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  • From Coal Trading to a $300M Exit: Why Tech Founders Must Build Moats — Lessons from Ryan Gnessing

    From Coal Trading to a $300M Exit: Why Tech Founders Must Build Moats — Lessons from Ryan Gnessing
    2026/03/24
    Good morning, good evening, good afternoon — wherever you’re watching from. In the latest episode of TechedTV, I sat down with Ryan GNessin, a serial entrepreneur, former Glencore commodities trader, and angel investor who turned a blank-canvas move to New York into a massive e-commerce roll-up and exit. Ryan’s journey is proof that bold career pivots can pay off — but only if you build real competitive advantages along the way. From Life Insurance to Glencore’s $500M Trading Desk Ryan started his career as a life insurance advisor in Australia but quickly realized it wasn’t for him. A mentor connected him with Glencore, one of the world’s largest commodity trading firms. He joined the head office in Switzerland as a traffic analyst, then moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, on just four days’ notice. Over eight intense years, he rose to head the regional office and managed a $500 million physical coal trading desk. It was high-stakes, high-travel work: meeting miners, partying with customers, flying 250–300 times a year, and riding the boom-and-bust cycles of the 2008 financial crisis. The lifestyle was exciting in his late 20s and early 30s, but eventually the constant travel and lack of work-life balance caught up. In 2016, at age 33, Ryan walked away with no job, no girlfriend, and no plan — just a blank canvas in New York City. The Blank Canvas That Became a $300M Exit Instead of looking for another corporate role, Ryan started small: retail arbitrage — buying branded footwear (Nike, Adidas, Hoka) from stores and reselling on Amazon. He quickly moved into private labeling and spotted an opportunity: thousands of small Amazon sellers generating solid revenue but lacking scale. Many could be acquired cheaply (2–3x EBITDA). That insight became Elevator Brands — an e-commerce roll-up platform. Started with tiny acquisitions ($200K–$400K revenue businesses) as experiments. Raised $8M in 2020, then much larger rounds as COVID accelerated e-commerce. In 2021 alone, the team grew from 15 to 220 people and acquired 20 businesses (total of 32 across the journey). One standout: Rhino USA (motorsport accessories), acquired at ~$20M revenue and scaled to over $100M. The result? A successful exit in 2023 after building a portfolio that proved the power of disciplined acquisition and operational scaling. Key Lessons for Tech Founders & Entrepreneurs 1. Start Where You Stand — Then Iterate Ruthlessly Ryan didn’t have a perfect 10-year master plan. He started with what was in front of him (Amazon arbitrage) and iterated until it worked. “Start small, test, and if it works, double down — if not, move on.” 2. Build a Real Moat — or Get Commoditized This was Ryan’s strongest message for today’s founders, especially on platforms like Amazon: Patents matter — Utility patents create real barriers; design patents are weak. Brand recognition wins — Rhino USA customers happily pay more because they trust the brand. Supply chain advantages or unique customer relationships also work. Without a moat, you’re just another copycat competing on price. Margins erode fast when 1,000 sellers can source the same product from Alibaba. Ryan’s advice: Ask yourself — Why would a customer choose my product over the 10 identical ones next to it? 3. Retail Arbitrage Is a Great Starter, Not a Destination Going to Costco or Nike outlets, flipping products on Amazon or eBay is an excellent low-risk way to learn e-commerce and generate cash. But it’s rarely a high-quality, high-exit business. Use those early profits to fund bigger experiments with better moats. 4. Timing + Tailwinds Matter — But So Does Grit COVID created massive e-commerce tailwinds, but Ryan was already testing the model before the pandemic. When opportunity struck, he was ready to raise capital and scale aggressively. 5. Career Changes Every ~10 Years Can Create an Exciting Life Ryan left a highly paid, specialized role in coal trading because it no longer felt right. His mentors thought he was crazy. He believes changing direction roughly every decade keeps life interesting — especially when you’re young and without heavy family commitments. What Ryan Looks for as an Angel Investor Today Sector first: He’s especially excited about humanoid robotics (which he believes could become the largest industry in the world within 10–15 years) and AI. Strong teams and big-name investors on the cap table (for resilience during tough times). Clear competitive landscape analysis. On the AI bubble question: Ryan sees high valuations and bubble-like P/E ratios, but also insatiable demand for GPUs (NVIDIA’s recent numbers prove it). His approach? Hold some dry powder for corrections, but avoid panic selling — the market could still run higher. Final Takeaway for Founders Whether you’re trading physical commodities, flipping shoes on Amazon, or building the next AI/robotics startup — sustainable success comes from ...
