Founders Future

In this episode of Founders  Future , host Mishal Saeed sits down with Slaidel Hernandez, the founder and CEO of PulseCRM.ai , a cutting-edge CRM platform designed to streamline operations for automotive dealerships through AI-powered tools. From humble beginnings in his family’s cleaning business to becoming a rising tech entrepreneur in Tucson, Slaidel shares how personal challenges in lead gene...

In this episode of Founders Future , powered by Closersio, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Brynne Tillman, the LinkedIn Whisperer herself and CEO of Social Sales Link. With over a decade of experience in social selling and a 2023 LinkedIn Sales Insider recognition under her belt, Brynne shares how she went from hating cold calls to building a thriving business helping sales professionals turn...

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Joe Santana, CEO of Joseph Santana, LLC — a trailblazing leader transforming how companies approach diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). With decades of leadership experience and a powerful pivot from outsourcing executive to DEI strategist, Joe shares the epiphany that reshaped his career: DEI isn't just about fairnes...

In this episode of Founders Future , we sit down with Kate Viana, founder of Non-Toxic Nonprofits, to explore how culture and communication are shaping the future of the nonprofit sector. Kate shares her journey from working in nonprofit communications to launching a consultancy focused on creating emotionally healthy workplaces. With a unique blend of direct honesty and deep empathy, she discusse...

In this high-impact episode of Founders Future , host Mishal Saeed is joined by Lissy Alden , the visionary founder and CEO of MYNDY , a platform at the forefront of redefining mental wellness through a new lens: mental fitness . Lissy opens up about her journey from Wall Street to wellness, building MYNDY from a personal mission into a purpose-driven SaaS company with the ambition to lead an enti...

In this power-packed episode, Mishal Saeed sits down with Alyssa Dver — confidence expert, bestselling author of eight books, and the visionary behind the American Confidence Institute and Ela. Together, they dive deep into what it takes to build a scalable, mission-driven business that balances personal branding with global reach. Alyssa shares the mindset behind using her books as high-value lea...

In this powerful episode, Mishal Saeed is joined by Jono Bacon , founder of State Shift , for an in-depth conversation on what it really takes to scale a coaching business—without compromising authenticity. Jono shares how State Shift has evolved into a truly scalable company, with systems in place that could double its client capacity today and support even greater growth tomorrow. From the way c...

In this insightful episode of Founders Future , host Ammar Elm sits down with Karl Hughes — founder of Draft.dev and the acquirer behind The Podcast Consultant — to unpack how he’s building a modern holding company by acquiring and scaling highly specialized service businesses. Karl shares his journey from bootstrapping a developer-focused content agency to creating a portfolio of niche companies,...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Mishal Saeed sits down with Kate Viana, founder and principal consultant of Non-Toxic Nonprofits , to explore how she’s transforming workplace culture across the nonprofit sector. Drawing from years of experience in the field, Kate shares how recurring issues like burnout, gossip, and internal dysfunction inspired her to create a consulting practice focuse...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Ammar Elm sits down with Mary Jane Copps — better known as The Phone Lady — a trailblazing entrepreneur who’s spent nearly two decades helping businesses bring humanity back into communication. With over 15,000 people trained and 700+ clients served, Mary Jane has built a powerful business around a skill many now take for granted: talking on the phone. She...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Ammar Elm sits down with Sam Dixon and TJ Mathis, co-founders of OneTap , a next-gen fashion shopping platform revolutionizing how Gen Z discovers and shops for clothing. Sam and TJ share their journey from college classmates to startup founders, walking us through the evolution of their idea—from a rewards management concept to an AI-powered e-commerce so...

In this inspiring episode, Laura Skinner sits down with Alina Addison, a former corporate trading executive who made a courageous leap from the security of the financial world, founder of ADAPTAA, a leadership coaching firm dedicated to helping individuals and organizations navigate change through emotional intelligence and courageous leadership. Alina shares her inspiring journey from a corporate...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Vern Schellenger, President and CEO of Contacts Count, a company transforming how professionals build powerful, authentic networks through research-backed coaching and training. With over 30 years of experience in HR and leadership development—including time at Dunkin’ Donuts and Lee Hecht Harrison—Vern shares the story of ho...

