Start Here

After selling his company, Neil Shah took a break and found his next startup while sitting by his woodstove. That moment led to Oru, a woodstove-monitoring system that embodies a beautiful lamp. The catch? Neil knew nothing about woodstoves. He turned to Reddit, learning from the community that would eventually become his first customers, with more than 1,700 people now on the waitlist. A software...

“To be an entrepreneur, you have to be inherently lazy.” RJ Adler joins Start Here to give us the update on WheelPad, a manufacturer of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) based in Wilmington, Vermont. Aside from building ADU’s for families around the country, RJ talks about his experience coming from a large family of entrepreneurs, his early ventures as a student at Middlebury College, and why Wheel...

Michele Asch is the kind of leader who builds things… and then helps others do the same. As Chief People Officer at Twincraft Skincare, she's part of the team making Vermont a legitimate hub for skincare innovation, manufacturing premium products for over 150 brands across North America. Outside of Twincraft, Michele invests in startups by putting real capital behind Vermont founders who are build...

If there’s an entrepreneur to watch right now, it’s Kevin LeSage. He’s the founder of SearchLight, an analytics platform bringing a clear, unbiased view to return on ad spend and showing contractors which leads actually turn into booked jobs. He’s taken a different path to get here, choosing to learn inside other businesses before building his own. From marketing and corporate sales to business de...

Jason “J” Levinthal started making skis in his parents' garage at the age of 24. After founding a company, seeing it acquired, and realizing he wasn’t built to sit still, he launched J Skis, a direct-to-skier brand creating hand-crafted, limited-edition skis. With a background in brand marketing, J’s goal is to turn heads on the mountain and beyond, from brand partnerships to collaborations with m...

Jason Wilbur is the founder of Wilbur, a luxury watch company. He joins the show to talk about what it really takes to break from the expected and build something entirely your own. After leading advanced design at Honda, Jason walked away to create what he calls “mechanized art”— a bold reimagining of luxury rooted in craftsmanship, rebellion, and individuality. Inspired by the counterculture of...

Julie Jatlow is truly a queen. She is one of the owners of Fuse, a teen and young adult marketing agency helping brands reach the younger generation. Julie explains everything from working with the world’s biggest brands to strategies centered on youth culture, sports, and experiential marketing. There are so many good tips and stories in here. Take notes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

We sat down with our friend Chelsea Bardot Lewis, the Executive Director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR). She’s steering VBSR into its next chapter by doubling down on in-person connection, pragmatic advocacy around housing, healthcare, workforce, and climate resilience, and building a stronger, more generous Vermont business ecosystem! We loved hearing her passion for the w...

We sat down with our dear friend David Aronoff, managing partner at MCJ, one of the leading early-stage climate tech venture funds. David brings decades of venture experience, from building rocketship startups to investing at top firms like Greylock and Flybridge. What sets MCJ apart is its unconventional approach: no board seats, no led rounds, just relentless focus on portfolio support powered b...

Today, we sit down with our friend Sam Holland, co-founder of Informal. Sam is a hardware builder at his core, but has a rare talent for making it feel inviting to all. He’s built everything from brain scanners to burrito holders, and brings that same creativity to the meetups he hosts. He also brings a healthy dose of humor to every conversation. If you’re exploring hardware or considering launch...

With a background that spans startups, exits, and investing, Phil Beauregard brings raw energy, humility, and a deep belief that world-changing ideas can come from anywhere. He’s an Ivy League grad, ex-investment banker, and serial entrepreneur. Now, managing partner at Impellent Ventures, Phil and his team focus on uncovering the next unicorns in emerging regions, from overlooked cities to unexpe...

Adam Farmer is the CEO of The Farmer Companies. Also known as the team behind Cabot Mac & Cheese, Nathan’s Beef Sticks, and Guinness Pretzel Pieces. He joins Start Here to talk about scaling in the food space, striking smart partnerships, and what it really takes to get snacks on shelves everywhere. If CPG is your thing, you gotta tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

You probably know him well. Whether from NBC5, the Lake Monsters field, or VT Startup News, Tom Messner is (smiling) everywhere. In this episode of Start Here, we explore his passion for Vermont’s entrepreneurial scene, his commitment to investing locally, and even unravel the mystery of weather balloons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the micromobility revolution? It’s the movement of trading gas pedals for handlebars to make urban transport easy and more affordable. In this episode of Start Here, we sat down with Andrew Savage, founding team member and VP of Sustainability at Lime, the world’s largest shared electric vehicle company and the force behind the e-scooters and e-bikes you’ve probably seen zipping through tr...

