Rochester Rising: Recent Episodes
Amanda Leightner
Rochester Rising takes a deep dive into the entrepreneurial community of Rochester, Minnesota and the surrounding geographic region, sharing stories of risk taking and innovation. Although these stories are specific to Minnesotan entrepreneurs, their struggles, successes, and lessons learned are applicable to anyone building a business. Join us and learn more about this city’s emerging innovation culture.
Photos courtesy of Becca Sell and Julio Molina.
Today on the podcast we share the latest in our Dispatches from the Field series, talking with entrepreneurial ecosystem builders to share the work they do to help people start, grow, and scale their business dreams. On today’s show we’re joined by the incredible Becca Sell, a business advisor at Think Bank, and Julio Molina, the owner of MotivateMe Consulting and an ecosystem navigator at Collider. In the conversation today Becca and Julio talk about what it takes to support new and established entrepreneurs in the community, the passion they have for this work, the value of a vibrant small business ecosystem, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Rochester Rising: https://rochesterrising.org/
Collider Foundation: https://www.collider.mn/
Think Bank: https://www.thinkbank.com/
MotiveMe Consulting: https://juliomotivateme.com/
Donate to support Rochester Rising: https://www.4giving.com/donation/1B6D
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen: https://www.claconnect.com/
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Photos courtesy of The TAD Project.
Today we share a conversation from September of this year about mental health and entrepreneurship. This important discussion is led by clinical psychologist Dr. Marissa Alert and features Ben Greiner, founder of The TAD Project, and Jamie Sundsbak of Collider Foundation. Listen in to learn how to make mental health a priority in your life, understand techniques and strategies to maintain mental wellness and find balance, and hear about warning signs and when to seek professional help for yourself or for others in your life. This is a conversation you will not want to miss.
Links from today’s show:
Rochester Rising: https://rochesterrising.org/
Collider Foundation: https://www.collider.mn/
The TAD Project: https://thetadproject.org/
Donate to support Rochester Rising: https://www.4giving.com/donation/1B6D
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen: https://www.claconnect.com/
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Image courtesy of John Sievers.
This week on the podcast we got to chat with John Sievers. John is a father, husband, and trombonist who has a passion for making living music. He is best known for his work with the D’Sievers, a small jazz group in which he plays the trombone. John also wears many other hats, including freelance writing and working as an English college professor. We have a wonderful podcast to share with you today talking more about the D’Sievers, how he started gigging in the community, what keeps bringing him back to this work, and what he thinks it takes to be a successful musician in this community. Tune in to learn more about the journey of this local innovator!
Links from today’s show:
Rochester Rising: https://rochesterrising.org/
Collider Foundation: https://www.collider.mn/
E1 Entrepreneurs First: https://www.entrepreneursfirst.org/about
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen: https://www.claconnect.com/
Donate to support Rochester Rising.
Donate to support Rochester Rising: https://www.4giving.com/donation/1B6D
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Today on the podcast we hear expert advice from Jamie Sundsbak, the Executive Director of Collider Foundation from a webinar held last week focused on productivity and how to sift through all that you have to do and focus on what matters. Listen in today to hear more about his proven productivity workflow, which includes notes, email, and a strong to-do application to help you get more done while not letting your ‘things to do’ dictate your life! This talk was sponsored by Collider Foundation and E1 Entrepreneurs First.
Links from today’s show:
Collider Foundation: https://www.collider.mn/
E1 Entrepreneurs First: https://www.entrepreneursfirst.org/about
Productivity Hacks YouTube original recording: https://youtu.be/t0ZyyDeSs04
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen: https://www.claconnect.com/
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we talk more about some big news that hit Rochester’s entrepreneurial ecosystem this September. This season, our community had three Divisional Winners at the Minnesota Cup, the nation’s largest statewide business pitch competition. Minnesota Cup is a rigorous program that starts each spring and runs through multiple rounds to crown winners across nine different divisions, as well as an overall Grand Prize Winner at the end of the competition in early fall. Competitors receive mentorship, pitch practice, seed funding, and much more as part of their experience at Minnesota Cup. This year, Rochester based startups Shrpa, Canomiks, and Nanodropper each walked away as Divisional Winners in the High Tech, Food/Ag/Beverage, and Student Divisions, respectively. In addition, Nanodropper was named the overall Grand Prize Winner and is the first ever student-led team to win the entire Minnesota Cup! This is a conversation that needed to be shared in our community as we sit down today with co-founders Chris Lukenbill of Shrpa, Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk of Canomiks, and Allisa Song of Nanodropper to hear more about what the Minnesota Cup journey met for themselves and for their teams and why they choose to keep their businesses in the Rochester community.
