The Founders' Fable

Join hosts Dan and Savannah in an insightful episode as they chat with Triet, a former startup events planner turned Investor and Mentor at Render Capital. Explore early-age entrepreneurship, the importance of branding, micro-teams vs. corporate structures, what makes a good investor, and valuable insights for startup success. Discover how to thrive when you hit a wall in your entrepreneurial jour...

On episode 32, we're talking with Chris Goode from Climavision. They're a strategic growth expert and hands-on leader. Chris has pioneered merging big data, meteorology, and remote sensing for the last 30 years. In this episode, we’ll discuss small versus large impact, moving from hobby to passion, global versus local impact, new data in an old industry, being a dot-connector, blind spot...

On episode 31, we're talking with Ben Smock. They're a motivated connector who’s passionate about social enterprise. Ben is the Director Of Development at Canopy Kentucky as well as President at Venture Connectors. Topics we discuss include the year of the rabbit, the progression of entrepreneurship, the art within startups, startups as more than profit, being a sponge, helpful advice ve...

On episode 30 of the Founders’ Fable, we're talking with Steven Plappert. They're a 2-time Founder and 2-time Techstars Alum. Steven also just completed a fundraising round of $4.5 million! Topics we discuss include growing up in an entrepreneurial family, taking a crack at it early on, trial by fire and experiential learning, co-founder dynamics, being careful with investor choice, life...

On episode 29, we're talking with Andrew McIntosh. He’s a multi-time founder with an exit in his pocket and great hair. Andrew’s current project is 1st Gen Entrepreneurs: a platform where first-generation founders can get advice, mentorship, and support.  Topics we discuss include Midwest blue-collar mentality, from passion to business, bootstrap vs capital raise, treating people with kindnes...

On episode 28, we're talking with Mandy Ralston. She's been certified as a behavior analyst since 2002, and her most recent venture is NonBinary Solutions. Topics we discuss include: Do it yourself and competitiveness, sports and resiliency, keep failing upward, Nexus of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment, early-market ideas, constant change in your space, service versus product s...

For episode 27, we're sitting down with Bryce Butler. They're the Founder & Managing Director of Access Ventures. And what hasn’t he done; Bryce has also been an Army Officer, a pastor, an adjunct instructor, a producer, an author, and an investor.  Topics we discuss in this episode include entrepreneurship as problem-solving, the balance between labels and support, investment gap in...

On episode 26, we're talking with Chris Redd: Network N’ Chill Co-Founder, a serial angel investor, and an Epic software expert.  Topics we discuss include starting where it's familiar, curiosity leads you down your journey, the importance of diversity, community and disruptions, IT in healthcare, gaining experience to reach your dream, don't run from risk, stability is fake, stayin...

On episode 25 of the Founders’ Fable, we're talking with Evan Knowles. Currently, Evan’s a Co-Founder @ Middle Tech, a Co-Founder and CEO @ Symba, and a Founding Partner @ Defiant Capital. Topics we discuss include experience versus school, where to start with an idea, happy accidents, solve problems for your users by building it for them, using content to push your business forward, and list...

In our final episode of 2022, let’s look back at all that we learned this year from our Founders' Fable guests.  Specifically, we'll discuss: Slingshot ventures in 2022, feedback versus failure, business valuation, the Louisville start-up ecosystem, early adopters, how important are logos?, you can't do it alone, complementary skill sets, all the ways to support Founders, put good i...

On episode 23, we're sitting down with Jermaine Watkins. He's a seasoned CTO with 20+ years experience and a serial entrepreneur with successful exits. We'll talk about growing up w/ tech, side hustles, domain expert vs a technical partner, problem solving, knowing when it's time to move on, flexibility even within a corporate structure , the whirlwind of beginning at a startup...

On episode 22, we've got our first returning guest Sada Wane! Last October, we spoke on XpressRun in it's pre-launch stage. But how has the last year been? Topics we discuss include: pushing back a launch to pivot, continuous user feedback, it's not what you do but how you do it, lean into your startup community, utilize your mentor's network, creating symbiotic connections, re...

