The Disruptive Capitalists

70% of family wealth is gone by the second generation. 90% disappears by the third. DJ Van Keuren has seen it happen firsthand, including one family that lost $800 million in a single generation. DJ, Co-Founder of Evergreen Property Partners, President of the Harvard Real Estate Alumni Organization, Top 10 Family Office Real Estate Professional, and the Founder of the Family Office Real Estate Ins...

After 25 years in IT and a midlife crisis at 45, Jens Nielsen made a decision that changed his life: he was done working for the man. A decade later, he's a general partner in 2,700+ apartments worth $250 million, co-founder of Incrementum Equity Partners, and a Certified High Performance Coach with over 100 clients. In this episode, Jens joins Sam Sells for an honest conversation about the st...

Tom Dunkel has built two 8-figure companies, crashed six, raised over $65 million in private capital, and survived the 2008 financial crisis as a brand-new entrepreneur. He's not here to tell you real estate always goes up. He's here to tell you what actually happens, and how to win anyway. As Managing Director of Eagle Capital Investments, Tom invests alongside his investors in every deal...

What happens when your money becomes programmable, and someone else decides what you can buy, where you can go, and how much meat you're allowed to eat? David Morgan, publisher of The Morgan Report, author of The Silver Manifesto, and creator of the Silver Sunrise documentary, has spent over 40 years warning that the real threat to our wealth isn't a market crash. It's the system itsel...

Mike Collins founded Alumni Ventures at 49. People called him crazy. Now it manages $1.5 billion in assets, has invested in 1,500+ companies including 31 unicorns and 14 IPOs, and is one of the most active VC firms on the planet. In this episode, Mike joins Sam Sells for a deep dive into the venture capital model he built to democratize access for individual investors, why AI represents a super cy...

Dru Wischhover, founder of Inspired Title Group, Inspired Development Group, and Winspire LLC — donates a portion of every single closing his companies do to community causes. His underwriters called him crazy. His colleagues said it wouldn't work. Twenty years later, that "crazy" decision is the foundation of everything he's built. In this deeply personal conversation with Sam S...

Marcy Sagel, founder of MSA Interiors and one of the leading commercial interior designers in multifamily housing with over 30 years of experience, joins Sam Sells for a conversation that goes far beyond aesthetics. Marcy shares how working directly with residents before picking up a pencil changes the outcome of a project. When designers listen first, the result is spaces that actually serve the...

Joey Mure, co-founder of Wealth Without Wall Street and author of "Wealth Without Wall Street: 3 Steps to Freedom Through Passive Income" — joins Sam Sells for a conversation that challenges everything you've been told about retirement and financial security. Joey makes a bold case: the 401(k) was never designed to make you wealthy. It was designed to shift retirement risk from corpo...

Ken Gee brings 26 years of real estate banking and private equity experience to one of the most insightful conversations we've had on The Disruptive Capitalists. Ken shares his journey from commercial lender to private equity investor, the lessons that saved him during the 2008 financial crisis, and why fixed-rate debt and disciplined strategy are the only things standing between you and disas...

48 million Americans had a substance use disorder last year. Most never received care. The waitlists are months long and people are dying before they get a bed. Jay Tobey, founder of North Star Recovery & Wellness, is raising approximately $115 million to acquire behavioral health facilities and add 500 beds to meet this overwhelming demand. His approach: acquire facilities offering detox, res...

David Flores Wilson, former Olympic sprinter, Investopedia Top 100 Financial Advisor, and Managing Partner at Sincerus Advisory — joins Sam Sells to explore the powerful intersection of capitalism and philanthropy. David breaks down how the wealthy strategically give money away while paying less in taxes, introduces his concept of "charitable risk tolerance," and explains why most people...

Joshua Tomeoni joins Sam Sells for an unflinching conversation about what it really means to be a man after everything falls apart. After his divorce shattered his sense of self, Joshua embarked on a journey to rebuild his identity, and now he's helping other men do the same. Together, they challenge society's distorted view of masculinity, expose why the manosphere's definition of suc...

