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On this episode of the WTR Small‑Cap Spotlight, James Kisner, Technology Analyst at Water Tower Research, joins Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair, Co‑Founder, and Chief Marketing Officer of Water Tower Research, to discuss the latest insights from WTR’s suite of AI research products. Kisner walks through key themes from the newest AI Flow Newsletter, describing what he calls a “whiplash” month — from viral bear‑case essays and a 4,000‑person layoff explicitly citing AI, to OpenAI’s record‑breaking $110B capital raise and the Pentagon’s unprecedented supply‑chain risk designation for Anthropic.

He also breaks down the AI Flow Index, which tracks the stock performance of roughly 400 public companies and shows a striking five‑month divergence: semiconductors up nearly 60% since launch while software has declined about 26%. Kisner then introduces the new AI Flow Private Pools Newsletter, which tracks approximately 45 private AI companies with a combined market value of about $1.73 trillion, highlighting notable valuation shifts — including Anthropic’s standout $92 billion single‑month gain.

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Robert Sassoon, WTR Senior Healthcare Analyst, joins Tim Gerdeman to discuss obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the rapidly evolving treatment landscape for this widespread yet often undiagnosed and potentially fatal condition. The conversation explores the shift away from CPAP amid high non‑adherence rates toward emerging alternatives, including neurostimulation, pharmacotherapy, and oral appliances. Sassoon also highlights the valuation gap between incumbents such as ResMed (NYSE: RMD) and innovators like Vivos Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VVOS), whose approach extends beyond symptom management to address finite anatomical correction.

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In this episode, 1‑800‑Flowers.com CFO James Langrock and SVP of Investor Relations Andy Milevoj join Water Tower Research Managing Director Doug Lane and host Tim Gerdeman for a deep dive into the company’s multi‑year transformation under new CEO Adolfo Villagomez. The discussion explores the leadership overhaul, the shift from a brand‑led to a functional organizational structure, and renewed priorities around marketing efficiency, customer retention, and technology modernization.
From its beginnings as a single Manhattan flower shop in 1976 to its evolution into a $1.7 billion e‑commerce gifting platform serving 9 million customers, the conversation examines how 1‑800‑Flowers is working to restore profitable growth, expand into third‑party marketplaces and retail channels, leverage data and AI to enhance personalization, and build on a business where roughly 74% of revenue comes from repeat customers.