Shows / Growth Pioneers
Growth Pioneers
From the Biggest Little City in the World comes a podcast about Pioneers. Not the covered wagon types, the modern day Pioneers exploring new territory in economic development, entrepreneurship and personal development. Join your host, Doug Erwin as he explores what it takes to build resilient communities, companies and lives in this wide ranging podcast. Doug is former serial entrepreneur turned economic developer and executive coach. He is committed to growing Northern Nevada’s startup and…
Episodes
- Growth Pioneers
Two Margaritas and a $750,000 Laser: Jim Belosic on Building SendCutSend in Reno
Jim Belosic calls himself "a dumb software guy that thought I could outsmart manufacturing." He needed one-off parts for his car projects, got about 100 "no…
- Growth Pioneers
AI Is a Superpower, Not a Replacement: Jamie Christensen on Building CitizenWorks
CitizenWorks founder Jamie Christensen joins Doug Erwin to share how she went from automating her own corporate job to building a thriving Reno AI services…
- Growth Pioneers
Building Nevada’s Startup Flywheel with Tristan Pollock
Doug Erwin sits down with Tristan Pollock, Managing Director of Generator’s Electrify Nevada program, to talk about Reno’s growing startup ecosystem, Nevada’s…
- Growth Pioneers
Reno Startup Week 2025 - Fueling New Ideas, Fostering Connections & Building a Thriving Ecosystem
On this special episode of the Growth Pioneers Doug joins host Mary Meyer of the Health Happy Wise and Wealthy podcast to discuss Reno Startup Week 2025.Mary…
- Growth Pioneers
Helicopters to Hot Springs with Freedom Air
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Joe Chauklin the founder of Freedom Air. Freedom Air is a new charter air service in Reno operating multiple…
- Growth Pioneers
Positron - Building next generation AI hardware in Reno with Mitesh Agrawal
On this episode Doug speaks with Mitesh Agrawal the CEO of Positron.ai. Positron is advancing the world of AI hardware right here in the Biggest Little City…
- Growth Pioneers
Regulated Legal Access to Psilocybin for Veterans in Nevada with Jon Dalton
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Jon Dalton, President of the Nevada Coalition for Psychedelic Medicine. JD, a former Navy SEAL of 23 years…
- Growth Pioneers
Wearable intelligence with Connected Future Labs CEO Sean Montgomery
On this episode of the Growth Pioneers, Doug speaks with Sean Montgomery. Sean has a PhD in Neuroscience, is an immersive experience artist, and the founder of…
- Growth Pioneers
A fresh perspective - David Ezell on relocating to Reno
In this episode of The Growth Pioneers Podcast, I’m thrilled to welcome David Ezell, a brand strategist at Meta and host of the podcast How to Ride a Roller…
- Growth Pioneers
Ecosystem Update
In this episode of the Growth Pioneers, Doug speaks with Candi and Juston from the EDAWN entrepreneurial team. They discuss the why behind Startup Week, its…
- Growth Pioneers
Activating Change: Rachel Macintyre on Revitalizing Reno
On this episode of Growth Pioneers, Doug speaks with Rachel Macintyre, the City of Reno Activation Manager, to explore the transformative power of revitalizing…
- Growth Pioneers
Transforming Nevadas economy through Lithium with Tyson Falk
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Tyson Falk the Government and Public Affairs manager of Ioneer. Ioneer is a mining company that has discovered…
- Growth Pioneers
Lowering licensing barriers for Entrepreneurs with Jennifer Mcdonald
On this episode of the Growth Pioneers, Doug speaks with Jennifer Mcdonald who is The Assistant Director of Activism Special Projects from the Institute for…
- Growth Pioneers
Flume Ventures - Unlocking potential in Nevada with Matt Nordby
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Matt Nordby the Founder and Managing Partner of Flume Ventures based in Incline Village. Matt is an amazing…
- Growth Pioneers
Reno Startup Week - Everything you wanted to know and then some
On this special episode of the podcast Doug speaks with his colleagues Juston Berg and Katie Freeman about Reno Startup Week. They discuss the rationale for…
- Growth Pioneers
Streamlining business in Nevada with Cisco Aguilar
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Cisco Aguilar Nevada's Secretary of State. Cisco is a former Entrepreneur who is committed to streamlining…
- Growth Pioneers
Nevada's secret weapon in the Lithium Battery Sector. Dragonfly's Denis Phares
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Denis Phares the Founder and CEO of Dragonfly Energy. Dragonfly is one of Reno's Startup success stories…
- Growth Pioneers
Wisdoms Share from EO Reno / Tahoe President - Tony Lillios
On this episode Doug speaks with his good friend Tony Lillios. Tony is a serial entrepreneur, endurance athlete , integral coach and president of the Reno/…
- Growth Pioneers
Mo Collins - Nevada Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Assessment
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Mo Collins the CEO of Entrepreneurial communities. They discuss the recent Nevada entrepreneurial ecosystem…
- Growth Pioneers
Robert Ellis - Coaching from Essence
On this special episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with his dear friend and coach Robert Ellis about his new book Coaching From Essence. They discuss Roberts…
- Growth Pioneers
Kate Cotter - Sierra Psychedelic Society
On this episode of the podcast Doug speakers with Kate Cotter, the executive director of the Sierra Psychedelic Society and the Nevada Colition for Psychedelic…
- Growth Pioneers
Anson Whitmer - Improving mens mental health at scale
On this episode of the podcast , Doug speaks with the CEO of Mental, Anson Whitmer. Mental's goal is to improve mens mental health using proven tools and daily…
- Growth Pioneers
Eaton Dunkleberger - Community Foundation of Northern Nevada
On this episode Doug speakers with Eaton Dunkelberger the CEO of the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada. They cover a wide range of topics on…
- Growth Pioneers
Neuro Reserve - Brain health with Ed Park
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaker with Edward Park the founder and CEO of Neuro Reserve, a neuro protective supplement company. Ed's passion for…
- Growth Pioneers
Ansley Fender - Grant management for mortals
In this episode Doug speaks with Anklet Fender the CEO of Grant Cycle, one of the Gener8tor Reno/Tahoe Cohort companies. They discuss the ups and downs of her…
- Growth Pioneers
Dawson Lamb - Headache free auto service
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Dawson Lamb, CEO of Loop another Gener8tor cohort company. They discuss Loops service in detail and get into…
- Growth Pioneers
Dan Feliciano - Democratizing Laundry through Clotheslyne
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Dan Feliciano the CEO / Cofounder of Clotheslyne. Clotheslyne is democratizing wash and fold laundry service…
- Growth Pioneers
Heather Brown - Startup Vegas
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Heather Brown the Co-founder of Startup Vegas. Heather is a passionate and dynamic leader with a background in…
- Growth Pioneers
Jeff Sailing, Startup NV
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Jeff Sailing the founder of Startup NV. Startup NV and the affiliated programs Fund NV, Seed NV are…
- Growth Pioneers
Kaitlyn Schlesinger - B Corps and values alignment
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Kaitlyn Schlesinger, CEO of KS Strategies. They deep dive into the B Crop, discussing the benefits, the…
- Growth Pioneers
Gener8tor - Investment accelerators for all
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Maggie Brickerman and Jared Byer from Gener8tor. Gener8tor is a nationally ranked top quartile venture fund and…
- Growth Pioneers
Chris Yount - Family Business Legacy and beyond
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Chris Yount. Chris was the CEO of Fortifiber Corporation a family business which Chris recently sold. They…
- Growth Pioneers
Elizabeth Redmond - Building dynamic workplaces.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Elizabeth Redmond. Elizabeth founder Coworkr an IOT workplace dynamics company which was acquired by rZero…
- Growth Pioneers
Kim Lane - Right to Start - It's time we live up to the original promise of America.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Kim Lane the COO of Right To Start. Right to start is dedicated to unleashing entrepreneurial opportunity for…
- Growth Pioneers
Adam Kramer - Carbon Accounting for all
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Adam Kramer, CEO of nZero (formerly Ledger8760). Adam is a dynamic and passionate CEO whose committed to…
- Growth Pioneers
Chris Hsu - Being a Landlord just got way easier
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Chris Hsu, the cofounder and CEO of Azibo. Azibo is high growth SaaS startup building a one-stop-shop financial…
- Growth Pioneers
Renne Hanson - Passion, Pride & Pivots; a Veteran Entrepreneurial Story
On this episode of Growth Pioneers, Doug speaks with Veteran Entrepreneur Renne Hanson. Renne is the founder of Vertical Athletics a manufacturer of Major…
- Growth Pioneers
Dr. Andrew Brandeis - Personalized wellbeing at scale
