School for Startups Radio

September 19, 2024 – Strauss Naturals Wayne Elliott and Better Conversations Chuck Wisner

Wayne Elliott – Ship Recycling and Strauss Naturals Advocate
Wayne Elliott has been in the ship recycling business for 40 years. His company can take a 1000-foot-long ship and reduce it to a pile to reusable materials. He has grown into other areas such as battery recycling. He recounts his life-changing experience with SHD, a health supplement he stumbled upon after battling angina and its debilitating symptoms. Struggling with leg cramps, shortness of breath, night sweats, and chest pains, Wayne also grappled with anxiety and a lack of energy, resigning himself to the fate of heart-related issues that plagued his family. However, upon learning about SHD through a friend in Vancouver and being inspired by studies from renowned institutions like Harvard, Wayne decided to give it a try. Astonishingly, within two weeks of taking SHD, he noticed improvements in unexpected ways – his hearing returned, and his respiratory system cleared, leading to a significant boost in energy. Over the course of three months, Wayne transformed into a revitalized version of himself, feeling as energetic as he did decades ago. This transformation propelled him into a new phase of life where he actively engaged with others, becoming a spokesperson for Jim Strauss, the creator of SHD. Wayne’s involvement extended to radio shows and lectures, allowing him to share his incredible journey with thousands of people suffering from various health issues. His enthusiasm and dedication to natural health solutions led him to become a regular guest on radio networks in the USA and Canada, where he continued to spread the word about his positive experiences with SHD and its miraculous effects on individuals dealing with diabetes, heart disease, low energy, and clogged arteries. Wayne’s story highlights the power of painless, safe, and affordable health products, emphasizing the beauty of solutions that genuinely work. His gratitude towards Jim Strauss and the Strauss Heart Drops is profound, as he believes that without this intervention, he might not have been alive today, reinforcing the transformative impact of natural health remedies in the face of life-threatening conditions. Strauss Naturals is sponsoring the show with support for our radio-minute segments. Wayne says very simply that their products saved him. He became an advocate for the company and has been working with them for 29 years.Chuck Wisner – Leadership Advisor, Speaker, Coach and Author of The Art of Conscious Conversations
Chuck Wisner is the author of The Art of Conscious Conversations, Transforming How We Talk, Listen, and Interact. He is a coach and speaker focusing on the lost art of conversations. His theories of the why, how, and what of conversations deeply dive into their DNA and introduce new tools and practices that transform how we can think about and be in them more successfully. He has spent thirty years as a trusted advisor to leaders, their teams, and their families in high-profile companies, including Google, Rivian, Apple, Tesla, DTE Energy, Harvard Business School, Ford, and Chrysler. Before starting Wisner Consulting, Chuck was a senior affiliated mediator with the Harvard Mediation Program, certified in the Mastering the Art of Professional Coaching, and a coach affiliated with MIT’s Center for Organizational Learning. Prior to Chuck’s career as a leadership advisor, his first career was in music as a percussionist and his second career was as an architect in Boston for twenty years.

September 18, 2024 – Lobos 1707 Diego Osorio and MindTravel Live Events Murray Hidary

