In this episode, Scott Friedman, VP of Government Affairs at Altana, joins Madelyn to trace his journey from crafting trade enforcement policy in government to building the technology that underpins it. He explains how trade has shifted from an era of assumed free trade to being a deliberate tool of state power, highlighting rapid changes in U.S. policy, the gap between policymakers’ ambitions and what regulators and companies can practically execute, and the crucial role of modern data and technology. Scott outlines Altana’s vision for a trusted, transparent global trade network, including product passports as a “global entry for goods” and a federated data architecture that enables collaboration without sacrificing privacy. He contrasts Western transparency-driven systems with China’s state-directed, opaque but highly efficient digital trade ecosystem, and explores evolving U.S.–EU alignment on customs, traceability, and digital infrastructure. The key takeaway: full end-to-end traceability is fast becoming the baseline expectation, and companies that lean into data-driven transparency now will be far better positioned in an increasingly complex enforcement environment.

Highlights from their conversation include:

• Scott's Journey from Government to Trade Tech (0:41)
• America Founded on a Customs Dispute and Boston Tea Party (2:47)
• How Today's Trade Enforcement Differs from Past Eras (4:54)
• Gap between Policymakers, Regulators, and Global Trade (7:46)
• Altana Overview and Vision for Trusted Global Trade (11:22)
• Product Passports as Global Entry for Goods (14:08)
• Why Altana Uses a Federated Network Model (19:06)
• China's State-Directed Supply Chain Architecture (22:19)
• U.S. and EU Alignment on Customs, Data, and Traceability (29:29)
• What End-to-End Traceability Now Means for Importers (34:37)
• Key Takeaways and Episode Wrap-Up (39:14)

Dynamo Ventures is a venture firm backing founders upgrading the physical economy. As intelligence moves into critical infrastructure and technology collides with physics, industry is entering a new era of transformation - the industrial renaissance.

Born from the dirt and grit of supply chains and shaped by operations, not spreadsheets, Dynamo focuses on the complex realities of building in the real world. We invest in companies transforming infrastructure, manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and the systems that power global commerce.

Dynamo works closely with founders who combine ambition with a bias to action, bringing a builder mindset to venture capital through deep operational insight, systematic pressure-testing and hands-on partnership.

Our purpose is simple: to back the relentless shaping the industrial renaissance. Learn more at www.dynamo.vc.

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