Elevate Your Brand

Sara is the founder of GEM, a consumer health company reimagining daily nutrition. Sara received a bachelor of science in international agricultural development studies and has spent a decade building and collaborating with startups, non-profits, and sustainable food networks all over the world. Her personal health journey brought her to become an experimentalist in the kitchen tinkering with supe...

Julie Wainwright is an entrepreneur and e-commerce pioneer with over 20 years of experience in technology and consumer businesses. She is currently the CEO and co-founder of Ahara, a precision nutrition company founded in 2022, which raised over $10M in seed funding. Previously, she founded The RealReal, transforming it into the leading luxury consignment company and taking it public in 2019. Juli...

Nadya Okamoto is the co-Founder of August, a lifestyle period brand working to reimagine periods to be powerful. She is also the author of the book PERIOD POWER: a Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement, and founder and former Executive Director of the nonprofit organization, PERIOD. Outside of her work in the menstrual health space, Okamoto is also a social media creator with over 4m followers on T...

Gone Bananas is a female-founded, banana-centric LA bakery that originated as a charity project to help support front line workers during the 2020 pandemic. Founders & best friends Estee Stanley and Leah Smith officially launched the business earlier this year, now shipping their renowned, from-scratch Banana Bread nationwide. Notable flavors include Big Banana , OG Chocolate Chip , Bluenana a...

Throughout her 25+ year career in human resources, organizational development and executive development Wendy Ryan has partnered with hundreds of individuals, teams and organizations globally, propelling front-line through C-suite leaders and board members to new levels of success. As CEO of Kadabra, Wendy leads an interdisciplinary team of experts who are revolutionizing how leaders think, what t...

LaQuita Cleare is a storytelling magician helping business leaders and companies tell better stories and speak to motivate and inspire from the boardroom to the stage. As a Global Keynote Speaker and CEO of Clear Communication Academy, LaQuita has worked in more than 50 countries across 4 continents with Fortune 500 companies, executives, public figures, politicians and organizations to achieve ne...

Jeanette Towles brings over 15 years of invaluable industry experience to the discussion. Prior to founding Synterex , she held medical writing and clinical science positions at both startups and large corporations, giving her a unique perspective into challenges across company sizes. Elevate Your Brand is the #1 marketing podcast for entrepreneurs and “wantrepreneurs” looking for insider tips and...

Mayssa Chehata is the founder of BEHAVE, the first low-sugar, clean label candy that doesn’t spike blood sugar. Elevate Your Brand is the #1 marketing podcast for entrepreneurs and “wantrepreneurs” looking for insider tips and secrets from the most exciting new and growing brands in Los Angeles and the US at large.  Each week, entrepreneurial special guests join Laurel Mintz, founder and CEO of aw...

Kevin Smart is Vice President of Business Development at Big Plan Holdings, a diversified family office with ventures in cannabis, real estate, music/entertainment, hospitality, professional sports, fashion, and philanthropy. With a diverse background, Kevin began his professional career at 17 as a touring drummer for pop artist Jake Miller and has since collaborated with numerous artists and tour...

Jake Ireland is the founder and CEO of Off Hours Spirits. Off Hours produces award-winning, small-batch bourbon and rye whiskey for the modern drinker. Elevate Your Brand is the #1 marketing podcast for entrepreneurs and “wantrepreneurs” looking for insider tips and secrets from the most exciting new and growing brands in Los Angeles and the US at large.  Each week, entrepreneurial special guests...

Scott Frohman is a highly passionate entrepreneur and wellness enthusiast who is changing the fabric of the beverage aisle with the introduction of a new, ready-to-drink take on functional mushrooms. As founder and CEO of Odyssey , Frohman is on a mission to make functional mushrooms mainstream and share their benefits with consumers across the U.S.  Elevate Your Brand is the #1 marketing podcast...

Devin McGhee Kirkland began her founder's journey after losing her father to a stress-induced heart attack in 2018. Using her grief as motivation, she decide to trust herself and make a shift in her career. After striving to prove Black worthiness within the beauty spaces she worked in, she decided enough was enough. The needs and voices of Black people deserved to be centered in the beauty a...