On episode 21, we're talking with Mike Jackson: Managing Owner at Agriblock Farms, aka Kentucky Greens Co, and Market Manager at Farm + House Louisville. Topics we discuss include growing up with a passion, having a passion project fail and growing from that, lean on what exists, pivoting with patience and persistent, building to benefit, failure is feedback, helping your customers with what...

On episode 20, we're talking with Harry Wilson: an award winning sales and leadership professional who is the Co-Founder & CEO of Limitless Minds. Topics we discuss include: Having an athletic competitiveness and a grit mindset, imposter syndrome, failure is feedback, reward is correlated to handwork, let your customers help build the product, shorten your gap between potential and now, m...

On episode 19, we're excited to sit down with Tendai Charasika. He's a high-performing leader with an innovative mindset. Tendai is the former CEO of SuperFan, and is the current Chief Strategy Office for Sailing Wealth Advisors. Topics we discuss include: it’s okay to try something, athletics and startups: the story of climbing to the top, there’s no substitute to finding what you’re pa...

For episode 18, we're sitting down with Chris Weidmar! He's a technology leader with a background in business development, human centered design, and new product deployments. He's also the co-founder of Party Horses. Topics we discuss include: working for yourself, if you can't sell you won't make it, finding a partner that compliments your skills, technology is always cha...

Our special guest for episode 17 is Jennifer Williams. She’s a Cuddle Clones co-founder who recently exited. Jennifer is currently the VP of Business Development at Dianthus and a Hustler & Tinkerer at Working Title Lab. Topics we discuss include: the good problem of going viral, moments of pause in entrepreneurship, collaboration is important but can sometimes be limiting, find and utilize yo...

On episode 16, we're talking with Roland Achenjang. They're the Founder & CEO at C2 Keep (a Slingshot Ventures portfolio-company.) Roland wears a lot of hats; he's an Entrepreneur, Healthcare Leader, Author, Meditation Coach, and Podcaster. Topics we discuss include disparities between frontline and managers in the workforce, going all out, finding ways to feel supported, being...

In the first episode of 2022, we're sitting down with Natalia Bishop. She's a several-times founder who sits on multiple boards. Natalia’s newest role is Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at The University of Louisville. In this episode, we'll talk about: Natalia's long family line of women founders, her perseverance when moving to America, don't say you can&apos...

In our final episode of 2021, we look back at our first year of The Founders' Fable. We'll discuss what we've learned, and what our guests have shared with us.  Specifically, we'll discuss: the past year with Slingshot Ventures, take your time, failing fast, the importance of feedback and vulnerability in research, separating yourself from your business, being self aware in bui...

On episode 13, we're talking with Jessica Thurmond & Monica Schmiede at Athelo, which is a startup focusing on empowering cancer patients with their data. Topics we discuss include letting yourself get out of your box, avoid 'it's always been done this way,' the foreign language of business, pivoting with your end goal in mind, what is Athelo and who's it for, the call...

This spooky October episode has us sitting down with Sada Wane: a multi-time founder who is currently working in the e-commerce logistics space. He’s currently the Founder and CEO of XpressRun, which is in the pre-launch stage and is expected to launch around November 15th. This episode we’ll discuss: Transitioning to America, building your own journey, helping your community via a business, talk...

On episode 11, we're talking with our first ever duo! Bob Doligale and Kevin Foley started Splash Analytics in 2012 with former colleagues, and have been working together in some capacity over the last 30 years.  Topics we discuss include employee longevity, finding your cultural balance (especially during extreme growth), the importance of your 1st opportunity, services vs product startups,...

Double digits! Chris Combs is our episode 10 guest. He’s a technology-based entrepreneur with a niche focus in document management and security. Chris has co-founded two startups, and his current company LinkSquares raised $40 million in their latest funding round. Topics we discuss include the learning journey, problem validation, customer-centric business, Boston startups vs Louisville startups,...

This Summer Spectacular, aka episode 9, features Carla Dearing. She's a multi-time founder and investor with an expertise in fintech. Her passion for working with minority businesses has led her to help projects find capital and drive social impact. Topics we discuss include Strategic Partnerships and how they affect capital, what is an institutional startup, women in the tech industry, under...