People are the Answer

In this episode, Barb and Jeffrey discuss her career and entrepreneurial journeys, starting and growing Dwyer Workforce Development to improve senior care and provide job opportunities, including facilitating a $590 million business acquisition and conversion to non-profit, her passion for helping animals, and much more…

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FdS-rz9okm0

Learn more:

Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker

Producer: Kait Grey

Editor: Nick Case

Recording date: 6/6/23

Barb:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barb-clapp/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barbclapp/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/barbclapp

Dwyer Workforce Development:

Website - https://dwyerworkforcedev.org/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dwyerworkforcedev/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dwyerworkforcedevelopment

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/dwyer-workforce-development/

Bio:

Barb Clapp joined Dwyer Workforce Development as CEO in 2021. In her role, she leads non-profit program development, operations, strategic partnerships, marketing tactics and board development while leveraging past entrepreneurial and non-profit success to develop an immediate and sustainable market presence.

A successful entrepreneur and national business leader, Clapp was the founder and CEO of Clapp Communications, an international communications company that she sold in 2019 with the goal of taking her expertise into the nonprofit world. Barb has received numerous awards for her leadership. Committed to give a voice to the voiceless, Barb shares the Dwyer family’s passion for building stronger communities through workforce development and improving senior care.

In this episode, Renée and Jeffrey discuss her growing up in Mexico City, Venture Capital, AI, Web3, the importance of propping up underserved founders, and much more…

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yKCMLk2vj1Y

Learn more: Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker Producer: Kait Grey Editor: Nick Case

Recording date: 5/31/23

https://www.reneerosillo.com/ https://twitter.com/rerosillo https://www.instagram.com/0xrerosillo/ https://www.joinprism.xyz/ https://www.founderfamilia.com/ https://twitter.com/founderfamilia https://minervarobotics.com/ https://www.beondeck.com/

Bio in Renée’s words: I am an entrepreneur and a technical founder. I specialize in business, technology, art and culture. I live in San Francisco and work as an activist for underrepresented founders.

I co-founded an api engine for open banking solutions in Latin America—an initiative that was widely adopted across the region.

Previously, I worked at the UN managing global youth initiatives and was a delegate at international events. My collection of Latin American art is growing fast; I am building up my portfolio of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) from Latino artists.

In this episode, Lindsay and Jeffrey discuss her early career and how a few different leaps of faith had incredible impact on her career path and world view, her work with early-stage start-ups and helping them engrain impact and good values into their businesses, tackling the racial wealth gap, and much more…

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3WoKZXWQzbw

Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker

Producer: Kait Grey

Editor: Nick Case

Learn more:

Recording date: 5/3/23

https://www.lindsaymsiegel.com/

https://twitter.com/lindsaymsiegel

https://www.companyventures.co/grand-central-tech

Other resources:

http://www.blacksheepinn.com/ Eco-lodge in Ecuador

https://venturebeat.com/enterprise/how-vc-capital-can-create-a-better-more-equitable-future/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/letslevel/

https://www.levelleaders.com/

Bio:

I am working towards systems change.

I’ve spent my career at the intersection of social good, business and technology, notably as an executive coach to startup founders and leading the Zahn Innovation Center at The City College of New York (CUNY). At Company Ventures, I created our  North Star program to support founders to codify their values and purpose, commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and I run our workforce development efforts.

Throughout my career I’ve worked across sectors - corporate, nonprofit, university, government. Early in my career, I managed The Black Sheep Inn, an ecolodge in rural Ecuador, learning the true impact of responsible business.

I’ve earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BS from Northwestern, and I sit on the advisory boards of CUNY Tech Prep and the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership’s MPA program.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

