Lay of The Land

#247 Carson Morell & Daniel Scott Mitchell (Takton) — Manufacturing Technology

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:30:00 -0400

Carson Morell and Daniel Scott Mitchell, Co-Founders of Takton — a manufacturing technology company building fast, affordable tools for small and mid-sized manufacturers.

Carson and Daniel came into manufacturing from different paths — Carson as a founder and operator, Daniel as an engineer at companies like Tesla and Rivian — but arrived at the same realization: there is a massive gap between the most advanced manufacturing technology and what is actually accessible to the majority of shops across the country.

So they set out to meet manufacturers where they are, got in a car and spent months visiting factories — over a hundred across the U.S. — learning directly from operators, machinists, and owners about how work actually gets done. And along the way, they kept coming back to Cleveland and ultimately decided to build Takton here, in one of the densest manufacturing ecosystems in the country, where proximity to customers and relationships on the shop floor actually matter.

In our conversation, we explore that journey — from their backgrounds and how they came together, to the insights from the road, to what they’re building at Takton today: a catalogue of simple, accessible products designed specifically for the majority long tail of manufacturers that have historically been underserved by technology.

We talk about their first products, their approach to product development grounded in real-world feedback, the importance of industrial density in places like Cleveland and why they chose to build Takton here, and the broader opportunity to rebuild American manufacturing capacity.

I loved learning more about their story, that they’ve chosen to build here and the passion and optimism they have for the future for american manufacturing. Please enjoy our conversation.

00:00 Manufacturing Innovation
10:47 The Roadshow
14:58 Bridging the Gap
21:25 Building Tacton
25:37 Manufacturers
29:01 Cost Efficiency
30:41 In-Person Relationships
35:29 Automation and Labor
40:35 Industrial Cleveland
45:38 Ecosystem
51:35 Small Businesses
54:06 Dynamics and Quality
59:12 Bridging the Gap
59:55 Data-Driven
01:00:51 The Wild West
01:03:17 Automation
01:05:31 Memorable Moments
01:09:50 Passion and Curiosity
01:11:43 Takton's Meaning
01:13:35 Cleveland's Potential
01:14:48 Outro

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdmorell/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielscottmitchell/
https://takton.com/about

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SPONSOR:
Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Learn more at https://roundstoneinsurance.com/

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#246 Anna Dey (goGLOW, Clean Eatz, franSPOT, Smoothie King, The 24 in 24) — Franchises

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Anna Dey is a multi-unit and multi-brand franchise entrepreneur who has spent the past decade building businesses across Northeast Ohio. Since getting her start in franchising with an Anytime Fitness location in 2012, she has gone on to own and operate franchises across several systems including Clean Eatz, Smoothie King, The Vitamin Shoppe, Barrio Tacos + Tequila, and goGLOW, earning national recognition along the way as both Franchisee of the Year and Multi-Unit Owner of the Year.

Today, Anna also works as a franchise consultant at The franSPOT, where she helps aspiring entrepreneurs explore and launch franchise businesses of their own. Alongside her entrepreneurial work, Anna is the founder of *24 in 24*, an endurance running event where participants run one mile every hour for twenty-four consecutive hours — an event that has grown from a small community fitness challenge into a Northeast Ohio institution that has raised more than $3 million for children battling life-threatening illnesses.

In our conversation, Anna and I explore franchising as a pathway to entrepreneurship — how the model works, why it can be such a powerful on-ramp to business ownership, and what she’s learned operating multiple franchise brands across different industries. We also talk about her evolution as an entrepreneur, how she evaluates franchise opportunities today, the importance of building strong teams and delegation, the story behind 24 in 24, and lots more. I very much enjoyed our conversation together — as you’ll hear, anna is full of passion and knowledge — and I hope you enjoy it as well!

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annamdey
https://www.goglow.co
https://www.thefranspot.com
http://www.cleaneatz.com
http://www.smoothieking.com
http://www.the24in24.org

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Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Learn more at https://roundstoneinsurance.com/

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#245 Anne Hartnett (HCO Partners, Harness Cycle, The Vitrolite) — Brick and Mortar Entrepreneurship and Neighborhood Revitalization

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Anne Hartnett is a neighborhood developer and entrepreneur focused on creating spaces where community, well-being, and small business can thrive. She is the founder of Harness Cycle and CEO of HCO Partners, a Cleveland-based real estate and placemaking company that develops and operates neighborhood-focused commercial properties.

Anne began her career as a software consultant. After years of traveling and being inspired by vibrant neighborhood cultures in cities like New York and Minneapolis, she decided to open a brick-and-mortar fitness studio in the heart of Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood.

In 2013, she opened Harness Cycle, a boutique cycling studio built around the idea that movement can connect communities. Following its success, Harness expanded to a second location in Downtown Cleveland in 2017. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced both studios to close in 2020, Anne recalibrated her business model and began focusing on ownership of the spaces where her businesses operate.

In 2022, Anne co-founded HCO Partners, a real estate development and operating company focused on supporting independent brick-and-mortar entrepreneurs. Through HCO, she acquired and redeveloped The Vitrolite Building in Cleveland’s Hingetown neighborhood. The building now houses a collection of locally owned businesses including Harness Cycle, Soul Yoga, Patron Saint, The Matriarchy, and LUUMA Wellness Suites, forming a collaborative ecosystem centered around well-being, entrepreneurship, and community.

Anne has been recognized for her leadership and vision by being named to Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 Under 40, Smart Business Women in Business, and Cleveland Magazine’s Most Interesting People, and she was a contestant on CNBC’s Cleveland Hustles. She lives in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland with her husband Andy, a Cleveland Firefighter and their four children.

00:00: The Entrepreneurial Journey
07:45: Finding Opportunity
10:47: The Rise of Boutique Fitness
13:59: Creating a Community
19:06: Scaling a Business
24:44: Neighborhood Revitalization
28:42: Brick and Mortar
32:56: Small Businesses
35:39: Operator to Developer
41:43: Through Retail
46:03: Advocacy for Brick and Mortar Businesses
50:33: The Future of Brick and Mortar Entrepreneurship
54:48: Redefining Success in Entrepreneurship
01:01:38 Outro

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-hartnett/
https://hcopartners.com/
https://harnesscycle.com/
https://www.thevitrolite.com/

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Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Learn more at https://roundstoneinsurance.com/

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#244 Will Zell (Vessel) — Empowering Founders and Democratizing VC in Ohio

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Will Zell — Founder and Managing Partner of Vessel, founding CEO and now Executive Chair of AssetWatch, and a leading voice in rethinking how venture capital works across Ohio.

Will’s path into technology and venture isn’t conventional. He grew up — and still lives — in Bellefontaine, Ohio. At 17, he ran for city council under the slogan “A Voice for the Future.” He spent time in ministry, built a real estate portfolio during the financial crisis, and ultimately found his way into technology startups — learning firsthand what it means to raise capital in a state that consistently punches below its weight in venture investment. After early startup failures, Will co-founded what became AssetWatch, a predictive maintenance platform serving global manufacturers. The company has since raised more than $100 million in venture capital and scaled into a high-growth industrial technology business employing hundreds.

But perhaps more interesting than breaking through Ohio’s capital gap is Will’s effort to redesign it. In 2020, he founded Vessel — a diversified venture platform focused on investing in and building category-defining companies in Middle America. Through Vessel and the Ohio Angel Collective, Will is working to expand access to early-stage capital, grow the top of Ohio’s innovation funnel, and shift the ecosystem from scarcity to abundance.

In our conversation, we unpack:

The structural capital gap facing Ohio founders
What it took to navigate AssetWatch through near-zero runway moments
Why democratizing venture access matters
How to build a multi-stage venture platform outside the coasts
And what it would mean for Ohio to invest in innovation proportionally to the size of its economy

This is a conversation about capital formation, ecosystem design, and the long-term work required to build a venture-backed innovation economy in Ohio.

00:00:00 Introduction & Show Disclaimer
00:00:58 Will Zell’s Background & Early Influences
00:04:26 Path to Entrepreneurship & Community Impact
00:11:11 Transition from Curiosity to Entrepreneurship
00:13:03 Early Business Ventures & Real Estate
00:20:01 Entry into Technology Startups
00:22:01First Tech Swings & Lessons Learned
00:25:58 The Ohio Capital Gap
00:31:08 Breaking Through with AssetWatch
00:36:59 AssetWatch Product & Impact
00:40:22 Transition to Vessel & Venture Capital Access
00:45:34 Vessel’s Mission & Structure
00:49:07 Goals for Success & Midwest Venture Landscape
00:55:16 Power of Community & Culture Change
01:00:25 What's Next: Curiosity and Culture Change
01:04:35 Founders, Opportunity, and Encouragement
01:06:08 Bellefontaine Highlights & Closing
01:08:39 Farewell & Closing Credits

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/willzell/
https://www.ohioangelcollective.com/
https://buildvessel.com/
https://spiltsocial.com/

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Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#243 Noah Jackson & AJ Wadian (Premier Home Pros) — $0 to $250M in 3 Years — Bootstrapping America’s Fastest Growing Remodeling Company

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Noah Jackson and AJ Wadian — the Co-Founders of Premier Home Pros

Launched in December 2022 with just $65,000 of their own capital and a decision made around a dinner table, Premier Home Pros has scaled from zero to more than $150 million in annual gross sales in just three years — surpassing $100 million in under 24 months — all without raising a single dollar of outside capital. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, Premier now operates across 14 states and continues to expand at a pace that few companies in any industry achieve.

In our conversation, Noah and AJ walk through the entire evolution of the business from doing over half a million dollars in sales in their first month — and the relentless execution required to turn early momentum into a scalable, multi-state operation. We talk about what it really means to build the plane while flying it, the mistakes they’ve made along the way, why bathrooms are far more complex than they appear, and how process, data, and elite talent compound when aligned correctly.

We also explore their leadership evolution — how the business at times has grown faster than the people, what it takes to lead from the front, how they disagree productively as partners, and why Northeast Ohio remains home even as the company becomes increasingly national.

This is a conversation about ambition, resilience, systems, and building something enduring — right here in northeast Ohio.

Noah and AJ are operating at a level of demonstrated performance, intensity, and conviction that is rare and admirable — I took a lot away from their ambition and focus and and hope you all enjoy our conversation.

00:00 The Ambitious Journey Begins
08:34 Navigating Challenges and Learning from Mistakes
29:02 Leadership Evolution in a Rapidly Growing Company
37:52 Understanding the Bathroom Industry's Challenges
40:57 Innovation and Trends in Bathroom Design
43:22 Evolving Motivations and Definitions of Success
48:54 Building a Business in Northeast Ohio
52:31 Hidden Gems of Northeast Ohio

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LINKS:
Noah Jackson: njackson@premier-homepros.com
Augustine Wadian: awadian@premier-homepros.com
https://premier-homepros.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aj-w-2815a6177/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/njackson1005/

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Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#242 Scot Lowry (PromiseONE) — The Right to Win in Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Scot Lowry — Managing Partner and Co-Founder of PromiseONE Companies

Scot is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of PromiseONE Companies, a Cleveland-based investment firm that helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs acquire and grow established businesses through Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, or ETA. Prior to launching PromiseONE, Scot acquired and led Fathom, a digital marketing firm he grew more than 450% over a decade — an experience that became both the financial engine and talent incubator behind PromiseONE’s long-term portfolio strategy. Today, Scot also serves as the Richard Osborne Professor of Entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University, where he teaches acquisition entrepreneurship and helps steward one of the nation’s longest-standing ETA programs.

In our conversation, Scot and I explore Cleveland’s unique “right to win” in ETA and the decades-long lineage that traces back to his mentor, Richard Osborne. We talk about what it truly means to become a credible buyer, how to earn the trust of legacy sellers, and why understanding what matters most to them is the foundation of great dealmaking. We unpack the evolution of PromiseONE’s patient capital model, the philosophy of “your dream is my dream,” and how Scot has helped multiple operators transition from employee to business owner. We also discuss negotiation, long-term ownership versus traditional private equity, mentorship, and a deeply personal crucible moment that reshaped Scot’s leadership philosophy and sense of purpose.

Scot is a thoughtful entrepreneur, investor, and teacher, and this was a really meaningful conversation — please enjoy.

00:00 Introduction to Promise Partners and Scott Lowry
03:08 Cleveland's Right to Win in Entrepreneurship
05:51 The Role of Richard Osborne and Promise Partners
08:57 Building Credibility as a Buyer
12:07 The Evolution of Promise One Companies
14:55 Understanding Legacy Sellers
18:04 The Importance of Relationships in Deal Making
20:55 Navigating the Acquisition Process
23:48 Lessons from Fathom's Growth and Leadership
27:06 The Philosophy Behind Promise One's Model
37:56 Choosing the Path of Entrepreneurship
40:06 Building a Community of Entrepreneurs
43:13 Incubating New Business Ideas
46:04 The Promise Partners Model
48:46 Long-Term Vision and Patient Capital
51:53 The Art of Deal Making
56:03 Teaching and Mentoring Future Entrepreneurs
01:00:13 Reflections on Personal Growth and Purpose

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LINKS:
https://promiseone.com/about-us/

https://case.edu/weatherhead/academics/entrepreneurship-through-acquisition

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotlowry/

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SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance — https://roundstoneinsurance.com/
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#241 Chad Delligatti (InnoSource) — Staffing, AI, and the Future of Talent

Jeffrey Stern — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Chad Delligatti — CEO of InnoSource

Chad Delligatti is the CEO of InnoSource — a more than two-decade-old, Ohio-based company that has grown into a national workforce solutions platform serving Fortune 500 and midsized organizations across the country.

Since joining InnoSource in 2000 as one of its earliest employees, Chad has devoted his entire professional career to building the company — helping it evolve from a regional staffing firm into the leading HR, talent, outsourcing, and data solutions partner it is today, employing more than 2,000 associates across North America, partnering with clients to deliver highly customized recruiting and workforce management solutions.

But this isn’t just a story about staffing…From sweeping neighbors’ floors in Bexley as a child, to running a lawn care business in Granville, to flipping Beanie Babies in college, Chad’s entrepreneurial drive showed up early. And when faced with the choice between joining a large corporation or becoming one of the first employees at a small, fledgling company called InnoSource, he chose the entrepreneurial path — a decision that shaped the next 25 years of his life.

In our conversation, Chad reflects on what it means to dedicate decades to building one company — the evolution of the staffing and outsourcing industry from newspaper classifieds to job boards to AI-driven recruiting — and how InnoSource is now entering a new chapter powered by technology.

We unpack how the implementation of AI is reshaping hiring funnels, reducing time-to-offer, improving tenure, and fundamentally transforming how workforce solutions are delivered. We also explore what hasn’t changed: the company’s cultural anchors, leadership principles, and Chad’s conviction that technology must enhance — not replace — the human touch.

This conversation was a lot of fun — chad exudes passion for his work and it comes through in spades. Please So please enjoy this awesome discussion with Chad Delligatti.

00:00 The Journey of InnoSource: A Personal Story
15:07 InnoSource Today: Services and Innovations
19:26 Evolution of the Staffing Industry: Adapting to Change
26:47 AI in Recruitment: Transforming the Landscape
31:20 The Human Touch: Balancing AI and Personal Connection
33:13 Embracing Change in Recruitment
37:22 Leadership Lessons from Experience
46:59 Core Values and Company Culture
55:24 Defining Success and Motivation
01:01:21 Upskilling for Future Opportunities
01:05:10 Outro

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LINKS:
https://innosource.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-delligatti-621bba2/

-----

SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#240 Matt Kalina (TandemStride) — The Business of Trauma Recovery

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Matt Kalina — Founder and CEO of TandemStride

Matt Kalina is the Founder and CEO of TandemStride, a healthcare marketplace that connects trauma survivors with peers, care partners, and providers to support long-term recovery. Inspired by his family’s firsthand experience with traumatic injury, Matt is dedicated to building solutions that close the gap between emergency care and ongoing support. With his leadership, TandemStride is advancing a more connected and compassionate model of recovery.

In our conversation, Matt and I explore the often-overlooked realities of life after traumatic injury, why peer support is such a powerful layer of care, how his family adapted to his brother’s traumatic loss of his both his legs in 2012 and have come together through TandemStride to building the support platform they wish had existed by meeting people in moments of real crisis, not months later. We also talk about Matt’s evolution as a leadership, his Ohio go-to-market strategy, the power of incentives, the business of trauma, working with his family in the company, empathy, and coming into your life’s work.

Matt is an inspiring entrepreneur and this was a really special conversation – please enjoy.

00:00 Introduction to Tandem Stride
02:46 Introduction and Personal Connection
04:42 The Journey to Tandem Stride
07:15 Identifying Gaps in Injury Care
09:47 Understanding Patient Needs
12:21 Building the Tandem Stride Platform
15:13 Engagement and Outreach Strategies
17:57 Navigating Healthcare Partnerships
20:30 The Business Model and Future Vision
33:39 Engaging in Healthcare Innovation
34:42 Defining the Vision for TandemStride
37:37 Creating a New Category in Injury Care
40:09 Changing Incentives in Healthcare
44:07 Long-Term Policy Initiatives
45:05 Personal Growth as a Leader
48:59 Family Dynamics in Business
51:46 Exciting Developments Ahead
54:53 Embracing Uncertainty in Entrepreneurship
59:21 Outro

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalinamatt/
https://www.tandemstride.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Cut-Through-Shortcut-That-Everything/dp/0960083766

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Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#239: Akram Boutros (Nexus Bedside) — The Future of Healthcare and Nursing

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:15:00 -0500

Akram Boutros — Founder and CEO of Nexus Bedside.

Akram brings more than 30 years of experience as a healthcare leader, executive, and clinician. He previously served as CEO of The MetroHealth System in Cleveland from 2013 to 2022, where he led a team of more than 6,000 employees and 3,500 medical staff, overseeing a nearly billion-dollar revenue operation and the complete transformation of the MetroHealth campus and care model. Prior to that, Akram held senior leadership roles at multiple health systems across the country, and he began his career as a physician, earning his Doctor of Medicine from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences.

Akram is also a serial entrepreneur. In 2025, he raised a few million dollars of seed capital to found Nexus Bedside—a company reimagining inpatient nursing staffing and working to fundamentally improve outcomes for patients, nurses, and health systems overall.

In this conversation, Akram and I unpack his full journey and perspective on healthcare and entrepreneurship—from immigrating to the U.S. and becoming a physician, to his decade leading MetroHealth, to navigating a public and controversial departure from the public health system, and ultimately experiencing the healthcare system as a patient himself. We explore how these experiences shaped his decision to start and build Nexus Bedside, his philosophy on leadership, lessons learned as an entrepreneur, the massive opportunity for AI in healthcare, and what he believes the future of inpatient care and nursing should be.

Please enjoy this awesome conversation with Akram.

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:03:40 - The Journey of Akram Boutros, MD
00:08:45 - Formative Experiences and Lessons Learned
00:13:57 - The Complexity of Running a Health System
00:19:08 - Defining the Ideal Health System
00:25:42 - The Birth of Nexus Bedside: A New Approach to Nursing
00:30:54 - Optimizing Patient Care Through Technology
00:35:40 - Business Model and Client Success
00:42:10 - Entrepreneurial Lessons in Healthcare
00:46:44 - Building Nexus in Cleveland
00:52:12 - Reflections on the Journey

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/akramboutrosmd/

https://nexus-rn.com/

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SPONSORS:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#238 Tyler Dunagin (TurnServ) — Curiosity, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship in Multifamily

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 07:18:00 -0500

Tyler Dunagin is the founder and CEO of Turnserv, a Northeast Ohio–based platform company behind brands like ApartmentPainters.com, ApartmentFlooring.com, and Liquid Liner — each rethinking a critical piece of the residential turnover and value-add process for property owners and operators.

In our conversation, Tyler traces his journey from early curiosity in real estate and the unlocking of his entrepreneurial spirit, to building a multi-brand platform that now partners with some of the largest property managers in the country, which has earned Turnserv a place on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies, as it continues to expand its product-market fit across Ohio and beyond in this highly fragmented industry.

We explore why speed and convenience matter more than ever in multifamily — and how a chance encounter in an apartment bathroom led Tyler down an unexpected path: learning chemistry, working with labs, and ultimately inventing Liquid Liner, a patented surface-restoration coating that’s 30 times thicker than traditional sprays and now used at scale to renew bathtubs, tile, cabinets, and countertops — without replacement or specialized tools.

We also dig into Tyler’s evolution as a leader — from owner-operator to coach; from pure growth to purpose, culture, capital, and long-term value creation; and his deep pride in building from Northeast Ohio.

Tyler brings a wonderful mix of humility, ambition, and thoughtfulness to everything he’s building, and I had a great time learning from him in this awesome conversation — so please enjoy my discussion with Tyler Dunagin.

00:00 The Journey Begins: Curiosity and Rebellion
05:22 From Sports to Entrepreneurship: A Life Change
08:34 Curiosity in Real Estate: Finding a Path
11:17 Building TurnServe: Addressing Market Needs
14:19 Identifying Problems: The Birth of Liquid Liner
16:55 Innovating Solutions: The Refinishing Journey
20:06 Scaling Up: The Growth of TurnServe
22:52 The Evolution of Products: From Painters to Liquid Liner
25:39 The Chemistry of Success: Creating Liquid Liner
28:50 Reflecting on Growth: The Vision for TurnServe
31:23 Funding the Future: Capital and Growth Strategies
34:02 Breaking Barriers: Entering the Market
38:59 Navigating Growth Capital: Lessons Learned
43:54 Evolving Perspectives on Success
48:32 Leadership Transformation: From Selfish to Selfless
51:53 Convenience as a Driving Force
57:38 The Future of Multifamily: Automation and Innovation
01:02:29 Community Pride: Building in Northeast Ohio

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerdunagin/
https://www.turnserv.com/
ApartmentFlooring.com
ApartmentPainters.com

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.

Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#237: Tory & Michael Waxman (Sundays For Dogs) — Making the World’s Best Dog Food in Cleveland

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:20:00 -0500

Michael and Tory Waxman — the founders of Sundays for Dogs, the Cleveland-based company designed to make dog parents’ lives easy.

What began with their own dog, Mabel, and a simple but powerful question — why does feeding dogs well have to be so difficult? — has grown into one of the most exciting consumer companies to emerge from Ohio. Led by loving dog parents Dr. Tory Waxman, a veterinarian, and Michael Waxman, a serial entrepreneur, Sundays pioneered human-grade, air-dried, zero-synthetics dog food designed to be healthier than kibble and easier than refrigerated alternatives.

Since our last recorded conversation in 2023 (Lay of The Land Episode #123), Sundays has scaled dramatically. Having raised more than $55 million in capital and built out a Cleveland-based R&D Test Kitchen — where our conversation today took place — Sundays has grown from a direct-to-consumer upstart into a nationally recognized brand preparing for omni-channel distribution, creating a product that dogs love while positioning themselves at the forefront of the booming pet food market and the emerging ambient fresh movement.

In our conversation, Michael and Tory share how they’ve navigated multiple chapters of scaling — including customer acquisition and brand evolution, balancing supply and demand, investing deeply in product innovation, and building a senior leadership team — while staying grounded in the mission that inspired Sundays from the start: making it easier to be an awesome dog parent. They also discuss what excites them most about the future and what comes next for Sundays as the company continues to grow.

00:00:00 - "The World's Best Dog Food is Made in Cleveland"
00:00:25 - Introduction: Sundays for Dogs
00:05:20 - Building an In-House R&D Test Kitchen in Cleveland
00:10:06 - Most Dogs Still Eat Kibble (And Why That's Changing)
00:15:09 - Marketing Evolution: How Does Sundays for Dogs Stand Out?
00:20:18 - New Recipe Launch Preview (From the Test Kitchen!)
00:21:33 - Ohio: The Surprising Dog Food Capital of America
00:25:36 - Supply Chain Stories & Lessons Learned
00:30:39 - When Demand Outpaces Supply: A Good Problem?
00:32:59 - Beyond DTC: Omnichannel Distribution Strategy
00:38:21 - How AI Will Transform How People Buy Dog Food
00:41:34 - Dogs as Family: Where Is Society Headed?
00:46:44 - Building Company Culture at Sundays
00:52:13 - The Vision: Making Sundays a Household Name
00:55:18 - Where to Find Sundays for Dogs

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LINKS:
https://sundaysfordogs.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelewaxman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tory-waxman-87781b176/
https://www.layoftheland.fm/123-tory-michael-waxman-sundays/
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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

[Bonus] Ohio VC Fest — Investing and Building with AI

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Today’s episode was recorded live at Ohio VC Fest, where I hosted a panel on AI, joined by an incredible group of investors, including:

Peggy Roberts, Managing Partner at The Riverside Company;
Candice Matthews Brackeen, Founding Partner at Lightship Capital;
Hardik Desai, Managing Partner at JumpStart Ventures;
Jamie Weston, Managing Director at Spring Mountain Capital.

Together, we walk through where real value is being created with AI, how founders can best leverage it in their business and in raising capital, and explore the vast opportunities and downstream implications of AI looking forward!

00:00:00 Introduction to AI Investment Perspectives
00:04:27 Understanding the AI Hype Cycle
00:06:44 AI in Startups vs. Established Companies
00:09:21 Defensibility and Team Dynamics in AI Investments
00:12:25 AI's Impact on Business Operations
00:15:15 Fundraising Strategies in the AI Landscape
00:18:12 Evaluating AI Companies: Metrics and Expectations
00:21:08 The Role of Education and Training in AI Adoption
00:23:45 Future Predictions for AI in Various Industries
00:26:27 Staying abreast AI's Evolution
00:43:34 Closing Thoughts on AI

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LINKS:
https://ohiovcfest.com/
https://www.riversidecompany.com/
https://www.lightship.capital/
https://jumpstart.vc/
https://www.springmountaincapital.com/
https://jumpstartinc.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyr
https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicebrackeen/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardikadesai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-weston-75136a2/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

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Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#235: Craig Newmark — Craigslist

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Craig Newmark is the founder of Craigslist and someone whose work has shaped the modern internet as we know it.

Long before Craigslist became one of the most enduring, important, and frequented platforms on the web, long before the internet even connected all of us, Craig was a computer science student here in Cleveland at Case Western Reserve University — tinkering with early programming languages, studying neural networks and AI, and exploring the frontier of software engineering.

The rest is history — an amazing history which we’ll cover in our conversation today, how Craig became the accidental entrepreneur behind one of the most legendary companies of our time, and a driving force of the internet itself. Our conversation spans his path to Silicon Valley, the creation and stewardship of Craigslist, the moral compass that has guided his decision making along the way, his growth as an entrepreneur and leader, the implications and consequences of building one of the largest platforms of all time, and the work he’s now doing to help meliorate the internet and country through his philanthropic initiatives with veterans, journalism, cybersecurity, and lots more.

This was a truly special conversation, and I’m grateful to share it with you today — please enjoy this awesome discussion with Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist.

00:00:00 Craig Newmark on Building Craigslist and the Early Internet
00:03:52 From Case Western to Craigslist: Craig Newmark’s Origin Story
00:07:21 Why Craigslist Was an Accidental Startup, Not a Planned Company
00:12:18 How Craigslist Helped Democratize the Internet for Everyday People
00:15:28 The Birth of Craigslist: From Email List to Iconic Website
00:18:31 Monetizing Craigslist Without Selling Out Users or Trust
00:20:23 Turning Down Billions: Craig Newmark’s Moral Compass at Craigslist
00:23:39 Why Craigslist’s Simple Design Beat Venture-Backed Competitors
00:25:50 How Craigslist Survived While Startups Tried to Unbundle It
00:30:22 What Craigslist Taught Craig Newmark About Human Behavior
00:31:58 Balancing Crime Prevention and Civil Liberties on Craigslist
00:36:00 Why Craigslist Became One of the Most Trusted Platforms Online
00:41:12 The Craigslist Design Philosophy: Simple, Fast, and Human
00:44:01 From Craigslist to Philanthropy: Craig Newmark’s Next Chapter
00:55:58 Craig Newmark’s Advice for Founders

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LINKS:
https://www.craigslist.org/
https://craignewmarkphilanthropies.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/craignewmark/
https://pausetake9.org/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#234: Brad DeHays (Connect Housing Blocks) — Building the Future of Housing, Construction, and Modular’s Potential

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:20:00 -0500

Brad DeHays — Founder and CEO of Connect Real Estate and Connect Housing Blocks.

Brad’s journey spans from buying small distressed properties while still in college to leading one of the most ambitious housing manufacturing platforms in the country. Through Connect Real Estate, Brad has revitalized some of Ohio’s most overlooked landmarks — transforming abandoned power plants, trolley barns, and historic buildings into vibrant new community anchors.

That same entrepreneurial vision inspired him to launch Connect Housing Blocks (CHB), a 630,000-square-foot modular housing facility anchored in Ohio, now one of the largest modular housing factories in the world. Using state-of-the-art equipment and prefabrication methods, CHB produces high-quality apartments from start to finish, eliminating nearly all measuring, cutting, and heavy lifting—the result: faster, more consistent, and more affordable housing production at scale.

In our conversation, which took place on site at CHB, Brad shares how he’s navigated multiple chapters of starting and scaling Connect, the founding insight that drove him to take on industrial-scale modular housing, how he engages communities and leverages public–private partnerships, his unique approach to talent and culture, and his vision for solving the housing crisis by massively scaling up production capability.

00:00:00 - The Birth of an Innovative Solution
00:04:50 - Understanding the Housing Crisis
00:09:56 - Reinventing Construction Processes
00:15:59 - Scaling Modular Housing Production
00:21:55 - Transforming the Construction Timeline
00:32:46 - Vision for the Future of Housing
00:36:43 - Scaling Modular Construction: A Game Changer
00:42:34 - The Future of Modular Housing: Opportunities and Challenges
00:47:17 - Design and Aesthetics in Modular Construction
00:52:56 - Labor Challenges in the Construction Industry
00:56:16 - Cultural Dynamics and Employee Empowerment
01:01:05 - Looking Ahead: Growth and Future Prospects

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LINKS:
https://connecthousingblocks.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/braddehays/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

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Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#233: Chaya Slain (Virtera Partners) — Dare To Be Different, Dare To Be Great

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 05:15:00 -0500

Chaya Slain is the Founder, President, and Chief Investment Officer at Virtera Partners.

After studying mathematics at Columbia University, she discovered her deeper interest in investing at Goldman Sachs. After several years in New York, she returned to Cleveland and joined Parkwood, the Mandel family investment office, where she spent more than a decade immersed in institutional investing. At Parkwood, she developed a disciplined, process-driven investment philosophy; built relationships with leading private equity, hedge fund, and real estate managers; and learned directly from Mort Mandel’s cultural and strategic principles.

In 2020, Chaya founded Virtera Partners, a boutique investment firm designed to offer ultra-high-net-worth families the sophistication of a top-tier institutional allocator with the personal attention of a single-family office. Virtera has grown into a platform providing clients access to differentiated public and private market opportunities — supported by deep sourcing, rigorous diligence, and a willingness to do things differently when the data points that way.

In our conversation, we trace Chaya’s journey from Wall Street to Cleveland; her early entrepreneurial spark running a deli during her time at Columbia University; the leap from investor to founder; and the empathy and insight that transition has given her when evaluating other entrepreneurs and investment managers. We explore behavioral discipline, portfolio construction in uncertain markets, long-term thinking, and what it means to build with integrity, excellence, and a true sense of stewardship.

As someone who loves this intersection of investing and entrepreneurship, it was fun to hear Chaya’s reflections on it and learn from her experience. Please enjoy this great conversation with Chaya Slain

--
Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or investment products. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of the date of recording and may change without notice.

Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Investments in private funds and alternative investments are speculative, involve a high degree of risk, are often illiquid, may lack transparency, and are intended for sophisticated investors who are able to bear the risk of loss. Such investments may not be suitable for all investors.

00:00 Chaya's Journey: From Goldman Sachs to Investing
08:33 Lessons from Parkwood: Building a Network and Process
12:06 The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Transitioning to Founding
17:51 Investment Decision-Making: Process and Emotion
21:34 Navigating Emotional Biases in Decision Making
23:26 Investment Philosophy: Flexibility Over Boxes
26:05 Contrarian Investments: The Case for Energy
28:42 Cleveland vs. New York: The Advantage of Distance
30:27 Lessons from Entrepreneurship: Empathy and Long-Term Thinking
34:41 Evolving the Business: From Family Office to Fund
37:24 Defining Success: Integrity and Performance
38:29 Challenges of Being Different in Investing
41:47 Current Market Concerns and Portfolio Construction
43:46 The Importance of Alternative Investments

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaya-slain/
https://www.virterapartners.com/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#232: Jerry Schill (Schill Grounds Management) — Embrace the Change

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 05:15:00 -0500

Jerry Schill is the founder and CEO of Schill Grounds Management — a company he launched in 1993 with his brother after a chance summer job revealed a passion for landscaping. What began as a two-person side hustle has grown into a large-scale commercial grounds management company, now one of the fastest-growing platforms in the industry.

In 2020, Jerry began a bold new chapter—scaling Schill Grounds Management through strategic acquisitions alongside organic growth. Under his leadership, the company has completed more than 16 acquisitions and now operates across six states and Ontario, Canada. With a growing family of nine brands and more than 1,400 team members, Schill Grounds Management is recognized as a national leader built on consistency, performance, and a people-first culture — and Jerry is still very much in building mode.

Beyond the business, Jerry is an active contributor to several industry associations, including the National Association of Landscape Professionals, the Accredited Snow Contractors Association, and the Ohio Landscape Association. He also founded Holiday Feast — an annual charitable tradition that has served thousands of free meals to families in need throughout the Cleveland community.

Throughout our awesome conversation, Jerry reflects on entrepreneurship, drive, discipline, humility, ambition, what it means to build something that lasts, and lots more.

00:00 Introduction to Jerry Schill and His Journey
00:59 The Impact of Family and Early Influences
01:49 The Leap into Entrepreneurship
03:54 The Evolution of Show Landscape
07:21 Understanding the Landscaping Industry
13:08 Leadership Evolution and Personal Growth
19:04 The Importance of Peer Networks
20:58 Scaling the Business and Maintaining Culture
24:32 The Shift to Acquisitions for Growth
27:47 Integrating Acquired Companies Successfully
31:38 The Role of Technology in Landscaping
34:47 Motivation and Future Vision for SGM
38:09 Lessons Learned from the Journey
39:55 Curiosity and Lifelong Learning
41:13 The Holiday Feast Initiative
44:08 Aiming for a Billion-Dollar Company
45:46 Advice to Younger Self
46:56 Hidden Gems in Cleveland

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LINKS:
https://schilllandscaping.com/about
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-schill-2b010b1a/

Referenced Episode — Sanjay Singh: https://www.layoftheland.fm/218-sanjay-singh-macer-get-good-at-hard-things/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#231: Perry Stancato (Signature Sauces) — The Secret Sauce of Sauces

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Perry Stancato is the founder and CEO of Signature Sauces and a third-generation operator of the beloved Cleveland institution, Stancato’s Italian Restaurant.

This conversation with Perry explores the entrepreneurial journey of someone who grew up in the family restaurant — from standing on a milk crate as a kid making waffles for Sunday brunch to running Stancato’s today while simultaneously building Signature Sauces into a premier national food manufacturing partner.

Signature Sauces began in 2005 with a simple idea: to bottle his family’s legendary red sauce after customers kept asking for it. What started as a way to serve Stancato’s loyal patrons quickly evolved into something much larger. Perry discovered that while retail was cutthroat and unforgiving, his passion and true product-market fit lay in foodservice — helping other restaurants scale their “secret sauces.” Today, Signature Sauces has grown into a company that helps make the products that make others famous, serving clients from local Ohio favorites to national brands like Bob Evans, Momofuku, Benihana, Barrio, and many more.

Alongside that manufacturing growth, Perry continues to steward Stancato’s — the restaurant that has been a Cleveland staple for decades. He reflects on the delicate balance of honoring a community legacy while making small, thoughtful changes to stay relevant across generations.

In our conversation, Perry shares the challenges of taking nearly ten years to get Signature Sauces off the ground, the resilience it took to keep going, the lessons learned from retail versus foodservice, and what he’s most proud of: seeing team members who started as dishwashers grow into leaders, and knowing his work helps thousands of diners enjoy meals every day. We also dive into his Ohio pride, from the region’s food scene to partnerships like the Ohio State Buckeye Tailgate sauces, and his perspective on what it takes to build a legacy business in Cleveland.

00:00:00 - The Legacy of Stancatos: A Family Business Journey
00:09:03 - From Family Recipes to Signature Sauces
00:12:49 - Navigating the Food Industry: Retail vs. Food Service
00:17:15 - Scaling Up: The Art and Science of Sauce Production
00:20:39 - The Future of Signature Sauces: Expanding Partnerships
00:21:55 - The Entrepreneurial Journey Begins
00:23:33 - Vision and Growth of Signature Sauces
00:26:10 - Lessons from the Restaurant Industry
00:29:10 - Balancing Time and Responsibilities
00:31:40 - Building a Legacy in Ohio
00:34:30 - Innovation and Technology in Food Production
00:37:08 - Trends in the Culinary World
00:39:44 - Understanding Risk and Success
00:42:22 - Navigating Customer Relationships
00:45:20 - Insights for Aspiring Food Entrepreneurs
00:45:35 - Reflections on the Journey

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LINKS:
https://www.signaturesauces.com/
https://www.stancatos.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/perry-stancato-799b16b/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

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Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#230: Kaitie & Kyle Nickel (Cleveland Vibes) — All Things Positive in Cleveland

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Kaitie and Kyle Nickel are entrepreneurs, storytellers, and community builders based in Cleveland. They have grown beloved brands such as Cleveland Vibes, The Cleveland Market, and Cleve or Leave to reach hundreds of thousands of followers and many millions of people.

Their work is driven by a shared goal: to connect people, celebrate local culture, and inspire growth. Passionate about empowering small businesses and shaping Cleveland’s cultural identity, Kaitie and Kyle have built a family business that blends storytelling, innovation, and community into something uniquely impactful.

In our conversation, we discuss the origins of Cleveland Vibes and how it became a platform for positive storytelling. We explore how the couple is reframing Cleveland’s narrative and brand for a new generation, and how their work has evolved from social media into events, agency projects, and viral cultural moments. We also talk about what it means to build a family business and define success through community impact.

Kaitie and Kyle are doing incredible work telling Cleveland’s story, and I’m excited to share our conversation with you today.

00:00:00 - Introduction and Setting the Stage
00:02:53 - Discovering Cleveland: A New Perspective
00:05:36 - Kaitie’s Journey: From Nursing to Creative Storytelling
00:08:00 - The Storytelling Challenge: Changing Perceptions of Cleveland
00:12:20 - The Birth of Cleveland Vibes: A Community Movement
00:17:04 - Cleveland Vibes Today: More Than Just Social Media
00:18:18 - Building an Audience: The Power of Community
00:23:43 - Entrepreneurial Lessons: Building Together
00:27:10 - Cleve or Leave: A New Brand Emerges
00:29:52 - Creative Process: Froggy’s Journey to Fame
00:33:52 - Preparing for Viral Moments
00:37:59 - The Creative Playground
00:39:43 - Defining Success and Vision
00:44:42 - Changing Perceptions of Cleveland
00:49:02 - The Brand of Cleveland
00:51:37 - Hidden Gems

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LINKS:
https://clevelandvibes.com/
https://www.facebook.com/clevelandvibes/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#229: Keith Gerchak & Marisa Guterman (Lost & Found In Cleveland) — The Making of a New American Fable on Hope & the Post-Industrial American Dream in the Industrial Midwest (REWIND)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 16:00:00 -0400

Nearly a year and a half after our conversation first aired in 2024, Lost & Found in Cleveland is ready to make its way to theaters nationwide on November 7, 2025.

When I first sat down with Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman, the creative forces behind the film, we explored the decade-long journey that brought this story to life—from writing and directing this cinematic love letter to Cleveland, to raising capital, recruiting a star-studded cast featuring Martin Sheen, Dennis Haysbert, June Squibb, Stacy Keach, and many others, and filming across Cleveland’s iconic landscapes.

With the film’s theatrical debut now just around the corner, this feels like the perfect moment to revisit their remarkable story.

So, with that exciting update, please enjoy this encore conversation from the Lay of The Land archives with Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman, the filmmakers behind Lost & Found in Cleveland, airing in theaters across Cleveland starting November 7, 2025.

Tickets are now on sale at https://tickets.lostandfoundincleveland.com/! More theaters are being added daily.

00:00:00 - The American Dream in Cleveland
00:05:56 - The Journey of Filmmaking
00:19:10 - Character Development and Storytelling
00:32:39 - Challenges and Triumphs in Production
00:42:44 - The Journey of Filmmaking: Vision and Execution
00:44:44 - Challenges of Fundraising in Cleveland
00:46:31 - The Economic Impact of Local Filmmaking
00:49:15 - Building a Sustainable Film Industry in Cleveland
00:51:33 - Changing the Narrative: Cleveland's Film Identity
00:54:53 - Casting Challenges and Triumphs
01:01:38 - Overcoming On-Set Challenges
01:09:21 - The Message of Hope in Film

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LINKS:
Lost & Found in Cleveland IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4601732/
Connect with Keith Gerchak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithgerchak/
Connect with Marisa Guterman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-guterman-187677a9/
Double G Films: https://www.doublegfilms.com/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

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Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#228: Aaron Slodov (Atomic Industries) — Techno-Industrial Optimism and Exascaling American Manufacturing (REWIND)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Nearly a year and a half after our conversation first aired, Aaron Slodov and Atomic Industries have reached an important milestone worth celebrating. Atomic recently announced the close of its $25 million Series A, led by MaC Venture Capital and DTX Ventures, with participation from Narya and others, to accelerate the rollout of its AI-driven manufacturing platform.

With this funding, Atomic is expanding its software-defined factory footprint and advancing the AI systems at the heart of its vision—one that has already moved from pilot to production, shipping parts to some of the world’s most demanding OEMs. At its core, Atomic is working to strengthen America’s industrial base by making the manufacturing of physical goods more localized, resilient, and technology-enabled.

This felt like the perfect moment to revisit my conversation with Aaron, where we unpack his techno-industrialist philosophy, the deep history of Ohio manufacturing, and why the future of physical production matters so much for our country.

So, with that timely update, please enjoy this timeless conversation from the Lay of The Land archives with Aaron Slodov, CEO of Atomic Industries.

00:00:00 – The Rise of Techno-Industrialism
00:05:56 – The Journey from Bits to Atoms
00:10:41 – The Challenges of Manufacturing
00:15:47 – Reindustrialization and the Post-Industrial Myth
00:20:48 – Atomic Industries: Innovating Manufacturing
00:25:42 – Exascaling the Industrial Base
00:30:49 – The Future of Manufacturing Talent
00:40:46 – The Shift in Manufacturing Careers
00:42:50 – Incentivizing the Return to Manufacturing
00:44:58 – Cultural Integration of Tech and Manufacturing
00:50:38 – Defining Success in Modern Manufacturing
00:52:03 – The Importance of a Techno-Industrial Framework
00:56:12 – Policy and the Future of Manufacturing
01:02:33 – The Potential of Reindustrialization
01:05:57 – Storytelling as a Tool for Founders

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abslodov/
https://twitter.com/aphysicist
https://www.atomic.industries/
https://www.piratewires.com/p/techno-industrialist-manifesto
https://twitter.com/newindustrials

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#227: Ralph Lazaro (INaudio) — Building the World's Audiobook Partner

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Ralph Lazaro, Co-founder & CEO of INaudio, has spent more than two decades leading high-performing teams and driving innovation. His career began in Fortune 500 companies before he joined Findaway in 2012, where he helped transform the business from a physical device company into a $100M+ digital audiobook powerhouse — a journey that ultimately led to Spotify’s acquisition of Findaway.

Now, alongside Blake Squires (who shared his own remarkable entrepreneurial story on episode 206 of Lay of the Land), Ralph is carrying that story forward with INaudio, a spinout from Spotify dedicated to powering the global audiobook ecosystem as an independent company.

In our conversation, Ralph shares his decision to leave Charlotte, North Carolina, and move to Cleveland to join Findaway — and the culture that convinced him it was the right leap. He reflects on Findaway’s transformation and the lessons learned from co-founder and CEO Mitch Kroll, who shared his story on episode 128. We also discuss Spotify’s acquisition, what it was like integrating into big tech, and the launch of audiobooks to hundreds of millions of listeners. Ralph walks us through the INaudio spinout process — buying back the very business he helped grow inside Spotify — and what it’s been like stepping back into the founder’s seat.

From building a new team and intentionally shaping its culture around past lessons and personal philosophies, to navigating the evolving audiobook industry with new competitors and technologies, Ralph offers thoughtful insights into INaudio’s mission as “the world’s audiobook partner.” He also reflects on entrepreneurship, Cleveland as a place to build, and how his definition of success has evolved.

Ralph brings incredible energy, humility, and earned wisdom to this conversation, and I’m grateful to share it with you.

00:00:00 - The Findaway Journey Begins
00:08:42 - Transitioning from Spotify to Findaway 2.0
00:16:53 - Exploring Opportunities in Audio
00:24:31 - The Evolving Audiobook Landscape
00:35:55 - Navigating Leadership Transitions
00:41:47 - Lessons from Spotify
00:46:56 - Optimizing for Growth
00:54:25 - The Future of Audiobooks
01:03:14 - The Importance of Leadership in Career Growth
01:04:40 - Hidden Gem

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-lazaro/
https://www.inaudio.com/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#226: Terry Coyne (Terry Coyne Properties) — Risk, Patience & Opportunity

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Terry Coyne is an Executive Vice Chairman of Newmark and Principal of Terry Coyne Properties. Over his 25-plus-year career, Terry has become one of Ohio’s most accomplished commercial real estate leaders, negotiating more than 2,000 transactions totaling over $5 billion in value. In Cleveland alone, over the past five years, he and his team have brokered 250 transactions worth more than $1.2 billion.

In our conversation, we cover Terry’s unique philosophy and strategy on real estate, risk, and patience — which have led him to a diverse range of opportunities, from representing companies like GOJO and L’Oréal, to redeveloping the old Chrysler Plant, building the MidTown Tech Park in Cleveland, and now leading the 670+ acre site at Rickenbacker adjacent to Anduril’s new Arsenal 1 Hyperscale Manufacturing Facility.

We also break down Terry’s views on Ohio’s regional markets, what he’s learned from his father, the intersection of real estate and entrepreneurship, and his perspective on the future of the state’s economy — from data centers and energy policy to the cultural ambition needed for Ohio to continue its rise.

00:00:00 - Introduction to Terry Coyne and His Career
00:25:48 - Exploring Ohio's Unique Markets
00:30:38 - Land vs. Real Estate: Understanding Value
00:37:16 - The Future of Work: Remote vs. In-Office
00:42:59 - Taxation and Its Impact on Real Estate
00:49:48 - Hidden Gem

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrycoyne/
https://terrycoyne.com/terry-coyne-properties/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#225: Jeff Berlin (Bridge Industries) — American Manufacturing, Permanent Capital, and Patiently Scaling an Industrial Platform

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:00:00 -0400

Jeff Berlin is the Founder and President of Bridge Industries & Chairman and CEO of TransTech Energy. Jeff’s journey spans from his early days at Parker Hannifin to helping grow Hawk Corporation from a $20 million single-plant business into a $200 million global operation, and ultimately to founding his own company, Bridge — an industrial holding company anchored by TransTech — that has quietly scaled into a multi-hundred-million-dollar enterprise based in Chagrin Falls.

In our conversation, we cover Jeff’s conviction in the importance of American manufacturing and how it shaped his career-long commitment to building enduring businesses; the creation of Bridge Industries and his intentional choice of a permanent holding-company model over traditional private equity; the more than 25-fold scaling of TransTech into a diversified industrial platform with over 700 employees, up from just 35 a decade earlier; and the lessons learned along the way — the resilience and philosophy that guide him, how to weather downturns, usefulness as a true measure of value and success, culture across companies, and much more.

00:00:00 - The Roots of American Manufacturing Belief
00:07:35 - Formative Experiences in Leadership
00:09:00 - Transformational Growth at Hawk
00:11:55 - Resilience in Business
00:13:10 - The Birth of Bridge
00:14:14 - Understanding Industrial Holding Companies
00:16:25 - Differentiation from Traditional Private Equity
00:19:00 - The Journey of Bridge
00:20:47 - Strategic Growth and Acquisitions
00:27:31 - Managing Geographic Expansion
00:30:01 - Introducing TransTech
00:31:28 - Building Infrastructure for Energy Solutions
00:35:59 - Strategic Growth and Acquisition Insights
00:38:10 - The Importance of Vertical Integration
00:42:51 - Cultural Dynamics in Business Integration
00:43:43 - The State of American Manufacturing
00:46:30 - Defining Success and Value Creation
00:48:10 - Future Ambitions for Bridge and TransTech
00:49:40 - Mentorship and Leadership Evolution
00:51:22 - Understanding the Nature of Industrial Work
00:54:40 - The Role of Infrastructure in Daily Life
00:55:56 - Excitement for Future Challenges
00:58:07 - Investing in Financial and IT Infrastructure
00:59:52 - Automation and Its Implications
01:01:53 - Guiding Wisdom and Philosophy
01:02:51 - Renewable Natural Gas and Environmental Impact
01:05:51 - Hidden Gem

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-berlin-9b156a12/
https://bridgeind.com/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#224: The O.H.I.O. Fund — Origins and Ambitions

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0400

On this special episode of Lay of the Land, I’m joined—for the first time—by the two co-founders of The O.H.I.O. Fund, Mark Kvamme and Ray Leach, as well as the fund’s two founding partners, Jill Meyer and Mike Venerable, to share the inside story of how a bold idea became reality.

We explore the inspiration and origins behind a first-of-its-kind strategy designed to generate returns while accelerating prosperity and shaping Ohio’s future. We discuss how, in our first year, we closed on over $230 million in capital from investors and deployed more than $130 million into 19 sector-diverse investments across Ohio’s economy. We also cover what it has taken to build momentum, forge the most powerful network of investors, founders, and operators across the state, and why Ohio’s moment is now—along with the urgency this opportunity demands.

———
For more on The O.H.I.O. Fund: check out www.theohiofund.com
———

00:00:00 - The Birth of the Ohio Fund
00:04:08 - Ohio's Economic Landscape and Historical Context
00:07:06 - The Vision Behind the Ohio Fund
00:09:59 - Building a Collaborative Network
00:13:11 - The Urgency of Now: Why Timing Matters
00:15:53 - Capitalizing on Opportunities in Ohio
00:19:17 - The Role of AI and Innovation
00:22:05 - Success Stories and Impact Investments
00:25:08 - Creating a Unified Ohio
00:27:50 - The Future of the Ohio Fund
00:30:55 - Personal Motivations and Collective Ambition
00:35:10 - Reflecting on Progress and Future Aspirations
00:40:16 - Surprises and Insights from the Ohio Fund's First Year
00:51:07 - Looking Ahead: Opportunities and Growth in Ohio
00:55:06 - Embracing Change and Building a New Future

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#223: David Conwill (Redwood Living) and Jimmy McCarthy Jr. — Mr. Football

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:00:00 -0400

Jim McCarthy Jr. is a filmmaker and the director of the new documentary Mr. Football, and David Conwill is the Executive Vice Chairman and former CEO of Redwood Living as well as an executive producer of the film.

Dave’s career spans two decades of building Redwood Living into a national leader in single-story rental neighborhoods—scaling from a handful of units in Northeast Ohio to more than 20,000 homes and multi-billion dollars’ worth of developments across nearly a dozen states. Alongside his work in real estate, Dave has recently ventured into storytelling, teaming up with Jimmy to bring Mr. Football to life.

Jimmy’s journey is deeply personal. As a member of Benedictine High School’s 2004 state championship football team, he lived through the triumphs and tragedies that Mr. Football explores. The film captures the roller-coaster highs of playing in three consecutive championship games, the enduring spirit of the school, and the lows of Lorenzo Hunter’s murder and a tragic night that changed many lives. The title itself comes from the “Mr. Football” award, Ohio’s high school version of the Heisman Trophy.

Two decades later, Jimmy has turned that experience into a screenplay and ultimately into a powerful documentary, working alongside co-director Sean Rech, CEO of Cleveland’s Transition Studios, as well as Ryan Kelly, partner at Substance and a producer on Mr. Football—both of whom have also shared their stories on Lay of The Land (episodes 85 and 221, respectively).

In our conversation, we talk about Jimmy’s inspiration and the process of making Mr. Football a reality, including the cathartic experience of revisiting Benedictine’s championship run and its aftermath. We also explore Dave’s entrepreneurial journey building Redwood Living and the lessons learned from scaling it into billions of dollars’ worth of development. We discuss the creative process of bringing a film to life, the parallels between entrepreneurship and filmmaking, and what Jimmy and Dave each think about success, impact, and the future of Mr. Football.

Dave and Jimmy’s collaboration bridges business and powerful storytelling in a way that is uniquely Cleveland, and I’m grateful to share this conversation with you today.

00:00:00 - The Heart of Benedictine Football
00:09:35 - The Journey of Telling a Story
00:17:08 - From Real Estate to Film
00:17:59 - The Process of Creating a Film
00:22:15 - Healing Through Storytelling
00:26:36 - Messages and Takeaways from the Film
00:29:54 - Challenges in Documentary Filmmaking
00:33:40 - Building from Scratch: The Documentary Process
00:35:02 - Pivots and Perspectives: The Evolution of the Script
00:39:50 - A Cleveland Story: Local Roots and Universal Themes
00:42:06 - The Release Journey: Reactions and Reflections
00:44:40 - Looking Ahead: Future Projects and Aspirations
00:50:46 - Lessons Learned: Overcoming Doubts and Challenges
00:52:44 - Honoring Legacy: Memorials and Scholarships
00:55:56 - Hidden Gem

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-conwill-b099434/
https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/mr-football/umc.cmc.4bj5i7tx1hef4shqkmk16asw0
https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Mr-Football/0U57SLRHOHWDVTTCP6XMQ56SRZ

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#222: Ivy Zelman (Zelman & Associates) — Non-Consensus and Correct in The Housing Industry

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Ivy Zelman is one of the most respected voices in American housing, co-founder of Zelman & Associates, and now Executive Vice President at Walker & Dunlop, which acquired her firm in 2021 as the leading institutional research, advisory, and investment banking firm dedicated exclusively to the U.S. housing industry.

Over the last three decades, Ivy has built a reputation for bold, contrarian analysis—famously calling the top of the housing market in 2005 and the bottom in 2012—moments that cemented her as a rare analyst unafraid to speak truth to consensus. That conviction has earned her numerous accolades, including recognition in Barron’s 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance for four consecutive years and induction into the California Homebuilding Foundation’s Hall of Fame.

In our conversation, we trace Ivy’s journey from falling into equity research to taking the entrepreneurial leap in 2007, founding Zelman & Associates amid the looming financial crisis. We explore her approach to research and analysis—blending proprietary surveys with a nationwide network of builders, brokers, and lenders—to consistently separate signal from noise.

We reflect on her evolution as a leader and entrepreneur, the culture she has cultivated with a team that has stayed by her side for decades, her love of Cleveland, and what it means to pay it forward today through teaching and mentorship as an Adjunct Professor of Finance at Case Western Reserve University, her memoir Gimme Shelter, and much more.

00:00:00 - Catalytic Moments in Finance
00:08:25 - Recognizing Blind Spots in Research
00:11:27 - The Entrepreneurial Inclination
00:11:55 - Building Conviction and Confidence
00:15:54 - Vision for Success
00:17:21 - Detective Work in Research
00:18:45 - Cultivating a Strong Network
00:22:20 - The Importance of Asking the Right Questions
00:25:13 - Reconciliation with Reality
00:26:35 - Navigating Market Sentiment
00:28:13 - The Evolution of Zellman Associates
00:30:38 - Personal Growth as an Entrepreneur
00:34:06 - Leadership and Team Development
00:36:01 - Maintaining Intellectual Honesty Post-Acquisition
00:37:39 - Understanding the Value of Research
00:39:15 - Cleveland's Unique Perspective
00:42:10 - Paying It Forward and Mentorship
00:45:38 - Lessons for the Next Generation
00:47:23 - Contrarian Views on Market Trends
00:49:17 - Balancing Work and Family Life
00:51:20 - Hidden Gem

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivy-zelman-64304616b/
https://www.zelmanassociates.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Gimme-Shelter-Skills-Street-Trailblazer/dp/1737709929

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#221: Ryan Kelly (Substance) — Building Cleveland’s Film Industry

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Ryan Kelly is a filmmaker, entrepreneur, and partner of Substance, a film and television production company based in Cleveland.

What if Northeast Ohio had the infrastructure to support large-scale film productions? That question first took root when Ryan found himself on the set of Cherry—a feature film shot in Cleveland by the Russo Brothers, the acclaimed Cleveland-born directors behind Avengers and Captain America—soaking in the experience of working alongside Hollywood heavyweights in his hometown.

What followed was Ryan’s relentless pursuit of that vision and his work to build up Northeast Ohio’s film industry.

Before founding Substance, Ryan co-founded TRG Sound & Vision alongside industry veterans Adam Wilde and Geoff Yaw. TRG boasts one of the largest sound stages in the Midwest: 160,000 square feet of studio space, a Virtual Production Wall, a 40' by 60' cyclorama wall, and 40 semi-permanent sets staffed by skilled industry professionals to meet the demands of large productions.

As a filmmaker, Ryan is the director and producer of the docuseries WrestleHer, which tells the story behind sanctioning high school girls’ wrestling in Ohio and the generation of athletes growing the sport.

Ryan’s journey is a powerful blend of artistic conviction and entrepreneurial grit. In our conversation, we explore how he carved a path into the film industry from scratch as a touring musician and drummer, what he learned from working alongside others in the industry—like Transition Studios, whose story was shared by Shawn Rech in Episode 85 of Lay of The Land—and how he approaches creative risk, storytelling, and making Cleveland a true contender on the national production map.

00:00:00 - From Punk Rock to Filmmaking: A Journey of Artistry
00:08:08 - Navigating the Filmmaking Landscape: Players and Perspectives
00:13:16 - The Evolution of TRG: A Hub for Creative Production
00:21:11 - The Artist-Entrepreneur Duality: Balancing Creativity and Business
00:28:19 - Cleveland's Potential: A Production Hub in the Making
00:33:35 - The Birth of Substance: A New Identity
00:40:51 - The Multifaceted Role of a Filmmaker
00:47:36 - Inspiring Projects and Personal Connections
00:55:00 - Hidden Gem

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjk216/
https://www.thisissubstance.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjk216/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#220: Andrew Hurst (Delivered) — The Business of Moving Things

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Andrew Hurst is the founder and CEO of Delivered, a fast-scaling logistics platform revolutionizing parcel shipping with faster, more reliable deliveries at lower costs.

He also serves as CEO of Ark Transportation, where he led a fivefold revenue increase in just five years, and is the founder of Veroot, a compliance platform now trusted by thousands of logistics teams nationwide.

Under his leadership, and across all three companies, Andrew is bringing an entrepreneurial lens to the freight industry he grew up in—challenging the status quo, disrupting legacy giants, and redefining how parcel shippers move goods across the country.

This was a ton of fun. First off, we set up shop right on the warehouse floor where Andrew has built all three of these companies. The industrial-scale freight equipment and thousands of parcels and packages provided an incredible backdrop for the conversation—one that reflects Andrew’s life’s work, calling, and ambition to transform an entire industry. For those who’d prefer to see it, I encourage you to watch our conversation on YouTube.

We talk about the advantages and pride of building in Cleveland, how he’s raising a family of 11 children while scaling all three companies, what it’s like competing against Goliaths like FedEx and UPS, and what he believes the future of logistics will look like. Andrew’s clarity of thought, humility, and commitment to creating enduring impact are inspiring—it’s not surprising he’s been recognized with the Vistage Excellence in Leadership Award and named a Smart Business Dealmaker of the Year in 2023.

-----

LINKS:
https://shipdelivered.com/en/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hurstandrew/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#219: Dale Wollschleger (ExactCare) — From Pharmacist to Building a Billion-Dollar Pharmacy Care Company (TOF Report)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Dale Wollschleger is the Founder and former CEO of Cleveland-based ExactCare Pharmacy and the developer of the ExactPack™—a patient-specific medication packaging system designed to simplify complex medication regimens.

This conversation with Dale dives into the unlikely journey of a pharmacist-turned-entrepreneur who started in the back of a small Cleveland pharmacy and built a billion-dollar organization serving patients across the country.

ExactCare’s meteoric growth—from inception to a multi-hundred-million-dollar (revenue) business in under a decade—has earned it repeated recognition as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company; Dale himself was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Ultimately, Dale’s remarkable journey stems from an observation he made as a pharmacist: that pharmacists have the opportunity to play a more integral role in clinical care—and that their responsibility doesn’t end when the patient leaves the store. Many patients could live healthier, more independent lives if only they took the right medications at the right times.

In our conversation, Dale shares how he navigated the many chapters of scaling a healthcare business: bringing in private equity and outside capital, evolving his leadership, and balancing high-growth expectations with a deep commitment to patient outcomes, company culture, family—and much more.

00:00 - The Journey of a Pharmacist Turned Entrepreneur
14:34 - Building ExactCare: Addressing Complex Patient Needs
24:18 - The Evolution and Vision of ExactCare
31:07 - Entrepreneurial Spirit in Pharmacy
38:59 - Understanding the Pharmacy Industry
43:24 - Pride in Building in Cleveland

-----

For more on The O.H.I.O. Fund: check out & subscribe to future content @ www.theohiofund.com

-----

LINKS:
https://www.exactcarepharmacy.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-wollschleger/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#218: Sanjay Singh (Mace®) — Get Good at Hard Things

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:00:00 -0400

Sanjay Singh is a thoughtful strategist, seasoned executive, and business philosopher whose journey to leading the iconic Cleveland brand Mace Security—and his reflections on it—are remarkable.

Sanjay’s story weaves together a deep appreciation for manufacturing and a career shaped by curiosity, resilience, and a knack for doing hard things—ultimately culminating in a personal philosophy grounded in introspection and presence.

From navigating activist shareholders during a turnaround at Mace to developing frameworks around fear, ego, inquiry, and deep intuition, Sanjay offers a unique lens into what it means to lead with vulnerability and intention.

This conversation leans more philosophical than most Lay of The Land episodes—a reflection of Sanjay’s clarity of thought, deep presence, and his insights into consciousness and awareness. His perspective on leadership elevates the discussion far beyond the business realm, offering thoughtful takeaways for both work and life.

Sanjay also serves on the boards of MAGNET—whose story was shared by Ethan Karp in Episode 139—and The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. He’s married to Erin Singh, CEO of Options Naturopathic, who joined us on Episode 147 to share her own journey.

Sanjay is a true student of the world, of people, and of business. It was a real joy for me to try to distill the many conversations we’ve had about his perspective into this one here today.

00:00:00 - Sanjay's Unlikely Journey
00:11:40 - Frameworks for Success
00:19:18 - The Story of Mace
00:32:58 - Vulnerability as an Equalizer
00:39:10 - Turning Companies Around: Key Ingredients
00:47:16 - Balancing Intuition and Intellect
00:54:50 - Defining Success and Impact
01:01:30 - Hidden Gem

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaysinghdrivingexcellence/
https://www.mace.com/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#217: Kelcey Lehrich (365 Holdings) — Building the Forever Home for E-Commerce Companies

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:00:00 -0400

Kelcey Lehrich is the Co-Founder and CEO of 365 Holdings, based in Akron, Ohio. 365 Holdings acquires and operates consumer products companies, with a focus on eCommerce and a goal of long-term ownership.

In our conversation, Kelcey shares his path to entrepreneurship and his evolution from making his first acquisition to becoming a seasoned operator. He weaves in lessons from challenging ventures, unconventional acquisitions, and the earned wisdom of building durable businesses in the competitive world of e-commerce.

We unpack how Kelcey thinks about demand creation versus demand capture, what it takes to build a resilient holding company, the tradeoffs between a centralized shared-services model and a decentralized structure, and how to create the best long-term home for brands. He also shares wisdom on what makes a company worth buying in the first place, lessons learned from organizing the HoldCo Conference — the un-conference of Micro Private Equity — here in Cleveland, and much more.

Kelcey offers valuable insight for anyone exploring entrepreneurship through acquisition — or simply curious about how to thoughtfully scale something of quality over time. Please enjoy!

00:00:00 - The Entrepreneurial Spirit Unlocked
00:05:32 - Navigating Early Entrepreneurial Ventures
00:08:28 - The Birth of 365 Holdings
00:11:18 - E-Commerce Evolution and Insights
00:14:36 - Acquisition Strategies and Lessons Learned
00:17:37 - Understanding Distressed M&A
00:20:13 - The Rise of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
00:35:33 - Evolving Business Strategies
00:38:30 - Defining Success in Business
00:39:46 - Core Values and Company Culture
00:40:58 - Raising the Quality Bar
00:42:59 - The HoldCo Conference
00:45:20 - The Mindset of a HoldCo Entrepreneur
00:47:01 - Incentives and Profit Sharing
00:49:30 - Inspirations and Aspirations
00:50:16 - The Future of E-Commerce
00:52:12 - Opportunistic Acquisitions
00:53:19 - Building in Northeast Ohio
00:55:00 - Hidden Gem

-----

LINKS:
https://365-holdings.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelceylehrich/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#216: TJ Dembinski (Eagle Electronics) — Onshoring America's Critical Technologies (TOF Report)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0400

TJ Dembinski is the co-founder and CEO of Eagle Electronics, dedicated to on-shoring America’s critical technology supply chain, starting with the IoT and automotive-grade cellular modules!

This journey traces a fascinating arc — one that begins with the macro and geopolitical forces shaping global commerce and lands in a Northeast Ohio advanced micro-electronic manufacturing floor where Eagle Electronics is domestically building one of the most critical pieces of our digital infrastructure: the cellular module.

TJ's story, and the founding of Eagle, is deeply embedded in these broader structural shifts — from the decoupling of U.S. global supply chains to the bipartisan momentum around domestic manufacturing and deindustrialization, to the evolving national security concerns that now govern the production of connected technologies.

We also talk about the nuances of reshoring, what onshoring looks like in practice, what cellular modules are, and why Ohio — of all places — is emerging as the epicenter of America’s next industrial chapter. From partnerships to cutting-edge automation, from regulatory and security considerations to hard-earned insights about what it actually takes to build something physical at scale — TJ brings an insightful clarity to one of the most exciting, complex, and important entrepreneurial movements underway today and how Eagle Electronics is positioned to lead within it.

00:00:00 - Reviving Domestic Manufacturing
00:05:09 - The Evolution of Eagle Electronics
00:08:11 - Understanding Cellular Modules and Their Importance
00:10:56 - Navigating Regulatory Challenges
00:14:02 - The Role of Trust and Security in Technology
00:16:53 - Building a Skilled Workforce in Ohio
00:20:00 - Funding and Capital Landscape in Ohio
00:23:04 - The Future of Onshoring and Manufacturing
00:26:02 - Lessons Learned as a Founder
00:29:04 - The Importance of Nuance in Global Supply Chains
00:37:00 - Requirements for Success
00:46:50 - Hidden Gem

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tj-dembinski/
https://www.eagleelectronics.com/
https://theohiofund.com/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#215: Ibrahim Mohmed (CourtSide Media & Taja AI) — Revolutionizing Content Creation

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 12:03:20 -0400

Ibrahim Mohmed is the founder of CourtSide Media Group and the co-founder & CEO of Taja AI. His entrepreneurial journey began right here in Ohio, where he launched CourtSide Media, a digital media agency that serves influencers with audiences ranging from 1 million to 75 million followers across various social platforms. Through CourtSide Media, Ibrahim has collaborated with high-profile clients including NBA legend Kevin Garnett, Cleveland’s FutureLAND annual conference, and prominent influencer Lauren Fitzmaurice—effectively amplifying their reach and impact through strategic, organic growth.

Building on his success with CourtSide, Ibrahim co-founded Taja AI—a platform designed specifically to empower small businesses and content creators. TAJA AI automates content workflows by optimizing, repurposing, and scheduling content, significantly saving time for thousands of creators while maximizing their audience engagement and discoverability.

Beyond his entrepreneurial ventures, Ibrahim is deeply committed to social impact through his organization, Nile Nights, which curates events to raise awareness and funds for individuals and communities affected by the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

As a founder at the forefront of media and AI, Ibrahim offers powerful insight into where the space is headed and what it takes to succeed within it—please enjoy this fascinating conversation with Ibrahim Mohmed.

00:00:00 - The Shift to Video Podcasting
00:04:06 - Understanding Taja AI
00:06:03 - The Entrepreneurial Journey Begins
00:08:14 - The Drive for Storytelling in Media
00:11:47 - The Power of Technological Leverage
00:13:22 - The Vision and Evolution of Taja AI
00:15:31 - User Experience and Product Functionality
00:17:36 - Building a Scalable Company with AI
00:20:35 - The Changing Landscape of Venture Capital
00:22:10 - Navigating Model Providers in AI
00:23:30 - Navigating Competition in the AI Landscape
00:26:26 - Understanding Vibe Coding and Its Impact
00:27:52 - Product Philosophy and Customer Engagement
00:29:41 - Common Mistakes Creators Make
00:32:34 - The Intersection of AI and Human Creativity
00:35:01 - Sustainable Business Models in Content Creation
00:36:42 - Personal Impact and Future Aspirations
00:37:48 - Embracing Adversity in Entrepreneurship
00:40:28 - Looking Ahead: Growth and Innovation
00:47:00 - Final Thoughts and Hidden Gems in Cleveland

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibrahim-mohmed-982076110/
https://www.courtsidegroup.com/
https://www.taja.ai/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#214: Carey Jaros (GOJO — Makers of PURELL®) — 80 Years of Ohio Legacy and Well-Being Solutions

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Carey Jaros joined GOJO in 2014 as a board member, later taking on executive roles as Chief Strategy Officer—where she oversaw Marketing, Product Management, and Innovation—and as Chief Operating Officer, before becoming President and CEO in January 2020.

Our conversation today covers Carey’s call to lead—shaped by a lifelong passion for solving problems and telling stories—her reflections on leadership and decision-making, GOJO’s extraordinary legacy, and its ongoing commitment to innovation. We discuss GOJO's origins, founded by Goldie and Jerry Lippman in 1946 to address the real human problem of safely cleaning workers' hands in Akron’s rubber factories. Carey shares how GOJO has evolved from those roots into a global leader in hygiene, skincare, and well-being, driven by an unwavering commitment to safety, efficacy, and sustainability.

We also delve into the critical moments Carey faced stepping into her role at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the bold strategic investments GOJO made during this unprecedented time, and how the company balances legacy with innovation. Carey offers insights into the importance of culture, rigorous debate, and continuous learning as cornerstones of her leadership approach.

As an operator, investor, and board member, Carey has worked with more than 50 organizations throughout her career. Prior to GOJO, she was President of Walnut Ridge Strategic Management Company and served as a Vice President at Dealer Tire, a large privately held tire distributor based in Cleveland. She spent the first 12 years of her career as a management consultant at Bain & Company.

Today, Carey is a Board Director of Grocery Outlet, a publicly traded NASDAQ corporation, and an Advisory Board Member of Aunt Flow, a venture-backed menstrual products startup. She also serves on the Boards of The Cleveland Foundation, University Hospitals, and Laurel School.

Carey is a fantastic storyteller, and this conversation is filled with insightful anecdotes and practical wisdom on business and entrepreneurship—so please enjoy!

00:00:00 - Reflecting on Career Paths
00:06:51 - Journey to GOJO Industries
00:11:27 - Transitioning to Leadership
00:16:36 - Understanding GOJO's Origins
00:24:48 - Balancing Legacy and Innovation
00:28:27 - Leading Through the Pandemic
00:30:32 - Navigating Unprecedented Challenges
00:32:49 - Strategic Leadership in Crisis
00:35:27 - Investing for the Future
00:37:49 - The Power of Brand Promise
00:40:01 - Defining Success Through Purpose
00:42:55 - Personal Reflections on Success
00:45:15 - The Importance of Health and Wellbeing
00:47:11 - Common Sense in Hygiene Practices
00:49:05 - Legacy and Impact of GOJO
00:51:45 - Community and Identity in Northeast Ohio
00:55:22 - Fostering Productive Debate
00:58:50 - Hidden Gem

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LINKS:
https://www.gojo.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/careyjaros/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#213: Jodi Berg, PhD (Vitamix) Pt. 2 — Resilience, Succession, and Purpose

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 13:14:47 -0400

Today, we’re picking up with the second part of my conversation with Jodi Berg, the former President & CEO of Vitamix.

In Part 1, we explored Jodi’s career, the history, evolution, and family legacy of Vitamix, and her leadership journey in growing the company into the global brand it is today.

In Part 2, we continue with her reflections on stepping away from the business—and dive deeper into her philosophy of purpose, the DANCE framework she’s developing to help others lead more intentional lives, and the wisdom she’s distilled from decades of research, teaching, and hands-on leadership and entrepreneurial experience.

It’s a wide-ranging, deeply thoughtful conversation about what it means to live and lead with purpose—not to mention, a lot of fun. I’m so excited to share it with you.

00:00:00 - Reflecting on Leadership and Culture
00:04:25 - Succession Planning in Family Businesses
00:06:56 - Navigating Leadership Transitions
00:13:44 - The Importance of Purpose
00:15:18 - Personal Experiences Shaping Purpose
00:19:34 - Helping Others Find Their Wings
00:26:33 - The Dual Nature of Purpose
00:35:23 - Impact of Personal Purpose on Company Culture
00:41:26 - The Impact of Personal Purpose
00:46:51 - Understanding and Helping Others
00:47:27 - Writing a Purpose-Driven Book
00:48:39 - The DANCE Framework for Decision-Making
00:56:20 - The Importance of Purpose in Decision-Making
01:02:42 - Discovering Superpowers and Purpose
01:03:26 - Innovating the Blender: A New Approach
01:10:05 - Technology and Purpose in Business
01:14:53 - Hidden Gem

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodilberg/
https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/
Original Vitamix Infomercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5IzzGPzQA

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#212: Jodi Berg, PhD (Vitamix) Pt. 1 — Delivering Quality, Leading with Passion, and Embracing Legacy

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Jodi Berg, PhD recently retired as the fourth-generation President and CEO of Vitamix, having joined the family business in 1997 with the directive to lead the company’s overseas expansion, later serving as director of international, household and commercial divisions, and then ultimately as Executive Vice President in 2007, President in 2009, and CEO in 2011.

Under her leadership, Jodi built on the 100+ year history and legacy of her family’s business, — founded in 1921 and headquartered in Olmsted Township in the greater Cleveland area — to grow the iconic and beloved brand to what it is today, with expanded distribution to over 130 countries and over 400% organic growth during her tenure.

As many are familiar with — Vitamix manufactures high-performance blending equipment for home and commercial use, with millions of consumers around the world who use Vitamix products to help achieve their personal health and culinary goals. The company’s commercial customer list reads like a “Who’s Who” of major restaurant chains, and gourmet chefs regard their Vitamix machines in the same light and improtance as they regards their knives.

The company has an incredible history of innovation and invention and developed the first true commercial blender in the early 1990s, which ignited the smoothie movement, and has been named the Best-in-Class Overall beverage blender for decades by readers of Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine.

As you’ll hear in our conversation, Jodi developed a highly intentional approach to leadership — centered on purpose and employee engagement — which she formalized, researched and earned a PhD in management from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management and ultimatley leveraged to transform the organizational structure of Vitamix and its corporate vision, mission and culture.

This was such a fun and unforgettable conversation — we actually got into such depth and breadth here that I’m breaking the episode into two parts that will cover Vitamix and Leadership across growing up in the family business and the familial lessons passed on, the evolution of Vitamix over the generations and the corresponding ingredients required order to thrive for over a century, balancing family legacy with innovation, lessons learned in hospitality and working at The Ritz Carlton, many personal stories and historical anecdotes about Vitamix that shaped her understanding of purpose and how it drives engagement and fulfillment in both personal and professional contexts, synthesizing her earned leadership wisdom into her upcoming book, why Vitamix is headquartered in Cleveland, helping people find their superpowers and a whole lot more… Jodi is an incredibly thoughtful teacher and operator and this really felt like a master class in all things business, leadership, and purpose.

00:00:00 - Introduction and Background
00:04:56 - Journey to Vitamix: A Family Legacy
00:19:23 - The Ritz-Carlton Experience and Lessons Learned
00:24:57 - Returning to Vitamix: Merging Passions and Purpose
00:25:27 - Family Legacy and Personal Growth
00:30:05 - The Evolution of Vitamix
00:36:43 - Balancing Legacy with Strategic Growth
00:42:53 - Changing Perspectives on Food and Health
00:51:00 - Creating a Community Around Food
00:58:02 - The Impact of Authentic Marketing

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodilberg/
https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/
Original Vitamix Infomercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5IzzGPzQA

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#211: Max Pennington (CLEANR) — Microplastics, Macro Solutions

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 29 May 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Max Pennington is the Co-Founder & CEO of CLEANR, an innovative company that uses filters to prevent microplastics from entering water streams.

Max graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, where he co-developed CLEANR’s innovative VORTX filtration technologyb. Inspired by nature, VORTX biomimcry is capable of removing over 90% of microplastics from washing machine wastewater. Microplastics pollution is a severe and growing environmental crisis, with trillions of tiny plastic particles contaminating ecosystems worldwide, affecting marine life, human health, and the overall environmental balance. Under Max's leadership, CLEANR has garnered significant recognition, including the American Filtration and Separation Society’s New Product of the Year Award for 2024, and has raised approximately $7 million in funding, positioning it at the forefront of the fight against microplastics pollution

With washing machines identified as the #1 source of microplastic pollution, CLEANR’s biomimicry filtration solutions are not only essential but increasingly requisite. The company is actively partnering with major universities and sustainability organizations, implementing their retrofit filters at campuses nationwide and is collaborating closely with leading global washing machine manufacturers to integrate VORTX directly into new appliances, aiming to make sustainability an effortless choice for consumers.

I came away from this conversation inspired as Max exudes passion for solving this problem and has been incredibly impressive organize to that end. Please enjoy this awesome conversation with Max Pennington

00:00:00 - The Invisible Crisis of Microplastics
00:08:51 - The ThinkBox: A Hub for Innovation
00:15:14 - Engineering Solutions: The Vortex Filter
00:22:52 - Cleaner: A Filtration Technology Company
00:29:43 - Navigating Market Strategies and Regulations
00:36:16 - Understanding the Challenge of Selling Solutions
00:38:55 - Fundraising and Vision for Cleaner
00:42:17 - Iterative Design and Prototyping Process
00:45:55 - Differentiation and Competitive Strategy
00:48:20 - Excitement for Market Launch and Consumer Impact
00:51:28 - Leadership Lessons from the Entrepreneurial Journey
00:54:45 - Overcoming Challenges in Product Development
00:58:03 - Radical Ideas for Addressing Microplastic Pollution
01:02:25 - Cleveland's Role in the Fight Against Microplastics
01:03:55 - Hidden Gem

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LINKS:
https://www.cleanr.life/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-t-pennington/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#210: Umberto Fedeli Round III — Patience & Persistence, Progress & Perfection, Rationality & Uncertainty

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 15 May 2025 04:00:00 -0400

I’m very excited to welcome Umberto Fedeli back for his third conversation. In our first two conversations — episode 135 and episode 171 — we explored Umberto’s remarkable life journey, deep-rooted wisdom, and how he's mastered the craft of building authentic relationships and connecting people across business, politics, and philanthropy. Those episodes are timeless and packed with valuable insights — I highly recommend listening to them to set the stage for today’s discussion.

In this episode, we delve deeper into these foundational ideas, unpacking the origins of Umberto’s relentless commitment to relationships, mentorship, and personal growth. We explore how to navigate the delicate balance between patience and persistence, between progress and perfection, and ultimately, how to cultivate resilience and rationality during times of uncertainty. We also dive into Umberto's perspective on the current state of the world — from economics and politics to tariffs. We talk about volatility, the fundamental human need for love and connection, regrets, legacy, and much more.

Please enjoy this insightful, continued discussion with Umberto Fedeli.

On a technical note, due to unexpected issues with our recording equipment at the time of this session, portions of the episode were lost. These segments have been audibly enhanced using speech technology in an effort to restore clarity and continuity. We appreciate your understanding regarding any subtle auditory or phonetic inconsistencies.

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LINKS:
https://www.thefedeligroup.com/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#209: Daniel Anstandig (Futuri Media) — AI, Future of Media, Music, and Investing

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 08 May 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Daniel Anstandig is the CEO of Futuri Media, a leading AI-driven platform he founded in Cleveland in 2009 to help companies build and monetize engaged audiences.

Today, Futuri’s sales, content, and audience technology serves over 7,000 media brands across 22 countries, powered by a bold and passionate team recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies for nine years.

Daniel has advised The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, Clear Channel R&D, the White House Commission on Remembrance, Glencoe-McGraw Hill, and various broadcasting companies in the U.S., Canada, and Europe on digital audience and revenue growth strategies. His research and editorials on radio and interactive media have been published in The Wall Street Journal, Billboard, and numerous trade publications. A proud two-time recipient of Edison Research’s 30 Under 30 Award, Daniel has also been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine for his work as a young entrepreneur.

Outside of Futuri, Dan has developed more than 20 patents in audio, podcasting, AI, and broadcast technology. He also co-founded SparkTrade.io, a platform that democratizes AI-powered investment insights by offering real-time buy/sell signals to over 8,500 investors daily. He serves on the board of directors for Teaching Cleveland, part of Teaching Place—a nonprofit focused on social and civic engagement and education—and for Boxcast, a global leader in live streaming and remote mix technology. We previously heard more about Boxcast’s story from its founder and CEO, Gordon Daily, in episode 26 of Lay of The Land.

As you’ll hear, Dan is thoughtful and articulate, offering clear insights into the evolution of media, curation in an age of information overload, the future of content creation, and life lessons learned from music that apply to entrepreneurship. He also shares reflections on building entrepreneurial teams, moving from Cleveland to Austin (and back again), the importance of community and trust, and much more.

Please enjoy this insightful conversation with Daniel Anstandig!

00:00:00 - Introduction and Background
00:04:36 - The Evolution of Media Consumption
00:06:51 - Daniel Anstandig's Entrepreneurial Journey
00:10:55 - Cleveland vs. Austin: A Tale of Two Cities
00:16:04 - The Importance of Community and Talent Retention
00:18:55 - The Role of Media in Society
00:23:01 - Futuri's Founding Vision and Evolution
00:27:03 - Cultural Influence on Business
00:30:53 - Lessons from Mentorship
00:32:55 - Navigating Legacy Media Challenges
00:37:00 - Curation of Information in the Digital Age
00:38:39 - Impact of Futuri's Innovations
00:42:54 - Transforming Intelligence in Trading
00:46:47 - The Future of Media and Content Creation
00:50:46 - Building Trust in New Media
00:52:56 - Futuri's Role in the Evolving Media Landscape
00:55:27 - Harnessing Machine Learning in Investments
01:00:34 - Democratizing Investment Strategies
01:09:36 - Lessons from Music for Entrepreneurship
01:12:20 - Hidden Gem

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anstandig/

https://www.daniel-anstandig.com/
https://futurimedia.com/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#208: Sonia Winner (Cleveland Museum of Natural History) — $150m Centennial Transformation

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 01 May 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Sonia Winner is the CEO of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. In July 2018, she became the 10th director of the Museum in its more than 100-year history, dating back to 1920. Since then, she has spearheaded a $150 million reinvention of the institution—reimagining its campus and exhibits to highlight the interconnectedness of life on Earth.

Under her leadership, the Museum continues its century-long legacy as one of the nation’s top natural history institutions, stewarding over 12,000 acres of protected ecosystems and housing more than 5 million artifacts and specimens. It is supported by a nearly 60-member Board of Directors, 140 staff members, and approximately $282 million in assets.

Before joining CMNH, Sonia built an impressive career in higher education and philanthropy. At Columbia University, she led record-breaking fundraising efforts, helping to secure $6.1 billion for the university. Prior to that, she held leadership roles at Case Western Reserve University, serving as associate dean of both the Weatherhead School of Management and the School of Law. A lawyer by training, she also served as Director of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.

This was an amazing conversation! Sonia’s passion for this work shines through as we explore the transformative power of museums, cultivating childhood curiosity, the Museum’s rich history and legacy, her personal journey to leading a major cultural institution, the ambitious centennial project aimed at revitalizing the museum experience, the overall business of museums, and so much more.

00:00:00 – The Magic of Museums and Childhood Curiosity
00:06:59 – Personal Reflections on Museums and Nature
00:09:07 – Sonia's Journey to the Museum Leadership
00:16:42 – Understanding the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
00:17:02 – The Museum's Legacy and Community Impact
00:19:56 – Honoring History While Embracing Change
00:25:50 – The Centennial Project and Its Vision
00:31:52 – The Business of Museums: Challenges and Opportunities
00:35:15 – Balancing Accessibility and Sustainability in Museums
00:36:28 – Creating Memorable Visitor Experiences
00:37:38 – Dinosaurs: The Gateway to Natural History
00:40:45 – The Role of Museums in Scientific Literacy
00:45:22 – Trust in Museums: A Reflection of Society
00:47:41 – Understanding the Value of Local Museums
00:50:04 – Personal Stories and the Impact of Museums
00:52:03 – The Future of Museums: Programming and Community Engagement
00:53:13 – Leadership Lessons in the Museum Sector
00:56:43 – Women in Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities
00:57:27 – Hidden Gem

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LINKS:
https://www.cmnh.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-winner-2699123/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#207: DJ Eidson (Limitless Minds) — Peak Performance, Deep Humility, Power of Mindset

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0400

DJ Eidson is the President and Co-founder of Limitless Minds, where he spearheads efforts to make elite mindset coaching accessible to everyone. Through their digital platform and programs, Limitless Minds has empowered hundreds of individuals and teams across organizations like Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Chick-fil-A, Bristol Myers Squibb, Goldman Sachs, Harvard Business School, and many others to enhance their performance and gain a competitive edge—just as Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, one of DJ’s co-founders, has done throughout his career.

As a sought-after speaker and co-host of The Room Tilters podcast, DJ shares practical strategies for navigating change, overcoming adversity, and thriving under pressure — and as you’ll hear echoed throughout our conversation today, DJ embodies a commitment to excellence, pragmatic stoicism, and an inspirational presence that inspires and empowers others to realize their fullest potential.

We cover the parallels between sports and business, the power of mindset, neutral thinking, what it means to be resilient, impacting a billion people, kindness as a business strategy, leading by example, love of Cleveland, and a whole lot more…

I find there’s a certain magic at the intersection of peak performance and deep humility, and I felt that’s exactly where DJ — and this whole conversation — resides. I had a lot of fun listening to DJ’s stories, wisdom, and reflections on entrepreneurship, and I hope you all do as well.

00:00:00 - From Pharmaceuticals to Entrepreneurship
00:09:35 - The Power of Mindset
00:12:01 - Early Influences and Entrepreneurial Spirit
00:18:39 - Building Limitless Minds
00:22:33 - Evolving Vision and Services
00:24:18 - Lessons from Sports to Business
00:29:10 - Differentiation in a Crowded Market
00:31:31 - Measuring Resiliency
00:32:45 - The Evolution of Limitless Minds
00:37:47 - Understanding Client Impact
00:42:23 - Aiming for Global Impact
00:44:49 - The Importance of Intentional Mindset
00:50:15 - Hidden Gem

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LINKS:
https://limitlessminds.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dj-eidson-limitlessminds/

-----

SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#206: Blake Squires (Findaway, Movable, and Stubl) — Serial Entrepreneur

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 12:00:00 -0400

Blake Squires began his journey in the mid-90s in Los Angeles, capitalizing early on the convergence of technology and media. He soon returned to his hometown of Cleveland to co-found Everstream with Steve McHale (episode 196) and Charlie Lougheed (episode 42, and also my co-founder at Axuall). Blake served as COO until Everstream’s acquisition by Concurrent Computer Corp in 2005.

Next, he co-founded Findaway, a global leader in digital audiobook distribution and creators of PLAYAWAY, a line of preloaded audiobook devices and products. Findaway was acquired by Spotify in 2022—a story shared by co-founder Mitch Kroll (episode 128) and early team member Mike Belsito (episode 52).

In 2011, Blake launched Movable, a software and wearable platform built to "inspire movement." He also founded DoctorsOrders, an e-scripting tool for medical suppliers, which was acquired by Cardinal Health in 2018.

Blake later partnered with inventor John Osher (of SpinBrush fame) to develop the Stubl/Shadow manual razor, acquired by Edgewell for its Schick brand. The duo also created a unique toothbrush licensed to Waken in the UK.

In 2022, Blake co-founded Bloomfilter, an AI-powered process intelligence platform optimizing the product and software development lifecycle. We’ve heard Bloomfilter’s story from his co-founder Andrew Wolfe on episode 134.

By 2024, Blake had become a board partner at Greycroft and a “Fellow” at global design firm IDEO, recognized for his work supporting VCs and early-stage startups. Blake also serves as a founding advisor to the Ohio Angel Collective.

As I mentioned up top, Blake’s story truly is a Lay of The Land of Lay of The Land. He’s deeply connected with Northeast Ohio’s startup ecosystem—through this episode alone, we’ll hear links to Lee Zapis (episode 7), John Knific (episode 199), David Levine (episode 132), AC Evans (episode 39), Ray Leach (episode 69), and many more.

More than just well-connected, Blake is a visionary builder, inspiring leader, and accomplished serial entrepreneur with a rare ability to scale products, teams, and brands.

00:00:00 - The Entrepreneurial Journey Begins
00:12:17 - Passion and the Intersection of Art and Business
00:15:09 - Defining Core Values in Entrepreneurship
00:18:27 - The Evolution of Big Mama Music
00:21:09 - Navigating Course Corrections in Business
00:23:23 - Finding the Next Problem to Solve
00:26:25 - Building a Values-Driven Company
00:28:09 - The Shift to Audiobooks and Market Insights
00:33:35 - The Role of Storytelling in Business
00:41:23 - Learning from Failure and Pivoting Strategies
00:43:22 - Scaling and Growth in Libraries
00:48:47 - Building a Strong Company Culture
00:49:08 - Lessons from Movable and the Importance of Partnerships
00:54:55 - Navigating the Healthcare Market
00:55:42 - Universal Truths in Entrepreneurship
01:01:07 - Transitioning to Advisory Roles and New Ventures
01:04:20 - Hidden Gem

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/blakesquires/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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#205: Carl Walz (NASA Astronaut) — 230+ Days In Outer Space

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:30:00 -0400

Carl Walz is an astronaut, a pioneer of space exploration, and a proud Clevelander! As an astronaut, Carl is a veteran of four spaceflights, logging a total of 231 days in outer space and performing three spacewalks during that time.

A physicist by training, with degrees from Kent State and John Carroll University, Carl made his way to NASA via the Air Force, where he served as a flight test engineer and managed all engineering activities related to F-16 avionics and armaments.

At NASA, he was a mission specialist on STS-51 in 1993, an orbiter flight engineer on STS-65 in 1994, a mission specialist on STS-79 in 1996, and ultimately served 196 days in space as a flight engineer on ISS Expedition Four from 2001 to 2002.

His expansive career at NASA includes missions aboard the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS). Most notably, Carl served as a flight engineer for ISS Expedition Four, living and working in space for 196 consecutive days. Later, as Director for the Advanced Capabilities Division at NASA Headquarters, Carl led critical programs involving Human Research, Technology Development, and Lunar Robotic Exploration.

To say this was an awesome conversation would be the understatement of Lay of The Land…Our conversation explored his rigorous journey to becoming an astronaut, the profound experience of living and working in space, the awe-inspiring perspective gained from orbit, and the unique challenges of transitioning back to life on Earth. We also discussed his role in shaping the future of private sector space exploration (Oceaneering, Orbital ATK), international collaboration in space missions, and even his time performing with the only astronaut band in history!

00:00:00 - Introduction to Carl Walz and His Journey
00:05:39 - The Path to Becoming an Astronaut
00:07:49 - The Ohio Astronaut Legacy
00:10:07 - Experiences in Space Missions
00:12:37 - The Awe of Spacewalks
00:14:58 - Life on the International Space Station
00:17:33 - Scientific Experiments in Space
00:19:46 - Dealing with Adversity in Space
00:21:41 - The Fulfillment of Space Exploration
00:23:56 - Transitioning Back to Earth and the Private Sector
00:30:55 - Navigating the Challenges of Spacecraft Development
00:35:09 - The Evolution of Public-Private Partnerships in Space
00:38:36 - The Future of Space Exploration: Mars and Beyond
00:43:59 - Perspectives on Extraterrestrial Life and UFOs
00:45:40 - The Unique Experience of an Astronaut Band
00:50:38 - Hidden Gem

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-walz-21b4579/
https://www.oceaneering.com/

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SPONSOR:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

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#204: Paul Roetzer (SmarterX & Marketing AI Institute) — Accelerating AI Literacy

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Paul Roetzer is the founder and CEO of SmarterX and the Marketing AI Institute—a media, event, and online education company that he started back in 2016 to make AI accessible, approachable, and actionable for marketers and business leaders. Through the institute, he created MAICON—the leading annual Marketing AI conference, which is hosted here in Cleveland!

He is also the co-author of Marketing Artificial Intelligence: AI, Marketing, and the Future of Business, the co-host of The Artificial Intelligence Show podcast, and the creator of The AI Literacy Project, where he’s working to make AI education accessible and personalized for everyone.

Paul graduated from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and has since consulted for hundreds of organizations, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. In 2005, he founded Ready North (formerly known as PR 20/20), a digital marketing agency that became HubSpot’s first partner agency and played a pivotal role in launching HubSpot’s entire partnership strategy. He successfully sold the firm in 2021 to Blue Cypress.

This was such a fun conversation for me—I love thinking about how exponential technologies will affect the future of society, and that is exactly what Paul and I got to do—we explore the vast and profound implications of AI on the future of work and society overall while also exploring the business of conferences, the importance of AI literacy going forward, lessons from the early days of HubSpot, building in Cleveland, and a whole lot more!

00:00:00 - The Evolution of Podcasting and AI Integration
00:04:13 - The Journey of Building Marketing AI Institute
00:07:12 - The Impact of AI on Marketing and Business
00:09:47 - Navigating Challenges and Embracing Change
00:12:38 - The Role of Conferences in AI Education
00:15:15 - Cleveland as a Hub for AI Innovation
00:17:48 - The Future of AI and Its Societal Implications
00:20:32 - AI Literacy and Its Importance
00:23:03 - The Philosophical Dilemmas of AI Decision-Making
00:25:45 - The Uncertain Future of Work in an AI-Driven World
00:35:59 - The Inevitable Disruption of Jobs by AI
00:41:32 - AI's Impact on Knowledge Work and Industries
00:46:35 - Marketing in the Age of AI
00:49:46 - Defining AI Literacy and Its Future
00:52:45 - Lessons from the HubSpot Journey
00:57:04 - The Entrepreneurial Journey and Its Challenges
01:01:30 - Hidden Gem

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulroetzer/
https://smarterx.ai/
https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/

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SPONSORS: Impact Architects & Ninety

Impact Architects & Ninety
Lay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!

