614Startups

On this episode of 614 Startups, we are joined by Demetrius Robinson, a Tax Partner at Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP. (KJK) Demetrius shares his extensive knowledge and experience in selecting a brand name, equity, startup laws, tax laws, and forming an LLC. He emphasizes the importance of selecting a strong and unique brand name that resonates with your target audience. He also discusses the v...

Do you have a brand? On this episode Elio interviews Neil Wengerd, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Nonfiction. Neil explores what a brand is, how all the components of a brand work together, and the advantages of building a brand in a crowded marketplace. Listen, like, subscribe and share.  Learn more about Nonfiction:  https://madebynonfiction.com/ Learn more about Neil Wengerd:  https://www....

On this episode, Elio interviews Ira Sharfin, CEO of Continental Office. Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in the Berwick neighborhood of Columbus, exhibited entrepreneurial tendencies by selling candy, lawn care and painting services to neighbors. He pursued higher education but admittedly leaned into the party scene and had to create his own job opportunities. Rising through the ranks and ev...

On this episode, Elio interviews Carrington Carter, Co-Founder of Getaway Society, East Chop Capital and McKinley Carter Enterprises. Getaway Society is a luxury vacation rental home company with properties in Martha’s Vineyard, Hilton Head, the Poconos, Gatlinburg, and Orlando. Carrington discusses how reading Rich Dad Poor Dad and his Dad's experience of racism in Corporate America inspired...

On this episode, Elio interviews Taylor Keene and Karima Crawford of GENESIS Downtown. GENESIS Downtown is Columbus’ newest wedding & special events venue offering 2,700 square feet of flexible space. Taylor and Karima discuss how they met and became business partners, how the post-COVID rebound of the hospitality industry is creating growth opportunities for event venues, the innovation that...

On this episode, Elio interviews Mary McCarthy, Co-Founder of the Women's Small Business Accelerator (WSBA) and Accelerating Angels. The WSBA is a nonprofit that supports women start-up businesses and entrepreneurs through education, peer support, and mentoring. Accelerating Angels invests in high-growth, early stage, and exceptionally led, women-owned businesses that are ready to scale and ex...

On this episode, Elio interviews Deonna Barnett, CEO and Managing Consultant of Aventi Enterprises. Aventi Enterprises is a strategic consulting firm helping small businesses access capital and government contracts to grow and scale. Deonna shares how she developed a passion for helping entrepreneurs, the layoff that started Aventi, and how the Aventi Loan Fund made possible by the Columbus F...

On this episode, Elio interviews Chris Phommas, Founder of Virtical. Virtical is a Columbus-based virtual assistant agency that helps startup founders and small business owners reduce stress and increase productivity by delegating administrative tasks to remote workers with corporate-level experience and training at a fraction of the cost. Chris shares how being an immigrant shaped his e...

On this episode, Elio Harmon interviews Bryon Murray, Founder and CEO of Enzee. Enzee helps healthcare providers save time and money on compliance management by automating quality control testing and electronic recordkeeping in radiology and radiation oncology settings. Bryon discusses how a mentor, a team of physicians and necessity launched his entrepreneurial journey, the inspira...

On this episode, Elio interviews Matt Scantland, Founder and CEO of AndHealth. After leading Covermymeds to "The Exit" which spawned several startups led by former employees and inspired the launch of this very podcast, Matt is back with his next venture AndHealth. AndHealth helps people reverse chronic disease by providing continuous access to virtual specialists that combine behavioral...

On this episode Elio interviews Chad Porter, Founder and CEO of CHVD JUSTIN. CHVD JUSTIN is a retail bag and apparel company that provides innovation and function through unique handmade bags designed for active and contemporary consumers. Chad tells the story of how he launched his company in his dorm room at The Ohio State University, manufactured and sold his first bags himself, how reject...

On this episode, Elio interviews Ryan Hale. Ryan Hale is a consultant and Metaverse enthusiast leveraging the disruptive potential of the blockchain to launch and scale Web3 projects. Ryan simplifies the underlying value proposition of blockchain technologies as a means of decentralization allowing users to transact without middlemen like banks or marketplaces. Imagine a world where buyers and sel...

