From Scratch with Jessica Harris

Have you ever had a creative project you were eager to get off the ground but you didn’t have the funding to make it happen? Yancey Strickler, co-founder of Kickstarter, has helped to develop an online solution that involves the crowd’s participation. Kickstarter connects artists and innovators with potential funders who simply learn about projects […]

“Hands which help are better than the lips that pray” are the words that hang in Dr. Devi Shetty’s office with a picture of Mother Theresa, a former patient of his. Dr. Shetty is a cardiac surgeon who pioneered low cost cardiac surgery for India’s poor population. Dr. Shetty founded the Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital in […]

Bre co-founded Makerbot Industries in 2009 after working as a public school teacher in Seattle, Washington. Makerbot makes 3-D printers that make actual objects. Instead of producing ink on paper, a Makerbot makes items ranging from bottle openers and toys to homes for hermit crabs(!). Bre talks to Jessica Harris about how he launched Makerbot […]

Yelp provides user-generated reviews of local businesses through its website and mobile app. Its contributors provide their opinions on a variety of businesses, ranging from clothing stores to restaurants. Prior to launching Yelp, Jeremy worked at Paypal. Yelp went public in 2012. Jeremy speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched Yelp, from scratch. Listen […]

Rob Kalin initially started Etsy—the online marketplace for handmade goods—as a way to sell his own furniture in 2005. The company has become a vehicle for more than one million artisans who sell their products—ranging from knit-wear to musical instruments to clocks—through the site. Rob speaks with Jessica Harris about how he built Etsy, from […]

Dr. Rodney Brooks is the co-founder of Rethink Robotics, a company that makes robots for the manufacturing industry. Rethink’s first robot, Baxter, was introduced in October 2012 with the goal of increasing US manufacturing productivity. Prior to Rethink, Dr. Brooks co-founded iRobot, which makes robots for the consumer and defense industries. iRobot’s first consumer product […]

Zulily is an e-commerce company focused on products for mothers and their children. The company offers daily flash sales of boutique and leading brands at discounted prices. Darrell launched Zulily in 2009 with Mark Vadon, the founder of the online diamond merchant Blue Nile. Darrell speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched Zulily, from […]

David developed an interest in computer programming when he was 11 years old. Instead of finishing high school he started working, and innovating, in the online community. Tumblr is a leading micro blogging and social media tool where creators can upload images, video, audio clips and bursts of text. The site– with more than 50 […]

Jeffrey Hollender set out to build a company that was both profitable and environmentally sustainable. Seventh Generation makes cleaning and sanitary products that focus on resource conservation and eco-friendly business practices.  Jeffrey is the author of several books and an advocate of corporate and environmental responsibility. Jeffrey discusses with Jessica Harris how he has helped [&#8...

Some sculptors work with materials like bronze or marble, which last forever; but others build sculptures made of ice or snow, which last only a few moments. Who are some of the sculptors producing ephemeral art? Jessica speaks with one such pioneer, Andy Goldsworthy. Andy’s outdoor sculptures have been shown at the Metropolitan Museum of […]

Netspend was the first prepaid debit card company focused on the “underbanked” population in the United States. Launched in 1999, Netspend targets people who do not have access to credit cards or hold bank accounts. Bertrand and Roy started the company out of their one bedroom apartment in Austin, Texas with $750. They later raised […]

City Year is an organization focused on addressing the national dropout rate; one million American students drop out of high school annually. City Year’s corps members serve as tutors, mentors, and role models in America’s most challenging schools. City Year also played a role in the national service movement, helping to establish youth service programs, […]

Infosys is a leading global information, technology and consulting company with more than 150,000 employees and $7 Billion in revenue. Nandan started Infosys in 1981 in Bangalore, India with 6 colleagues. Nandan then served as the Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which through its project Aadhaar is seeking to provide unique […]

TaskRabbit is an online service that allows users to outsource small tasks to individuals known as TaskRabbits. These TaskRabbits are freelance workers who have been background checked, and they perform small jobs ranging from grocery shopping to furniture assembly. Leah started the company in 2008, and the service is available in leading cities including Boston, […]

NJOY is an electronic cigarette company that produces the flagship product NJOY King. E-cigarettes are non combustion cigarettes that contain nicotine and strive to have the look and feel and plume of a traditional cigarette. Craig’s brother Mark discovered ecigarettes in China, and the family started the company in 2006. Craig is a patent lawyer […]

Year Up provides a one year intensive job training and internship program to young urban adults, 18-24 years old. Year Up enrolls close to 2,000 students per year, and roughly 400 organizations have hired Year Up students as interns or permanent employees. Prior to launching Year Up in 2000, Gerald was an internet entrepreneur. Gerald […]

Kevin is an internet entrepreneur who has led innovation in the online advertising and e-commerce space since the late 1990s.  Kevin was the CEO of DoubleClick, the advertising serving company that was eventually sold to Google for $3.5 Billion.  Kevin has since founded a number of internet companies including Gilt Groupe, a luxury e-commerce community, 10Gen, […]

Interfaith Youth Core is an organization that promotes service and religious pluralism among youth on college campuses. Eboo is a member of President Obama’s advisory council for the White House Office for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. He is the author of Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul […]

Paul has been committed to disease and poverty reduction since his early twenties. Partners in Health, started in Haiti in the 1980s, provides health care to the world’s poorest communities. Paul launched the organization while he was a student at Harvard Medical School. Jessica Harris speaks with Paul about how he has helped to reshape […]

SecondMarket is a private market place for buying and selling alternative assets including private company stock, bankruptcy claims, and restricted public stock. If you are an investor in a startup or an employee who wants to sell your company’s stock before the IPO, SecondMarket facilities this transaction. Companies trading on the SecondMarket exchange have included […]

Pastry chef and restaurateur Sarabeth Levine started her business by first selling marmalade, a family recipe, in a small cafe on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Prior to life in the culinary world, Sarabeth was a substitute teacher, a dental assistant, and sold health insurance. Sarabeth speaks to Jessica Harris about how she pioneered […]

Tim Westergren, a former jazz musician and film composer, founded the online radio station Pandora in 2000. Tim brought together a team of musicologists to analyze and classify hundreds of thousands of songs based on some 400 attributes. This project, called the Music Genome Project, is the backbone of Pandora. Pandora works like this: a […]

Prior to founding Badger, Bill Whyte was a carpenter who wanted to find a remedy for his dry, cracked hands. While tinkering with different botanical and natural ingredients like olive oil and beeswax, he discovered that he had a knack for creating natural solutions to common skin conditions. Bill and his family started Badger in […]

There are more and more students graduating from college looking to become entrepreneurs. But where do they start? What kind of business should it be? Where will they get the funding without a track record? Jessica speaks with two pioneers who launched their natural food company when they were recent college grads. Kelly and Brendan […]

(Photo Courtesy of Nicole Haley Photography.) Phil and Erin Stead are husband and wife, and author and illustrator of A Sick Day for Amos McGee, an award winning children’s book. A Sick Day for Amos McGee received the Caldecott Medal in 2011 and was listed as one of the 10 Best Illustrated Childrens’ Books of […]