The Tech Glow Up - Fabulous conversations with innovative minds.

Building A Sustainable Climate Future That Doesn't Suck Needs More VR Artists - Chip Giller, Agog

Most climate communication talks at people. It delivers facts, projections, timelines — and wonders why nothing changes. Facts land in the head, not the gut. Immersive media like XR, AR, VR changes that. When you're standing inside a story, it stops being abstract. You feel it. That's the conviction behind Agog, the Immersive Media Institute, and why co-founder Chip Giller believes XR is one of the most important tools the climate movement hasn't fully picked up yet. Chip didn't arrive here in a straight line. He founded Grist.org in the late 1990s — one of the first digital-only nonprofit news organizations — chasing every new platform: desktop publishing, the web, podcasting before it had a name, video, social.  Around 2014–2015, he put on an Oculus DK1. "This is f@cking amazing — this feeling of presence." During COVID he spent time in AltspaceVR and VRChat with people from India, Brazil, and beyond; and saw that XR shows not just what is, but what was and what could be. He co-founded Agog with Wendy Schmidt to build the field that could make that vision real. Key Moments: * [00:08:15] The climate communication gap: why facts don't move people — and why XR does * [00:21:40] Grist to Agog: chasing platforms for 25 years and what the DK1 moment revealed * [00:35:10] Field building: why Agog moved beyond grants to train creators and activate cultural institutions * [00:48:55] "Postcards from Our Climate Resilient Future": AR at Portland bus stops bringing Metro's climate plans to life * [01:02:30] Open call: $1 million for immersive climate storytelling and what judges are looking fo [https://agog.org/opencall2026/]r Agog has distributed $6.5 million in grants in its first two years. Now there's an open call for $1 million in new funding — not for the flashiest tech, but where immersive genuinely adds value.  The 15-person team is growing, the peer-reviewed Immersive Impact Review is underway, and Chip's philosophy says it all: building toward "a future that doesn't suck." Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/igFUkSJ36IU [https://youtu.be/igFUkSJ36IU] About Chip Giller Chip Giller is the executive director and a co-founder of Agog. He has been a visionary in the climate space and media field for 30 years, leading creative storytelling teams and partnering with nonprofits, philanthropists, and other leaders to accelerate progress to a better, more just world.  In 2024, Chip joined forces with Wendy Schmidt to launch Agog: The Immersive Media Institute, bringing their shared passion for innovation and social change to the forefront of the immersive media landscape. Agog helps people use emerging media like XR to imagine and build better futures. In 1999, Chip founded one of the first digital news organizations and first nonprofit newsrooms, Grist [http://grist.org/], to engage the next generation on climate change and other environmental issues. Grist reaches millions and has been recognized in many ways for its impact, including as a recipient of the National Magazine Award for General Excellence.  In 2017, Chip launched Grist’s solutions lab to identify, celebrate, and connect a diverse array of climate solutions leaders, collectively known as the Grist 50 [https://grist.org/fix/]; and to tell unexpected stories in creative new formats [https://grist.org/imagine2200-climate-fiction-2024/] about justice and progress. Among other honors, Chip has received a Heinz Award and been named a TIME “Hero of the Environment.” Follow Chip on Threads [https://www.threads.net/@chipgiller] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipgiller/]. A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself. At The Tech Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders. In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.  If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJ07BGiM_bIi-QQeL_qhdp15OPewIZ0JZBa9gv1JDHV35CCw/viewform].

He’s Built Snap's AR Smartglasses for 10+ Years. Take An Inside Look At Spectacles - Russell Patton

What does it take to stay committed to a vision when the technology is still developing? Russell Patton has been inside Snap working on camera glasses and AR smartglasses for over a decade.  He's a Staff Product Manager on Snap Spectacles, and we recorded this episode at Snap's Spectacles Developer Bootcamp in Santa Monica, where 50 of the world's top lens creators gathered to advance the path toward wearable AR. Russell's through-line isn't hype — it's conviction built on evidence. Snap started making camera glasses in 2016 — not because the product was perfect, but because each generation taught the team something new about comfort, efficiency, and treating privacy as a first-class design principle.  When Evan Spiegel said around 2019 that consumer AR glasses were probably a decade away, skeptics balked. But that call came from a deep understanding of what the technology actually required. * [00:01:39] Snap's AR vision: The challenge was never the idea — it was getting the technology to catch up, and what camera glasses since 2016 taught the team about the path forward. * [00:04:01] Developers vs. consumers: Developers onboard themselves — but consumers need a working content ecosystem on day one and an experience that meets them where they are. * [00:07:40] Spatial UX onboarding: Moving closer to content scales it, content stays anchored in 3D space — intuitive by nature, but people trained on flat screens need to rediscover that mode of thinking. * [00:09:23] Specs 2024 in detail: Large field of view, electronic tint, 6DoF tracking, hand tracking, voice input, split computing architecture, and vapor chambers in each temple for thermal management. * [00:17:27] Vision and conviction: "If the journey was easy, I think it's likely that the innovation would've already happened." On arriving at the right destination, even if it takes time. AR glasses aren't a gadget — they're a new computing paradigm, a canvas for experiences that don't exist yet.  The most common reason developers give for their excitement says it best: get the screen out of the way so we can be in the real world more. Watch on YouTube and subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Tech Glow Up. https://youtu.be/dUkxBmpL2uw Join the Tech Glow Up newsletter on Substack → https://substack.com/@mxnathanc A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself. At The Tech Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders. In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.  If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJ07BGiM_bIi-QQeL_qhdp15OPewIZ0JZBa9gv1JDHV35CCw/viewform].

