontier innovation. Roman explains why storytelling matters in raising capital for moonshot ideas, why prototypes outperform PowerPoints in deep tech, and how creativity and rigor must coexist. The conversation highlights how enterprise technology, digital transformation, and business process automation support scale—while trust, communication, and strong co-founder dynamics sustain momentum under pressure.

Chapters

00:00 The Vision Behind Expanio

10:16 Challenges and Reactions to the Idea

14:14 Building a Deep Tech Company

17:22 Motivating a High-Stakes Team

21:47 The Importance of Prototypes

23:58 Recruiting Top Talent in Deep Tech

27:35 The Co-Founder Dynamic

31:14 Communication and Leadership in High-Stakes Environments

34:42 Cultivating Creativity and Vision

39:49 Looking Ahead: The Future of Expanio

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