Evolution Exchange USA Podcast

In this episode of Founders’ Tales, we explore how Bay State Energy is transforming the future of nuclear power through microreactor innovation. Co-founder Alexander Urbanski shares how their solid-state power conversion system replaces traditional heavy turbines, cutting reactor weight by 90% and costs by 60%.

Bay State Energy’s vision is to make nuclear power scalable, affordable, and sustainable by enabling factory-produced microreactors that can be deployed rapidly around the world. Alexander also discusses the challenges of building in an emerging industry, learning nuclear engineering without a traditional background, and finding the right talent driven by curiosity and adaptability.

From Boston’s thriving startup ecosystem to lessons in resilience and clear communication, this conversation uncovers how innovation, timing, and determination can reshape the global energy landscape. If you’re passionate about climate tech, clean energy, or deep-tech entrepreneurship, this episode is a must-watch.

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In this episode of Founders’ Tales, David Bender shares how he built Brickgraph, a data platform designed to solve one of commercial real estate’s biggest pain points: fragmented, hard-to-use information scattered across multiple systems. Drawing from his early career in London’s real estate industry, David explains how the daily struggle of working with disconnected data sparked the idea for a unified platform powered by geospatial analytics, knowledge graphs, and AI.

David opens up about the realities of being a solo founder, describing the challenge of balancing product development with sales, marketing, and the emotional pressure of building a company without a co-founder. He talks about how his product evolved over time while still staying true to the original vision of making real estate data easier to work with and more valuable.

He also shares how his first paying customer emerged from consulting work, proving the value of the platform and giving him real-world feedback that shaped its development. David compares startup ecosystems across London, Toronto, and Boston, noting that Boston’s environment pushes founders to think bigger, move faster, and tap into a supportive network.

Central to his story is the importance of community, well-being, and sustainability. David highlights that founders must prioritize physical health, mental balance, and relationships to stay resilient over the long term. His core belief is that a founder’s most important responsibility is to consistently show up and manage their energy so they can move the company forward with clarity and momentum.

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In this episode of Founders’ Tales, we sit down with Aaron "Checo" Pacheco, founder and CEO of OtterMon AI, to explore how his team is rethinking website monitoring and reliability in an increasingly complex tech landscape.

With more than fifteen years of experience in the Boston tech ecosystem, Checo shares how repeated exposure to alert fatigue, monitoring noise, and preventable outages led him and his co founders to build OtterMon AI. Their mission is simple but ambitious. Make monitoring proactive instead of reactive, and turn it into a true partner for developers rather than another tool they have to manage.

Checo walks through the evolution of OtterMon’s MVP, from an early chatbot concept to a platform that continuously analyzes signals to surface risks, highlight optimization opportunities, and help teams prevent incidents weeks or even months before they occur. He also explains how close collaboration with design partners shaped the product and helped refine what real customers actually needed.

The conversation goes beyond product development and dives into the realities of startup life. Checo shares lessons learned from customer validation, fundraising, hiring for true startup DNA, and building momentum through trust, social proof, and strong relationships. He also reflects on the Boston startup ecosystem, highlighting the importance of community, local resources, and founder support.

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n this episode of Founders’ Tales, Chris Hopkins sits down with David Chang, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and co-founder of Via AI. With more than twenty five years of startup experience, David shares lessons from building companies in Boston, being the first product manager at TripAdvisor, leading startups through acquisitions, and investing in over one hundred early stage companies.

David explains how Via AI was born from a simple but persistent business problem. When professionals ask who can introduce them to the right person or who knows someone at a specific company, there is no clear or reliable answer. Via AI is building software that helps go to market teams unlock warm introductions and activate their networks more effectively, especially during the earliest stages of building a business.

Throughout the conversation, David reflects on the importance of intentional velocity, strong relationships, and learning to navigate near death moments that often define early stage startups. He shares practical fundraising advice based on his ABC framework, which focuses on targeting the right investors, finding true believers, and creating momentum at the right moment.

David also offers insight into what investors look for at the pre seed and seed stages, how founders can improve their storytelling when pitching, and how to identify startup DNA when building teams. He closes by reflecting on the Boston startup ecosystem, explaining its strengths, its challenges, and how it can better support first time founders who are trying to break into established circles.

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In this episode of Founders’ Tales, Dale Thomas, CEO and President of Digital Plastics, shares his journey from earning a PhD at MIT to building multiple technology companies at the intersection of AI, engineering, and sustainability. Drawing on his background in chemical manufacturing and venture capital, Dale explains how Digital Plastics is using AI to modernize technical sales in the plastics industry through an intelligent e-commerce marketplace powered by Hermann AI.

