Mission CTRL

Ramon and the PD Flight Crew welcome strategic partner, colleague and former mentee Mercy Quaye back to MissionCTRL. Quaye has built a storied career spanning over a decade in journalism, communications, and public relations, both in New Haven and statewide. A New Haven native, Mercy holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism and a master's degree in Public Relations, Social Media, and Applie...

Put your earbuds in and buckle up as Ramon and the PD Flight Crew take you on a “fast & furious” journey through MissionCTRL with special guest, professional race car driver and instructor, Elivan Goulart.  Shift gears right into the world of high-speed racing, entrepreneurial ventures, and personal achievements with a real-life racing legend. Originally from Brazil and now a proud dual citize...

This week on MissionCTRL, Dr. Chaka Felder-McEntire joined Ramon and the PD Flight Crew to share what she’s been up to at Higher Heights since making the leap to being its full time Executive Director.. On Saturday, March 23, from 9:00 am to 11:30 am, Higher Heights will host an ⁠Educational Summit ⁠ at the Canal Dock Boathouse in New Haven.  In 2003, Dr. Felder-McEntire started Higher Heights as...

This heartwarming episode of Mission CTRL Ramon and the PD Flight crew sit down with half of the dynamic duo of Dusty Dudes Woodworks and The Bristol Bazaar, Care Verikas.  Care met the love of her life on Match.com, and after a 10-hour marathon first date she discovered Eric also had a furry friend named after food, and she thought to herself, “This must be fate!”  Eric, a skilled craftsman and C...

In this episode of Mission CTRL, Jahkeeva Morgan, Director of Programming at The Lab at ConnCorp joins Ramon and the PD Flight Crew to share her career journey of self discovery. The Lab at ConnCORP serves as a learning and knowledge center for new ideas, a community small business hub, and a place to exchange ideas about business ownership and entrepreneurship. Morgan, a dedicated professional, f...

During the episode of Mission CTRL Ramon and the PD Flight Crew sit down with engineer and educator Kia Huggan, the young, visionary founder behind Webquity.  Webquity is an innovative saas company dedicated to empowering neurodiverse learners with innovative accessibility tools.  Their first product, 'Digital Glasses,' allows users to tailor their online experience to their unique needs. ...

On this special edition of Mission CTRL Ramon and the PD Flight Crew are joined by a self-proclaimed member of the Swiftie Camp, PD’s Marketing Assistant, Maggie Kruse, to recap Super Bowl LVIII and this year’s Best and Worst Commercials. The PD crew discusses how Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory in overtime, handing the 49ers the “almost” M&M’s ring which MARS, Inc. featu...

In this episode of Mission CTRL, join Ramon and the PD Flight Crew as they share the joys and pains of inner city life, community service, and believing in yourself with Dr. Monette Ferguson, the CEO and Executive Director at Alliance for Community Empowerment (formerly ABCD) in Bridgeport, CT. Born in poverty to a single mom, Dr. Ferguson has dedicated her life to empowering others and serving th...

In this episode of Mission CTRL, join Ramon and the PD Flight Crew as they engage with Christopher Price, the CEO/Founder of Red Fox Multi-family. With over two decades of experience in business operations within the life sciences sector, Price has made significant contributions in the pharmaceutical industry, notably in facilitating access to life-saving medications. Price spent his formative yea...

This week on Mission CTRL Ramon and PD Flight Crew welcomed Fran Pastore, the Founder and CEO of the Women’s Business Development  Council (WBDC).  Back in 1997, Pastore, standing at a crossroads of necessity and fervor, had a vision for the Women's Business Development Council (WBDC).  Tune in to hear how Pastore divorced, with two small children, very little work experience and few prospects...

In Larry Janesky’s second segment of Mission CTRL, Ramon and the PD Flight Crew dive deeper into branding, team building, leadership, journaling, productivity tips and the origin behind Larry’s famous "all things basementy” branding. Other topics Larry covers in this episode include: The Top 3 Brand Strategies to help your business, revenue and reputation flourish; journaling tips for manifes...

Ramon and the PD Flight Crew welcomed Larry Janesky to the Mission CTRL studios. A native of Bridgeport, Janesky's entrepreneurial journey to success spanned 40 years. He holds 32 patents and manages 40 companies under the Contractor Nation brand. Janesky's business model is straightforward: he assists contractors in growing their businesses by selling them products. More than just a busin...

