Growth Capital Podcast

📦 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 86 📦

What if the biggest opportunity for AI isn't replacing people, but helping them make better decisions?

In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Chris Condon, Founder & CEO of Aircon, to explore how AI is transforming one of the world's most complex industries: freight forwarding.

After spending decades in logistics—from unloading shipping containers to leading a private equity-backed freight company—Chris saw a recurring problem. Freight forwarders weren't losing business because they lacked data. They were losing because they couldn't turn that data into confident, timely decisions.

That realization led him to build Aircon, an AI-assisted quoting platform designed to eliminate "freight noise" and help teams quote faster, learn from every decision, and compete more effectively.

This conversation goes far beyond logistics. It's a masterclass in solving operational problems, building technology around customer needs, and why the future of AI belongs to companies that improve decision-making—not just automate tasks.

Whether you're building a software company, investing in industrial technology, or leading operations at scale, this episode offers practical insights into where AI creates real business value.

Connect with Chris Condon

🔓 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 85 🔓

What happens after building one of the world's most recognizable technology companies?

In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with Paul Allen, Founder & CEO of SOAR.com, to discuss why he believes artificial intelligence represents an even greater opportunity than the internet revolution.

Rather than focusing on AI replacing people, Paul shares a different vision—one where AI empowers individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations to achieve more by combining open-source technology, public data, and human creativity.

From founding companies during the dot-com era to building AI platforms designed to democratize intelligence, Paul offers a thoughtful perspective on what the next generation of innovation could look like.

Whether you're a founder, investor, executive, or operator navigating AI, this conversation offers a strategic look at where technology is heading, and how businesses can prepare today.

Connect with Paul:

👍 If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to the Growth Capital Podcast, like the video, share it with someone building a business, and leave a comment: How do you think AI will change leadership over the next five years?

🧱 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 84 🧱

Does every startup need to become a billion-dollar unicorn?

In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with Ethan Mayers, Venture Partner at Fairbridge, to challenge one of the biggest assumptions in entrepreneurship—that venture capital is the only path to building a successful company.

Drawing on his experience as a founder, investor, and advisor to startup ecosystems in more than 60 countries, Ethan explains why founders should focus on building businesses that fit their goals rather than someone else's definition of success. From venture capital and permanent capital to AI's impact on entrepreneurship, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on what sustainable growth really looks like.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Connect with Ethan Mayers

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the Growth Capital Podcast, like the video, and leave a comment: Do you think every startup should chase venture capital, or are there better paths to building a great company?

🥩 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 83 🥩

What if the future of meat isn't replacing it, but making it better?

In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Paul Shapiro, Co-founder & CEO of The Better Meat Co., a food technology company pioneering the use of mycelium to create healthier, more sustainable, and more affordable meat products.

After spending years as a lobbyist for animal welfare, Paul leaped into entrepreneurship to tackle one of humanity's biggest challenges: feeding a growing population with limited resources.

From startup fundraising and IP battles to category creation and AI-powered innovation, Paul shares the lessons he's learned building a deep-tech company at the intersection of food, science, and sustainability.

🔍 What you'll learn:

🚀 Whether you're a founder, investor, operator, or simply curious about the future of food, this episode offers valuable insights on innovation, scaling, and building companies that create lasting impact.

📩 Learn more about The Better Meat Co. at https://www.bettermeat.co/

👉 Like, subscribe, and leave a comment: What emerging technology do you believe will reshape an entire industry over the next decade?

⚕️ Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 82 ⚕️

What happens when you build a healthcare company with AI at its core from day one?

In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Samuel Searcy, Co-founder and CEO of ClinTrial Research, a rapidly growing network of clinical trial sites helping pharmaceutical companies bring new therapies to market.

Before building ClinTrial Research, Sam worked across the clinical research industry, launched successful healthcare services businesses, and even served as a North Carolina State Senator. Now, he's applying those lessons to scale an AI-native healthcare company operating across multiple states.

Sam shares how AI is changing the economics of healthcare services, why clinical trials are becoming more specialized and complex, and what founders can learn about fundraising, operational discipline, and scaling in regulated industries.

🔍 What you'll learn:

Whether you're a founder building in healthcare, an operator navigating AI adoption, or an investor evaluating emerging trends, this episode offers practical insights on scaling in one of the world's most regulated industries.

