I sat down with Sheel Mohnot of Better Tomorrow Ventures to talk FinTech and whether a state that struggles to build can maintain its edge as the global leader of innovation. We get into why New York has an advantage in FinTech, his thoughts on SF and CA local politics, and some startup ideas he’d like to see in the world (even though they not make money!). Enjoy!

Chapters

00:00 — Introduction and Personal Background

06:02 — The Vision of Better Tomorrow Ventures

08:23 — The Human Impact of FinTech

12:47 — Comparing FinTech Hubs: New York vs. San Francisco

18:54 — Challenges Facing California: Housing and Governance

26:44 — Startups You Want to See and is AI Washing

32:17 — Political Engagement and the Future of California

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Keywords

FinTech, Better Tomorrow Adventures, San Francisco, New York, technology, housing crisis, public transit, regulation, innovation, startup ideas, overlooked markets, AI, political engagement, talent retention, California future, network effects, simplifying complexity, human impact

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

04:43 The Importance of City Budgets

08:10 Los Angeles Budget Challenges and Deficits

14:08 The Fires on LA Budget

21:35 Civic Engagement and Community Leadership

30:20 Lessons From 40 Years of City Reform

36:27 The Future of Local Government

43:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Los Angeles is facing a billion-dollar budget shortfall. But this isn’t a blip. It’s a structural crisis with lessons that apply to cities far beyond LA.

In this episode, I sit down with Rick Cole, one of the most respected voices in local government. Over nearly four decades, he’s served as a mayor, city manager, and now Chief Deputy Controller for the City of LA. Few people have seen more from the inside.

We talk about why LA’s budget crisis was both predictable and preventable, what most people get wrong about how city budgets actually work, and why short-term thinking is dragging our institutions toward decline. Rick explains how the city missed a once-in-a-generation opportunity around the 2028 Olympics, why infrastructure neglect is catching up to us, and what it would take to turn things around.

At its core, this is a conversation about leadership, civic responsibility, and whether we’re willing to invest in the future. Rick doesn’t sugarcoat the problems, but he also hasn’t given up on what’s possible.

If you care about California’s future, local democracy, or how cities actually function, you'll enjoy this conversation. Subscribe at californiafuturesociety.com to get more conversations like this.

Keywords

local government, California, budget crisis, civic engagement, city management, public policy, community responsibility, future of California, leadership, public-private partnerships

What if building better cities didn’t have to take decades?

In this conversation, I sit down with Devon Zuegel of the Esmeralda Institute and Edge Esmeralda, to explore how a Solarpunk-inspired pop-up village in Northern California is creating new models for community, experimentation, and urban design.

We talk about what it means to build spaces that are human-scale, how aesthetics shape culture, and why California’s future still holds enormous promise — if we’re willing to rethink how we build.

Topics include:

• How Edge Esmeralda is shaping the design of a future permanent village

• Lessons learned from hosting 1,300 people in a pop-up city

• The real meaning of “solarpunk” (beyond the sci-fi aesthetics)

• Why California’s ‘resource curse’ demands bold experiments

• Building communities that can evolve, not just endure

If you care about the future of California — or the future of cities anywhere — this is a conversation worth hearing.

📍 Learn more about Edge Esmeralda: https://www.edgeesmeralda.com/

📬 Subscribe and you could win a CFS hat!: https://www.californiafuturesociety.com/subscribe

Chapters

00:00 Intro

08:43 What is Edge Esmeralda?

11:59 How Do You Prototype Community?

14:55 Lessons and Highlights from Year 1

22:46 Solarpunk and the Importance of Aesthetics

30:35 Come to Edge Esmeralda!

32:06 The California Identity

35:40 Escaping Stagnation in California

40:42 California's Resource Curse

43:20 Approaching Local Politics

49:44 Sources of Inspiration in California

Keywords

Edge Esmeralda, solar punk, California culture, community building, aesthetics, experimentation, local relationships, future of California, cultural identity, programming dynamics