Diego Osorio – Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Lobos 1707 – Building a Tequila Brand
Diego Osorio is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Lobos 1707, a tequila brand launched in 2020. Growing up in Madrid and London, Diego spent his formative years developing a love for theatre, taking on roles in high school plays before enrolling in business school. After a brief career in finance, he pivoted his course, returning to the entertainment industry to follow his passion for the creative arts. Osorio utilized his creative drive to launch his acting career in Spain, securing roles in theater projects such as Juegos Para Marido y Mujer, among many others. He was awarded the Best New Coming Actor Award at the Madrid Fashion Film Festival for his performance in Escape from Mondays. In 2012, Osorio moved to New York City and attended the prestigious New York Film Academy and Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. Working under the tutelage of acting coach Bob Krakower, he expanded his craft and was cast in television and film projects such as HotSpot: A Guide to Finding Love, Bronx SIU, Drug Mule, and Roshambo, to name a few. During this time, he discovered the story of his namesake great-great grandfather’s legacy as a Spanish Viceroy King, who transported Pedro Ximénez Sherry barrels from Spain to Mexico beginning in 1707. Once the sherry depleted, they filled the empty barrels with an agave spirit (now known as tequila), allowing the tequila to barrel age during their journey home. Diego made it his mission to replicate the traditional agave-based recipe enjoyed by his forefathers for centuries. In order to do this and commemorate the history of his aristocratic family, he brought together his family’s sherry winemaker and a Jalisco-based Master Distiller to create a recipe that marries both cultures, representing the heritage of old and new world flavors simultaneously. He drew from his design and filmmaking background to create a visually compelling brand that encompasses the Lobos 1707 story. With Lobos 1707, Diego has created a brand that encourages unity, legacy, and authenticity, and represents the endangered subspecies of humans who are intentional, audacious, and balance the art of being unapologetically genuine while still caring for the greater good of the pack. Diego currently resides in Miami. In addition to serving as the creative visionary for Lobos 1707 Tequila, he is also an emerging documentarian who has produced and directed several film projects focused on environmental and immigration issues, including Black Lives Matter, Canners and Local Legends, amongst others. Diego is an avid polo player, co-founder of the non-profit ONE MILE ONE SMILE, travel addict, adventure-seeker, sports enthusiast, music aficionado and designer.Murray Hidary – Founder of MindTravel
Murray Hidary’s MindTravel is an immersive experience where music and mindfulness meet. Through music, the language of emotion, creator and composer Murray seeks to open the heart to healing and transformation with his evocative, live-piano compositions. Recently, the music of MindTravel has also served to bring awareness and a call to action on issues like social justice and climate change. Hidary has brought MindTravel to iconic theaters and spectacular outdoor venues in over 100 cities the world over. From the deserts of the Middle East to the first-ever piano concert on the continent of Antarctica, Hidary seeks to bridge gaps in understanding through the universal language of music. Murray Hidary is also an entrepreneur and tech pioneer and in the early days of the Internet co-founded and built companies including EarthWeb, Dice Inc, Vista Research and eBillity. Today, he is focused on the human experience and, through MindTravel, helps people better connect with themselves and one another.

September 16, 2024 – Rev AI Transcription Jason Chicola and Software Engineer Entrepreneur Andrew Duncan

Jason Chicola – Founder and CEO of Rev
Jason Chicola is the founder and CEO of Rev, the leading AI speech-to-text service providing transcripts, captions and subtitles with 99%+ accuracy. With the goal to ensure that every voice is understood, Rev is the only speech-to-text provider that facilitates collaboration between humans and AI to achieve the highest accuracy, reduced bias and increased accessibility. Prior to starting Rev, Jason was the 3rd employee at oDesk (now Upwork). Jason was also an investment professional with H.I.G. Capital and an associate with Globespan Capital Partners. Earlier in his career, he was a business analyst at McKinsey & Co. Jason was really smart.  He got on the inside of the VC world, waited for a great play, join it, and then leveraged those skill and connections to start a VC funded company of his own. Rev has raised $4.5m from Globespan Capital.Andrew Duncan – Founder of Duncan Labs
Andrew Duncan is the founder of Duncan Labs, a boutique software engineering firm. Andrew is a highly driven technology executive with a combination of strategic insight, business expertise, financial skills, and deep technology experience, with a record of success in the leadership of application development, vendor management and consulting initiatives for major companies and high-growth startups. Duncan Labs focuses on providing custom software delivery and strategic technical advisory services for small to mid-sized companies and startups looking to launch or enhance products and services or increase the efficiency of their technical teams.

September 13, 2024 – Famous Brands Liquor Derek Sisson and Latin American Cloud & Growth Hacker Gerardo Sandoval

Derek Sisson – Founder and CEO of Famous Brands – Home of Merica Bourbon – Building a Liquor Business
Derek Sisson is a Native Texan, former Force Recon Marine, motivational speaker and entrepreneur. He is the Founder and CEO of Famous Brands, a renowned creator of exceptional high-quality spirits and beverages embody American values of freedom, unity, and independence. In 2008, Derek began his career in the wine and spirits industry as a wine importer. With his marked success, he created a distribution company which led to the founding of Texas Top Shelf, a trusted partner for alcohol beverage product manufacturing, where he served as CEO. Based on key learnings in that position, Derek created Famous Brands in 2017, kicking off the company by developing the ever-popular Merica Bourbon. Through Derek’s business acumen, Merica Bourbon is now available in 45 states and carried by most leading chains. This year, Derek has expanded the Famous Brands legacy through the launch of Merica Beer, crafted from high-quality ingredients and known for its crisp, refreshing taste, available to beer enthusiasts at a cost-friendly price point. Built on his experience within the special operations community as a member of 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company, USMC, and his life as an entrepreneur, Derek has proven he has the leadership skills and drive to catapult Famous Brands to heightened levels of success.Gerardo Sandoval – Founder of Facilcloud – Latin American Cloud
Gerardo Sandoval is a serial entrepreneur, Cloud Architect, and Data Scientist who has founded several successful startups with clients in over 20 countries. His entrepreneurial journey began at a young age when he created an inventory control system for his home warehouse before he was 14. Although he initially aspired to be a doctor, his passion for technology led him to study science and computing without having a computer at home. At age 16, he founded his first venture, Creative Computer Labs, where he taught computer science classes. Later, he established a hosting company with 35,000 clients and is recognized as one of the main Hispanic influencers in Growth Hacking. He founded Facilcloud, the first elastic cloud in Latin America, and currently helps companies grow using Growth Hacking, a methodology that combines critical thinking, data science, digital marketing, agile iterations, and custom software. He has built startups from zero and written books about Growth Hacking. As a veteran data scientist, he advises on growth and data science issues in SaaS companies, Marketing, online education (e-learning), Insurance, Clean Energy, and Home Improvement.

September 12, 2024 – Microplastics Entrepreneur Dr. Stephen Mayfield and Strauss Naturals Wayne Elliott

Dr. Stephen Mayfield – CEO of Algenesis Materials and Former Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology at UCSD – CEO of Blue View Footwear
Dr. Stephen Mayfield is the founder and CEO of Algenesis Materials, a company on a mission to reduce plastic pollution on the planet.  Steve was previously a Distinguished Professor of Biology and the Director of the California Center for Algae Biotechnology, at the University of California, San Diego. His research career focuses on the molecular genetics of green algae, and on the production of bio-products using algae as a production platform, especially bio-polymers.  Steve received BS degrees in Biochemistry and Plant Biology from Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, and a PhD in Molecular Genetics from UC Berkeley.  Following a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Geneva Switzerland he returned to California as an assistant professor at the Scripps Research Institute where he remained for 22 years becoming the Dean of Biology before joining UC San Diego in 2009.  In addition to running his research group and university research centers, Steve also founded Rincon Pharmaceutical in 2005, Sapphire Energy in 2007, Triton Health and Nutrition in 2013, and Algenesis Materials in 2016.Wayne Elliott – Ship Recycling and Strauss Naturals Advocate
Wayne Elliott has been in the ship recycling business for 40 years. His company can take a 1000-foot-long ship and reduce it to a pile to reusable materials. He has grown into other areas such as battery recycling. He recounts his life-changing experience with SHD, a health supplement he stumbled upon after battling angina and its debilitating symptoms. Struggling with leg cramps, shortness of breath, night sweats, and chest pains, Wayne also grappled with anxiety and a lack of energy, resigning himself to the fate of heart-related issues that plagued his family. However, upon learning about SHD through a friend in Vancouver and being inspired by studies from renowned institutions like Harvard, Wayne decided to give it a try. Astonishingly, within two weeks of taking SHD, he noticed improvements in unexpected ways – his hearing returned, and his respiratory system cleared, leading to a significant boost in energy. Over the course of three months, Wayne transformed into a revitalized version of himself, feeling as energetic as he did decades ago. This transformation propelled him into a new phase of life where he actively engaged with others, becoming a spokesperson for Jim Strauss, the creator of SHD. Wayne’s involvement extended to radio shows and lectures, allowing him to share his incredible journey with thousands of people suffering from various health issues. His enthusiasm and dedication to natural health solutions led him to become a regular guest on radio networks in the USA and Canada, where he continued to spread the word about his positive experiences with SHD and its miraculous effects on individuals dealing with diabetes, heart disease, low energy, and clogged arteries. Wayne’s story highlights the power of painless, safe, and affordable health products, emphasizing the beauty of solutions that genuinely work. His gratitude towards Jim Strauss and the Strauss Heart Drops is profound, as he believes that without this intervention, he might not have been alive today, reinforcing the transformative impact of natural health remedies in the face of life-threatening conditions. Strauss Naturals is sponsoring the show with support for our radio-minute segments. Wayne says very simply that their products saved him. He became an advocate for the company and has been working with them for 29 years.