Links from today’s show:
Minnesota Cup
Website: https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/mn-cup
Facebook: @mncup
Twitter: @MinnesotaCup
Instagram:@minnesotacup
Shrpa
Website: https://shrpa.com/
Facebook: @shrpa.explore.local
Twitter: @explore_shrpa
Instagram: @shrpa.explore.local
Shrpa origin story on Rochester Rising: https://rochesterrising.org/main/meet-rochesters-newest-startup-shrpa
Canomiks
Website: https://www.canomiks.com/
Twitter: @canomiks
Canomiks origin story on Rochester Rising: https://rochesterrising.org/podcast/episode-181-inspirational-collisions-with-leena-pradhan-nabzdyk
Nanodropper
Website:https://nanodropper.com/
Facebook: @nanodropper
Twitter: @nanodropper
Instagram: @nanodropper
Nanodropper origin story on Rochester Rising: https://rochesterrising.org/podcast/episode-193-alissa-and-robbie-with-nanodropper
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast I’m joined by two fellow entrepreneurial ecosystem builders to talk about entrepreneurship, the work of entrepreneurial ecosystem building, and what everyone should know about our small business communities. On the show today we chat with Maddy Fisher, a Lead for Minnesota fellow working with the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), and Sean Williams, entrepreneur and Director of Entrepreneurial Services at Rochester Area Economic Development, Inc. (RAEDI). On the show today we share stories from our entrepreneurial communities, discuss ways everyone can support local businesses, talk about the value of small companies, and much more!
Links from today’s show:
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF)
Website: https://smifoundation.org
Facebook: @smifound
Instagram:@smifound
Rochester Area Economic Development, Inc. (RAEDI)
Website: https://www.raedi.com/
Facebook: @RAEDImn
Twitter: @RAEDIinfo
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we chat with serial entrepreneur Shauna Anderson. This Century High School graduate grew up in a family of business owners and learned the value of hard work at a young age. Shauna has always been interested in business, leadership, and helping others navigate to their fullest potential. In 2014, this starter opened the Rochester-based business MenSalon, a full service spa and salon for men, with her parents Mechelle and Steve. Now, she’s striking out on her own with her mobile coffee business Papa’s Roast & Bakery. Don’t miss this conversation with Shauna today as we talk about running a business with family, building a team, navigating a global pandemic, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
MenSalon
Website: https://mensalonllc.com/
Facebook: @MenSalonLLC
Twitter: @MenSalonLLC
Instagram:mensalon_llc
Papa’s Roast and Bakery
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Papas-Roast-Bakery
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Help us keep Rochester Rising going through our fundraising campaign: https://www.4giving.com/donation/1B6D
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we connect with Rochester based entrepreneur Sarma Singam. Sarma was born in India and was raised in the DC suburbs. He got interested in entrepreneurship during his undergraduate work in biomedical engineering at the University of Cincinnati and created his very first startup in that community. Sarma earned his medical degree in Cincinnati and came to Rochester for a medical fellowship two years ago. Now, he’s building another startup, called Medsyllabus. Still in the development stage, Sarma sees Medsyllabus as a comprehensive way for residents and fellows to learn, collaborate, and network in a socially engaging way. We have a great podcast in store today as this serial entrepreneur shares lessons learned and what tools he’s found to help his entrepreneurial journey in the Rochester ecosystem.
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Donate to keep Rochester Rising going!