This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we’ve heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#203: Geoff Bruder (Sonic Fire Tech) — Fighting Fires with Sound and Acoustic Waves

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Geoff Bruder, co-founder of GhostWorks Engineering and Sonic Fire Tech—a company redefining fire suppression—is fighting fires with acoustic wave technology.

Geoff's journey is rooted in his work at NASA Glenn Research Center here in Cleveland, where he focused as a Research Engineer on projects like the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG), thermoacoustic stirling heat engine designs, and led the design for the Glenn Extreme Environment Rig (GEER) — the largest chamber on earth able to recreate surface conditions on planet Venus, so they could, amidst many other things, extend the useful life of power and cooling systems there from 10 hours to nearly 243 days.

Since 2019, Geoff has been building Sonic Fire Tech applying this expertise to develop fire suppression systems that use acoustics — silent infrasound waves — instead of water or chemicals— to extinguish wood and chemical fires from a significant distance away from the fire itself. This approach offers a safer, more sustainable solution for wildfire prevention, home protection, industrial, and other applications where traditional fire suppression methods fall short.

I'd encourage anyone curious what this actually looks like in practice to reference the link to a youtube video in our shownotes that demonstrates how Geoff is putting out fire with sound… the video is worth thousands of words.

With over 15 patents, 3 publications, a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, graduate work at Case Western Reserve University, Geoff's journey from innovating at NASA to his own entrepreneurial ventures is one of ingenuity and impact, and I'm thrilled to share our fascinating conversation about his vision to transforming firefighting — please enjoy.

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreybruder/

https://sonicfiretech.com/

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9cxlUOrIrcM

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SPONSORS: Impact Architects & Ninety

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#202: Jared Semik (Eternium Aerospace) — Transcontinental Electric Flights

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Jared Semik, founder of Eternium Aerospace, a long-range, zero-emissions aircraft development company, is focused on sustainable transatlantic flight.

A multi-service military aviation veteran with three global deployments, Jared began his career in the Marine Corps in 1999. He is an aerospace research and development engineer with over 20 years of experience working with next-generation zero-emissions aircraft systems. His expertise spans R&D, aircraft systems engineering, program management, talent and supplier development, and corporate partnerships for several global industrial and aerospace corporations. He has been ultimately responsible for the program development of 14 proprietary technologies.

Jared holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration and has earned two U.S./PCT patents for aircraft systems and propulsion.

As you’ll hear in our conversation, Eternium is a multi-decade endeavor, and Jared has taken a highly strategic and intentional approach to building the company. This includes fostering local partnerships with organizations like NASA Glenn and implementing a tiered development strategy that stages the creation of commercially viable milestones—such as the power unit, superconductive motor, and ultimately, the Archangel aircraft.

Jared has an insightful perspective on risk and is a strong believer in the philosophy that “nothing ventured, nothing gained” and that “all the best things in life are on the other side of one’s fear.” This philosophy extends beyond his business and into his personal pursuits, which include rock climbing, mountaineering, SCUBA diving, skiing, and more.

We discuss the challenges of achieving aircraft range and efficiency, the intersection of creativity and engineering, the technological breakthroughs required for zero-emission travel, the importance of long-term thinking, and much more. Please enjoy this fascinating and educational conversation with Jared Semik.

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-semik-aab07358/

https://www.eterniumaerospace.com/

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SPONSORS: Impact Architects & Ninety

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#201: Robert Marks (Projector) — Keepsake and Personal Streaming for Legacy

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Robert Marks founded Fidelity Voice and Data in 1999 with just a $600 investment, which he grew into a business generating over $30 million in revenue, making it one of the largest telecommunications and cloud services competitors throughout the Midwest. The company focused on providing high-speed Internet access to various industries.

After selling the company in 2015, Robert turned his attention to giving back to his local community through various philanthropic initiatives.

In 2020, however, Robert’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to solve a deeply personal problem during the pandemic—centered around the difficulty of sharing personal media with family. He raised $1.2 million and founded Projector as a keepsake company, building a personal streaming platform for legacy and memory preservation—the platform he wished had existed. The company now has thousands of subscribers, and Robert is in the process of raising a larger venture round to scale Projector.

In our conversation, we unpack Robert’s journey as an entrepreneur, his transition from B2B to B2C, the nuances and opportunities within the keepsake and legacy market, how AI serves as technological leverage to lower the barriers to building companies, the lessons he imparts as an educator, the importance of corporate culture, his love for Cleveland, and much more!

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/-robertmarks/
https://projector.app/

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SPONSORS: Impact Architects & Ninety

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#200: Andy Tran (Arthur Street Ventures) — A Modern Renaissance Man

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Andy Tran has lived more lives than just about anyone I know. He’s a serial entrepreneur who has started multiple businesses across industries, including tech, ammunition manufacturing, defense contracting, and tequila, among many others. Andy is a true modern Renaissance man whose path defies convention and serves as a testament to his deep curiosity, creativity, ability to execute, and humility.

He has alpine mountaineered in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego while living out of the back of a truck; spent months in the interior of Alaska guiding caribou and moose hunts, as well as driving jet boats for the Discovery Channel.
He has been embedded with Special Mission Units and Anti-Poaching Task Forces in South Africa and Kruger National Park. Additionally, he worked with Ecuadorian Special Forces on missions to hunt narco submarines in the Amazon jungle.
Andy was also a professional MMA fighter, finishing his career with an undefeated record of 6-0. Beyond fighting, he helped start and lead Beta Academy DC, an MMA gym in Washington, D.C. At just 18 years old, he co-founded an architectural practice with his uncle and led the firm to become a multi-million-dollar enterprise.
Most recently, Andy joined fellow Cleveland entrepreneur and Renaissance man Nick Dadas (featured on Lay of The Land episode #158) as Chief Marketing Officer of SISU Lifestyle.
...And the list goes on.

It’s difficult to assign Andy a single label or category. However, to ground our conversation today: Andy is the founder of Arthur Street Ventures, a Cleveland-based venture design studio and holding company focused on developing, incubating, and providing seed and early-stage capital to companies operating in media, defense, consumer packaged goods, alcohol & spirits, cannabis, and apparel sectors.

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyctran/
https://www.instagram.com/actran001

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SPONSORS: Impact Architects & Ninety

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#199: John Knific (Squad) — The EdTech Guru

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 10:00:00 -0500

John Knific is a serial entrepreneur and investor who has built three venture-backed software companies here in Cleveland.

His latest venture, Squad, is a peer discovery platform designed to gamify ratings and rankings for Gen Z, starting on college campuses, delivering valuable preference data to marketers.

Before Squad, John co-founded Wisr, a virtual communities platform that transformed how universities engage students. Wisr ultimately served nearly one million active users before being acquired by the Education Advisory Board (EAB) and Vista Equity in 2021. For those interested in diving deeper into Wisr’s story, I’d recommend checking out Episode 35 of Lay of The Land, where Kate Volzer, one of John’s co-founders shared her perspective on their journey!

John’s entrepreneurial journey began with Decision Desk, a company he started out of his dorm room as a student at Case Western Reserve University when he was still on a music and pre-medicine track and ultimately raised $6mm in venture funding for.

Today, alongside building Squad, John is also a co-founder of K2 Venture Partners where he and Kris Ciccarello, his other co-founder from Wisr, invest in and advises regional startups.

In our conversation, we’ll cover how John has evolved as a founder, his philosophy on product management and go-to-market strategy, the intersection of jazz and entrepreneurship, opportunities in education and ed-tech, building for enterprise vs consumers, mentorship, and lots more lessons learned from his journey across three startups.

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnknific/
https://www.k2vp.com/
https://getsquad.app/

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SPONSORS: Impact Architects & Ninety

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#198: Rob van Haaren (Proximal Energy) — Powering The Solar Revolution

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0500

Rob van Haaren is a Dutch-born entrepreneur and CEO of Proximal Energy, a Cleveland-based SaaS company transforming asset management for solar and energy storage projects.

Rob has long been interested in renewable energy engineering — he holds a Master’s from Columbia University in Earth and Environmental Engineering and a PhD from Columbia as well with a focus on utility-scale energy storage optimization and engineering. He also has over a decade of experience blending bridging academia and industry, working as a photovoltaic and storage analyst at First Solar.

Since founding Proximal, Rob leads a remote AI-driven team to deliver advanced analytics and agentic tools that help large asset managers optimize performance and reliability in utility-scale projects spanning multiple gigawatt hours of storage.

In addition to his work at Proximal, he is also an Expert in Residence at BRITE Energy Innovators, which we’ve heard about from Rick Stockburger back on Episode 161.

As you’ll hear in our conversation today, Rob is an engineer, a problem solver, and a deep thinker who is passionate about transforming the way society manages utility-scale energy, and we’re lucky to now have him as a founder in Cleveland!

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LINKS:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-van-haaren/
- https://proximal.energy/

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SPONSORS: Impact Architects & Ninety

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#197: Ali Bonar (Oat Haus) — The Granola Butter Company

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0500

Ali Bonar — CEO & Co-Founder of Oat Haus, a food company bringing fun and play to eating. Their flagship product, Granola Butter, is the world's first oat-based spread and while Oat Haus was born out of Ali's decade-long battle with an eating disorder, and it's now her mission to help others feel less alone.

Since its beginnings in 2018, Oat Haus has evolved from Ali’s personal project to a Cleveland-based, nationwide company with distribution in over 5,000 stores, including Target, Whole Foods, Publix, and more.

This conversation was a lot of fun — Ali shares the challenges and joys of entrepreneurship, the importance of authenticity in branding, reflecting on scale having packed over 4 million jars of Granola Butter by hand with her team, her experience pitching on Shark Tank, the power of community engagement through social media and growing her base to over 100,000 followers, moving to Cleveland, overcoming adversity, and a whole lot more.

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LINKS:
- www.granolabutter.com

- www.instagram.com/oat.haus

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/alibonar/

- www.instagram.com/alibonar

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SPONSORS: Impact Architects & Ninety

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#196: Stephen McHale (Graici & Unify Labs) — Serial Entrepreneurship & the Pursuit of Inclusive Prosperity

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Stephen McHale — a long-time Cleveland serial entrepreneur with a 40-year career founding, investing in, and building companies.

Most notably, Steve served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Explorys, which he formed in 2009 in partnership with The Cleveland Clinic. He co-founded and funded Explorys with Charlie Lougheed, one of my former co-founders from Axuall, where Steve is also a board member.

In six years, Explorys became the leader in leveraging electronic medical records, healthcare big data, and value-based-care analytics, spanning 26 healthcare networks, 60 hospitals, and 60 million patients across the US — ultimately leading to its acquisition by IBM in April 2015.

Prior to Explorys, Steve served as the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Everstream, the company he founded in 1999 which was sold to Concurrent [NASDAQ: CCUR] in 2005 as a market leader in broadband and content analytics.

Beyond his roles serving on Boards of The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, JumpStart, and others, today he serves as the co-founder and director of Unify Labs — a 501c3 he formed in 2017 to power inclusive prosperity — and CEO of Graici, a universal personal AI-powered assistant inspired by the work and research conducted at Unify Labs.

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LINKS:
https://graici.com/about-graici
https://www.unifylabs.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stmchale/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

John Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/
As we’ve heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!

With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.

The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University’s Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.edu

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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[Bonus] Rust Belt Rundown featuring Jeffrey Stern of The O.H.I.O. Fund

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Lay of The Land podcast. Today, we're doing something a bit different as I take on the role of guest on other podcasts to discuss recent developments in my journey and offer a glimpse of what lies ahead.

As some of you may know, I've recently embarked on a new professional path by joining the founding team of The O.H.I.O. Fund. In the near future, I'll be recording a dedicated episode to delve deeper into The O.H.I.O. Fund alongside some of my partners. In the meantime, join me in these conversations as I share my insights and experiences about transitioning to this exciting new venture, reflect on building Axuall, Lay of The Land, Cleveland, and much more!

In this specific conversation, I sat down with Paul O’Connor of the Rust Belt Rundown podcast, hosted by Rust Belt Recruiting. We've actually featured Rust Belt Recruiting on Lay of The Land's 180th episode featuring Taylor Evans — so please go check out that episode if you want to hear more about Taylor Evans' journey and Rust Belt Recruiting's story!

With that, please enjoy my conversation with Paul O’Connor.

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#194: Hanna Kassis (Babylon Asset Management) — Business Financing, Private Credit, and Growth Capital

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Throughout his career, Hanna Kassis has overseen $1.5 billion in capital deployment.

Hanna began his entrepreneurial journey in Youngstown, where he managed Tim Ryan's congressional campaign from 2008 to 2011. This early taste of independence would prove formative for his future ventures. Though he initially pursued law school in Chicago with intentions of becoming a tax attorney, Hanna's entrepreneurial spirit led him to found OAREX Capital Markets while still a student. The company secured seed funding from Dan Gilbert's Bizdom and later raised substantial institutional capital—$50M from a global asset management firm and a $50M line of credit from East West Bank—to build an innovative online ad revenue exchange.

After successfully scaling OAREX, Hanna exited in 2022 by selling his majority stake to his investor group. His entrepreneurial drive led him to expand into new ventures, including the acquisition and revitalization of Whistle Taproom (formerly Whistle & Keg), which has become a Downtown Cleveland premier game day destination. When Silicon Valley Bank collapsed in 2023, Hanna recognized an opportunity and launched Babylon Asset Management. Under his leadership, Babylon has invested in 170 alternative loans, participated in 12 senior loans to other lenders, and helped 36 companies raise debt capital.

Hanna was one of the first people I met in Cleveland, and it was a pleasure to finally have him on the podcast

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LINKS:
https://babylonassets.com/about/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannakassis/
https://oarex.com/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

[In Honor Of] Bob Sopko

Jeffrey Stern — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 10:43:52 -0500

It is with a heavy heart that I honor Bob Sopko’s memory by revisiting Lay of The Land's 12th episode. While no conversation could ever fully capture the breadth or depth of his legacy, I hope this episode relays an essence of his spirit, his unwavering commitment to supporting others, and his vision for Cleveland’s entrepreneurial future. Bob will be deeply missed, but I believe his influence will continue to resonate through the community he devoted himself to and the people whose lives he touched.

Bob Sopko was a true champion of Cleveland's entrepreneurial spirit. His passion for entrepreneurship was boundless, and he dedicated so much of himself to helping others take their initial steps in trying to build something meaningful — whether it was connecting people within our ecosystem or simply showing up to every entrepreneurial event in Cleveland… he undeniably left a lasting and positive mark on so many students, alumni, founders, and early-stage companies.

Bob was one of the first people I got to know when I came to Cleveland. He became an early and outsized supporter of Lay of The Land, and more importantly, taught me a lot about the value of giving without expectation, the power of connecting people, and the significance of building a strong community.

Bob Sopko Obituary: https://www.buschcares.com/obituaries/Robert-David-Sopko?obId=34008478

#193: Ryan Schreiber (Streamline) — The One-Stop Streaming Guide

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Ryan Schreiber is a long-time Clevelander and major advocate for the city, as well as the founder and CEO of Streamline, an innovative mobile platform tackling one of the streaming industry's most pressing challenges—helping users navigate the increasingly fragmented world of content and entertainment, from sports to shows and movies, across over 200 streaming platforms.

With over $1.6 million in funding raised since founding the company earlier in 2024, Ryan is on a mission to transform how we discover and share content.

Before launching Streamline, Ryan played a pivotal role in building Vertical Knowledge—another Cleveland-based company that was recently acquired by Babel Street, a leading identity intelligence and risk operations company. Beyond entrepreneurship, Ryan was an investment banker with KeyBanc Capital Markets here in Cleveland after graduating with honors from Middlebury College in 2013. He is a Board Trustee at University School and captain of Spin for Stu—a cycling initiative that's raised nearly $1 million for cancer research.

In our conversation today, we'll explore Ryan's journey from finance to tech entrepreneurship, overcoming the fear of failure, delving into the problems Streamline is solving in the streaming landscape, and unpacking how the proverbial "Cleveland Chip" on Ryan's shoulder has shaped his approach to building a consumer technology company!

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LINKS:
Connect with Ryan Schreiber: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-schreiber-a12aa181/
Download Streamline: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/streamline-what-you-watch/id6502956109

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#192: Jim Weisman (Ingine) — Revolutionizing Knowledge Generation for a Healthier Tomorrow

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 03:00:00 -0500

Jim Weisman, CEO of Ingine, exploring deep into the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare

In our world where healthcare costs are soaring and drug development timelines stretch into decades, Ingine is revolutionizing how we can analyze complex medical and healthcare data to produce better knowledge to create better medicine. By leveraging quantum mechanics principles and advanced probabilistic mathematics, they're tackling some of healthcare's most pressing challenges - from drug discovery to personalized medicine. Co-founded by Dr. Barry Robson, a former Chief Science Officer at IBM's Global Life Sciences division, Ingine aims to unlock the full potential of life sciences data.

Jim brings over three decades of experience in healthcare and management to Ingine. Building on an educational foundation from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania and Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management, his extensive experience includes leadership roles at BioEnterprise and HealthSync, strategic consulting for major financial institutions, and roles at organizations like OrthoBrain — which we’ve featured here on Lay of The Land back on Episode 56 — in addition to his service as President of the Ohio Venture Association where he led the effort to effort to establish VentureOhio — a state-wide venture capital association.

This was an insightful and reflective conversation. We explored Jim's journey, the pioneering technology and mathematics driving Ingine, transitioning from concept and academia to reality, the challenges of building a deep-technology company in Cleveland, learning from the market, and ultimately, Ingine’s vision for the future of personalized medicine.

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimweisman/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-robson-phd-dsc-fellow-royal-society-of-medicine-5913a11b/
https://ingine.com/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#191: Lance Hill (Within3) — Raising >$100 Million to Breakdown Healthcare Communication Barriers

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 11:00:00 -0500

Lance Hill, CEO of Within3, has led one of Cleveland's most well-capitalized startups, raising over $100 million to transform how the healthcare and life sciences industries communicate.

What began in 2007 as a secure peer-to-peer platform for physicians quickly evolved into something much more ambitious—a solution to break down communication barriers in life sciences and accelerate the development of life-changing therapies for patients worldwide. Under Lance’s leadership, Within3 has become indispensable to the world’s top pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies, engaging over 70,000 patients and healthcare providers globally.

Today, the platform supports over 65% of the top 50 drugs worldwide, helping organizations move with greater velocity toward delivering critical treatments to patients.In this episode, we dive deep into Lance’s journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship, explore how he navigated pivotal shifts in his business model, and unpack the lessons he’s learned about leadership, technology’s role in scaling a company, and fostering a winning culture.

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lancehillprofile/

https://within3.com/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

[Bonus] Marketing Moves — Investing in Ohio's Future: Ft. Jeffrey Stern

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0400

In this particular conversation, I sit down with Ashtyn Morris from The Marketing Moves podcast, hosted by VividFront. We've previously featured VividFront on Lay of The Land's 124th episode with Andrew Spott—so be sure to check that out if you're interested in hearing more about VividFront and Andrew's journey.

With that, enjoy my conversation with Ashtyn Morris.

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#189: Chas D. Withers (Dix & Eaton) — Running Towards the Fire

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Chas Withers, chairman and CEO of Dix & Eaton, the storied Cleveland integrated communications firm, known for its specialization in marketing communications, Crisis management, and investor relations, which has partnered with its clients to drive impact and results in their public relations since 1952.

While Chas has led the firm as CEO since 2015, he’s overseen many aspects of the business prior serving as COO and leader of the marketing communications, technology, emerging growth and interactive services practices for about seven years.

Chas first worked at Dix & Eaton though as a senior account executive between 1995 and 1997 before joining Answerthink, a Miami-based international consulting firm, as managing director where he played a pivotal role in the Company’s IPO and oversaw over 1,500 employees.

Chas has also served as a director of media relations at Case Western Reserve University and held similar roles with Malone Public Relations and Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron.

This conversation is a masterclass on communications and the story of Dix and Eaton — Chas offers his perspective on running towards the fire and addressing thorny situations head-on, stewardship in high-stakes situations that span the multiples constituents of shareholders, employees, customers, legislators, communities, and the media, employee ownership, technology’s implications for communications and marketing, the significance of Cleveland in Dix & Eaton’s story, and a whole lot more.

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LINKS:
Connect with Chas Withers on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaswithers/
Dix & Eaton Website: https://www.dix-eaton.com/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#188: Joe Pulizzi (Tilt Publishing & Content Entrepreneur Expo) — Content Marketing, Community, and Cleveland

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0400

Joe Pulizzi is a serial entrepreneur and deeply passionate about all things content marketing and entrepreneurship —

he is the bestselling author of seven books including Content Inc., selling over 500,000 copies worldwide with his work featured New York Times, Insider, Entrepreneur, and other notable publications
he hosts multiple podcasts and writes Orangeletter, a weekly newsletter with over 50,000 subscribers delivering actionable life, marketing, and business tips for content entrepreneurs,
He’s also the founder of multiple successful startups including, Content Entrepreneur Expo (which is hosted here in Cleveland where Joe and his family live), Content Marketing Institute (which he successfully exited in 2016), Content Marketing World, and The Tilt where he’s crafting the future of publishing, providing authors with the tools, support, and platform to turn their stories into published successes.

The thread that ties Joe’s work together is content marketing, a term he first used in 2001 and has championed since. In just a few minutes of talking with Joe, it’s easy to grasp why he’s amassed hundreds of thousands of followers across social media platforms like LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and others.

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LINKS:
https://www.joepulizzi.com/
https://cex.events/
https://www.thetilt.com/

X / Twitter: @JoePulizzi
LinkedIn: Joe Pulizzi

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#187: Aaron Hoffman & John Zinno (DeliverThat) — The Future of Catering Delivery

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0400

Aaron Hoffman and John Zinno — co-founders of DeliverThat, based in Canton Ohio.

Friends for life, the two of them started this business out of Ohio University in 2016 off the bat of a viral tweet and have since proceeded to revolutionize catering delivery with over $300 million dollars of catering delivery under their belt, a network of over 25,000 active drivers on their platform, operational in all major cities in all 50 states, helping over 500 brands elevate their catering.

This is an awesome story of entrepreneurship, constant learning, and overcoming adversity along the way. We cover the evolution of their business model to set the standard for catering delivery and setup, profitable growth and cashflow positivity, recapitalizations, personally developing as a leader, mistakes made, building with friends, and a whole lot more.

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LINKS:
https://www.ideliverthat.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliverthat/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-zinno-b28b6370/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhoffman02/
https://www.instagram.com/deliverthatco/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#186: Andrew Rising (Encore Venture Labs) — Bridging Cleveland's Industrial Heritage To Its Industrial Future

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Andrew Rising, CEO of Encore Venture Labs.

As someone who believes deeply in the opportunity for Cleveland’s future, I find Andrew’s journey to be an inspiring and optimisitc one… …Deeply rooted in the heart of Cleveland’s west side where he grew up before embarking on a decade-long adventure in the Bay Area—a place where innovation and venture capital converged to create world changing technologies. Andrew has spent his career at the intersection of talent and venture capital — from Google to Addepar to Redpoint Ventures — ultimately carving out a unique path that led him to co-found and successfully exit a startup to Human Capital in one of the most competitive ecosystems in the world. But despite his success on the West Coast, Cleveland was always home.

In a full-circle moment, Andrew returned to his hometown in 2022, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a vision to bridge the gap between Cleveland’s rich industrial heritage and its promising industrial future. Today, he’s leading the charge as the founder of Encore Venture Labs, a venture studio dedicated to revitalizing the region's legacy by harnessing current macro trends with the region's unique attributes.

Andrew’s story is one of return, reinvestment, and a deep commitment to driving the next wave of growth in Northeast Ohio.

As soon as I met Andrew, I knew one day he’d come on the podcast when the time was right, and it’s exciting that time has come. I’m proud to consider Andrew a friend and am excited to share some of his reflections and experience

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewrising/
https://www.encoreventurelabs.com/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#185: Franco Kraiselburd (Asclepii Inc.) — Building the Next Generation of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Cell Therapeutics to Improve Human Health

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Franco Kraiselburd — Co-Founder and CEO of Asclepii — building the next generation of tissue engineering therapeutics for wound healing.

I’ve recently heard a life’s work described as a lifelong quest to build something for others that expresses who you are. It feels to me that Franco is not just building a company, but has found his life’s work and is truly pursuing a grand mission.

Grounded in an international childhood living across the United States, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, Franco began his scientific career at the early age of 12, and has spent the last 9 years dedicating his life to the development of accessible and impactful advanced medical devices, translating the ideas from several different labs within the Tissue Engineering field into reality and the market.

After 5 years working in the University of São Paulo (Brazil), Franco moved to Cleveland, OH, to work in the Regenerative Medicine field as a Biomedical Engineering student at Case Western Reserve University with Dr. Arnold Caplan, the Father of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and the very person who’s research had inspired him to set off down this path in the first place.

A scientist and entrepreneur, Franco is constantly trying to bridge the world's ideas and reality. His wound care innovations are internationally recognized, being awarded a Gold Medal at the 2019 GENIUS Olympiad, nominated for 2025 Forbes Under 30 and MIT Innovators Under 35, and a finalist in the Rising Tech Star category of Ohio's 2023 Best of Tech Awards.

Accolades and recognition aside, I can just express personally having gotten to know Franco and listened to him tell his story, that his mind is a wonderful thing to behold and we’re lucky to have him as an entrepreneur in Cleveland

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/francokrais/
https://www.asclepii.com/home

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#184: John Vickers (Blue Abyss) — Building the World’s Foremost Extreme Environment R&D Facilities for Space and Deep Sea Exploration

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0400

John Vickers, Founder & CEO of Blue Abyss.

John is building one of the most ambitious and inspiring projects I’ve encountered while exploring what people are building in Cleveland!

After spending eight years in the British Army, John completed his service at the rank of Corporal in 1991 and transitioned to a civilian career where he worked in management consulting, and leadership roles across IBM and GE Capital.

In 2014, grounded in his desire to prepare for an imagined future of proliferated human spaceflight and extreme environment exploration, he founded Blue Abyss to deliver the World’s foremost extreme environment research, development, testing and training facilities — unlocking our ability to ask and seek to answer some of the most important questions in the exploration of space, aerospace, medical, marine, and other robotic technologies.

Adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and close to NASA Glenn’s headquarters, Blue Abyss is developing the world’s largest and deepest R&D Pool, measuring 40 meters by 50 meters on the surface with a 16m wide shaft plunging to a depth of 50 meters with a volume capacity of 42,000 cubic meters of water.

The Facility will also house ancillary extreme environment capabilities for

Human Centrifuges to enable training and physiology research at high Gs.
Hypobaric and Hyperbaric Chambers to enable training and research in pressurized environments.
and Parabolic Flight to enable microgravity research, training, and public discovery.

Furthermore, besides servicing the gamut of industries from offshore energy to the growing human spaceflight sector, John is deeply committed to educating and inspiring young people to explore and learn about the world around them.

This conversation feels right out of science fiction, but it’s on track to become science reality.

We discuss the balance of ambition and humility, the formative experience of his international upbringing, the influence of his military background and mentors like astronauts and his brother-in-law Sergeant Ian McKay, his appreciation of Cleveland, leadership, persistence, and ultimately the impact he hopes to have with Blue Abyss.

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnvickers1
https://blueabyss.uk/blog/post/blue-abyss-ohio-land-purchase-complete

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbgJ01B89So&ab_channel=BlueAbyss

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#183: Laura Bennett & Alex Krooglik (Embrace Pet Insurance) — The Story of A Cleveland Unicorn

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Laura Bennett and Alex Krooglik, co-founders of Embrace Pet Insurance, which was sold in 2023 for $1.5 billion to JAB Holding Company.

The duo founded Embrace Pet Insurance after graduating from Penn’s Wharton School of Business in 2003 and moving to Cleveland, where they built and grew this e-commerce, specialist insurance company selling pet insurance directly to pet owners — from their first policy sold in October 2006 to insuring over 500,000 pets across the country and handling over 4.6 million claims to date, with more than 1 million in 2023 alone.

Having both stepped away from their business a few years prior, this conversation is a truly reflective one. We cover the crucible moments for the company:

effectively creating a new market category and overcoming the complex regulations of pet insurance,
the evolution of their relationship as co-founders,
the sheer tenacity, persistence, determination and consistency required of entrepreneurship,
earned lessons on founder equity and company ownership,
becoming one of Jumpstart’s first investments,
the significance of immigrants and entrepreneurship in the US,

...and a whole lot more! I believe Laura and Alex’s story is one that should be familiar to far more in Cleveland than it may be, and I’m very excited to share it with you today!

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/krooglik/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurabennett/
https://www.embracepetinsurance.com/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#182: Dan Nitowsky (Tiger21) — Wealth Preservation, Legacy, and Ultra-High-Net-Worth Peer Support

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Dan Nitowsky, Chair of TIGER 21 Cleveland.

Dan, like me is a native New Yorker who has made Cleveland his home & has spent 30 years here in Cleveland as a highly accomplished executive with a proven history of success in distribution and manufacturing, with leadership roles in the Electrical Distribution industry — where expanded Mars Electric from one single location to 11 locations through Northeast Ohio and grew sales from under $10 million to over $53 million. This was all prior to his work in peer-group leadership, where his expertise led him to be a Peer Advisory Group Chair for Vistage Worldwide — one of the world’s largest executive coaching organizations for small and mid-sized businesses — in addition to his current work as the inaugural Chair for TIGER 21’s Cleveland Chapter.

TIGER 21 is the premier peer membership organization for ultra-high-net-worth individuals. The organization has over 1,400 members with over $20 million in investable assets, respectively, across over 50 cities worldwide, and it has more than $160 billion in personal assets collectively.

In his role as a Chair for TIGER 21 in this inaugural Cleveland Chapter, Dan facilitates a trusted and confidential community of entrepreneurs here that provides Members with their board of directors and helps facilitate learning and conversation for those who are motivated to grow and protect their wealth while building a lasting legacy.

In our conversation, we explore what professional peer groups even are, the unique challenges that come after a major financial liquidity event, solutions for a balanced life, what kind of thought is afforded to legacy, how to instill good grounded values into your children with extraordinary family wealth, insights around wealth preservation, and many more esoteric topics discussed by TIGER 21 members.

This is a fascinating discussion behind the scenes of what can transpire for those on the other side of entrepreneurial success and wealth

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LINKS:
https://tiger21.com/locations/cleveland/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dnitowsky/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#181: Fred DiSanto (Ancora) — Connecting Dots, Activist Investing, Mentorship, and Deal Making

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Fred DiSanto, Chairman and CEO of Ancora — the Cleveland-based investment firm with nearly $10B in assets under management and over 100 employees — which he’s led since 2006!

Before Ancora, Fred had an expansive investing career, most recently overseeing investment management, private banking, and Trust and Banking Services at Fifth Third Bank. Fifth Third Bank acquired Maxus Investment Group in 2001, which previously merged with Gelfand Partners Asset Management back in 1997, where Fred served as Managing Partner.

Today, Fred sits on the boards of Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation (AP), The Eastern Company (EML), and Regional Brands, Inc. (RGBD). He is the former Chair of the Board of Regents of St. Ignatius High School in Ohio City, the former Chair and current Trustee of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, and the current Chair of the Board of Trustees at Case Western Reserve University where he also earned his Bachelor’s and MBA!

This conversation is full of wisdom and amazing stories from Fred — we cover the influence of his competitive spirit, the business of activist investing — specifically exploring Fred’s approach through the lens of Ancora’s recent campaign to seat directors at Norfolk Southern in the wake of the catastrophic train derailment incident in East Palestine, Ohio — the lost of art of hand-written notes, lessons learned from his mentors, the power of employee ownership and incentives in driving behavior and outcomes, the importance of dot connecting, effective deal-making, and so much more!

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LINKS:
https://ancora.net/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddisanto/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#180: Taylor Evans (Rust Belt Recruiting) — Talent, Reindustrialization, and Manufacturing Recruiting

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Taylor Evans — Founder and President of Rust Belt Recruiting, a leading local manufacturing recruiting agency, which also hosts a kindred-spirit podcast to Lay Of The Land, called Rust Belt Rundowns, where they are amplifying the stories of local manufacturing executives and leaders across Northeast Ohio.

Today's conversation explores Taylor’s path to entrepreneurship grounded in his passions for economic and social impact, workforce development, and community revitalization.

We’ll unpack the rich industrious history of the Rust Belt and Northeast Ohio, the 20th century hollowing out of that capacity, and the current signs of a manufacturing renaissance and return to skilled trades across manufacturing and light industrials! We talk about the differences in staffing and recruiting, the importance of brand, the power of business operating systems like EOS, the entrepreneurial operating system, and other macro topics like upskilling & re-shoring, all through the lens of building Rust Belt Recruiting and the learnings Taylor has acquired building over time!

Outside of his work as a founder, Taylor is actively plugged in civically via the Council of Smaller Enterprises — the small business group of Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) — as the chair of COSE’s small business Caucus and Vice Chair of COSE’s board of advisors, in addition to his work on the Talent Development Council of Team NEO. I enjoyed hearing Taylor’s perspective on the future of manufacturing in Ohio and Rust Belt Recruiting’s role in it.

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorevans1/
https://www.instagram.com/rustbeltrecruiting/
https://rustbeltrecruiting.com/
https://rustbeltrecruiting.com/podcast/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

[Bonus] Weekly Impact: Craig Hassall (Playhouse Square), IoVs and, Innovation Summit

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 11:09:10 -0400

My guests this week are my friends and partners over at Impact Architects —who many of you will note are the longest-time supporters of Lay of The Land and the community building work we’re doing together — Kris Snyder and Jim Haviland who’ve spent over a decade together as serial entrepreneurs building companies like Ninety, Vox, and Impact Architects here in Cleveland.

For the last year or so: Kris, Jim, and I have sat down to to debrief Lay of The Land episodes after they are published — I’ve always been so enamored by the insights Jim and Kris have been able to extract from each episode, I’ve come to look forward to their learnings and musings like I do from my favorite podcasts that I listen to. So I’m thrilled to announce here that they’ve opened up these insights and weekly debriefs in the form of a video podcast so that more people can tune in and benefit from them!

Available now, you can join their quick discussions, debrief of Lay of The Land, and recapping other developments in Cleveland’s entrepreneurial community going forward.

In this week's episode, I’m republishing their account of Craig Hassall — CEO of Playhouse Square and Lay of The Land’s 175th conversation.

Weekly Impact by Lay of The Land is linked in today’s show notes and I’d encourage you to search for it in your podcast player now and subscribe not to miss episodes like this one and others like their reflections on Matt Buder Shapiro — Lay of The Land’s 14th and 170th episodes — who’s company Vytalize health was just ranked Number 1 on the 2024 Inc 5000 list, as the fastest growing company in the country with $1.5 billion in revenue last year, a three-year top line growth of 90,778 percent, and that is not a typo.

So with that, please enjoy Weekly Impact with Kris Snyder and Jim Haviland.

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Takeaways

Changing the negative perception of Cleveland and embracing its rich history and authenticity is crucial for the city's growth and success.
Cities go through cyclical phases, and it's important to focus on a gentle rise rather than boom and bust cycles.
Intentional introductions of value, infused with context and trust, can lead to meaningful connections and collaborations.
Building high-trust relationships requires frequency, depth, and duration in conversations.
Upcoming events like the Cleveland Innovation Summit provide opportunities for networking and learning from successful entrepreneurs.

Sound Bites

"Outside of maybe the US, no one thinks of Cleveland that way."
"Every city has some cycles. I think he was advocating that we're probably on the upcycle."
"Your purpose should be expansive as you want because you're not going to over-accomplish your purpose."

Chapters

Introduction and Non-Traditional Entrepreneurial Journeys

Authenticity and Active Pride in Cleveland

The Cyclical Nature of Cities

Intentional Introductions of Value and Building Trust

Upcoming Events in Cleveland

This week's Lay of the Land episode reviewed:
https://www.layoftheland.fm/175-craig-hassall-playhouse-square-inspire-the-world-clevelands-artistic-renaissance/

Other Lay of the Land Episodes mentioned:
https://www.layoftheland.fm/15-justin-bibb-mayor-of-cleveland/
https://www.layoftheland.fm/20-mac-anderson-cleveland-kitchen/
https://www.layoftheland.fm/86-dallas-hogensen-felux/
https://www.layoftheland.fm/14
https://www.layoftheland.fm/170

Other References:
https://www.onesixone.ventures/

#178: Jared Anderson & Sandor Gyerman (Andor Creative) — 100M+ Organic Views, Gen Z Marketing, and Social Media Authenticity

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 02:00:00 -0400

Sandor Gyerman and Jared Anderson, the dynamic co-founders of Andor Creative.

Founded in 2018 when they were Sophomores at Cleveland State University, Andor Creative was born to find more innovative ways to produce advertising and marketing content for companies, bridging the gap between Gen Z and established businesses in Greater Cleveland.

Since inception, their campaigns have generated over 100 million organic views across various social media platforms and their impressive and growing list of over 50 clients includes industry giants like Mercedes Benz USA, Nissan, and Volvo USA, to prominent individuals including a dozen NFL players, all from their office in Downtown Cleveland.

In our conversation, we'll explore the origins of their friendship, the influence of D1 collegiate sports on their approach to business, hustling door to door to get the business off the ground, the influence Cleveland has had on their work, their creative process, their takes on Gen Z, how to break through the noise and stay relevant and authentic in the ever-changing world of social media, and lots more!

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LINKS:
https://andorcreative.com/home
https://www.instagram.com/andorcreative/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandor-gyerman-108979172/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-anderson-03a1ba161/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#177: Joshua Edmonds (DigitalC) — Bridging the Digital Divide in Cleveland & Internet as a Human Right

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 03:41:00 -0400

Joshua Edmonds, CEO of DigitalC.

The digital divide — this gap between people who have access to the internet and those who do not — is something you may have heard me bring up a few times before on this podcast — while not uniquely a Cleveland issue, Cleveland historically has been one of the most challenged connected large cities in the country with roughly 35% of Cleveland households lacking at-home internet access.

DigitalC, a non-profit based in Hough right in midtown Cleveland, was founded in 2015 to bridge this digital divide and build out a citywide network infrastructure to ensure an equitable digital future for Clevelanders. To this end, with the backing of the Ohio Department of Development’s BroadbandOhio, The City of Cleveland, and other funders — DigitalC has conditionally secured over $30mm in funding to offer affordable, fast, and reliable connectivity to the city.

Joshua came to lead DigitalC after serving as the first municipal Director of Digital Inclusion at the City of Detroit, where he established the Office of Digital Inclusion (ODI), developed Detroit’s first municipal fiber optic broadband plan, oversaw the deployment of over $70 million dollars to bolster digital equity in Detroit, testified in front of congress on the matter and established a 600+member public-private partnership to the same end.

Joshua had made his way to Detroit, originally by way of Cleveland after serving as a Digital Innovation Fellow at the Cleveland Foundation. He returned to Cleveland in 2022 to help DigitalC reorient around realizing its immediate goals of enrolling roughly 25,000 Cleveland households in Canopy, DigitalC’s $18 per month internet plan offering upload and download speeds of 100 megabits per second.

This was an awesome conversation! We cover internet connectivity as a basic human right, the history and evolution of the digital divide and digital redlining in Cleveland, the importance of digital literacy beyond mere access to the internet, how DigitalC plans to make this a reality, the opportunity for Cleveland to set an aspirational example for other cities on how to bridge the digital divide, and Joshua’s journey throughout all of this.

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LINKS:

Connect with Joshua Edmonds on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua234/en
Connect with Joshua Edmonds on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shua_dishon/

DigitalC: https://digitalc.org/
Canopy: https://digitalc.org/canopy
- Twitter: https://x.com/DigitalC_org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalc_org/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#176: Mike Malley (Malley’s Chocolates) — Coco, Milk, Sugar, and Cleveland

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Mike Malley, President and CEO of Malley's Chocolates.

If you grew up in northeast Ohio it’s very likely you know of Malley’s Chocolates, a staple of this community, providing delicious chocolate candies & treats for over eight decades now with nearly two dozen retail stores across the region and a modern chocolate-making 60,000 sq foot factory off Brookpark Road in Southwest Cleveland!

Under Mike’s leadership, the company has not only preserved its cherished traditions, but also embraced innovation and growth as it approaches its 90th anniversary.

In this very fun and insightful conversation, we'll dive into the fascinating history of Malley's Chocolates from its roots in the mid-1930s, explore the challenges and dynamics of running a family business over multiple generations, cultivating Malley Moments, the decision to raise outside private capital in 2023 to expand the business, how Mike thinks about legacy, Cleveland, and a whole lot more!

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LINKS:
https://malleys.com/
https://www.instagram.com/Malleyschocolate/
https://x.com/MalleysCHOC

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#175: Craig Hassall (Playhouse Square) — Surprise & Inspire the World — Cleveland’s Artistic Renaissance

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Craig Hassall, CEO of Playhouse Square

Craig is a mainstay in the international theater community, with decades of experience operating and curating the most prestigious venues across Europe and Australia. Over his career, in addition to his role as CEO of the Royal Albert Hall in London, he was also CEO of Opera Australia which oversees the Sydney Opera House, and he was the managing director of the English National Ballet. He also held senior roles for major projects including the 2000 and 2012 Olympic Games in Sydney and London, respectively, in addition to many other endeavors!

In 2022, Craig was named as the new President and CEO of Playhouse Square — one of the world's premier arts districts & second largest performing arts center in the United States, outside of NYC. Playhouse Square has an amazing history here in Cleveland dating back to the early 1920’s, and today is home to a plethora of resident organizations:

The City Club of Cleveland,
Cleveland Ballet,
Cleveland International Film Festival,
Cleveland Play House,
Cleveland State University Department of Theatre and Dance,
DANCECleveland,
Great Lakes Theater
Tri-C JazzFest,

...and more — in addition to its role as one of Broadway’s premier touring partners.

I loved the opportunity to sit down with Craig — as a fellow non-native-Clevelander, it’s always fun to find a kindred spirit with a shared appreciation for this city, the excellence within it, and the opportunity ahead of it, on a world stage. In this great conversation, Craig and I unpack his love for performance arts, the arc of his professional career and his path to Cleveland, the history and state of Playhouse Square today, and his ambitious vision for the future.

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LINKS:
https://www.playhousesquare.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-hassall-4bb7469/
https://www.instagram.com/playhousesquare

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#174: Keith Gerchak & Marisa Guterman (Lost & Found In Cleveland) — The Making of a New American Fable on Hope & the Post-Industrial American Dream in the Industrial Midwest

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 02:00:00 -0400

Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman — Founders @ Double G Films

This is a truly special episode — I always love exploring the parallels between entrepreneurship and art and in our conversation today, we get to explore the fascinating journey behind 'Lost and Found in Cleveland,' the upcoming feature film and brainchild of Keith and Marisa, which brings the captivating magic of antique appraisals to the big screen through the powerful narratives of five individuals in quest of the American Dream, all grounded in the post-industrial landscape of Cleveland, Ohio

The film showcases a diverse set of historical Cleveland locations and boasts an all-star cast including Emmy and Golden Globe winner Martin Sheen (Grace and Frankie), Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (Far from Heaven), Oscar nominee June Squibb (Nebraska), Golden Globe winner Stacy Keach (Nebraska), Independent Spirit Award winner Yvette Yates Redick (Inherent Vice) and Tony Award winner Santino Fontana (Broadway’s Tootsie).

In our conversation, we dive into Keith and Marisa’s upbringing, the intersection of their professional paths & the creation of their production company, Double G Films. We spend the bulk of conversation though on the decade-long creative process to bring this film to life — from writing, directing, fundraising, casting, and beyond — and the unique role Cleveland plays both in their art and in their personal lives, the tactical challenges of making a film, the power of storytelling, and a whole lot more!

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#173: Mitchell Vargo (Forward Hospitality Group) — The Business of Hospitality & Entertainment in Cleveland

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0400

Mitchell Vargo, Partner at Forward Hospitality Group.

Since its founding in 2015, the Cleveland-based Hospitality Group has built out unique entertainment, bar, and restaurant experiences locally and all across the country — from here in Cleveland to Chicago, Miami, and beyond!

The breadth of concepts spans FWD — the large-scale day and nightclub built on a shipyard in the East Flats with a quintessential Cleveland industrial backdrop, coined the Ibiza of the midwest and pulling some of the largest names from EDM and beyond, like Rick Ross, DeadMau5, Steve Aoki, Afrojack and more … also my personal favorite. Across the spectrum, Forward has built out Goodnight John Boy, the 70’s-themed disco bar, Welcome to the Farm, a Nashville-inspired country music bar, Shake It, a casual burger joint, and lots more.

This conversation was a lot of fun — Mitch and I unpack the intersection of hospitality and entrepreneurship, the perception, branding and evolution of Cleveland as a city, the business of nightlife, Mitch’s path to this line of work and how he manages himself and others through it, and a whole lot more!

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LINKS:

Forward Hospitality Group: https://www.forwardhg.com/
FWD Day + Nightclub: https://www.forwardhg.com/fwd-day-nightclub
Goodnight John Boy: https://goodnightjb.com/

Follow on Instagram:

Connect with Mitch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchell-vargo/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#172: Ian Maurer (GenomOncology) — Precision Oncology, Convergence of Genomics & AI, and Improving Cancer Care

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Ian Maurer — Chief Technology Officer at GenomOncology and co-lead of the Cancer Informatics for Cancer Centers’ AI working group.

With over two decades of software experience, Ian has led GenomOncology — a Cleveland-based software company — in their pursuit to provide the healthcare community with data-driven insights to improve cancer care and strengthen precision oncology programs by transforming valuable, but unusable data, into actionable oncology treatment options and strategic insights.

Founded back in 2012 and backed by Cleveland-local investors like JumpStart, NorthCoast Ventures, and Zapis Capital, GenomOncology was early to understand the implications of the convergence of genomics and artificial intelligence as it applies to oncology and Ian has been pivotal in architecting and creating their precision oncology platform to this end.

This was an incredibly insightful and informative discussion — Ian lays out the state of precision oncology and cancer care, how the field has progressed over time, the founding and evolution of GenomOncology to meliorate this space, solving hard problems, building in Cleveland, the ever-changing frontiers of AI and genomics, exponential technology, and a whole lot more!

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LINKS:

Ian Maurer's Personal Website: https://imaurer.com/
Connect with Ian Maurer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianmaurer/
Follow Ian Maurer on Twitter/X: https://x.com/imaurer

GenomOncology: https://www.genomoncology.com/
Follow GenomOncology on Twitter/x: https://x.com/GenomOncology

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#171: Umberto Fedeli Round II — Lifelong Learning, Happiness, Wealth, and Investing

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Umberto P. Fedeli — Founder, President, and CEO of The Fedeli Group

I first had the opportunity to speak with Umberto on this podcast just over a year ago! At the time, our conversation extended far beyond what we were able to include in the original episode exploring his Italian heritage & Cleveland upbringing, the evolution of his career, life philosophies, the power of networking & connecting people, and his approach to business as both an investor and entrepreneur as the founder of one of the largest risk management and insurance firms in Ohio — to set the right context for today’s conversation, I’d encourage you to listen to Umberto share his perspective on Lay of The Land’s 135th episode.