📩 Connect with Samuel Searcy on LinkedIn - https://lnk.ua/ES8z0628K

🎧 Watch it on YouTube or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

👉 If you enjoyed this episode, like, subscribe, and leave a comment. How is AI changing the way you build and scale your business?

✍️ Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 81 ✍️

What if the biggest revenue problem in your business isn't winning customers—it's getting paid?

In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Marty Ringlein, Co-founder & CEO of Agree.com and General Partner at Adventure Fund, to discuss how AI is transforming the entire contract-to-cash process.

Marty shares his journey from building and selling a company to Twitter, serving as a Presidential Innovation Fellow at the White House, investing in companies like Anthropic and SpaceX, and now building Agree.com—a platform designed to automate everything from contracts and invoicing to payments and collections.

🔍 What you'll learn:

🚀 Whether you're a founder, investor, operator, or revenue leader, this conversation offers valuable insights on scaling businesses, monetizing software, and leveraging AI to create operational leverage.

📲 Connect with Marty:

👉 Like, subscribe, and leave a comment:

👮 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 80 👮

What happens when artificial intelligence, biometric data, and human performance come together to support the people who run toward danger?

In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Sean Bair, Co-founder & CEO of SWORN.ai, to discuss how technology is helping police officers, firefighters, and other first responders better manage stress, improve wellness, and build longer, healthier careers.

Sean shares his journey from a police analyst to a serial entrepreneur, including building a crime analytics platform that was later acquired by LexisNexis. He also explains why he believes AI, wearable technology, and proprietary data are reshaping not only public safety but the future of entrepreneurship itself.

🔍 In this episode, you'll learn:

Whether you're a founder, operator, investor, or simply interested in the future of AI and workforce wellness, this conversation offers valuable insights on technology, leadership, and building businesses that solve meaningful problems.

Connect with Sean

👉 If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and COMMENT with your biggest takeaway.

♟️ Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 79 ♟️

What separates businesses that survive from businesses that scale?

In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with John Smalley, Founder & Managing Partner of J Smalley Group, a multi-company holding group built around a disciplined investment and operating framework focused on long-term growth.

From scaling businesses across wellness, recruiting, environmental science, pest control, and AI infrastructure, John shares the strategic framework he uses to evaluate opportunities, build recession-resistant companies, and create lasting enterprise value.

🔍 In this episode, they cover:

John also shares how his experience inside large organizations shaped the way he builds companies today and why founders should stop chasing trends and focus on fundamentals that compound over time.

📩 Connect with John on LinkedIn - https://lnk.ua/X0yCE2hyu

🎧 Watch now and subscribe for more conversations with private equity leaders, founders, and operators building high-growth companies.

👉 If this episode resonates, leave a comment and share your biggest takeaway.

🌱 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 78 🌱

What if the future of startup funding isn’t about chasing unicorns, but building stronger local economies?

In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Jeffrey Kaplan, Director of Venture Asheville and CEO of Optimist Ventures, to discuss how venture philanthropy is creating a new capital model for underserved founders and regional businesses.

After Hurricane Helene devastated Asheville’s business community, Jeffrey and his team launched an innovative funding structure combining grants and shared-profit agreements to help entrepreneurs recover, grow, and scale without giving up equity.

This episode dives into:

Whether you’re a founder, investor, operator, or economic development leader, this conversation challenges traditional assumptions about capital, growth, and what success really looks like.

🔗 Connect with Jeffrey Kaplan:

🎧 Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms.

👉 Like, subscribe, and comment: Should more communities adopt this “anti-unicorn” funding model?

🐾 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 77 🐾

What happens when a founder combines marketplace thinking, AI, and a mission-driven problem worth solving?

In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with Chloe Fabiani, Founder & CEO of Paaw, the platform building the operating system for modern pet ownership.

After launching Paaw in France and expanding into the U.S., Chloe is tackling one of the most fragmented industries in the world: pet adoption and pet care. With over 60,000 adoptions facilitated in the U.S. alone, PAW is leveraging AI, data, and trust to improve pet-owner matching, reduce shelter overcrowding, and reshape how people adopt and care for pets.

🔍 In this episode, they discuss:

📲 Connect with Chloe:

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms.

👉 If you enjoyed this episode: