In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Alex Hillman, co-founder of Indy Hall. Alex reflects on growing up in small-town Pennsylvania, the entrepreneurial influence of his father, and how his mother introduced him to the power of organizing and advocacy through simple but meaningful lessons at a young age. From navigating isolation as a freelance web developer to discovering the importance of connection, Alex explains how his search for community ultimately became the foundation for...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Martin Lukac, co-founder and CTO of Nexleaf Analytics. Martin shares how his early work in wireless sensor networks during his PhD at University of California Los Angeles laid the foundation for building systems that collect and translate data into actionable insights. From deploying seismic monitoring networks across Latin America to tackling global health challenges, his journey reveals a consistent theme: technology alone isn’t enough—...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ryan Johnson, the CTO and VP of Engineering at Seek. Growing up on a farm in Central California, Ryan learned early lessons about hard work, authenticity, and service—values that later guided him through the fast-moving world of startups and engineering leadership. From working on the early product team at Livescribe to launching a web development agency by literally walking door-to-door along Newbury Street, Ryan reflects on how genuine relati...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Bo Motlagh and Frank Shultz, co-founders of United Effects Ventures. Bo shares how his upbringing in a family of business owners instilled an early work ethic, while Frank reflects on lessons learned from growing up with an entrepreneurial father and bootstrapping his own companies. Together, they discuss the origins of United Effects Ventures, the pivots that shaped their business model, and how a simple question about purpose led them to co-f...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview the leadership team behind Appalachia Technologies—partners Mike Romano and Brian Stone, along with president Mike Williams. Mike Romano talked about how the company first came together more than two decades ago, starting with his entrepreneurial push to build something of his own after years of experience in the military and the cybersecurity world. He and Brian took the leap from a startup environment and began building a business in central...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ryan Rosett, Co-CEO and founder of Credibly. Ryan shares how growing up in a family of entrepreneurs in Detroit influenced his understanding of the ebbs and flows of small businesses and taught him the value of surrounding himself with specialists rather than doing everything himself. From running coffee shops to real estate development and bridge lending, Ryan reflects on the lessons learned from both successes and failures that paved the way ...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Eric Gremminger, CEO and Co-founder of ERP Health. Eric reflects on his early life in Pennsylvania, the creative influence of his upbringing, and his first entrepreneurial venture blending fitness and psychology. What began as a passion project—helping people recondition their mindset through physical training—laid the groundwork for a deeper mission rooted in behavioral health. Eric also shares his unconventional path back to college in his mi...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Carl Gould, co-founder and CTO of Inductive Automation. Growing up in California’s Bay Area during the rise of the modern internet, Carl developed an early fascination with computers that eventually led him to study computer science at UC Davis. What began as a summer project connecting industrial machine data to SQL databases soon evolved into a full software platform used by engineers around the world to build applications that monitor and co...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Matt Cullerton, founder of Mavric Tech and creator of Apso. Matt reflects on growing up in Reston, Virginia, early lessons from working in restaurants, and his first venture — an independent music label launched while working at Northrop Grumman. From navigating the volatility of the music industry — including brushes with artists like Diplo — Matt shares how those formative experiences shaped his resilience and people-first mindset. Matt...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview with Dan Goldsmith, co-founder and chairman of Tendo and co-founder of Proofpoint Capital. Dan shares stories from his Philadelphia roots, the early formation of his grit, and the mindset that has guided his career — from running a mobile DJ business in high school to building and scaling multiple technology companies. He offers a thoughtful perspective on perseverance, explaining how deep obsession with a problem can fuel success, while ...