This week on the podcast we sit down with local entrepreneur Chris Armstrong to learn more about her business Chris Armstrong Yoga. This Iowa native got introduced to yoga while studying for the Bar Exam. After gifting herself yoga teacher training for her fiftieth birthday, Chris started to gradually build up her yoga therapy business and test the local market. Last fall, she fully moved from a long career in law into being a full time yoga therapist, where she specializes in designing custom sequences and working 1:1 with her clients. Don’t miss out on today’s conversation with this incredible Rochester-based entrepreneur!
Links from today’s show:
Chris Armstrong Yoga
Website: https://www.chrisarmstrongyoga.com
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Help us keep Rochester Rising going through our fundraising campaign: https://www.4giving.com/donation/1B6D
Donate to keep Rochester Rising going! Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we chat with local business owner Matt Arnold of Detour Athletics. This dad of two has been in the fitness industry for fifteen years and is passionate about helping people. Matt opened his current business in 2014 to meet people where they are at with their fitness goals. On the show today, we talk about Detour’s expansion to a larger space at the end of 2019, surviving 2020, using mistakes for positive growth, and more. Don’t miss out on today’s episode to learn more about this local business.
Links from today’s show:
Detour Athletics
Website: https://detourathletics.org
Facebook: @detourathletics
Instagram: @detour_athletics
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Donate to our fundraising campaign to keep Rochester Rising going! Help us keep Rochester Rising going through our fundraising campaign: https://www.4giving.com/donation/1B6D
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast I got to chat with the incredible Betsy Wall of Betsy Wall Photography. This entrepreneur first came to Minnesota to study computer science at Bethel University in Saint Paul, where she also met her husband Pete. While Betsy’s strengths aligned with a career in software engineering, this creative knew she was a people person and she felt isolated sitting in front of a computer all day. After taking engagement photos for her sister-in-law with no prior photography experience, Betsy took on a part time job as an assistant photographer before striking out, full time, on her own. You won’t want to miss out on this engaging conversation today as we talk more about Betsy’s photography business, how she built up a very focused customer base, her move to Rochester seven years ago, and much more!
Links from today’s show:
Betsy Wall Photography
Website: https://www.betsywall.com
Instagram: @betsywallphoto
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Help us keep Rochester Rising going through our fundraising campaign: https://www.4giving.com/donation/1B6D
Donate to keep Rochester Rising going!
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Image courtesy of Rashid Fehmi.
For today’s podcast we sat down with startup financial expert and cofounder Rashid Fehmi. Rashid is the CEO and co-creator of Travel Health and Wellness LLC, a company launched as part of Mayo Clinic’s Employee Entrepreneur Program (EEP), a system that allows Mayo employees to license technology from the organization to start their own businesses. Travel Health and Wellness was one of the first startups to be created through this program. They’ve licensed technology from Mayo for their flagstaff product, a mobile app called My Travel Health. This product leverages the Travel Health and Wellness cofounders' passion for travel; the app centralizes health information for safe travel. Join us as we talk with Rashid about creating this app in the Rochester community, hear what he thinks all entrepreneurs need to keep in mind when starting a side hustle, and much more!
Links from today’s show:
My Travel Health
Website:https://bit.ly/3jORTqg
Facebook: @MyTravelHealth
Instagram: @mytravelhealthapp
Twitter: @MyTravelHealth
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Donate to our tip jar.
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
5:17 Introduction to Rahid
5:48 Rahid’s background and getting to Rochester
8:54 Opportunity gap he saw in the community
15:24 Going through the Mayo Clinic EEP Program
22:01 Options to travelers prior to the My Travel Health App
29:09 Working with Brandhoot to develop the app
32:45 Plans to develop the app for Android devices
34:46 Finding balance between entrepreneurship, life, and work
37:48 Final thoughts and how to find out more about the business
38:55 Conclusions
39:57 End
Photo courtesy of Med City Installation.
