Featured Speakers: Sierra Clouse & Jonny Barragan, Co-Founders of Barclo Venture Studio

Sierra Clouse and Jonny Barragan are the co-founders of Barclo Venture Studio, the Pacific Northwest’s first venture studio focused exclusively on the future of computing and frontier technology. With backgrounds across big tech, consulting, cybersecurity, and go-to-market strategy in emerging sectors, they are builders, backers, and enablers of deep tech ventures solving some of humanity’s most urgent and complex challenges.

Barclo partners with scientists, engineers, and founders to launch companies built on foundational advances in quantum computing, AI, data center infrastructure, and next-generation compute systems. Their work also spans applications in health and life sciences, energy systems, and the critical infrastructure required for a more resilient and intelligent future.

At Startup Grind Seattle, Sierra and Jonny will share:

• What a venture studio is, how it works, and how Barclo’s model supports founders from zero to scale
• How they identify and validate breakthrough opportunities through original research and ecosystem engagement
• How they co-build companies around transformative technologies like quantum, AI, and advanced compute
• How their commercialization and revenue model is designed to accelerate go-to-market in complex, emerging markets
• Why the Pacific Northwest is uniquely positioned to lead in frontier tech, and what’s needed to build an ecosystem that rivals other global innovation hubs
• How frontier technologies are key to unlocking solutions in health and life sciences, energy, and planetary systems — and why investing in these spaces now is both a responsibility and an opportunity

Whether you're a founder, investor, researcher, or innovation leader, this session offers a rare inside look at how deep tech ventures are being created — and how the Pacific Northwest can lead in shaping the next era of global innovation.