On this episode, Elio interviews Kwame Christian, Founder and CEO of the American Negotiation Institute. The American Negotiation Institute is a global consulting firm that specializes in providing training, coaching and education on applying the foundations of negotiation to any difficult conversation in life and business. Kwame shares how and why he started ANI, why most of us are bad at negotia...

On this episode, Elio interviews Rehgan Avon, Co-founder and CEO of AlignAI and Women in Analytics (WIA). AlignAI is changing the way companies capture, share, and improve their institutional knowledge around AI and data across their organization. Women in Analytics' mission is to increase visibility to the women making an impact in the analytics space and provide a platform for women to lead the...

On this episode, Elio interviews Alicia Oddi, Managing Director at Rev1 Ventures. Rev1 Ventures provides seed-stage venture capital funding in Columbus, Ohio along with startup services, space, mentoring, and connections. Alicia discusses two Rev1 programs that are aimed at underserved entrepreneurs. The Grow To Scale Mentor Program is fueled by a $1.4MM grant from the U.S. Economic Development Ad...

On this episode, Elio interviews Ethan Dewhurst of Vohnt. Vohnt provides on-demand, valet car detailing, oil changes and gas top-offs. Ethan and the team at Vohnt have been quietly perfecting their processes and inking major deals like the recent partnership with the John Glenn International Airport. Ethan shares the hard-won lessons of building a direct-to-consumer business while attract scalable...

On this episode, Elio interviews Lindsey Michaelides, CO-founder, and CEO of Strongsuit. Strongsuit partners with you to anticipate, research, and clear home and personal to-do lists so that you can keep excelling at work without sacrificing your life. What started as a project at McKinsey & Company to stop a leaky pipeline of high-performance female employees sparked the insight that created...

On this episode, Elio interviews Ganesh Gandhieswaran, CEO and Co-Founder of ConverSight. ConverSight is on a mission to redefine the way we interact with data. Data is everywhere but data alone is not a predictor of success. Data that can be reliably converted into intelligence and insights is the key. However, existing data intelligence platforms are missing a key component of how humans natural...

On this episode, Elio interviews Marques Martin, Partner at FVLCRUM. FVLCRUM is a private equity firm that leverages their expertise in business strategy, operations, acquisitions, to create increased value in the companies they invest in. Marques Shares How His Passion For Finance Led Him Morehouse College, The Impetus That Created FVLCRUM, How His Team Works With Founders To Create Wealth And Ac...

On this episode, Elio interviews Dan German, Founder of orthobrain. orthobrain offers a total solution, combining education and support to make it easy for general dentists to grow their practice and profits with orthodontics. But orthobrain is more than that. Dan is on a mission to make a beautiful smile accessible to people all across the world. Dan shares his journey from dentistry, to inspired...

On this episode Elio interviews Teri Sirset, Founder and CEO of DASI Simulations. DASI Simulations is a Dublin, Ohio-based startup that creates personalized medicine using simulation to transform the safety of care for structural heart disease & TAVR patients. Teri discusses her path from employee to founder, how she worked her way through imposter syndrome, the very real sexism that exists fo...

Our CEO Elio Harmon sat down with Dan Snyder, CEO of Lower as he formally announced the launch of Mortgage Pass. Mortgage Pass is Lower's cash offer product aimed at helping homebuyers retain their relationship with their trusted real estate advisor while harnessing the power of cash in a competitive housing environment. True to Columbus' reputation as Test City, USA, Mortgage Pass is launching in...

On this episode, Elio interviews James Rores, Founder of Floriss Group. Floriss helps startups to accelerate revenue while multiplying value. Startups are able to accomplish this by building a reliable, high-performance sales growth engine for their business. In this first installment of our series on Sales, James shares his insights into sales including why sales is a leadership competency, the s...

On this episode, Elio interviews Cheryl Turnbull, Senior Director of the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship at The Ohio State University. The Tim & Kathleen Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship works to grow and foster a culture of entrepreneurship for the Ohio State community through the creation and support of new ventures and the education and encouragement of their founders. The Keenan Cente...

On this episode, Elio interviews Dr. Erika Pryor of EPiC Creative + Design. EPiC Creative and Design LLC is an innovative design and strategy studio offering clients a dynamic partnership to meet your evolving and diverse needs. Erika is an Executive in Residence at Denison University where she teaches on launching and scaling startups via marketing industry expertise, hands-on workshops, and four...