In our conversation today, we pick up where we left off and continue to unpack Umberto’s abundance of wisdom, earned learnings, and insights over his career and life—spanning themes from investing, commitment to lifelong learning, character & personal growth, happiness, fulfillment & significance, money & motivation, purpose & meaning, giving back and lots more!

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LINKS:
Learn more about The Fedeli Group — https://www.thefedeligroup.com/
Follow the Fedeli Group on Twitter — https://twitter.com/TheFedeliGroup

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#170: Matt Buder Shapiro Round II — Investing in Cleveland, Storytelling, and Reflections on Vytalize Health's MedPilot Acquisition

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 03:00:00 -0400

Matt Buder Shapiro — Chief Marketing Officer at Vytalize Health, Previously Founder at MedPilot (Acquired)

I first spoke to Matt on this podcast 3 years ago. At the time, as a co-founder and chief marketing officer of MedPilot, he was navigating an acquisition to Vytalize Health after having built the company to help service over a million patients. I said at the time that Matt’s journey is a big win for Cleveland startups and the ecosystem writ large, and today’s conversation underlines that point.

Three years on and proudly part of Vytalize Health, Matt serves as Vytalize’s Chief Marketing Officer, which has now raised over $200mm in funding to fuel their revenue growth of over 150,000% as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country in pursuit of their mission to accelerate the transition to value-based care for patients by taking care of the doctors who take care of us.

From this new vantage point, we talk about how Matt navigated the acquisition, the lessons learned along the way, the power of storytelling, collaborating with other local founders — like Mac Anderson from Cleveland Kitchen (Episode #20) and Andre Cisco, Manager of MGK and XX Brands (Episode #162) — to invest in over 30 other founders over the last few years, working on Mayor Justin Bibb’s campaign & term (Episode #15), his perspective on Cleveland and a whole lot more.

If you want to go deeper on the specifics of MedPilot and Matt’s background, I’d encourage you to listen to him break it down on Lay of The Land’s 14th episode.

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LINKS:
Follow Matt Buder Shapiro on X: https://x.com/mbudershapiro
Connect with Matt Buder Shapiro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattbudershapiro/
Vytalize Health: https://www.vytalizehealth.com/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#169: Aaron Slodov (Atomic Industries) — Techno-Industrial Optimism and Exascaling American Manufacturing

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 03:00:00 -0400

Aaron Slodov — CEO of Atomic Industries, a company he co-founded back in 2019 and has raised over $20 million from leading investors like Toyota Ventures, Impatient Ventures, Narya Capital, 8090 Industries, and others!

Atomic is on a mission to exascale the American manufacturing sector, starting with making tool and die-making orders of magnitude easier and faster through advanced automation.

Through the lens of Aaron’s underlying techno-industrialist philosophy, we’ll unpack what exascaling our industrial base even means, confronting the post-industrial myth and the rich history of manufacturing in Ohio, the opportunity for technology and the implications of automation in building physical things, why more young smart ambitious people should consider careers in manufacturing and heavy industry relative to software-as-a-service companies, the pursuit of Monozukuri, Atomic Industries role to play in all of this, and a whole lot more.

(You can find a link to Aaron’s techno-industrialist manifesto, published in February of 2024 in the show-notes to this episode)

Prior to Atomic, Aaron studied physics in college, pursued a PhD in power systems engineering where he focused on electrical grid infrastructure and energy storage systems, had a stint at Google as an Operations Engineer, and then went on in 2014 to co-found Remesh, an AI-market-research startup, which has gone on to raise over $40mm in funding.

This was one of my favorite conversations on the podcast so far — Aaron’s passion for applying technology to solve big-picture social and scientific problems and his ambition to build companies to that end is inspiring!

(As a disclaimer to this episode, I am personally a small investor in Atomic Industries)

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#168: Darren Small (Oko) — Simplifying Logistics and Automating Supply Chains

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 30 May 2024 03:00:00 -0400

Darren Small, co-founder and CEO of Oko.

With over a decade of experience on Wall Street, Darren’s analytical background from the world of investment banking, stocks, and data, equipped him with a keen eye for efficiency and growth opportunities which he’s now applied to the world of logistics!

Darren co-founded Oko back in 2021 after witnessing firsthand the transformative power of streamlining logistics operations. Since then, as CEO, Darren has raised $4 million in funding for the business and assembled a team of nimble operators dedicated to revolutionizing trucking operations, delivering greater efficiency throughout the international and middle-mile supply chains with automated solutions to enable businesses to move goods more effectively!

This conversation was a lot of fun — Darren is a deep thinker with a ton of insightful perspectives. We cover his journey to Cleveland, how to effectively pivot, his approach to leadership and cherishing the journey and moments along the way, the implications of automation in our supply chains, and ultimately the future of simplified logistics Darren envisions and Oko’s role in shaping it.

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenallansmall/
https://oko.trade/

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SPONSORS:
Lay of the Land is brought to you by JumpStart, providing services and resources to fuel the growth of technology startups across Ohio. JumpStart’s experienced advisors offer personalized business services to help you overcome challenges and prepare to raise capital. With 1:1 advising, workshops, and accelerator programs, JumpStart has helped thousands of entrepreneurs — many of whom we’ve heard from here on Lay of The Land — transition from the early growth stage to venture-readiness. Additionally, founders can tap into a network of resources in marketing, software development, finance, and talent recruitment to drive their companies forward. To learn more about JumpStart please go to JumpStartInc.org/startups to get started today.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#167: John Kempf (Advancing Eco Agriculture) — Regenerative Agriculture

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 23 May 2024 03:00:00 -0400

John Kempf — founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA), a regenerative agronomy company started back in 2006 to share the knowledge, tools, and systems that regenerate farm profitability, soil health, and plant health, all while reducing the need for fertilizers and pesticides.

Under John’s leadership, AEA has grown to be trusted by over 10,000 growers across the world to deliver exceptional yield and quality improvement results on over 4 million collective acres of fruit, nut, vegetable, and broad acre crops all while profitably generating over $20mm in revenue last year and raising over $2.5 million in crowdfunding.

From a recognition that our existing food system is fundamentally broken, John’s vision is one that agriculture — the source of so many challenges in our world today — has the capacity to be the solution to those very challenges, where the process of growing food regenerates land, revitalizes rural communities, produces food that improves our health, and leads to farming landscapes that are beautiful, vibrant and clean.

In addition to building AEA, John is also the host of the Regenerative Agriculture podcast — one of the leading agriculture podcasts in the country, with millions of downloads— where he interviews leading farmers and scientists on the practices and science that accelerate the healing of soil, crops, livestock, and our relationship to land.

It’s hard not to be inspired after meeting with John — he is clearly pushing the envelope of what is possible and necessary — unaccepting of the status quo and limitations of conventional agriculture; his passion and enthusiasm are infectious and his progress with AEA is more than compelling. This was such a fun and educational conversation — from unpacking the larger concept of regenerative agriculture to hearing about the influence of his Amish upbringing and much more.

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LINKS:
https://johnkempf.com/
https://advancingecoag.com/
https://regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRApdrU3BA0Pzo6MNWTD2jg
https://www.instagram.com/advancingecoag/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#166: Adam Graybill (Journey Biosciences) — Shifting the Future of Diabetes & Care

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 16 May 2024 02:00:00 -0400

Adam Graybill, co-founder and CEO of Journey Biosciences.

With a robust 20-year tenure in the diabetes market, Adam has been at the forefront of assembling purpose-driven teams and forging impactful strategic partnerships across the healthcare landscape; having played an instrumental role in building the Cardinal Health At Home business to a billion-plus dollar entity, ultimately serving over 300,000 individuals with type 1 diabetes each year.

Deeply understanding of the demands and burden that come with managing a chronic condition, like a diabetes diagnosis, Adam co-founded Journey Biosciences with Dr. Paul Beisswenger to positively impact the >20 million diabetes patients in the US, and ~37 million Americans who suffer from chronic kidney disease.

Journey Biosciences has launched the first predictive screening for people with diabetes that identifies patients at risk of chronic kidney disease before any clinical signs or symptoms, allowing clinicians to then take swift, targeted action with intensive interventions, resulting in life-saving and cost-saving benefits. Technically NaviDKD is Journey Bioscience’s clinically validated and CPT code-certified screening for adult diabetes patients — it utilizes measurements of AGEs, A1C, eGFR, and other personal information — providing insight into long-term complications of diabetes, blood glucose levels over time, and overall kidney function — to stratify individuals into three distinct risk categories

This was an awesome conversation — Adam is incredibly passionate about meliorating the lives of individuals affected by chronic health conditions and it was inspiring to hear how he’s built Journey Biosciences to that end. We cover his motivations, doing the work you're meant to be doing, the journey of Journey Biosciences, and a whole lot more!

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgraybill/
https://www.journeybio.life/
https://www.instagram.com/journeybio.life/
https://twitter.com/journeybio

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#165: Phil Londrico (Jatango) — Livestream Shopping — Fostering Intimacy & Connection in E-Commerce

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 09 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Phil Londrico, Founder & CEO of JaTango — an interactive broadcasting and e-commerce platform that gives individuals the power to host their own live shopping channel anywhere.

For many years now, we’ve seen e-commerce grow, sparking an entire industry of new brands, channels, and technology stacks. Today, everything from a legacy department store to your local grocery store to a faraway fashion boutique is “online” and at your fingertips. But the actual experience of shopping hasn’t changed very much. We still generally begin browsing with a specific item in mind and it all feels pretty transactional. Traditional e-commerce platforms often fail to deliver that joy of discovery you feel when shopping in person.

This is what makes livestream shopping, which has already gone mainstream in China, fueling over $150 billion in Gross Merchandise Value… so fascinating. With that in mind — JaTango, based here in Cleveland, is bringing that intimacy and connection to the buying experience through their own immersive liveshopping — taking the best of the analog television shopping “buy now!” experiences and putting it into the hands of DIY sellers.

Phil has long been a visionary, growing up in his family business as one of the largest growers of Christmas Trees in the USA, responsible for many millions in annual revenue securing major national chains, including Walmart, Central Hardware, Tractor Supply, Handy Andy, and many more. As head of IT Development, he created, produced, and patented a mechanical product that was extensively sold in national chain stores, including Walmart, K-mart, and AAA Travel Agency.

In 2006, Phil was early to envision streaming entertainment, co-founding Rock Me TV, one of the first internet television networks.

This conversation was a ton of fun — Phil is full of energy and passion for bringing people together through commerce and breaking down the barriers between buyers and sellers — We cover what it’s been like building on the frontier of technology, the importance of timing, lessons learned from his family business, the future of commerce, and lots more!

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LINKS:
https://jatango.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillondrico/

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#164: Dr. James Kenyon (NASA Glenn) — To the Moon, Mars and Beyond, From Cleveland — The Future of Aviation & Space Exploration

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 02 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Dr. James Kenyon, Director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio

The road to the Moon goes through Cleveland. With a budget of approximately $900 million, a staff of more than 3,200 civil servants, over 725 patents, and over 120 R&D 100 Awards, Glenn — under Dr. Kenyon's leadership and in accordance with NASA's mandates — is providing integral support to Artemis, NASA’s mission to return us to the Moon, overseeing the service module that will propel the Orion Space Capsule out of Earth’s orbit and around the Moon.

Founded in 1941, Glenn Research Center has led NASA’s electric propulsion development efforts and been integral in many of NASA’s most famous missions transforming aviation and space exploration — from Mercury and Apollo to the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station; playing important roles in robotic exploration missions, including the Mars rovers and Cassini’s mission to Saturn.

Prior to becoming Glenn’s director. Dr. Kenyon served as director of the Advanced Air Vehicles Program in the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) at NASA Headquarters in Washington, led advanced programs and technology at Pratt & Whitney, and worked for 17 years in the Department of Defense where he was responsible for strategic planning, policy guidance and management oversight of DoD aerospace science and technology programs.

This conversation tapped into my latent childhood love and curiosity for exploring the great cosmos around spaceship Earth — Dr. Kenyon and I explore his passion for aerospace and path to NASA, the history and evolution of the Glenn Research Center, and its significant impact here in Cleveland, his reflections on leadership, decision making and talent, and ultimately what’s on the horizon, for exploring the unknown in both air and space.

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LINKS:
Connect with Dr. James Kenyon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kenyon-204174172
NASA's Office of STEM Engagement: https://www.nasa.gov/glenn-stem/

NASA's Internships: https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/internship-programs/

Doing Business with NASA Glenn: https://www.nasa.gov/glenn-business-and-partnerships/
NASA Glenn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nasaglenn/
NASA Glenn's X: https://twitter.com/NASAglenn

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#163: Ryan McManus (SHARE Mobility) — Mobility as a Service & The Future of Transportation

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Ryan McManus — founder and CEO of SHARE Mobility

Ryan is passionate about solving workforce and rural mobility challenges, creating and affording equitable access to transportation, and ultimately changing the way people actually commute.

To this end, SHARE Mobility, which raised over $12 million in funding from investors like JumpStart Ventures here in Cleveland, JobsOhio, Iron Gate Capital, Seamless Capital, and Venn Ventures among others, is a mobility-as-a-service platform empowering companies and municipalities to seamlessly implement a new transportation program or optimize existing ones as part of an employee benefits program.

Practically, this has resulted in exciting mobility programs and pilots like one with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's (GCRTA) to expand equitable access to employment opportunities in Solon for all the Greater Cleveland region, providing first and last-mile ridings from public transit centers to employment sites.

In a world where many frontline workers don't have access to a car and we’re increasingly thinking about mobility holistically, Ryan has a fascinating and unique perspective on autonomous vehicles, connected car innovations, multimodal transportation, the transition to mobility subscriptions from car ownership, what mobility-as-a-service even is, and a whole lot more. I enjoyed getting to learn from Ryan about where this space is headed, SHARE Mobility’s role in shaping it, and his reflections on entrepreneurship.

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LINKS:
https://www.sharemobility.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanpmcmanus/
https://twitter.com/rynmcmns

https://twitter.com/ridewithshare
https://www.instagram.com/ridewithshare

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

[REWIND] #89: Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland) — Local Journalism in Cleveland

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Today we’re running a replay of one of my favorite conversations from 2022 with Lila Mills of Signal Cleveland. Since we last spoke, Signal Cleveland has continuously produced reliable daily journalism across a plethora of local topics and built Cleveland Documenters, a group of nearly 700 greater Cleveland residents, representing nearly every zip code in the county, who are trained and paid to cover public meetings.

Additionally, launched in December 2023, Signal Akron joined Signal Cleveland as the 2nd newsroom within the Signal Ohio network of independent and community-led non-profit newsrooms — now representative of one of the largest local nonprofit news startups in the country with more than 20 staff and over $15 million raised so far.

I have a deep-rooted belief in the importance of local storytelling, as a way to inspire, educate, and build community locally; it’s one of the many reasons I love doing Lay of The Land, and it’s why I think this conversation about Signal Cleveland resonates so broadly and why I’ve become such an advocate and supporter for the work they’re doing — what local storytelling is to the community, local journalism is to democracy and society overall!

Lila has been working in community and media for more than 20 years. She most recently spent almost 11 years with the nationally-recognized community building program Neighborhood Connections where her work ranged from editing a community newspaper to serving as associate director. Prior to that, Mills was a student newspaper advisor at Cuyahoga Community College and a reporter at the Plain Dealer. Born and raised on the southeast side of Cleveland, Lila is a first-generation college graduate with degrees from Columbia University.

From 2000 to 2020, the newspaper industry's advertising revenue fell by an estimated 80%, from 2000 to 2018, weekday newspaper circulation fell from 55.8 million households to an estimated 28.6 million, 1800 communities have lost their local newsroom since 2004, over 2000 papers have closed since 2004 and there’s been a 60% reduction newsroom jobs since 2008 — needless to say, access to Local News across the country is waning.

Signal Cleveland — a nonprofit initiative formed by The American Journalism Project and a coalition of Ohio-based organizations like the Cleveland Foundation, the John S. And James L. Knight Foundation, Sisters of Charity Foundation, the Visible Voice Charitable Fund, and the Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation — aiming to be a trusted source of daily news and information for Greater Clevelanders.

Lila has incredible perspective working through all of the challenges that come with starting a newsroom from scratch with real understanding of the Cleveland nuance — very much enjoyed hearing her thoughts on the whole endeavor and the implications this can have for Cleveland!

Learn more about Signal Cleveland
Learn more about the American Journalism Project
Connect with Lila Mills on LinkedIn
Follow Signal Cleveland on Twitter @signalcleveland
Follow Signal Cleveland on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/signalcleveland/

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjef...

#162: Andre Cisco (MGK's Manager, XX Brands, Dead Logic, 27 Club) — Killing Ordinary, Art & Business

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Andre Cisco — Manager for MGK and XX Brands, Brand Strategist and Investor, co-owner of the 27 Club — the coffee lounge and kitchen here in Cleveland — and Managing Partner at Dead Logic, a marketing strategy and brand management firm.

Andre is a serial entrepreneur with more than 10 years of entertainment, international logistics, and merchandising experience — Invested in wealth building through ownership and community, he is dedicated to creating businesses that disrupt, educate, and enhance opportunities while creating access and equity across industries.

This was such a fun conversation getting to exploring Dre’s upbringing and ties to Cleveland, the intersection of art and business, the history and evolution of his relationship with MGK, starting a label, bringing Drake to Ohio for the first, giving back to the community here in Cleveland, balance, luck, motivations, reinvention, fatherhood and enjoying the journey along the way.

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS:

https://www.instagram.com/andreciscoxx/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrecisco/

https://www.instagram.com/deadlogiccreate/

https://www.deadlogic.co/
https://www.instagram.com/27clubcoffee/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#161: Rick Stockburger (BRITE) — Unleashing the Energy Revolution

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 03:00:00 -0400

Rick Stockburger, CEO of BRITE Energy Innovators.

Located in the City of Warren, just outside Youngstown in the Mahoning Valley, BRITE was founded in 2010 as a non-profit focused on the acceleration of energy technology in Northeast Ohio. Since then, and under Rick’s leadership, BRITE has helped over 600 companies, creating approximately 2100 jobs, and channeling >$250 million dollars into BRITE’s network of companies.

Providing signature start-up programs, a networked ecosystem, and strategic presence to unleash the energy revolution across Ohio, Appalachia, and the Midwest writ large, BRITE serves a variety of clients providing solutions to today’s challenges and defining tomorrow’s opportunities in energy storage, grid resilience, and mobility and transportation.

Rick comes to BRITE as a Northeast Ohio native, a decorated combat veteran serving the US over nearly 7 years in the early 2000s and in operations across the world, as well as a kindred believer to myself, in the power of storytelling, having spearheaded an award-winning “Red, White, and Blueprints: A Rust Belt Documentary” telling the stories of some of the most innovative initiatives, individuals and ideas in the Rust Belt from Detroit to Buffalo to Cleveland and beyond!

This was an awesome conversation — we cover Rick’s journey to BRITE, involving a serendipitous run-in with Dave Grohl (a fellow Warren, Ohio native), Voltage Valley, the dependency and interconnectedness of everything energy, some of the most compelling companies within BRITE’s network, including some who’s stories we’ve shared here on Lay of The Land like LAND energy (back on Episode 48), Octet Scientific (back on Episode 118) with their founders, Scott Colosimo and Onas Bolton respectively, changing perceptions about Nuclear, Rick’s learnings along the way, and ultimately the opportunity and ability for this region ability to lead in energy production, electrification of things, and energy storage going.

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS:

https://brite.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickstockburger/

https://twitter.com/BRITEpeople
https://www.instagram.com/britepeople

Red, White, and Blueprints: A Rust Belt Documentary

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#160: Kyle Maggard (Over Easy) — Fixing a Broken Food System & Disrupting Breakfast

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Kyle Maggard, Founder & CEO of Over Easy.

Kyle started OverEasy in the fall of 2018, reflecting on his time as a former college athlete at Westpoint and as an Army Captain where living a healthy and active life wasn’t just his passion, but his job. As a busy father, husband, and entrepreneur, he came to recognize that staying fit and eating healthy were harder than they sounded in his busy lifestyle, and without a convenient and nutritious option to start his day, set out to create one for himself.

Over East started with a year of Kyle iterating and testing different recipes while still at Harvard Business School, until he found the right combination for the company's first product — a delicious, high protein, high fiber oat-based breakfast bar, believing that a good breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Since moving back to Cleveland, Kyle raised $5 million in funding for the business and has grown Over Easy’s distribution across national retailers like Wegmans, Giant Foods, and others including Whole Foods, who was Kyle’s first partner.

While aiming to cater to all consumers, Over Easy found an early niche among both college and professional athletes as collegiate athletic programs were among the brand’s first customers in January 2020 and the bars are now supplied to over 20 NFL locker rooms and a few dozen MLB, NBA, WNBA, and NHL locker rooms.

Kyle exudes passion for the business and for Cleveland — While Over Easy started with a breakfast bar, it is more than apparent after talking with Kyle, even only for a few minutes, that his ambitions to fix a broken food system, starting with breakfast, are far greater and his desire to help build up the Cleveland entrepreneurial community is inspiring. It was a ton of fun to learn from Kyle how he thinks about branding, leadership, quality, excellence, motivations, enjoying the process, his vision for the future, challenges faced along the way, and lots more!

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS:

https://overeasyfoods.com/
https://www.instagram.com/overeasyfoods

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylejmaggard27/

Mitch Kroll's Lay of The Land Episode

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#159: Azadeh Hardiman (Level20 — Progressive Insurance) — Intrapreneurship & New Business Development

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Azadeh Hardiman — Business Leader of Level20, the new business incubator of Progressive Insurance, one of the largest insurance carriers in the US (which was founded and still headquartered here in Cleveland)!

As the new business incubator, Level20 is focused on addressing the unmet needs of current Progressive customers and the general population, by understanding the real problems people face every day, deserving of real solutions. Azadeh and her team drive growth beyond insurance to develop new ideas, products, and services that help these people.

Azadeh joined Progressive in 2015 as a Director where she led the user experience strategy and design for several large-scale digital customer initiates; introduced product design tools and internal processes to Progressive; and grew the team to include digital product strategy, design, copywriting, and analytics.

Before joining Progressive, Azadeh was a founding member of mPortal, a start-up technology company that focused on a single idea: people will want to use data on phones (note: seven years before the iPhone was introduced). As part of the founding team, she wore many hats including operations, product management, business development, and marketing as she helped grow mPortal into a profitable company in less than three years and worked on product strategy for companies such as Verizon, Disney, ESPN, Time Warner, Comcast, Reliance, and Telus.

In addition to her work at Progressive and Level20, Azadeh, who’s based in Shaker Heights with her husband and three children, has served in leadership roles on several nonprofit boards and is currently on the Board of The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio and President of the UVA Alumni Club for Northeast Ohio.

In our conversation today, we peel back the curtain on what "intrapreneurship" looks like, comparing and contrasting what it’s like to build a traditional startup vs. innovating from within a large corporate organization, the kinds of initiatives Level20 has taken on thus far and the work still to be done — from home maintenance to flexible term life insurance, to financial wellness offerings, their presence here in Cleveland, her reflections on leadership and growth, and a whole lot more.

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/azadeh-hardiman/
https://www.level20.com/
https://www.progressive.com/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#158: Nick Dadas (University Tees, SISU Lifestyle, Acton Academy Lakeside, ISI, MasterPlan Coach)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Nick Dadas — Co-Founder of University Tees, SISU Lifestyle, Acton Academy Lakeside, ISI, and MasterPlan Coach.

In 2003, still a sophomore at Miami University, Nick co-founded University Tees after trying to organize a t-shirt order for his business fraternity and becoming frustrated with his experience; so he and his co-founder, Joe, decided there had to be a better way and like all good entrepreneurs, they started their own company. Since then, University Tees has gone on to grow into the premier custom apparel brand for the college market with over 700 campus managers at over 300 colleges nationwide, over 150 full-time employees, and with expanded capabilities for the corporate market where they’ve built a reputation for excellence, servicing large-scale distributors and retail programs at volume across the country from their brand new full-service production facility in Cleveland.

In addition:

Nick founded SISU Lifestyle, a leading Sauna manufacturing company and brand focused on affording the best sauna experience possible.
He founded the Acton Academy Lakeside, a one-room schoolhouse for the 21st century and for his own 3 children and other families who share this desire for an innovative approach to education.
He founded The ISI Life (standing for Iron Sharpens Iron), where he hosts a podcast of his own and has built a community for men in pursuit of developing habits for success, establishing life-giving relationships, and building momentum towards a life of excellence
He founded MasterPlan Coach, a comprehensive executive coaching program for entrepreneurs seeking to achieve authentic success across their personal and professional life.

All in, Nick is a true entrepreneur, applying his problem-solving mindset to all aspects of life and thematically tying his work together to a foundational principle of Developing People and Changing Lives — a topic which we’ll unpack in our conversation today. This was such an engaging conversation — Nick is intentional and full of wisdom and candor; it was a real joy getting to hear his story and reflections.

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS
Connect with Nick Dadas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-dadas-7623534/
Follow Nick Dadas on X: https://twitter.com/nickdadas

University Tees: https://universitytees.com/

Follow University Tees on X: https://www.twitter.com/universitytees
Follow University Tees on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/universitytees/

SISU: https://sisulifestyle.com/pages/our-story

Acton Academy Lakeside: https://actonlakeside.com/about/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#157: Reilly Berk (Berk Enterprises) — 3rd Generation Entrepreneurship

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0500

Reilly Berk, CEO of Berk Enterprises.

Founded back in 1946 by her grandparents, Suzanne and Harold Berk, Berk Enterprises boasts a diverse history that began with the creation of the "QuicKill" insecticide and the subsequent founding of Berk Exterminating Company in Warren, Ohio. Evolving, the company expanded its ventures into numismatics, leading to the Warren Coin Shop, and later transformed into Berk Paper and Supply, carrying janitorial products such as tissues, napkins, and paper towels. In 1976, Berk Paper and Supply evolved into Berk Enterprises, when the company underwent transformative changes, introducing innovations like the novelty drinkware line for the concession industry and the Environ product line which consists of earth-friendly alternatives.

Today Berk Enterprises, Inc. maintains an impressive catalog of over 4,000 food service disposables such as plastic cutlery, straws, cups, to-go containers, and much more as they service over 3,000 different customers, including some of the largest restaurant chains, as well as schools, entertainment venues. theaters, stadiums, and fairs, in addition to supplying the nation's largest food service distributors with multiple distribution centers across the country.

Guided by familial dedication, Reilly, who was recently recognized by Forbes as a 30 under 30 in Cleveland, now serves as the CEO of Berk Enterprises, overseeing over 115 employees and with a drive and vision to continue to shape the industry with Berk Enterprises’ legacy, values, and expanding product offerings.

This was a really fun conversation as we unpack what it was like becoming CEO in her early 20s, the history and evolution of the family business, Reilly's perspective on management and leadership, and what is in store for Berk going forward.

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS:

Berk Enterprises: https://berkbrands.com/
Connect with Reilly Berk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reillyberk/

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#156: Mary Cowan (NCS Credit) — 2nd Generation Entrepreneurship & Getting Paid for Work That You Do

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Mary Cowan, the President of NCS Credit, based here in the greater Cleveland area.

The story of NCS Credit is one of family, growth, and success anchored in a belief of uncompromising excellence and ever-advancing technology. Founded in 1970 by Howard V. Cowan as a commercial collection agency, NCS Credit’s goal was to form trusted partnerships and provide exceptional debt recovery services for its clients. In the early 1980s NCS Credit earned a reputation as a leading authority in the corporate credit industry and expanded its services to meet the needs of its credit professionals by adding the Construction, UCC, and Publication Service Groups

Mary joined the company in 1990, shortly after the sudden and tragic death of her father Howard Cowan; The entire family rallied and resolutely continued to pursue Howard’s vision forward.

Today, under Mary’s leadership, NCS Credit serves clients across the US and Canada as a commercial debt recovery service — protecting many billions of dollars over their more than 50 years of service across many industries like manufacturing, construction, food distribution, and energy, in addition to educating thousands of credit professionals — guided by their belief that everyone should get paid for the work that they do

This was a fun and educational conversation for me. Mary talks about the hard things she experienced and navigated as part of her entrepreneurial journey, the trials and tribulations turning around suffering culture, morale, and performance to an organization now recognized seven times over as a Northeast Ohio top workplace, the challenges of being a 2nd generation leader, the power of business operating systems, and a whole lot more.

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS:

Connect with Mary Cowan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-cowan-94b4266/
NCS Credit: https://www.ncscredit.com/

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#155: Ethan Holmes (Holmes Mouthwatering) — Applesauce Done Different

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Ethan Holmes — founder and CEO of Holmes Mouthwatering, a Cleveland-based manufacturer of all-natural applesauce, made with Ohio-grown apples, pears, and local apple cider.

To date, over 50,000 customers have purchased and consumed Holmes’ products, processing over 500,000 pounds of apples and delivering over 250,000 units to consumers across the US. Holmes Mouthwatering applesauce can be found in retailers including Heinen's, Whole Foods Market, Kroger and Giant Eagle, among others.

Inspired by his Grandfather who had always made food at home from scratch, when Ethan was 15 years old, he asked him how to make applesauce and this passion was born. Armed with 100 pounds of apples that his parents gifted him for Christmas, Ethan chopped, cooked, and experimented until his recipe was perfect.

Over a decade later, with national expansion, ~$800,000 in capital from programs like Cleveland Chain Reaction and the Chobani Incubator, it was a ton of fun to hear from Ethan about his journey building Holmes Mouthwatering and the work he’s doing to inspire the next generation of Cleveland entrepreneurs through his own initiative!

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS:

Connect with Ethan Holmes on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-holmes-2b5b0124/
Holmes Mouthwatering: https://holmesmouthwatering.com/
Follow Holmes Mouthwatering on X: https://twitter.com/holmesasauce
Follow Holmes Mouthwatering on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holmesmouthwatering

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#154: Mohamed Kamara (InovCares) — Modernizing Healthcare for Women of Color

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Mohamed Kamara, founder and CEO of InovCares.

Grounded in a sobering reality: The United States has the highest rates of maternal mortality in the industrialized world. In May 2017, having lost both his sister and aunt to preventable pregnancy-related causes, Mo found himself in a place with the motivation and determination to confront this maternal mortality crisis head-on.

Mo ultimately founded InovCares to this end — to address the concerns of women of color who are, unfortunately, often dismissed in healthcare settings. Where in addition, many of them do not receive culturally humble and competent care that promotes trust between patients and providers. The cumulative effect of these dynamics is diminished confidence in healthcare, misdiagnosis, improper treatment, and, ultimately, worse outcomes for women of color and their babies — amounting to over $32B in total maternal morbidity costs across US births.

InovCares’ platform — which has already supported over 5,000 women of color with over 10,000 virtual consultations so far and is backed by organizations like Andreessen Horowitz TxO Fund, Ohio Impact Fund, and Jumpstart Foundry — is designed to minimize common barriers faced by pregnant and post-partum women by reducing costs, wait times and transportation needs, improving patient access to essential testing and prescriptions, providing a range of culturally competent specialists, and empowering and educating patients through easy access to online content.

Mo’s story is incredibly inspiring and it was a real pleasure to learn more about his journey so far.

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SPONSORS: JumpStart

JumpStart
Lay of the Land is brought to you by JumpStart, providing services and resources to fuel the growth of technology startups across Ohio. JumpStart’s experienced advisors offer personalized business services to help you overcome challenges and prepare to raise capital. With 1:1 advising, workshops, and accelerator programs, JumpStart has helped thousands of entrepreneurs — many of whom we’ve heard from here on Lay of The Land — transition from the early growth stage to venture-readiness. Additionally, founders can tap into a network of resources in marketing, software development, finance, and talent recruitment to drive their companies forward. to learn more about JumpStart please go to JumpStartInc.org/startups to get started today.

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LINKS:

InovCares Website: https://www.inovcares.com/
Connect with Mo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamedkamara/
InovCares on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inovcares

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#153: David Tirpak (Miracle K9 Training) — The Business of Dogs

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0500

David Tirpak, founder of Miracle K9 Training — Since founding the company in 2019, David has grown Miracle K9 Training to a thriving 15-person organization, a multi-million-dollar top-line revenue business, and one of the most respected dog training centers in Northeast Ohio!

David's dog training story started when he got his very first dog, Vera. As someone who has never had dogs growing up and didn't really know what he was doing with one, the first logical step seemed like finding a dog trainer to learn everything he could from. After working with three different dog trainers and working under another for over two years, he started to realize that there was a huge gap in the dog training world for true behavioral rehabilitation.

Shortly after David started his first dog training company, Heights Canine Dog Training, he spent the next three years traveling the country to meet other world-renowned dog trainers and dedicated himself to creating dog training programs geared towards helping the everyday dog owner to be successful long term with dogs that have more serious behavioral issues. In those three years, David helped to build Heights Canine into a thriving business with three locations across Ohio gaining national recognition for the work they were doing.

In January 2019, David left the company to get back to what he loves doing — training dogs — and formed Miracle K9 Training, a specialized dog training facility that was first and foremost, a dog training center, which meant more specialized staff, a larger group of trainers, and additional services like daycare, boarding, and grooming that have an emphasis on keeping the dogs mentally stimulated and structured during their stay.

David (recent Forbes 30 Under 30 Cleveland winner) has such a genuine passion and enthusiasm for this work, it was a real joy to learn more about his journey, philosophy on dogs, growth as an entrepreneur, and impact here in Northeast Ohio.

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS:

https://miraclek9training.com/
tiktok.com/@miraclek9training
instagram.com/miraclek9training
facebook.com/miraclek9training
twitter.com/davidmiraclek9

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#152: Jim Pshock (Bravo Wellness)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0500

Jim Pshock, Founder of Bravo Wellness, which he successfully exited to Medical Mutual in 2020.

After 20 years working in the insurance industry, Jim observed a need and a niche for employee wellness incentives, as health claims data indicated that the vast majority of healthcare spending is related to lifestyle-influenced & largely preventable claims. Health risks such as obesity, tobacco use, and low participation in health screenings that provide early detection of problems were directly correlated with rising costs in healthcare and a poorer quality of life for millions of people.

In 2008, Jim founded Bravo Wellness to improve these lifestyle numbers, saving all parties involved a significant amount of money and improving and extending the lifespans of participating people by offering an outcomes and progress-based-incentive-program that rewards those achieving health goals and provides alternatives for those who are medically unable to meet those goals.

From inception to acquisition, Jim grew Bravo Wellness to serve over 2 million members nationally with over 175 employees, 150 of which were here in Cleveland.

This was an awesome conversation and Jim is an awesome person — we cover everything from the wisdom of lessons learned in kindergarten, to the power of incentives in everyday life, post-acquisition reflections, to what Jim is focused on now, with the bandwidth to invest in other entrepreneurs, advise, consult and be intentional about his work as he spends more time with his family.

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-pshock-0343a0a/

https://www.medmutual.com/

https://www.bravowell.com/

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#151: Kaleb Dumot (Integrity Power Search)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 03:00:00 -0500

Kaleb Dumot — founder of Integrity Power Search here in Cleveland, a boutique search firm for technology companies all across the US and Canada.

Since starting Integrity Power Search out of his parent’s basement in 2012, Kaleb has drastically grown the firm, successfully executing over 2,000+ retained searches with client companies that have collectively created $100’s billions of value in exits, many of whose stories we’ve shared here on Lay of The Land like Dallas Hogensen from Felux (Episode 86), AC Evans from Drips (Episode 39), and others like RVShare (Episode 10). In addition, Integrity Power Search has worked with many other prominent organizations like Klarna, StockX, Duolingo, and over a hundred others, backed by many of the top-tier funds and investors in the industry!

In our conversation today, we unpack Kaleb’s journey building IPS — taking it from a garage startup to the full-stack search firm for high-growth startups and technology companies that it has become today, and we cover recruiting, entrepreneurship, and all things talent. Kaleb has awesome perspective on these topics having worked with so many startups over their stages of growth and been a direct witness to the evolution of Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, Ohio, and the larger Midwest startup ecosystems over the last decade.

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS:

Learn more about Integrity Power Search — https://www.integritypowersearch.com/
Connect with Kaleb Dumot on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalebdumot/

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#150: Jeffrey Stern on Entrepreneurship, Product Management, Investing, Passion & Ambition, the Race to the Bottom of Attention, Founding Insights, Flanuering and lots more (Wisdom, Wealth, and Wellness Podcast)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Every 50th episode on Lay of The Land thus far, I’ve tried to honor the request I occasionally get, that from time to time, listeners would like to hear more of my own thoughts and flip the proverbial script from host to guest.

...On the 50th episode, I explored my own professional journey, the concept of startup ecosystems, and what it takes to get the entrepreneurial flywheel going

…On the 100th episode, I reflected on what universal lessons I think we can take with us from Lay of The Land: what are the patterns and commonalities across all of the stories we’ve heard from people trying to build great things — from what inspires and motivates founders to pursue entrepreneurship in the first place, to where founding ideas actually come from, to the meaning and importance of culture.

Which brings us to episode 150. Personally, I’m much more a fan of listening than I am of speaking; to reference the greatest Cleveland entrepreneur of all time, who unfortunately we won’t get the opportunity to ever have on the podcast as he passed away in 1937, but fortunately, there is quite a lot written and documented about John D. Rockefeller — he often recited a poem that reads:

A wise old owl lived in an oak
the more he saw the less he spoke
the less he spoke, the more he heard
why aren’t we all like that wise old bird?

For me, this poem resonates deeply. Lay of The Land has become my Oak Tree in that regard as it allows me to hear, to listen, and to learn! With that said, for the 150th episode of Lay of The Land, I’ll continue the tradition of taking a deliberate pause, deviating from the wisdom of the owl, and share some of my own thinking.

Fortunately, my friend Jonathan Satovsky runs his own podcast called Wisdom, Wealth, and Wellness and hosted me as a guest there where I got to share some of this thinking… and really in great company as he’s featured many far wiser than myself on his podcast like:

Dan Ariely, one of the pioneers of behavioral economics,
Greg Harden, an executive and performance coach to folks like Tom Brady and Michael Phelps,
Joel Greenblatt, a renowned value investor and author of one of the books actually that got me into investing many years ago

… and many others! In our episode, which I’m resharing on Lay of The Land today, I get to unpack a whole variety of unfettered reflections on entrepreneurship, product management, investing, passion and ambition, the race to the bottom of attention, founding insights, flanuering and a lot more! I really enjoyed being the guest on the podcast for once… So with that, I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did — and if you do, I encourage you check out other episodes from Jonathan’s podcast as well !

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#149: Andrew Maurer (Rise)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Andrew Maurer is the co-founder and CTO of Rise Works, an all-in-one compliance and payment platform designed for companies with global workforces. Rise, which is based in Pepper Pike and has raised $3.8 million in seed funding from investors like Draper Associates, Polymorphic Capital, Sino Global Capital, Hashkey Capital, and other angels — offers a platform with flexible payment infrastructure along with automated routing between fiat and cryptocurrencies, enabling Web2 and Web3 organizations to onboard, manage, and pay contractors and global workers while ensuring full compliance and alleviating burdensome tax processes — covering +90 local currencies, over 100 cryptocurrencies, and having paid out >$10 million dollars to teams in countries across the world.

Andrew, a California transplant now living on the east-side of Cleveland for the last 15 years, came to build Rise with two decades of experience developing software and a decade-long experience at Dealer Tire here in Cleveland prior. Andrew is also a pilot, mostly flying for fun!

This was a fascinating conversation as we unpack Andrew’s passion for blockchain and instant global payments as a catalyst for positive change, the future of digital identity, the challenges of companies building in the web3/crypto space, opting to focus on global first, the staying power of blockchain, and lots more!

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

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LINKS:

Learn more about Rise — https://www.riseworks.io/

Connect with Andrew Maurer on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-maurer-dotme/

Follow Rise on X @rise_pay — https://twitter.com/rise_pay

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#148: Patrick Ghilani (MRI Software)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Patrick Ghilani, CEO of MRI Software.

Founded in 1971 & based in Solon, Ohio — MRI Software has been a leading provider of real estate software and has been a trailblazer in the PropTech industry for over five decades, serving more than two million users worldwide, covering over 20 million units, across 45,000 clients, with over 4.2 million leases in over 170 countries — providing solutions that transform the way communities live, work and play!

Pat has been with MRI since 2006 and has led the organization as CEO for a decade now, previously holding positions of President, COO, and VP of Global Professional Services, with over 25 years of experience in the enterprise software world and over 10 years in the commercial and multifamily real estate vertical prior!

Pat and I discuss his path to MRI, his approach to leadership, his perspective on PropTech as an industry, the strategic decision to build out a connected platform and ecosystem, overcoming risk aversion, macro-real estate trends, the future of MRI software and so much more!

For a company with such a rich history and strong presence here in Cleveland with thousands of employees, it was awesome to learn more about how MRI has continued to innovate as a pioneer of the real estate software industry and Pat’s reflections on the journey thus far and vision for the future.

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SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & Ninety

The Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.

-----

LINKS:

Learn more about MRI Software — https://www.mrisoftware.com/
Connect with Patrick Ghilani on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickghilani/
Follow MRI Software on X @mrisoftware — https://twitter.com/mrisoftware

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#147: Erin Singh (Options Naturopathic)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Erin Holston Singh, founder of Options Naturapathic, the Ohio Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OHNDA), and in private practice since 1999.

She had her first encounter with natural medicine at 15 years old when her mother developed a perplexing and seemingly incurable health condition which opened up a broad new world full of possibilities and ignited her passion for true healing. Since then, Erin made her life's work unlocking the mystery of non-specific illnesses that keep people miserable and sick when no solutions were to be had from conventional medicine. Over the past twenty-five years, she has worked to help patients avoid and stop pharmaceuticals by shifting practices that contribute to premature death using the wisdom of natural medicine to actively decode what is going on in their bodies and minds with all health issues. Her undying quest to find answers landed in the realm of cancer care, where she is now focused on creating a new culture of healthcare, from the ground up.

This was a perspective-enhancing and unconventional conversation in that Erin lays out her deviation from the conventions of traditional healthcare! Erin shares her journey through the world of medicine, her philosophy on care, her learnings from the status quo & desire to change the culture of healthcare, her entrepreneurial journey starting and building a practice and Options Naturopathic to a million-dollar natural medicine business, what natural medicine even is, the power of meditation, the implications of psychedelics, and lots more along the way.

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Lay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!

This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we’ve heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!

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Learn more about Options Naturopathic — https://www.optionsnaturopathic.com/
Connect with Erin Holston Singh on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-erin-holston-singh-2535973

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Past guests include Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Steve Potash (OverDrive), Ed Largest (Westfield), Ray Leach (JumpStart), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Lindsay Watson (Augment Therapy), and many more.

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#146: Megan Mayhugh (People Architects)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Meg Mayhugh, Founder and Managing Partner at People Architects as well as the Head of Talent & people at Ninety.io the leading cloud-based business operating system and only officially licensed software for EOS (the Entrepreneurial Operating System), which recently closed its $35 million Series B funding, valuing the company at over $200 million!

Meg has decades of experience in talent and people management, leadership strategy, and HR writ-large with an amazing set of roles that led her professionally from:

bond and corporate debt trading,
to a McKinsey consultant,
to Chief People Officer, Chief Growth Officer, and Chief of Staff across firms like Bridgewater, the world’s largest hedge fund,
to National City Bank and later PNC,
to Dealer Tire here in Cleveland,
to TalentLaunch with Aaron Grossman (who shared his story here on the Lay of The Land back on Episode #41),
to Ninety and Impact Architects with Kris Snyder (who shared his story back on Episode #98),

...to her own company today! Meg deeply believes that people are a business’s greatest asset and launched People Architects back in 2020 to help entrepreneurs manage this greatest asset. As a fractional Human Resources, Talent, and Recruiting firm, People Architects helps growing, small to medium-sized companies across process planning, people-optimization & employee engagement, and profit protection as Meg and her team coach other entrepreneurs to plan for growth and advise them on how to best manage risks to their organizations and win the war on talent.

Meg is incredibly passionate about all things people, and that passion comes through in spades in our conversation where we cover the gift of being fired, lessons learned from Ray Dalio and Bridgewater's unique culture, work-life integration, the eb-and-flow of trust between executives and employees, the role of transparency, fostering meaning and connection in the workplace, building a company as a mom of three, transferable lessons from sports to business, the power of mentors, a whole variety of other macro-level HR and People-oriented topics, the differences between leading very large and small company cultures, and lots more.

I’ve personally learned so much from Meg and really enjoyed this opportunity to package just a small piece of her earned wisdom into our conversation today —

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Connect with Meg Mayhugh — https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-mayhugh/
Learn more about People Architects — https://www.peoplearchitects.io/
Learn more about Ninety — https://www.ninety.io/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#145: Brian Krusz (Sgt. Clean Car Wash)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Brian Krusz is the Founder & Managing Partner at Sgt. Clean Car Wash — a premier express carwash organization proudly serving Northeast Ohio since 2013 with over a dozen locations throughout the region.

Under Brian’s leadership, Sgt. Clean has been recognized many times over as a five-time Inc 5,000 fastest growing private company winner, Weatherhead 100 winner, Smart Culture award recipient, and, having spent 8 years in the United States Marine Corps himself, a multi-time Vet100 winner as a proudly Veteran-owned-and-operated business, and of course, best car wash in Cleveland by Smart Business Magainze.

This was an awesome conversation — we cover the business of carwashes, how Brian got started in the industry, how Sgt. Clean Car Wash is changing the face of car washes, the influence of Brian’s time in the Marine Corps, his unique approach to recruiting, the implications & realities of ADHD, the role and opportunity for carwashing to positively impact local communities, building a lasting culture, and so much more.

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Connect with Brian Krusz on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-krusz-b943518/
Learn more about Sgt. Clean Car Wash — https://sgtclean.com/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#144: T.J. Gliha (Journey Wealth)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500

TJ Gliha, Co-Founder of Journey Wealth.

Established in 2021, Journey Wealth is a full-service wealth planning firm that helps entrepreneurs explore the world of opportunities availed by their success, by addressing their needs and enabling them and their families to lead the lives they aspire to. From its humble beginnings with just 4 employees, Journey Wealth has grown as a self-governing Registered Investment Advisory firm to nearly 20 professionals, with the strategic acquisition of a significant equity stake in FSM Wealth, offering multi-family office services primarily to professional golfers.

This was a really fun conversation for — as a long-time student of public market investing, TJ and I got to unpack the wealth management business and industry overall, the intersection of investing and entrepreneurship, the psychology and cognitive biases of investors, how to balance structure and growth, his formative past as portfolio manager and trader on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange floor, the evolution of Journey Wealth in service of helping entrepreneurs make the most of their time — all of our most valuable asset — leadership, and so much more.

Outside of his professional endeavors, TJ also plays an active role in the community as a board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Cleveland Clinic Children’s Council in addition to his role as Treasurer of the Avon Lake Football Club, stemming from his passion for football!

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Connect with TJ on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/t-j-gliha-aif%C2%AE-cepa-a4ba801/
Learn more about Journey Wealth — https://www.journey-wealth.com/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

[REWIND] #21: Tom Lix (Cleveland Whiskey)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Our conversation this week is with Tom Lix — founder & CEO of Cleveland Whiskey — on pushing the boundaries of convention while building on tradition to artfully blend science with craft to create unique award-winning Whiskey.

