Mission CTRL

Our guest this episode of Mission CTRL is on a quest to return Connecticut to the economic powerhouse it once was.  Born and raised in Connecticut, Chris DiPentima has an affinity and a love for the nutmeg state.  DiPentima is the president and CEO of CBIA, Connecticut Business and Industry Association, a  leading business organization, with thousands of member companies, small and large, represen...

Stratford’s Samuel Diaz III is a fierce Karate World Champion with wins in South Africa, Germany, Austria and London. At the tender age of two years old the Bridgeport native was placed in a dojo and introduced to Karate by his mother. Listen in as Samuel joins Ramon and the Mission CTRL Flight Crew on his birthday to share his journey into entrepreneurship.  A man of many talents, Diaz is the Chi...

This week’s Mission CTRL episode takes us behind the Blue Wall in Bridgeport.  David Daniels III is a Retired Lieutenant from the Bridgeport Police Department.  After serving the residents of Bridgeport for over 25 years he decided to call it quits.  Daniels was born and raised in the infamous P.T. Barnum Housing Projects and what he learned there prepared him for a lifetime of adversity.  What he...

Our next guest joins Mission CTRL from across the pond, East Yorkshire, England to be precise.  Hannah studied at Beverley College, where she earned a degree in childhood education and development.  From an early age Hannah developed a passion for art and helping children.  In 1999, Hannah left England to head to the U.S. where she became an Au Pair to follow her passion of working with children w...

Celeste Tapia is our special guest this week on Mission CTRL in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month.  Tapia immigrated from Argentina to South Florida and eventually to Connecticut the same year “Nemo” dumped over 2.5 feet of snow across the southern half of New England.  Celeste is the Business Relationship Coordinator for the CEDF (Community Economic Development Fund) and owner of Ai...

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month Ramon and our Mission CTRL Flight Crew had the honor of interviewing Dr Vilma Luz Caban.  Dr Caban is a proud educator of over 32 years, a world-trotting Humanitarian Researcher, Program Evaluator, Harley riding, self-proclaimed “Swifty” and the author of: The Heart of an Advocate.   In the early 2000’s, Dr. Caban was bitten by the equity bug and since...

John Torres joins the PD Flight crew in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. John is the Co-founder of Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders. After Torres lost his Dad in 2003 to emphysema, John and his brother wanted to do something to honor his memory, from that desire BCYL was created to provide opportunities for the youth of Bridgeport to participate in a baseball league. Over the last 2...

Fasten your seatbelts Mission CTRL Nation  Andrea Torres-Fodor is our  special studio guest in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.  Andrea is the Relationship Marketing Manager at Newtown Savings Bank and serves as the President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Bridgeport.   In 2000, Fodor migrated from Quito, Ecuador with her family to the United States and like most immigrant f...

This week’s Mission CTRL is special for two reasons: it represents our 100th show and 15 year anniversary of Peralta Design.  Thriving 15 years in business is a major milestone.  When Ramon was laid off from Walker Digital in 2008 during the Great Recession, he officially became a Reluctant Entrepreneur, and while his initial impulse was to get another job, he had no idea how big of a decision it...

Rhonda Vetere joins the Mission CTRL Flight crew to share wisdom from her worldwide travels, business and life adventures.  Rhonda Vetere is a seasoned global C-Suite executive who has worked in technology fields across industries.  Vetere is a global STEM Ambassador and change agent for digital transformation, she has led the way for growth with more than 23 mergers and acquisitions.  Rhonda is a...

Dr. Mark and Christina Konopka joined the PD flight crew, to share their spine tingling journey into the adventurous world of entrepreneurship, fitness, and wellness. The Konopka’s are the power couple behind OnPoint Chiropractic, Sports Medicine & Integrated Wellness and the newly launched OnPoint Pelvic Health.  Growing up, Mark recalls his Mother suffering from back pain.  Mark would watch...

Our flight crew is joined today by Speech Pathology Group of CT’s founder Rachel Criscuolo, and Kayla Hawley, Marketing & Communication Director. In this episode, Rachel tells the inspiring story of when she first witnessed the impact of Speech Pathology while visiting her boyfriend’s grandfather in college. Rachel saw how quickly the therapist altered his state of mind and grumpy behavior and...

