Stairway to CEO

Description: Endangered Species Chocolate was a mission-driven company long before it was cool. CEO Curt Vander Meer joins us today to share the story of his career and impact, the five key duties of a CEO, and how he came to own the Endangered Species Chocolate brand. Join us for an insider’s look at Curt’s unexpected journey to protecting wildlife and continuing the legacy of his founder, mentor...

Description: Today, Lee sits down with Vanessa Pham, a first-generation Vietnamese-American and the Co-Founder and CEO of Omsom, a loud and proud Asian pantry staple brand. In this episode, Vanessa shares her journey from growing up with her sister (and business partner) Kim, and their Vietnamese refugee parents outside of Boston, to attending Harvard, working in consulting, and starting Omsom aft...

Description: In this episode, Lee sits down with Michael Broukhim, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of FabFitFun, a women’s lifestyle membership and shopping experience bringing joy and well-being to its members. Michael shares his experience growing up with his older brother in Los Angeles, his incredible story of starting an online media consulting company, some ups and downs of developing websites for pol...

Description: Sharing his extraordinary story today is Olympic-level rowing coach turned entrepreneur, Bruce Smith. Bruce has been self-sufficient since his teens and in this episode, we discover his journey to becoming the Founder and CEO of Hydrow; the rowing machine company connecting the indoor rowing experience to the magic of rowing on water. From breaking into hotels and churches in order to...

Description: In today’s episode, we hear Francisco Pergola the Co-Founder of Cheddies Crackers, a high protein, low sugar snack brand made with real cheese sourced from regenerative farms. During this episode, Francisco shares his story of making something out of nothing, time and time again, from growing up in San Antonio, Texas (with dreams of working on Wall Street) to starting the first Ping P...

Description: Today, Lee is joined by Alison Cayne, New York native, mother of five, and Founder and CEO of the revolutionary cooking school turned fresh, squeezable sauce brand, Haven’s Kitchen. In this episode, we discover how Alison combined her love for cooking, teaching, and entrepreneurship to create Haven’s Kitchen and what inspired her versatile range of sauces for home cooks. She sheds lig...

Description: In this episode, Danielle Gronich joins Lee to share her journey to becoming the Co-Founder and CEO of CLEARSTEM. She shares her story from growing up as a tomboy in Southern California with dreams of traveling the world, to working at ADP where she met with all types of business owners and built the confidence to start her first company, the San Diego Acne Clinic. She talks about her...

Description: Katie Diasti is changing the world of period care as the Founder and CEO of the non-toxic and sustainable period brand Viv! She joins Lee to share her story of growing up as a first-generation Egyptian-American in Tampa, Florida, before a college project sparked her idea for the brand, with staggering data to fuel her passion. We touch on the early stages of growth at Viv, leveraging...

Description: Today, Lee is joined by the CEO and Co-Founder of Methodology, Julie Nguyen, who shares her journey of building a sustainable gourmet meal prep service. Tune in as Julie breaks down her career journey and explains how her personal health struggles inspired the genesis of Methodology. You’ll also find out why she decided against the venture capital route, focusing instead on product qu...

Description: In this episode, Lee sits down with Cedar Carter, CEO of The Good Patch, a pioneering “wearable wellness” company offering plant-infused patches that deliver sustained relief for a variety of everyday ailments. Cedar shares her 20 years of collective experience across the apparel and wellness industries, from her first internship with Donna Karen in The Big Apple to her time at BCBG M...

Description: In today’s episode, gifting expert Bridget Johns shares her story, from selling piglets for pocket money in Western Pennsylvania to following her passion for retail and working for upscale brands like Lancôme, Links of London, and Tiffany & Co. Join us as Bridget shares why she decided to build a “holistic gifting” platform and offers some insight into gifting occasions and trends, as...

Description: In this episode, Lee is joined by Alicia Liu, Founder and CEO of Lavender and Truffles. Raised in the midst of art, food, and fashion, despite being encouraged to pursue business, it’s no surprise that she managed to incorporate all three in her career journey. Alicia joins us to discuss her varied career journey from her first job as a graphic designer to interning at fashion magazin...

Description: Joining the show today is Johnathan Bonnell, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Wholly Veggies, a company making it fun and easy to love your veggies with delicious veggie-forward meals and snacks inspired by restaurants around the world! Nothing can truly prepare you for the stress, hard work, and curveballs that come with being an entrepreneur, but as today’s guest has learned, sometimes the...