On todays episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Dr. Andrew Brandeis the co-founder and CEO of OK Capsule a private label supplement personalization company…
- Growth Pioneers
Alexis Hill - Government Innovation
On todays episode Doug speaks with Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill. They discuss the importance of innovation , long term thinking and true leadership…
- Growth Pioneers
Robert Goldberg - America's crises of incrementalism and alignment
On todays episode of the podcast I speak with serial entrepreneurial turned venture capitalist and private equity investor Robert Goldberg. Roberts work in the…
- Growth Pioneers
Bryan McArdle - Raising the bar in Reno
On this episode of the podcast Bryan McArdle of EDAWN returns to talk about the current state and future of the Reno Startup Community. They discuss the…
- Growth Pioneers
Clint Vernon - From small business to startup, a founders tale
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Reno Entrepreneur Clint Vernon. Clint is the CEO of Message Desk a startup who simplifies business text…
- Growth Pioneers
Dr. Matt May - Your thoughts create your emotions
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks his dear friend, psychiatrist Dr. Matt May about mental health and the Cognitive Behavioral model (CBT). Matt is one…
- Growth Pioneers
Adam Kiefer - InsurTech is way more fun than it sounds
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Adam Kiefer Cofounder and CEO of the Reno based startup Talage. They discuss the origin story of Talage, the…
- Growth Pioneers
Jeff Burkland - Strategic Finance for Startups
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Jeff Burkland the owner of Burkland & Associates, the nations leading fractional CFO service provider. Jeff and…
- Growth Pioneers
Jeff Schox - What do patents, autonomous vehicles and venture philanthropy have in common?
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with his dear friend of over 15 years, Jeff Schox. Jeff is the founding partner of Schox PLC a boutique patent law…
- Growth Pioneers
Darius Mirshahzadeh - The Core Value Equation
On this episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with Serial Entrepreneur and Author of The Core Value Equation, Darius Mirshahzadeh. They deep dive into the power…
- Growth Pioneers
Pete Koomen - Competing asymmetrically
Doug interviews the wise and talented co-founder of Optimizey, Pete Koomen. They discuss Petes entrepreneurial journey with Optimizey from its earliest days at…
- Growth Pioneers
Julie Arsenault - Panty Drop - Inspiring women from the bottoms up
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Julie Arsenault, CEO and Founder of Panty Drop a Reno based startup that sells, size-inclusive women's panties…
- Growth Pioneers
Mayor Hillary Schieve - Putting mental health first
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve. They talk about her origins in politics, the challenges she has faced running a…
- Growth Pioneers
Stephen Hurst - Treating addiction with psychedelics
On this episode of the podcast cast Doug speaks with Stephen Hurst the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Mind Medicine Inc. Stephen has dedicated over 20…
- Growth Pioneers
New to Reno: Adam Saven, CEO, PeopleGrove
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Adam Saven the CEO of PeopleGrove. They discuss the importance of mentorship and cultivating alumni connections…
- Growth Pioneers
Allison Jennings - Living in alignment with your authentic self
In this episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with serial entrepreneur Allison Clift-Jennings about her journey as an entrepreneur and experiences running a…
- Growth Pioneers
Craig Macy - Startup Law Done Right
In this episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with serial entrepreneur and startup lawyer Craig Macy about how changing your relationship with the law can save…
- Growth Pioneers
Jeannie Reeth - Supporting Female Founders
In this episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with Jeannie Reeth Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at University of Nevada and curator of the 3rd Annual…
- Growth Pioneers
Michael Bumann - An Entrepreneur forged in fire
In this episode of the podcast, Doug Erwin speaks with Michael Bumann about his life as a first responder, father of 4 and CEO of Red Dot Management a rapidly…
- Growth Pioneers
Reno - Putting Entrepreneurs First
In this episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with his dear friend and EDAWN colleague Bryan McArdle about the past, present and future entrepreneurial ecosystem…