The Math Behind Sustainable Health Startups: There’s No Mission Without A Margin - Warren Templeton

Every health tech founder wants to change the system. But Warren Templeton, Managing Director at Health2047 [https://health2047.com/], will tell you that without financial sustainability, the mission dies on the vine. "No mission without margin" isn't a compromise — it's a precondition. In a sector where impact is measured in lives and dollars at the same time, Warren argues that founders who can't do the math on their own business model are the ones who don't make it. Health2047 is a venture studio backed by the American Medical Association — and that structure matters. Warren and his team don't just write checks. They build business capability around pre-seed and seed founders, then deploy capital through whatever vehicle fits the situation, debt or equity.  The name 2047 is deliberate: the 200-year anniversary of the AMA's founding.  The portfolio spans chronic disease management, data liquidity, and physician productivity, with companies like Phenomix Health, Moneta, ScholarRx, and Zing Health. Warren also wants every Health2047 startup to openly document their data's biases and limitations — because training on non-representative data doesn't fix the problem, it compounds it. Key Moments: * [00:03:34] How Health2047 partners with founders — beyond the check * [00:06:05] The "no mission without margin" thesis and what it really means * [00:12:16] What healthcare transformation actually looks like (hint: it's not blowing things up) * [00:24:58] The open data future Warren wants to see — and why it's already starting * [00:26:37] The women's health investment gap and the Health of Women thesis Warren's framework for founders is deceptively simple: price times quantity. Healthcare has finite patient populations, limited physician counts, and real unit economics. Knowing your P×Q math tells you what kind of investor you need and whether your business model can actually survive. Subscribe to The Tech Glow Up for more conversations with the leaders driving healthcare forward. Watch the full conversation on YouTube → https://youtu.be/NYYc_a2k63w Join the Tech Glow Up newsletter on Substack → https://substack.com/@mxnathanc About Warren Templeton: Warren Templeton is a Managing Director at Health2047, the venture studio backed by the American Medical Association. In this role, Warren works with founders and entrepreneurs on product formation and refinement through to go-to-market execution. Warren brings strong analytical and deep technical skills, possessing significant capabilities in both enterprise and consumer-focused product development. Warren sits on the board of RecoverX, a Health2047 portfolio company.  Previously, Warren co-founded a marketing content creation platform, Zigna, and served as COO. He worked at Fitbit on growth strategies via M&A. Warren began his career building trading technology for Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, and Morgan Stanley, where he last held the title of VP. Warren holds a BSc in Computer Science and Management from the University of St. Andrews and an MBA from Darden School of Business at University of Virginia. A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself. At The Tech Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders. In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.  If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJ07BGiM_bIi-QQeL_qhdp15OPewIZ0JZBa9gv1JDHV35CCw/viewform].

Mental Wellness Is a Skill Everyone Can Train Before the Crisis Hits - Leah Blain Chimney Trail Healthj