September 11, 2024 – Shoppable Video Eitan Koter and MAGIC Marketing System Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano

Eitan Koter – Co-founder and Co-CEO of Vimmi – Making Video Shoppable
Eitan Koter is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Vimmi, a shoppable video SaaS company enhancing e-commerce. He also hosts the “eCom Pulse” podcast. With two decades of experience in startups and public companies, including a NASDAQ IPO, he brings a unique blend of strategic insight and practical expertise. By integrating multi-channel live shopping and shoppable video into any e-commerce platform, brands can connect with their customers wherever they shop. Founder and CEO with over two decades experience in media & entertainment, eCommerce and telecom industries in startups and public companies, including NASDAQ IPO. Expertise includes B2B SaaS and hardware companies, go-to-market strategies, global marketing & sales, product market fit, strategy development, and general management.Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano – Founder and CEO of Forethought Marketing
Suzanne Sarsfield Scarano’s journey is a testament to visionary entrepreneurship and innovative business practices. She founded Forethought Marketing in 2009 with a bold mission to redefine traditional marketing. Her approach has not only set new industry standards but also demonstrated how authenticity and strategic alignment can drive success. Suzanne’s Forethought MAGIC (Marketing Alignment Goal Implementing Collaboration) sessions have transformed how businesses align their C-Suite teams, fostering cohesive and effective leadership. Suzanne’s engaging storytelling and practical advice will captivate your listeners and provide them with tangible strategies to implement in their own businesses. Her passion for creating value and connection makes her an ideal guest for your podcast.

September 10, 2024 - 150 Healthy Years Blair LaCorte and Cow Hugger Ellie Laks

Blair LaCorte – Managing Director of LaCorte Ventures
Blair LaCorte is a seasoned business executive and transformational leader with a diverse career spanning multiple industries, including entertainment, aviation, artificial intelligence, technology development, aerospace & defense, and supply chain management. He was CEO of AEye, the eyes of self driving cars. His cross-industry experience allows him to share best practices and talent between sectors that rarely interact. Blair has held executive roles at various business stages, from startups to growth phases, and from restructuring to liquidity events, including sales, mergers, and IPOs. He excels at engaging teams at different points in their journey, earning their trust and respect to drive businesses to their next stage. His leadership and change management skills help teams focus their strategy, enhance motivation and purpose, and achieve operational alignment. With an entrepreneurial mindset and disciplined approach, Blair has led companies to significant growth and investor returns. He has also been an active investor and advisor to over a hundred companies and nonprofit organizations. His commitment to mentorship, coaching, and team building is evident in his extensive operating, board, publishing, and teaching engagements. Additionally, he serves as a national board member for several positive coaching organizations, demonstrating his dedication to value-based team development. Blair earned his MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, where he received the Leibowitz Award for outstanding contributions to his class. He also completed executive coursework in Human Capital and Organizational Behavior at Stanford University.Ellie Laks – Animal Communicator and Author of My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope
Ellie Laks is the Founder of The Gentle Barn Foundation, a national organization that rescues and rehabilitates unwanted animals and heals people with the same stories of abuse and neglect. She is an animal communicator, powerful speaker, celebrated animal welfare advocate, humane educator, and the author of “My Gentle Barn: Creating a sanctuary where animals heal and children learn to hope,” and “Cow Hug Therapy: How the animals at The Gentle Barn taught me about life, death, and everything in between.” Ellie founded The Gentle Barn in 1999. She invented her own “Gentle Healing” method that allows old, sick, injured, and terrified animals to recover fully using a mixture of Western medicine, holistic healing modalities, holding therapy, and lots of love. Ellie is the creator of cow hug therapy and has hosted hundreds of thousands of people who have come to The Gentle Barn seeking hope. Ellie has appeared on some of the most influential media outlets including The Ellen Show, People Magazine, Life Magazine, Animal Planet, The Huffington Post, Turning Point, Women’s World, The New York Times, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and many more. Ellie is a TEDx speaker and keynote speaker who motivates her audiences toward higher awareness, profound compassion, realizing dreams, and an enhanced sense of purpose. To date, Ellie has saved thousands of animals and hosted over 1,000,000 guests. The Gentle Barn is currently home to approximately 200 animals. The Gentle Barn has three locations in Los Angeles CA, Nashville, TN, and St Louis, MO. It is her goal to be the voice for animals, share their stories, and open the hearts of humanity toward all living beings, “Teaching people kindness and compassion to animals, each other, and our planet.”

