Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion , we dive into the inspiring journey of Dr. Rob Bell , founder and CEO of DRB & Associates , a mental performance coaching firm revolutionizing resilience and peak performance for athletes and executives. Dr. Bell shares his pivotal "hinge moment"—a near-fatal accident that redirected his path from baseball to sports psych...

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion , we sit down with Joshua Gilbert , co-founder of Zenwave Talent , a revolutionary talent acquisition firm blending tech innovation with human-centered recruiting. Joshua shares how Zenwave was born from a mission to disrupt the traditional agency model—transforming into a tech-first solution that helps scaling startups and underserved...

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm , we sit down with Daniel Ruth , founder of NextGen Sales Management , who shares his unconventional journey from insurance executive to revenue problem-solver. Daniel reveals how his "ER doctor" approach helps businesses diagnose and fix revenue blockages through his innovative Revenue Reset Program —a 2-hour intensive that identif...

In this episode of Founders Future , with host Amar Elm , we sit down with Michael Podolsky , co-founder and CEO of PissedConsumer.com , a leading online review and reputation management platform. Michael shares the fascinating origin story of PissedConsumer, born from a personal vacation disaster that left him frustrated with the lack of consumer recourse. What started as a $200 investment has gr...

In this episode of Founders Future , with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with Vanessa Wegbrait , Founder and Leadership Coach at Wegshine , to explore her powerful journey from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship. After facing unexpected job loss and a breast cancer diagnosis, Vanessa transformed adversity into opportunity by becoming a certified coach, specializing in empowering sales and marke...

In this episode of Founders Future , with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with Brian E. Thomas , CIO for the City of Lawrence, Kansas, and host of The Digital Executive podcast, to explore the intersection of AI, leadership, and the future of work. Brian shares his journey from Marine Corps veteran to tech influencer, detailing how he built a podcast with over 1,100 episodes by interviewing Silicon Va...

In this episode of Founders Future , with host Mishal Saeed, we sit down with Deb Porter , founder of HOLD - Hearing Out Life Drama, LLC , to explore her revolutionary approach to communication through professional listening services. Deb shares her deeply personal journey—from caregiving for her chronically ill husband (and surviving the 70% divorce rate among caregivers) to launching a platform...

In this episode of Founders Future , with host Mishal Saeed, we sit down with Joe Pici , Founder & CEO of Pici & Pici Inc. and creator of Sell More Virtually . With over 30 years in sales training and keynote speaking, Joe shares his journey from football coach to sales expert, driven by the need to fill gaps in skill-based sales training. He dives into the power of live, hands-on coaching...

In this episode of Founders Future , with host Ammar Elm, we dive into the world of AI and industrial innovation with Tara Javidi , Co-Founder and CTO of KavAI . Tara shares her journey from academia to entrepreneurship, blending her expertise in information theory and machine learning to build AI systems that interpret and predict real-world industrial challenges. She discusses KavAI’s mission to...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Ammar Elm sits down with Mordy Oberstein , Founder of Unify Brand Marketing , to explore his unique approach to bridging the gap between performance marketing and brand strategy. Mordy shares his journey from heading communications at major brands like Wix and Semrush to launching his consultancy, where he helps SMEs align their messaging across all touchp...

In this episode of Founders Future , with host Ammar Elm , Simran Whitham, Founder and CEO of FORMAT Group , shares how he transformed a gap in Manchester’s gaming and creative events scene into Europe’s leading games industry nightlife festival. What started as a one-off university passion project now spans B2B and B2C events, agency services, and merchandise—all while championing inclusivity and...

In this episode of Founders Future , with host Ammar Elm , Shannon Wallis, Founder of Cascade Leadership , shares her extraordinary journey from growing up in the bottom 10% of the socioeconomic ladder to becoming a global leadership consultant for Fortune 100 companies. The pivotal moment? A life-changing encounter at a Hare Krishna temple in India, where a priest’s humble response—“Why would I b...