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    28 分
  • Modern Operating Systems for AI Agents

    Modern Operating Systems for AI Agents
    2026/02/18
    An operating system (OS) is the fundamental software that acts as an intermediary between computer hardware and user applications. It manages hardware resources such as the CPU, memory, storage, and input/output devices, while providing essential services like process scheduling, file management, security, and user interfaces. Without an OS, users would need to interact directly with hardware, which is impractical for most tasks. Common examples include Microsoft Windows, which focuses on graphical user interfaces and broad hardware compatibility; Linux, known for its open-source nature and use in servers; and macOS, optimized for Apple hardware with emphasis on user experience and integration. Operating systems can be monolithic (where all components run in a single kernel space, like traditional Linux) or microkernel-based (where services run in user space for better modularity and reliability, like in Minix). They also handle multitasking, allowing multiple programs to run simultaneously, and provide abstractions like virtual memory to make programming easier. I will first introduce traditional operating systems and its use in current desktops, mobile devices, and servers, and will compare them with my vision for distributed operating systems, as my proposal is MEVIA OS. The main use case is a world of AI agents (e.g. OpenClaw), more decentralized and operating 24/7, requiring then access, configuration, and communications with humans, anytime, anywhere for decision making and final touches as we free our time from being in front of our laptops. Comparing Traditional Operating Systems There are three main traditional Operating Systems: Windows, Linux, and MacOS. Their architectures are as follows: Operating Systems Architecture Windows Microsoft Windows, first released in 1985 as Windows 1.0, evolved from MS-DOS as a graphical extension to provide a user-friendly interface for personal computers. Developed by Microsoft, it quickly became the dominant OS for desktops and laptops due to its compatibility with a wide range of hardware and software. Over the decades, versions like Windows 95 introduced the Start menu and internet integration, while Windows XP (2001) emphasized stability and multimedia. Modern iterations, such as Windows 11 (2021), focus on cloud integration, AI features like Copilot, and enhanced security with features like Windows Hello. Its history reflects Microsoft's strategy of backward compatibility, ensuring legacy applications run on new versions, which has contributed to its market share exceeding 70% in desktop OS usage as of 2023. Windows operates on a hybrid kernel architecture, blending monolithic and microkernel elements for efficiency. The NT kernel, introduced in Windows NT 3.1 (1993), handles core functions like process management, memory allocation, and hardware abstraction. It runs in kernel mode for privileged operations and user mode for applications to prevent crashes from affecting the system. The OS supports multitasking through preemptive scheduling, allowing multiple processes to run concurrently. User interaction occurs via the graphical shell (Explorer.exe), with subsystems like Win32 for API calls. Security features include User Account Control (UAC) and BitLocker encryption, while updates are managed through Windows Update for ongoing improvements and patches. Kernel: Manages hardware resources, process scheduling, and memory; hybrid design for performance. Process Scheduler: Handles multitasking and priority-based execution of programs. File System (NTFS): Supports large volumes, encryption, and permissions for data management. Device Drivers: Interfaces with hardware like printers and GPUs via the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL). User Interface (GUI): Includes Desktop, Start Menu, and Taskbar for intuitive navigation. Security Subsystem: Features like Windows Defender and firewall for threat protection. Networking Stack: Manages TCP/IP, Wi-Fi, and cloud services integration. Linux Linux originated in 1991 when Linus Torvalds created a free, open-source kernel as an alternative to proprietary Unix systems. Inspired by Minix, it was released under the GNU General Public License, fostering community collaboration. Distributions (distros) like Ubuntu (2004) and Fedora bundle the kernel with tools from the GNU project, making it accessible for servers, desktops, and embedded devices. Its history highlights adaptability, powering over 90% of cloud servers and supercomputers by 2023, thanks to contributions from companies like Red Hat and Canonical. Linux's philosophy emphasizes modularity, stability, and customization, appealing to developers and enterprises. Linux uses a monolithic kernel where all core services run in kernel space for speed, though modules can be loaded dynamically. It boots via init systems like systemd, managing services and hardware detection. Processes are scheduled using algorithms like Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS) for ...