Join Ramon and the flight crew as they sit down with the co-founders of Blacc Bottle, Necas Collins and Ralph White.  Collins and White started out as work colleagues and through their shared passion and values, their relationship extended beyond the corporate playground.  Recognizing a need for financial literacy in the community, Collins and White started a podcast and their passion overflowed i...

With Hip Hop celebrating 50 years it's only fitting to have our next guest join Mission CTRL.  Before Ivan Lopez became DJ Ink DaVinci he was a skateboarder, a B-Boy and a graffiti artist.  Diminutive in size and inspired by a t-shirt in Trumbull Mall: “Chicks Love Tricks'', Ivan realized he was going to need a hook to help him stand out amongst his peers.  Creativity in fashion, music...

Our next guest is a local icon and spiritual leader in the Bridgeport community and beyond, referring to none other than Pastor Anthony T. Bennett.  Pastor Bennett joins our Mission CTRL launch crew by way of Los Angeles California and from an early age Bennett knew he was destined to be in the ministry. His father once said: “If you’re going to do that church thing, go beyond your church and your...

This week's mission takes us to Antwerp, a port city in Belgium with a history dating back to the Middle Ages.  It’s the epicenter of the centuries-old Diamond District that houses thousands of diamond traders, cutters, and polishers.  But, you don’t have to travel to Belgium to dig for Diamonds, every year our next guest has a diamond dig in her location as a fundraising event for cancer rese...

On this episode of Mission CTRL Ramon and the PD flight crew sat down with Sebastian Cardona, the Founder and CEO Papichulo Style.  Sebastian shares his secret to how he used $10 a day for 10 days on Facebook Ads to grow his audience from 600 to 14,000 followers in a day.  Papichulo Style is Sebastian’s deluxe hair care brand for men with unique packaging that honors the legacy of the “lucha libre...

In this episode of Mission CTRL Ramon and our PD Flight crew sat down with Bridgeport Mayoral candidate Lamond Daniels to discuss his vision for what Bridgeport can be.  Daniels moved to Bridgeport 30 years ago when he was in high school. Inspired by his grandmother’s commitment to helping the less fortunate,  he decided to pursue a career in social work. Daniels cut his political teeth working as...

During this episode, Ramon and the PD Flight Crew are joined by Maria Flores, the founder of Prumatt to discuss how she’s carving out a niche in the $330 Billion dollar athleisure industry by launching her own brand for the discerning woman who loves comfortable, high quality and affordable workout gear.  Born and raised in Peru, Maria dreamt of migrating to the United States in pursuit of the Ame...

During this episode of Mission CTRL our flight crew sat down with Silvia Rodriguez aka “Chef Sil”.  Sil serves as a ParaLegal by day, but on nights and weekends, she serves up delicious spicy vegan sushi.  Sil’s mother is a two-time cancer survivor, so after hearing the news of her father’s cancer diagnosis she started exploring healthier food alternatives and turned vegan cold turkey (no pun inte...

In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon and Jorge are joined by Dan Onofrio, President and CEO of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council (BRBC). Early in his career, Dan would find himself as the youngest person in the room - never one to stray away from a challenge.  So when the opportunity presented itself to serve Greater Bridgeport, he jumped at it. During this episode, Dan shares about his o...

In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge, and Kevin are joined by Nate and Marlon Moran, the agency owner and CEO of Moran Insurance Agencies, respectively. The two discuss their journey from Puerto Rico to the States, where they moved to Connecticut as teenagers. They share how their parents’ hardworking nature inspired them to get certified as insurance brokers and grow in their respective...

In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge, and Maggie, are joined by Liana Garcia, the Director of Gift Planning for the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven. Liana discusses the CFGNH’s Progreso Latino Fund, in which businesses can develop funds where the money can later be put back into developing Latino scholarships, programs, and services. It is also the 20th Anniversary of the fund,...

In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge, and newcomer Derek, are joined by J. Richard Byrd, the CEO of the Byrdology Group. JR shares how he balances his intense work schedule with his day-to-day life, how his business strategy has evolved over time, and why this transformation is important. Listen as JR discusses the significance of self-care, his use of the Pomodoro Technique, and the way...

In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge, and Kevin are joined by Rob Rodriguez, Personal Trainer and Managing Partner of BDx Fitness. Rob shares how he keeps a thriving, healthy environment by selecting high-quality trainers and maintaining employee morale. Additionally, he discusses BDx’s focus on creating an environment where people over 50 years of age can feel comfortable working out, wh...