Tom is a serial entrepreneur — prior to founding Cleveland Whiskey, he founded Public Interactive which he sold to National Public Radio, he served as President/COO of Yankelovich Partners, and as you'll hear later, Tom has always been a tinkerer through and through.

Lix spent some formative years in the US Navy where in addition to some early bootleg distilling; he was cross-trained in nuclear physics and thermodynamics along with seawater/freshwater distillation. A college dropout who hitchhiked across the country fought forest fires in Alaska at the age of 17, and founded the first University-sponsored Motorcycle Club in America. He later earned his Doctorate in Business from Boston University.

Originally published as episode #21 back in April of 2021, this conversation with Tom Lix is one of my personal favorites! Tom is a deep eloquent orator, with an eclectic entrepreneurial background, and is one of the best and most engaging storytellers I know, making for one of the most entertaining conversations so far! Cleveland Whiskey continues to push the boundaries of Whiskey’s conventions as they’ve racked up award after award since our original recording and break ground on their new distillery and restaurant planned at the Flats South Bank in the Malcom Building, home to the Consolidated Fruit Auction company more than 100 years ago. Tune in for a spirited conversation!

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This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects and Ninety. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we’ve heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects or leverage a free trial through Ninety, the software platform that helps teams build great companies, by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!

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Connect with Tom Lix — https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomlix

Learn more about Cleveland Whiskey — https://clevelandwhiskey.com/
Follow Cleveland Whiskey on Twitter — https://twitter.com/clevewhiskey
Follow Cleveland Whiskey on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/clevelandwhiskey/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#143: Todd Goldstein (Whoa Dough)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Todd Goldstein — Founder & CEO of Whoa Dough

In 2008, Todd co-founded LaunchHouse with the mission to invest, develop, and foster promising idea-stage startups in Northeast, OH through Community, Education, Coworking, and Investment — and through LaunchHouse, has helped grow a diverse portfolio of 65 companies that collectively raised more than $30 million in follow in funding.

Todd’s most recent endeavor — among his many as a serial founder, entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for intellectual property rights — and where we’ll spend most of the conversation today, is Whoa Dough, which he founded back in 2019 in the aftermath of discovering his 3 boys were diagnosed with severe gluten intolerance and now sells millions of healthy snack bars per year.

The reality is that 32 million Americans suffer from food allergies, of which 5.6 million are children — a number that has grown drastically over the past few decades. At first, Todd thought he and his family’s cookie-dough-eating days were over, but he quickly realized that he was intolerant of that too and took it upon himself to create a snack-happy, natural cookie-dough that could satisfy his family’s sweet tooth without wreaking havoc on their bellies. Two years and many dozens of recipes later, Whoa Dough was born — and today is a growing brand that Todd and his team have grown to boast distribution in brands like American Airlines and participation in Mondelez’ Snackfutures program all while creating a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, plant-based, kosher, non-GMO, Vegan, natural product!

Really enjoyed learning about Todd’s journey, passion for building this out in Cleveland, and the momentum of Whoa Dough going forward!

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Connect with Todd Goldstein on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddgoldstein/
Learn more about Whoa Dough — https://www.whoadough.com/
Follow Whoa Dough on Twitter @WhoaDough — https://twitter.com/whoadough
Follow Whoa Dough on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whoadough_/
Learn more about LaunchHouse — https://lhcowork.com/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#142: Gerald Hetrick Part II (Docket (formerly Bezlio) & EOS)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 01:52:36 -0500

Gerald Hetrick (CEO of Docket (formerly Bezlio) & Professional EOS Implementer)

Gerald has been on the show once before; those of you who’ve been with Lay of The Land from the beginning may recall Gerald as one of the first entrepreneurs to make an appearance back on Episode #6, which I’d encourage anyone interested in learning Gerald’s personal and entrepreneurial journey co-founding and leading two companies from inception to exit — spanning his time building Vox Mobile and Able — to take a listen to that episode… Gerald’s an incredible storyteller and sets a great stage there for our conversation today where we pick up on where we left off and cover what’s transpired in the years since.

And it’s pretty incredible how much has changed in this interim period and how impactful Gerald has been in driving that change. As CEO of Able, Gerlad led the organization through five years of 100% Year-Over-Year growth, a $7 million Series B fundraise, and ultimately a successful exit in early 2022 to Bullhorn, a leading software platform for the staffing and recruiting industry.

With the time and space to reflect post-acquisition, Gerald resolved to be retrospective and learn from the lessons of his failures and successes over his 25 years of entrepreneurial experience. In this time, he came to the conclusion that he loves building great companies and that so many of the issues he struggled with in the process of building great companies were self-inflected, recognizing how much more impactful he could have been if he had prioritized running on a consistent business operating system, like EOS, and that ultimately these operating systems provide leverage, and not overhead.

Collectively, these realizations amounted to Gerald becoming CEO of another Cleveland growth-oriented technology startup called Docket (recently rebranded from Bezlio), and starting his own EOS implementation practice, coaching other growth-minded leaders willing to invest in making their visions reality and their teams as healthy as possible!

At Docket, Gerald is focused on ensuring manufacturing shop-floor employees know what to do next and how to do it right, believing deeply in the opportunity to significantly drive middle-market manufacturing growth and prosperity. To that end, he recently closed a $4.5 million seed round to invest in massive product improvements to its cloud-based mobile ERP (Enterprise resource planning) platform, their go-to-market strategy, and customer relationships.

This was a really fun and candid conversation, understanding how Gerald has evolved as a leader, closing Able’s chapter, starting Docket/Bezlio’s chapter, building his coaching practice in service of other founders trying to build great organizations, his approach to dreaming big and operating practically, and many other reflections along the way.

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Lay of The Land is brought to you by Burton D. Morgan Mentoring at JumpStart. It's impossible to tell the stories of the entrepreneurs building in Cleveland and across northeast Ohio without acknowledging the impact of our collective mentoring community. Over the past decade, Burton D. Morgan Mentoring at JumpStart has helped hundreds of mentees, some of whom we’ve heard from as guests on this podcast, realize their innovative visions. Our guest today, Gerald Hetrick, serves as a Burton D. Morgan mentor alongside other local serial founders and subject matter experts. These volunteers are passionate about sharing their time, talent, and lessons learned to grow and accelerate the next generation of entrepreneurial students and startup leaders. To learn more about Burton D. Morgan Mentoring and other free services available to Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs, go to jumpstart.org/startups. Burton D. Morgan Mentoring is made possible with funds from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation.

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Connect with Gerald Hetrick on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldhetrick/

Follow Gerald Hetrick on Twitter — https://twitter.com/geraldhetrick
Learn more about Gerald's EOS Practice — https://www.eosworldwide.com/gerald-hetrick
Learn more about Docket — https://usedocket.com/
Bezlio Redirect to Docket — https://bezl.io/

Learn more about Able (Acquired by Bullhorn) — https://www.bullhorn.com/products/able-by-bullhorn/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

[Bonus] Jack Greco (ACV Auctions) — building a multi-billion-dollar company in Buffalo, NY

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 03:00:00 -0400

Jack Greco, co-founder and former CFO and COO of ACV Auctions, a Buffalo-based wholesale online marketplace for cars (ACV Auctions went public in 2021 and is currently valued at approximately $3 billion dollars)

Now an active angel and venture investor through his fund Far Out Ventures, Jack runs a weekly newsletter called Buffalo Bridge which tells the stories of Buffalo’s startup community and has made nearly 200 investments in other founders and startups!

Jack is the first guest to come on Lay of The Land outside of NEO, but I think after heairng this awesome conversation you'll understand why!

In this special episode of Lay of The Land, Jack is unfettered and candid in his reflections on building a multi-billion dollar company, the journey of ACV Auctions, the parallels of Cleveland, OH & Buffalo, NY, his passion for investing and for founders, and the work he is excited about next.

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Connect with Jack Greco on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacklgreco/
Learn more about ACV Auctions — https://www.acvauctions.com/
Learn more about Far Out Ventures — https://www.farout.vc/
Subscribe to Buffalo Bridge (Jack's Newsletter) — https://buffalobridge.substack.com/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#140: Tracy Strobel (Cuyahoga County Public Library)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 03:00:00 -0400

Tracy Strobel — CEO of the Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL)

Tracy Strobel was appointed Chief Executive Officer of CCPL in July 2019 after serving in the Deputy Director role for nearly 15 years. CCPL has 27 branches that serve the 610,000 residents of 47 communities in Northeast Ohio. CCPL has earned the prestigious five-star rating in Library Journal’s Index of Public Library Service for the last decade; and received the publication’s highest overall score among America’s largest metropolitan library systems for 10 consecutive years (2010-2019).

Tracy’s career in public libraries began with a focus on technology at Medina County District Library (1996-1999) and Cleveland Public Library (1999-2005), where she developed the nation’s first 24/7 virtual reference service. Prior to becoming CEO, she led its 27 branches, Information Technology, Technical Services and Literacy & Learning divisions. Her major accomplishments at CCPL include leading the largest capital improvement program in the Library’s history, which included the replacement of twelve branches and several renovation projects over a period of ten years.

From 2011 to 2013, Tracy served as the U.S. representative to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s International Network of Emerging Library Innovators. She was a member of the Public Library Association (PLA) Board of Directors (2016-2019) and the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Information Technology Policy Advisory Committee (2015-2019). Tracy served as chair of the ALA 2020 Census Library Outreach and Education Task Force (2018-2020) and is currently a member of the PLA’s Continuing Education Advisory Committee.

In February 2020, Tracy was appointed to the board of The Center for Community Solutions, a nonpartisan think tank focused on solutions to health, social and economic issues. She also serves on the board of Youth Opportunities Unlimited and chairs their Community Collaboration Committee.

This was an amazing conversation — we cover Tracy’s childhood dream of being a librarian, the history of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, the business and operations of libraries, their responsibility and role as a civic institution and bastion for education & the robust exchange of ideas, their evolution and relevance in ever dynamic and technologically enabled world, offering opportunity as a product, lesser-known and unexpected services of libraries, and ultimately, Tracy’s vision for the future of the Cuyahoga County Public Library!

If you can’t tell, I am personally a huge fan of libraries, and as Tracy and I will discuss, I think they are of the most underrated public institutions we have, so it was a real treat to hear from Tracy about her experience leading the Cuyahoga County Public Library!

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Connect with Tracy Strobel on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-strobel-44421531/
Learn more about The Cuyahoga County Public Library — https://cuyahogalibrary.org/

Follow The Cuyahoga County Public Library on Twitter — https://twitter.com/CuyahogaLib
Follow The Cuyahoga County Public Library on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/cuyahogalib/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#139: Ethan Karp (MAGNET)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Ethan Karp — President and CEO of MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network which, founded in 1984, has been dedicated to fostering local manufacturing and supporting local manufacturing businesses across technological innovation, workforce training and improved management practices.

Ethan joined as CEO of MAGNET in 2013 after a consulting career at McKinsey & Co. and academic studies in biochemistry and physics and ultimately a Ph.D. in Chemical Biology from Harvard.

We cover a lot in our conversation today — from Ethan’s path to MAGNET, to MAGNET’s Blueprint for Manufacturing and plan to fuel a true manufacturing revival in Northeast Ohio. We cover the rich industrious and manufacturing history of Northeast Ohio and prominence of manufacturing in the local economy today, the implications for automation on the future of manufacturing, the importance of apprenticeship programs, making manufacturing cool again, showcasing career paths for younger talent to join the industry, reshoring, upskilling and workforce shortages… and we cover what this work looks like in practice and examples of companies MAGNET has worked with, including some who’s stories we’ve told on the show like Tom Lix of Cleveland Whiskey (Episode #21)!

Ethan exudes a real passion for this work and is an involved community builder outside of MAGNET sitting on the boards of the Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Workforce Development, American Small Manufacturers Coalition, Cleveland Leadership Center, MidTown Cleveland, Inc., Cleveland Jewish Publication Company and the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland.

I really enjoyed learning more about the state of manufacturing in Northeast Ohio and MAGNET’s role in helping to impact its future — please enjoy my conversation with Ethan Karp!

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Connect with Ethan Karp on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethankarp/
Learn more about MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network — https://www.manufacturingsuccess.org/
Follow MAGNET on Twitter @magnetohio — https://twitter.com/magnetohio

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#138: Mike Maczuzak (SmartShape Design + Walking Across the U.S. & World)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 03:00:00 -0400

Mike Maczuzak — a product designer, early-stage investor, and founder of SmartShape Design — an innovative product development and industrial design firm he started here in Cleveland back in 1989.

SmartShape's beginnings were richly steeped in this world of industrial design leveraging Mike’s own background and experience in it — however over time, Mike evolved the firm’s competencies and capabilities to cover mechanical engineering, integrated manufacturing, and strategic product development across a plethora of industries like Medical, Consumer, IoT, Pacakging, digital, and many others — SmartShape’s client list is a formidable and growing group of emerging brands covering Northeast Ohio leaders like Avery Dennison, Gojo, Diebold, Sherwin Williams, Nestle, and many others, to a handful of companies who’s stories we’ve shared on Lay of The Land like David Levine of Wireless Environment and My Home Park (Episode 132), Chris Wentz of EveryKey (Episode 75), and Chelsea Monty-Bromer of SweatID (Episode 77), to international brands like BMW — and as a result, their products are ones that many of us enoucnter on a day to day basis in the real world!

While we do delve into Mike’s entrepreneurial journey building SmartShape in our conversation, we actually spend just as much time unpacking Mike’s literal walk across the United States and later, walk across much of the rest of the World — covering Mike’s motivations for walking across the country and other continents, the logistics of how he prepared and executed these walks, how he’s balanced running business while walking, and some of the incredible stories he recalled from his adventures on the road!

This was a really fun conversation that certainly plants the seeds of inspiration to embark on your own walking adventure and build an entrepreneurial organization to support that kind of freedom!

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Connect with Mike Maczuzak on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaczuzak/
Learn more about SmartShape Design — https://smartshape.design/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#137: Adam Rakestraw (MediView)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Adam Rakestraw — co-founder, chairman, general counsel, and chief business development officer of MediView XR, based here in Cleveland Ohio! With approximately $29.5 million in capital raised from strategic partners like the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic GE HealthCare, JobsOhio, and many others since its founding in 2019, MediView is a medical technology company working to advance human health through its digital augmented reality ecosystem.

MediView's AR visualization platform aims to unlock the full potential of 3D data to transform image-guided medical procedures with intuitive 3D X-ray visualization, seamless remote collaboration, and evidence-based data insights. And this dream to democratize healthcare by removing barriers to patient access and to address the long-standing limitations of current medical imaging technologies is well underway as the company secured the first 510(k) clearance of its kind for an AR device with live imaging combined with 3D X-ray visualization by the FDA!

Adam has an extensive legal and medical device background with over 20 years of experience across organizations like Merck and Medtronic in addition to his other entrepreneurial undertakings like FreeNav — a wireless electromagenetic tracking system for surgical navigation and healthcare applications he co-founded back in 2021.

This was such an awesome conversation that feels like a genuine clairvoyant portal into the future of healthcare and how Adam and his team at MediView are leading the charge to make it happen.

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Connect with Adam Rakestraw on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-e-rakestraw-j-d-8165279/

Follow Adam Rakestraw on Twitter — https://twitter.com/ae_rakestraw

Learn more about MediView — https://mediview.com/
Follow MediView on Twitter — https://twitter.com/MediViewXR

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#136: Michael Sirpilla (Society Brands)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Michael Sirpilla, co-founder and CEO of Society Brands.

Under Michael’s leadership as CEO, Society Brands has raised $205 million in capital to continue their rapid consolidation in the e-commerce sector with many completed and successful acquisitions since inception. Society Brands, based in Canton, Ohio, is a tech-enabled consumer products company that acquires e-commerce native brands and powers them with a global growth platform, scaling and evolving them into household brands. They provide meaningful liquidity for the founders of each acquisition while allowing those founders to stay on board at Society Brands, building out a community of entrepreneurs who help one another reach new heights. In addition, these founders have the ability to roll equity into Society Brands’ parent company so that they can enjoy a second exit down the road that may likely be even larger than their first.

Michael, who grew up here in Ohio, has been in and around retail his whole life with extensive M&A experience throughout his career and has been part of multiple business ventures where he’s primarily focused on organic growth. He founded a financial services wholesale agency with a team of 40 and built it into a multi-million-dollar business, and in addition, he led a population health management business and scaled it from $0 to $150 million in revenue within five years.

This was an awesome conversation — Michael does an excellent job explaining what the world of e-commerce looks like, how it has evolved over time, Society Brand’s role to play within this goliath market, and the way he’s been able to rapidly scale this organization over time.

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Connect with Michael Sirpilla on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-sirpilla-a5113142/
Learn more about Society Brands — https://www.societybrands.com/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#135: Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Umberto Fedeli — Founder, President, and CEO of the Fedeli group — one of the largest risk management and insurance firms in the state of Ohio.

This conversation is packed full of Umberto’s earned wisdom over his career and his life — as a true maven and master connector of people, it is easy to understand through our conversation how and why Umberto has become so renowned for his first-class hospitality, powerful network, and influence across the business, political, and philanthropic worlds.

He sits on numerous private company boards, is a managing member of Strategic Value Bank Partners — investing hundreds of millions of dollars across the community banking industry — and has previously held positions on the boards of many other public and private entities. Umberto is also a member of the board of directors of the Cleveland Clinic and serves as chairman of the Clinic’s Government and Community Relations Board.

We cover a real breadth of topics here — from Umberto’s life philosophy, to the importance of love, faith & family, to lessons learned from some of his 8-figure-multi-million-dollar mistakes, to reflections on his own success and fulfillment, to the value of just breaking bread over a home-cooked meal! This was a truly insightful and timeless conversation and one of my favorites so far!

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Learn more about The Fedeli Group — https://www.thefedeligroup.com/
Follow the Fedeli Group on Twitter — https://twitter.com/TheFedeliGroup

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#134: Andrew Wolfe (Bloomfilter)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Andrew Wolfe, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Bloomfilter.

Andrew is a software engineer turned entrepreneur who is passionate about improving the ways people build software. Prior to Bloomfilter, he and his co-founder Chris Stoll co-founded Skiplist, a consultancy dedicated to refining the software development lifecycle (SDLC) — an experience that led Andrew down the path to work on Bloomfilter addressing the same problem space.

Businesses rely on software development to solve problems, deliver a better user experience, and ultimately build valuable products. However, software development projects are notorious for missing deadlines and budget estimates. Research shows that 65% of software projects are either challenged or fail, while 70% of software projects are delivered late, over budget, or are not delivered to the original specifications. Bloomfilter’s patent-pending process mining and predictive algorithms help software development teams identify bottlenecks in the development process, objectively predict project outcomes, and deliver software on time and within budget.

At its core Bloomfilter is a process intelligence platform and recently closed on $7 million in seed capital from investors like Magarac Venture Partners (MVP) Sequoia, HPA, North Coast Ventures here in Cleveland, Techstars, and others!

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Connect with Andrew Wolfe on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-wolfe-5a127034/
Learn more about Bloomfilter — https://www.thebloomfilter.com/
Follow Andrew Wolfe on Twitter @andrewwwolfe — https://twitter.com/AndrewWWolfe

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

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Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#133: Mike Schroeder (Roundstone Insurance)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Mike Schroeder, Founder & President of Roundstone.

Mike founded Roundstone Insurance in 2003 — when they launched the first Group Medical Captive of its kind, and have since revolutionized the self-insurance industry. Roundstone’s captive approach to insurance allows small and mid-sized businesses to take advantage of the benefits of self-funded insurance that previously only larger enterprises could enjoy — such as plan flexibility & control, transparency, and cost savings. By banding smaller companies together in a shared-risk community, those companies are protected from volatility and can be rewarded with extra savings — in practice, since its inception, Roundstone has distributed over $72 million dollars back to its captive participants – money that, in the fully insured model, would be pocketed by the insurance carriers instead.

This idea, which began with an entrepreneurial vision of creating a better life for his family and for his employees, has since evolved under Mike’s leadership into a thriving 140-person company with more than 700 employers participating in Roundstone's Group Medical Captive, saving participating companies 20% on average relative to traditional insurance plans;

With more than twenty-five years of management experience and recognized by EY as a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022, Mike has a proven track record of growing Roundstone with a 30% CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) over the last two decades, which has earned Roundstound recognition as one of the fastest growing companies in America by Inc. 5000 for five consecutive years as well a Northeast Ohio Top Workplaces — all while remaining a fully independent, family-owned organization.

In our conversation today, we explore how Mike’s experience as a practicing attorney and a property and casualty insurance expert inspired his application of self-funding and captives to employer health insurance; we talk about what captives and self-funding even are and how they compare to traditional and fully insured coverage, we unpack the biggest challenges in the employer healthcare system today and how misaligned incentives encumber attempts to solve those challenges… and importantly, how Roundstone is trying to explicitly align those incentives. This was an amazing and wide-ranging discussion — Mike is a formidable builder and leader and has built an inspiring organization with Roundstone, based here in Lakewood, Ohio.

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Connect with Mike Schroeder on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelaschroeder/
Learn more about Roundstone — https://roundstoneinsurance.com/
Follow Roundstone on Twitter @CaptiveInsurer — https://twitter.com/CaptiveInsurer

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#132: David Levine (Wireless Environment & My Home Park)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 03:00:00 -0400

David Levine — Co-Founder/CEO @ Wireless Environment (Acquired by Ring, Acquired by Amazon) & Co-Founder/CEO @ My Home Park

Having made a career of invention and serial entrepreneurship, in 2005 David Co-Founded Wireless Environment to revolutionize the lighting industry with a belief that off-grid, wireless, LED lighting would be the future of lighting. Over the next 13 years, David proved that thesis as he lead the organization as CEO to over $30 million in sales on just $1.1 million in equity raised and ultimately to acquisition by Ring in 2017 and subsequently to Amazon in 2018 — and there are some truly incredible stories that David shares about this entire experience building, growing, and exiting Wireless Environment.

Post-acquisition, with the time now to reflect and to focus on what challenge to tackle next and to think through what he ultimately wants to provide the world, David shifted his focus to natural habitat restoration and his longtime fascination with bees — whose populations are waning and whose endangerment is highly consequential to our food supply and plant. In the spirit of this problem, David joined forces with his co-founder Wyatt Shell to start My Home Park in 2021 to revolutionize how people view their yards and empower them to use their yards to restore the environment.

My Home Park is a platform that creates curated gardens delivered right to customers’ doorstep, taking the guesswork, effort, and frustration out of landscaping with native plants. For people who want to do something beneficial for the environment, planting native plant gardens is the highest-order impact you can have on the environment per dollar spent — knowing that in just 100 square feet, native plants feed up to 2,000 pollinators per day, conserve 2,300 gallons of water per year and provide 16x greater soil stabilization — and My Home Park facilitates this whole process.

David is an inspiring entrepreneur and this conversation is packed full of wisdom!

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Connect with David Levine on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidblevinemrbeams/
Learn more about My Home Park — https://www.myhomepark.com/
Learn more about Mr. Beams & Wireless Environment — https://www.mrbeams.com/about-us
Learn more about Ring's acquisition of Wireless Environment

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#131: Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Stewart A. Kohl is Co-CEO of The Riverside Company — a $14 billion global private equity firm founded to invest in premier companies at the smaller end of the middle market, with headquarters in Terminal Tower in Tower City here in Cleveland!

Since 1988, Riverside has invested in more than 960 companies globally, growing assets under management from $1 billion in 2004, to as much as $14 billion dollars under management today, employing more than 300 people in offices across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Prior to his work at Riverside, Stewart was a vice president of Citicorp Venture Capital, the private equity arm of Citibank & in addition to his work with Riverside, Stewart serves as an Honorary Trustee of Oberlin College and of the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art.

He is on the Board of Directors of Cleveland Clinic and Co-Chairs its $2 billion Power of Every One Capital Centennial Campaign. Additionally, after spending 16 years as a “Heavy Hitter” participant in the Pan-Mass Challenge bicycle fundraiser, Stewart founded VeloSano, a similar event that has raised more than $37 million to fund cancer research since 2014, and is kicking off their 2023 Bike to Cure Event on September 8 & 9!

This was a truly insightful conversation unpacking what Stewart’s learned building an iconic investing franchise over the last few decades — spanning Riverside’s tremendous growth, how to evaluate companies, helping companies grow, conscious capitalism and positive power of private equity, managing LP relationships, his charitable pursuits, Cleveland and more!

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Learn more about The Riverside Company — https://www.riversidecompany.com/
Learn more about VeloSano — https://www.velosano.org/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#130: Bill Manby (Interstate Fusion Ventures)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 03:00:00 -0400

Bill Manby, Founding & Managing Partner at Interstate Fusion Ventures.

An entrepreneur at heart, Bill grew up in NEO and has always been passionate about working every day to make his home better through investments, philanthropy, and whatever else it takes. In late 2016, this vision led to the creation of his first fund – Akron Fusion Ventures (later rebranded as Interstate Fusion Ventures).

While Bill knew the benefits of living in NEO and the strong entrepreneurial spirit, he felt he needed to build relationships with partners on the
coasts. So, he set out on a cross-country road trip to introduce this vision to venture capital partners and investors in Silicon Valley. Along the way, this vision grew to not only seed opportunities for NEO-based startups, but also, get on the cap table of some of the best coastal startups, who benefit from access to NEO. It also allowed fund investors the ability to gain access to unique, and otherwise inaccessible, investment opportunities.

Bill founded Interstate because, for years, he witnessed many local organizations chart escape routes from the Midwest — observing a pattern of businesses, talent, ideas, and capital that leave for established coastal tech hubs, under an impression that doing so was the only path to success. With a belief that success can be achieved here, Interstate Fusion Ventures is the vehicle to prove it Connecting the Coasts to NEO by building an innovative “two-way street” where capital, talent, and knowledge can flow continuously attracting more investment and focus on startups in Northeast Ohio.

I really enjoyed learning more about Bill’s unique perspective and approach to tackling some of the challenges and supporting the local ecosystem

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Connect with Bill Manby on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-manby-878748a/
Follow Bill Manby on Twitter @ManbyBill — https://twitter.com/ManbyBill
Learn more about Interstate Fusion Ventures — https://interstatefusion.com/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

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#129: John McKenna (PeachTree VA)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

John McKenna, CEO of Peachtree VA, a virtual assistant staffing organization & President of The Emerald Group, a premier mortgage recruiting firm.

Based here in Cleveland, John acquired Peachtree VA early in 2022 to grow their vetted virtual assistant offering in the wake of a flourishing virtual assistant industry where entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses, nonprofits, executive directors, and other business models are often stretched thin, and using a virtual assistant can gain back some of their time, reduce cost and streamline their business.

John points out that engaging virtual assistants can alleviate the exhaustive hiring process for companies, citing surveys showing that traditional hiring can be 78% more expensive and exponentially higher if an employee does not work out. Research also suggests that direct replacement costs can be as high as 50% to 60% of an employee’s annual salary. Then there’s the price of turnover with a traditional hire, with costs ranging from 90% to 200%of their annual salary.

We cover a lot in our conversation today — from the ins and outs of entrepreneurship-via-acquisition and what that looks like in practice, to the nuance of this quickly evolving virtual assistance space — how to effectively delegate, the implications of the gig economy, supplementing exhaustive and costly hiring processes, and what comes next for Peachtree VA as John continues to the grow the business from here, helping their clients focus on what matters most!

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Connect with John McKenna on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnamckenna/
Learn more about PeachTree VA — https://www.peachtreeva.com/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#128: Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Mitch Kroll, co-founder & CEO of Findaway (acquired by Spotify).

Mitch started Findaway back in 2004, a time when audiobooks were available only on CD and cassette, in order to revolutionize this business of audiobooks, connecting storytellers with listeners at scale. With this vision of audiobook democratization in mind, Mitch led the company over the next 17 years to sell over 6 million units of its Playaway audiobook device and through a honed focus on innovation, became the global leader in digital audiobook distribution and trusted self-publishing platform for independent authors around the world. From a solidified position at the center of the audiobook industry, Findaway earned the attention of the world’s largest audio streaming subscription service and was ultimately acquired by Spotify for nearly $120mm, announced at the end of 2021.

Still operating out of their Solon headquarters here in Northeast Ohio, Mitch led Findaway through this acquisition where the team continues their work at Spotify to push the proliferation of audiobook adoption, leveraging the same innovation and platform that Spotify used to disrupt music and podcasts to power content distribution to hundreds of millions of users across the world!

Mitch is a shrewd builder, deep thinker, and really just a lot of fun to learn from — I learned a great deal from our conversation today, which spans everything from the history and future of audiobooks to how Mitch thinks about culture, to professional and life lessons, to the Cleveland startup ecosystem. Please enjoy my conversation with Mitch Kroll!

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Connect with Mitch Kroll on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitch-kroll-1370638/
Learn more about Findaway — https://findaway.com/
Learn more about Findaway's acquisition by Spotify

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#127: Michael Crawford (Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company | NASDAQ: HOFV)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Michael Crawford — Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO of the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company, which he joined in December of 2018.

The Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment company is a publically traded organization (trading as HOFV on the NASDAQ) headquartered in Canton, Ohio. Spanning media, gaming, entertainment, resorts, and sports — the company is dedicated to making legendary moments for fans and leverages the power and popularity of the Hall of Fame Village, the 100-acre immersive destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame and one of the largest commercial development projects in Ohio, with assets worth over $250 million.

Before his role at the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company, Michael spent four years with the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company, serving as Global President of Portfolio Management.

Prior to that, Michael had a nearly twenty-five-year tenure at the Walt Disney Company where he rose to Senior Vice President and General Manager of Shanghai Disney Resort, as well as President of Shanghai’s Walt Disney Holdings Company. From 2007 to 2014, he led the negotiation and multi-billion dollar development of Shanghai Disney Resort. As General Manager of Shanghai Disney, he led a talented team throughout the formation of the company and development of the new destination resort. He also managed relationships with the resort’s local business partners, community and government leaders, and industry experts supporting the new venture in Disney’s portfolio. Additionally, Michael currently serves on the Board of Directors for Texas Roadhouse — the multibillion-dollar steakhouse chain.

Michael also recently authored "From the Mouse’s House to the Penthouse." — a book that we’ll reference throughout our conversation where he recounts personal stories, lessons, and techniques from his career.

An Ohio native, Michael holds an undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame; he and his wife, Kim, enjoy traveling, hiking, playing golf, and spending time with Michael’s daughter, Kaitlin, who recently graduated from the University of Notre Dame.

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Connect with Michael Crawford on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecrawfordhofv/
Follow Michael Crawford on Twitter @HOFVILLAGECEO — https://twitter.com/HOFVILLAGECEO
Learn more about The Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company
Learn more about The Hall of Fame Village
Follow The Hall of Fame Village on Twitter @HOFVillage — https://twitter.com/HOFVillage
Follow The Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company on Twitter @HOFRECO — https://twitter.com/HOFRECO
Purchase Michael's book, "From the Mouse's House to the Penthouse" (Amazon)

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#126: Michael Goldberg (Case Western Reserve University & CWRU Alumni Venture Fund)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 03:00:00 -0400

Michael Goldberg, Executive Director of the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship, as well as an Associate Professor of Design and Innovation at the Weatherhead School of Management at CWRU where he teaches courses on entrepreneurship.

Notably, Goldberg created a massive open online course — also known as a MOOC — for CWRU called "Beyond Silicon Valley: Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies", a course which has attracted over 175,000 students from over 190 countries across the world.

Before joining CWRU, Goldberg was the co-founder of the Bridge Investment Fund, a venture capital fund focused on investing in Israeli medical device companies that have synergies with the leading healthcare industries and institutions in Cleveland. In addition, Michael served as the Director of International Business Development for AOL, responsible for structuring and negotiating international partnerships in Asia for America Online.

In our conversation today, Michael covers his experiencing teaching entrepreneurship, and we focus on Case Western Reserve University's recently founded Alumni Venture Fund. The emergence of alumni venture funds has been one of the more exciting university trends that boost awareness, support, and general discussions about entrepreneurship writ large. For any startup community to grow and strengthen its position, it must be able to leverage the local university and so it was informative to learn more about how Michael has thought about it here!

If you think about the fact that at this point, just through Lay of The Land, we’ve featured over 20 CWRU alums — from Charu Ramanathan of CardioInsight & VitalxChange, to Afif Ghannoum of Biohm Health, to Stan Garber and Alex Yakubovich of Scout RFP which sold to workday for $540mm — then you can understand the power of such alumni funds and why this is exciting in the context of educating students about how venture capital works in addition to actually supporting founders throughout Northeast Ohio!

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Connect with Michael Goldberg on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgoldberg2/
Follow Michael Goldberg on Twitter @MGCleve — https://twitter.com/MGCleve
Learn more about Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship @ Case Western Reserve University — https://case.edu/entrepreneurship/
Learn more about CWRU Alumni Venture Fund — https://case.edu/entrepreneurship/alumni-venture-fund

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#125: Angie Dianetti (Radcom)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 02:00:00 -0400

Angie Dianetti — President and driving force behind Radcom, a company specializing in performance improvement consulting, which she founded back in 1996.

Under Angie's guidance, Radcom has earned the distinction of a Weatherhead 100 Outstanding Growth Company seven times over since then as one of Northeast Ohio’s fastest-growing companies that Angie has successfully navigated through various challenges over the years spanning the dot-com bubble burst, offshoring, reshoring, the Great Recession, the pandemic and more.

Angie is fervent about assisting business leaders in fostering a performance culture, where engaged employees adhere to high standards and hold themselves accountable — and with a unique combination of training expertise and technical documentation know-how, for more than 20 years, Angie and her team at Radcom have helped clients do just this and solve their most pressing problems by empowering their teams to carry out their jobs more efficiently, drive positive results, and infuse continuous innovation into their daily lives.

Today, we're also joined by guest-co-host, Dan Isenberg, a familiar name from Lay of The Land’s 112th conversation with Daniel Hampu, President of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. Dan, a professor at Columbia Business School and a former Harvard Business School professor, is the founder of Scalerator NEO. Dan and Angie's paths intersected in 2021 when Angie enrolled in the Scalerator program, designed to support organizations with sales between $5 million and $15 million in navigating growth and scaling challenges.

Angie's passion for her business is inspiring, and it was a pleasure to delve deeper into Radcom's evolution, driven by Angie's adaptability and resilience.

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Connect with Angie Dianetti on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/adianetti/
Follow Angie on Twitter @adianetti — https://twitter.com/adianetti
Learn more about Radcom — https://radcomservices.com/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#124: Andrew Spott (HR Signal & VividFront)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 03:00:00 -0400

Andrew Spott — Founder & President of HR Signal, and the Founder & Chairman of the VividFront.

Andrew founded VividFront back in 2009, growing it to become the acclaimed strategic Cleveland marketing agency it is today with recognition spanning The Inc 5000 fastest-growing companies and Northcoast 99 Top Employer awards multiple times over while driving success and impact for dozens of Ohio-based organizations and beyond. After transitioning from CEO to Chairman of VividFront, Andrew shifted his attention towards his latest project, HR Signal, a venture-backed HR Tech company based here in Cleveland, which he co-founded back in 2020 and has since raised $1.6 million in pre-seed funding.

The mission at HR Signal is to address the critical issues of employee retention, workforce planning, and culture. High employee turnover often indicates issues within a company's HR strategy, and discerning which employees are considering departure is often a complicated and challenging task for managers.

HR Signal aims to mitigate this problem through predictive analytics by deploying a set of algorithms which analyzes billions of data points from public sources, market data, and peer career path data, including hundreds of millions of anonymized resumes — Importantly, the process uses minimal internal data from clients to uphold the privacy of employees and to faciliate onboarding.

Really enjoyed this conversation with Andrew — spanning his work across VividFront to HR Signal and beyond — and learned a lot from his reflections on it — I hope you all enjoy it as well!

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Connect with Andrew Spott on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewspott/
Learn more about HR Signal — https://www.hrsignal.com/
Learn more about VividFront — https://www.vividfront.com/
Follow VivdFront on Twitter — https://twitter.com/vividfront

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

[GREATEST HITS] #23: Justin McLoughlin (airCFO)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 03:00:00 -0400

Justin McLoughlin — Founder & CEO of airCFO — on building a bootstrapped company, scaling a professional services organization, the future of work, the importance of taking care of your employees, and finance!

Justin McLoughlin is a midwesterner who fell in love with the tech startup scene and turned entrepreneur when he realized that when other people start startups, payroll, back-office management, account reconciliation, taxes, and general accounting is not what they have in mind.

Justin started airCFO to deliver entrepreneurs and growing companies peace of mind by taking ownership of these accounting responsibilities — maintaining the books so they can focus on maintaining the business.

Originally published as episode 23 back in May 2021, this conversation with Justin McLoughlin offers unique perspective on company building— please enjoy!

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This episode is also brought to you by airCFO, featured in the episode!

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Connect with Justin McLoughlin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmmcloughlin/

Learn more about airCFO — https://aircfo.com/
Follow airCFO on Twitter — https://twitter.com/aircfo

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#123: Tory & Michael Waxman (Sundays)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 03:00:00 -0400

Tory and Michael Waxman — the founders of Sundays (>$14 million raised, Cleveland-based) — on building Sundays for Dogs to become a leading dog food brand offering the first human-grade, air-dried dog food, made with 100% all-natural ingredients, that is healthier than kibble, but easier than refrigerated foods since it doesn’t require a freezer, prep, or clean-up.

In pursuit of their mission to make it easier to be an awesome dog parent and feed millions of dogs, Tory and Michael have grown the business to offer modern dog parents everything they’re looking for including quality, taste, convenience, and affordability — and the proof is in the dog food as, in a blind taste test, dogs preferred Sundays 20 to 0 over the best selling dry dog food.

Dr. Tory Waxman, a practicing small-animal veterinarian, and Michael Waxman, an engineer, and serial entrepreneur, founded Sundays when their dog, Mabel — who may make brief cameos in this episode today — became sick. Together, they became obsessed with finding dog food that could improve Mabel’s health. Although they searched, which you’ll hear all about in our conversation today — they couldn’t find dog food that was healthier than kibble, but easier to feed than home-cooked foods. Sundays was born.

This conversation was a ton of fun — Tory and Michael have an amazing story, exude such a passion for their work, and are building an incredible company with Sundays — I hope you all enjoy and learn from it as much as I did!

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This episode is brought to you by airCFO — whose story we actually shared back on Episode 23 of Lay of The Land with airCFO’s founder and CEO, Justin McLoughlin! For many founders, dealing with finance and taxes is stressful, confusing, and time-consuming. Yet without paying proper attention to your finances and taxes, you won’t be able to produce accurate nor timely financials and forecasts for your team or investors. Even worse, if you miss critical tax deadlines, you'll get hit with unnecessary penalties from the IRS — these kinds of financial and tax missteps can jeopardize your entire startup and your vision.

Running a startup is hard enough — work with airCFO and you’ll get best-in-class finance, accounting, HR, and tax support. airCFO takes care of your back office so you can focus on growing from startup to scale-up. As a Lay of The Land listener, visit aircfo.com for more information and to set up a call and tell them Lay of The Land sent you!

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Connect with Tory Waxman on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/tory-waxman-87781b176/
Connect with Michael Waxman on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelewaxman/
Learn more about Sundays for Dogs — https://sundaysfordogs.com/about
Follow Sundays for Dogs on Twitter — https://twitter.com/sundaysfordogs

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#122: Dom Raban (Xploro)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 02:35:00 -0400

Dom Raban — Founder and CEO of Xploro®

While originally founded in the UK, Xploro has recently established its headquarters here in Cleveland accompanying the closing on over $1.7mm in funding in a round led by local investors including Comeback Capital, University Hospitals Ventures and JumpStart Ventures! Xploro is an award-winning and clinically validated health information platform that uses augmented reality, gameplay, and artificial intelligence to deliver health information to young patients, in a way that makes them feel empowered, engaged, and informed, whilst having fun at the same time.

By putting health information in the hands of children, using language they understand, and interaction paradigms that they are familiar with, Xploro aims to reduce their stress and anxiety and improve their clinical outcomes all while improving child health literacy!

Dom founded Xploro when he realized that the provisioning of information preparing children for hospitalization is quite poor when his daughter at the age of 13 was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma and had to navigate this whole process. Fortunately, she is now cancer-free but when she was ill nobody told her what to expect which made her feel scared, anxious, and alone — Dom honed in that this problem is not unique to their experience, and so he founded Xploro to provide children with the information they need and deserve.

Really enjoyed this conversation with Dom as we explore his commitment to user-centric design, the power of gamification, the transformative implications of Xploro, and his broader vision beyond pediatric cancer to build a health information platform for any patient of any age with any condition — hope you all enjoy it as well!

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Connect with Dom Raban on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/domraban/
Learn more about Xploro Health — https://xploro.health/
Follow Xploro Health on Twitter — https://twitter.com/xploro_health

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#121: Michael Bruckman (Haima Therapeutics)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 04:52:00 -0400

Mike Bruckman, CEO of Haima Therapeutics.

With a PhD in organic chemistry and additional training in biomedical engineering and management, Mike joined the founding team at Haima as CEO in 2018 and has led their commercialization. Having brought in over $13mm in government funding to support their program over the last 5 years, Haima was the sole team selected by DARPA to receive funding in pursuit of manufacturing a fully-dried whole-blood product.

Haima is a biopharma Cleveland-based company developing cell and platelet-inspired therapies for the treatment of bleeding and a variety of other blood-related ailments where Haima’s initial focus is on the application of their platelet-inspired therapies to mitigate active bleeding and bleeding risks after traumatic injury, surgery, thrombocytopenia, and rare bleeding disorders. Haima’s lead technology, called SynthoPlate, is a novel, fully-synthetic hemostatic agent that mitigates bleeding by acting at the site of injury and amplifying your body’s natural clotting mechanisms.

I learned a great deal from this conversation with Mike — we cover everything from his path from academia to entrepreneurship, to the basics of platelets and blood biology, to the vast implications that Haima’s synthetic platelet technology can have on the field of blood-related diseases. Please enjoy my conversation with Mike Bruckman.

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Learn more about Haima Therapeutics — https://www.haimatherapeutics.com/about
Follow Haima Therapeutics on Twitter — https://twitter.com/HaimaThr
Connect with Mike Bruckman on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebruckman/
Follow Mike Bruckman on Twitter — https://twitter.com/mikebruckman

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#120: Brendan Anderson & Donnie Bedney (ScaleCo)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 02:35:00 -0400

Brendan Anderson and Donnie Bedney on their work at ScaleCo — a Cleveland-based entrepreneurship-through-acquisition organization that has invested more than $165 million in over 20 regional companies.

In our conversation today, we explore what entrepreneurship-through-acquisition even is, the advantages of buying a business over starting one from scratch, ScaleCo’s unique approach to unlocking value in partner companies, and why Donnie and Brendan have double-downed in ScaleCo’s commitment to investing locally in the Northeast Ohio region

A long-time student of emerging business, Brendan Anderson began his entrepreneurial career in 1995 when he formed The Mast Group to provide management services across various industries. Later in 1996, he formed the Heartland Companies to purchase a distressed industrial park, and in 1998 he purchased Stam, Inc., a manufacturing company which he lead until 2005 as CFO, VP Sales, and Director. Transitioning from the operating world, in 2006, he founded Evolution Capital Partners to provide capital to growing companies where he invested over $100 million in 16 platform companies across three committed capital funds, and most relevant to our conversation today, in 2018, he formed ScaleCo to support the Evolution Capital portfolio companies. Now serving as Chairman of ScaleCo, Brendan is also an active member of the Entrepreneurs Organization of Cleveland and Entrepreneurs Across Borders, in addition to serving on the board of SOAR, an organization that helps young adults with ADD & ADHD.

Joining Brendan to represent ScaleCo, Donnie Bedney has spent his career across prestigious consulting and healthcare organizations, including Gallup and Press Ganey, as a workforce, human capital, and sales executive. Donnie joined ScaleCo in 2020 as an Operating Partner, taking on business development responsibilities in ScaleCo’s investment thesis around the human capital management business. In 2021, ScaleCo purchased PSP Metrics, Inc., a provider of employee assessment tools, where Donnie was named President.

Please enjoy my conversation with Brendan Anderson and Donnie Bedney

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Learn more about ScaleCo — https://scaleco.com/

Connect with Brendan Anderson on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/andersonbrendan/

Connect with Donnie Bedney on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedonniebedney/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#119: Tanya Budler (Rise Together)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 25 May 2023 01:36:00 -0400

Tanya Budler, Founder of Rise Together, on building an impact consulting firm based here in Cleveland that partners with civic, public, private, and nonprofit organizations to create systems-level change that enables and empowers international newcomers to join the local workforce.

Tanya is a people-centric problem solver with a unique background that blends private sector, government, and non-profit experience. She started her career building global youth programs, crafting international events, and facilitating leadership workshops in eight different countries. While the Harvard Graduate School of Education, she began exploring other sectors, including impact consulting for nonprofits. Tanya has since served in various levels of government, first as an Economic and Social Recovery Fellow in the Office of the Governor of Connecticut and most recently supporting workforce efforts in the US Department of Transportation.

Through these experiences, Tanya saw great power and opportunity in working at the intersection of all these sectors and decided to move back to the Midwest, originally from the farmlands of Nebraska and Missouri, after 10+ years on the East Coast — based here in Cleveland and serving the larger Northeast Ohio region, she launched Rise Together in January of 2022. Since then, she and her team have been working to create a welcoming workforce for international newcomers by developing policies, coalitions, and workshops that play to the community's assets and strengths.

In our conversation, we dive into Tanya's background and path to entrepreneurship and Cleveland, founding Rise Together, creating and growing a for-profit service organization, and her reflections and learnings throughout the journey. Please enjoy my conversation with Tanya Budler.

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Learn more about Rise Together — https://www.risetogethercle.com/
Connect with Tanya Budler on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyabudler/

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

[GREATEST HITS] #30: Lindsay Watson PT, MPT (Augment Therapy)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 18 May 2023 06:10:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Lindsay Watson, CEO & Founder of Augment Therapy.

Augment Therapy was founded in 2017 when Lindsay — who is a pediatric physical therapist from Chagrin Falls, Ohio — was searching for a way to solve the problems she was experiencing in her own physical therapy practice. Lindsay had spent years working with children and was frustrated with the inefficiency of treating kids once a week, with no way to help them exercise on a daily basis for faster progress. And with that, Lindsay set out to find a way to encourage and motivate them to exercise and Augment Therapy was born.

Augment Therapy is an interactive software that uses the medium of augmented reality to engage kids to exercise. Using depth-sensing camera technology, Augment Therapy functions as a motivational tool, exercise prompt, and progress tracker for children needing therapeutic exercise – with no headsets or other wearables required. It can be used in the hospital and clinical setting or in the home environment – any place where added motivation is needed.

Augment Therapy looks like a game to the child, but solves real problems of exercise adherence – its portability and anywhere/anytime access make the completion of daily therapeutic exercise simple, convenient, and fun!

Originally published as episode 30 back in July of 2021, this conversation with Lindsay Watson was one of my favorite conversations to date! Lindsay’s passion for her work is infectious and I learned a lot from her story — when I re-listened to it in advance of republishing it today, I was struck by how inspiring and forward-thinking Lindsay’s work through Augment Therapy was, and still is today as she’s continued to grow the business and raised an additional million dollars of funding — all with the goal of improving the therapy experience for children and bringing increased innovation to the pediatric market at large. Please enjoy!

