Silicon Oasis Spotlight

From serving in the FBI to disrupting traditional industries, Dan Kelly of Adar Technologies shares his unconventional journey into entrepreneurship and innovation.In this episode of the Silicon Oasis Spotlight Podcast, Dan discusses how Adar Technologies is transforming waste into valuable resources using innovative acoustic shock wave technology. From converting organic waste into high-protein powders to recovering critical minerals from mining operations, Adar is creating new opportunities in sustainability and resource recovery.Dan also shares his perspective on entrepreneurship, the importance of securing anchor customers, and why venture capital isn't always the best path to building a successful company.Discover how this Arizona entrepreneur is challenging legacy industries and turning waste into opportunity.

On this episode of Silicon Oasis Spotlight, we sit down with Merl Martin, founder of Benu Systems, to discuss Enki, an AI-powered networking and lead capture platform built to solve one of the most common problems in business: actually following up.Merl shares his journey from teaching physics to software and entrepreneurship, how Enki turns business cards and conversations into organized contacts and actionable follow-ups, and why he believes Arizona is a strong place to build a sustainable technology company.We also discuss networking, emotional intelligence, Arizona’s founder community, and Merl’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: just jump.

Michael Santore, founder of BlockSkunk, joins the podcast to talk about his journey from teaching himself to code in high school to building technology companies and tackling one of blockchain’s biggest challenges: trust and compliance.Michael shares lessons from his first startup in the early days of fantasy sports, how Ethereum and Bitcoin ordinals pulled him into blockchain, and why he believes blockchain infrastructure can fundamentally change how organizations handle compliance, verification, and reconciliation.He also breaks down what BlockSkunk is building with its Evidence Engine, which maps regulatory and compliance frameworks to blockchain deployments to create real-time, verifiable evidence.The conversation also turns to Phoenix’s growing technology ecosystem, the need for more grassroots founder communities and frequent opportunities to collaborate, and why persistence remains one of the most important traits for entrepreneurs.Topics include: blockchain infrastructure and compliance, BlockSkunk’s Evidence Engine, Michael’s founder journey, lessons from competing in fantasy sports, building startups in Phoenix, and the importance of simply putting one foot in front of the other.

In this episode of the Silicon Oasis Spotlight, we sit down with Leah Walczak, founder of GemHaus, to discuss how technology is changing the way investors evaluate real estate opportunities.After working in real estate sales, short-term rental management, and brokerage, Leah saw firsthand how much time investors spend manually underwriting properties. That experience led to GemHaus—a platform designed to make property analysis faster, more accessible, and less dependent on spreadsheets and emotion.Leah walks through how users can enter an address and analyze a property’s investment potential, including both short-term and long-term rental strategies, operating expenses, and other factors that become increasingly important as interest rates rise and margins tighten.We also discuss what it’s like building a technology company in Arizona, why Phoenix’s active real estate investment market provides a strong testing ground for GemHaus, and how Arizona’s startup ecosystem can continue to mature.Silicon Oasis Spotlight features the founders, investors, innovators, and leaders building Arizona’s technology ecosystem.

In this episode of the Silicon Oasis Spotlight, we sit down with Martin Dominguez, founder of Tlaza, to talk about Arizona’s rapidly evolving technology ecosystem and how Tlaza is rethinking one of the most fundamental pieces of drone technology: the airframe.Martin shares how his search for a lower-cost, trainable drone led him to develop lightweight cardboard airframes designed to dramatically reduce manufacturing costs while remaining durable and adaptable. We discuss the opportunity for Arizona to become a major hub for defense and advanced technology, Tlaza’s ambitions to eventually tackle challenges in the space industry, and why Martin believes the best companies are built around solving “need-to-have” problems.The conversation also explores Arizona’s transformation from a real estate-driven economy into a diversified technology market fueled by semiconductors, defense, manufacturing, and a growing community of entrepreneurs.Silicon Oasis Spotlight features the founders, investors, innovators, and leaders building Arizona’s technology ecosystem.