Entrepreneurial Appetite

Some of the best conversations start at a dinner table. Last September, host Langston Clark welcomed product leaders and authors Oji and Ezinne Udezue into his San Antonio home for an intimate gathering. One of the guests that evening was Elisa Cuellar — a listener, entrepreneur, and founder of StorieCue — who walked away from that dinner inspired to stop sitting on her own big idea. That night li...

What happens when you lose a job with one minute's notice — and use that moment to build something entirely new? In part two of our conversation with Dr. Emmett Gill, founder of Athlete Talks and pioneer in sports social work, we go deep on the entrepreneurial grind of building a mental health app from the ground up during Covid, the brutal reality that only 15–20% of athletes who need mental...

Can capitalism be a tool for collective black liberation? In this powerful episode of Entrepreneurial Appetite, host Langston Clark and special guest host Lloyd Kuykendoll (founder of Black Cabinet Education) sit down with Dr. Rachel Laryea, author of "Black Capitalists: A Blueprint for What's Possible," to explore one of the most urgent questions facing black communities today. Dr....

In this powerful first episode of a two-part conversation, we sit down with Dr. Emmett Gill, founder of Athlete Talk and Director of Mental Health and Wellness at the University of Houston. Dr. Gill shares his remarkable journey from being a walk-on baseball player at UNC Charlotte who graduated third from last in his high school class to becoming one of the leading voices in sports social work an...

🍗 From corporate cubicle to food truck empire—all without a single loan!  Daryl Smith Sr., co-founder of Wing-It and Spit-It, joins Entrepreneurial Appetite to share the unfiltered truth about building a successful mobile food business. Alongside host Langston Clark and special guest host Jeff May Jr. (SAAACAM CAO), Daryl reveals: ✓ How to bootstrap a food truck with zero debt ✓ The biggest mista...

In this extraordinary bonus episode from the African Americans in Sport Podclass, Dr. Langston Clark sits down with Dorian Hairston—poet, educator, former University of Kentucky baseball player, and author of "Pretend the Ball is Named Jim Crow: The Story of Josh Gibson"—for a conversation that bridges sports history, poetry, and the humanization of Black athletic excellence. Josh Gibson...

"What does it matter how present and future races will judge me? I have done my duty. I know my worth. That is enough for me." Jean-Jacques Dessalines's defiant words open this Black History Month episode of Entrepreneurial Appetite—a conversation about the revolutionary leader history tried to erase. Dr. Julia Gaffield, whose discovery of Haiti's Declaration of Independence ma...

Jenna Smith takes us on a captivating journey from locker room to boardroom, revealing how her experiences as the "only girl on the team" shaped her path to founding Tandemount Sports Group. With remarkable clarity, she articulates the untapped potential at the intersection of beauty brands and women's sports, particularly for Black women athletes seeking authentic expression. The c...

In this throwback episode of Entrepreneurial Appetite, host Langston Clark revisits his powerful conversation with Sho Nakpodia, founder of Dream Week San Antonio and Dream Voice. Discover how San Antonio became home to the largest Martin Luther King Day celebration in the country and how one Nigerian-born social entrepreneur transformed a single march into a 16-day summit of civil and civic engag...

As we launch into Season 7 of Entrepreneurial Appetite, I'm sitting down with one of my favorite co-hosts, Lloyd Kuykendoll, founder of Black Cabinet Education, to preview what's coming in 2026 and reflect on the books and conversations that are shaping our thinking. Lloyd shares the four books that changed his life this year: The Black Jacobins by C.L.R. James, I Have Avenged America by...

Entrepreneurial Appetite: 2025 Year in Review - Your Top 5 Episodes As we close out an incredible Season 6, I'm reflecting on the conversations that moved you most. From franchise ownership to electric vehicles, fatherhood to family wealth, and global Black history—this season has been a journey of transformation and possibility. In this special episode, I'm counting down the five most d...

In this episode of Entrepreneurial Appetite , we speak with Mike Colias, author of InEVitable: Inside the Messy, Unstoppable Transition to Electric Vehicles , and guest co-host Shawn Wilson, a business development leader in EV infrastructure. From the streets of Detroit to the battery factories of China, we explore what’s shaping the future of electric mobility, why legacy automakers fell behind,...