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Learn more about Augment Therapy — https://augmenttherapy.com/

Follow Augment Therapy on Twitter — https://twitter.com/augment_therapy

Connect with Lindsay Watson on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-watson-pt-mpt-68103a134/

Follow Lindsay Watson on Twitter — https://www.twitter.com/@lindsaywatson26

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#118: Dr. Onas Bolton (Octet Scientific)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 11 May 2023 01:36:00 -0400

Dr. Onas Bolton — Founder and CEO of Octet Scientific, a specialty Cleveland-based chemical manufacturer unlocking the full power of safe, economical, and sustainable energy storage by providing better electrolyte chemistry for zinc and other aqueous batteries — on the potential for zinc-based batteries, the history of energy production, storage, and use, and how the work Octet Scientific is doing will facilitate our transition to carbon-neutral sustainable power!

Dr. Bolton is a 14-year veteran of the specialty chemicals industry with a PhD in materials science and specific expertise in organic electrochemistry. He is an experienced organic and materials chemist whose work has been published in prestigious scientific journals like the Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Journal of the American Chemical Society, and highlighted on the cover of Nature Chemistry and in the Economist. Prior to founding Octet, Dr. Bolton created new organic additives for Atotech, the world’s largest producer of chemicals to the electroplating industry.

At Octet, he and his team are working closely with a wide variety of zinc battery chemistries and manufacturers worldwide to continue to perfect zinc battery chemistry through novel additive development. Dr. Bolton began Octet by winning two highly competitive funding awards from the US National Science Foundation, based on the idea that establishing safe and sustainable zinc-based energy storage will require optimized additive chemistry and more recently, has closed over an additional $1 million in traditional venture funding led by Jumpstart here in Cleveland. Please enjoy!

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Learn more about Octet Scientific — https://www.octetsci.com/about-octet/
Connect with Dr. Onas Bolton on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/onas-bolton-693ba319/

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#117: Anees Pretorius & Cono Onorato (Bean)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 04 May 2023 03:36:00 -0400

Anees Pretorius and Cono Onorato — co-founders of Bean ($1.7mm in funding) — on the pursuit of their vision to reimagine the global accounting industry and elevate the profession into the digital age.

Anees Pretorius, a former Big 4 Accountant, is the CEO of Bean, a market network for specialized accounting services. Originally from South Africa, Anees previously held positions at Deloitte in Cape Town and San Francisco, and later at EY in Cleveland. During his time as a consultant, he worked alongside High-growth and Fortune companies, providing compliance and strategic services. However, it was his experience in the Bay Area working alongside some of the most influential and technologically progressive companies in the world that inspired him to think beyond the traditional constraints inherent in accounting and financial services.

Cono Onorato is the CTO at Bean, with over 15 years of experience building, designing, and deploying apps across many industries, including finance, healthcare, and education. Cono worked as a consultant for Fortune 500 clients such as UPS, Coca-Cola, Chick-Fil-A, Verifone, and AT&T, where he deployed creative and engineering solutions. Cono also founded and built an app called Gitful, where he successfully scaled the company to service hundreds of thousands of users across the globe in less than four years.

In this episode, we dive into the arc of their careers, their paths to entrepreneurship, and how they joined forces to create Bean. We explore their original insights, the questions they asked, and their vision for the future of accounting. We unpack their approach to building in stealth mode and the advantages and disadvantages of it. We also discuss the history and current state of accounting, the implications of AI in accounting, and how Bean will bring about the future of accounting in the digital age! Please enjoy my conversation with Anees Pretorius and Cono Onorato!

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Connect with Anees Pretorius on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/aneespretorius/

Connect with Cono Onorato on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/conoonorato/

Learn more about Bean — https://getbean.com/

Follow Bean on Twitter — https://twitter.com/one2bean

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#116: Julia Solooki & Lior Shafir (Smart Soda)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 04:07:00 -0400

Julia Solooki & Lior Shafir — the co-founders of Smart Soda, headquartered here in Cleveland — on revolutionizing the beverage industry!

The revolution is taking the water and soft drink industry by storm where for many consecutive years, carbonated soft drink sales have been in decline as an increasingly health-conscious society is demanding healthier alternatives in face of the $250 billion US soft drinks market.

Smart Soda is meeting that demand with a proprietary and functional beverage platform for major corporations, restaurants, offices, and retail, offering state-of-the-art beverage dispensing products serving healthy and delicious flavored sparkling water made with all-natural alkaline mineralized water, with the option for over 32 flavors utilizing organic cane sugar, vitamin infusion, and much more coming down the pike — to deliver everyday effervescence.

To date, Smart Soda has raised over $7mm building out the company, and has partnered with major brands like Sysco, BareBurger, 7-Eleven, and many others, all in pursuit of their vision to sustainably (WELL Standard adherent) create the best tasting and highest quality health-forward beverages.

Lior Shafir is an experienced executive in the water and beverage industry, with over 20 years in the field serving as the former Chairman and CEO of Aquatal and also as the former CEO of the exclusive US distributor of Soda Stream, the Israeli-based carbonated drink maker, which was acquired by Pepsi for $3.2 billion back in 2018.

Julia Solooki, now the president of Smart Soda, is focused on running and developing retail and online sales operation as well as strategically developing Smart Soda’s channel partner relations. Prior to co-founding Smart Soda with Lior, Julia held a series of leadership positions in the healthcare services arena in addition to serving on the board of education for the Healthcare Billing Management Association.

We cover a lot in this conversation — the proliferation and market for carbonated drinks, Julia and Lior’s commitment to sustainability, expansion plans, go-to-market strategy, and much more — please enjoy our conversation!

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Learn more about Smart Soda — https://smartsoda.com/

Connect with Julia Solooki on LinkedIn

Connect with Lior Shafir on LinkedIn

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#115: Adrian Bota (ORIGIN Milk)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 03:43:00 -0400

Adrian Bota — co-founder and CEO of ORIGIN Milk — on creating the superlative, regenerative A2 heritage milk company!

Adrian’s roots in farming go back to his father working on a farm in Romania. Adrian’s parents and four siblings escaped from Romania right before the fall of Communism, immigrating to the U.S. and arriving in Cleveland in 1991. While Adrian’s father imagined his children would seek careers in medicine or law, Adrian ultimately drew on his background in business and health to enter the farming industry. Prior to launching Origin, Adrian began his career helping to define Pfizer Pharmaceuticals’ approach to the changing healthcare marketplace in the U.S. He later worked at Cleveland Clinic Innovations Group to manage new ventures in healthcare technology, genetics, and health and wellness.

Led by his passion for nutrition and innovation, coupled with searching for the best options in nutrition for his new child, Adrian embarked on the journey of utilizing his background in the pharma & biotech sector to rethink human nutrition from the ground up. In 2015, Adrian embarked on that journey to wholesome, nature-led nutrition and established Origin, a trailblazing regenerative A2 Guernsey dairy brand right here in Cleveland Ohio. He began partnering first with small farmers in Ohio and has since grown the operation, partnering with small, family-owned farms in Pennsylvania and Colorado. Their deep expertise in product development and knowledge of emerging consumer demands has led Origin to expand its portfolio into multiple verticals — now offering products spanning multiple milk varieties, chocolate, ghee, butter, and more

As you’ll hear in our conversation today, Adrian is one of the sharpest thinkers and shrewdest builders I’ve come across — one of my favorite discussions so far and an absolute pleasure to listen to and learn from — At the risk of being put out to pasture for some of the worst milk puns I’ll ever utter on this podcast, Adrian is a genuine mooover and shaker in the dairy world where he is committed to leading the shift away from big dairy, which is reliant on legacy cows and factory farming, to a regenerative, organic and always local model of clean dairy.

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Connect with Adrian Bota on LinkedIn

Learn more about ORIGIN Milk

Follow ORIGIN Milk on Instagram

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#114: Ed Largent (Westfield)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 03:38:00 -0400

Ed Largent — President, CEO, and Board Chair of Westfield, one of the most enduring companies in Ohio.

Very few companies in the world can boast the longevity of Westfield, which is celebrating its 175th year of existence. Originally founded by a small group of Ohio farmers in 1848, Westfield is now one of the largest non-public companies in Ohio, the largest employer in Medina County, Ohio, and has grown to be one of the nation’s leading property and casualty insurance companies, with recent international expansion, and as the largest writer of contract performance bonds in Ohio, with over $2.5 billion in direct written premium and $8.5 billion in consolidated assets.

Ed joined Westfield in 1986 and was appointed CEO and President of Westfield in 2015 after having served in a variety of previous leadership roles, including as Westfield’s Administration Leader and Chief Technology Officer.

In our conversation today, we explore the ingredients that make for longevity and unpack how and why Westfield has been able to balance its multi-generational growth and commitment to ensuring the financial stability of its customers all without sacrificing its own resiliency and antifragility through some of the most risk-on periods of American history. We talk about the importance of cultivating people and empathy, being grounded in purpose, and aligning culture around these tenets.

It was a real privilege to hear Ed's reflections on leadership and on Westfield’s history, present, and future going forward — please enjoy my conversation with Ed Largent.

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Learn more about Westfield — https://www.westfieldinsurance.com/

Follow Westfield on Twitter — https://twitter.com/Westfield1848/

Connect with Ed Largent on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/edlargent/

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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#113: Bill Wichert & Matt Crowley (TonDone)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 02:58:00 -0400

Matt Crowley and Bill Wichert, the co-founders of TonDone, have recently secured $1.5 million in funding and facilitated over $30 million in work orders through their platform. Their mission is to solve the challenges faced by building and facility services.

Matt and Bill first crossed paths at Case Western Reserve University and decided to work together going forward. In an eclectic joint career experience, they served as Chief Information Officers at Philadelphia International Airport and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, where they oversaw the development of technology resources for millions of airline customers annually. Their industry knowledge and experience in aviation inspired them to create software for airport operations, which eventually — through a series of learnings and pivots, and participation in Akron's Bounce Innovation Hub accelerator and Techstars accelerator programs — led them to the idea of developing a business operating system for the building and facility service market at large — they developed a platform to help frontline employees get a ton done, hence TonDon!

In this episode, Matt and Bill discuss their experience with airport innovation, the ups and downs of pivoting, team building, the importance of falling in love with the problem instead of an idea, knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, the power of accelerator programs, and much more.

Please enjoy my conversation with Matt Crowley and Bill Wichert!

Learn more about TonDone — https://www.tondone.com/

Connect with Bill Wichert on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/billwichert/

Connect with Matt Crowley on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/k8cle/

Follow TonDone on Twitter — https://twitter.com/gettondone/

Follow Matt Crowley on Twitter — https://twitter.com/variables

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#112: Daniel Isenberg & Dan Hampu (Burton D. Morgan Foundation & Scalerator NEO)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 02:00:00 -0400

Dan Hampu and Daniel Isenberg on their collective work at the Burton D Morgan Foundation and Scalerator NEO — covering why it’s important to focus on companies at scale relative to startups when thinking about the overall prosperity of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, the state and trajectory of Northeast Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the challenges that scaling companies experience, and how the Burton D. Morgan Foundation and Scalerator NEO can help.

Dan Hampu joined The Burton D. Morgan Foundation in 2022 as the President and CEO — Previously, he served in a number of roles within the entrepreneurial landscape through Northeast Ohio. Most recently he served as the Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund, as a Venture Partner with Interstate Fusion Ventures, and as the Chief Operating Officer and board member of the Akron-based software startup company, Fontus Blue.

Joining Dan, Daniel Isenberg has been an entrepreneur, teacher of entrepreneurship, and venture capitalist in Israel who has made investments in many dozens of startups across the world — he was a professor at Harvard Business School for 11 years where he pioneered education in international entrepreneurship, and since 2010 has been teaching at Columbia Business School through all of which, he has written over 35 articles on entrepreneurship and authored his book Worthless Impossible and Stupid: How Contrarian Entrepreneurs Create and Capture Extraordinary Value where he’s been featured on Harvard Business Review, the Economist, Forbes, Bloomberg, Wallstreet Journal, Financial Times and many others. Outside of the academic world, he’s put it all into practice through Scalerator NEO, which we’ll spend our time on today, in addition to Scale Up Milwaukee, Scale Up Rio, Scale Up Atlantic Canada, Scale Up Trinidad and Tobago, all of which he has founded.

Tying these two organizations together, Scalerator NEO is made possible by the support of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, whose mission is to foster free enterprise through grantmaking, ecosystem building, and knowledge sharing and whose efforts are built around fostering youth, collegiate and adult entrepreneurship in our region. Scalerator NEO is a program is for scaling companies in Northeast Ohio with annual revenues in the range of $3M to $15M with the potential for further growth — Companies from all sectors partake in a six-month, seven-workshop curriculum to help founders and owners realize that growth — for example, the first Scaleraor NEO cohort collectively experienced a growth in earnings of 40% over the year.

In our conversation today, we cover why it’s important to focus on companies at scale relative to startups when thinking about the overall prosperity of a entrepreneurial ecosystem, we talk about the state and trajectory of Northeast Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and we explore what are the kinds of challenges that scaling companies experience and how the Burton D. Morgan Foundation and Scalerator NEO can help. Please enjoy my conversation with Dan Hampu and Daniel Isenberg.

Connect with Daniel Isenberg on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/disenberg/

Connect with Dan Hampu on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/danhampu/

Learn more about Scalerator NEO — https://www.scaleratorneo.org/

Learn more about The Burton D. Morgan Foundation — https://www.bdmorganfdn.org/

Follow Scalerator NEO on Twitter @ScaleratorNEO — https://twitter.com/ScaleratorNEO

Follow The Burton D. Morgan Foundation on Twitter @bdmorganfdn — https://twitter.com/bdmorganfdn

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#111: Brian Folmer (FirstLook VC)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Brian Folmer.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Brian has boomeranged back to Cleveland after 6 years in NYC and starting his own company.

Brian is the founder of FirstLook.vc and Distrobox.co; he’s a mentor at Techstars and a16z, Managing Partner of the FirstLook Syndicate, and a proud Ohio State Alum. He previously led BD & Strategic Partnerships at XRC Labs, International Operations at Victoria's Secret, and took his first startup through a technology startup accelerator in his hometown Cleveland, OH.

Through his work at FirstLook, he’s come to believe founders are the dreamers in action who drive innovation, push the world forward, and create the bedrock of our economy — and in practice, he’s focused on helping those founders build exciting brands and realize their visions. FirstLook is dedicated to cutting the friction and red tape between founders and investors by sending innovative products from emerging, high-growth consumer brands directly to early-stage investors via their subscription box.

In our conversation today, we explore how by connecting these two groups in a new, efficient, and practical way, Brian can uncover far more promising brands than before and begin to rewrite the script on consumer investing. Please enjoy my conversation with Brian Folmer

Connect with Brian Folmer on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfolmer/

Follow Brian Folmer on Twitter @homerfolmer — https://twitter.com/homerfolmer

Learn more about FirstLook VC — https://firstlook.vc/

Follow FirstLook VC on Twitter @firstlookvc — https://twitter.com/firstlookvc

Connect with FirstLook VC on Linkedin — https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstlook-venture-co/

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#110: Afif Ghannoum (BIOHM Health)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Afif Ghannoum, a biotech attorney by background and the CEO of BIOHM Health — which he co-founded with his father, Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum, a leading microbiome researcher and recognized for naming the mycobiome (the body's fungal community). With over 30,000 citations and 500 published papers, Dr. Ghannoum is one of the top 0.5% of cited microbiologists and the top 2% of all scientists across all disciplines and has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1991, including just receiving his latest NIH grant at age 72.

Leveraging his own background launching and selling consumer products in over 27,000 stores and licensed IP to companies around the world in addition to holding several biotech patents, Afif partnered with his dad to commercialize his research and science into world-class consumer products through their company, BIOHM Health.

With state-of-the-art science and one of the largest microbiome datasets in the world that combines bacterial and fungal sequencing, BIOHM was the first to address the critical link between fungi and bacteria in gut health. Over the last year, BIOHM has expanded its role with some of the largest global ingredient companies to offer a world-class suite of services, including product development leveraging its industry-leading database, bioinformatics, testing, and clinical trial support — their first BIOHM FX probiotic supplement was designed to specifically help reduce digestive plaque found in the gut.

BIOHM is currently embarking on a clinical extension directly for medical practitioners and is quickly expanding into retailers across the country, as it not only manages one of the most comprehensive gut health datasets, but also has access to one of the largest collections of fungi strains, second only to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In late 2022, Afif secured $7.5 million in funding for BIOHM to support their broader vision. BIOHM is a fascinating company based here in Cleveland and I loved learning more about Afif’s journey building it — please enjoy my conversation with Afif Ghannoum

Connect with Afif Ghannoum on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/afifghannoum/

Follow Afif Ghannoum on Twitter @AfifGhannoum — https://twitter.com/AfifGhannoum

Learn more about BIOHM Health — https://www.biohmhealth.com/

Follow BIOHM Health on Twitter @biohmhealth — https://twitter.com/biohmhealth

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#109: Adam Fleischer (The Wine Spot & Entrepreneur's Organization Cleveland)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Adam Fleischer — President of Cleveland’s Entrepreneurs' Organization and founder & co-owner of The Wine Spot here in Cleveland Heights.

A proud product of Cleveland, Adam joined the United States Air Force just after graduating from Cleveland Heights High School and spent four years on active duty as a medic. After relocating back to Cleveland to attend Cleveland State University, Adam got a job at a local hospital’s inpatient pharmacy, where he began implementation of one of the first clinical information systems (also known as an Electronic Medical Record) in the country — with that experience, Adam was hired on by the company, Cerner Corporation, which was recently purchased by Oracle. After 20 years of experience in corporate America, he decided to focus his energy on his passions — the Cleveland community, and wine!

Adam and his wife Susan followed their dream of owning their own business and being entrepreneurs by opening The Wine Spot in Cleveland Heights on December 16, 2011. From the onset, they wanted to be part of the local food and beverage community and began partnering with like-minded entrepreneurs like: Restless Coffee, Brew Nuts, Mister Brisket, many local micro-breweries, and artists to create a relaxing destination where all feel welcome and can enjoy the fines wines, craft beer, and cocktails.

In addition, Adam is active in the community as the creator and co-creator of The Heights Music Hop, The Cleveland Heights Happy 5K and 10K, 46 and 2 Brewing Cold Brewed Coffee now part of Six Shooter Coffee, Bitcoin Boulevard USA, and The Wine Spot Salami.

It was a lot of fun to hear about Adam’s journey to entrepreneurship, the work he’s doing at the Wine Spot, and understanding the role of EO — the Entrepreneur's Organization — which we’ve heard mentioned many times throughout Lay of The Land but are finally making the space to talk about specifically today! Please enjoy my conversation with Adam Fleischer

Connect with Adam Fleisher on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamefleischer/

Learn more about The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Cleveland — https://www.eonetwork.org/cleveland/

Learn more about The Wine Spot — https://thewinespotonline.com/

Follow The Wine Spot on Twitter @TheWineSpotCH — https://twitter.com/TheWineSpotCH

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#108: Michael Murphy (Cleveland Soccer Group)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Michael Murphy, on a mission to bring professional soccer to Cleveland as the Co-founder and CEO of the Cleveland Soccer Group.

Previously, Michael served as President of Gravitas Ventures — whose story we featured back on Lay of The Land’s 68th episode with Gravitas’ CEO (linked here), Nolan Gallagher, Michael’s current co-founder at Cleveland Soccer Group!

At Gravitas, Michael was instrumental in growing the company’s distribution footprint, managing their library of more than 3,000 titles of movies and TV to over 100 transactional, subscription, and ad-sponsored Video-on-demand operators on a worldwide basis — ultimately affording Gravitas distribution into over 100 million homes in North America and over 1 Billion homes worldwide.

Prior to joining Gravitas Ventures in 2007, Michael was Captain in the US Army where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate. In 2005, he deployed with the 3rd Infantry Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

Michael is a member of the Cleveland Chapter of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), a member of the U.S. Soccer Development Council, on the board of Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeast Ohio, and on the advisory council for the Northeast Ohio Women’s Sports Alliance.

He also coaches track, basketball, and, of course, soccer at St. Dominic School in Cleveland.

This was a really fun conversation — we cover everything from the cultural importance of sports in American society, how he envisions Cleveland Soccer as a community pillar going forward, to the logistics of starting a professional soccer club, from stadiums to financing to building a competitive and formidable platform and team. Really enjoyed learning more about Michaels’ vision for the Cleveland Soccer Group and I am excited to follow along on this journey as it unfolds — please enjoy my conversation with Michael Murphy.

Connect with Michael Murphy on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-murphy-5602005/

Connect with Nolan Gallagher on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-gallagher-7a6a852/

Follow Cleveland Pro Soccer on Twitter @cleprosoccer — https://twitter.com/cleprosoccer

Follow Michael Murphy on Twitter @CLE_MMMurphy — https://twitter.com/CLE_MMMurphy

Follow Nolan Gallagher on Twitter @NolanGravitas — https://twitter.com/NolanGravitas

Learn more about The Cleveland Soccer Group — https://www.clevelandprosoccer.com/

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#107: Aleksandra Brankov & Cole Worley (Cafilia)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 02:00:00 -0500

Aleksandra Brankov and Cole Worley — the co-founders of Cafilia, a Cleveland startup and network of curated local coffee shops where people can purchase monthly memberships and enjoy a sustainable and community-driven coffee experience.

Aleksandra is a proud product of Serbian immigrant parents — Born in Cleveland, she moved to Europe to continue her professional career in strategy implementation consulting for Global Fortune 500s after receiving her Master’s in International Management in Madrid, Spain. Now back in Cleveland, Aleksandra came up with the idea for the Cafilia during a winter retreat in Canada and decided to pursue it, launching the pilot program in July 2020 in the Cleveland market.

Cole had earned his degree studying Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the University of Dayton, and has worked with companies all over the world in marketing, business development, and product management. He's had a hand in launching new business units, managing mass market and luxury products, and consulting with small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, Cole led and organized the StartupBus competition across North America, where people come together, pitch their skills and startup ideas, form teams, build and launch a product in just three days, all while traveling to a final destination.

Collectively, Cole and Aleksandra are working to bring the Cafilia to every major city all in support of local, sustainable, and quality coffee, for coffee shop owners and coffee enthusiasts alike. We cover everything from historical coffee macro trends, to the meaning of Cafilia, to managing a coffee subscription service — please enjoy my conversation with Aleksandra Brankov and Cole Worley

Connect with Aleksandra Brankov on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandrabrankov/

Connect with Cole Worley on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/coleworley/

Learn more about Cafilia — https://becafilia.com/

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#106: Jeremy Umansky (Larder)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Jeremy Umansky, the renowned chef and owner of Larder!

Larder Delicatessen and Bakery — as it’s known in full — is a staple and favorite of many here in Cleveland, housed in the historic Ohio City Firehouse, where the from-scratch Eastern European deli embodies Jeremy’s philosophy with a focus on the use and promotion of sourcing and foraging local and wild food, cooking as seasonally as possible, with minimal to no ecological impact on the environment, all without sacrificing on intensity and deliciousness of flavors and the overall experience.

Larder was nominated by the James Beard Foundation as the Best New Restaurant in America in 2019 and Jeremy was further recognized as Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2020 and in 2023 with his wife and co-owner, Allie La Valle-Umansky!

Jeremy has a fascinating mind and it was a genuine pleasure to hear his thoughts on things far beyond the realm of Larder — although we do talk a lot about Larder too and his interests in mushrooms and foraging, Koji, fermentation, culinary technology, sustainability, Cleveland’s food scene, fulfillment, his motivations and much more — this perhaps was of the most wide-ranging and varied conversations we’ve had on the show so far, and as a big fan of Larder myself, I had a lot of fun learning a lot more about Jeremy and his story. Hope you all enjoy my conversation with Jeremy Umansky

Learn more about Larder — https://larderdb.com/about/

Follow Larder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/larderdb/

Follow Jeremy Umansky on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tmgastronaut/

Follow Jeremy Umansky on Twitter @TMGastronaut — https://twitter.com/TMGastronaut

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#105: Artur Grabowski (Extendify)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 03:00:00 -0500

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Artur Grabowski — co-founder of Extendify.

Artur emigrated from Poland to the Cleveland area at the age of 8 — where he later attended Case Western and got exposure working both with a hardware measurement instruments company and a Silicon Valley software startup that later became a unicorn. Artur then transitioned to the business world working with KeyBank's investment banking team in Cleveland and with the startup ecosystem while at Silicon Valley Bank in the Bay Area. After completing an MBA at the University of Chicago, Artur returned to San Francisco to join Adobe where he lead acquisitions and investments, and launched Adobe's early-stage investments through the Fund for Design. Artur then returned to Cleveland and joined Automattic, the company behind WordPress, to lead acquisitions, investments, and strategic initiatives.

Most recently, in 2019 — and where we’ll spend most of our conversation today — Artur left Automattic to co-found Extendify where they are a mission to help web hosting companies deliver delightful WordPress experiences and has since raised venture capital in support of this mission, with the initial investment led by Village Global, and subsequent investment from a variety of angel and strategic investors, including his former company, Automattic.

WordPress powers an almost unbelievable 43% of websites on the internet today and Artur is set on supporting those in this goliath ecosystem! Artur has great perspective on the landscape of the internet, building a fully remote company before it was the popular thing to do so, venture, and I feel has a refreshing and unique take on many aspects of the entrepreneurial journey — please enjoy my conversation with Artur Grabowski!

Learn more about Extendify

Connect with Artur Grabowski on LinkedIn

Follow Artur Grabowski on Twitter @arturgrabo

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Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

#104: Chuck, Jeff, and Jamey Snider (Snider Recreation)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with the family behind Snider Recreation a company in the very business of fun where they are focused on the development of Commercial Playgrounds — Chuck Snider, Jamey Snider, and Jeff Snider!

Jamey and Jeff took over the business in 2014 and today run the company, focused on growing Snider Recreation’s brand and presence in the playground and recreation industry, while Chuck had founded the business back in the late 80s after over a decade working in the legal sector.

If you’ve ever wondered, how does a playground come to be? Or what are all the considerations that go into making one that is fun and inclusive, and safe? That is what we’ll cover in this episode!

From how the recreational and commercial playground industry has evolved over the last few decades, to how Chuck, Jamey, and Jeff think about innovation, to how they’ve continued to run a family business over the generations — really loved learning about this business that fundamentally ties its success to providing a fun safe environment for children to play — please enjoy my conversation with the Snider family.

Learn more about Snider Recreation
Follow Snider Recreation on Twitter
Connect with Jamey Snider on LinkedIn
Connect with Jeff Snider on LinkedIn

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Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#103: Dr. Elad Granot (John Carroll University, Boler College of Business)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0500

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with 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.

Elad is passionate about the role of higher education in the world of startups, and actively spends his time building & cultivating social connections for students to move up the academic and economic ladders & promoting entrepreneurship and innovation in the Cleveland business ecosystem.

Prior to joining Boler College of Business as Dean and Professor of Marketing, Dr. Granot led Ashland University's Business College. His academic appointments also include Dean of the College of Business Administration and Professor of Marketing at Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey; Assistant Dean – MBA Programs at Cleveland State University’s Monte Ahuja College of Business in Cleveland, Ohio; and Special Assistant to the Provost for eLearning Development at Cleveland State University.

In addition to his background in higher education leadership, Dr. Granot served as an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) prior to beginning his international business career in 1994 as a sales manager for a US based freight forwarding company. He later established his marketing and strategy consulting practice. In 1998, he was recruited to be vice president of marketing for Israel’s largest private education company, later acquired by the Washington Post group. In 2000, Dr. Granot was named CMO of KPMG in Tel Aviv, a position he held until taking over as CEO of a large media production company.

We cover a lot of ground in this conversation spanning what Cleveland can learn from Startup Nation and Elad’s time in Israel, the role of academia in fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, the tolerance for risk in North East Ohio, technology transfer out of academic institutions, and a lot more — please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Elad Granot!

Connect with Dr. Elad Granot on LinkedIn

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#102: Jan Jensen (Trailhead Biosystems)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 03:00:00 -0500

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Jan Jenson — PhD, CEO/CSO/Founder of Trailhead Biosystems, based here in Cleveland.

Jan is the Lead Inventor of Trailhead Technology and has 20 years as a molecular developmental biologist. He is the Eddie J. Brandon Endowed chair of Diabetes Research at the Cleveland Clinic and obtained his Ph.D. from U. Copenhagen in 1998 and has been faculty at US institutions since 2001 where he has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers and is now engaged with multiple research projects and consortia covering neural, renal, pancreatic areas, as well as cancer and immunotherapy.

The technology of Trailhead Biosystems — which exists around the high-dimensional design of experiments dependent on computerized designs and robotic executions — allows for the production of cellular ink as the biological building blocks to address a myriad of issues across cell-based therapeutics, drug discovery, organ printing, and disease modeling — ultimately aiming to arrive at the cures for diseases we’ve only historically been able to treat like Diabetes, which is one of Jan’s original motivations.

Trailhead Biosystems is one of the most fascinating companies I’ve come across so far and I learned so much from this conversation with Jan — everything from the basics of cell differentiation and development biology, to the vast implications that unlocking industrialized manufacturing of specialized human cells can have for regenerative medicine! Please enjoy my conversation with Jan Jensen

Learn more about Trailhead Biosystems
Connect with Jan Jensen on LinkedIn

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#101: Aaron George (SupplyNow)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 03:00:00 -0500

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Aaron George, Founder/CEO of SupplyNow!

Growing up with a family of small businesses & food service owners, Aaron first came to the US in 2015 with a deep sense of respect for entrepreneurship and the food service industry from a very young age. At that time, he came to study Civil Engineering and Business Management from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) — during his time at CWRU, he founded PastryNow which was a digital, late-night delivery platform that connected local bakeries & home bakers to college students

In early 2020 though, when college campuses shut down overnight, Aaron had to close down the business and go back to the drawing board. He had noticed restaurants were amongst the hardest hit during the pandemic and was determined to find ways to help. After interviewing several restauranters and chefs, he found that there were inadequate solutions available to actually help restaurants control their purchasing costs, especially in the context of having to navigate frequent critical supply chain failures.

In 2021, Aaron founded SupplyNow, leveraging his experience from PastryNow, to provide critical supply chain solutions that can save restaurants and local distributors, time and money. The company’s flagship service — Crisis Management — helps restaurants when their vendor has shorted them (potentially due to unexpected waste/demand, inventory miscalculations, etc) and are too short-staffed to send for a restaurant's emergency supplies. At the same time, the company has built out the supply-side of its network to service distributors who find it too expensive to offer same-day/on-demand deliveries to their customers, due to CDL driver constraints and preset weekly routes that are hard to deviate out of.

Through our conversation, we also cover Aaron’s journey as an immigrant founder, the many additional challenges he’s had to navigate as a consequence of this, and the work of Global Entrepreneur in Residence program he is spearheading. Please enjoy my conversation with Aaron George.

Learn more about SupplyNow
Learn more about Global Cleveland
Connect with Aaron George on LinkedIn

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#100: Jeffrey Stern's Reflections on 100 Episodes — Entrepreneurial Motivations, Where Ideas Come From, and The Importance of Culture

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0500

Lay of The Land’s 100th conversation is a reflection on the 99 before it — what universal lessons can we learn and patterns we can extract from recounting the stories of amazing people building amazing things!

We'll cover what draws people to entrepreneurship in the first place, where do company ideas come from, and the real importance of culture — I hope you all can take these learnings with you as well.

Thanks for tuning in for two years now :)

Please enjoy and let me know if you all have any feedback. To the next 100!

With Love —

Jeffrey Stern
Host, Lay of The Land Podcast
Co-Founder, Axuall

#99: Steve Santamaria (Folio Photonics)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 10:13:00 -0500

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Steve Santamaria, CEO of Folio Photonics, where he is focused on innovating storage media with the first-ever enterprise-scale, immutable active archive solution that delivers breakthrough cost, security, and sustainability!

Steve — who resides here in Chagrin Falls — is a seasoned technology executive, entrepreneur, and student of disruptive technologies. Steve spent 14 years at Intel where he led an array of strategic projects including: Intel’s Microsoft partnership, colloquially referred to as Wintel, investment in China Software Park Program (with launches in Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen and Chengdu), global expansion of the Intel Developer Program, formation of the Visual Computing Group to move Intel into more graphics-oriented businesses such as VR and 3D animation and the launching of various Intel Service businesses including Intel Online Services, AppUp and Tizen.

Prior to Intel, Steve had a successful sales and business development career with companies including: Control Data, Ceridian, Parametric Technology and Giga Information Group. Most recently, Steve started two companies: WebTuner Corp., an OTT video streaming company, and Envelop VR, which created the first Windows desktop environment for virtual reality.

Really enjoyed getting Steve’s perspective on the history and future of storage, the prospects for Folio Photonics’s opportunity looking forward, Cleveland’s whole ecosystem, and his reflections on leadership! Hope you enjoy my conversation with Steve Santamaria

Learn more about Folio Photonics
Connect with Steve Santamaria on LinkedIn
Follow Steve Santamaria on Twitter @SSantamaria7

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

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

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0500

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Kris Snyder! Kris has an extensive entrepreneurial past over the last 25 years building and leading five entrepreneurial companies, including founding Vox Mobile — an enterprise mobility management service here in Cleveland — back in 2006 where he served as CEO growing the organization to over 200 people, over $20mm in capital raised, and $10’s of millions in recurring revenue.

In 2018 Kris founded a growth advisory firm called Impact Architects where he serves as the Managing Partner, and in 2019, he began working on Ninety, a company focused on supporting the same market as Impact Architects by providing company operating system software where he serves as the Head of Finance and Partnerships, sits on their board, and helped them recently close on a $20mm investment round led by Insight Partners.

He is an active member of EO's Cleveland chapter as a member of the board, chairs the board of the NEO Arthritis Foundation, and has been recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year!

This really was one of my favorite discussions so far as Kris — who is one of the clearest thinkers I know — has this powerful ability to distill his extensive learnings into very concise meaningful takeaways as well as speak to his underlying motivations of working with entrepreneurial leaders to create impact and pursue a world where small and medium organizations and their employees can become more humane, productive and resilient in order to live their best lives. Please enjoy my conversation with Kris Snyder.

Learn more about Impact Architects
Learn more about Ninety.io
Learn more about Vox Mobile
Connect with Kris Snyder on LinkedIn

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

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

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0500

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Raji Sankar, co-founder of Wholesome International, a multi-concept restaurant development company and co-chief executive officer of Choolaah, a fast-casual Indian restaurant, owned and operated by Wholesome International, with a modern commitment to good health featuring traditional Indian recipes, spices, and tandoor cooking.

Choolaah has become a beloved gem in and of itself here in Cleveland with a growing presence in other cities like Pittsburgh.

Raji has a refreshing perspective on leadership and company building as a student of companies before her own and mastering the best of what they’ve already figured out — Raji operates with a level of intentionality paid to company culture and commitment to the customer experience that feels representative of the best of the restaurant industry!

Previously, she held executive and operational leadership positions in technology and media companies. She has served as an adjunct professor of Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University and as a member of the Board of Directors for Pittsburgh Habitat for Humanity.

In addition, Raji is an incredible storyteller and just fun to talk with — so please enjoy my conversation with Raji Sankar.

Learn more about Choolaah
Connect with Raji Sankar on LinkedIn

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

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

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Lukas Minkov and Logan Schouman.

Born and raised in Vienna, Austria and a former member of the Austrian Armed Forces, Lukas is the son of first-generation immigrants. Launching his first startup at the age of 17, he’s serially created companies spanning e-commerce marketing businesses, to most recently in 2020, an organization providing masks to marginalized communities and selling into the German Red Cross during the pandemic.

Logan — born in Buffalo, NY — has a passion for entrepreneurship, a background in sales, and connected with Lukas as students at Kent State where together, they founded Afters[.]io and are building out IDRA — an acronym standing for Intelligent Demand and Revenue Augmentation.

As they can attest to firsthand, consumers — particularly college students today — expect instant gratification when it comes to e-commerce delivery. Existing options, like Instacart, offer same-day delivery on groceries but can’t accommodate 10-15 minute deliveries during late night hours when college students need it most. Their focus has been to build out a hyper-speed delivery service that delivers everyday convenience store items like drink mixers, cleaning products, and snacks in 10 minutes or less. Through their bootstrapped trial at Kent State, they’ve validated this hypothesis yielding a 7-minute avg. delivery time on 2,600 fulfilled orders with $31K in revenue.

As part of their experimentation, they also discovered value they could unlock beyond a local delivery service, where they are focused on coupling modern logistics best practices with AI to increase delivery speed and predict product demand with increased accuracy.

I enjoyed learning about Logan and Lukas’ experience so far and am excited to see where they take Afters and IDRA next — please enjoy my conversation with Lukas Minkov and Logan Schouman.

Learn more about Afters.io
Follow Afters.io on Twitter @AftersTweets
Connect with Lukas Minkov on LinkedIn
Connect with Logan Schouman on LinkedIn

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

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

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 02:00:00 -0500

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Ed Weinfurtner, Executive Chairman of Great Day Improvements & Co-Founder at Blue Olive Partners

Ed is an entrepreneur at heart and has been an investor, operator, and board member in a variety of privately held businesses over the past 40 years developing specific expertise in DTC home improvement, distribution, and manufacturing businesses. Most recently at the helm of Great Day Improvements, he’s grown the company by an order of a magnitude from $44M to $922M in sales in just 7 years — in the last year alone, the company grew its remodeling jobs from 9000 the year prior to nearly 68,000!

As one of the largest Northeast Ohio companies, employing more than 2,100 people, Great Day Improvements is a vertically integrated, direct-to-consumer provider of home remodeling and premium building products: including Patio Enclosures brand sunrooms and screen rooms; Stanek brand windows and doors; Apex Energy Solutions energy efficient windows and doors; and Hartshorn Custom Contracting pool enclosures.

Since Ed acquired the business in 2014, it has quadrupled in size and is now ranked as the 11th largest residential remodeling company in the US by Qualified Remodeler. It was recently named among the fastest-growing private companies in America by INC. Magazine and by Crain’s Cleveland Business as the fastest-growing privately held business in Northeast Ohio.

I really enjoyed Ed’s reflection on his career and learning how he navigated the business through the pandemic and the deluge of downstream headwinds to his business from labor shortages to inflated material costs, to double down on the company’s core competency and find success through it. Please enjoy my conversation with Ed Weinfurtner.

Learn more about Great Day Improvements
Learn more about Blue Olive Partners
Connect with Ed Weinfurtner on LinkedIn

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

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

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -0500

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Chef Douglas Katz.

For the past 25 years, Doug has focused on creating fulfilling experiences for Clevelanders to enjoy. As chef & owner of Zhug, Chimi, and Amba here in Cleveland, his driving purpose is to spread joy through meaningful experiences and shared passion. Doug is also a chef & partner of Provenance at the Cleveland Museum of Art, as well as the former chef & owner of Fire Food and Drink — which operated in Shaker Square for more than 20 years.

Doug is passionate about using fresh, high-quality ingredients with integrity and throughout his career has been celebrated for his unwavering support of local farmers and food artisans. He advocates nationally and internationally for sustainable, healthy and local food systems, and frequently consults with media and civic leaders on local food initiatives. He is an advisor for Seeds of Collaboration Tahini and Smart Soda. He also serves as a chef ambassador for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafoodwatch program, which promotes environmentally responsible fishing and fish farming, and as a consultant for Perfectly Imperfect Produce, which aims to reduce food waste and improve healthy food access. He also serves on the board of the Countryside in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and has held leadership positions with Destination Cleveland and Cleveland Independents, an organization of 90 locally owned restaurants that nurtures and promotes local independent restaurants.

Esquire magazine named Zhug one of America’s best new restaurants in 2020 and back In 2014, the prestigious James Beard Foundation nominated Doug for Best Chef of the Great Lakes Region.

Doug’s passion for his work is inspiring. It’s hard not to be a huge fan of Doug if you’ve gone to any of his restaurants and witnessed the care and attention he and his team provide to create the best experiences — I loved hearing about Doug’s passion for service & food and his journey to become one of Cleveland’s most renowned restauranteurs and chefs. Please enjoy my conversation with Chef Douglas Katz.

Learn more about Chef Douglas Katz
Connect with Douglas Katz on LinkedIn
Follow Douglas Katz on Twitter @phireman
Follow Douglas Katz on Instagram
Learn more about Amba
Learn more about Zhug
Follow Zhug on Instagram
Learn more about Chimi
Follow Chimi on Instagram

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#93: Michael Kubinski (Cleveland Clothing Company)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 02:00:00 -0400

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Michael Kubinski — Founder & CEO of Cleveland Clothing Company.

From printing tees in a basement to the Best of Cleveland!, Cleveland Clothing Co. has been spreading Cleveland pride one t-shirt at a time since 2008. They are independent, local, and family-owned. A one-stop shop for Cleveland-themed graphic tees, apparel, accessories, gifts, and more!

Founded by two lifelong friends. One, a graphic designer, had always dreamed of starting a t-shirt company. The other, an entrepreneur, was looking for a fun new opportunity. One fateful night over some beers, chili, and burgers at one of their favorite spots, Whitey's in Richfield, Ohio, they decided to put their money where their mouth was and came up with a plan. They purchased a screen printing press, some blank t-shirts, and got to work on a couple of designs. Cleveland Clothing was born.

They started a website, used social media to get the word out and spent $50 on business cards, which they left around local businesses. Word began to spread, and the company was literally "Spreading Cleveland Pride, One T-Shirt at a Time" as the guys screened and shipped the shirts themselves…and the rest is history, as they say — a history that we’ll cover in our conversation today! Please enjoy my discussion with Michael Kubinksi

Learn more about Cleveland Clothing Company
Follow Cleveland Clothing Company on Twitter @CLECLOTHINGCO
Follow Cleveland Clothing Company on Instagram
Connect with Michael Kubinski in LinkedIn
Follow Michael Kubinski on Twitter @MK_Creative

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#92: Leopoldo Peña (Presta)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 02:00:00 -0400

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Leopoldo Peña.

Leo is the Co-Founder and CEO of Presta — a digital lending infrastructure that allows traditional financial institutions to better lend to small and medium-sized businesses by allowing them to book loans digitally.

Leo’s prior professional experience has been centered around the world of government and civic technology — most recently focused on expanding access to equity investment. In 2019, he co-founded and launched The Opportunity Exchange, an equity investment marketplace for economic development projects. After powering projects in the majority of the US, The Opportunity Exchange was acquired by Bludot, a competitor in the space.

Prior to that, Leo and I actually worked together as part of the founding team of Votem to launch a mobile voting platform designed to securely cast votes in elections across the globe, allowing members of the US military to participate in general and midterm elections while serving abroad, in addition to building out other core election infrastructure like voter registration systems.

Leo currently resides here in Cleveland, Ohio with his dog Chamo, holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University, and is an alumnus of the Venture for America Fellowship.

Leo is one of the best people I know — so needless to say I’ve been looking forward to having him on the podcast for a while now. I’m glad the timing finally made sense and I hope you all enjoy our conversation!

Learn more about Presta
Connect with Leopoldo Peña on LinkedIn
Follow Leo on Twitter @leodpena

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#91: Heather Lenz (Sangfroid Strategy)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Heather Lenz, Founder & CEO of Sangfroid Strategy.

Heather has spent the past 16 years working in the social impact space - with nonprofits, governments, and foundations who are all trying to make improvements for the good of humanity, the environment, and society. About a decade into her work in the social impact space, she realized that in order for this social impact sector to be effective, there needed to be a dramatic shift in the way that most of these organizations and institutions thought about and used data.

This realization is at the center of Sangfroid Strategy (pronounced sahng-fwa), the company Heather founded in 2016 to help organizations tackle some of the most complex and difficult issues of our time - from combatting systemic racism, to changing antiquated systems that create barriers for people in poverty.

Heather is on a mission to shift this landscape from one that makes people feel good - to one that is effective for the people who need it and has done so by working with many Cleveland organizations like The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to The City of Lakewood, to name a few.

I loved hearing Heather’s story, learning about 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, data science, open source software systems, and more — for social good.

Please enjoy my conversation with Heather Lenz.

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Learn more about Sangfroid Strategy
Follow Sangfroid Strategy on LinkedIn
Connect with Heather Lenz on LinkedIn

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Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

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

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Lay of the Land's conversation today is with Pat Conway and Mark King of Great Lakes Brewing Company.

Pat and his brother Daniel founded the company back in 1988 in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood where it’s been independent for over 30 years and employee-owned since 2018 — serving 14 states and Washington D.C. with an award-winning and beloved selection of fresh, flavorful, and innovative craft beers that Clevelanders and others around the country have come to love like their Dortmunder and Christmas Ale.

In 2019, Mark King joined the company as the CEO after an extensive career in the industry as a vice president at Anheuser-Busch, and most recently, having founded his own cidery back in 2013 down in Austin, Texas — Austin Eastciders.

We cover a lot in this conversation, from the history of breweries and beer production in Cleveland, to Great Lake Lake’s Brewing commitment to a triple bottom line of brewing good — from beer to community to environmental stewardship, to their role as a staple in Cleveland through events like the Burning River festival, to how they are handling the ever-changing beer industry — from the proliferation of craft breweries to “beyond beer” beverages like seltzers.

Great Lakes Brewing has blazed a trail for so many other Cleveland companies and entrepreneurs and it is a privilege to capture a piece of their story here and how they are thinking about what comes next — please enjoy my conversation with Pat Conway and Mark King!

Learn more about Great Lakes Brewing Company
Connect with Mark King on LinkedIn
Follow Great Lakes Brewing Company on Instagram
Follow Great Lakes Brewing Company on Twitter
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Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#89: Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Lila Mills — founding editor-in-chief of Signal Cleveland (formerly known as the Ohio Local News Initiative Cleveland newsroom).

Signal Cleveland — a nonprofit initiative formed by The American Journalism Project and a coalition of Ohio-based organizations like the Cleveland Foundation, the John S. And James L. Knight Foundation, Sisters of Charity Foundation, the Visible Voice Charitable Fund, and the Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation — has raised over $5.8 million in funding aiming to be a trusted source of daily news and information for Greater Clevelanders.

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#88: Anne Skoch (Anne Cate)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Lay of The Land's conversation today is with Anne Skoch — Founder and CEO of Anne Cate.

Anne Cate is a made‐in‐America accessories brand and manufacturing firm specializing in skyline silhouette purses and pillows. A proud Kent State graduate and Clevelander, she has scaled her business from a sewing machine in her dorm room to a manufacturing studio, employing a team full time to create success with their hands. More than just made in America — Anne Cate is made in Cleveland where the production staff sews every product.

Anne Cate sells in over 150 small and large stores across the country, works with corporate clients such as Hulu and Keybank, and distributes thousands of products monthly through their site, AnneCate.com. Anne’s favorite part of her job is bringing joy to her customers through her products. To her customers, the products are more than just a purse or a pillow; they tell a story that is unique to each person.

Anne has been featured as one of Wawak's 2020 Finest Designer's and Sewists, honored as a 2021 Northeast Ohio Top 25 Under 35 Movers & Shakers, graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, received the 2021 Best of Cleveland award, and featured as a 2021 Notable Entrepreneur in Crains Magazine.

With that, I loved learning about Anne’s perspective on how to marry art and business and pursue your passion as a profession — please enjoy my conversation with Anne Skoch.

Learn more about Anne Cate
Follow Anne Cate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annecate/
Follow Anne Cate on Twitter @shopAnneCate
Connect with Anne Skoch on LinkedIn

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#87: Sherrill Paul Witt (Lolly The Trolley)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Lay of the Land's conversation today is with Sherrill Paul Witt — founder of Lolly The Trolley.

