A Bright Idea

On this episode of A Bright Idea Podcast, I sit down for an exclusive in-person interview with Andrew and Jasmine Dill, the founders of Liquid Intrusion, the first black-owned brewery in Prince George's County. They share their journey of starting the brewery during the pandemic, the challenges they faced, and their commitment to community representation in the craft beer industry. The couple disc...

In this episode of A Bright Idea Podcast, we chat with Desiree Jones, a networking expert and author of 'Hey, Nice to Meet You' as well as the founder of Hey, follow up, an app that that reminds you to follow up with your connections. We discuss the importance of networking, share personal experiences, and explore how to change the mindset around networking from a daunting task to an opportunity f...

In this episode of A Bright Idea, I sit down with Ken Sandy, founder and CEO of Dry, a modern dry cleaning service that utilizes technology and innovative solutions to meet customer needs. Ken shares his journey from corporate America to entrepreneurship, discussing the challenges and successes he faced along the way. He emphasizes the importance of community engagement, resilience, and adapting t...

A Bright Idea is back for a new season and a sweet treat. On this week's episode I speak with Ndidiamaka Agu, founder of Sugar and Ice, an ice cream brand that infuses rich African flavors into classic American desserts. Ndidiamaka shares her journey from a medical background to entrepreneurship, influenced by her family's entrepreneurial spirit. She discusses the challenges of starting her busine...

Today, I am joined by my friend, Adam Leeper, the CEO/Founder of Forge Achievement Coaching LLC. He’s a business coach bringing a unique blend of military leadership and AI expertise to help small businesses streamline, scale, and stay true to their mission. In this episode, Adam and I talk about the importance of finding one’s purpose, the skills he learned in the military that translate to entre...

This week, I'm joined by Malik Roberts, also know as, Top Shelf Leek. In this episode, Malik and I talk about his music career and the importance of his early musical influences. We get into how he taught himself how to make music - a skill that’s actually harder than it seems and how 2020 was a turning point where he discovered he could turn his passion into a lucrative career.  Later, he shares...

In this week’s episode, we are joined by my dear friend..A contemporary artist from Pittsburgh, PA, Lewis Pell to talk about the idea of “the starving artist” and why this concept doesn’t exist anymore. We discuss how Lewis went from trying to climb the corporate ladder in the environmental science industry to becoming a full time artist.  Sponsors: Chosen Advisory Group: https://www.northwesternm...

In this week's episode, we are joined by Bryan Myers, the CEO of Solidcore, a boutique fitness studio that’s redefining what it means to build strength - mentally and physically. With over 130 locations across 25 states and DC, Bryan went from being a loyal Solidcore client to becoming its CEO, steering the company through remarkable growth while staying true to its core mission. Bryan and I talk...

In this episode, we are joined by Aisha White, a dog groomer and owner of Haus Pups in based in Towson, Maryland. Aisha shares her inspiring journey from a challenging childhood marked by homelessness to finding her passion in dog grooming. She discusses the pivotal role animals played in her life, her dreams of becoming a veterinarian, and the various jobs she held before establishing her own bus...

In this week's episode I sit down with Rebecca Caesar, founder of Tinted Health, a platform designed to enhance representation in healthcare. Rebecca shares her journey through the healthcare industry, her experiences as a Black woman in leadership, and the motivation behind creating Tinted Health. In this episode, we dive into the importance of diversity, cultural sensitivity training for provide...

Over 27 million adults in the United States with a mental illness are untreated, according to Mental Health America. Out of that number, only 1 in 3 Black adults seek help. One of the biggest barriers that adult with mental illness face is the out of pocket cost of treatment. In this episode of A Bright Idea, Jessica Smith, founder of the Mental Health Emergency Fund, is helping people in the Balt...

In this episode of A Bright Idea Podcast, I sit down with Cedric Singleton, managing partner at J.Galt Financial Suite. We discuss the importance of building business credit, the differences between corporate and entrepreneurial environments, and the common pitfalls that small businesses face. Cedric shares insights from his extensive corporate career and emphasizes the need for effective manageme...

