Franca Comparetto is the CEO and co-founder of Cigar Sense Inc., a pioneering platform that delivers unbiased, personalized cigar recommendations based on sensory science and consumer preferences—not marketing hype. In this conversation, Franca shares her remarkable journey from her early career in Brussels at the European Commission, through a decade at Cisco leading business operations and data governance, to co-founding Cigar Sense with her husband.

Franca explains how her frustration as a cigar lover in the U.S. led to building the world’s first independent recommendation engine for premium cigars. She details how Cigar Sense educates consumers, helps them avoid costly trial and error, and empowers them to trust their own palates. The platform’s unique approach is rooted in blind testing, statistical rigor, and sensory panel training, ensuring its recommendations remain unbiased and authentic.

We explore:

- Franca’s transition from a corporate career to entrepreneurship, and the values that guided her.

- Why she believes sensory autonomy is both a pleasure and a fundamental consumer right.

- How Cigar Sense uses data and sensory insights to serve both consumers and manufacturers.

- The problem with hype-driven marketing and how it damages trust between brands and consumers.

- The role of ethics in building a sustainable, value-based business—even when it comes with sacrifices.

- Personal stories of discovering cigars, cultural differences between Italy and the U.S., and how flavors connect to memory, identity, and tradition.

Franca also reflects on the broader significance of cigars: not just as luxury products, but as companions to celebration, resilience, and mindful moments of rest. She highlights how cigars have historically served roles from spirituality to social status, and why today they are best understood as experiences that enhance life when chosen authentically.

Despite bootstrapping Cigar Sense from the start, Franca has stayed committed to impartiality, transparency, and putting consumers first. She explains why companies that genuinely listen to their customers earn lasting loyalty and why she continues to push for clarity, standards, and education in the cigar industry.

This episode is not only about cigars—it’s about purpose, trust, and building businesses that put values before hype. Franca’s story is an inspiring example of how to merge science, ethics, and passion into a venture that makes a real difference in people’s lives.

Whether you are a cigar aficionado, an entrepreneur, or someone interested in consumer advocacy, you’ll find rich insights in this conversation about integrity, sensory discovery, and the power of building with purpose.

About Franca Comparetto

- http://www.cigarsense.com

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Franca Compareto and Cigar Sense

09:52 The Art and Science of Cigar Tasting

24:33 Consumer Advocacy and Ethical Business Models

28:24 The Value of Quality in Wine and Cigars

29:18 Blind Testing and Real-Time Recommendations

30:40 The Role of Statistics in Sensory Analysis

32:47 Trusting Algorithms and Ethical Business Models

35:08 Consumer-Centric Approaches in the Cigar Industry

38:35 The Importance of Clarity in Cigar Tasting

42:00 The Risks of Hype in Product Launches

44:38 Building Trust and Loyalty in the Cigar Market

47:44 The Purpose Behind Ethical Business Practices

51:02 Celebrating Life's Moments with Cigars

Jose Herrera is a creative force whose journey spans cultures, industries, and decades of storytelling. Born in Eureka, California, raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, and later building his career in San Jose, Jose embodies the spirit of bridging worlds. From his early days producing at Telemundo, Univision, and CBS, to founding MiO Productions, he has spent over 25 years telling powerful stories through video, events, and digital media.

In this episode, Jose shares the fascinating story of Corazón Musical: Escúchalo en tu Corazón, the groundbreaking TV production that celebrated Latino music and culture. What began as a bold idea scribbled on a napkin grew into a show that outperformed corporate competitors like Telemundo in ratings. Jose reveals how the concept was inspired by Guadalajara’s vibrant nightlife and his vision of showcasing positivity, community events, and music—without politics or negativity. Corazón Musical became more than entertainment; it became a cultural bridge between Mexico and the Latino community in California.

Jose also takes us behind the scenes of MiO Productions, a company that started with just two people and grew into a full creative studio offering video, web, audio, print, and event production. He explains how understanding nostalgia—the flavors, sounds, and traditions people miss when far from home—allowed him to connect with audiences in deeply personal ways. From commercials that became local sensations to events that captured cultural pride, Jose shows how blending heritage with creativity can transform storytelling.

