Planting Seeds by Jeff Hilimire

On this episode, I have the great pleasure to speak with Jay Jackson, CEO of RYSE Interactive and RYSE Creative Village (and a board member of one of my nonprofits, Ripples of Hope!). We talk about where his inspiration to help others comes from, how a passion for constantly learning and a focus on humbleness has led him to success, and his MASSIVE vision for RYSE Creative Village. I always feel i...

On this episode, I catch up with my friend, Eileen Lee, one of the co-founders of The Lola. The Lola’s mission is to bring womxn together as allies and accomplices to tell their stories, raise their voices and dismantle a system that doesn’t serve them. We talk about her journey toward entrepreneurship, where the inspiration to start The Lola came from, and the tremendous progress they’re making a...

On this episode, I had the great pleasure to talk with Teresa Baker, founder of the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge and the African American Nature & Parks Experience. She was recommended by a previous podcast guest, Patagonia’s Whitney Clapper (you should check that episode out if you haven’t) who described Teresa as a visionary for what life could be with a little more disrupting and dismantlin...

“When I'm sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court] and I say, 'When there are nine,' people are shocked. But there'd been nine men, and nobody's ever raised a question about that.” ― Ruth Bader Ginsburg On this episode, I have the great pleasure of talking with Bhavana Smith, founder of the amazing organization, Until There Are Nine™. Until There Are Nine™ is an educa...

On this episode, I chat with Rodney Bullard, the Executive Director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation. We talk about his journey, including the impact that his 1st-grade teacher - Ms. Adams - had on his life (and somehow we never knew we went to rival high schools in Atlanta!), how he ended up at Chick-fil-A, and of course, his terrific book, Heroes Wanted. Rodney has helped so many organizations duri...

On this episode, I had the great pleasure to talk with my good friend, Qaadirah Abdur-Rahim. Qaadirah is currently the Chief Equity Officer, City of Atlanta, and was the CEO of the Future Foundation for 15 years prior to taking her role with the city. We talk about where her resilience comes from, the need to disrupt stagnation in order to achieve equity, the importance of focusing on childhood de...

On this episode, I have the extreme pleasure of having Mita Mallick on the show. Mita is the Head of Inclusion, Equity, and Impact at Carta, and has worked at some of the world’s largest and most respected companies, including J&J, Pfizer, and Unilever. Mita is one of those people that infects you with her passion and joy for the work she’s doing. She talks with me about her personal purpose,...

On this episode, I have the great pleasure of chatting with Bethaney Wilkinson, founder and CEO of The Diversity Gap Podcast and Academy. I first met Bethaney by attending one of her workshops, and her passion and innovative views on racial equity, privilege, and bridging the diversity gap was incredibly inspiring to me, and I knew I had to have her on the show to hear her story! The Diversity Gap...

My guest on this episode is Sharon Harris, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Jellyfish. We talk about her career journey, working at some of the largest companies in the world, to the great work she and her team are doing at Jellyfish, and how hard women in the workforce have been hit by the pandemic, or what she calls a “She-cession”. Don’t forget to subscribe! About me: Sign up for my weekly ema...

On this episode, I have the great pleasure to talk with Jenn Graham, Founder & CEO of Civic Dinners. Civiv Dinners bring people together virtually or in person for structured conversations on the critical issues of our time. Jenn started the organization in 2016, and we talk about her journey, including the first time we met at Souper Jenny’s in Atlanta, her big pivot in 2020, and the amazing...

On this very special episode of the podcast, I talk with the founder of one of Dragon Army’s favorite partners, Passport Atlanta. And not only do Andre Dickens and I chat, but a Georgia Tech intern helping Passport Atlanta, Seanna Walker, also joins us! We talk about the inspiration for the organization, how it will help the lives of young people like Seanna, and of course the exciting mobile app...

On this episode, I talk with my friend and Leadership Atlanta classmate, Atlanta City Council member, Amir Farokhi. I spend the first half of the interview digging into Amir’s journey that led him to eventually run for public office. We then spend the rest of the interview talking about what makes Atlanta so great, and what the city must do to reach its potential as a global city of hope. Don’t fo...

On this episode, I chat with Bobby Norwood (Director - Debt & Equity Capital Markets, JLL) about the 'hard reset' he decided to implement in his life.  Don’t forget to subscribe! About me: Sign up for my weekly email newsletter! CEO: Dragon Army Author: The 5-Day Turnaround + The Crisis Turnaround Co-founder: Ripples of Hope + 48in48 + The A Pledge Blog: www.jeffhilimire.com LinkedIn: lin...