Join us for a profound discussion with Cliff Goins IV—author, entrepreneur, and wealth strategist—as we examine the real costs and collective solutions to America’s racial wealth gap. With insights from his book, Minding the Wealth Gap , Cliff lays out practical steps for becoming a “gap closer,” no matter your income, background, or beliefs about capitalism. With guest host Lloyd Kuykendoll, the...

In this episode of Entrepreneurial Appetite, guest host and artist Porschia Danielle sits down with Maria Williams, the visionary founder of In the Eye of the Beholder Black Art Gallery and the Art of Four initiative. Maria shares how a single news segment sparked her mission to amplify the voices of Black artists in San Antonio—a city that lacked a dedicated Black art gallery. What began as a com...

Ever wondered how military skills translate into successful entrepreneurship? Meet Benjamin Pratt, the brains behind TapRack Social, who is joined by fellow veteran and business partner Aubrey Lewis. Together, they’ve crafted an innovative entertainment venue in San Antonio, combining a bar, gun range, and golf range, all enhanced with top-tier tech. Get insights into how Benjamin's Air Force...

What drives Black Americans to seek opportunities beyond U.S. borders, and what do they discover about themselves when they leave? Dr. Tamara Walker's groundbreaking book "Beyond the Shores: A History of African Americans Abroad" takes us on a global journey spanning a century of Black travel experiences that shaped both individual lives and international perceptions of race and ide...

Dr. Andre Perry brings a revolutionary approach to understanding Black economic power through his groundbreaking research at the Brookings Institution. Sharing his personal journey from being raised by a neighbor in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, to becoming a Senior Fellow at America's preeminent think tank, Perry offers a masterclass in how data can illuminate pathways to Black community thrivi...

Timothy Cole's journey from Brenham, Texas, to becoming a standout student-athlete at UT Austin is a tale of resilience, ambition, and the transformative power of mentorship. As he recounts his story against the backdrop of the historic hiring of Charlie Strong, UT Austin's first Black head coach, Timothy reveals how his passion for football and support from his father shaped his early l...

"Your family is your God given guarantee to build wealth," declares LaVaisha Davis in this illuminating conversation about transforming how we think about family finances. As founder of Ell Wess Advisors, Davis brings a revolutionary perspective to wealth building that positions family relationships at the center of financial planning rather than as an afterthought. The smallest decision...

Reginald 'Reggie' Manning, the innovative CEO of Vista Data, joins us for an insightful chat about his remarkable journey from North Carolina to becoming a trailblazer in AI-enhanced education. With a unique background in special education and business, Reggie shares his inspiring path and how his passion for teaching led him to create AI solutions that bridge educational gaps, particula...

The remarkable saga of Tulsa's Greenwood District—known as "Black Wall Street"—stands as one of America's most compelling yet overlooked stories of entrepreneurial triumph, devastating racial violence, and extraordinary resilience.  In this powerful episode, historian and author Hannibal Johnson reveals surprising truths that challenge common narratives about this iconic Black...

What if your travels could redefine your identity and reshape cultural narratives? Join us as we sit down with Lawrence Phillips, the trailblazing founder of Green Book Global. Growing up in Boston with Barbadian roots and inspired by life-changing journeys like his transformative Seattle camping trip, Lawrence recognized a gap in travel resources for Black travelers and set out to change the narr...

Two visionaries at the intersection of cryptocurrency and Black economic empowerment deliver an electrifying conversation about how Bitcoin is creating unprecedented financial opportunities for marginalized communities. Isaiah Jackson, author of "Bitcoin in Black America," shares his journey from skeptical teacher to cryptocurrency advocate, explaining why he believes Bitcoin represents...

What happens when an entrepreneur's greatest innovation isn't a product, but his approach to fatherhood? Shawn Rhoder's remarkable journey weaves through military service, fashion retail, and revolutionary barber design before arriving at his most fulfilling venture yet—being a present father. Shawn's story begins with pure hustle. After military service, driven by a passion fo...

Herbert L. Drayton III, a distinguished veteran of both the Marine Corps and Air Force, joins us to share his remarkable journey from a paperboy to the managing director of Highmark Capital. He discusses the critical lessons learned along the way, including the pivotal decision to leave corporate life for entrepreneurship and the importance of wealth creation in business ownership. Herbert offers...