A beloved icon since 1985, Lolly the Trolley is itself a moving local gem, covering 3.1 million miles during its 37 years on the road where they had as many as 15 trolleys with about 150 people working there.

When the company was started, Cleveland didn't have the sites and tourist attractions that are known by residents and visitors alike — at that time Sherrill took a chance and provided Clevelanders and tourists with a new way to experience the city that was in the early stages of rebirth.

Lolly the Trolley became a rolling ambassador for the city, offering vantages and sightseeing for visitors and residents helping many — myself included — get to know Cleveland much more intimately and create lasting memories.

After almost 40 years of running the business, Sherrill and her co-founder Peter Paul decided to permanently close the company in May of 2022. It was a privilege to hear Sherrill’s reflections on the journey and the evolution of Cleveland throughout that time and how their tours affected so many from around the country and world — from brides to students to sports fans to tourists to locals. Please enjoy my conversation with Sherrill Paul Witt

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Learn more about Lolly the Trolley
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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
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https://www.jeffreys.page/

#86: Dallas Hogensen (Felux)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with Dallas Hogensen.

Dallas is the CEO of Felux — making steel sexy since 2019 — which was established by a team of steel and technology experts to create the world’s largest operating platform and marketplace to help solve commerce for the steel industry.

Having raised over $24 million since inception — under Dallas’ leadership, Felux has grown exponentially over the last few years in their effort to digitize the $2 trillion traditional, paper-based steel industry as they’ve built out their platform to manage the entire steel sourcing process — from procurement to logistics and financing — facilitating many hundreds of millions in transactions.

Dallas joined Felux after a decade building and scaling companies. His previous work includes co-founding Liveli and Signal HQ (which were acquired in 2016 and ’20, respectively), plus two top sales jobs at Lyft where he led Lyft Business to become a billion-dollar run rate business unit.

Dallas has deep and insightful perspective on marketplaces, the challenges of company building, and the importance of culture — this was one of my favorite conversations to date and I hope you all enjoy it as well.

Connect with Dallas Hogensen on LinkedIn
Follow Dallas Hogensen on Twitter @dallashogensen
Learn more about Felux

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

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

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with Shawn Rech, a Cleveland-native and Emmy Award-winning producer and director who's created over 200 episodes of television programs that are currently licensed around the world and several films that have appeared on Showtime, Starz and Netflix.

Shawn's first film — A Murder in the Park — was named one of TIME magazine's “15 Most Fascinating Crime Stories Ever Told.”

In addition to the hundreds of hours of television programs and documentaries he has directed and produced through Transition Studios, where he serves as CEO and co-founder, he also is the founder of two boutique streaming services, AGTV and TruBlu — where he is focused on offering low-cost streaming services featuring factual programming and helping to grow Cleveland's permanent media industry.

I really enjoyed working through Shawn’s perspective on the importance of factual programming and positively affecting history through truth-telling and documentary production — please enjoy my conversation with Shawn Rech

Connect with Shawn Rech on LinkedIn
Learn more about Transition Studios
Learn more about AGTV
Follow Shawn Rech on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/shawnrech
Follow Transition Studios on Twitter: https://twitter.com/transitioncle
Follow AGTV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gospel_american
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Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#84: Graham Veysey & Fisk Biggar (Graham+Fisk’s Wine-In-A-Can \\ Firehouse Can Co.)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with Graham Veysey and Fisk Biggar — founders of Graham+Fisk’s Wine-In-A-Can.

Headquartered in the 1854 brick firehouse in Cleveland’s Hingetown enclave, their wine in a can is now distributed in over 40 U.S. States, Asia, and the Caribbean and has won numerous accolades including being named #16 on the Wine Enthusiast Magazine Top 100 Best Buy list.

Graham and Fisk are childhood pals who met 25 years ago at Camp Roosevelt on the Shores of Lake Erie. In 2015 Graham came to fisk with the idea to put wine in cans and the rest, which explore in our conversation today, is history!

Prior to founding and running Graham and Fisk’s wine in a can — Fisk was a member of the founding team for BB’s Kitchen in Aspen, CO, where he served as the General Manager — in 2011, “BB’s” was named as one of Colorado’s top restaurants by Esquire.

Meanwhile, Graham is also a neighborhood developer in Hingetown, where the company resides — he serves on the boards of the Cleveland Foundation and the Bidwell Foundation; he’s the Principal of North Water Productions – an Emmy-Award-winning production firm creating content for global brands, arts and cultural institutions, and political campaigns. Additionally, Graham consults for the Aspen Institute and is a contributing producer for the Aspen Ideas Festival and New Orleans book festival; a Contributor for Vanity Fair, and formerly was the project director for the Ohio City Farm, a six-acre urban farm here in Cleveland.

Graham and fisk have an incredible story and dynamic as friends and co-founders and certainly seem to have the most fun doing it together — please, find yourself a Graham+Fisk's Wine-In-A-Can, crack it open, and enjoy my conversation with Graham and Fisk!

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Connect with Graham Veysey on LinkedIn
Connect with Fisk Biggar on LinkedIn
Follow Graham Veysey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/grahamveysey
Follow Graham+Fisk's Wine-In-A-Can on Twitter: https://twitter.com/grahamandfisk
Follow Graham+Fisk's Wine-In-A-Can on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grahamandfiskwine/
Learn more about Graham+Fisk’s Wine-In-A-Can

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#83: Tom Tyrrell (Great Lakes Biomimicry)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 02:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with Tom Tyrrell, Founder and Chairman of Great Lakes Biomimicry, an entrepreneurial 501(c)(3) organization (recently having merged with the Ohio Aerospace Institute) with a mission to create conditions for innovation through biomimicry, focused on assisting organizations explore new opportunities, solve problems and drive sustainability.

Biomimicry, which we’ll explore in much more detail in our conversation, seeks to drive this innovation by harnessing the intelligence found in nature’s 3.8 billion years of R&D — asking questions nature has already found the answers to — for example questions like how does nature manage structural forces, sense motion and temperature, manage temperature, change shape, coordinate, optimize material and energy? how does nature evolve to survive; adapt to changing conditions; be locally attuned and responsive; be resource efficient; employ life-friendly chemistry?

Prior to founding Great Lakes Biomimicry, Tom was a co-founder and chairman of Segmint, a Northeast-Ohio-based startup and provider of data analytics-driven marketing technology (acquired by Alkami in April 2022).

He was a Co-Founder, Senior Advisor, and Director of Glengary, which combined a network of support services with investment capital.

Tom’s thirty-three-year career prior, all in the metals industry, included significant turnaround, M&A, and IPO experience, with responsibility for four start-ups, restarts, or consolidations ranging from $250M – $1.5B in sales, partnering directly with investment firms including Primus Venture Partners, PNC Equity Management, Warburg Pincus and The Blackstone Group. In 1988 he was awarded Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) award for Business and Industry and, in 1989, was selected as an entrepreneur of the year finalist for the restart and operation of the American Steel & Wire Company.

Since moving to the Cleveland area in 1986, Tom has spent virtually all his spare time engaged with the three E’s – Education, Environment, and Entrepreneurism – all focused on enhancing Northeast-Ohio's regional economic development. He has actively supported both undergraduate and graduate-level entrepreneurial programs at midwestern colleges and universities as a trustee of Elmhurst College, Baldwin-Wallace College, and Lorain County Community College where he is also a member of the GLIDE Innovation Fund Board and served on the NorTech Board of Trustees, the Youngstown Business Incubator Board, and the Akron Archangels. He also was a trustee of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Association, the oversight board for the federally funded Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway. Tom has been involved with the Canalway since 1988, is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Conservancy of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, was the Founding Chair of the Trails Forever Endowment Leadership Initiative for the Conservancy and a former trustee of the Cleveland Zoological Society.

This was easily one of my favorite discussions to date covering a wide range of topics and the full breadth of tom’s experience — I hope you all enjoy my conversation with Tom Tyrrell!

Connect with Tom Tyrrell on Linkedin
Follow on Great Lakes Biomimicry on Twitter: https://twitter.com/glbiomimicry
Follow Segmint on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Segmint
Learn more about Great Lakes Biomimicry
Learn more about Segmint

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#82: Baiju Shah (Greater Cleveland Partnership)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with Baiju Shah, who is the president and CEO of Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP).

GCP is the region’s leading economic development organization with over 12,000 members — the largest metropolitan chamber of commerce in the nation. Guided by a board of corporate and entrepreneurial CEOs, the organization focuses on accelerating growth and prosperity for Cleveland through strategic initiatives, business services, real estate development, and advocacy — which we will unpack more in our conversation today.

Prior to GCP, Baiju served as the Senior Fellow for Innovation at The Cleveland Foundation, and previously served as CEO and Board Member of BioMotiv, co-lead The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development, a $380 million US and UK drug development initiative which he helped launch, and also formerly served as CEO board member, and co-founder of BioEnterprise, a business formation, recruitment, and acceleration initiative that assisted companies in securing resources and funding to support their growth — During his tenure, BioE assisted more than 110 companies that together attracted $1.3 billion in new private funding.

Beyond this, Baiju has a plethora more of experience, has been named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and has been recognized as one of Cleveland’s most influential leaders. Please enjoy my conversation with Baiju Shah

Connect with Baiju Shah on Linkedin
Follow Baiju Shah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Baiju_R_Shah
Follow Greater Cleveland Partnership on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GCPartnership
Learn more about Greater Cleveland Partnership

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#81: David Sylvan (UH Ventures)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with 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.

UH Ventures comprises a diverse array of professionals with deep domain expertise ranging from venture investing and company formation, to human-centered and experience design, as well as physicians, clinicians, and researchers who collectively seek to bring innovation to life in service to University Hospitals’ mission. Leading the organization, David gets a real breadth of exposure to intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship through a lens of the future of healthcare.

Through my own company, Axuall, I’ve had the privilege to see how David approaches this fascinating world of healthcare innovation as he’s invested in, advised, coached, and helped Axuall mature as a company over the last three years.

David comes to UH Ventures with more than 30 years of diverse corporate experience, most recently following a successful 15-year career in capital markets and investment banking, where he led a derivatives trading and public finance investment banking platform. Prior to this, David spent 8 years in a variety of responsibilities at the sports marketing giant, IMG. He started his career in public accounting with Deloitte in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an adjunct professor locally at Case Western Reserve University’s (CWRU) Weatherhead School of Business in their department of Design & Innovation.

I really enjoyed pulling back the curtain here on the inner workings of hospital venture groups and the work David is focused on here at University Hospitals — Please enjoy my conversation with David Sylvan.

Connect with David Sylvan on LinkedIn
Follow David Sylvan on Twitter @davidsylvan
Follow UH Ventures on Twitter @uh_ventures
Learn more about University Hospital Ventures

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

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

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 09:57:11 -0400

Our conversation today is with Dr. Colleen M. Lorber — Founder & CEO of Wraparound Experts.

Colleen Lorber has her Ph.D. in School Psychology and founded Wraparound Experts from over 15 years in the field, combining her knowledge of the environments and professionals that she has worked with to provide a model of services that “wrap around” a child and the environments and people that influence the success of the child every day.

Colleen knew she wanted to be a child psychologist in the 6th grade and that goal and determination drove her to complete her doctorate at the age of 27. During her undergraduate and graduate school years, Colleen worked at residential treatment facilities for at-risk youth where she helped children with autism through behavioral therapy and mobile therapy services.

When Colleen was completing her doctorate, she began working at a privately owned company as a psychology intern and after 15 years, she departed from the company as its Chief Operating Officer where she was managing over 1,000 employees spanning psychologists, speech therapists, special education teachers, Title 1 teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, RNs, LPNs, Medical Assistants, and School Health Aides.

Unfortunately, the research coming out examining the current state of our society’s mental health is dismal. The pandemic has clearly had an effect on how we are operating our everyday lives. Colleen and Wraparound Experts believe that the way to begin to work on our mental health, starting with children in Ohio, is to bring it back to concentrate on our basic human needs which include not only our physical/biological needs but also our feelings of safety/security, love and belonging, and esteem — this is the exact nature of the work Colleen is pushing forward with Wraparound Experts and what we spend our conversation exploring today — Please enjoy my conversation with Colleen Lorber.

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Connect with Dr. Colleen Lorber on LinkedIn
Learn more about Wrap Around Experts
Follow Wraparound Experts on Twitter @wraparoundexpe1

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#79: David Davis II (FBA Flip)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with David Davis II — Founder & CEO of FBA Flip.

David is a native Clevelander where he currently resides. After high school, David directly immersed himself into the tech-startup world. He’s been an entrepreneur his whole life — since the age of 13, he’s been involved in various direct-to-consumer eCommerce projects generating over 7-figures before he turned 21.

Gathering years of experience in online retail, David founded FBA Flip, a marketplace to service the emerging world of eCommerce M&A transactions in the Amazon ecosystem.

David is an orator with an endless mental well of intellectual and well-thought-through ideas — it’s always a pleasure getting to hear his perspective on entrepreneurship, the changing dynamics of the modern internet-first world we find ourselves in, and the challenges, opportunities, and prospects for the city of Cleveland — Please enjoy my conversation with David Davis.

Connect with David Davis II on LinkedIn
Learn more about FBA Flip
Follow David Davis on Twitter

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#78: William Littlefield II (Wizest)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with William J. Littlefield II — President and CTO of Wizest!

At Wizest, Billy is on a mission to build a next-generation investment trading platform that democratizes access to financial expertise. Wizest recently closed on $1.7mm in financing and was featured in Forbes as a better solution to the problems posed by Robinhood.

Billy has an eclectic background — spending more than a decade training with various Olympic coaches and athletes in the sport of ice skating, qualifying and competing at the US Figure Skating Championships as a singles skater. Prior to Wizest, Billy spent a lot of time outside of the world of software development, academically working to reconcile 21st century technology, politics, and economics with longstanding concepts in philosophy where his recent research has been divided between applied ethics, social theory, and artificial intelligence. Specifically, he has explored the ethics of technological progress and its impact on climate justice and geopolitics.

Billy earned a graduate degree in world literature and philosophy from Case Western Reserve University, where he also received a degree in natural sciences with a concentration in chemistry.

Really enjoyed this conversation spanning everything from how Wizest is working to democratize access to financial expertise to Billy’s path to Cleveland, to digital nomadacy, to philosophy, and more — hope you all enjoy it as well!

Connect with William J. Littlefield II on LinkedIn
Learn more about Wizest
Follow Billy on Twitter @wjlittlefield2

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn
Follow Jeffrey Stern on Twitter @sternJefe
Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter @podlayoftheland
https://www.jeffreys.page/

#77: Dr. Chelsea Monty-Bromer (RooSense // SweatID)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with Dr. Chelsea Monty-Bromer — founder & CEO of RooSense // SweatID.

Chelsea founded SweatID back in December 2017 in order to make personalized health sensors available for everyone after an ultramarathoner suggested the technology could help athletes better monitor their hydration status. She began working with health sensors in 2010 while developing a fabric-based temperature sensor for use in prosthetic sockets.

With her research focused on bio-electrochemical interfaces — Dr. Chelsea Monty-Bromer received her Ph.D. in 2009 from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and is currently an associate professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at Cleveland State University.

I really enjoyed covering the breadth of Chelsea’s research in bio-electrochemical interfaces, the commercial implications and applications of it through SweatID (which just closed on its pre-seed funding), bridging the academic-entrepreneurial gap, and the future of wearables — please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Chelsea Monty-Bromer!

Connect with Chelsea Monty-Bromer on LinkedIn
Learn more about SweatID
Follow SweatID on Twitter @YourSweatID
Follow Chelsea Monty-Bromer on Twitter @drchelseamonty

#76: Mark D’Agostino (ConnectedHR)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 14:58:26 -0400

Our conversation today is with Mark D’Agostino — founder and president of ConnectedHR.

Under his leadership, ConnectedHR has become one of the fastest-growing Human Resources consulting companies in NE Ohio. Before ConnectedHR, Mark began his entrepreneurial career in 2001 by starting Trifecta Business Products, Inc. As its CEO, it grew to two locations and over 40 employees. In 2011 he sold it to an independently owned Ohio corporation and the year after, co-founded a staffing and recruitment start-up and served as its president for two years.

Mark has worked hard to bolster the business community in NE Ohio having served on the board of Northeast Ohio’s leading economic development organization, the Middle-Market Committee of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, as well as the Greater Akron Chamber Task Force. Mark previously had the privilege to serve as President of the Cleveland chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO).

I really enjoyed hearing Mark’s perspective on the changing macro-dynamics of employment, how the nature of work is changing, the business of fractional Human Resources, and the journey Mark has been on building ConnectedHR — please enjoy my conversation with Mark D’Agostino.

Connect with Mark D’Agostino on LinkedIn
Follow Mark D'Agostino on Twitter @mjpdagostino
Follow ConnectedHR on Twitter @connectedhr4
Learn more about ConntectedHR

#75: Chris Wentz (Everykey)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with Chris Wentz, Founder & CEO of Everykey.

Chris has long been interested in entrepreneurship having founded an advertising network in middle school that grew into one of the largest video game advertising networks. He then started a consumer electronics resale business in college where he bought products that were only available in the US and sold them to customers in other countries. He also modified the Roomba Robotic Vacuum Cleaner to make it a better product and sold the improved Roombas to consumers — the improvements were so popular that Roomba implemented the features into their next product line. While finishing his BS in Computer Science at Case Western Reserve University, Chris invested the money he made from his previous business ventures into Everykey, which is what we spend most of our conversation on.

Everykey designs and builds a patented universal smart key that can unlock devices and logs into online accounts on those devices — it replaces your passwords and keys. Launched on Kickstarter in October 2014 — within 48 hours, the campaign had reached trending status and raised over $25,000 in pre-orders. Since then Everykey has grown substantially achieving scale as an organization and expanding its capabilities and offerings to the enterprise security space

I really enjoyed hearing the story of how Chris took Everykey from an idea at his case western entrepreneurship class to a leading cybersecurity company providing products and services to consumers, enterprises, and governments alike with a deep commitment to brand — please enjoy my conversation with Chris Wentz!

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Learn more about Everykey
Follow Everykey on Twitter @everykey
Connect with Chris Wentz on LinkedIn

#74b: Dennis Althar (Althar Audio) (Full/Long Edit)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 03:00:00 -0400

(Full / Long Edit)

Our conversation today is with Dennis Althar, founder of Althar Audio.

Dennis has an incredible story — from mastering electronics at a very young to joining the United States Air Force at Keslers Air Force Base with the highest scores they ever had. After demonstrating his expertise in the field of electronics, he returned from the Philippines and ultimately started a field service company repainting medical electronics, ultrasound, heart stress testing equipment, and very high-tech computer-assisted graphic systems. In 1989, he started All-Tronics medical systems manufacturing high-resolution video recorders for cardiac catheterization labs (the majority of labs in the US used their equipment) and ultimately manufacturing teleradiology systems for 95% of Ohio, used for radiologists to read ultrasound MRI or CT scans remotely.

Most recently, Dennis started Althar Audio manufacturing professional speakers for churches, football fields, gyms, live music theaters, and any other space requiring audio systems where he's installed about 400 systems via word-of-mouth since inception.

Dennis not only has a deep passion for unlocking the highest levels of audible literacy — but there’s a real commitment to the craft itself and questioning — across the board — why we’ve always done things the way we’ve done things and digging into and solutioning where the justification for the way things are today is that this has always been the way we’ve done it. This curiosity Dennis carries with him has exposed him to a breadth of experience — from prodigal expertise in electronics to the US Airforce to medical technology to audio — and in this conversation, we cover everything from Dennis’s early life to hard physics to philosophy itself. This really was a special conversation and I hope you all enjoy it as well!

Connect with Dennis Althar on LinkedIn
Learn more about Althar Audio @ altharaudio.com

#74: Dennis Althar (Althar Audio) (Compressed/Short Edit)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 26 May 2022 03:00:00 -0400

(Compressed / Short Edit)

Our conversation today is with Dennis Althar, founder of Althar Audio.

Connect with Dennis Althar on LinkedIn
Learn more about Althar Audio @ altharaudio.com

#73: John Wetzel, Alex Hilleary, Brooks Sime (Gather — Acquired by ChartHop)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 19 May 2022 02:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with John Wetzel, Alex Hilleary, and Brooks Sime — Co-Founders of Gather (acquired by ChartHop in March, 2022) — on building a company oriented around a future of work that puts people first and streamlines workflows for People Operations teams.

Alex is the former COO of Gather where he led sales and marketing. John is the former CEO of Gather where he led product, design customer experience, and operations. Brooks is the former CTO of Gather and led all engineering efforts. As we cover in our conversation, Alex and John previously worked at BoxCast together here in Cleveland prior to working on Gather and separately, Brooks worked across several industries as a startup engineer in New Orleans.

After successfully navigating Gather to their new home at ChartHop, Alex is going back to his roots, building out a community marketing channel leveraging the assets he established at Gather while John is a now a senior product manager overseeing ChartHop's Employee Experience product and Brooks is a lead software engineer.

In our conversation, which all three founders would like to dedicate to Ari Kedoin and Emily Armando, the Venture for America fellows who joined the Gather team here in Cleveland last summer and who have also now joined the ChartHop Team — we cover the full story of Gather, from inception through to acquisition and learnings along the way – please enjoy!

Learn more about Gather
Learn more about ChartHop
Connect with John Wetzel on LinkedIn or on Twitter @John__Wetzel
Connect with Brooks Sime on LinkedIn or on Twitter @BrooksSime
Connect with Alex Hilleary on LinkedIn or on Twitter @alex_hilleary

#72: Camille Heard (FELOH)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 12 May 2022 01:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with Camille Heard — CEO & Co-Founder of FELOH — on building a beauty tech startup celebrating diversity in beauty through community and inclusion, the startup journey, building in and up Cleveland, and authentic inclusion in beauty.

Camille is a Cleveland native where she currently resides. She holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and MSPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and also is currently an entrepreneur in residence at Jumpstart.

After spending 6 years in academia and 3 years in corporate working with healthcare lobbyists, Camille decided to embrace her natural gift as an idea creator and to take seriously her vision for the future of the beauty market.

Camille has such great energy and is an overall good vibes dispenser — this conversation is full of them and I hope you all enjoy it!

Connect with Camille Heard on LinkedIn
Learn more about FELOH
Follow Camille on Twitter @camille_genise
Follow FELOH on twitter @f_e_l_o_h
Follow FELOH on Instagram

#71: Patrick M. Howard and Ben Kanelos (RustBit Studios)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 05 May 2022 02:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with Patrick M. Howard and Ben Kanelos, of RustBit Studio and creators of the Grip of Madness!

Patrick is the CEO and a game developer of RustBit Studio — He is an entrepreneur passionate about building memorable experiences that keep players coming back.

Ben is an architect by day and a game designer by night. He comes to the table with a decade of experience designing board games and now video games where he is the lead game designer at RustBit Studio.

RustBit itself is a software accelerator client out of the Bounce Innovation Hub in Akron born out of another gaming startup called Strife AI and is currently in the process of releasing The Grip of Madness — the studio's debut game which we cover in-depth through our conversation. The Grip of Madness is a cooperative FPS (first-person shooter) where your teammates can betray you at any time shooting your way through hordes of monsters, gather clues, and complete the ritual to stop their invasion.

Really enjoyed getting into the weeds here on game design and mechanics and what the process looks like for bringing a game to market — please enjoy my conversation with Patrick Howard and Ben Kanelos

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Follow RustBit Studio on Twitter @rustbitstudio
Learn more about RustBit Studio
Learn more about The Grip of Madness
Wishlist The Grip of Madness on Steam
Connect with Ben Kanelos on LinkedIn
Connect with Patrick Howard on LinkedIn

#70: Eugene Malinskiy (Lazurite)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 03:15:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with Eugene Malinskiy — Co-Founder and CEO of Lazurite.

Lazurite got its start back in 2015 and to date, Eugene has led Lazurite through three rounds of funding raising more than $18 million.

As you’ll hear in his incredible recounting of the experience firsthand, Eugene founded Lazurite after identifying the need for a wireless arthroscope while working at his prior venture, DragonID, when he witnessed a trip and fall accident in a minimally invasive operating room where a staff member was injured as a result of her tripping over surgical camera wires and the surgery itself was canceled. This incident left a lasting impression on Eugene and inspired the ArthroFree wireless surgical camera system, which will be Lazurite’s first product to market. Prior to Lazurite, Eugene founded and served as CEO of DragonID, LLC, a healthcare innovation and engineering consultancy specializing in medical devices for the fields of cardiology and orthopedics.

While at DragonID Eugene not only incubated the idea behind Lazurite, but also earned a number of accolades including being named to Forbes 30 under 30. Even before his time with DragonID, Eugene began his entrepreneurship journey when he founded and ran Dragon Intelinet Development, an information technology company that was acquired by a leading company in the SMB computing segment, from 2000 to 2008.

This was truly an incredible recounting of Lazurite’s journey, Eugene’s first principles systematic approach to solving seemingly impossible healthcare problems, and what the operating room of the future will look like. Please enjoy my conversation with Eugene Malinskiy.

Follow Lazurite on Twitter @LazuriteLabs
Follow Eugene on Twitter @emalinskiy
Connect with Eugene Malinskiy on LinkedIn
Learn more about Lazurite

#69: Ray Leach and Hardik Desai (JumpStart)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 02:00:00 -0400

Our conversation today is with Ray Leach and Hardik Desai to discuss JumpStart and its role here in the Cleveland startup ecosystem. Ray is the founding CEO of Jumpstart and has been with the organization since its inception. Hardik is a Sr. Partner at JumpStart focused on their investment strategy has been with the organization since 2012.

This conversation comes off the bat of JumpStart announcing a new division within the organization — branded Jumpstart Ventures — focused on the organization's venture capital investment activity. Since 2005, JumpStart has invested $70M into 145+ technology startups throughout Ohio, with 82% of the startups located in Greater Cleveland. JumpStart Ventures now plans to invest $70M in new capital into startups through 2025. The organization also plans to raise additional capital, expanding current funds, and creating new funds in partnership with corporations, institutions, and private sector investors.

To date, JumpStart has 4 funds — Evergreen, NEXT, Focus, and the Healthcare Collaboration Fund — providing capital across stages and sectors which we’ll cover in more detail later in our conversation.

The first half of this conversation covers some of the basics, facts, and history of JumpStart as an organization and their investment approach, while the second half covers questions and themes sourced from Cleveland founders and the startup ecosystem at large, and focuses on Ray and Hardik’s perspective on them.

This was a really insightful conversation — hope you all enjoy my discussion with Ray Leach and Hardik Desai

Connect with Hardik Desai on LinkedIn
Connect with Ray Leach on LinkedIn
Follow Hardik Desai on Twitter
Learn more about JumpStart Ventures

#68: Nolan Gallagher (Gravitas Ventures)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Nolan Gallagher is the founder & CEO of Gravitas Ventures, which he founded in 2006. Under Nolan’s leadership, Gravitas has become a global all rights theatrical distribution company that has released more than 3,000 films on Video on Demand (VOD) and has since been acquired by Anthem Sports & Entertainment in late 2021.

Through its relationships with over 200 audience-facing customers, Gravitas can distribute a film into over 100 million homes in North America and over 1 Billion homes worldwide.

Nolan was born here in Cleveland and ultimately brought Gravitas Ventures back to Cleveland from the west coast, has been named a Hollywood New Leader by Variety and was chosen as part of the inaugural Indiewire Influencer class which recognized leaders in the independent film industry. Nolan has spoken on numerous industry panels including the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), SXSW Film Festival, and the Produced By Conference. Previously, Nolan worked in corporate marketing roles at industry leaders Comcast, Warner Bros., and General Cinema Theatres.

This was a fascinating conversation covering the business of entertainment and Nolan’s journey building Gravitas into the pivotal distributor it is today. Please enjoy my conversation with Nolan Gallagher.

Follow Nolan on Twitter @NolanGravitas
Follow Gravitas Ventures on Twitter @GravitasVOD
Connect with Nolan on LinkedIn
Learn more about Gravitas Ventures

#67: David Kennedy (Binary Defense and TrustedSec)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 11:02:12 -0400

Our guest today is Dave Kennedy (@HackingDave), a cybersecurity authority whose mission is to drive the industry forward and make the world a more secure place. In addition to founding two large-scale cybersecurity firms — TrustedSec and Binary defense — Dave has testified before Congress on issues of national security and has appeared as a subject matter expert on hundreds of national news and TV shows.

Dave started his career serving in the United States Marine Corps focusing on cyber warfare and forensic analytics, including two tours to Iraq. All experience he was able to leverage to become Chief Security Officer for Diebold — a fortune-1000-company based here in northeast Ohio.

In 2012, Dave left Diebold to found TrustedSec — an information security consulting company — and sister company, Binary Defense which is a full-service 24/7/365 monitoring and detection company that focuses on the detection of attackers in its early stages. Simultaneously, Dave started the DerbyCon which became one of the highest regarded and attended security conferences in the industry over its tenure.

Dave is a true cybersecurity champion — online, he goes by his @hackingdave handle where he has over 150,000 followers across social media; he’s served as an advisor to the hit TV show Mr. Robot, and he is the co-author of Metasploit: The Penetration Tester’s Guide, co-creator of the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES), and creator of the Social Engineer Toolkit (SET).

Really special to hear Dave’s story and learn about the incredible organizations he’s founded and grown here in Cleveland — please enjoy my conversation with Dave Kennedy!

Follow Dave Kennedy on Twitter @HackingDave
Connect with Dave on LinkedIn
Learn more about Binary Defense
Learn more about TrustedSec
Follow TrustedSec on Twitter
Follow Binary Defense on Twitter

#66: Tony Pietrocola (AgileBlue)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Our guest today is Tony Pietrocola — Co-Founder & President of AgileBlue, a lifelong Clevelander extremely passionate about The Land, and now, a three-time Cleveland founder!

In the midst of the first internet wave in 2001 and in an effort to make website development easier for those organizations looking to create their online presence, Tony started his first company in Cleveland called Tenth Floor which developed a web application management software solution and was later acquired by Bridgeline Digital out of Boston in 2008. In 2014 Tony started vLoan.com for Union Home Mortgage in the direct-to-consumer financing world which was a direct competitor to Rocket Mortgage. And most recently and where we spend most of our time in the conversation today — in 2019, Tony co-founded and is president of AgileBlue a cybersecurity technology company.

One of many things we discuss is the nature of technology waves which Tony has been successful in identifying over his career — spanning the internet, direct to consumer financing, and cybersecurity. I really enjoyed hearing Tony’s perspective on the Cleveland ecosystem, the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity, and how he’s planning to navigate it and help organizations stay ahead of threats with AgileBlue — please enjoy my conversation with Tony Pietrocola

Connect with Tony Pietrocola on LinkedIn
Follow Tony Pietrocola on Twitter
Learn more about AgileBlue

#65: John Nottingham (Nottingham Spirk)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 13:41:17 -0400

Our guest today is John Nottingham — Co-Founder & Co-President of Nottingham Spirk.

If you’ve ever used a Swiffer Sweep+Vac, a Crest Spinbrush, a Dirt Devil, a Jacuzzi, a Little Tikes Playhouse, Duck Tape, SmartMouth Mouthwash, an Axe Bullet, a Sherwin-Williams Twist & Pour paint container...you’ve used one of their inventions. Nottingham Spirk is a Cleveland-based product innovation firm responsible for these worldwide product platforms and many more — and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Since founding the company in 1972 on Case Western Reserve University's campus, John and his co-founder, John Spirk, have led their team of innovators to create hundreds of breakthrough products, resulting in over 1,350 issued (and commercialized) patents and counting — more than Thomas Edison!

Although Nottingham Spirk started in a garage on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, they now operate out of the 66,000-square-foot Nottingham Spirk Innovation Center, a mile and a half from their original location. With teams dedicated to insights, product design, engineering, prototyping, digital design and commercialization, the projects – and ideas – stay within those walls until market launch.

This was a true pleasure of a conversation — amazing to hear John’s stories and reflections on building some of the most ubiquitous products while stewarding a firm with such a commitment to the creative process and innovation — please enjoy my conversation with John Nottingham

Connect with John Nottingham on LinkedIn
Learn more about Nottingham Sprik
Follow Nottingham Spirk on Twitter

#64: Rick Simmons (the telos institute)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 03:00:00 -0500

Our guest today is Rick Simmons — CEO of the telos institute, a firm he co-founded in 2006 which offers specialized expertise to leaders and leadership teams around the world in the areas of business strategy, leadership development, and change management.

In his role, Rick is responsible for shaping the vision and guiding the strategic direction of the firm, while inspiring a growing cohort of world-class practitioners to deliver insight, growth, and transformational experiences for telos clients. Prior to founding telos, Rick spent ten years in various senior strategy and sales leadership positions within the financial services industry. Most notably, he led several organizations through periods of transition, which afforded him the opportunity to share his experience and insight in the best practices of managing personal and organizational change.

More recently, he was named a Founding Fellow at The Harvard Institute of Coaching at the MacLean Medical School where he contributes insights and best practices to the growing field of executive coaching. Rick is a sought-after speaker on the topics of resilience, achievement, and personal and organizational performance and recently published a book "Unleashed" that helps readers launch their own liminal spaces.

Personally, Rick tests his beliefs around achievement by running ultra marathons. His recent tests include the 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015 US Track and Field 24 Hour Run National Championships. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife and telos co-founder Amy, and their four children.

We go quite deep in this conversation on topics spanning leadership, personal betterment, liminal spaces, embracing disruption, ultramarathoning, and much more — please enjoy my conversation with Rick Simmons.

Learn more about the telos institute
Connect with Rick on LinkedIn
Learn more about "Unleashed" — Rick's most recent book
Follow the telos institute on twitter

#63: Drew Kraemer (Code3)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 02:00:00 -0500

Our guest today is Drew Kraemer — CEO of Code3 & Founder of Marketplace Strategy.

Code3 is a digital performance marketing agency that serves some of the largest digital advertisers globally. With over 250 employees and offices based in Cleveland, and other cities around the country, Code3’s mission is to be the best growth partner to brands by running advanced, high-scale data-driven and efficient digital media campaigns across the most important paid media platforms including search, social, programmatic, marketplaces, and emerging channels.

At Code3, Drew oversees the strategic direction for the agency and its primary services across media, creative, and commerce. Additionally, he focuses on company culture, corporate strategy, and key clients such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, LVMH, Gap, Chipotle, and FoxBet, to name a few. Prior to Code3, Drew founded and led Marketplace Strategy which was ultimately acquired by Social Code which has since rebranded to Code3 where he is currently steering the ship — Please enjoy this fascinating deep-dive into the world of marketing & advertisement and my conversation with Drew Kraemer!

Learn more about Code3
Connect with Drew on LinkedIn
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#62: Jamie Van Doren (NeverEnding)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 03:00:00 -0500

Our guest today is Jamie Van Doren — Founder & CEO of NeverEnding, a Cleveland-based gaming and entertainment start-up that aims to change how stories are told and by whom.

NeverEnding is a new kind of social media platform, with easy-to-use art and animation tools that help you bring your stories to life! With NeverEnding you can create fantastic custom illustrations and animated videos, without relying on complicated, time-consuming tools. Initially, targeting gamers and fans of pen and paper RPGs, NeverEnding builds on the popularity of live streams and podcasts, by allowing anyone to transform their recorded audio into animated videos.

Jamie Van Doren is an entrepreneur and gamer, with an unusual background; a mixed-race Latino who grew himself from teen homelessness to the C-Suite. He’s been successful in a variety of industries including consumer products, professional services, even clinical research and non-profit management.

I loved hearing Jamie’s inspiring story, his path to entrepreneurship, perspective on the market at large from the metaverse, to NFTs, to pseudonymity, and the ambitious vision he’s set out building NeverEnding — please enjoy my conversation with Jamie Van Doren about empowering a whole new generation of storytellers!

Learn more about NeverEnding
Connect with Jamie on Linkedin

#61: Ryan Lambacher (Graffle)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 03:00:00 -0500

Our guest today is Ryan Lambacher — Founder & CEO of Graffle, a venture-funded web3 infrastructure provider for projects built on blockchain (starting with Flow) — which recently closed on a nearly $4 million-dollar round.

Ryan has a unique cross-section of skills that accelerated him ahead of the competition in the world of NFTs. First, his technical experience building product at Drips (with former Lay of the Land guest, AC Evans) and second, years of building hype and generating sales with his marketing firm. This combination allowed him to see the value of NFTs and recognize the massive opportunity in solving the infrastructure layer for every project built on blockchains.

For context, the Flow blockchain, which was originally conceived by the team behind CryptoKitties and has since powered applications like NBA Topshot and established partnerships with organizations like the UFC and Dr. Suess — is a blockchain designed from the ground up to support consumer user experience at mainstream scale with a growing community of brands and web3 builders leveraging its infrastructure.

From entrepreneurship to Flow to NFTs, we make our way down the crypto rabbit hole and cover a wide range of topics here through the lens of Graffle — please enjoy my conversation with Ryan Lambacher!

Learn more about Graffle
Connect with Ryan on Linkedin

#60: Cal Al-Dhubaib (Pandata)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 03:00:00 -0500

Our guest today is Cal Al-Dhubaib — Founder & CEO of Pandata.

Pandata helps innovative organizations design and develop human-centered, trusted AI. They are a team of creative thinkers, relationship builders, and problem solvers from diverse backgrounds, both professionally and personally. They believe that diversity leads to Trusted AI.

Their high-performance AI solutions drive business transformation while addressing privacy, fairness, and transparency.

Cal is a data scientist, entrepreneur, and professional speaker on AI. He founded Pandata on the core values of "Approachability and Ethics". Empowering organizations to design and develop AI solutions that grow their bottom line, Pandata has overseen 80+ transformative projects with leading global brands including Parker Hannifin, the Cleveland Museum of Art, FirstEnergy, and Penn State University.

Cal is especially passionate about the ethics of AI and how organizations can orchestrate the right talent to support AI initiatives. Cal has been recognized as a Notable Immigrant Entrepreneur, Crain's Cleveland 20 in their 20s, and two-time Cleveland Smart 50 recipient. In addition to becoming the first data science graduate from Case Western Reserve University, Cal is also known for his role in advocating for careers and educational pathways in Data Science through workforce development initiatives.

Learn more about Pandata: https://pandata.co/
Follow Pandata on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ohpandata
Follow Cal on Twitter: https://twitter.com/caldhubaib
Connect with Cal on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhubaib/

#59: Daniel Brown (Rust Belt Riders & Tilth Soil)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 03:00:00 -0500

Our guest today is Daniel Brown — Co-Founder of Rust Belt Riders and Tilth Soil.

Rust Belt Riders provides businesses, organizations, and individuals with a clean, timely, and community benefiting alternative to landfills for their food waste — namely composting! These services produce Tilth Soil a line of organic, biologically active soils that help to advance regenerative agriculture. Together these efforts demonstrate a model for advancing our circular economy that is centered around workplace democracy, climate justice, and regenerative agriculture — all terms and concepts which we’ll explore more fully in this conversation.

While the majority of the work Dan and his partners are doing through Rust Belt Riders and Tilth Soil is focused locally here in Cleveland and the greater North East Ohio region, we also cover how this local model works at scale and how Dan is shaping these reusable economic models and spurring their development and implementation across the country.

Please enjoy my conversation with Daniel Brown.

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Connect with Daniel Brown on LinkedIn

Learn more about Rust Belt Riders

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#58: Ryan Young (Fello)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 03:00:00 -0500

Ryan Young is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Fello (formerly FlashHouse) where he's on a mission to create a seamless real estate experience, empower realtors, and simplify the stressful process of buying and selling homes.

Ryan was born with real estate in his blood as a third-generation in this industry. He is also the CEO of the Young Team, named by Real Trends and The Wall Street Journal as one of the top 250 real estate teams In the country where they have helped thousands of clients buy and sell homes.

We cover the ins and outs of iBuying, trends in the larger real estate industry (and here in Cleveland), Ryan's journey as an entrepreneur, and how FlashHouse has differentiated itself in a truly competitive market — please enjoy my conversation with Ryan Young.--

Learn more about FlashHouse
Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn

#57: Jack Grover (Grove Bags)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Our guest today is Jack Grover — Founder and CEO of Grove Bags, a provider of cannabis packaging specifically tailored for the unique physiology of the plant to create the perfect climate for cannabis preservation.

After graduating from Babson College in 2014, Jack was inspired by his brother Charlie’s battle with cerebral palsy to enter the cannabis industry and create packaging that preserves medicine at its highest quality. Four and a half years later, Jack’s company Grove Bags continues its commitment to manufacturing products in the United States and has gained industry-wide praise for its proprietary TerpLoc technology — which we'll explore in great detail in our conversation. Grove Bags' growth and positioning to take advantage of the growing cannabis space is more than apparent here — we cover the ins and outs of the cannabis industry, the history and challenges of marijuana's legalization and regulatory standing, and building a market-leading company in the space.

Connect with Jack Grover on LinkedIn

Follow Grove Bags on Twitter

Learn more about Grove Bags

#56: Dr. Daniel German (orthobrain)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 03:00:00 -0500

Our guest today is Dr. Daniel German — founder & CEO of orthobrain!

Dr. Dan German is a man who loves smiles. All kinds of smiles. So much so, he’s devoted a lifetime to bringing more of them to the world. Thirty-plus years ago, Dr. German started an orthodontic practice that became one of the largest privately held practices in the country; he has cared for 30,000 patients. Through this, he became an orthodontic pioneer in the field and today he is well known throughout the dental world for educating 1,000s of professionals.

In 2016, Dr. German transitioned from his practice to found orthobrain®. orthobrain has effectively transformed the delivery of orthodontics, solving the global orthodontic skills shortage with proprietary technology that puts a virtual orthodontist chairside with every dentist. Now, dental practices from around the globe have access to Dr. German’s predictable and proven systems -- and to the orthodontic expertise that enables them to create successful orthodontic outcomes for their patients at scale.

He has served as Faculty in Orthodontics at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, where he trained post-doctoral residents and was an attending clinical doctor, and for the past 25 years he has traveled the world as a keynote speaker, teaching orthodontics and business optimization to specialists and general practitioners alike. This includes teaching tours in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and throughout the USA. Recently, he was a full-day keynote speaker at the Global Orthodontic Program at the Greater New York Dental meeting where 53,000 people attended the conference.

In 2014, Dr. German received what he considers the crown jewel of his career - The Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Louisville Orthodontic Department. This is only the second time the award has been bestowed.

Throughout Dr. German’s career, all of his energy has consistently been focused on giving people the confidence they need to achieve more and to make smiles happen.

I can tell you that Dan made me smile more than a few times throughout this conversation — very much enjoyed this one and I hope you all do as well.

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Connect with Dr. Daniel German on LinkedIn

Follow orthobrain on Twitter

Learn more about orthobrain

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#55: Jane Alexander (Cleveland Museum of Art)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 08:28:45 -0500

Our guest today is Jane Alexander, who is the Chief Digital Information Officer for The Cleveland Museum of Art where she is responsible for creating awe-inspiring and iterative digital projects supporting a vision of innovation, technology implementation, and digital transformation that exemplify the CMA’s mission.

In her tenure at the museum, Jane has moved the organization to be a data-driven, forward-thinking institution through championing endeavors like the Open Access initiative in 2019, allowing the public to share, collaborate, remix, and reuse high-resolution images of 30,000 public-domain artworks as well as metadata for 61,000 artworks for commercial and non-commercial purposes.

Jane has led the many iterations of ARTLENS Gallery, originally known as Gallery One. This world-renowned, innovative experience uses cutting-edge technology to inspire visitors to look closer, dive deeper, and connect with the museum's encyclopedic collection.

Jane also leads the development of in-gallery digital experiences, including Revealing Krishna, an unprecedented, immersive mixed-reality exhibition that opened in November 2021, an entirely new museum experience where technology is used alongside exceptional Cambodian artworks, to tell the story of these objects and their restoration. This will be the first scholarly exhibition of its kind.

Prior to joining the CMA, Jane developed and directed Columbia University’s distance education program and has served as the technology director and design consultant to Frank Gehry's Peter B. Lewis Campus at Case Western Reserve University and as the virtual CIO to Great Lakes Science Center.

This was an awesome conversation — I hope you all enjoy it.

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Connect with Jane on LinkedIn

Follow Jane on Twitter

Learn more about The Cleveland Museum of Art

Learn more about Revealing Krishna Exhibition

Learn more about Open Access:

Learn more about ArtLens Gallery

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#54: Eric Diamond (Central Kitchen)

Jefrey Stern — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Our conversation this week is with Eric Diamond who is the co-founder and CEO of Central Kitchen, which has a massive physical presence here in Cleveland, hundreds of thousands of square feet out of their main food hub headquarters located at 7501 Carnegie Ave. off East 77th where former lay of the land guest Cleveland Kraut (now Cleveland kitchen) operates out of in addition to other staples like Cleveland Bagel!

From incubating startups, to co-packing for successful brands like Randy's Pickles, to supporting ghost kitchens, to educating aspiring food entrepreneurs, to trends like fermenting and veganism, Central Kitchen is the driving force behind the local craft food scene here in Cleveland and it's clear from Eric's passion and vision they’re just getting started!

Previously Eric spent over twenty years in banking, lending and community development. Throughout his career, Eric has developed a passion for helping small businesses and entrepreneurs start and expand their businesses — realizing their aspirations and seeing them through. Loved learning the story of Central Kitchen and the outsized impact it has had on Cleveland's food scene and some of my own favorite local brands. Please enjoy my conversation with Eric Diamond

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Connect with Eric on LinkedIn

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Learn more about Central Kitchen

Follow Central Kitchen on Instagram

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#53: David Boone Jr. (BlendED)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 07:06:38 -0500

Our conversation this week is with David Boone Jr. — co-founder and CEO of BlendED — an education technology company which has raised over $1mm in funding from leading education-technology investors and local-Cleveland investors like Jumpstart.

David is a Cleveland native who has recently boomeranged back to Cleveland from Seattle, where he gained experience leading data teams at Microsoft, to found and grow his company BlendED — an instructor experience platform, making hybrid learning experiences more accessible for instructors.

David experienced firsthand the discrepancies in available resources of college instructors between Ivy League schools and community colleges, which account for 0.4% and 46% of U.S. undergraduates, respectively. So he set out to create an all-in-one solution for multi-modal digital resources with a specific focus on community colleges.

Based here in Cleveland, the company will be launching in the spring semester of 2022 with Lorain County and Wake Technical Community Colleges.

I know I've said this a few times, but genuinely one of my favorite conversations so far hearing David's story and the work he's doing with BlendED. We're lucky to have him back here in Cleveland and look forward to collaborating with him going forward! Please enjoy my conversation with David Boone.

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Connect with David on LinkedIn

Learn more about BlendED

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#52: Mike Belsito (Product Collective)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Our conversation this week is with Mike Belsito who is the Co-Founder of Product Collective — an organization he started here in Cleveland back in 2015 which now boasts a thriving community for over 30,000+ product management professionals — and Co-Organizer of INDUSTRY: The Product Conference & New York Product Conference, two of the top rated conferences for product people anywhere.

For his leadership at Product Collective, Mike has been named one of the Top 40 influencers in the field of Product Management on several occasions. Mike also serves as a Faculty member of Case Western Reserve University in the department of Design and Innovation, and is Co-Host of one of the top startup podcasts online, Rocketship.FM.