Rylan Blowers founded Park Software from the most fitting place possible—an RV. The idea sparked when he and his co-founder John, struggled to book a spot for the night, experiencing the pain points of campground reservations firsthand. The result: a campground management software made simple. Rylan's story is not one to miss. In this episode, we cover building, fundraising, and scaling a software...

After nine years of co-hosting this podcast, Sam Roach-Gerber is on the other side of the mic. She’s a baller on all fronts. Known for wearing many hats, Sam started the Female Founders Speakers Series, THIS PODCAST, and advised hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years. How did she get from a bottle redemption girl to one of VT’s best startup advisors? You’ll have to listen to find out. Oh…and sta...

Jane and Dave Sandelman have a crazy story. After living the corporate life, they opened an inn in southern Vermont that was one of the Top 10 Culinary Inns in America, pioneering farm-to-table dining. Now, they run Cannatrol, a drying and curing system for cannabis. It all started at a cheese conference when Dave discovered that the physics of aging cheese and drying a flower are the same. Their...

Rob Conboy, CEO of Glavel, shares his journey from working at Burton to founding a company that transforms recycled glass into sustainable insulation. He reflects on how Vermont’s emphasis on sustainability and innovation inspired him to bring foam glass technology from Europe to the U.S. Rob explains how Glavel’s products reduce embodied carbon in construction, create green jobs, and help compani...

In this episode, Sophie Rabe, founder of Olive and Milo Social, shares her path from growing up in Vermont’s Mad River Valley to building a career in digital marketing. After studying communications at Champlain College, Sophie worked in event marketing before freelancing led her to start her own agency. Sophie explains how Olive and Milo Social grew from a local business into a company with clien...

Jay Bellows, president of KORE Power, discusses his journey from Johnson State to telecom services in Boston to battery storage solutions in Vermont. First, he reflects on how his passion for Vermont’s outdoors and frustration with city life drew him back to the state. Jay then explains the importance of energy storage for grid reliability, especially as the world transitions toward renewable ener...

Jeff’s journey began by printing T-shirts, and now, his company works with household brands like Dunkin’, Saucony, and Pepsico. Jeff is the co-founder of Select Design, a creative agency that conquers brand chaos. At just 22, he and his co-founder Kevin were hustling to sell apparel, relying on every connection they could make. His story is about having people in your corner that root for you, and...

In this episode, we sit down with Erin Fagnant, a powerhouse in marketing and leadership. From her days working with the Red Sox to becoming a partner at KSV, Erin’s journey is packed with insight. She shares the unfiltered truth about what it takes to run and sustain a thriving agency through both the highs and the lows. Erin’s story of resilience and grit will leave you inspired. Whether you’re...

You know Patrick Leahy for his 48-year run in the U.S. Senate, but there is so much more to love about Vermont’s most influential and beloved leader. He’s a changemaker, bridge builder, family man, and bipartisan hero, but it all began with a boyhood in Montpelier. Join us for this extra special episode and learn about how the Senator was able to connect with his constituents on a deeply personal...

One thing most businesses don’t think to do is intentionally lower their price. For Alejandro Bergad of Sunsoil, it was a no-brainer. Join us for this month's episode of Start Here, where Alejandro discusses the CBD industry, his experiences with the compound, and his combination of hard work and luck that led to Sunsoil. With a commitment to affordability and keeping a grassroots core, Sunsoil ha...

Matt Dunne, the king of rural innovation, joins the podcast to inspire us all. His deep roots in Vermont are intertwined with the community that shaped him. From being elected to the legislature at 22, to convincing Google to open an office in White River Junction, to founding the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), Matt's ability to build community is remarkable. This podcast is essentially a cras...