In this episode, Bryan and Jeffrey discuss his experience at ground zero on September 11, his long military career, how he was motivated to do all that he could to bring Americans home at any cost, and much more… Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-Y4a7328ODo Learn more: Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker Producer: Kait Grey Editor: Nick Case Recording date: 5/2/23 https://www.projectdynamo.org/ https://www.instagram.com/projectdynamo/ https://www.facebook.com/ProjectDYNAMOorg/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/projectdynamo/ https://www.youtube.com/@projectdynamo1711 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atfZ2651_Zg&feature=youtu.be - Grey Space Video (Liam Neeson)  Other resources: Veterans Crisis Hotline - 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 Bio: Lieutenant Commander Bryan Stern is an internationally renowned special operations intelligence officer. He is a proven expert in "denied area" operations, hostage rescue, and hostage negotiation. Stern is widely known for his work leading Project DYNAMO conducting on the ground daring rescues behind enemy lines in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Russia. Rescue operations he personally led include: John Spor (LONE STAR), Kirillo (Eddie) Alexandrov (DETROIT LIONS), Terry Gately (RIO GRANDE), Robert Platt (DEVIL) PATHFINDER-Russia, TWIN CITIES, GEMINI 1 (Lenny & Moishe Spektor), and hundreds of others. He has been featured in international mainstream media including CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, BBC, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and the AP. Stern regularly consults on films involving espionage, politics, action, military, law enforcement, and international intrigue.

In this episode, Jai and Jeffrey discuss her growing up in Southern California and finding her way east, the various roles that taught her how to be successful in the communications space, her desire to create positive impact, how she ended up at GTI, and much more…

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZeblxdyNVfM 

Learn more:

Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker

Producer: Kait Grey

Editor: Nick Case

Recording date: 5/18/23

Jai’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/Jaikensey

GTI:

https://www.instagram.com/begoodgreen/

https://www.gtigrows.com/

https://twitter.com/gtigrows

https://www.instagram.com/gtigrows/

https://www.facebook.com/GreenThumbIndustries/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/gtigrows/

Other resources:

Good.green to register for 6/19 DE&I Event

Jai Kensey joined Green Thumb in 2021 as Director of Social Impact. In this role, she leads community outreach efforts in support of the company’s Growing for Good program.

Prior to Green Thumb, Jai was Manager of Development Communications at the American Red Cross, National Headquarters in Washington, DC. Jai has managed and supported various internal and external communications and community relations efforts in the non-profit, government and corporate sectors while working at companies such as Young Communications Group in Los Angeles, California; Publicis Life Brands and Edelman Public Relations in Sydney, Australia; Sprint and Boost Mobile in Irvine, California; and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide in Washington, DC.  

Jai currently serves on the board of Illinois Women in Cannabis, a not-for-profit group created to serve, support, and advance women connected to Illinois’ regulated cannabis industry.  

Jai received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing from Georgia State University.

In this episode, Aloe and Jeffrey discuss Aloe’s relationship with music, what he learned in the corporate world before going into music full time, how artists can create change, his upcoming cause-themed album, his work in biotech, and much more, covering issues like healthcare, criminal justice reform, poverty, and beyond…

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/d4MqLu2WrKc

Learn more:

Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker

Producer: Kait Grey

Editor: Nick Case

Recording date: 5/17/23

Aloe:

https://www.aloeblacc.com/

https://twitter.com/aloeblacc

https://www.instagram.com/aloeblacc/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzZegs5Uz4uhFFPsdQVcC-A

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0id62QV2SZZfvBn9xpmuCl

https://youtu.be/BTTHS1iSWNs - “Free” Music Video

Other resources:

https://www.malarianomore.org/

https://artivistentertainment.com/

Bio:

Raised on salsa, merengue, and cumbia, Blacc fell in love with hip-hop as a kid and started writing rap songs when he was nine. With his lyrics drawing influence from socially conscious artists like KRS-One, he put out his first hip-hop mixtape at age 17. Later developing a fierce admiration for such soul musicians as Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye, he also discovered an affinity for folk-rock singer/songwriters during his college years. “One of the most important factors in my transition from hip-hop to being a singer was listening to people like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, and Cat Stevens,” Blacc says. “Their songs are full of emotion that’s expressed in strong lyrics, and that had a big impact on me.”

After inking a deal with indie label Stones Throw, Blacc released his solo debut Shine Through in 2006 and sophomore album Good Things in 2010. Boosted by the breakout success of “I Need a Dollar” (which was selected as the theme song to HBO’s How To Make it In America), Good Things reached gold status in countries around the world and paved the way for his signing to XIX Recordings/Interscope Records in 2012. Made in collaboration with groundbreaking producers like Pharrell Williams, Lift Your Spirit dropped on New Year’s Day in 2014, debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Album.