Awa Kone is the CEO and Co-founder of N/UM, a premium consumer packaged goods company that embodies the authenticity and luxury of the vast African cultural heritage. N/UM's mission is to use African gastronomy and storytelling to craft a new narrative for the continent. Their line of Artisan Salts is 100% natural, and hand-harvested in Southern Africa, using ancient and meticulous harvesting...

Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire is President of 50/50 Women on Boards, the global education and advocacy campaign committed to accelerating gender balance and diversity on corporate boards. She is the author of two books on the topic, "The Board Game: How Smart Women Become Corporate Directors” and “Winning the Board Game: How Women Directors Make the Difference.” Both books offer real-world guideli...

Jaclyn Johnson is the founder of Create & Cultivate and Cherub. Jaclyn has spent her career helping underrepresented founders build businesses and raise capital. She has, bootstrapped, built and exited two companies with valuations upwards of $35mm.  Elevate Your Brand is the #1 marketing podcast for entrepreneurs and “wantrepreneurs” looking for insider tips and secrets from the most exciting...

Annie Slabotsky and Morgan Lerner are the co-founders of GoNanas, a better-for-you banana-based baking mix company that is vegan, gluten-free, and allergen-friendly. By having the consumer add ripe bananas to their mixes, they’re making baked goods taste homemade from a mix and reducing food waste.  Since the company's inception, they have launched GoNanas into 2,500 retail locations includin...

Chef Tai Lee is the mastermind behind Kanji Sushi, Sôlt Restaurant, and Urban Table in the Bryan/College Station area of Texas. Known for his culinary expertise, he's also the creator of Chef Tai's Artisan Sauces, showcasing his dedication to crafting unique flavors and culinary innovation. Elevate Your Brand is the #1 marketing podcast for entrepreneurs and “wantrepreneurs” looking for...

Account Manager and EYB Podcast Manager Gigi Toma, joins host Laurel Mintz for the 300th episode of Elevate Your Brand. Get a behind-the-scenes peak on how marketing agency, Elevate My Brand, records, edits and grows the podcast.  Elevate Your Brand is the #1 marketing podcast for entrepreneurs and “wantrepreneurs” looking for insider tips and secrets from the most exciting new and growing brands...

Mike Schanbacher, Co-founder and co-CEO, leads marketing and growth strategy at Blobs. His leadership experience in startups has shown him the successes and failures that helped him navigate growing early-stage companies and now Blobs, where he lives & breathes their mission – to create a great-tasting product and fun brand that evokes the care-free joy of eating candy as a kid.  Nicholas Khen...

Karen A. Clark is an award-winning leader currently serving as the multicultural strategy manager at City National Bank where she specializes in developing marketing and advertising strategies to serve clients from diverse communities while also building partnerships that are beneficial to multicultural business development. Under Karen’s leadership, City National ranked among Forbes’ “Best Employ...

Kendra is Maker’s President and Head of Sales. Kendra leads investor relations, sales partnerships, and wholesale strategy, and is responsible for spreading the gospel of premium canned wine and getting cans-in-hands all over the US. She built her early career as a healthcare management consultant at Huron Consulting Group where she specialized in operations, innovation, and B2B sales. At Huron, s...

St Hildie's founding women believe that you can live a clean life but still have a cocktail with friends. Nothing on the market aligned with what we consumed each day. So, we started making our own drinks, with 5% alcohol, no added sugar, all real, functional ingredients and tinctures of beneficial herbs and roots. We then created a meaningful brand, with eye-catching designs, and a deep back...

Gabrielle Reece is not only a volleyball legend but an inspirational leader, New York Times bestselling author, wife, and mother. Over the last decade, Gabby has transcended from sport to becoming an international fitness and wellness expert. With the release of her new podcast, The Gabby Reece Show , Gabby gets leading health, wellness, sport, psychology, and business experts to share their most...

David is a serial entrepreneur and has been self-employed since he was 19 when he bought interest in a nightclub he managed. David has developed multiple successful food companies, retail and service concepts that have ranged from upscale Facilities Maintenance Services to a patented truck-side advertising system. In early 2018 David founded GOOD PLANeT Foods, a premium plant-based cheese and food...

B. is the award-winning founder of DVRGNT Ventures, product strategist, podcast host, startup advisor and investor, executive coach, and a respected thought leader in agile technologies. B.’s fierce drive to promote diversity in tech and impact authentic change continues to define their work and life outside of their work. B. is a proud graduate of Northwestern University with a focus on history a...