In this special recorded event episode, Neal Bloom sits down with Trust & Will co-founder and CEO Cody Barbo in front of a live audience at SDSU’s Angel Academy. It’s an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation on what it really takes to back founders at the earliest of stages especially when they are bouncing back from tragedy.

Cody and Neal reflect on startup missteps, co-founder breakups, raising from friends and angels, and how real trust (and real checks) get built over breakfast, not pitch decks. From being fired from his last venture to scaling Trust & Will to tens of millions in ARR, Cody shares a decade's worth of hard-won lessons with humor, humility, and insight.

Whether you're a first-time founder, active angel, or just startup-curious, this candid session is packed with real talk about how relationships, not just revenue, power great companies.

Key Topics Covered

Cody’s path from SDSU student to three-time founder
The co-founder breakup that led to Trust & Will
Lessons from getting fired as a CEO
Why Neal invested in Cody before a product even existed
Raising from 26 angels with $10K–$40K checks
What great investors do before they wire money
The power of monthly updates and founder–investor trust
Behind the scenes of Techstars, Series A/B, and scaling to tens of millions in ARR
Advice for founders on protecting themselves and choosing aligned investors
How angels can create value before, during, and after the check clears

Links & Resources

Connect with Cody

Cody Barbo on LinkedIn

Connect with Neal

Neal Bloom on LinkedIn