September 9, 2024 – Jenius Digital Banking President John Rosenfeld and Prairie Women Dorothy Beasley

John Rosenfeld – President of Jenius Bank
John Rosenfeld is bank President. He used to jump out of airplanes as a Green Beret. John Rosenfeld currently serves as President of Jenius Bank, a division of SMBC MANUBANK, member of SMBC Group. He joined the firm in February 2021 to further develop the U.S. retail banking business with a completely new consumer digital bank offering. John assembled a team of 300+ digital and consumer banking experts, aligned key technology and operations partnerships, and established ongoing agile development processes.  Jenius Bank launched in June 2023 with unsecured personal loans and expanded with savings accounts in November 2023.  The team expects to launch several other products and services over the next 2-3 years, including a mobile app, checking, credit card, and other loan types. John’s vision is to humanize digital banking and lead a monumental shift in the industry. He has more than 25 years of executive experience in financial services, including several leadership positions in digital banking, product innovation and management, retail sales, service, and operations.Dorothy “Louise” Beasley – Dreambuilder Coach & Author of the Voices From The Prairies: The Extraordinary Stories of Ordinary Ranch Women
Dorothy is born and bred as a livestock rancher’s daughter, then cattle rancher’s wife, mother of 4 children who were born and raised on a ranch. She learned to cook when she got married, as before that she was her dad’s helper with the farm machinery, cattle and sheep. She has been married to the same man for 48 years, and now has 10 amazing grandchildren, along with all her children and their partners helping on the ranches too. She learned to cook when she got married and has cooked for many ranch crews throughout the 48 years on the ranches. The purpose of writing this book about ranch women is to give those women a voice, as up until recently women have been active participants on the livestock ranches, but not always been classed as valuable, worthy, good enough to be partners on the ranch with their husbands. They were told in the past that speaking about themselves in a positive light would be called “bragging about themselves” and they were only “ordinary women”, the same as everyone else. These co-authors demonstrate the extraordinary values and determination to make a go of the ranches they live and work on, become spokeswomen advocates for the land, the rural communities, the families and for the continuity of livestock ranching as a healthy and worthwhile lifestyle. Women deserve to be seen and heard, listened to and valued as equal partners on these livestock ranches.

