Founders in Focus
Founders in Focus
Podcast Description
We're taking you behind the scenes of startup innovation, acceleration, and investment in this new podcast from Plug and Play Tech Center and BSM Partners. Hear from visionary founders, including Barry McDonogh of Hinalea Imaging, Dr. Daphne Preuss and Francesca Gallucci of Nataur, and Sebastian Doyle of Medipups, as they traverse the Plug and Play Agtech & Animal Health accelerator program, learn how and why they became entrepreneurs, what keeps them up at night, and innovations that are poised to drive positive change for people, animals, and the planet.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on entrepreneurship within the startup realm, highlighting innovation, sustainability, and personal challenges. Episodes feature topics such as balancing business and family life, food safety advancements, and sustainable nutrition solutions, exemplified by interviews with dynamic founders navigating the Plug and Play Agtech & Animal Health accelerator program.
We’re taking you behind the scenes of startup innovation, acceleration, and investment in this new podcast from Plug and Play Tech Center and BSM Partners. Hear from visionary founders, including Barry McDonogh of Hinalea Imaging, Dr. Daphne Preuss and Francesca Gallucci of Nataur, and Sebastian Doyle of Medipups, as they traverse the Plug and Play Agtech & Animal Health accelerator program, learn how and why they became entrepreneurs, what keeps them up at night, and innovations that are poised to drive positive change for people, animals, and the planet.
Join co-hosts Jordan Tyler and Mark McAllister as they sit down with three visionary startup teams transforming the future of animal health, food innovation, and sustainability. Inside the episode, Barry McDonogh of Hinalea Imaging shares how his AI-powered hyperspectral imaging platform is finding unexpected applications; Dr. Daphne Preuss and Francesca Gallucci of Nataur reveal how microbial fermentation is unlocking cleaner, petroleum-free ingredients like taurine for pets, people, and beyond; and Sebastian Doyle of Medipups takes us inside the journey of building a transparent, human-grade supplement brand for dogs—balancing science, branding, and palatability. From resilience in the face of personal sacrifice to lessons in building the right partnerships, this episode captures the raw, real, and rewarding path of entrepreneurship.
Helpful Links
Learn more about Hinalea Imaging: https://hinalea.ai/
Learn more about Nataur: https://www.nataur.com/
Learn more about Medipups: https://medipups.com/about-us/
Read more about the Plug and Play Topeka June Expo: https://www.gotopeka.com/plug-and-play-expo/
Tune in to this Barking Mad episode about the Plug and Play Tech Center.
Connect with Barry McDonogh on LinkedIn
Connect with Dr. Daphne Preuss and Francesca Gallucci on LinkedIn
Show Notes
00:00 – Welcome back!
01:40 – Checking in with Barry McDonogh and Hinalea Imaging
04:52 – Barry’s commercialization strategy
06:43 – Getting Hinalea ready for the Plug and Play Topeka June Expo
08:47 – On-shoring production
10:30 – Family First
13:54 – Checking in with Dr. Daphne Preuss and Francesca Gallucci of Nataur
17:07 – Surprising applications for microbial taurine
20:41 – Prioritizing consumer education
22:15 – Recent business updates from Nataur
26:10 – How Nataur is preparing for June Expo
27:26 – Daphne’s personal passion for impactful innovation
29:25 – Checking in with Sebastian Doyle and Medipups
30:31 – How Medipups formulates its dog supplements
32:07 – How Sebastian measures success beyond revenue
34:48 – Maintaining a solid ingredient supply amid tariff threats
36:00 – How to be an opportunistic entrepreneur
37:56 – Recent updates from the Plug and Play program
39:50 – Rehearsing for the big pitch at June Expo
41:10 – If you could solve one current challenge with Medipups, what would it be?
42:23 – Wrap-up and stay tuned!
Show Notes
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