The Startup Junkies Podcast

Summary In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce and Jeff Amerine are joined by Yulia Batalina and Paolo Piraino, co-founders of adwinesor, a company offering curated wine experiences in NWA. With a shared passion for innovation and problem-solving, Paolo and Yulia have positioned adwinesor as a promising player in the intelligent advertising space. During the conversation,...

Summary In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies , host Caleb Talley and Grace Gill are joined by Permjot Valia, co-founder of Nava Develop Inc., who offers listeners a masterclass in entrepreneurship and investment. Permjot, known for his keen business acumen and international venture capital experience, shares his unique perspectives on what it takes to build successful companies and thrive in...

Summary In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies , host Daniel Koonce sits down with Lori Hull, founder and president of Spectrum Independence Living, better known as SpIndL. Lori shares her inspiring journey as a parent of a young adult with autism, the struggles she’s faced finding support services, and her determination to create real change in her Arkansas community. SpIndL was founded to hel...

Summary In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce, Caleb Talley, and Jeff Amerine welcome Marshall Saviers, CEO and President of Cushman & Wakefield | Sage Partners, for an in-depth conversation about commercial real estate, entrepreneurial timing, and building community in Northwest Arkansas. Marshall’s journey is rooted in real estate, inspired by his family's legacy an...

Summary En este episodio de Querido Emprendedor, Ignacio Balderrama conversa con Laura Arce, apicultora de Costa Rica. Laura estudió apicultura tropical en la Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, donde aprendió el cuidado, manejo y beneficios de las abejas y sus productos, como miel, propóleos, polen, jalea real y veneno, todos con propiedades saludables. Destaca la comunicación única de las abejas...

Summary In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce, Caleb Talley, and Jeff Amerine are joined by Steve Toth, CEO of Crestline Leaders, a company helping high-capacity leaders move their enterprises forward. Steve’s entrepreneurial journey is as hands-on as it gets. He chronicled his early days rebuilding Volkswagen motors before discussing his role in co-founding Tango Press,...

Summary In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies , the team welcomes Keiji Tsuchiya, founder of CaminoSake, for a fascinating conversation about bringing Japanese craft sake and its rich culture to new audiences in Northwest Arkansas and beyond. Keiji’s journey is anything but ordinary. With roots in Kobe, Japan, and a background spanning venture capital and the foodtech sector, he has a unique v...

Summary In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies , program director of ARise, Kris Adams, joins hosts Daniel Koonce, Caleb Talley, and Jeff Amerine to shine a spotlight on the ARise program—a dynamic support system for tech and tech-enabled startups in Arkansas. ARise, short for Arkansas Innovators, Startups, and Entrepreneurs, delivers a unique approach by offering long-term support beyond the s...

Summary In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce, Caleb Talley, and Jeff Amerine sit down with Brandon Watts, founder of B. Watts Collective and the nonprofit Kidz N Cameras,  to dive into Brandon’s unconventional journey from a traditional college education to forging his creative path as a commercial photographer and entrepreneur in Northwest Arkansas. Brandon shares how h...

Summary In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce, Caleb Talley, and Jeff Amerine dive deep into the topics of screen time, digital distraction, and addictive technologies with Ian McCready, founder of selfctrl. Ian’s journey is as relatable as it is eye-opening—once addicted to video games himself, he now leads a nonprofit aimed at helping kids and parents reclaim their time...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley welcomed back Leo Orpin, co-founder of Black Apple, as the cidery approaches its tenth anniversary. Leo shared the remarkable journey of building Arkansas’s first (and still only) cidery, revealing how the brand’s steady, strategic growth and willingness to “fail fast” have fueled its success. From humble be...

