Founder's Story

Fontine Da Luz —a rising force in the real estate world who began closing deals at 17 and now commands an empire fueled by millions of social media views. She’s not just selling homes—she’s turning followers into clients and laughter into leads. Key Discussion Points: How Fontine turned a marketing failure into a viral breakthrough with her comedy character “Ling Ling” Why entertainment beats educ...

Victor Boechat de Carvalho built GlideScale as a university student, challenging the outdated structure of affiliate marketing. In this episode, he breaks down why traditional affiliate models are broken and how his team rebuilt the system to be universal, efficient, and fraud-resistant. Key Discussion Points: Why most affiliate platforms are built on bloated, insecure infrastructure How GlideScal...

Chris Newlands turned a shower thought into Spelfie—one of the fastest-growing apps of all time. Now, with Space Aye , he’s building the Google Maps of the future—live, in real-time, from space. In this episode, he shares how he navigated pandemic disruption, secured global patents, and built a platform that could reshape industries from logistics to disaster response. Key Discussion Points: The o...

Laura Inamedinova , one of the most influential women in Web3. From her accidental entry into Bitcoin during college to leading investments at Gate Ventures, Laura shares unfiltered insights into crypto, venture capital, and what most founders get wrong when pitching investors. Key Discussion Points: How Laura’s curiosity in college led to early Bitcoin investments Why being early in an immature i...

Brent and Josh lost their jobs during the Great Recession, they didn’t plan to start a business—they just needed to pay the mortgage. What began with goat milk soap made at their dining room table has become Beekman 1802 , a cult-favorite brand with over 60 million bars sold. In this episode, they unpack how desperation, kindness, and slow, intentional growth led to one of the most beloved product...

Nina Ythier, after 20 years working inside broken systems, turned rejection into redirection—founding MindSpeak Inc. , a therapy practice redefining mental health care through real-world, person-first solutions. In this episode, she shares the power of creative healing, why ego-free hustle matters, and how nontraditional care is changing lives. Key Discussion Points: Why “graduating” from toxic wo...

Sam Chipkin , after nearly a decade in the high-stress world of New York finance, moved to Bondi Beach and rewired his approach to investing. In this episode, he shares how quiet mornings, long walks, and deep research shaped his investment strategy—and why 5AM Capital is betting on patient capital, enduring businesses, and disciplined risk. Key Discussion Points: Leaving Wall Street: Why chaos is...

Kass and Mike Lazerow peel back the curtain on life—and love—as co-founders of multiple breakout ventures. From the early days of building Golf.com to scaling Buddy Media into a $700 million+ Salesforce acquisition, they share the grit, the joy and the “shoveling shit” mentality behind every pivot and payoff. Key Discussion Points: Why “Shoveling Shit”?: The visceral truth of entrepreneurship—ever...

Jorge Martinez and Andre Vinay, co-founders of  Black Development Group , join Founder’s Story to reveal how they’ve reimagined hospitality by turning apartments into branded hotel-style residences. With a growing partnership with Wyndham, they’re building global investment-friendly resorts in places like Tulum, Los Cabos, and Punta Cana—offering individuals a new way to own a piece of paradise. K...

Sally So, founder and CEO of   Genomii.ai , joins Founder’s Story to share how her lifelong battle with eczema sparked a breakthrough: your health isn’t just in your genes—it’s in your data. Sally reveals how she’s building a digital twin for every human, one that can track your biological age in real-time and coach you back to youth. Key Discussion Points From Suffering to Science : How chronic i...

Alex Monahan, Stanford engineer turned sports betting entrepreneur, joins Founder's Story to reveal how he bootstrapped OddsJam —dubbed the Bloomberg Terminal for Sports Betting—to a $160 million exit. From obsessing over data to outworking every competitor, Alex shares the gritty journey from side hustle to acquisition, the power of YouTube for growth, and why he’s still not done building. If you...

Dr. Arjen de Jong, an aerospace engineer and founder of AirTulip , joins Founder’s Story to share how clean-room tech, fluid mechanics, and a little smoke visualization led to a Shark Tank pitch—and a consumer sleep product unlike anything else on the market. From clean air in dentist offices to hydrogen water-style traction for your bedroom, Arjen walks us through how laminar airflow can drastica...

Yash (the "Water Genie") and Smile (an Ironman athlete) co-founded Dr. Water to solve what they call the world’s most overlooked health crisis: dehydration. With backgrounds in sustainability and performance science, the duo reveals how hydrogen water can transform energy, recovery, and aging—while also cutting plastic waste. They share the journey from building DTC wellness brands to going viral...