Looking back on his musical path so far, Blacc notes that landing a deal with XIX Recordings/Interscope prompted a major moment of reckoning, and led him to re-examine his artistic intentions. “When I signed a major-label contract, I recognized the power of having a larger audience, and I promised myself that I’d use my voice for social change,” he says. And in creating his upcoming album, Blacc has kept focused on making music meant to inspire a positive shift in mindset. “When things happening in the world seem so terrible and dark, it’s so easy to get stuck in all the negative,” he says. “But I try to do whatever I can to help people out of that. I want my music to be the light.”

S6E9 (episode #59): Ibrahima Souare on empowering community entrepreneurs

In this episode, Ibrahima and Jeffrey discuss Ibrahima’s immigration at a young age from Guinea, Africa and navigating his new home, his educational and career journeys, how he helps small businesses, the incredible number of acronyms in the non-profit and government worlds, and much more…

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Qs_Dcfs8Gis 

Learn more:

Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker

Producer: Kait Grey

Editor: Nick Case

Recording date: 4/28/23

NYPACE:

https://www.nypace.org/

https://www.instagram.com/nypacenews/

https://twitter.com/NYPACEnews

https://www.facebook.com/NYPACE

https://www.linkedin.com/company/2890448/

https://www.youtube.com/user/NYPACE

Other resources:

https://www.cityandstateny.com/power-lists/2021/10/2021-new-york-city-40-under-40/185868/

Bio:

Ibrahima Souare is the Executive Director of NYPACE. Previously, Ibrahima worked as a Senior Community Development Officer at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC NYC) where he was responsible for managing a portfolio of programs in economic development, affordable housing, health equity, and financial opportunity across the New York City local market. Ibrahima’s pillar accomplishment while with LISC NYC was the successful launch and management of a small business relief & recovery fund that awarded over $1.1 million in direct grants to 112 minority owned businesses impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, he successfully advocated for funding and managed a network of 16 community-based organizations across New York City to provide ongoing technical assistance and business development support to small, women, and BIPOC owned businesses. Prior to LISC NYC, Ibrahima had served as Assistant Director at LaGuardia Community College’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center, where he supported a number of small businesses to become responsible vendors for government agencies, and before that, he served as Business Development Associate working with MWBEs at New York State’s Chief Economic Development agency, Empire State Development, where he led statewide efforts to increase utilization of MWBEs on procurements opportunities. Within each of his capacities, Ibrahima has intentionally positioned himself to support the launch, growth, and sustainability of small businesses and entrepreneurs access resources.

In 2021, City & State, a renowned multimedia news organization, recognized Ibrahima as one of its distinguished honorees for the NYC 40 Under 40 Rising Stars.

Ibrahima holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Lehman College, and a Master’s degree in public administration from CUNY Baruch College’s Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, where he was a National Urban Fellow.

40:18 - NYPACE

In this episode, Brian and Jeffrey discuss Brian’s growing up as the son of an immigrant, playing soccer, finding his calling to fight the war on drugs, being an advocate and attorney for patients in need, founding a premier law firm, starting businesses, and much more…

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jfCxwHXzY7o

Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker

Producer: Kait Grey

Editor: Nick Case

Learn more:

Recording date: 4/27/23

Vicente LLP:

http://VicenteLLP.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/vicentellp/

https://www.facebook.com/VicenteLLP.Law

https://twitter.com/VicenteLLP

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvC6KYzp_QPLF6lTAfxYlWg

NHCC:

https://nhccouncil.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/nhcc-national-hispanic-cannabis-council/

https://www.instagram.com/nhccouncil/

https://www.facebook.com/nationalhccouncil/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_WLuX-AWye59cVabW2UrXw/featured

Other resources:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/vsstrategies/

https://www.vsstrategies.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/simplifya/

https://www.simplifya.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/leafwire/

https://www.leafwire.com/

https://vicentellp.com/people/brian-vicente/

Brian:

I am a passionate supporter of marijuana reform and have spent the past decade plus helping to create and shape cannabis laws across the US, and working with cannabis entrepreneurs and investors to start and grow compliant and profitable businesses.

