A Brand Highlight Conversation with Jacob Flores, Head of Research at Type One Ventures

There is a version of investing that asks what the return will be. And then there is the version that asks what kind of future the investment makes possible. Jacob Flores, Head of Research at Type One Ventures, is working firmly in the second category.

Type One Ventures takes its name from the Kardashev Scale — a framework developed by Soviet astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev that ranks civilizations by their level of technological advancement. A Type One civilization has mastered its home planet and is beginning to extend its reach beyond it. That is the destination this firm is trying to fund. Flores, a former engineer and product manager with roughly a decade of experience across industries, leads the research function at Type One with a focus on AI, neurotech, and biotechnology.

The firm's investment lens is as much philosophical as it is financial. Type One looks for platform builders — companies whose core technology can be stacked across multiple applications, cultivating new marketplaces and entirely new categories of industry. Manufacturing in space is one clear example: in microgravity, it becomes possible to grow proteins, print circuits, and develop materials that cannot be produced the same way on Earth — yet those products have immediate, tangible value back on the ground.

The thesis extends well beyond orbit. Type One is also backing neurotechnology companies working to restore vision and movement for people who have lost those abilities, and longevity research aimed at extending healthy human life. Flores frames these not as moonshots for their own sake, but as the new foundation layer for an entirely new level of global industry.

This is a Brand Highlight. A Brand Highlight is a ~5 minute introductory conversation designed to put a spotlight on the guest and their company. Learn more

Host Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder, ITSPmagazine

Guest Jacob Flores, Head of Research, Type One Ventures

Resources Type One Ventures Type One Ventures on LinkedIn

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Keywords: Jacob Flores, Type One Ventures, Marco Ciappelli, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand highlight, space technology, deep tech, venture capital, multi-planetary civilization, Kardashev Scale, manufacturing in space, neurotech, longevity, AI, biotechnology, frontier technology, space investing, human longevity, platform builders

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In this episode from RSA Conference 2026, Marco Ciappelli sits down with Ben Halpert, founder of the non-profit organization Savvy Cyber Kids, to discuss the critical intersection of child development and technology.

Since its founding in 2007, Savvy Cyber Kids has been on a mission to provide parents and educators with the tools needed to guide children through the digital world. Ben explains why introducing technology too early can be detrimental to a child’s emotional preparedness and brain development, and why adult-led guidance is essential even when kids seem like "tech experts".

In this conversation, we explore:

The Evolution of Threats: Moving from MySpace and CRT monitors to 24/7 access via mobile devices.

Early Intervention: Why the "rhyme and picture book" approach works for children as young as three to teach concepts like online aliases and stranger safety.

Safe AI for Kids: Introducing a new partnership with Chaperone, a platform featuring "homework mode" and parental controls to ensure AI is a tool for learning, not a shortcut for thinking.

Going Global: How the organization has expanded internationally with materials translated into Spanish, German, French, and Hebrew.

Ben Halpert is a cybersecurity veteran with over 25 years of experience and the founder of Savvy Cyber Kids. He is dedicated to helping parents navigate the "wild" of the internet with positive, developmentally appropriate programming.

Savvy Cyber Kids Website: savvycyberkids.org

More RSAC 2026 Coverage: itspmagazine.com/rsac

Marco's Website: Marcociappelli.com

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Marco Ciappelli sits down with cybersecurity evangelist and thought leader Theresa Lanowitz at the end of day one on the expo floor for a conversation that cuts through the noise — from shadow AI and leadership accountability, to brand identity, to why most companies here can't articulate a message above the fray. Plus: a Peloton story that accidentally became the best explanation of brand loyalty you'll hear all week.

Chapters:
- Judge Sentences CEO to 8 Hours on the RSAC Floor
- End of Day One: Setting the Scene
- Who Is Theresa Lanowitz
- The Binary View of AI: Love It, Fear It, or Find the Gray
- Leadership's Role in the AI Transformation
- Shadow AI: The Insider Threat Nobody Is Naming
- Why Some Companies Still Say No to AI
- Fighting With Your LLM (We All Do It)
- AI Slop and the Brand Differentiation Problem
- The Peloton Story: What Real Brand Loyalty Looks Like
- RSAC 2026: Everyone Sounds the Same
- Where Is Agentic AI Actually Going
- Integration, Orchestration, ROI: The Real Questions
- Make AI Your Own

What's actually covered: → Why agentic AI is dominating RSAC 2026 — and why it all sounds the same → Shadow AI: the insider threat nobody is calling an insider threat → What strong brand presence actually looks like (hint: it's not a circus tent) → Why fear — not budget — is the real reason companies still say no to AI → Integration, orchestration, ROI: what comes after the hype → The one message that matters: make AI your own 🔗 More from RSA Conference 2026: itspmagazine.com/rsac

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