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Mishal Saeed, we sit down with Catherine Colombo, founder of Muse Media, a dynamic social media marketing agency. Catherine shares her journey from freelancer to agency owner, revealing how she identified the critical gap many businesses face—creating content that drives real results, not just vanity metrics. She dives into Muse Media’s unique 3-month...

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Mishal Saeed, we sit down with Erica Hansen, founder of The Wisdom Collective and a seasoned accounting transformation expert with 25+ years of experience. Erica shares her unconventional journey from fixing financial chaos in distressed companies to building a multi-pronged consulting firm that empowers construction businesses and beyond. She reveals...

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we sit down with Tamica Sears, founder of Sears Coaching and "The Corporate Fixer" with 20+ years of HR expertise. Tamica shares how witnessing toxic leadership inspired her to launch a dual-focused business: Sears Coaching for executive leadership development and The Corporate Fixers, which bundles HR support, legal counsel,...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Ross Aiosa , founder of Product Management Advisor (PMA) , to explore his journey in empowering product professionals through mentorship, AI-powered tools, and a dynamic learning community. Ross shares how his own career challenges inspired PMA’s mission, the core services driving growth (including resume optimization, coachi...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Chuck Thokey , co-founder of Top Rep Training , to uncover how he’s transforming sales teams in the home improvement industry. With over 20 years of high-stakes sales experience, Chuck shares how his immersive boot camps, AI-powered sales simulators, and coaching programs help contractors and sales professionals achieve close...

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm , we dive into the journey of Paul Barnhurst, widely known as the FP&A Guy , a premier FP&A educator and thought leader with over 100,000 LinkedIn followers. Paul shares how he transitioned from corporate finance to building a thriving business centered on empowering finance professionals through training, certifications, and cutting-...

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with Erin Aldrich-Shean, former Olympian, 4x World Championship athlete, and founder of Ascension Coaching and Consulting. Erin shares her incredible journey from elite sports to corporate America—and how a career crisis led her to discover her true passion: coaching professionals through career transitions. She breaks down her b...

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm , we sit down with Craig Pisaris-Henderson , serial entrepreneur and founder of Economic Recovery Center (ERC) , a firm dedicated to helping businesses navigate disaster recovery, government funding, and financial compliance. Craig shares his journey from launching one of the first pay-per-click search engines in 1996 (pre-Google!) to buildin...

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Mishal Saeed , we sit down with Melisa Cunningham , founder of Emplify Consulting , a boutique HR strategy firm transforming how Fortune 500 companies approach employee experience. With nearly 30 years in HR operations—including leadership roles at GE and ServiceNow—Melisa shares how she identified a critical gap: large organizations often lack clarity...

In this episode of Founders, Future , host Jae Encarnacion sits down with William Turner , founder of William and Friends , a Denver-based digital marketing agency helping small businesses punch above their weight. William shares his journey from corporate burnout to entrepreneurship, sparked by a mentor’s nudge and a leap into freelancing—revealing how he’s tackling the "DIY marketing"...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Ammar Elm sits down with Archer Lawrence , co-founder and CEO of Loophole Automation , a company revolutionizing how event industry businesses and SMBs streamline operations through AI and low-code solutions. Archer shares his journey from working in marketing at a catering company to identifying the repetitive, time-consuming tasks plaguing the industry—l...

In this episode of Founders, Future , host Mishal Saeed sits down with Jill Alban , founder and CEO of Ahead by 11 , a paid ads agency specializing in Meta and Google advertising for outdoor and wellness brands. Jill shares her journey from nonprofit communications to launching her own agency, detailing how she niched down to serve e-commerce and booking-based businesses in the outdoor space. She...

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Ryan Calkins, Founder & CEO of Reframe & Rise, LLC, a career coaching venture dedicated to helping professionals—especially veterans—rediscover their purpose and align their careers with their core identity. Ryan shares his journey from Marine Corps veteran to certified career coach, detailing how his RISE Method (Refl...