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    18 分
  • What's MEVIAOS?

    What's MEVIAOS?
    2026/01/26
    Dr. Edwin Hernandez has developed a new technology, under Mevia OS, that can be described as a "Universal Web Control: Revolutionizing Distributed Display Environments." This blog post draws directly from the provided sources regarding the patent-pending technology for seamless mobile-to-display interaction. Including use of gestures, machine learning, computer vision to interact with displays. The main goal is "Zero Friction," no applications installed, simply scan a TV or a QR Code associated with the TV and start interacting with it. Universal Web Control: The Future of Distributed Display Interaction In today’s digital landscape, the traditional remote control is becoming a relic of the past. Our latest slide deck explores Universal Web Control, a breakthrough system that transforms any mobile device into a powerful controller for smart TVs and remote displays. By leveraging decentralized or distributed operating systems, this technology allows messaging, streaming, and computation to occur in the cloud or across a local network. Beyond the Remote: How it Works The core of this innovation is the Device Connect Platform, which serves as a "glue" between web applications and mobile controllers. HOW IT WORKS? • Seamless Integration: Using a specialized web integration code (such as mevia.js), the system enables a mobile browser to act as a physical input device for a second browser running on a smart TV. • Real-Time Performance: To ensure zero-latency interaction, the system utilizes WebSockets and WebRTC. It manages these connections through sophisticated IP tunneling methods, including GRE, GTP, and VPN tunnels, ensuring traffic moves efficiently between endpoints. • Dynamic Controls: Depending on the application, your phone screen can instantly morph into a game controller, a keyboard, a video conferencing hub, or even a 3D gesture pad. Security and Smart Authentication One of the most innovative aspects of the system is how it handles user security without the friction of traditional logins. Security & Authentication • QR Code Activation: Users simply scan a Quick Response (QR) code displayed on the screen to initialize a session, which automatically maps a unique Universal Unique Identifier (UUID) to that specific display. • Gesture-Based Authentication: For enhanced security, the system can utilize a trained neural network (LSTM) to recognize specific hand gestures captured by the mobile device's accelerometer. • Location Awareness: Through Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) and cross-correlation of video feeds, the system can even identify which specific television in a room you are currently watching to ensure you are controlling the right screen. Versatile Use Cases Universal Web Control isn’t just for changing channels. As detailed in the sources, the platform supports a wide range of applications: Use Cases Art and NFT Labs: Interact with and display digital art Gaming: Turn your phone into a low-latency gamepad. Smart Home/IoT: Manage doorbell cameras or security systems from your mobile device. Professional Tools: Engage in video conferencing with camera and microphone control directly from the palm of your hand. . The attached slide deck provides a deep dive into the architecture, the Tunnel Mapping logic, and the neural network training processes that make this "Universal Web Control" possible. Universal_Web_ControlDownload
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    16 分
  • AI Stores - The future of shopping - Experience at DFW Terminal C - Fort Worth Magazine

    AI Stores - The future of shopping - Experience at DFW Terminal C - Fort Worth Magazine
    2025/07/29
