Alehra, an Atlanta-based startup co-founded by Ayobami "Ayo" Adewole and Adekunle "Ade" Oyaniyi, is a purpose-built "operating system" for behavioral health created to eliminate the administrative burnout caused by fragmented software systems. Their approach enables providers to prioritize patient care over manual paperwork by unifying scheduling, clinical documentation, and billing into a one-stop-shop platform, while also allowing practices to integrate their own preferred tools. We sat down with Ayo and Ade to discuss the origins of Alehra, the role of agentic AI in modern care, their talent and funding journeys, and the policy hurdles that founders in highly regulated industries face.

Offleash’d, a Los Angeles, CA area-based startup, is building a social ecosystem to bridge the gap between digital connection and physical community for pet parents. Since its launch in 2022, Offleash’d has rolled out its proprietary AI companion and added hyper-local features. We spoke with Terry James, CEO & Co-founder, about scaling responsible content moderation, introducing their AI agent “EVE,” the unique pet-parent demographic, and advocacy for policy changes to make pet parenthood more accessible.

New York-based startup Barnwell Bio is modernizing disease analysis in the poultry industry without compromising the efficiency and biosecurity that farmers depend on. Their metagenomic sequencing platform—analyzing all DNA present in a sample—converts traditional reactive disease testing into a proactive health management system. We sat down with CEO and co-founder, Michael Rhys, to discuss his transition from COVID-19 wastewater tracking to animal agriculture, the role of AI in characterizing the microbiome, and his experience navigating federal grants and research funding.

Austin-based startup EcoPulse uses AI to help large manufacturers manage complex supply chain risks related to Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals,” and compliance. We sat down with founder and CEO Jenny Yu to learn about her fundraising journey, the role of AI in environmental safety, and the regulatory challenges manufacturers face.

New York City-based startup ALCOVE designs productivity pods to help professionals find privacy and focus in high-traffic settings, such as hotels. We sat down with CEO and founder Helen Knight to discuss the complexities of scaling and multi-state hiring, the challenges of founder parenthood, and the need for accessible grant funding for diverse entrepreneurs.

Scale Social, a Raleigh, North Carolina-based startup, helps brands capture authentic user-generated content (UGC) by integrating technology into mobile apps or activating via on-site quick response (QR) codes, building a centralized library of real customer moments with full marketing rights. We sat down with Founder and CEO Runbin Dong to discuss his journey from IBM Watson and a family dumpling business to founding an AI-native startup, the challenges posed by the H-1B visa system, and how the R&D tax credit and Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) exemption can shape a tech startup's journey.