Joining us is Dumi Mabhena, the founder of Shanda Studio - An AI- powered app that streamlines podcast production, making content creation effortless. Through Shanda Studio, users save time and effort editing their podcast through Shanda Studio’s text based audio editing and publishing features. Originally from Zimbabwe, Dumi Mabhena was inspired by the lack of diverse local stories in his home co...

Welcome back for season 3 of A Bright Idea Podcast! In this episode of A Bright Idea, I reflect on my journey as an entrepreneur and podcaster. There was no other person who could help me tell this story but my sister, Kayla. Join us to discuss our childhood in Pittsburgh, the entrepreneurial spirit instilled in us, and my transition from media sales to launching her podcast. Our conversation high...

Tori, an investor at Vera Equity, specializes in early-stage enterprise software and AI startups. She earned her MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. During her time at Wharton, Tori was awarded the inaugural Hettie Simmons Love fellowship and the Edward B. Shils/Leonard L. Zeidman Fellowship in Entrepreneurship. Sh...

On this week’s episode - we are joined by Doug Adams the owner of ⁠New Brooklyn Farms⁠ . New Brooklyn Farms is an independently owned and operated urban farm and green event space, located on a formerly vacant residential lot in the heart of the Washington DC suburb Mount Rainier, MD.During his off time from his advertising career, Doug Adams made smoothies and juices made of natural ingredients....

When was the last time you read newspaper? According to a 2022 survey conducted by the media insights projects, 44% of Gen Z report never received news and information from traditional sources compared with 45% of younger millennials and 31% of older millennials. Kelsey Russell is looking to change that. Kelsey Russell is a content creator and full time graduate student at Teachers College, Columb...

On this week's episode- we’re Joined by the founder of Chosen Advisory Group, and Wealth Management Advisor Bilal Afolabi Bilal was born in Togo, Africa, and moved to Hartford, Connecticut at 8 years old. Bilal started his wealth management journey at 19 years old through a nationally ranked internship program at Northwestern Mutual. He was the number one intern in the Northeast, ranking Top 10 na...

Join us as we take a walk around the Capital City Mambo Sauce where house, where Arsha and her team package and ship her mambo sauces across the country. In this mini episode, Arsha talks to us about her keys to success, how she's been able to scale Capital City Mambo Sauce through partnerships in the community, and how she is intentional about letting the brand speak for itself rather than being...

Sometimes inconveniences can form brilliant ideas. In Arsha Jones's case it was the fact that her go-to wing spot and mambo sauce was no longer down the street. Arsha Jones- founder of Capital City Mambo Sauce was born and raised in Washington, DC. When she and her family moved to the suburbs, Arsha began making her own mambo sauce in her kitchen. Realizing she could give back to her community by...

Jan Receski is the founder and CEO of @OnPar Now. A state-of-the-art indoor golf instruction and practice space located in the newly renovated Terminal building in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jan wasn’t always a golfer.. the first time she ever picked up clubs was in a golf elective in college.. but after a 30 year career with The Hillman Company, a prominent Pittsburgh Family...

On this week’s episode of a bright idea, we are joined by Zsameria Rayford - founder of Swapdc . Swap DC is a creative recycling event in Washington, D.C. That fosters a diverse community around swapping clothing for residence who want to reduce reuse and live a more sustainable life. Did you know that the fashion industry is responsible for 8 to 10% of global missions according to the United Nati...

On this week's episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Tye Barrett, the owner of Amami, an Italian leather handbag brand based in Los Angeles. Tye’s mission to celebrate individuality and self-love shines through her brand’s collection ‘Me’. From climbing the corporate ladder at Disney and Warner Brothers to embracing her unique path as a single parent, Tye’s story is one of resilience, sel...

Job hunters listen up! we’re delighted to introduce Cassandra Whitlow, CRS a highly accomplished Recruiter, Career Coach, and Author. Cassandra began her career at IBM in Information Technology, later transitioning to Human Resources and Recruiting where she found her true passion. Her extensive experience spans across Fortune 500 companies in diverse industries like telecommunications, banking, t...

We're thrilled to have Anthony McCray join us, a visionary photographer hailing from West Baltimore. Anthony's journey is nothing short of inspiring, having overcome profound challenges to discover his artistic passion. Growing up in Park Heights, Anthony faced adversity on multiple fronts, from external threats to personal struggles within his own home. However, it was through these hardships tha...