Description: In this episode, Lee is joined by Megan Klein, Founder and CEO of Little Saints, a sugar-free, functional, nonalcoholic beverage company that has ditched the spirits in favor of the spiritual. Megan’s career journey began in the field of environmental law but her curious, independent, rebellious nature (and her aversion to fighting) led her down the entrepreneurial path. Today, she sh...

Description: Today, Lee sits down with Alec Jaffe, Founder and CEO of Alec’s Ice Cream, the world’s first and only regenerative agriculture-verified and USDA-certified organic ice cream made using 100% gut-friendly A2 dairy. Alec gives us a glimpse into his background, from surfing in Laguna Beach as a child to playing football at USC with a dream of going pro before a shoulder injury shifted his...

Description: Sharing their Stairway to CEO story today is Allie Egan, a passionate brand-builder and the Founder and CEO of Veracity. Offering personalized solutions based on its at-home hormone testing kit, Veracity’s uniquely data-driven approach and clean skincare products help you take your health into your own hands. In this insightful episode, Allie sheds some light on her journey from her f...

Description: On today’s show, Lee is joined by Sandro Roco, the Founder and CEO of the first Asian-inspired sparkling water brand, Sanzo. Sandro’s career journey has been as flavorful as his products. Before founding Sanzo, he worked as a nuclear power plant engineer, on the trading floor at JPMorgan, and created his own fashion app! Tune in today to hear how Sandro’s pride in his Asian American h...

Description: Today, Lee is joined by the Founder and CEO of AKUA, Courtney Boyd Myers. Courtney’s career path has seen three separate tracks which collided in the form of the sustainable food brand, AKUA. Having grown up at the seaside in Connecticut, she has a deep love and appreciation for the ocean which, years later, manifested in her delicious, nutritious kelp burgers with numerous health and...

Description: Sharing her story today is the Co-Founder and CEO of WeNatal, Ronit Menashe, who is channeling all of her Israeli ‘chutzpah’ to tackle the fertility crisis experienced worldwide. Ronit, the second oldest of four siblings born to entrepreneurial parents, began her career with a Nike internship and quickly worked her way up the ranks. However, her desire for a more purposeful line of wo...

Description: Joining the show today is Paul Schiraldi, CEO of Murad, a leading global skincare brand characterized by a holistic approach that prioritizes the health of your skin above anything else. In Lee’s conversation with Joe, he talks us through his tenacious career trajectory, his passion for both analysis and creativity, and the various industries he experimented with before coming to work...

Description: Sharing her story today is Ming Zhao, Co-Founder and CEO of PROVEN Skincare, a company that’s revolutionizing the skincare space. Ming sits down with Lee to talk about her incredible transition from China to the United States, what inspired her passion for traveling the world, and how this wanderlust spurred her to create PROVEN. You’ll also hear about the appointment with a celebrity...

Description: Joining the show today is the Founder and CEO of Dutch, the first all-encompassing pet telehealth company! Joe Spector sits down to talk about the path leading to his current work helping to make pet care easy and accessible for all types of pet owners, and we get to hear from him about his early years in the former Soviet Union, and the roots of his rebellious and entrepreneurial spi...

Description: Today, Lee is joined by the Co-Founder and CEO of Arey, a company that is providing the solution to grey hair! When Allison Conrad started going grey, she took a deep dive into the reasons why, and what she found surprised her as much as it will likely surprise you. Arey is the 12th company that Allison has been involved in and the 3rd she has founded, so in this episode, she shares s...

Description: Today, we are joined by Christina Kao, the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of the DIY gel manicure and nail care brand, Le Mini Macaron. Christina opens up about her personal journey from Alabama to New York, to Shanghai, and beyond, and shares the genesis story of her brand. We learn how her brand went viral on TikTok, the challenges she faced as her business evolved, and the role Covid played...

Description: Joining the show today is Loren Castle, Founder and CEO of Sweet Loren’s, the accessible, good for you, and delicious cookie brand. Loren talks about her passion for putting healthy, real food made from natural ingredients into her body turned into a serious baking hobby which subsequently led to founding Sweet Loren’s. She shares about the unconventional household she grew up in, her...