But his journey didn’t stop there. Today, Jose is also driving innovation at Adco Outdoor, a billboard company with over 60 years of history. He describes the challenges of entering an industry dominated by family-run traditions, the resistance to change, and how he brought “new blood” and fresh strategies to revitalize the business. From learning the nuances of outdoor advertising to navigating delicate family dynamics, Jose offers candid insights into what it takes to succeed in a “boring” business that is anything but boring once you’re inside it.

Along the way, we dive into rich cultural anecdotes—from tortas ahogadas and pajaretes to mariachi traditions and the competitive spirit of Guadalajara, a city known for setting the cultural tone for the rest of Mexico. Jose reflects on the culture shock of moving to the U.S., the discrimination he faced simply because of his name, and the resilience it took to reclaim his identity and prove himself as a professional in a new environment.

If you’re interested in media, entrepreneurship, or the power of cultural roots in shaping business success, this conversation will inspire you to embrace your own journey and create opportunities where others see obstacles.

About Jose Bernardo Herrera:

- https://vimeo.com/user11323801

- https://mioproductions.com/

- https://adco-outdoor.com/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Jose Herrera and Corazón Musical

01:30 The Birth of Corazón Musical

07:49 Cultural Significance of Guadalajara

17:12 The Impact of YouTube on Broadcasting

20:11 Nostalgia and Cultural Identity

27:37 Challenges of Cultural Adaptation in Business

27:57 The Quest for Authentic Ingredients

29:38 Cultural Adaptation and Identity

33:32 Navigating Discrimination and Stereotypes

36:18 The Billboard Business Opportunity

40:44 Adapting to New Business Challenges

45:47 Leadership and Team Dynamics

Jonathan Collazo is an inventor, relentless builder, and the mission-driven founder and CEO of Ostrich Air and FireBot Labs—two pioneering deep-tech companies redefining the role of autonomous robotics in public safety, defense, and critical infrastructure. In this episode of the PreVetted Podcast, host Federico Ramallo dives deep into Jonathan’s fascinating and unorthodox path—from a teenage computer repair business in Florida to building battle-tested robots in Silicon Valley.

Jonathan shares how picking up a drone for the first time sparked an obsession that led to founding Ostrich Air, originally an R&D lab for custom drone and robotic systems. His approach was simple: no fancy credentials, just trial, error, and a lot of explosions in the garage. That passion evolved into creating everything from ground and underwater robots to autonomous aerial systems—with zero reliance on venture capital and full reliance on grit, curiosity, and team collaboration.

Later, faced with the growing threat of wildfires in California, Jonathan and his team pivoted their attention to real-world impact. Without waiting for funding or permission, they started building autonomous drones to detect and eventually suppress fires. This work became the foundation of FireBot Labs, now a fully independent venture focused on saving lives through AI-powered autonomous systems.

The conversation covers:

• Jonathan’s early passion for tearing things apart to learn how they work

• Why Ostrich Air’s name is a metaphor for doing the “impossible”

• How trial-and-error—and honesty—shape the team’s fast-paced innovation culture

• The origin story behind Double Tap, their undefeated BattleBot featured on Discovery Channel

• Why he believes theory is only half the equation, and “building messy” is where real innovation lives

• How FireBot Labs is creating autonomous drones that can respond to wildfires with just a few clicks—no training required

• Why he measures success not in profit but in impact, and his dream of providing life-saving tools to underfunded fire departments

• The power of finding your “3AM buddies”—people who’ll show up for you when it really counts

Whether you’re a robotics enthusiast, founder, engineer, or someone chasing purpose-driven work, Jonathan’s story will remind you that building the future doesn’t require a pedigree—just a little obsession, a lot of learning, and an unstoppable team.

