Chaos To Clarity

Neal Bloom on Building San Diego’s Startup Ecosystem

Episode Summary

In this episode of Chaos to Clarity, host Eric Weiss sits down with Neal Bloom, Managing Partner at Rising Tide Partners and one of the most influential connectors in the San Diego startup ecosystem. From co-founding Portfolium to launching Interlock Capital and now building Rising Tide, Neal shares his journey from aerospace engineering to angel investing and how he has helped shape San Diego’s startup community over the past decade.

Episode Notes

They dive deep into:

• The evolution of the San Diego startup scene since 2013
   
• The power of founder-led communities and grassroots events
   
• Why curated connections matter more than vanity metrics
   
• Lessons from Startup Week, EvoNexus, and Startup San Diego
   
• The rise of angel investing groups like Interlock and Rising Tide Partners
   
• Challenges San Diego faces compared to Silicon Valley and how to overcome them
   

If you are a founder, investor, or community builder looking to understand the future of San Diego tech, this is a must-listen conversation.

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Startup Communities Framework: Why Brad Feld’s Startup Communities is Neal’s “startup bible”
   
• Investing in People, Not Just Companies: Neal’s philosophy of betting on founders first
   
• From Coffee Meetings to Community Hubs: Why San Diego needs physical spaces for collisions, not just coworking desks
   
• The State of San Diego Startups: Momentum, challenges, and opportunities post-COVID
   
• Founder-Led Movement: How entrepreneurs can create “gravity wells” to attract investors, talent, and resources
   
• Event Co-Founders: How to keep community events consistent and impactful without founder burnout