As one of the primary authors of Amendment 64 and co-director of its historic campaign, I was an integral part of the team that made Colorado the first geographic area in the world where possession, use, and regulated distribution of marijuana is legal for adults. In 2014 The Guardian (UK) named me "the industry's de facto spokesman," and my unique experience with marijuana policy has created opportunities for me to serve as a formal advisor to local, state, and federal governments, including assisting Uruguay with becoming the first country in the world to fully-regulate the adult marijuana market.

In this episode, Roger and Jeffrey discuss Roger’s career through banking, motivational speaking, and writing financial books–and how that took him to bringing Pickleball to prisons

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3eXBvHynYM0

Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker

Producer: Kait Grey

Editor: Nick Case

Learn more:

Recording date: 4/26/23

Roger:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-belair-80314111/

https://www.facebook.com/belairr/

[email protected]

Conscience VC:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscience-vc/

Bio:

A Pickleball Background Like No Other!

Years ago Roger BelAir was introduced to to Barney McCallum, the only living founder. They quickly became friends and many of the anecdotes and vignettes Roger shares about the game come directly from Barney. Next Roger came to know the managment of Pickle-Ball, Inc., the company formed by the three founders to promote the game. He learned even more “behind the scenes” stories.

As a result, Roger’s clinics are uncopyable! With a style that mixes humor, insights, and proper technique, Roger has taught 2,500+ people … from a former Wimbledon tennis pro to Fortune 500 executives to grandmothers who want to stay active and have fun. He is frequently the Guest Teaching Pro at the renowned Rancho La Puerta (one of the “Five Best Destination Spas in the World” according to Travel + Leisure magazine). He has also taught at the JW Marriott Palm Desert, one of the top ten tennis resorts in the country. 

                                                                    

Inspired by a CBS’s “60 Minutes” segment on crime, Roger envisioned pickleball as a means of teaching “life skills” in prisons. Since most inmates are eventually released, perhaps pickleball could help make them better people … making it safer for all of us once they return to society.

His thinking was correct. He introduced the game to men charged with murder at Chicago’s Cook County Jail and his program was hugely successful. Gang members who wouldn’t even talk to each other were playing pickleball together. Soon they were even laughing together! Disciplinary problems at the jail were reduced.

The success of his program in Chicago led Roger to prisons coast-to-coast, from Rikers Island in New York to Corcoran in California (where Charles Manson served time).  His life-changing efforts have been applauded by NPR, ESPN, and a front-page story in USA TODAY. Even a popular radio station in Dubai found his story newsworthy!

Off the court, Roger is a financial expert who has been profiled in a cover story of Money magazine; an acclaimed author of books on finance and investments; and a keynoter at business conventions around the country. He’s been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and many other publications. 

He knows finance, but pickleball is his passion.

In this episode, Dr. Ziegler and Jeffrey discuss Kortney’s growing up in Compton, his journey as a trans man, getting multiple degrees including the first Northwestern PhD in African American studies, being a software entrepreneur, and much more…

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rDFVbNiMn-c

Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker

Producer: Kait Grey

Editor: Nick Case

Learn more:

Recording date: 4/25/23

Kortney:

http://kortneyrziegler.net/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kortney-ziegler-65885845/

Well-Money:

https://well-money.com/

Ideas 42 Ventures:

https://www.ideas42ventures.com/

Other resources:

http://www.stillblackfilm.org/

https://www.transhack.org/

https://www.fastcompany.com/40517779/now-you-can-help-bail-people-out-of-jail-every-time-you-buy-something

https://www.diablomag.com/people-style/people/40-under-40/article_752da883-d569-575d-a6d3-bdb46f615da9.html

Bio:

Meet Kortney Ziegler, PhD, a serial entrepreneur who develops simple tech solutions that increase financial and social prosperity for users. Before WellMoney, Kortney co-founded a crowdfunding platform – Appolition – that raised over $1 million to pay bail for people who couldn’t afford it. It was named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by FastCompany. In following this success and with the support and investment from the ideas42 Ventures Studio, Kortney launched WellMoney to provide communal financial support for those who need it.

“I’m passionate about using simple but proven technologies for social good.“