Learn more about Jonathan Collazo:

- https://www.ostrichair.com/

- https://www.firebotlabs.com/

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/robotics-think-tank/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Jonathan Colazo and His Journey

06:53 The Birth of Ostrik Air and Firebot Labs

11:46 Innovative Solutions for Fire Safety

19:42 The Importance of Practical Knowledge in Innovation

25:44 Finding Purpose in Work and Team Dynamics

31:12 The Power of Ideas and Team Dynamics

33:52 Learning from Mistakes and Building Trust

37:21 Integrity and Team Cohesion

38:44 The 3 A.M. Buddy Concept

40:20 The BattleBots Experience

53:36 Future Aspirations and Innovations

Stephen Klein, Founder & CEO of Curiouser.AI, Harvard MBA, and Berkeley instructor, joins the PreVetted Podcast to challenge the way we think about artificial intelligence and its role in shaping our future. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top 1% Voice in AI, Klein is on a mission to flip the script: instead of humans prompting AI, his vision is AI prompting humans: What he calls Reflective AI™.

In this conversation, Klein shares how his journey from leading innovation at the world’s largest law firm to founding Curiouser.AI was sparked by a troubling realization: society was outsourcing its ability to think. Generative AI promised speed and convenience but risked diminishing imagination and critical thought. Klein decided to build an AI that asks better questions, pushing people to think more deeply, articulate why their work matters, and imagine boldly.

He explains how Curiouser.AI’s first use case focuses on entrepreneurs and small businesses—the true engine of job creation. With 90% of small businesses failing within 5–7 years, Klein envisions an AI “co-founder” that democratizes access to world-class strategy, marketing, and growth expertise at a fraction of the cost. Instead of charging $25,000 per month like top consulting firms, his platform makes the same level of strategic insight available for $25. The result: improving the odds of survival even slightly could mean hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

Klein also offers a candid critique of today’s AI industry. While companies like OpenAI and Anthropic chase scale at massive losses, he highlights the dangers of what he calls the “automation myth”—the false promise that AI can immediately replace jobs. He argues that error rates and hallucinations make generative AI unreliable for full automation, but powerful as an augmentation tool to enhance human work. He points out that many corporate layoffs attributed to AI are more about PR and stock price boosts than real efficiencies.

The conversation dives into venture capital incentives, the hype cycle around AI, and why Klein has chosen to bootstrap his company rather than chase traditional VC funding. Instead, he’s exploring crowdfunding as a way to let customers and supporters invest directly, aligning incentives with the entrepreneurs he serves. Despite a small team, Curiouser.AI is already profitable with strong margins—an anomaly in today’s AI landscape.

This episode is a masterclass in vision and philosophy. Klein challenges us to rethink AI not as a replacement for human ingenuity, but as a tool to elevate it. He believes the future belongs to those who can still see the invisible, imagine boldly, and dream audaciously—and that AI, designed differently, can help us do exactly that.

About Stephen Klein

- https://curiouser.ai

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Reflective AI and Curioser AI

01:13 The Inspiration Behind Curioser AI

04:28 Job Creation and the Role of Small Businesses

07:27 Challenges with Institutional Investors

10:42 Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital

12:15 Crowdfunding as a New Approach

13:42 AI's Impact on Job Markets

15:39 The Myth of Job Replacement by AI

21:12 The Reliability of AI and Its Limitations

25:00 The Financial Incentives Behind AI Implementation

25:46 Investing in Future Growth

28:17 The Role of Small Businesses in Economic Growth

29:40 Capitalism with a Social Mission

31:17 The Financial Challenges of AI Companies

33:38 Market Mania and Economic Bubbles

36:51 Bootstrapping and Real Value Creation

39:21 Finding Purpose in Entrepreneurship

Phi Pham is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Building Beats, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people through DJing, digital music production, and creative workshops that integrate entrepreneurial, leadership, and life skills. Since its founding in 2009, Building Beats has reached thousands of youth across New York, Los Angeles, and beyond, helping them discover their creative voice while preparing them for success far outside the music studio.

In this episode, Phi shares how his journey as a DJ and music producer led him to see DJs not only as entertainers but as community organizers—bringing people together, sparking movements, and building culture. That perspective became the foundation for Building Beats, where music becomes both a passion and a tool for personal growth.

Phi reflects on the early challenges of launching a music-focused nonprofit, including shifting from a grant-giving vision to hands-on teaching and building sustainable models where schools directly invest in programming. By approaching the nonprofit like a small business—treating schools and students as clients—Building Beats ensures accountability, quality, and long-term impact.