Prior to Product Collective, Mike spent over a decade in startup companies as an early employee, Co-Founder, and Executive. Mike's businesses and products have been featured in national media outlets such as the New York Times, The Atlantic, CNN, NPR, and elsewhere. Mike is also the Author of Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of us, one of the top startup books on Amazon.

This is a fascinating deep dive into the world of product management and the business of community and conferences.

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Connect with Mike on LinkedIn

Learn more about Product Collective

Follow Product Collective on Twitter

Follow Mike on Twitter

Follow rocketship.fm on Twitter

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#51: Robert Baskette (Roundtable Learning)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 07:54:49 -0500

Our conversation this week is with Robert Baskette — founder and CTO of Roundtable Learning (originally founded as Knowbase) — on immersive learning and the commercial applications of virtual reality.

Bob founded Roundtable Learning in 1998 as a learning management technology (LMS) company where he shaped the vision and led technical growth to where it is today as a leading corporate training company leveraging and pushing the boundaries of mixed, virtual, and augmented reality for immersive learning.

A fascinating deep dive into the future of learning!

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Connect with Bob on LinkedIn

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[REWIND] Justin Bibb (Cleveland Mayor-Elect) (Episode 15)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Happy holidays everyone! We’re revisiting a topical and popular episode now that Justin Bibb has secured his position as Mayor-Elect of Cleveland.

We cover a lot in this conversation — through a lens of technology, entrepreneurship, and equity, we explore Justin’s vision for the city of Cleveland. Really enjoyed this conversation and hope you do too!

We’ll be back next week with new founder stories!

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Learn more about Justin’s Platform: https://www.bibbforcle.com/

Follow Justin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustinMBibb

Follow Justin’s Campaign on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BibbForCLE

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#50: Jeffrey Stern’s Reflections on 50 Episodes & Startup Flywheels

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 09:42:31 -0500

Lay of The Land’s 50th episode is a reflection on the 50 before it, my own professional journey & how Lay of The Land came to be, and some musings on what gets a startup ecosystem’s flywheel going.

Thanks for tuning in for a year now!

Please enjoy and let me know if you all have any feedback. To the next 50!

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#49: Michael DeAloia (Evergreen Podcasts)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 08:19:27 -0500

Our conversation this week is with Michael DeAloia — CEO at Evergreen Podcasts — on the business of podcasting, building a media company here in Cleveland, content creation, and Cleveland startups!

Evergreen Podcasts is a fast growing podcast network designed for the creative class to create, listen and inspire. To date, Evergreen Podcasts has grown from four podcasts to over 30 with millions of downloads.

Prior to Evergreen, Michael served as the executive for technology development, more colloquially as the “Tech Czar”, for the City of Cleveland under Mayor Jane Campbell's administration where he was responsible for economic development for technology startups — essentially helping attract new technology companies to Cleveland and supporting the ones already here.

Before stepping into city hall, Michael was a co-founder and CFO at Blue Bridge Networks, a data storage company also based here in Cleveland. On the side, Michael is a Cleveland history buff and author of Lost Cleveland, Lost Hotels of Cleveland, and Lost department stores of Cleveland where he traces the cherished places in Cleveland that time, progress and fashion have swept aside. Please enjoy my conversation with Micahel DeAloia

Learn more about Evergreen Podcasts

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#48: Scott Colosimo (LAND Energy & Cleveland CycleWerks)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 10:14:43 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Scott Colosimo — Founder at Cleveland CycleWerks & LAND Energy — on Cleveland manufacturing, commitment to design, and the future of motorcycles, electric vehicles, and energy distribution!

Scott founded Cleveland CycleWerks, a global motorcycle lifestyle brand, back in 2009. More recently he founded LAND Energy which focuses on distributed power and e-mobility! LAND paints a fascinating vision for the future of motorcycles, mobility, and connectivity — I loved hearing about Scott's transition from CycleWerks to LAND shifting focus from heritage and tradition to innovation and thoughtful applications of technology with a firm commitment to design tying it all together.

I believe this conversation is greatly complemented with a visual counterpart, so I definitely recommend taking a look at LAND Energy & Cleveland CycleWerks’ motorcycles to visually understand what Scott means when he talks about his commitment to design.

As a motorcyclist, it is hard for me to not be a huge fan of Scott's work to push this space into the future, with a focus on keeping the manufacturing here in Cleveland, sourcing it from the US, reducing the supply chain, all while implementing new manufacturing techniques spanning hardware, software, and technology. One of my favorites so far, please enjoy my conversation with Scott Colosimo.

Learn more about Cleveland CycleWerks

Learn more about LAND Energy

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#47: Stan Garber & Alex Yakubovich (Scout RFP)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Lay of The Land's 47th conversation is with Stan Garber & Alex Yakubovich — Co-Founders of Scout RFP (now known as Workday Strategic Sourcing) — on serial entrepreneurship and Scout RFP’s journey from inception here in Cleveland to acquisition by Workday for $540mm in 2019, where both of them still work leading Workday’s strategy and growth in the source-to-pay space.

Stan Garber is Vice President, Spend Management GTM at Workday, and leads the effort to deliver exponential growth within the procurement source-to-pay space. As Scout RFP’s President, Stan set the company’s growth strategy and spearheaded go-to-market activities.

Alex Yakubovich is General Manager, Spend Management at Workday, and leads product development and strategy within the source-to-pay space. As Scout RFP’s CEO, Alex set the business direction and product strategy for the company.

Prior to ScoutRFP, Alex and Stan co-founded Onosys together, a digital ordering platform for restaurant chains, which they sold to Living Social in 2012. Both Alex and Stan are graduates of Case Western Reserve University.

There's a lot from this conversation I'm working to internalize and apply to my own work — it was awesome to learn about their startup philosophies and practices which have allowed them to be successful multiple times over in serial entrepreneurship here in Cleveland.

Learn more about Workday Strategic Sourcing

Learn more about ONOSYS

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Connect with Stan Garber on LinkedIn

Follow Stan on Twitter

Connect with Alex Yakubovich on LinkedIn

Follow Alex on Twitter

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#46: Steve Potash (OverDrive)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Steve Potash — Founder, President, and CEO of OverDrive.

Steve founded OverDrive here in Cleveland back in 1986. Over the last 3 decades Steve has led OverDrive to become the leading digital reading platform for ebooks, audiobooks and other digital media for libraries, schools, government agencies, corporate learning centers and colleges and universities worldwide. OverDrive now manages the largest global network of digital book lending libraries — over 40,000 libraries and schools worldwide in over 72 countries, with over a billion checkouts of eBooks.

As CEO, Steve focuses on OverDrive’s vision to create a world enlightened by reading. A pioneer in the digital content and distribution industry, Steve was among the first to develop useful applications for digital books in the 1980s. He began his career offering innovative floppy diskette, CD-ROM and print-to-digital conversion services, and introduced early versions of digital books to the law, accounting and healthcare industries, which we cover in our conversation!

Really enjoyed Steve's perspective on the importance of libraries in our society and technology's implications for reading and literacy. Hope you all heed Steve's advice to visit your local library and enjoy my conversation with Steve Potash.

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Learn more about OverDrive

Learn more about OverDrive’s Libby app

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#45: India Johnson (UAVistas)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with India Johnson — Founder of UAVistas.

With a background in biology and computer science, India Johnson is an unmanned aerial systems pilot, entrepreneur, public servant, and geospatial developer. India is responsible for flying, processing data from, and maintaining the Cleveland Metroparks drone fleet flying. Applications of her work include natural resource management, planning and engineering projects, as well as marketing videos and stills. In her role as a geospatial developer for the Metroparks, she wears many hats from securing and maintaining servers, developing web apps, and writing code to solve problems.

Outside of her work with the Metroparks, she’s founded her own business, UAVistas, where she incubates different drone applications.

Really enjoyed learning about drones and India’s passion for them — please enjoy my conversation with India Johnson!

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Learn more about UAVistas

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#44: Jake Bailosky (PROJiTECH — OnStation)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Jake Bailosky — CTO & Founder of OnStation — on revolutionizing how road workers locate and communicate in the field.

Jake spent 10 years as a construction project engineer with the Ohio Department of Transportation after studying and becoming a Civil Engineer. Through his time working on transportation projects in the field, he experienced firsthand the challenges that would later inspire PROJiTech (parent company) & OnStation.

Jake taught himself how to code and spent 5 years developing the initial product and validating OnStation in the market. Earlier in 2021, Jake secured $1.4mm in funding from Jumpstart and pre-seed investment Glide — OnStation is now being used on over 200 transportation projects and has 1500 users including major contractors, consultants, and a handful of state Departments of Transportation.

Please enjoy my conversation with Jake Bailosky!

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#43: James Barnes Jr. (Immaculate Cleaning)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with James Barnes Jr. — Founder & President of Immaculate Cleaning — on building Northeast Ohio’s fastest-growing janitorial services company.

James launched his first successful business endeavor as a high school student. From this experience he learned the basic principles of running a profitable business enterprise which he then leveraged to build Immaculate Cleaning. He’s since been able to expand from janitorial services to a broader conglomerate model rolling up and starting up service providers across other industries like lawn services.

To James, Immaculate cleaning is more than a business — it's a means to his passion for community engagement and economic empowerment — working toward social impact in the areas where he grew up in Cleveland. As of 2021, Immaculate Cleaning Company has become the proud Cleaning Partner of The Cleveland Monsters hockey team to amplify their impact in Greater Cleveland communities.

Loved learning about Jame's story and preparedness for every opportunity that comes his way. Hope you all enjoy my conversation with James Barnes.

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#42: Charlie Lougheed (Axuall)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Charlie Lougheed — Co-founder & CEO of Axuall, a Cleveland-based company which recently closed on $10.4mm in financing.

Axuall is a bot-enabled, real-time HR data network that empowers healthcare providers to manage and share their verified career data and credentials with healthcare organizations and plans. This enables these organizations to build better networks, eliminate deployment delays, meet patient demand, and improve their bottom line.

Prior to Axuall, Charlie co-founded and co-funded Explorys, now IBM Watson, in 2009 as a spin-off from the Cleveland Clinic. In six years, the company became the leader in healthcare big data and value-based-care analytics, spanning 26 healthcare networks, 60 hospitals, and 60 million patients across the US.

Prior to Explorys, Charlie co-founded Everstream in 1999 which later became the market leader in broadband and content analytics before being acquired by Concurrent, a public company in 2005. There he served as CTO and later as President of the company enabling its clients to leverage their data to exponentially scale their networks and broker better deals with their content providers.

Charlie is also an active leader in the local community serving as the Chairman of The Lougheed Initiative Foundation, Vice Chairman of Friends of Breakthrough Schools, and Chairman of the Galen Foundation and PeopleBeatingCancer[dot]org.

Incredibly exciting to finally have Charlie on the podcast to share his story and the work we're doing together at Axuall — I’ve personally learned an immeasurably great deal from Charlie over the last two years and I hope through this conversation you all can enjoy and glean some insights as well. Please enjoy my conversation with Charlie Lougheed.

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#41: Aaron Grossman (TalentLaunch)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Aaron Grossman — Founder & CEO of TalentLaunch.

TalentLaunch, which Aaron founded back in 2016 after over a decade working in the staffing industry, is a network of independently operated staffing and recruitment companies that share back-office support, now generating hundreds of millions in sales and employing over 200 employees.

TalentLaunch was established to help solve a problem that is prevalent throughout the staffing industry. There are over 20,000 staffing firms in the United States, with 97% of all staffing firms having less than $25 million in annual revenues. 82% of the 20,000 staffing firms have less than $5 million in annual revenues. While this fragmentation in the industry could suggest that local communities enjoy working with local community based staffing firms, the average Net Promoter Score which gauges the customer experience is an abysmal 4 out of a possible 100. Many small and mid sized staffing firms do not have the tools and resources available to them to drive a better experience. By design, Talentlaunch infuses big company resources and tools into the member companies that operate within the network to help them reach new heights.

This was one of my favorite conversations so far hearing about how Aaron thinks about culture and the intentionality he brings to it, in service of helping others realize their potential. Hope you all enjoy my conversation with Aaron Grossman.

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#40: Brian Zimmerman (Cleveland Metroparks)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Brian Zimmerman — CEO of The Cleveland Metroparks.

As CEO of the Metroparks, Brian is responsible for the management of over 24,000 acres of green space in Northeast Ohio including 18 park reservations, eight golf courses, and the nationally-acclaimed Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, roughly 1000 employees, hundreds of miles of parkways and trails serving roughly 40 million visitors annually.

Brian has helped lead the Park District’s highest rate of land acquisition under any Cleveland Metroparks leader in the park’s 104-year history aside from the Metroparks' founder, William Stinchcomb. Under Brian's leadership, Cleveland Metroparks has been recognized nationally through several agency awards including the 2016 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park Management by National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the highest national honor in parks and recreation.

It is quite awesome to learn about the history and diversity of all the work that goes into maintaining and preserving what so many of us here in Cleveland value and treasure in the nature afforded by the Metroparks. Please enjoy my conversation with Brian Zimmerman.

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#39: AC Evans (Drips)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Aaron Christopher (A.C.) Evans — co-founder & CEO of Drips.com recently ranked one of the 20 fastest-growing companies in North America.

Drips is the first conversational texting company of its kind, founding a new market category and leading the way for some of the biggest brands in the world to use automated, humanized conversations at scale. On a daily basis, Drips engages in tens of millions of completely humanized conversations with zero client-side human resources or operators.

Starting at the early age of 16, A.C. has been passionate about ‘scaling the unscalable’ in all of his business ventures and Drips is no exception. Really enjoyed covering AC's vast experience in performance marketing, experimentation, consumer conversion and retention, and entrepreneurship, all while building and scaling Drips to a company with a multi-billion trajectory. Please enjoy my conversation with AC evans!

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#38: Dan Collins (Wastebits)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Dan Collins — Founder & CEO of Wastebits (based in Akron) — on building a software waste-management company and bringing technology to the trash industry.

Dan is a veteran of the waste industry bringing more than 30 years of experience to the space which he leveraged to found Wastebits back in 2014. Since then, Wastebits now provides a full-service waste platform that connects the disparate parties in the space, from waste generators to waste facilities to service providers.

Wastebits now supports clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small and medium independent service providers across North America and beyond with a focus on reducing the pain of waste categorization by helping these organizations understand and take immediate action on their waste streams to improve operational performance and reduce costs.

Loved peeling back the curtain on such an enormous industry that affects everyone so deeply but that we all collectively think so little about — fascinating to hear about the inner workings of waste management and how technology can drive change there. Please enjoy my conversation with Dan Collins!

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#37: Brent Zimmerman (Saucy Brew Works)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Brent Zimmerman — Co-Founder & CEO of Saucy Brew Works, a Cleveland-based production brewery and brewpub with roots based in the Steelman building off 29th and Detroit Avenue.

Over the last year, Brent has grown Saucy to become the fourth fastest growing brand in the state of Ohio and one of the top grossing craft breweries in Cleveland winning Beer and Brewpub awards across the board from cleveland.com's best brewery to Ohio City's business of the year.

Brent is an entrepreneur, beer fanatic, and has steered Saucy Brew Works from inception to where it stands today, valued at over $100mm dollars, across capital raising, branding, construction, distribution, community building, culture, product and geographic expansion.

I loved hearing about Brent's story starting up what is now a true staple in Ohio City and beyond — I hope you enjoy my conversation with Brent Zimmerman.

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#36: Shane Bigelow (CHAMPtitles)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Shane Bigelow — CEO at CHAMPtitles — Cleveland-based startup, which has raised over $17.5 million in funding, on digitizing the process of vehicle titling.

Currently, vehicle title creation, management and transfer - when a car is acquired or changes hands - is a cumbersome, paper-based process with different laws and practices in each U.S. state, creating significant complexity. The difficult process impacts everyone who comes in contact with the vehicle title, from citizens, to retailers, lenders, insurance companies, and state governments, leading to unnecessary costs, inefficiency and waste in the marketplace for all ecosystem participants.

CHAMPtitles was built for insurance carriers, automotive retailers, lenders, state governments, and others to allow insurance carriers to more quickly acquire and dispose of vehicles in instances of total loss by digitizing the process from owner engagement to title application submission, reducing cycle times significantly. CHAMPtitles also gives state agencies the ability to modernize their title and registration systems, providing significant benefits to all users of these upgraded systems.

I have a general affinity for those working to close the gap between the ubiquity of technology in people's everyday lives and the relative lack of it in the governments supporting those people, which is why it was awesome to have Shane on the podcast — hope you all enjoy our conversation!

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#35: Kate Volzer (Wisr)

Jeffrey Sterm — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Kate Volzer — Co-Founder and CEO at Wisr, an education technology company based here in Cleveland which was acquired by EAB back in March of 2021.

Wisr, which specializes in building affinity between prospective students and colleges, was acquired by EAB — a key player in the education industry — in March 2021 in a move to further EAB's efforts to help schools and students find, learn about and interact with each other.

Wisr, which Kate co-founded back in 2016, has grown rapidly since the company began building private, online communities for colleges that enable students to connect with peers and campus leaders. Prospective students use the platform to get a sense of what life is like at a given school and to find friends and mentors with similar interests. The technology also enables faculty to offer guidance on majors and classes, while giving institutions a direct channel for delivering personalized content to interested students.

I loved learning about Kate's reflections on transitioning post-acquisition to EAB and working through the challenges she encountered taking Wisr from idea to exit. I hope you all enjoy my conversation with Kate Volzer!

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Learn more about Wisr (@ EAB)

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#34: Jacob Sheridan (TPA Stream)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 09:19:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Jacob Sheridan — Co-Founder and CEO at TPA Stream, an insurtech software company based here in Cleveland having raised ~ $4mm in capital.

TPA Stream is focused on automating employee benefits and solves communication challenges across all benefit types, making it simpler, safer, and more cost-effective for everyone that helps make employee benefits happen.

As CEO, Jacob oversees company growth and investment, helps lead product development, and works directly with customers to help save them time and eliminate manual workloads. Jacob brings over a decade of experience to TPA Stream, leveraging deep experience in technology to help individuals, employers, brokers, and third-party administrators streamline and simplify healthcare administration challenges.

Prior to his role at TPA Stream, Jacob founded Lake Erie Partners, a consortium dedicated to providing resources to young professionals and companies in the Lake Erie region. He also served as channel sales manager at OnShift and president of Calverton Consulting.

Learned a lot from Jacob in this deep dive — hope you all enjoy our conversation!

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#33: Charu Ramanathan, PhD (vitalxchange)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Charu Ramanathan, PhD — Co-Founder and CEO at vitalxchange, based here in Cleveland having raised over $2mm in capital.

vitalxchange and Lokyata are the latest iterations of Charu’s entrepreneurial career, which began transitioning her Case Western Reserve University PhD thesis into a medical device company — CardioInsight — which she grew and sold to Medtronic in 2015 for nearly $100 million.

Charu spent the following two years shepherding the technology's integration, before co-founding Lokyata, a fintech company promoting financial inclusion and providing digital self-learning software solutions & services in emerging economies, and vitalxchange, whose mission is to enable participatory healthcare by empowering healthcare consumers.

We spend most of the conversation focused on her current work at vitalxchange, but cover the breadth of her experience and impact as well. Charu is a force, a wealth of knowledge, and genuinely passionate about her work to elevate human life — really enjoyed and learned a lot from this conversation!

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Learn more about vitalxchange: https://vitalxchange.com/about-us

Connect with Charu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charu-ramanathan-phd/

Follow Charu: https://twitter.com/charuramanathan?lang=en

Follow vitalxchange: https://twitter.com/vitalxchange

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#32: David Edelman (Thrivable)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with David Edelman — CEO & Founder of Thrivable, based here in Cleveland.

David is an entrepreneur, author, and speaker who developed the vision for Thrivable through his work building Diabetes Daily, a leading online community helping those with diabetes thrive. A firm believer that every key decision health care companies make should have patient input, he created the Thrivable rapid-research platform to make it easy for companies to connect with the patients that matter most to make better products and services. Thrivable recently closed on $1.7mm in seed funding.

We cover everything from how to foster and build community, to market research, to fundraising, to the challenges of company building and many of David’s entrepreneurial stories along the way! Enjoy.

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Learn more about Thrivable: https://thrivable.app/

Connect with David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidedelman/

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#31: Terence McCarron (OpinionRoute)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Terence McCarron — CEO & Founder of OpinionRoute LLC, a Cleveland, OH-based Market Research Data Collection Services and Sample Technology firm.

Terence’s career spans 20+ years including leadership positions for firms like Greenfield Online (sold to Microsoft in 2008), Kantar Health (now a Cerner subsidiary), and Cint AB (STO: CINT). A native of New Jersey, Terence moved with his wife and 4 kids to Cleveland in 2013 in order to start OpinionRoute, which is in the business of helping market researchers produce accurate results through both their technology and services.

We’re lucky to have Terence here in the Cleveland startup scene as both a mentor and entrepreneur — OpinionRoute has flown under the radar for a bootstrapped business generating over 8-figures in revenue and growing rapidly! Excited to amplify Terence and OpinionRoute’s story here! Enjoy.

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Learn more about OpinionRoute: https://www.opinionroute.com/

Follow OpinionRoute: https://twitter.com/OpinionRoute

Connect with Terence: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terence-mccarron-mr/

Follow Terence: https://twitter.com/tmccarron

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#30: Lindsay Watson PT, MPT (Augment Therapy)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Lindsay Watson, CEO & Founder of Augment Therapy.

This was one of my favorite conversations to date! Lindsay’s passion for her work is infectious and I learned a lot from her story — hope you enjoy it too.

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Learn more about Augment Therapy: https://augmenttherapy.com/

Follow Augment Therapy: https://twitter.com/augment_therapy

Connect with Lindsay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-watson-pt-mpt-68103a134/

Follow Lindsay: https://www.twitter.com/@lindsaywatson26

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#29: Brandon and Jarred Smith (NOOMA)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Jarred & Brandon Smith — co-founders of NOOMA.

The NOOMA journey began for Jarred & Brandon as hockey-playing brothers who couldn’t stand the sugar-packed, artificial sports drinks we've all been given our whole lives, all the way up to their time as professional athletes.

The whole thing made no sense to them; they were competing at the highest level, yet given products based on big corporate partnerships, not what’s actually good for you. So they forged their own path using only organic, plant-based, and real ingredients - and no added sugar - to make products that taste great and actually work. The other part of their mission is to go beyond making drinks and build a company that makes an impact on society.

NOOMA is a Cleveland staple and increasingly a national one! Really enjoyed this conversation!

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Learn more about Nooma: https://www.drinknooma.com/

Follow Nooma: https://www.instagram.com/drinknooma/

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#28: Todd Federman (North Coast Ventures)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Todd Federman — managing director of North Coast Ventures.

North Coast includes six funds and has closed $65M+ of capital in 60 early-stage companies since 2007. Prior to joining North Coast, Todd launched a consumer packaged goods company, One With Nature, and worked for technology consulting company, DiamondCluster.

We cover a lot in this conversation from what makes for a good early-stage funding ecosystem to what’s working in Cleveland and what could we be doing better. We deep dive into angel networks, founder mentality, valuation, risk aversion, startup quantity, geographic competition, and much more!

Todd’s perspective is critical in understanding the lay of the land — Enjoy!

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Connect with Todd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddfederman/

Learn more about North Coast Ventures: https://northcoast.vc/

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#27: Brett Lindsey (Everstream & Snip Internet)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Brett Lindsey — CEO of Everstream & Founder of Snip Internet here in Cleveland!

We cover the infrastructure of the internet, the future of telecom, and how he’s realizing that future by growing Everstream to over 25,000 route miles of fiber and multiple $100 millions in contract value while simultaneously building Snip Internet as a residential internet provider.

Previously as Chief Operations Officer of OneCommunity, Brett oversaw the $100 million expansion of the network that became Everstream. Brett brings more than 25 years of experience in successful operations management and business development efforts for venture-backed organizations to the Fortune 500. He has extensive experience in the telecom industry, having served as President of Elantic Telecom and Chief Operations Officer of Vox Mobile. Brett also held management positions with City Signal Communications, Qwest Communications, XO Communications, and Williams Communication Systems.

Brett is an absolute force and it’s amazing to see what he’s been able to build. Listen and Learn!

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Connect with Brett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettrlindsey/

Learn more about Everstream: https://everstream.net/

Learn more about Snip Internet: https://www.snipinternet.com/

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#26: Gordon Daily (BoxCast)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Gordon Daily!

Gordon is the founder & CEO of BoxCast which offers an end-to-end live streaming platform and is one of Cleveland’s fastest growing companies off the bat of a $20 million series A and series of strategic acquisitions.

BoxCast simplifies the whole process of streaming and video capture which historically has been complicated, risky, and expensive for organizations wishing to connect with their constituents. We cover a lot in this conversation from building hardware, Cleveland entrepreneurship, the future of BoxCast, and the wildest streamed content Gordon has come across! It’s been awesome to see BoxCast’s prolific growth over the last few years and hear the story of how they’ve made it happen. Take a listen and learn!

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Connect with Gordon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-daily-b47b8

Learn more about BoxCast: https://www.boxcast.com/

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#25: Laura Steinbrink (Brilliency & Emerald Built Environments)

Jeffrey Sterm — Thu, 27 May 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Laura Steinbrink!

Laura is the CEO and founder of Brilliency and managing partner at Emerald Built Environments where she's spent the last decade driving environmental change and ecological and sustainability initiatives spanning heavy industry to retail housing, commercial, education, medical facilities and roads and bridges. We cover everything from the macro-level infrastructure work she's doing through Emerald Built Environments to the micro-level behavioral changes spurred on by Brilliency, bridging the gap between utility companies and consumers by giving people access to their own energy consumption data.

Sustainability and energy consumption are some of those topics that truly affect everyone and our qualities of life — awesome to learn more about the important work Laura is doing here in Cleveland!

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Connect with Laura: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-e-steinbrink-089340a4/

Learn more about Brilliency: https://www.brilliency.com/brilliant-efficiency

Learn more about Emerald Built Environments: https://www.emeraldbe.com/ebe-home

#24: Ryan Cleary (FloatMe)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 20 May 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Ryan Cleary — co-founder & COO of FloatMe — on how they’ve helped save their users over $30mm in fees and boost savings via alternatives to the $46 billion overdraft and payday lending industries.

Ryan grew up here in Cleveland in Lakewood, OH and graduated from Case Western Reserve University before getting his masters from Harvard. He ultimately ended up moving to San Antonio, TX where he co-built and managed a startup accelerator before pursuing his long-time passion for financial equity by starting FloatMe in late 2017 when he met his co-founder, Josh Sanchez, at a startup weekend event there.

Today, FloatMe — co-located here in Cleveland and in San Antonio — has raised over $28mm in funding on its mission to make financial prosperity achievable for all Americans, focusing on the 78% of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck to help them cover cash gaps and improve their finances.

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Connect with Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-p-cleary

Learn more about FloatMe: https://www.floatme.io/

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#23: Justin McLoughlin (airCFO)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 13 May 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Justin McLoughlin — founder & CEO of airCFO — on building a bootstrapped company, scaling a professional services organization, the future of work, the importance of taking care of your employees, and finance!

Learned a lot from Justin’s unique perspective on company building — please enjoy!

Connect with Justin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmmcloughlin/

Learn more about airCFO: https://aircfo.com/

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#22: Marisa Sergi (Red Brands & L'uva Bella Winery)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 06 May 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Marisa Sergi — founder & CEO of Red Brands & chief growth officer of L’uva Bella Winery — who is a third-generation wine maker and studied viticulture and enology — the art and science of winemaking — at Cornell University before starting her first brand RedHead (now known as Red Brands).

We cover starting a wine brand from scratch that is now available in over 3,000 stores nationally and levereging the success of her company to acquire her family’s winery, L’uva Bella Winery, the largest wine operation in the state of Ohio.

Really enjoyed this conversation — Marisa is not only passionate about wine and spirits, but also the entrepreneurial spirit!

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Connect with Marisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisasergi

Follow Marisa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marisasergi/

Learn more about L'uva Bella: https://luvabella.com/

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#21: Tom Lix (Cleveland Whiskey)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Lix spent some formative years in the US Navy where in addition to some early bootleg distilling; he was cross trained in nuclear physics and thermodynamics along with seawater/freshwater distillation. A college dropout who hitchhiked across the country, fought forest fires in Alaska at the age of 17, and founded the first University-sponsored Motorcycle Club in America. He later earned his Doctorate in Business from Boston University.

Tune in for a spirited conversation!

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Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomlix

Learn more about Cleveland Whiskey: https://clevelandwhiskey.com/

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#20: Mac Anderson (Cleveland Kitchen)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Our conversation this week is with Mac Anderson — co-founder & CMO of Cleveland Kitchen (formerly Cleveland Kraut) — on creating world-class culinary fermented foods for all and how Cleveland Kitchen has grown from a side-hustle at local-Cleveland farmer’s markets to the #1 brand in sauerkraut with distribution at over 9,000 locations nationwide.

Mac is a Cleveland native with a passion for business, good food, and good people. After studying Economics at Miami University, Mac started a career in finance and law before ultimately pursuing his longtime passion for business to help start Cleveland Kraut with his brother and brother-in-law.

We cover a lot in this conversation from the history of fermentation, to the health benefits of probiotics, the transition from Cleveland Kraut to Cleveland Kitchen, starting a business with your family, and much more...I came away hungry for food but quenched with knowledge!

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Connect with Mac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mac-anderson-98500973/

Learn more about Cleveland Kitchen: https://www.clevelandkitchen.com/

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#19: Manoj Jhaveri (Hyr Medical)

Jeffrey Sterm — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Lay of the Land’s nineteenth conversation is with Manoj Jhaveri — co-founder & CEO of Hyr Medical — on transforming the healthcare staffing industry by empowering clinicians to find the best freelance opportunities while simultaneously offering more flexibility for hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare employers.

We cover a lot in this conversation — from how to build healthcare marketplaces, to solving the growing clinician shortage. Manoj is on a mission to transform the $18B healthcare staffing industry and enable an elastic, on-demand workforce.

Prior to Hyr, Manoj was a mechanical & industrial engineer at several Fortune 500 companies. He then spent 10 years as an innovation strategy & product development management consultant. Manoj was also a faculty member at Case Western Reserve University where he taught innovation management and marketing strategy.

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Connect with Manoj: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjhaveri/

Learn more about Hyr Medical: https://www.hyrmed.com/

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#18: Cullen Naumoff (Farm Fare)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Lay of the Land’s eighteenth conversation is with Cullen Naumoff — co-founder of Farm Fare, based in Cleveland, Ohio — on why local food is better food and how Farm Fare allows family farms to compete in a world built for economies of scale.

Local food is better food, and our world is hungry for a more principled system that stands for people and planet as well as profit. But agriculture in the middle cannot compete against a highly consolidated industrial food system without the tools to match its efficiency. Farm Fare is offering those tools and believes we need to recreate the food supply chain entirely.

Hailing from the agriculture-rich lands of Ohio’s densest dairies, Cullen spent a decade before Farm Fare learning and working in NYC to West Virginia, gaining a better understanding of the dynamics of local economies. Upon her return to Ohio, she saw an opportunity to grow a local food economy through starting and managing a food hub. Her engineering background shed light on the obstacles to scalability a single food hub faces while highlighting how collaborating strategically with like-minded businesses could yield an entirely different scale of impact.

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Connect with Cullen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cullen-naumoff-717baa2/

Learn more about Farm Fare: http://www.farmfare.io/

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Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin or on Twitter

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#17: Anthony Hughes (Tech Elevator)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Lay of the Land’s seventeenth conversation is with Anthony Hughes — co-founder and CEO at Tech Elevator — on their recent acquisition to Stride, the future of education, unlocking people’s potential, and software development.

Tech Elevator is a coding bootcamp based in Cleveland, Ohio with physical locations across the Midwest. Their programs are oriented around rapidly teaching students to become software developers while helping them build necessary professional-readiness skills so they can have more meaningful careers.

Founded in 2015, Tech Elevator has placed nearly 2,000 graduates into software development roles in over 400 companies nationwide.

Anthony’s passion for helping individuals find fulfillment and realize their career potential is more than apparent in this conversation.

#16: Brandon Bryant (Harlem Capital)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Lay of the Land’s sixteenth conversation is with Brandon Bryant — co-founder and venture partner at Harlem Capital — on investing in companies started by people of color & women with the purpose of changing the face of entrepreneurship.

Harlem Capital closed on its inaugural oversubscribed $40 million fund back in 2019 and is focused on investing in 1,000 diverse founders over the next 20 years.

Brandon — who recently boomeranged from NYC back to Cleveland — is taking Harlem Capital’s mission and vision and applying it to Cleveland and the greater midwest opportunity.

I’m incredibly excited Brandon is joining the Cleveland entrepreneurial ecosystem and to share his work, whose awesomeness and importance speaks for itself!

We cover a lot in this conversation — from investing to content creation to storytelling (on the side, Brandon created and manages WallStreetPaper, a brand now harboring over 200,000 followers on instagram) — hope you all enjoy it!

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Follow Brandon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wallstreetpaper

Follow WallStreetPaper on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wallstreetpaper/

Follow Harlem Capital on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlemCapital

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Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin or on Twitter

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter

#15: Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Lay of the Land’s fifteenth conversation is with Justin Bibb, Mayor of Cleveland.

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Justin Bibb is a proud Cleveland native who grew up in Mt. Pleasant on the southeast side of the city. He has dedicated his career to rebuilding neighborhoods and making cities safer, healthier, and more resilient. Justin currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer of Urbanova, a start-up focused on solving the unique challenges faced by mid-sized cities.

Over the last 15 years, Justin has worked at the intersection of government, business, and the nonprofit sector as an executive and nonprofit leader. He interned for President Barack Obama when he was in the U.S. Senate and has served as Special Assistant for Cuyahoga County, Head of the Global Cities Practice at Gallup, and most recently, Vice President for KeyBank.

He co-founded Hack Cleveland in 2014 following the death of Tamir Rice and launched Cleveland Can't-Wait in 2019, a nonprofit focused on advancing racial equity and economic opportunity in underserved neighborhoods across the city. Justin also serves on the boards of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Teach for America – Ohio, Destination Cleveland, and LAND Studio Inc.

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Learn more about Justin’s Platform: https://www.bibbforcle.com/

Follow Justin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustinMBibb

Follow Justin’s Campaign on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BibbForCLE

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Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin or on Twitter

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#14: Matt Buder Shapiro (MedPilot)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Our fourteenth conversation is with Matt Buder Shapiro — co-founder and chief marketing officer of MedPilot which was recently acquired by Vytalize Health in a big win for Cleveland startups!

Matt is a Cleveland native and champion of the ecosystem here (he also has just been genuinely kind and giving of his time, supporting all of Lay of The Land’s progress so far). He has been responsible for developing MedPilot's brand and patient engagement strategy — to date, MedPilot’s helped over 1,000,000 patients and boasts a 97% patient satisfaction score.

Matt also sits on the advisory board for Blue Star Families, the nation's largest chapter-based military family organization, and the Catamount Innovation Fund. Prior to MedPilot, Matt led the New York media team at Bully Pulpit Interactive, a political strategy firm created by the digital marketers of Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. BPI's experience with leveraging data to target communication helped provide the foundation for MedPilot's engagement engine. Matt is also a political strategist and advisor for Dr. Tom Lee, the founder of One Medical, ePocrates, and Galileo. Most recently, Matt serves as a Technology Policy Advisor for Justin Bibb’s mayoral campaign.

Please enjoy our conversation!

Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattbudershapiro

Follow Matt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mbudershapiro

Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand

#13: Dan Whalen (INTRO Cleveland | HarborBay)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Lay of the Land is about telling the stories of what people are building in Cleveland, and today we’re taking that literally! We’re talking about building buildings.

Our (lucky) thirteenth conversation is with Dan Whalen — Harbor Bay’s vice president of design and development — and we’re covering INTRO: Cleveland’s first and America’s tallest mass timber project located at Market Square in the heart of Ohio City in the shadow of the historic West Side Market.

Living in Ohio City, this was one of my favorite conversations so far. There is an incredible amount of innovation that has gone into INTRO and Dan’s vision for this building and community is inspiring. Please enjoy!

Learn more about INTRO: https://introcleveland.com/

Follow Dan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwhalen5

Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand

#12: Bob Sopko (LaunchNet - Case Western Reserve University)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Our twelfth conversation is with Bob Sopko.

Bob is the director of Case Western’s LaunchNet focused on helping students and alumni build startups and supporting their entrepreneurial efforts. Bob is also an entrepreneur-in-residence at Youngstown Business Incubator where he mentors early-stage technology companies.

Through this conversation, we map a whole breadth of the Cleveland entrepreneurial space and cover the impact of institutions like Case Western. Please enjoy!

Learn more about LaunchNet: https://case.edu/launchnet/

Connect with Bob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsopko/

Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand

#11: Nicole Paolozzi (OndeCare)

Jeffrey Stern & The Tagan — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Our eleventh conversation is with Nicole Paolozzi — founder & CEO of OndeCare based here in Cleveland!

We cover the challenges of in-home healthcare for loved ones of all ages and needs — infant, childcare, special needs care, and eldercare — and how OndeCare meets this need by connecting credentialed care, safety, and education professionals with busy families that are juggling demanding jobs and care of loved ones. We also cover the challenges of being a first-time founder, iterating on business models, raising a seed round, and more.

I really enjoyed this conversation with Nicole and I hope you all do too!

Learn more about OndeCare: https://ondecare.com/

Follow OndeCare on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ondecare

Connect with Nicole: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-paolozzi/

Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand

#10: Taher Hassonjee (RVshare)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Our tenth episode is a conversation with Taher Hassonjee — director of business development at RVshare (based on Akron, Ohio) — exploring the world of recreational vehicles and why RVshare has been able to capitalize on it raising more than $100 million in capital and growing bookings over 650% in late 2020.

As continentally confined Americans look for domestic vacation options that won’t expose them to too much risk of infection from the pandemic that’s still rampant across the country, the RV rental company RVshare has positioned itself as a market leader to meet the booming demand for RVs as we hit the road in unprecedented numbers.

Taher is a wealth of knowledge and it’s no wonder RVshare has become one of the most well-capitalized companies and fast-growing companies in the MidWest.

Please enjoy the conversation with Taher!

Learn more about RVshare: https://rvshare.com/

Follow Taher on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thassonjee

Connect with Taher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taherhassonjee/

Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand

#9: Steve Muszynski (Splash Financial)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Our ninth episode is a conversation with Steve Muszynski — founder & CEO of Splash Financial — exploring the student loan crisis and how Splash is helping people save on their student loan debt

I met Steve back when Splash Financial was known as GradSchoolLoans and their growth and impact since then has been extraordinary. Splash has been recognized as the 8th fastest growing company in Ohio having raised $17 million in venture capital, and was named one of the top 250 private Fintech companies in the world by CB Insights. Even during the pandemic this last year, they’ve experienced tremendous growth on both the revenue and headcount side - employing over 70 people - and show no signs of slowing down.

I'm excited to share the story of Steve and Splash because I think they've flown relatively under the radar for how much they've been able to accomplish in the past few years here in Cleveland. Please enjoy our conversation!

Learn more about Splash Financial: https://www.splashfinancial.com/

Follow Splash Financial on Twitter: https://twitter.com/splashfinancial

Connect with Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-muszynski-16341b2b/

Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand

#8: Joe DeLoss (Hot Chicken Takeover)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Our eighth episode is a conversation with Joe DeLoss — founder of Hot Chicken Takeover — about service, entrepreneurship, chicken, and change for good.

He’s spent the last decade building business creating employment opportunities for those who have experienced significant adversity in their lives. From incarceration to addiction to homelessness, Joe believes everyone deserves a fair chance to build a new story for themselves.

Hot Chicken Takeover is a fast-casual restaurant chain taking over the Midwest. Joe’s dedication to fair-chance hiring and social entrepreneurship has allowed him to positively impact the lives of thousands of people and I’m incredibly excited to have him on the podcast to amplify his message encouraging change on an exponentially larger scale.

I came away from this conversation truly inspired by Joe and craving some Hot Chicken Takeover. Hope you all enjoy it!

Follow Hot Chicken Takeover on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChickenTakeover

Learn more about Hot Chicken Takeover: https://hotchickentakeover.com/

Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand

#7: Lee Zapis (Zapis Capital)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0500

On our seventh episode, we’re speaking with Lee Zapis

Lee Zapis is the former president of Zapis Communications which owned and operated WZAK along with other radio stations in Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown. Zapis Communications' stations received numerous national broadcast awards and were nominated eight times for the Marconi Award, the highest honor of the National Association of Broadcasters.

After the sale of Zapis Communications' radio stations in 1999, at which point WZAK had become Cleveland’s #1 radio station, Lee continued his entrepreneurial journey founding a multitude of other successful Cleveland-based companies and in parallel, formed Zapis Capital Group in 2003, investing in the technology, healthcare, real estate and media industries across NorthEast Ohio.

We cover a lot of ground in this interview and I hope you will enjoy it!

Connect with Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leezapis/

Follow Lee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/leezapis

Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand

#6: Gerald Hetrick (Able)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0500

On our sixth episode, we’re speaking with Gerald Hetrick, CEO of Able.

Gerald has a decorated past here in the Cleveland entrepreneurial space as a technology leader at MCPC, co-founder, CTO and COO at Vox mobile, and more recently, CEO of Able (formerly known as Employstream) which just closed on a $7mm Series B and has experienced tremendous growth over the last year.

Gerald is a mentor of mine who I have learned a great deal from, a boon to the Cleveland startup scene, and I hope you all enjoy our conversation!

Learn more about Able: https://www.ableteams.com/

Connect with Gerald on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldhetrick/

Follow Gerald on Twitter: https://twitter.com/geraldhetrick

Connect with Jeffrey on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand

#5: Mansfield Frazier (Chateau Hough & Neighborhood Solutions)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 07 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0500

On our fifth episode, we’re speaking with Mansfield Frazier, founder of Château Hough - the country’s first inner-city vineyard located in the historic district of Hough, where he resides.

Our conversation spans growing grapes and selling wine in Midtown Cleveland, triple-bottom line businesses, conscious capitalism, institutionalized racism, combating recidivism, and lots more.

Mansfield is a native Clevelander and a product of the Cleveland public school system. He left Cleveland in 1969, and for the next 30 years lived all over the United States, pursuing activities that can best be described as checkered at best, an experience he feels greatly shapes his perspectives as a writer and journalist, primarily focused on social justice issues.

Self-taught as a writer, he returned to Cleveland in 1995 and began his career as the associate editor of an urban news magazine, The Downtown Tab. He served briefly as the editor of the minority-focused weekly, The Call & Post before moving on to edit CityNews, a startup urban weekly. His writing is currently featured nationally on Newsweek/The Daily Beast, and locally on both CoolCleveland.com and The Cleveland Leader.

He currently serves as the executive director of Neighborhood Solutions, Inc. a non-profit that publishes Reentry Advocate, a national magazine that goes into various prisons, libraries, county jails, halfway houses and prison ministries around the United States.

Learn more about Chateau Hough: https://www.chateauhough.com/

Follow Fiveable on Neighborhood Solutions: http://www.neighborhoodsolutionsinc.com/

Connect with Mansfield on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mansfieldfrazier/

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand

#4: Tagan Horton

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0500

Today's episode is a special one as our guest is our very own co-host, Tagan.

Over the next few episodes, Tagan will be waning off of Lay of The Land as a co-host and so we wanted to share her own Cleveland entrepreneurial journey as a guest on the show before her departure. Lay of The Land will continue to tell the stories of Cleveland entrepreneurship every Thursday, and Tagan and I will still collaborate on the show, but we both wanted to have a proper send-off in the form of this episode. It's been an absolute pleasure working with Tagan to get Lay of The Land up and running and I think you'll all enjoy learning about her background and Cleveland story.

Connect with Tagan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thetagan
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Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand
Visit our website: http://layoftheland.fm
Say hello: jeffrey@layoftheland.fm

#3: Ron Stubblefield (Jumpstart)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0500

Ron Stubblefield is a nationally recognized lawyer, scholar, economic development professional and entrepreneurial advisor. As a shared Entrepreneur-in-Residence, he acts as a collaborative resource for the Economic Community Development Institute, the Hispanic Business Center, The Presidents’ Council, The Urban League of Greater Cleveland and JumpStart. Ron works with these organizations to advance Black and Brown tech and tech-enabled entrepreneurship within the City of Cleveland.

In this role, Ron coordinates community and neighborhood outreach and programming, provides direct assistance to entrepreneurs and advocates for the needs of these entrepreneurs with partner organizations in the state-funded Entrepreneur Services Provider (ESP) network.

Prior to taking on this role, Ron was Assistant Director for Emerging Technology Centers, a venture of the Baltimore Development Corporation focused on the incubation and acceleration for early-stage technology-based startups. Before this, he served as a Neighborhood Legal Fellow and a Neighborhood 360 Fellow with the NYC Department of Small Business Services, where he assisted with corporate governance and economic development research and program management.

Outside these positions, Ron has also designed and implemented financial models and strategic plans for a variety of colleges, financial institutions, non-profit organizations, political campaigns and foreign governments. Additionally, he is a published thought-leader on topics of diversity equity and inclusion and has traveled both nationally and internationally to speak on these topics, as well as overall startup incubation and financial management.

Ron is a proud alum of Morehouse College. He also holds a master’s in Management Science and Engineering from the Stanford University School of Engineering and a Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law, where he was a Jacobson Law and Business Scholar and graduated with distinction as a Vanderbilt Medal winner.

Learn more about Jumpstart: https://www.jumpstartinc.org/
Connect with Ron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldstubblefield/

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand
Visit our website: https://layoftheland.fm
Email us: hello@layoftheland.fm

#2: Carrie Murphy (Venture for America)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0500

Carrie Murphy was born and raised in Cleveland. After graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in Public Policy and Strategic Management she decided to move to New York City. Her first job was working for the startup, The Ladders, where she began her career in recruiting.

From there, she went into retained executive search working at a boutique firm, Daversa Partners, where she placed executives across the C-Suite for high-growth, venture-backed companies. This is when she realized the positive impact startups and disruptive technology can have on the economy and global population.

In 2015, Carrie decided it was time to move back to her hometown and became the Director of HR and Talent Acquisition at a series B technology company, Vertical Knowledge. There she saw the company nearly double in size from 35 – 65+ employees and helped with not only identifying and retaining the best talent but also figuring out the processes needed in order to successfully scale the business.

Carrie found herself inspired to want to help Northeast Ohio attract the best talent and further help the startup ecosystem grow and thrive. She’s extremely excited to be able to join the VFA team as the Director of Northeast Ohio and hopes to expand VFA’s footprint and impact locally and beyond.

Learn more about Venture for America: https://ventureforamerica.org/
Follow Carrie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarrieMarkworth

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand
Visit our website: https://layoftheland.fm
Email us: hello@layoftheland.fm

#1: Ed Buchholz (Start in CLE)

Jeffrey Stern — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week, we're talking with Ed Buchholz, the founder of Start in CLE.

Ed is founder of three venture-backed software companies and has more than twenty years product leadership experience with multiple B2B and B2C products. Since recording this episode, Ed has taken a job as a product manager at Facebook in Menlo Park.

In this episode, we not only talk about Ed's journey and Start in CLE, but we also have a very transparent letter from Ed about the Cleveland ecosystem and how it can be successful moving forward.

Learn more about Ed: https://edwardbuchholz.com/
Learn more about Start in CLE: https://startincle.com/
Follow Ed on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ebuchholz

Follow Lay of The Land on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodLayOfTheLand
Visit our website: https://layoftheland.fm
Email us: hello@layoftheland.fm