    The Future of Shopping Has Arrived: I Experienced Zippin’s Cashierless Store at Dallas Fort Worth AirportImagine walking into a convenience store at a busy airport, grabbing snacks, drinks, medications, phone accessories, or even a travel pillow, and simply walking out — no lines, no scanning barcodes, no interacting with a cashier. Your credit card is charged automatically, and you’re on your way to your gate in seconds. Sounds like science fiction? It’s very much real, and I recently experienced it firsthand at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport.This game-changing technology comes from Zippin, a company pioneering checkout-free retail using artificial intelligence (AI), overhead cameras, and shelf sensors. The store I visited is the Fort Worth Magazine Travel Store, located near Gate C35/C36 in Terminal C (a hotspot for American Airlines flights). It’s a standard convenience store setup — shelves stocked with snacks, refrigerated drinks, toiletries, souvenirs, and more — but powered by advanced AI that tracks every item you pick up (or even put back). The company Zippin describes themselves as: Checkout-free technology for frictionless stores How Zippin Works: Simple, App-Free, and FrictionlessThe process is straightforward and brilliantly user-friendly, especially for time-strapped travelers: Enter the store: Tap or insert your credit card at the entrance gate (similar to a subway turnstile). No app download required — unlike some competitors. (Note: If you have a metal card like I do, the NFC tap might not work perfectly, so use the chip reader.) Shop normally: Browse and pick up items just like any store. The system uses a combination of overhead cameras and smart sensors on shelves to build a virtual shopping cart in real time. It detects when you take something, return it, or even handle items briefly. Exit seamlessly: Head to the exit, press the button (or let the sensors detect your departure), and walk out. Your card is charged instantly for exactly what you took. Get your receipt (optional): No automatic email or app notification. Instead, return to a kiosk inside the store (or scan a QR code), enter the last four digits of your card and the purchase date, and retrieve a digital receipt on your phone. In my experience, it felt almost too easy — like I was “getting away” with something, but of course, the AI had everything tracked accurately. There was a minor hiccup when I tried to exit (perhaps not pressing the button firmly enough), but a fellow shopper kindly pointed out the sensor — problem solved in seconds. Press enter or click to view image in full size The store looks completely normal from the outside and inside — no futuristic gadgets in your face, just efficient tech working behind the scenes.Zippin vs. Amazon Go: Key DifferencesThis isn’t Amazon’s first rodeo in cashierless tech — Amazon Go (now often branded as “Just Walk Out”) pioneered the concept years ago. But Zippin stands out in several ways, especially for airports and non-Amazon retailers: No app required: Zippin lets you enter with just a credit card tap/insert. Amazon’s system often relies on the Amazon app or palm scanning in some implementations. Broader adoption: Zippin powers independent stores like Fort Worth Magazine, not just Amazon-branded ones. It’s deployed in airports worldwide, stadiums, and more. Receipt process: Amazon tends to send receipts via email or app automatically; Zippin requires a quick kiosk scan but avoids tying you to one ecosystem. Both use AI computer vision and sensors for high accuracy (Zippin claims 99.87% in real-world use), but Zippin’s approach feels more accessible for quick airport grabs without committing to an app. Press enter or click to view image in full size (For comparison, here’s an example of a similar Just Walk Out setup — note the card tap entry, much like Zippin’s.)Why This Matters for Retail (and Travelers)Airports are perfect testing grounds for this tech: Travelers hate lines, labor is expensive and scarce, and theft prevention is crucial. Zippin delivers: Speed: Shop in seconds instead of minutes. Cost savings: Stores reduce payroll (one report from DFW showed 25%+ reductions) and shrink (theft). Better data: Retailers get real-time inventory insights and shopper analytics. No cash handling: Eliminates accounting issues and speeds up everything. We’ve seen similar concepts in Korea (like GS25’s AI-operated stores requiring a QR code or app) and other global spots, but Zippin’s no-app credit card entry makes it one of the most seamless yet.The Bottom Line: The Future Is HereCheckout-free shopping isn’t a gimmick — it’s solving real pain points in high-traffic retail. At DFW’s Fort Worth Magazine store, Zippin turns a routine airport errand into something effortless and futuristic. If you’re passing through Terminal C near Gate C35/C36, give it a try. Grab a drink, zip out, and feel like you’...
