In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan Caruso sits down with Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty for a candid conversation about prosecuting serious crime, leading through public crises, and what the Attorney General’s job demands.

Michael reflects on his path from prosecuting homicide and sex crimes in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to leading Boulder County as DA. He shares how that experience shaped his approach to complex cases, including human trafficking, domestic violence, and public corruption, as well as his work launching Colorado’s first human trafficking unit.

The conversation covers Michael’s hands-on role in responding to major events such as the King Soopers mass shooting and the Marshall Fire, and how prosecutors coordinate with law enforcement and federal partners during emergencies. Michael also explains Boulder County’s use of diversion, mental health programs, and risk assessment tools to reduce repeat offenses while improving public safety.

Dan and Michael discuss crime trends in Colorado, why consistent enforcement of the rule of law matters, and the dangers of politicizing the justice system. Michael also explains what the Attorney General’s office does day to day and why experience, independence, and integrity matter when leading Colorado’s largest law office.

Learn more about Michael Dougherty: https://www.michaelforag.com/

Reach out to: hello@michaelforag.com

Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/book

Listen to Dan's Song Stretch: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dancaruso/stretch

Check out music by Jason Mendelson (Jace Allen): https://www.youtube.com/@jaceallen

To nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan Caruso sits down with Ebs Burnough, award-winning filmmaker, producer, and Chair of the Board of the Sundance Institute, for a wide-ranging conversation on storytelling, cultural impact, and the future of independent film.As Sundance prepares for its final year in Park City and its historic move to Boulder, Ebs reflects on the Institute’s mission, Robert Redford’s founding principles, and why nurturing artists rather than chasing commercial outcomes has always been at the heart of Sundance. Drawing on his experience as a documentary filmmaker, former White House communications leader during the Obama administration, and longtime cultural strategist, Ebs shares how storytelling shapes politics, technology, and community alike.They explore Sundance’s artist labs, the power of convening creators in physical spaces, and why human connection matters more than ever in a post-COVID, AI-accelerated world. Ebs also weighs in on how artificial intelligence is transforming creative work, both the promise and the risk, and why better storytelling around new technology is essential to avoid fear-driven outcomes.The conversation touches on legacy, community-building, the evolving role of festivals, and why Boulder and Colorado more broadly offer a rare opportunity to reimagine what Sundance can be for the next 40 years.Learn more about the Sundance Institute: https://www.sundance.org/Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/bookListen to Dan's Song Stretch: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dancaruso/stretchCheck out music by Jason Mendelson (Jace Allen): https://www.youtube.com/@jaceallen To nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan Caruso sits down with Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, for a one-year update on how the company has evolved since their last conversation.

Blake explains how Boom’s original plan to outsource its engine nearly doomed the company—and why walking away from that forced a radical reset. Building a fully custom supersonic engine not only revived Boom’s technical roadmap, but unexpectedly enabled a breakthrough: breaking the sound barrier over land without a sonic boom, helping reopen the door to legal supersonic flight in the U.S. for the first time in 50 years.

As the AI data center boom accelerated, Boom realized its engine was uniquely suited to serve as a high-performance power turbine. What began as a side insight quickly turned into a billion-dollar backlog, providing the funding, validation, and testbed needed to make supersonic passenger flight commercially viable.

Along the way, Blake reflects on flying XB-1 for the first time with everything on the line, how small teams and fast iteration outperform legacy aerospace models, and why luck is often just information—if you’re willing to listen.

Learn more about Boom Supersonic: https://boomsupersonic.com/

Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/book

Listen to Dan's Song Stretch: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dancaruso/stretch

Check out music by Jason Mendelson (Jace Allen): https://www.youtube.com/@jaceallen

To nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com