We train our bodies. We track our steps, our sleep, our resting heart rate. But when it comes to mental wellness — the skills that help people regulate, process, and recover — most people never learn them until something breaks. The tools exist. Cognitive behavioral therapy has 50 years of evidence behind it. And those tools work just as well before a crisis as after. Almost nobody knows that. Leah Blain is a licensed clinical psychologist and Chief Clinical Officer at Chimney Trail Health [https://www.chimneytrailhealth.com/]. Her conviction is simple: get evidence-based mental wellness tools to people upstream — before a problem starts, not after it requires treatment. That means translating decades of validated CBT research into something accessible. Something that fits in a cargo pocket.  Chimney Trail's flagship offering is a workbook that looks like a fun magazine — small quizzes, thought records, digestible content, designed specifically to fit in a military uniform pocket. Sometimes meeting people where they are is the whole innovation. What we cover in this episode: * [00:00] Nathan and Leah introduce Chimney Trail Health and the primary prevention model * [04:36] How Chimney Trail builds ROI through outcomes, not just access — B2B and B2G engagement strategy * [05:59] The pocket workbook: why a physical, cargo-pocket-sized magazine beat a digital app for military users * [15:57] Mission as the decision yardstick: how Chimney Trail evaluates what to add and what to leave out * [24:38] Chimney Trail's recent glow up — a lethal means security curriculum and a large-scale Air Force pilot Leah also talks about the incentive problem in healthcare, why prevention is invisible when it works, and what it would look like to give mental wellness the same cultural weight as physical fitness.  Her ask for the field: stop treating mental health as a marker of brokenness and start treating it as a performance edge everyone already has and can train. Catch the full episode where you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube —https://youtu.be/vuNTy5lIR6I . Join the Tech Glow Up newsletter on Substack → https://substack.com/@mxnathanc About Leah Blain Dr. Leah Blain is a licensed clinical psychologist, a Beck Institute-certified cognitive behavioral psychotherapist, and Chief Clinical Officer for Chimney Trail Health. She spent the last decade building and running cutting edge behavioral health clinics; most recently at the University of Pennsylvania, where she launched a specialized cognitive behavioral therapy program for veterans and military family members. A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself. At The Tech Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders. In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.  If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJ07BGiM_bIi-QQeL_qhdp15OPewIZ0JZBa9gv1JDHV35CCw/viewform].

Meet The HealthTech Impact Award Winners & The Personal Stories That Sparked Their Innovations.

Meet the HealthTech Impact Award Winners. Five innovators with five real, personal inspirations that keep them focussed and building.  Ellyn Ito co-founded InnerStill [https://www.innerstillhealth.com/] after her 15-year-old son became suicidal during the pandemic. Every avenue they tried fell short. That search led to MindVybe — a patented wearable neuromodulation device using vagus nerve stimulation and acupressure point regulation for stress, poor sleep, brain fog, agitation, and lack of focus. No side effects, no overuse risk. MindVybe has 5,000 users in clinical studies, three state innovation grants, and is on the FDA 510k pathway. Claire Dixon is building LoOop [https://www.getlooop.com/] for the millions living with PCOS — polycystic ovary syndrome — a painful, chronically underfunded condition. LoOop is an abdominal patch combining electronic stimulation with a full care platform: knowledge base, personal journaling, and an AI chat assistant. Claire's philosophy: "There are two ways to win and only one way to fail — if you lose and you learn, that's still a win." Life happens for you, not to you. Dr. Chigozie Michael Nwalozie built Zarephath Health [https://zarephathhealth.com/] on one conviction: execution matters more than ideas. His team created non-invasive, urine-based diagnostic tests for HPV, STDs, and other markers — results in 10 minutes — scaling across 16 countries in Africa around three pillars: screening, accessible diagnosis, and treatment. His message is clear: HPV does not respect nationality, race, wealth, or title. This is a global problem. Alex Koshykov asked why telehealth fell back to pre-pandemic levels after COVID. The answer: patients can't describe symptoms in clinical terms, and doctors can't diagnose without information. YODD [https://yodd.health/] is a multimodal remote diagnostic device giving doctors real-time data — lung and heart sounds, ears, throat, oxygen saturation, pulse, EKG, blood pressure — during a telehealth call. Built for rural patients who travel two to three hours to reach a hospital. Tayaru Bayyana's father went through a stage four cancer journey. A problem solver by nature, she could not solve it. "That hit me really hard." SereniCare AI [http://serenicare.ai/] is a proactive decision platform for cancer patients and caregivers, built to turn existing data into timely guidance — designed so no one in that circle makes decisions in the dark. Validated through 50 to 70 interviews with clinicians and nurse practitioners. Timestamps: [00:00:00] Introduction — The HealthTech Impact Showdown [00:05:00] Ellyn Ito — InnerStill / MindVybe [00:20:00] Claire Dixon — Neuraura / LoOop [00:35:00] Dr. Chigozie Michael Nwalozie — Zarephath Health [00:50:00] Alex Koshykov — YODD [01:05:00] Tayaru Bayyana — SereniCare AI Five founders. Five moments where something happened and they chose to build. This episode is a celebration of that choice. Watch the full conversation on YouTube →https://youtu.be/4FeCDubNO-8 Join the Tech Glow Up newsletter on Substack → https://substack.com/@mxnathanc A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself. At The Tech Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders. In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.  If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJ07BGiM_bIi-QQeL_qhdp15OPewIZ0JZBa9gv1JDHV35CCw/viewform].