Sanjay Chadha, co-founder of SAV Associates , brings over 25 years of global experience in corporate finance, cybersecurity, and risk management. From navigating boardrooms in Vietnam and Madagascar to safeguarding data in North America, Sanjay has advised more than 1,000 clients on building resilient, profitable companies. In this episode, he reveals the costly mistakes most founders make—plus ho...

Kit Gray, President and Co-Founder of PodcastOne (NASDAQ: PODC), reveals how he parlayed childhood radio fandom into a thriving public podcast network. From early iPod hacks with Adam Carolla to structuring live reads, community-first ad packages, and an IPO, Kit shares the timing, tactics, and tenacity behind PodcastOne’s $51M revenue and its 200-show roster. Key Discussion Points Radio Roots & H...

Alessandro Figliano, Founder & CEO of Jet 365, shares how he turned a love for flying into a luxury aviation brand trusted by F1 and high-net-worth clients. From flying school to building a white-glove charter service, Alessandro breaks down how Jet 365 blends safety, personalization, and tech into an experience the new generation of elite travelers demands, while maintaining the service standards...

David Royce , a serial entrepreneur (Aptive Environmental) recounts his journey from a broke college door-to-door rookie to scaling a pest-control startup into a $500 million national leader—and why he’s now taking a well-earned sabbatical. Key Discussion Points The Rookie Summer : How a disastrous first week of door-to-door sales prompted David’s self-education marathon in sales books. Systems Ov...

Matt Raad (CEO & Co‑Founder of eBusiness Institute ) shares how he and his wife, Liz Raad, went from farming and zoology students to buying, scaling, and exiting online businesses. Learn why “page‑five” passion sites can be goldmines, how AI accelerates growth, and the blueprint for low‑risk, high‑cash‑flow digital entrepreneurship. Key Discussion Points From Kangaroos to Cashflow: How Matt & Liz...

Alfonso Gurreri , A Harvard-educated lawyer turned hands-on entrepreneur, founded RICI Contracting in 2022 and has since grown it into a full-service powerhouse. Today, RICI delivers construction, asphalt paving, snow & property maintenance, waste management, and facility services across Ontario. Alfonso shares how he parlayed legal training into strategic vision, weathered early food-truck misfir...

After engineering stints and an immigrant-family push toward a PhD, Brian Le  accidentally fell into entrepreneurship, first by noticing Bird scooters on campus, then by solving students’ last-minute snack and supply crises with app-powered micro-convenience. A Y Combinator alum, Brian tells how COVID tested Need’s model, why blind ambition is a superpower in your twenties, and how he sees college...

Colin Walsh CEO & Co‑Founder of YayDay; CEO of P&G Specialty Beauty and Dr. Roshini Raj board‑certified gastroenterologist, Gut Renovation author, co‑founder of Tula & YayDay share how beauty meets biotech in a gut‑first wellness brand. They reveal why fiber + magnesium is only the start, and how gut health underpins sleep, mood, immunity—and even skin health. Key Discussion Points Roots in Beauty...

Korosh Farazad  traded a UK law career for two decades of pioneering structured finance in hospitality real estate. Today, his Farazad Advisory specializes in value-add hotel acquisitions—85–200 rooms, no global brands, 3–5-year hold—in gateway cities across North America and Western Europe. From SLS Dubai to a sudden Swiss relocation, Korosh reveals the deal architecture, market pivots, and hard-...

Kuty Shalev  shares how a college accounting grad became a pioneer of fully remote software consulting—25 years before “work from home” was a thing. He explains why speed, adaptability, and “soft skills” (EQ as deliberate practice) trump raw IQ in today’s agile, AI-driven world. Key Discussion Points: A Serendipitous Start From PwC-sponsored coding at Columbia to founding a lean software firm with...

April (“Waepril”)  shares how battling teenage acne sparked her obsession with ingredient-led skincare and launched her Instagram career. From zero views in quarantine to brand partnerships and a new website, she reveals the mindset, strategies, and resilience needed to turn personal struggle into a thriving beauty business. Key Discussion Points: Origins of Her Passion: Teenage acne eroded April’...

Sheelam Chadha discusses her bold journey from two decades in corporate real estate to launching her own firm, Dry Capital , symbolically founded on International Women’s Day 2025. Driven by the desire to break the glass ceiling and leverage her extensive experience in the volatile European real estate market, Sheelam shares insights into navigating uncertainty, the importance of trust, and the po...