Summary En este episodio de de Querido Emprendedor ! tenemos una conversación profunda y conmovedora con José Cartagena Ortiz, educador puertorriqueño y experto en diseño instruccional. José comparte su trayectoria desde su infancia en Puerto Rico, hasta su proceso de adaptación en Estados Unidos, enfrentando choques culturales, retos personales y profesionales. Hablamos sobre la importancia de po...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce and Harrison Kitson sit down with Gopi Chandran and Shannon Williams from AssistNow, a rapidly growing IT services and consulting firm specializing in Workday, ERP systems, and AI integration. Gopi shares the story of founding AssistNow four years ago, bootstrapping the company from its early days after decades of experience...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , host Daniel Koonce sits down with artist and entrepreneur Susan Edgmon and curator Allen Paulose to explore the intersection of art, business, and community in Northwest Arkansas. Susan shares her remarkable journey—how a life-changing car accident led her from being a business owner to becoming a professional artist, teacher, and inventor, all...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley sit down with Daniel Marques, the dynamic CEO and co-founder of Skin Check, to discuss his unique entrepreneurial journey and the innovative technology his team is bringing to digital healthcare. The episode opens with Daniel’s refreshingly candid take on entering the startup and medtech world with little pr...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley sit down with Ali Al Jabry, founder of Kwema—a company dedicated to improving workplace safety. Ali, whose journey began in Kenya and took him across Latin America and the U.S., shares the story behind Kwema and how his personal experiences led him to entrepreneurship. Kwema’s flagship product is a smart bad...

Summary ¡Bienvenidos a otro episodio de Querido Emprendedor ! En esta inspiradora conversación, nuestra invitada Itzel Velazquez comparte su trayectoria como una líder apasionada, involucrada activamente en varios comités y organizaciones latinas y latinoamericanas. Itzel habla sobre la importancia de crear conexiones, mantenerse motivada y apoyar a la comunidad latina, destacando especialmente el...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley are joined by Lee Porter, founder and owner of Ozark Green Roofs. Lee shares the inspiring story behind her journey to starting a green roof company in Arkansas, rooted in her passion for landscape architecture and sustainability that began in college. After realizing there were no green roof companies in th...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce and Jeff Amerine welcome Catelyn Hooser, the dynamic founder and owner of Chug NWA—a Farmington-based soda shop that’s stirring up the beverage scene in Northwest Arkansas. From the get-go, Catelyn’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through as she shares the story of how she transformed a mobile soda trailer into a bustling bri...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Caleb Talley and Daniel Koonce sit down with Eric Howerton, serial entrepreneur, co-founder of White Spider, and currently the co-founder of AdFury.ai. The conversation dives into Eric’s journey as an entrepreneur, his approach to solving niche problems in the retail media and advertising space, and the importance of relentless purpose ov...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Caleb Talley and Kendall Jasper are joined by Humphrey Chin, founder of CLIPr, who shared how his startup is revolutionizing documentation for police officers. Originally conceived as a tool to pinpoint important moments in any video—serving students, event attendees, and enterprise teams—CLIPr found its true calling during a pivotal acce...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce, Jeff Amerine, and Harrison Kitson sit down with John Ferrante, the co-founder of EO Space, a design studio based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. John shares insightful stories about his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of building unique offerings and maintaining strong relationships with clients. He discusses...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Caleb Talley and Daniel Koonce dive into the innovative world of Birdie and Brews, an indoor golf lounge in Northwest Arkansas. They are joined by Tyler and Shania Watkins, co-founders of this unique establishment that blends the thrill of indoor sports with a welcoming lounge atmosphere. Tyler shares the inspiration behind Birdie and Bre...

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies , hosts Daniel Koonce, Harrison Kitson, and Jeff Amerine welcome back Bo Counts, the founder of Pinpoint Fayetteville. Bo returns to discuss the fascinating niche he’s carved out with Pinpoint, Arkansas’s only barcade that uniquely blends retro pinball games with craft cocktails. Delving into his journey, Bo shares how his collection hobby morphe...

Summary In this first episode of the Fuel Podcast , hosts Tom Douglass and Grace Gill sit down with co-founders of Path Fertility, Andy Olson and Krisin Brogaard, to discuss their fascinating journey in transforming male reproductive health diagnostics. Andy and Kristin dive into the often-overlooked issue of male infertility, explaining how traditional sperm analysis just isn’t cutting it anymore...