Post by Miguel Jaramillo

I’ve learned that one of the most meaningful moments as a founder is when someone outside the company leans in with real curiosity and takes the time to understand what you’re trying to build. I'm grateful to Nikki Overfelt Chifalu and the team at Startland News for taking the time to understand the vision behind Surge and share it with the broader Kansas City innovation community. When we started Surge, the conviction was simple: the physical world needs better information. As AI, automation, and intelligent systems move beyond screens and into streets, infrastructure, and industry, they require a new layer of privacy-first, real-time, real-world intelligence to understand what's happening around them. That's what we're building at Surge: Physical-World Data Infrastructure that helps cities, enterprises, and emerging intelligent systems make better decisions without asking people to give up their privacy. As a Public Benefit Corporation, that mission goes one step further. I don't think communities should simply host the infrastructure of the future. They should have the opportunity to share in the value it creates. Thank you to everyone who has supported Surge along the way—our team, partners, advisors, and investors. This article reflects the progress we've made together, and we're just getting started. If you'd like to learn more about what we're building, I'd love for you to read the full Startland feature in the comments below. #SurgeNetworks #StartlandNews #PrivacyFirst #PhysicalWorldDataInfrastructure #KansasCity #Founder