In this episode of Founders Future , Dr. Melissa Patton shares how a sudden layoff sparked the creation of Patton Consulting Group. Host Jae Encarnacion explores Melissa’s journey from executive setback to empowering CEOs through fractional leadership, executive coaching, and strategic growth. Learn how she’s built a lean, high-impact firm and what’s next for her mission to transform workforce dev...

In this episode of Founders Future , Mishal Saeed sits down with Clark Willcox, founder of Digital Recruiter, to unpack how he’s revolutionizing the recruiting industry. A former Aerotek recruiter turned entrepreneur, Clark shares how burnout led to breakthrough—combining sales grit, automation, and LinkedIn mastery to help recruiters scale with systems that work. From generating leads on autopilo...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Ammar Elm is joined by Brad Martineau , CEO of Gneuton , a company revolutionizing the intersection of clean tech and artificial intelligence. Gneuton is transforming oil field wastewater—one of the industry's most challenging environmental byproducts—into a powerful off-grid energy source capable of fueling AI data centers. Brad shares the compelling...

In this episode, Laura Skinner interviews Martina Vincenzi, founder of The Private Jet Coach Academy , a unique coaching business that helps aspiring VIP flight attendants break into the exclusive world of private aviation. From working in the skies to launching her business during the COVID-19 lockdown, Martina shares how she turned industry insight into a growing coaching platform with global re...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Ammar Elm sits down with Dr. Noga Gulst, founder and CEO of Noga Business Consultant, a firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and small business owners make smarter decisions before they invest time, money, and energy into ideas that may not be viable.  With a rare blend of academic rigor and real-world entrepreneurial experience, Dr. Gulst shares how sh...

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Jeremy Shere, founder and CEO of Spark Catalyst, to uncover why traditional content marketing on LinkedIn often falls flat for solopreneurs and consultants—and what to do instead. With a Ph. D. in content strategy and a background in authentic engagement, Jeremy shares how Spark Catalyst helps service-based founders ditch ineffectiv...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Ammar Elm sits down with Jenna Anderson, the founder and CEO of My Friend Jenna , a coaching business helping people build meaningful friendships and navigate social connection in today's disconnected world. Jenna shares the unexpected spark that launched her journey—how a viral TikTok during the pandemic unearthed a silent epidemic of adult lonelines...

In this episode of Founders, Future , host Mishal Saeed sits down with Cliff Locks — serial entrepreneur, executive coach, and founder of Millionaire Life Services — to explore the intersection of leadership, legacy, and personal growth. With three successful company exits under his belt and a passion for mentoring high-net-worth individuals and family offices, Cliff shares how goal setting, inten...

In this episode of Founders Future , host Mishal Saeed welcomes Craige Thompson, founder of Invention2Exit , a platform built to guide inventors and entrepreneurs from their first big idea all the way to a successful business exit. With over two decades of experience as a patent attorney and electrical engineer, Craige brings deep insight into the legal and strategic frameworks that turn innovativ...

In this episode of Founders, Future , host Jae Encarnacion interviews Michael Mataluni , CEO and co-founder of Bravetto , a trailblazing company using AI to supercharge marketing execution for DTC e-commerce brands. Michael shares his personal journey from service industry burnout to launching a fast-growing AI startup that helps brands scale with speed, clarity, and precision. We explore how Brav...

In this illuminating episode of Founders Future , host Mishal Saeed interviews Dr. Shiny Burcu Unsal , founder of the Academy of Neuro-Shine Technology and an ICF Master Certified Coach. From her early days in Istanbul to working with global giants like Unilever and Sony Pictures, Dr. Shiny’s path was anything but conventional. Guided by her inner voice and a calling to spark transformation, she d...

In this episode of Founders Future, host Mishal Saeed sits down with Amy Winner, co-founder and managing partner of Wheels Up Collective, a boutique marketing agency redefining how B2B tech startups scale. With over 20 years of experience—including a transformative run at Socrata—Amy shares the challenges that led her to launch Wheels Up: the high cost of in-house teams, the inefficiencies of trad...