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    20 分
  • AI Marketing with Dan Gudema

    AI Marketing with Dan Gudema
    2025/07/19
    Transcript Good morning, good evening. Good afternoon. You guys are watching and listening. Tech TV podcast. And today we have an old friend, Dan Hudema. What's going on? Dan? Hey, there. How are you doing? Long time no see. It's been a while. It's been a while since I've been on a podcast, but, uh, we'll, uh, maybe we'll do some more after this. You never know. We tried to replace you with AI, but we couldn't. So that's why you're here. Just kidding. And that's, I think, why we're we're, uh, having, um, digital twin. Digital digital twin. That's right. I remember we scanned you one time. Remember? We scanned you and put you on blender, and, uh, but now, I mean, maybe in the next ten years that that would be feasible, but still, we can't. But that's what I wanted to to to know, like you were telling me that you have your your daily business. Yes. And the state of AI. So maybe like to illustrate to the audience, how far have you gone to use AI to help you with your business? And what would you recommend to those entrepreneurs that have some sort of subscription based business like yours, where you still have some human interaction? What are your first recommendations of tools and things that best practices for for AI. Yeah. Right off the bat, um, you know, just the basic use of ChatGPT and OpenAI or perplexity or grok or or any of those, just, just to get one of the bigger challenges for us is we have something like 4 or 500 events posted in the dating business. So we need to somehow get slightly different content for every event. We can't have the same content every time. So that's been a little challenge. So one of the places we are using it is to come up with slightly different content each time, or to mix it up because it's just there's just too much there. But the but I'll get into most of my AI projects related to the dating company are underway. I don't have them finished yet. I'm in the middle. Okay, um, and there's 4 or 5 there in my head. But everything does take time. Like to build it out. Some of them are, you know, dynamic pricing or things like that, you know, using AI to help. But but you were you were showing me something that I thought was interesting, which is the use of AI for your, uh, creation of, um, short videos. Right? Is that right? Why? Why is that? Let's talk a little bit about that. Well, this is related to a, a little bit of a blue sky situation going on with the digital marketing side. Excuse me. Right now, what's happened is Google, a few weeks ago, split videos from short videos on Google search. So I just need to generate a ton of videos right now because we need a video per local market for local keywords. So this is more of an SEO play. There's there's two kinds of video I'm generating SEO type video for AI or for SEO in general. Okay. And then there's some video I'm doing for paid ads as well that we're getting ready to publish as well. So so you're basically in a way because you're in different markets. So your, your, your companies in 50 different markets or, or maybe 75 or 100 markets now. Well, and then you have to address each market and individualize, let's say Albuquerque. I don't know, Sonoma or whatever. Yeah. So explain let's say you have a business in multiple locations or you want to have a multiple location. Is that, um, the way to go? Yes. I'll tell you one of the reasons why it's the way to go. So the the thing is that we all need multiple sources. So the whole SEO world, because I remember I used to do SEO, Turbo Boost SEO, generate hundreds of pages for a client. So that doesn't really work anymore. Um, because Google, not just Google, but AI is smart enough. In other words, if you have a page, if we have a page just about, uh, you know, uh, matchmaking in Boca, we have one page about it. We have a bunch of articles generating more content, blog articles about matchmaking. Boca is not going to help you. Okay, but what does help you is Delray matchmaking does help you because that's a different set of keywords, and Google sees that differently. Now it's very close to Boca Raton. So a lot of ways what we're doing is trying to come up with on the we're big on SEO. So the SEO side, we're just trying to build out in a way where we're having enough content to cover each of these areas. What I'm saying about the SEO thing that's driving me a little crazy recently, is I need to generate a video for each set of keywords. That's the way to go. I think for now, that's this week. It may change. And the problem? The challenge there is, even with, uh, you know, this about five programs that are really popular right now in video. Uh, hey, Jen, uh, Cynthia, Cynthia and about five more. It's about ten of these video generation products. The problem is I need to make 100 videos, and that takes time. It's still going to cost. Take me 15 minutes per video. And that may sound like not a lot. That's a short time from two years ago, when there was six hours of work to make ...
