What happens when innovation meets the Nevada desert? 🌵In this week’s Vegas Startup Scene, host Jason LeDuc takes you inside the explosive growth of the Southern Nevada tech ecosystem — where startups are winning global awards, investors are backing world-changing ideas, and entrepreneurs are building the next generation of technology right here in Las Vegas.💧 Water Tech on the Global StageWe kick off with a huge win for WAVR Technologies, who just took home the top prize at the 2025 SVG Ventures Thrive Global Impact Summit for their breakthrough in atmospheric water harvesting — chosen from over 2,000 applicants worldwide! Discover how their work is putting Nevada innovation on the global map and transforming how we think about sustainable resources.🚀 State Investment in InnovationThe Governor’s Office of Economic Development is doubling down on water tech, investing $1.8 million to expand the WaterStart pilot program — connecting utilities, researchers, and startups to test and commercialize breakthrough technologies in leak detection, cooling efficiency, and water treatment.💡 Founders to Watch: Pilula WellnessFounder Carami Olsen is redefining wellness with her Pilula Pod and Pilula Track App, blending luxury design and smart technology to create a new standard in personal well-being. Now, she’s celebrating her first retail pop-up at the Las Vegas Premium Outlets North and being recognized as a Top Tech Awards honoree in Emerging Technology.✈️ From the Air Force to Aviation StartupsJason sits down with Richard Contreras, founder of an aviation tech startup, to talk about his dual-use innovation built for both civilian and military markets. With a background in the U.S. Air Force, Richard shares how he’s bringing next-gen tools to aircraft maintenance — starting with the private sector and scaling toward defense applications.🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• How Nevada’s startup ecosystem is attracting global attention• Why local founders are building scalable, dual-use technologies• Where to find weekly startup and crypto meetups in Las Vegas• Insights from real founders turning bold ideas into real solutions📅 Upcoming Startup Events:• Crypto Mondays – Weekly at the Vegas Blockchain Center• Fusion 42 Events – Thursdays and Saturdays online• Tech Alley Downtown – Nov 15 at Taverna Costera• Startup Vegas: Level Up – Nov 20 at WeWork Town Square• Girls in Tech + FRC Robotics – Dec 4 • Las Vegas Sports Investing Forum – Dec 11 💬 Join the Conversation:Which Nevada startup inspires you the most right now? Comment below — we’d love to feature your take in next week’s episode!Let’s grow the Vegas Startup Scene together.Onward and Upward! 🚀LINKS:WAVR Website: https://www.wavrtechnologies.com/WaterStart Website: https://waterstart.com/Pilula Website: https://pilulapod.com/Vegas Crypto Group: https://www.meetup.com/vegas-crypto-group/Tech Vegas Site: https://tech.vegas/Fusion42 Website: https://fusion-42.com/Fusion 42 Events: https://lu.ma/Fusion-42Tech Alley: https://www.techalley.org/Startup Vegas Website: https://startup.vegas/My conversation with Richard Contreras on the October Tech Alley Downtown live stream: https://youtube.com/live/JwaNqqiRL_YWant to get your news or event in the rundown? Contact me here:Email: info@leducleadership.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-leduc-3469823/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leducleadership