Coffee with a Founder Podcast: Brooke Hopkins, Coval

05- May-2026

On this episode of Coffee with a Founder, Beck Bamberger sits down with Brooke Hopkins, co-founder and CEO of Coval.

The conversation dives into why voice AI is having a breakout moment, what’s changed in the last year, and why testing AI agents is becoming just as important as building them. Brooke also shares how her experience at Waymo led her to this problem, what it’s like building in one of the fastest-moving spaces in tech, and why trust inside a team might be the most underrated advantage a startup can have.

If you’re into AI infrastructure, product-led technical companies, and what it really takes to build at the edge of a fast-moving market, don’t miss this one.

show notes:

00:52: The current state of voice AI in 2026

02:10: What Coval actually does and why it matters

02:51: From Waymo to startups and finding the problem

04:47: Why voice AI is having a breakout moment

07:22: Why Brooke chose to build a venture-backed company

09:36: Building trust inside a startup team

12:38: How Brooke thinks about hiring in a competitive market

14:13: AI tools and workflows she’s using daily

17:08: Brooke’s favorite emotion and what “collective flow” means

Read More About The Episode:

00:52: The current state of voice AI in 2026

Brooke explains how voice AI has evolved from basic functionality to complex, multi-agent systems.

02:10: What Coval actually does and why it matters

Brooke breaks down how Coval simulates and monitors AI conversations to catch failures and improve performance.

02:51: From Waymo to startups and finding the problem

She shares how her experience building simulation tools at Waymo translated into a broader AI opportunity.

04:47: Why voice AI is having a breakout moment

The conversation highlights why voice is becoming as essential as web and mobile.

07:22: Why Brooke chose to build a venture-backed company

Brooke explains the appeal of ambition, speed, and pushing personal limits through venture.

09:36: Building trust inside a startup team

Brooke shares how trust is built through ownership, space to execute, and real responsibility.

12:38: How Brooke thinks about hiring in a competitive market

She explains why early-stage hiring is more about instinct, agency, and speed than process.

14:13: AI tools and workflows she’s using daily

Brooke walks through how she uses Claude and MCPs to operate faster across tools and workflows.

17:08: Brooke’s favorite emotion and what “collective flow” means

She describes the feeling of total team alignment and trust, where everyone is operating at their best together.