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    23 分
  • Leandro Margulis - J Ventures Interview - LJM Ventures

    Leandro Margulis - J Ventures Interview - LJM Ventures
    2025/07/18
    Interview Recap Dr. Edwin Hernandez welcomed Leandro Margulis, a successful inventor and entrepreneur with experience in startups, investments, and product leadership, as the guest for the Tech at TV podcast. Leandro shared insights about his work with various ventures, including LGM Ventures and J Ventures, where he focuses on early-stage investments in technology companies and aims to build a network of entrepreneurs and investors. He discussed his career journey from engineering and product development to corporate roles, while also touching on his personal life and the challenges of balancing family and professional responsibilities. Next steps Entrepreneurs to research potential investors thoroughly, including their investment criteria, portfolio, and partners before pitching. Entrepreneurs to leverage AI tools to build more advanced prototypes before seeking investment. Entrepreneurs to frame their pitches using the scientific method, presenting hypotheses, experiments, and early signals. Leandro to continue advising companies while seeking a leadership role in a growing startup. Leandro to balance family responsibilities with professional pursuits, focusing on efficiency and effectiveness. Summary Tech at TV Podcast Introduction Dr. Edwin Hernandez introduced Leandro Margulis, an inventor and entrepreneur, as the guest for the Tech at TV podcast. Leandro, an alumnus of FIU and Yale University, has been interviewed by the USPTO. The podcast was brought to viewers by Eagle Communications from Coral Springs, Florida. During the setup, there was some technical testing and troubleshooting to ensure proper audio and video connections between Dr. Hernandez and Leandro. Startup Investments and Entrepreneurial Insights Leandro discussed his experience with startups and investments, focusing on his work with LGM Ventures. He explained that LGM Ventures focuses on early-stage investments in technology companies, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain. Leandro emphasized the importance of understanding the needs of both investors and entrepreneurs, and shared his own journey from being an inventor to becoming a product leader and entrepreneur. He highlighted the value of diverse experiences in shaping his approach to founding and leading companies. Strategic VC Networking Insights Leandro explained his role as an LP at J Ventures, a VC fund investing in early-stage companies, particularly those with Israel-developed technologies. He described his broader vision of creating a "Paypal Mafia" style network of entrepreneurs and investors, combining operational experience with investment opportunities. Leandro advised entrepreneurs to thoroughly research potential investors by analyzing their portfolio and investment criteria, suggesting that AI tools could help develop prototypes before approaching investors. Startup to Corporate Transition Insights Leandro shared his experience transitioning from a startup to a corporate environment, highlighting his role as VP of Product at Prove, which acquired his previous company, Unify ID, a motion-based behavioral biometrics startup. He explained how Unify ID leveraged sensors on phones for frictionless authentication and described his engineering background, including a patent for a durable RFID tag for tracking high-value assets. Leandro also discussed his work at Quick See, a search engine for apps, where he helped grow the company from 50 to over 450 employees, and mentioned his involvement in other patents related to search technology. App Opportunities and Career Aspirations Leandro discusses his experience in identifying opportunities for app creation by analyzing gaps in search results. He expresses interest in both advising companies and taking on a leadership role in a growing startup. Leandro reflects on how his Argentinian background has contributed to his resilience and ingenuity in his career. He also shares about his family life, mentioning he has two young daughters, and discusses the challenges of balancing family responsibilities with his professional pursuits.