On this episode, I’m joined by my friend, Alex Gonzalez, who interviews me about 48in48, an organization I co-founded in 2015. We talk about how the company began, the amazing growth its had in the last 6 years (including the struggles and triumphs that the company experienced in 2020), and the bright future we have ahead. Don’t forget to subscribe! About me: Sign up for my weekly email newsletter...

On this episode, I chat with one of my favorite Atlanta leaders, Nate Hybl. Nate is the founder and CEO of Gusto, a fast-casual restaurant that is a favorite in my household. We talk about Nate’s journey, from playing quarterback in the NFL, to putting everything on the line to create a purposeful culinary business. Try Gusto! - https://www.whatsyourgusto.com/ Don’t forget to subscribe! About me:...

On this episode, I had the great opportunity to chat with Anne Kaiser, quite simply an Atlanta legend. Anne is currently Vice President, Community & Economic Development at Georgia Power, and we talk about her journey, where her purpose has led her, and the difficulties women leaders face in corporate America. Don’t forget to subscribe! About me: Sign up for my weekly email newsletter!  CEO: Drago...

On this episode, I have the great pleasure to speak with Whitney Clapper, Senior Global Environmental Activism Marketing Manager at Patagonia. Patagonia, like Ben & Jerry’s, is one of my favorite brands in the world because they truly believe that business should be a force for good. We talk about her journey, from being an athlete that never quits, to creating her own company, to eventually worki...

On this episode, I had the chance to talk to an incredible entrepreneur, Caroline Boudreaux. Rarely do you meet someone who has such an epic journey as Caroline. The work her company, Miracle Foundation, is doing to help empower orphans and vulnerable children around the globe to reach their full potential, is so inspiring. And she has one of the most unique origin stories of anyone I’ve had on th...

On this episode, Bem Joiner, founder of Atlanta Influences Everything, joins Darryl Cobbin and me as we dive deep into the Atlanta Influences Everything brand, his personal purpose and journey, and why Atlanta has so much potential… if we can come together around common interests. Support Atlanta Influences Everything: - https://aie.life/ - https://www.instagram.com/atlantainfluenceseverything/ Do...

On this episode, I chat with my friend, Penny Collins, President & CEO at Women in Technology, or WIT. We talk about her journey into entrepreneurship, where her passion to help others comes from, and the incredible work she is doing with WIT to empower girls and women to excel in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math from the classroom to the boardroom. WIT: https://mywit.org D...

On this episode, I have the great pleasure to be joined by Kyle Stapleton to interview Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon, founder and CEO of Atlanta Village Market. We talk about how her purpose to be intentional with her life has guided her journey, and the incredible work she is doing to help empower African American entrepreneurs through education, purpose-driven events, and community engagement. Don’t forg...

On this episode of the SpunMafia series, Raghu Kakarala joins me as we catch up with Bruce Eatroff, Managing Director, Star Mountain Capital, whose company acquired Spunlogic in 2008. We talk about our first meeting with Bruce during the sale process, differences in the industry between then and now, current obstacles in the private capital markets, and how agency leaders should prepare for a succ...

My guest on this episode is Medina Jett, the CEO of Jett Speaks. We talk about her journey from corporate america to “serial entrepreneur”, as well as the important work she is doing in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Check out Jett Speaks: https://www.jettspeaks.com/ Don’t forget to subscribe! About me: Sign up for my weekly email newsletter! CEO: Dragon Army Author: The 5-Day Turnaround + The...

On this episode, Darryl Cobbin joins me as we sit down with Terence Lester to talk about Love Beyond Walls, his organization that helps advocate for those experiencing poverty and homelessness, and the incredible and improbable year that he had in 2020. Check out Love Beyond Walls: https://www.lovebeyondwalls.org/ Check out Love Sinks In: https://www.lovebeyondwalls.org/lovesinksin/ Follow Terence...

My guest on this episode is Darryl Cobbin (or “DC”), founder of Brand Positioning Doctors, and co-founder of The A-Pledge. We talk about his origins in the corporate world, the risky switch to entrepreneurship, and the ups and downs that come with that journey. Check out Brand Positioning Doctors : https://www.brandpositioningdoctors.com/ Don’t forget to subscribe! About me: Sign up for my weekly...