Today we launch back into brand new interviews on the podcast, starting with the amazing Darcy Tello, owner of Med City Installation. Darcy worked as a caregiver in the healthcare field for many years before transitioning into a career in flooring installation. In April 2019, she started Med City Installation, a commercial flooring installation company, which is her very first business. Med City Installation is a total family affair. Darcy’s first hires were her fiance and brother. Now, her daughter is learning the flooring business as well. You won’t want to miss out on today’s podcast as this powerhouse business woman talks about how she started her company, why she’s certified as a woman and minority owned business and thinks others should consider it as well, her appreciation for the freedom she gets through running her own business, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Med City Installation
Website:https://www.medcityinstallation.com
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Donate to our tip jar! Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
5:06 Intro to Darcy
5:53 Getting to the Rochester area
6:39 About Med City Installation
8:08 Regions served by the business
9:04 Transitioning from healthcare to flooring
10:58 Starting up the business in Rochester
13:19 The team at Med City Installation
15:11 Getting certified as a woman and minority owned business
20:31 What 2020 was like for the business
22:10 What drives Darcy to be an entrepreneur
24:16 Final thoughts and how to connect with the business
25:32 Conclusions
26:37 End
This week is the final podcast in our summertime rewind series before we get back to brand new interviews! Today on the podcast we go all the way back to podcast episode 64, which originally aired on December 13, 2017 with Dr. Victor Montori, a Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic. When we spoke for this podcast, Dr. Montori had recently self-published his very first book called The Patient Revolution for Careful and Kind Care: Why We Revolt. This manifesto calls for a fundamental change in today’s global healthcare system, advocating for patient care that’s kind, careful, and based on love. Dr. Montori has a deep interest in patient-centered care, working to better understand how to deliver care without disrupting the lives, either by the disease or by the burden of treatment, to his patients. On the podcast today, we talk about his work with The Patient Revolution, an organization that promotes a fundamental change in the way that patient care today is delivered.
Links from today’s show:
The Patient Revolution
Website:https://patientrevolution.org
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Donate to our tip jar! Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
4:42 Introduction to Dr. Montori
5:38 Journey to Rochester
7:06 How he got interested in patient-centered care
10:30 The Patient Revolution
12:37 Dr. Montori’s self published book
15:04 Discussion of key topics in the book
33:20 Why now is the time to start the conversation about a patient revolution
41:46 Reception of the book so far
43:55 Final thoughts and how to connect
44:55 Conclusion
45:56 End
This week on the podcast we take a look back at podcast episode 106, which originally aired on November 7, 2018. During this episode, we travel to the Offices at China Hall for a chat with Bucky Beeman and Peter Andrews. The Offices at China Hall is located in the heart of downtown Rochester. This business is a coworking space that includes a conference room, kitchenette, and six private offices. Listen in to revisit the early days of this business with Bucky and Peter!
Links from today’s show:
Offices at China Hall
Website: https://www.officesatchinahall.com
Facebook:@officesatchinahall
Instagram: @officesatchinahall
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Donate to our tip jar! Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
5:26 Introductions
5:36 About the Rochester entrepreneurial ecosystem
6:36 Offices at China Hall
8:01 Layout of office and coworking space
9:47 Experience at the business
10:53 Need for the business in the community
11:38 Finding a location for the business
13:22 What people can expect from the business
14:19 Personal interest in creating a coworking and private office space
15:21 How to get in touch and learn more about the business
16:03 Conclusions
17:37 End
Welcome to our first podcast of August! For the next few weeks, we are continuing our summertime rewind series taking a look back at some of your favorite podcasts from the last five years of shows at Rochester Rising. Today, we are revisiting podcast episode 119, which originally aired on February 27, 2019. This episode was part of our ‘From the Edge’ series where we talked about trends in entrepreneurship with regional guests. In this episode we chatted with Courtney Bergey Swanson, a Community and Business Development Specialist with Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA) and Nathan Wiedenman, who at the time was a Senior Technology IP Development Manager and is now the Director of the Office of Translation to Practice at Mayo Clinic. We have a really full conversation to share with you today about tech and high growth entrepreneurship, rural entrepreneurship, and building inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems. Don’t miss out on this conversation!