This week on Mission CTRL, Ramon and the Flight Crew sat down with the Executive Director of CT Next, Onyeka “Ony” Obiocha.  Born and raised in Windsor Connecticut, Ony’s interest in entrepreneurship was sparked by his father who arrived home one evening with dozens of gum ball machines and announced he would be placing them in local barber shops throughout Connecticut.  Ony’s first foray into ent...

This week on Mission CTRL Ramon and the PD Flight Crew had the pleasure of interviewing the host and executive producer of Melissa in the Morning at WICC.  In 2019 Connoisseur Media hired Sheketoff and by the spring of 2020 she took over the morning talk show as the first female and youngest host in WICC’s history.  Melissa is a dynamo with an infectious personality and a master storyteller.  Shek...

On this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon and the flight Crew sat down with Paul S. Lavoie, the Chief Manufacturing Officer of Connecticut.  Lavoie was appointed by Governor Ned Lamont as the CMO in February 2022.  Connecticut is the only state that has a Chief Manufacturing Officer position.  When appointing him, Governor Lamont said “manufacturing is a key sector of our economy and having this posi...

In this episode Ramon and the Mission CTRL flight crew unpack one the most strategic and culturally iconic recent  marketing campaigns that captured the hearts and minds of consumers from Gen Z to Boomers.  By leveraging Snoop Dogg’s personal brand, Solo Stove experienced a surge in its stock price following the news of their collaboration with Snoop.  Solo brands announced their third-quarter ear...

This week’s Mission CTRL episode is an international adventure filled with history, mystery and intrigue.  Born in Asunción, Paraguay in 1989 under the dictatorship of Gen. Alfredo Stroessner, mom, author and entrepreneur, Amanda Mottola would find her way to the United States by way of adoption.  From an early age Amanda knew she was different as her classmates would ask: why don’t you look like...

In this episode, Dr. Noel Sepulveda discusses how he is passionate about making chiropractic services accessible to all.  A lifelong resident of Bridgeport with deep ties in the community, Dr. Sepulveda knew he wanted to be a doctor from an early age; he just had to figure out how he was going to make that happen.  Through grit and determination, Dr. Sepulveda served as a barber for four hours dur...

Our guest this episode of Mission CTRL is on a quest to return Connecticut to the economic powerhouse it once was.  Born and raised in Connecticut, Chris DiPentima has an affinity and a love for the nutmeg state.  DiPentima is the president and CEO of CBIA, Connecticut Business and Industry Association, a  leading business organization, with thousands of member companies, small and large, represen...

Stratford’s Samuel Diaz III is a fierce Karate World Champion with wins in South Africa, Germany, Austria and London. At the tender age of two years old the Bridgeport native was placed in a dojo and introduced to Karate by his mother. Listen in as Samuel joins Ramon and the Mission CTRL Flight Crew on his birthday to share his journey into entrepreneurship.  A man of many talents, Diaz is the Chi...

This week’s Mission CTRL episode takes us behind the Blue Wall in Bridgeport.  David Daniels III is a Retired Lieutenant from the Bridgeport Police Department.  After serving the residents of Bridgeport for over 25 years he decided to call it quits.  Daniels was born and raised in the infamous P.T. Barnum Housing Projects and what he learned there prepared him for a lifetime of adversity.  What he...

Our next guest joins Mission CTRL from across the pond, East Yorkshire, England to be precise.  Hannah studied at Beverley College, where she earned a degree in childhood education and development.  From an early age Hannah developed a passion for art and helping children.  In 1999, Hannah left England to head to the U.S. where she became an Au Pair to follow her passion of working with children w...

Celeste Tapia is our special guest this week on Mission CTRL in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month.  Tapia immigrated from Argentina to South Florida and eventually to Connecticut the same year “Nemo” dumped over 2.5 feet of snow across the southern half of New England.  Celeste is the Business Relationship Coordinator for the CEDF (Community Economic Development Fund) and owner of Ai...

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month Ramon and our Mission CTRL Flight Crew had the honor of interviewing Dr Vilma Luz Caban.  Dr Caban is a proud educator of over 32 years, a world-trotting Humanitarian Researcher, Program Evaluator, Harley riding, self-proclaimed “Swifty” and the author of: The Heart of an Advocate.   In the early 2000’s, Dr. Caban was bitten by the equity bug and since...

John Torres joins the PD Flight crew in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. John is the Co-founder of Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders. After Torres lost his Dad in 2003 to emphysema, John and his brother wanted to do something to honor his memory, from that desire BCYL was created to provide opportunities for the youth of Bridgeport to participate in a baseball league. Over the last 2...