We also dive into the role of technology in shaping music education: from the days of Winamp, CDs, and mashups, to the rise of MP3s, Serato, and social media, and now into a future transformed by AI music tools. Phi explains how technology continually reshapes DJ culture and how Building Beats adapts, ensuring that youth learn not only music but also digital fluency and resilience.

A highlight of our conversation is the story of Jada, a student from Far Rockaway who began as a high school participant and eventually became a teacher and leader for Building Beats’ Los Angeles programs. Stories like hers illustrate how music workshops can grow into pathways of leadership, mentorship, and community change.

Phi emphasizes that impact isn’t just about numbers: It’s about transformation. Whether working with students in schools, youth in transitional housing, or young people navigating the justice system, Building Beats creates spaces where passion meets possibility. The organization also embraces cultural relevancy, designing lessons around artists, platforms, and trends that resonate with students today—from TikTok challenges to K-pop and anime.

Looking forward, Phi envisions a “Building Beats University”—a place where learning is driven by passion, whether in music, skateboarding, design, or digital creation. With unlimited resources, he would scale interest-based education that empowers students to “learn what they love until they love to learn.”

This episode is an inspiring look at how music, technology, and community can combine to shape the next generation of leaders. Phi reminds us that while algorithms and AI may influence creativity, authentic human connection and shared passion will always remain at the heart of transformation.

About Phi Pham

- https://buildingbeats.org/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Building Beats and Its Mission

07:00 Transformative Stories: Impact on Students

09:24 Challenges in Nonprofit Music Education

12:57 The Role of Music in Life Skills Development

17:56 Sustainability and Business Mindset in Nonprofits

22:00 Impactful Partnerships and Collaborations

22:50 Transformative Impact on Students' Lives

29:40 Engaging the Next Generation

36:04 Building a Community of Creatives

41:55 The Soundtrack of Building Beats

Mustafa Qutub is the co-founder and CEO of PaloBio, a Silicon Valley startup using AI to unlock human resilience and improve neurological health. In this thought-provoking conversation, Mustafa shares how his journey through law, philosophy, and technology led him to focus on one of humanity’s biggest challenges: helping individuals and organizations thrive in the age of AI.

We explore the roots of resilience—what it really means to persevere, how it goes beyond simple perseverance, and why it’s deeply tied to our cognitive, emotional, biological, and social environments. Mustafa draws on thinkers like Thomas Hobbes to explain how human will, consciousness, and creativity emerge from sensory input, and why those very qualities may become the line between human uniqueness and machine intelligence.

At PaloBio, Mustafa and his co-founder are building what he calls an AI advocate—a system that doesn’t just coach or cheerlead but truly understands the individual. By combining personal health, cognitive, and behavioral data, PaloBio aims to provide tailored insights for family caregivers, patients, and eventually broader populations. Their vision is to create a persistent companion that remembers who you are, adapts to your goals, and can even represent you in medical or therapeutic contexts with more accuracy than you could yourself.

The conversation also tackles the ethical and social challenges of AI:

• Could positive reinforcement from AI become addictive and isolating?

• How do we balance risk vs recklessness in resilience-building?

• What happens when AI knows us better than we know ourselves?

• How can individuals retain control and even economic value from their most personal data?

Mustafa argues that the future lies in empowering individuals to own and license their resilience data, making it both impactful for healthcare and meaningful in a world where automation is redefining human contribution.

We also discuss how too many possibilities can overwhelm innovation, why avoiding “new paradigms” that limit creativity is critical, and how serendipity and flexibility are essential traits for founders navigating uncharted waters.

By the end of the episode, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for resilience—not just as a buzzword, but as a core human capacity that can be measured, supported, and enhanced with technology. And you’ll see how PaloBio is working to become a trusted advocate for individuals, caregivers, and society at large.

👉 If you’ve ever wondered about the intersection of AI, healthcare, resilience, and human purpose, this conversation with Mustafa Qutub is one you won’t want to miss.

