Episodes

Jan. 26, 2023

#103: Dr. Elad Granot (John Carroll University, Boler College of Busi…

Dr. Elad Granot — Dean of John Carroll University’s Boler College of Business, co-founder and managing member of an early-stage technology Venture Capital fund, and advisor to a $450mm VC fund — on what Cleveland can learn from Startup Nation …

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Jan. 19, 2023

#102: Jan Jensen (Trailhead Biosystems)

Jan Jenson — Ph.D., CEO/CSO/Founder of Trailhead Biosystems — on the basics of cell differentiation and development biology, and the vast implications that unlocking industrialized manufacturing of specialized human cells can have for regenerative medicine

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Jan. 12, 2023

#101: Aaron George (SupplyNow)

Aaron George — Founder/CEO of SupplyNow — on building the on-demand wholesale grocery delivery market for foodservice and his journey as an immigrant founder working as Global Entrepreneur in Residence with Global Cleveland

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Jan. 5, 2023

#100: Jeffrey Stern's Reflections on 100 Episodes — Entrepreneurial M…

Jeffrey Stern — host of the Lay of The Land Podcast and co-founder at Axuall — reflecting on the 99 conversations prior, what draws people to entrepreneurship in the first place, where do company ideas come from, and the real …

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Dec. 22, 2022

#99: Steve Santamaria (Folio Photonics)

Steve Santamaria — CEO of Folio Photonics — on innovating storage media and the future of storage technology, the opportunity ahead for Folio Photonics, Cleveland's entrepreneurial ecosystem, and reflections on leadership!

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Dec. 15, 2022

#98: Kris Snyder (Ninety.io, Impact Architects, & Vox Mobile)

Kris Snyder — founder of Vox Mobile and Impact Architects & Head of Finance and Partnerships at Ninety.io — on working with entrepreneurial leaders to create impact and pursue a world where small and medium organizations and their employees can …

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Dec. 8, 2022

#97: Raji Sankar (Choolaah // Wholesome International)

Raji Sankar — co-founder of Wholesome International & co-CEO of Choolaah — on building best-in-class restaurants, culture, and customer experiences after more than a decade in the restaurant industry.

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Dec. 1, 2022

#96: Lukas Minkov & Logan Schouman (afters.io // IDRA)

Lukas Minkov & Logan Schouman — Co-Founders at afters.io & IDRA — on unlocking the value of instant local delivery services!

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Nov. 17, 2022

#95: Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners)

Ed Weinfurtner — Executive Chairman of Great Day Improvements (one of NEO's largest companies employing over 2,000 people) & Co-Founder at Blue Olive Partners — on growing Great Day Improvements from $44M to $922M in sales in just 7 years …

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Nov. 10, 2022

#94: Chef Douglas Katz (Amba, Chimi, Zhug)

Chef Douglas Katz — chef & owner of Amba, Chimi, Zhug — on creating fulfilling, transportive experiences that nurture and inspire guests, his own passion and journey through the world of food, and Cleveland's culinary scene!

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Nov. 3, 2022

#93: Michael Kubinski (Cleveland Clothing Company)

Michael Kubinski — Founder & CEO of Cleveland Clothing Company — on spreading Cleveland pride, one t-shirt at a time since 2008

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Oct. 27, 2022

#92: Leopoldo Peña (Presta)

Leopoldo Peña — Co-Founder & CEO of Presta ($3.3 million raised) — on startups, his passion for expanding access to those who historically haven't had it, Cleveland's ecosystem, and the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurship — from failures to acquisitions.

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Oct. 20, 2022

#91: Heather Lenz (Sangfroid Strategy)

Heather Lenz — Founder & CEO of Sangfroid Strategy — on her entrepreneurial journey, how data is currently used in the nonprofit sector, and where societally we have a massive opportunity right now to leverage advances in technology — automation, …

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Oct. 13, 2022

#90: Pat Conway & Mark King (Great Lakes Brewing Company)

Pat Conway & Mark King — Co-founder & CEO respectively of Great Lakes Brewing Company — on building Ohio’s original craft brewery, celebrating 34 years of sustained success and continuous innovation, the history of beer production in Cleveland, br

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Oct. 6, 2022

#89: Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland)

Lila Mills — founding editor-in-chief of Signal Cleveland — on starting a newsroom from scratch and building the trust required to be the source of daily news and information for Greater Clevelanders.

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Sept. 29, 2022

#88: Anne Skoch (Anne Cate)

Anne Skoch — Founder and CEO of Anne Cate — on how to marry art and business, pursue your passion as a profession, and building her made‐in‐Cleveland accessories brand and manufacturing firm!

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Sept. 22, 2022

#87: Sherrill Paul Witt (Lolly The Trolley)

Sherrill Paul Witt — founder of Lolly The Trolley — on running one of Cleveland's most beloved icons since 1985, covering 3.1 million miles during its 37 years on the road and introducing so many to the hidden gems of …

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Sept. 15, 2022

#86: Dallas Hogensen (Felux)

Dallas Hogensen — CEO of Felux ($24mm raised) — on marketplaces, importance of culture, and creating the world’s largest operating platform and marketplace to help solve commerce for the steel industry.

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Sept. 8, 2022

#85: Shawn Rech (Transition Studios, AGTV & TruBlu)

Shawn Rech — Co-Founder/CEO/Director at Transition Studios, AGTV & TruBlu — on growing Cleveland's permanent media industry, the importance of factual programming and positively affecting history through truth-telling and documentary production!

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Sept. 1, 2022

#84: Graham Veysey & Fisk Biggar (Graham+Fisk’s Wine-In-A-Can \\ Fire…

Graham Veysey & Fisk Biggar — founders of Graham+Fisk’s Wine-In-A-Can \\ Firehouse Can Co. — on building the first exclusive wine-in-a-can company!

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Aug. 25, 2022

#83: Tom Tyrrell (Great Lakes Biomimicry)

Tom Tyrrell — founder and Chairman of Great Lakes Biomimicry & co-founder of Segmint — on the power of biomimicry and harnessing the intelligence found in nature’s 3.8 billion years of R&D (asking questions nature has already found the answers …

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Aug. 18, 2022

#82: Baiju Shah (Greater Cleveland Partnership)

Baiju Shah — President and CEO of Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) — on economic development in Cleveland and leading the largest metropolitan chamber of commerce in the nation!

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Aug. 11, 2022

#81: David Sylvan (UH Ventures)

David Sylvan — president of UH Ventures, the innovation and commercialization division of University Hospitals, a Cleveland-based health system with two dozen hospitals, more than 50 health centers, and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices located throughout 16 counties.

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Aug. 4, 2022

#80: Dr. Colleen M. Lorber (Wraparound Experts)

Dr. Colleen M. Lorber — Founder & CEO of Wraparound Experts — on the current state of our society’s mental health and the work to be done to address it concentrating on our basic human needs which include not only …

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