September 6, 2024 – Cooking Robot Raghav Gupta and Presidential Money Megan Gorman

Raghav Gupta – CEO & Co-founder of Nymble
Raghav Gupta is on a mission to transform how the world eats healthy with Nymble, a consumer robotics startup which builds cooking robots for home. Leading a 50+ strong team across two continents, his startup is venture-backed by top-tier VCs like Accel, Waterbridge Ventures and Xeed – and has raised $10M+ to revolutionize the kitchen. As a Rajeev Circle Fellow and electrical engineer, he is driven by a passion for social impact, honed through volunteering with organizations like IEEE and Jagriti Yatra. His journey, from electrifying Indian villages through wind energy to creating cutting-edge culinary robots, showcases a relentless commitment to innovation and positive change.Megan Gorman – Wealth Historian and Managing Partner of Chequers Financial Management
Megan is the founding partner of Chequers Financial Management, a fee-only planning firm specializing in high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families in San Francisco, California. Chequers focuses on establishing long-term relationships with families and helps them navigate through tax, estate, liquidity, and investment planning. Megan heads the firm’s family office services practice. A history buff with a head for numbers and a knack for storytelling, Megan Gorman is on a mission to help every American build a more perfect union with their money. Megan is a senior contributor to Forbes on personal finance and tax. She is also regularly quoted in the press as a tax and financial planning expert, including in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and CNBC. She blogs at www.thewealthintersection.com, has appeared on numerous podcasts, and is a regular weekly commentator on The Money Tree Podcast.

September 5, 2024 – Cocktail Napkin Clarity Theresa Rose and Strauss Naturals Wayne Elliott

Theresa Rose – Certified Speaking Professional and Brand and Business Crystallizer
Theresa Rose, CSP is a Brand and Business Crystallizer, Strategic Co-Creator, and 2x TEDx Speaker who works with experts and their businesses to create one-of-a-kind visual brands they can draw on a cocktail napkin. Using her Crystallization Process, Theresa helps thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives readying for transition to Clarify, Amplify, and Monetize their Brilliance. Theresa’s thought leadership in clarity and visual branding can be seen in her most recent TEDxTalk, “Doodle Your Dream: How a Cocktail Napkin Will Save the World”, which she delivered at TEDxTemecula in 2023. Combining relevant marketing and sales insights with delightful humor and audience interactivity are Theresa’s hallmark differentiators. She brings a level of nerdy enthusiasm to every stage, sharing a passionate message of cocktail napkin clarity for anyone wanting to get to YES with their ideas. Originally from Minnesota and now in Southern California, Theresa has served as Past President of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Speakers Association and is currently serving as Strategic Consultant to the Board at the national level.Wayne Elliott – Ship Recycling and Strauss Naturals Advocate
Wayne Elliott has been in the ship recycling business for 40 years. His company can take a 1000-foot-long ship and reduce it to a pile to reusable materials. He has grown into other areas such as battery recycling. He recounts his life-changing experience with SHD, a health supplement he stumbled upon after battling angina and its debilitating symptoms. Struggling with leg cramps, shortness of breath, night sweats, and chest pains, Wayne also grappled with anxiety and a lack of energy, resigning himself to the fate of heart-related issues that plagued his family. However, upon learning about SHD through a friend in Vancouver and being inspired by studies from renowned institutions like Harvard, Wayne decided to give it a try. Astonishingly, within two weeks of taking SHD, he noticed improvements in unexpected ways – his hearing returned, and his respiratory system cleared, leading to a significant boost in energy. Over the course of three months, Wayne transformed into a revitalized version of himself, feeling as energetic as he did decades ago. This transformation propelled him into a new phase of life where he actively engaged with others, becoming a spokesperson for Jim Strauss, the creator of SHD. Wayne’s involvement extended to radio shows and lectures, allowing him to share his incredible journey with thousands of people suffering from various health issues. His enthusiasm and dedication to natural health solutions led him to become a regular guest on radio networks in the USA and Canada, where he continued to spread the word about his positive experiences with SHD and its miraculous effects on individuals dealing with diabetes, heart disease, low energy, and clogged arteries. Wayne’s story highlights the power of painless, safe, and affordable health products, emphasizing the beauty of solutions that genuinely work. His gratitude towards Jim Strauss and the Strauss Heart Drops is profound, as he believes that without this intervention, he might not have been alive today, reinforcing the transformative impact of natural health remedies in the face of life-threatening conditions. Strauss Naturals is sponsoring the show with support for our radio-minute segments. Wayne says very simply that their products saved him. He became an advocate for the company and has been working with them for 29 years.