The United States — the world's largest economy — ranks dead last among the top 30 industrialized nations in retirement preparedness. And according to Barry Dyke, that's no accident. Barry Dyke, president of Castle Asset Management and fiduciary advisor with over 40 years of experience, joins the Disruptive Capitalist Podcast to expose the systemic forces quietly destroying the retirement...

What does it take to retire at 44 through real estate — starting with nothing but a W2 job and a willingness to invest? Tony Lopes, CEO of Dirty Boots Capital and bestselling author of  Freedom at Risk , spent nearly two decades in the defense industry before achieving full financial independence through small multifamily real estate. Starting with duplexes, triplexes, and quads, Tony built a port...

Kevelyn Guzman, Regional Vice President at Coldwell Banker Warburg, joins Sam Sells to reveal why the most successful brokerages treat agents as their primary clients, not an afterthought. Kevelyn shares how a people-first approach has transformed agent performance, client outcomes, and organizational culture, while explaining the devastating consequences when trust breaks down during acquisitions...

International bestselling author Robert Rolih joins Sam Sells to expose the hidden fees destroying most investors' portfolios — and share the long-term strategies that actually work. From his journey as a web designer who lost money to bad advice, to his current focus on ETFs, Bitcoin, and AI-driven opportunities, Robert delivers a masterclass in smart, ethical investing. He also predicts a 10...

Jaden Sterling sits down with Sam Sells to share 35 years of hard-earned wisdom from the investment world, and why he's on a mission to disrupt it. Jaden breaks down the misleading nature of overly diversified portfolios and mutual funds, making the case for focused stock investing to maximize returns. He introduces his AI-powered portfolio assistant, now used by 2,500+ investors globally, whi...

He walked out of rehab with nothing and built a business worth nearly 9 figures. Then one delegation mistake brought it all crashing down.  In this raw conversation, Justin Lund gets brutally honest with Sam Sells about his path from addiction recovery to massive entrepreneurial success — and the painful financial crisis that followed when he stopped watching the numbers. Now a coach for growth-st...

Gaming industry veteran Thorsten Unger joins the show to discuss his innovative work at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and ethical business. From eSports agencies finding profitability to Germany's ambitious 2030 coal phase-out, Thorsten shares how he's creating investment opportunities for everyday people in transitioning communities. The conversation covers the complexit...

In this episode, Dionne Payn joins host Sam Sells to discuss innovative approaches to affordable housing and community empowerment. Dionne shares her journey into ethical property development and her commitment to addressing the housing crisis through sustainable investments, including co-living apartments and eco-villages designed to provide affordable housing while generating returns for investo...

Tony Bradshaw joins host Sam Sells to share a bold vision for building wealth with purpose, starting with everyday families and kids. Tony explains why he prioritizes “millionaire plans” for employees and children over traditional business growth, and lays out his idea of a $10,000 trust fund for every child in America to create real, compounding wealth instead of symbolic gestures. Drawing from h...

In this episode,  Zulfiya Forsythe  joins the conversation to unpack what real growth actually looks like, beyond hype, hustle, and expensive coaching programs. She shares candid thoughts on mentorship, questioning high-cost transformations, and the mindset required to pursue financial success while balancing family, time, and real-life responsibilities. Zulfiya brings deep insight from her backgr...

In this inspiring episode, Amanda shares how her journey from financial advisor to global philanthropist reshaped the way she thinks about money, impact, and leadership. She dives into her transformative experiences in Africa with The Hunger Project, revealing how micro-finance especially for women, can spark lasting, sustainable change. Joined by Sam, the conversation explores how capitalism, whe...

In this episode, veteran investment manager Steve Selengut joins the show for a powerful conversation on impact investing, retirement income strategies, and the human side of finance. With decades of experience, Steve challenges conventional Wall Street wisdom by emphasizing cash flow and income generation over traditional portfolio growth metrics. Steve explains why retirees, and anyone planning...

In this episode of T he Disruptive Capitalists Podcast , host Sam Sells welcomes special guest Zach Oehlman , a visionary entrepreneur and founder of the Plan to Heal the World initiative, calling on businesses to donate 20% of their profits to charity. Zach shares his inspiring journey from a finance professional to a purpose-driven business consultant, emphasizing the importance of aligning succ...