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    20 分
  • Lionheart Health - Howard Leonhardt and Scott Hoots - BioElectric Rejuvenation

    Lionheart Health - Howard Leonhardt and Scott Hoots - BioElectric Rejuvenation
    2025/07/16
    Dr. Hernandez interviewed Howard Leonheardt and Scott Hoots for a healthcare technology podcast, discussing Howard's background and his company Lionheart Health's (Lionheart Longevity) work in bioelectric stimulation and aging reversal technologies. Scott, former CEO of QC Kinetics, joined Lionheart Health to help commercialize their bioelectric stimulation technology and support licensing and franchising efforts. The discussion covered Lionheart Health's plans for expanding their body regeneration technology through licensing agreements and clinical trials, while developing various components including skin, heart, and organ regeneration systems. Summary Healthcare Technology Podcast Interview Dr. Hernandez interviewed Howard Leonheardt and Scott Hoots for a healthcare technology podcast. They discussed Howard's background as a founder in the healthcare industry and his current move to a new residence. Scott joined the call late due to a scheduling confusion. The interview was set to cover various topics related to healthcare technology, with Dr. Hernandez planning to spend 8-10 minutes with Howard before moving on to Scott. Reversing Aging With Bioelectric Technology Howard explained that his company, Lionheadt Health, operates an incubator in California and Utah, focusing on bioelectric stimulation and protein expressions. They have developed a technology that can reverse aging by 10 to 20 years, guaranteed, through the use of aging reversal proteins like Klotho. Howard also discussed World Medical Manufacturing, which developed the leading aortic stent sold to Medtronic, and its subsequent products. He mentioned that Second Heart, another company from their incubator, is using the same platform technology to help patients with cardiorenal syndrome. Howard concluded by describing their participation in the X-prize competition and their patented bioelectric suit, which helps increase Klotho levels in the body to improve muscle, brain, and immune health. Aging Reversal Platform Licensing Model Howard presented a comprehensive platform for aging reversal, including patented technologies for increasing circulating proteins like Clotow and others, as well as a suite of aging reversal treatments. He explained their business model of licensing existing clinics to use their IP, with over 500 patent claims and recent licenses sold in multiple locations. The licensing fee is $40,000 plus $25,000 for starter equipment, with a 7% royalty on treatments, and the company is working on expanding to new locations while developing their main product, an adult womb regeneration chamber. Scott Joins Lionheart Health Expansion Scott, the former CEO of QC Kinetics, joined Lionheart Health to help commercialize and potentially franchise their bioelectric stimulation technology. He brings experience from launching and expanding 185 locations across the United States for QC Kinetics. Scott's role is to support the licensing and future franchising of Lionheart Health's technology, aiming to become a leading supplier of their services and devices. The discussion touched on the potential for widespread adoption, comparing it to familiar franchises like Starbucks, though Scott noted differences in demand and business model. Lionheart Health Regeneration Strategy Howard and Scott discussed their vision for Lionheart Health, emphasizing their intention to build a company and pursue a public offering rather than seeking acquisition. Howard shared their plan to develop and prove each component of their whole-body regeneration chamber individually, with components including skin, hair, joint, kidney, bladder, and heart regeneration. They plan to partner with leading AI and robotics companies to integrate these technologies into the final product, while avoiding the development of these components internally. Lionheart Health's Regenerative Technology Howard described Lionheart Health's body regeneration technology, which uses an implantable pump refilled with genetically modified stem cells and nutrient hydrogel to regenerate organs. He explained their current focus is on medical aesthetics and healthspan longevity, though they are developing heart regeneration technology through Bio Leonhardt. The company has over 200 employees and conducts clinical trials in multiple locations including Brazil, South Africa, and the United States, with plans to expand through licensing agreements in Utah, Minneapolis, and Winston-Salem. Global Expansion and Innovation Updates Howard discussed the company's progress in developing direct-to-consumer skin treatments and their success in clinical trials for sexual health, achieving an 89% success rate. He outlined plans to expand to 124 licensed locations worldwide, similar to McDonald's, and highlighted recent awards including the Xprize Housebam semifinalist and ABVI Allergan ULP innovation of the year. The company is working towards finalizing the technology for home use, while maintaining some ...