Dale walks through how the original idea was sparked by recognizing industries that could benefit from AI but were often overlooked. What began as an effort to help buyers understand the environmental impact of plastics purchasing decisions has grown into a much broader platform that supports safer products, reduced reliance on metals, and better material choices across everyday applications.

He also discusses how the product evolved from an early MVP with minimal code into a full-scale marketplace by identifying where large language models struggle with technical and engineering questions. This insight allowed Digital Plastics to build a competitive advantage by delivering more accurate, lower-hallucination answers for complex engineering use cases.

Beyond the product, Dale shares hard-earned lessons about transitioning from technologist to founder, building trust with customers, delegating effectively as a CEO, and assembling the right board to support long-term growth. He reflects on hiring for true startup DNA, navigating the Boston startup ecosystem, and maintaining personal resilience through exercise and routine.

This conversation offers practical insights for founders, engineers, and operators who are building AI-driven companies in deeply technical industries.

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In this episode of Founders’ Tales, an experienced founder and investor shares five decades of hard-earned startup lessons. From his first venture in 1980 to today’s fast-moving tech landscape, he reveals what truly drives startup success by emphasizing the importance of building a sustainable business rather than focusing only on creating the perfect product.

He discusses how startup culture and funding models have evolved over time and why early founders should prioritize sales and customer validation before anything else. The conversation also explores how no-code tools, large language models, and fractional CTOs are changing the way startups develop their first products while keeping costs low and maintaining agility.

You’ll also hear candid reflections on fundraising resilience, the differences between Boston and Silicon Valley’s startup ecosystems, and the importance of passion, adaptability, and community in the founder’s journey. If you’re a startup founder, investor, or builder looking for timeless advice from someone who has seen every phase of the startup world, this episode is filled with actionable insights and real-world wisdom.

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In this episode of Founders’ Tales, we sit down with Stephen Kemmerling, Founder and CTO of Orca, to explore how his company is redefining the way AI systems are built and controlled. With nearly two decades of experience in machine learning, Stephen shares how Orca enables developers to build steerable and adaptable AI models that can be fine-tuned and updated in real time which is something traditional systems often struggle to achieve.

He talks about the early challenges of creating accessible AI tools, the importance of understanding customer needs through live demos, and what it’s like to hire a CEO to replace yourself as founder. Stephen also discusses building a distributed team from Boston, balancing innovation with practicality, and how maintaining perspective helps founders navigate the emotional ups and downs of startup life.

If you’re passionate about AI, startups, and the future of real-time intelligent systems, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

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Tommy Parnell, experienced software engineer and co-founder, reveals how his AI platform is transforming how companies make product decisions. The platform analyzes sales and customer support calls to uncover insights that often go unnoticed, helping businesses avoid building unwanted features and improve product-market fit.

In this interview, Tommy discusses integrating large language models, adapting to the ChatGPT revolution, and navigating the challenges of hiring technical talent focused on improving data quality. He also shares lessons on remote collaboration, startup culture, and staying passionate through the ups and downs of building an AI-driven company.

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In this episode of Founders’ Tales, Jonny Boyarsky, founder of Firstglance, shares how he’s tackling one of the biggest challenges in the startup world: helping founders and investors communicate more effectively. Firstglance is a mobile-first discovery platform that simplifies how startups share updates and investors track progress.

Jonny talks about learning to launch early, even when the product isn’t perfect, and why mastering distribution is more important than chasing flawless design. He also discusses hiring challenges, identifying true startup DNA in candidates, and his perspective on Boston’s evolving tech ecosystem.

If you’re a founder, investor, or ecosystem builder, this conversation delivers practical insights on leadership, resilience, and building momentum through action.

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In this episode of Founders’ Tales, Vivek Uppal, the Founder and CEO of Lappu AI, shares his journey from cybersecurity veteran to startup founder. After discovering that more than 60% of global domains are exposed to spoofing and phishing attacks, Vivek set out to build Lappu AI, an innovative email security platform that uses AI and public DNS data to detect and prevent these threats.

He talks about the emotional ups and downs of building a startup, including moments of technical failure followed by major customer wins. Vivek explains how AI-assisted coding tools helped his small team increase backend functionality thirtyfold in just a few months. He also reflects on how leadership training and coaching shaped him into a calmer and more focused founder, and why he values hiring people with true startup spirit who thrive under uncertainty and constant change.

If you are passionate about AI, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurship, this conversation offers valuable lessons on building technology-driven startups, developing resilience, and staying committed to solving real-world problems.

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