#501 The Technology of Belonging: Glen Cameron on Identity, Immigration, and Proof of Relationships

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we sit down with Glen Cameron, founder and CEO of Bonded, to explore how technology can validate the most human thing we have: relationships. From immigration barriers to identity verification in a deepfake world, Glen unpacks the inspiration behind Bonded — a startup building proof-of-relationship infrastructure for the AI age. 🎯 Key Takeaways • The problem with traditional identity: it’s static and individual • Immigration systems still rely on analog evidence of relationships • Deepfakes and fraud are making it harder to prove authentic human ties • Bonded’s approach: blending AI, privacy-first design, and blockchain timestamping • The concept of “proof of human relationship” as a new digital primitive • Why self-sovereign identity must extend beyond individuals to relationships • Use cases beyond immigration: from border checks to creative rights and relational passports • Glen’s unique founder journey from global ad exec to protocol builder ⸻ 🎧 What You’ll Learn • How AI and blockchain can work together to solve real-world identity challenges • The unseen complexity behind relationship verification in immigration • Why “relational identity” may be the missing link in Web3 innovation • How Glen is building a platform that’s both deeply technical and radically human 👤 About the Guest Glen Cameron is the founder of Bonded and Together Alone Ventures, with a diverse background spanning global PR, branding, and deep tech innovation. A true global citizen, Glen has lived and worked in 15+ countries and is now building a Web3- and AI-enabled platform to bring dignity, trust, and speed to how we prove human connection in high-stakes processes like immigration, banking, and beyond. https://www.linkedin.com/in/glencameronpb/ https://www.bonded2.com/ ⏱️ Episode Highlights  00:00 – Intro and how Mehmet and Glen met 02:00 – Glen’s personal immigration struggle that sparked Bonded 06:30 – Why traditional proof of relationships is broken 09:00 – Using AI + blockchain to build time-based, verifiable relational identity 13:30 – Starting from scratch: what if you’re already 45 years old? 16:00 – Privacy-first approach: user-owned data, kill switch, full control 18:30 – Getting immigration authorities to accept digital proof 21:00 – How Bonded structures evidence (scrollable timeline, triangulated proof) 23:30 – Border crossings, interrogation, and “proof in your pocket” 25:00 – Glen on why existing tech harvests data without helping users 27:00 – Expanding beyond immigration: traffic stops, IP rights, relational AI agents 30:00 – Why Web3 matters — and how Bonded avoids the hype traps 34:00 – Glen’s global career story and lessons from advertising to tech 41:00 – The rise of real use cases for relational protocols 44:00 – Fundraising, building responsibly, and going beyond MVP 47:00 – Final thoughts and how to get in touch with Glen