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    27 分
  • PlayPer CEO and Investor - Webb Knudsen - Knudsen Capital

    PlayPer CEO and Investor - Webb Knudsen - Knudsen Capital
    2025/07/11
    In this episode, we interview Webb Knudsen is an entrepreneur and investor with a background in entertainment, social media, and mobile technology. He is the CEO and co-founder of Playper, a company that creates paper toys enhanced with augmented reality (AR) for children. Knudsen has held significant roles such as Vice President of Business Development at Crisp, where he focused on expanding market presence, and led sales teams at Aarki and Millennial Reach. His earlier career includes positions at Walden Media, CAA, and Lucasfilm, emphasizing profitability and market strategy for movies, brands, and apps. He is also a partner at Knudsen Capital, a family investment office focused on early-stage, high-growth companies, and a Vice President at Partnership Capital Growth, a private equity firm specializing in health and wellness. Knudsen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Speech Communication from Pepperdine University (2009) and a VC Unlocked degree in Venture Capital from Stanford University (2020). He is based in Madison, NJ, and is known for his interest in sustainable business models, having founded Playper to address environmental concerns with plastic toys. TechEd TV Transcription 3:47:36 You guys are watching Tech Had TV with Dr. Edwin Hernandez, and…. 13:47:40 Today, we have a co-host. 13:47:48 Good evening, good afternoon, good morning, you guys are watching Techhead TV with Dr. Edwin Hernandez. 13:47:52 And today, we have a great guest. Welknudsen, from Plaper. 13:47:57 And, um…. What's next? 14:06:44 Alright, one's…. We have to do it again, because I was not recording. 14:06:49 Oh, okay. No problem. 14:06:51 Alright, let's do it again. Uh… 3, 2, 1. Good morning, good evening, good afternoon. You guys are watching Techhead TV Podcast. 14:07:00 And if you're listening, you're listening to our podcast with. A new guest, an entrepreneur, a friend. 14:07:06 We have Gunnelson, so he's right here with us. Hi, Gweb. 14:07:09 Hi! Glad to be here. Thanks for having me. 14:07:12 Great, great, great. So one thing I see behind you is, uh, besides asking for your background, uh, academically and professionally. 14:07:18 You have a very cool background. Is that your company, PlayPer? What is that? 14:07:22 That is, yeah. Behind me we have our very bright, colorful, fun playbook toys. We've got the, uh…. 14:07:29 Castle, playset, catapult, Dragon Trainer, the story starters, we've got a pirate ship. 14:07:34 The Mermaid Castle and our Pirate and Mermaid story starters, and uh… I'm very proud of them, they're a ton of fun. 14:07:40 And tell me about your real background. You come from media, so I know you probably don't like to brag about, like, the names like Lucasfilm, CAA. 14:07:47 But what's the story behind it? 14:07:50 Yeah, I got my career start in the entertainment industry, and it was a very fun place to get a career start. I started off at the production company Walden Media, which makes the Chronicles of Narnia movies. 14:08:01 And then I jumped over to CAA, Creative Artists Agency, and after that, I went to Lucasfilm, where I was selling the. 14:08:07 Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies in the distribution sales department, and uh… after that, I jumped over to the Silicon Valley startup scene, did a couple startups in the marketing space. 14:08:18 Then jumped into, uh, investing in consumer products, and then I founded, uh, Playper and became the CEO. 14:08:25 Of this business. 14:08:28 Great, that's an interesting segue, because you have, um…. And he would wake him up, and I will say, when you became a parent, is that right? 14:08:35 That connected your new career as a CEO of Playpair. So what happened? How did that begin? 14:08:42 Yeah, it's… it's an organic story of, kind of, uh, playing with my kids and, uh, seeing the toys that they had, and, uh. 14:08:50 Seeing the toys that were filling up our home, and realizing that the majority of the toys. 14:08:56 We're plastic, uh, as, uh, is, is, uh, the case for the whole toy industry. 90% or more of all toys. 14:09:03 Are made out of plastic, and they are not recyclable, and that was the revolution that my wife and I had, and kind of the challenge that my wife and I had, is over and over again, we realized. 14:09:14 The, uh, kids have a, uh, you know, relatively short. Period of time that they are into most toys, a matter of days, matter of weeks, months if you're lucky. 14:09:26 Um, and then you as the parent are faced with this challenge of, what do I do with these toys when my kid is no longer into them? 14:09:33 And so that was really the revelation, uh, that led to Playper, is, uh, there's a lot of cool stuff being done in the toy industry with recycled plastics, natural woods. 14:09:42 Trying to be more eco-friendly, but what I felt was really missing was the exit solution, the, what do you do with these toys when your child is no longer into them? And so that's really what PlayPer solves. 14:09:55 Is, uh, it ...
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