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to PaloBio and Mustafa Kutub

01:37 The Inspiration Behind PaloBio

07:52 Understanding Resilience and Its Importance

10:27 Defining Resilience: A Deeper Look

17:25 The Role of AI in Personal Resilience

25:14 The Future of AI and Human Interaction

39:34 PaloBio's Vision for the Future

In this episode of the PreVetted Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Tanguy Chau, Founder and CEO of Paxton, the AI-powered legal platform making waves in the industry by helping lawyers work 10x more efficiently.

With a PhD from MIT and a background in engineering, venture capital, and early-stage investments in groundbreaking companies like Ironclad, Tanguy brings a rare blend of technical precision and business insight to the world of legal tech.

We dive deep into:

• The broken state of traditional legal research and why Boolean queries are holding law firms back

• How Paxton eliminates AI “hallucinations” to ensure 100% citation accuracy in legal work

• Why legal-specific AI models are the future — and how they protect sensitive client data

• The three pillars of Paxton’s platform: legal research, document analysis, and rapid drafting

• The secrets behind finding product–market fit in complex industries

• Patterns Tanguy has seen in successful legal tech startups from his years as an investor

• His vision for the next 5 years of AI in law and why ignoring AI could become an ethical breach for lawyers

Whether you’re a solo attorney, part of a small law firm, or working inside an AmLaw 100 giant, this conversation is packed with insights on how AI can transform your legal practice making it faster, safer, and more cost-effective than ever.

Learn more about Tanguy Chau and Paxton:

- https://paxton.ai

About Federico Ramallo:

Software Engineering Manager | Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | Connecting U.S. teams with top nearshore LATAM engineers.

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

PreVetted Podcast:

- https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Paxton AI and Its Vision

01:57 Challenges in Legal Research

06:30 Expanding Features Beyond Legal Research

08:44 Understanding Hallucination in Legal AI

14:07 Ensuring Citation Accuracy in Legal AI

16:41 Differentiating Paxton AI from Competitors

18:23 Accessibility for All Law Firms

21:25 The Future of AI in the Legal Industry

23:31 Advice for Law Firms on AI Adoption

29:28 Insights on Successful Legal Tech Startups

35:41 Customer Research for Product Development

38:16 Future Developments for Paxton AI

Tara Maddala, Founder & CEO of Pandora Bio, joins us to explore how smartphone signals, wearables, and emoji-simple check-ins can spot early shifts in student mental health and nudge the right next step. We talk privacy-first design (individual data stays with the student), campus-level insights, and why limiting recommendations to three clinically vetted options prevents overwhelm. Tara explains how a biostatistician’s rigor—study design, bias control, real-world evidence—translates from cancer diagnostics to digital mental health, and why catching changes “upstream” matters. We also unpack social-media incentives, cultural differences in support systems, and the power of small, hopeful actions.

Tara has a PhD in Statistics and 25+ years across pharma, biotech, and genomic diagnostics. She builds cross-disciplinary teams and ML-based personalized diagnostics from feasibility through commercialization. With Pandora Bio, she’s applying that playbook to empower young adults on their mental-health journey.

Learn more about Tara Maddala:

- https://pandorabio.com

- https://www.linkedin.com/company/pandora-bio-inc/

- https://www.instagram.com/pandora.bio/

About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎

🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers

- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/

- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io

- ✅ https://prevetted.ai

🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡

- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast

- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod

- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Tara Madala and Pandora Bio

00:59 Understanding the Mental Health Crisis Among Young Adults

04:12 The Role of Technology in Mental Health Solutions

08:46 Empowering Students Through Personalized Resources

12:36 Cultural Differences in Support Systems for Young Adults

15:05 Normalization of Mental Health Issues and Seeking Help

20:32 Early Detection and Proactive Mental Health Strategies

23:49 Gathering Mental Health Data

26:28 Personalization in Mental Health Solutions

28:52 Implementing Meet Pandora in Colleges

30:40 The Meaning Behind the Name 'Pandora'

32:02 The Role of Hope in Mental Health

32:57 Future Availability of Meet Pandora

34:00 Goals and Milestones for Pandora Bio

37:59 Her Biostatistics Backbone

40:47 The Importance of Early Detection in Mental Health