Links from today’s show:
CEDA
Website: https://www.cedausa.com/
Facebook: @cedausa
Twitter: @cedausa
Instagram: @ceda_usa
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Donate to our tip jar! Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
5:20 Introduction to guests
7:48 Reactions to Silicon Valley venture capital model
17:24 Trends in rural entrepreneurship
32:13 Building inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems
49:40 Ending thoughts
50:00 Conclusion
51:06 End
This summer we’re taking a short break from airing new podcasts to revisit some of your most downloaded podcasts over the past 5 years at Rochester Rising. Today we’re sharing the very first episode of our Ecosystem North podcast, aimed at telling the stories of entrepreneurial ecosystem builders. This podcast was hosted by Collider Executive Director Jamie Sundsbak. I was honored to join in the conversation last July 2020 as the very first guest. Listen into the conversation today to learn more about the creation of Rochester Rising and the very early stages of Collider Foundation.
Links from today’s show:
Rochester Rising
Website: https://mnmedicaltechnologies.com
Facebook: @RochesterRising
Instagram: @rochesterrising_mn
Twitter: @RochesterRising
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Donate to our tip jar!
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
4:15 Intro
5:37 Amanda’s background and getting to Rochester
12:43 Falling into biomedical sciences and how that training applied to other careers
15:39 Creation of Rochester Rising
24:33 Recording of 200 podcasts
25:27 Time with the Mayo Clinic Office of Entrepreneurship
30:36 Work at Collider Foundation
33:06 Bright spots during the pandemic
35:00 Vision of the future of entrepreneurship in Rochester
37:35 Final questions
42:03 Conclusion
43:27 End
For the next few weeks we’re taking a break from airing new interviews to revisit some of our most popular podcasts over the five years of Rochester Rising. This week we tune back in to episode 8, which aired on September 7, 2016, where I talked with serial entrepreneurs Jim and Philip Conway, who currently serve as President and Vice President, Production Technologies at MN Medical Technologies in Stewartville. Jim and Philip are brothers from a family with deep entrepreneurial roots. The brothers co-founded Arcon Corporation in 1979 and later founded Rochester Medical Corporation in 1989. Rochester Medical Corporation began by selling silicon folding catheters and silicon male external catheters and was sold to C.R. Bard in 2013. The Conway brothers broke ground with their latest business, MN Medical Technologies, in the Schumann Business Park in Stewartville, Minnesota in October 2015. This company provides a solution for fecal incontinence, a massive global problem.
Links from today’s show:
MN Medical Technologies
Website: https://mnmedicaltechnologies.com
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Donate
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
4:29 About MN Medical Technologies
6:53 Selling of Rochester Medical Corporation and transition to new focus
8:06 Growth of family businesses in Stewartville
9:14 Buildout of new facility in Schumann Business Park
10:31 Journey of these serial entrepreneurs
13:26 History of Rochester Medical Corporation
16:06 The Conway brothers’ passion for entrepreneurship
20:01 Advice for other entrepreneurs
23:43 Conclusions
24:48 End
Right now, we’re taking a small break from airing new interviews to revisit some of the most popular podcasts since the beginning of Rochester Rising in a special Summertime Rewind series. This week, we’re going all the way back to episode 66, which originally aired on January 10, 2018. During this show, I got to visit with local entrepreneur Garret Sorensen to learn more about his business, Mandala Tea. On the podcast today, during which Garret and I were participating in a tea ceremony, we talked more about Mandala Tea, how it developed naturally from Garret’s massage therapy business, how he’s built relationships to source tea, how he’s sustained the business for over thirteen years, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Mandala Tea
Website: https://www.mandalatea.com
Facebook: @MandalaTeaShop
Instagram: @Mandalatea
Twitter: @Mandala_Tea
Our sponsors:
CliftonLarsonAllen
Website: https://www.claconnect.com/
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Donate to our tip jar. Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
4:06 About Mandala Tea
8:42 Types of tea provided by the business
9:53 From plant to product
13:56 About a tea service
20:05 Beginnings of Mandala Tea
21:54 Sourcing tea and developing connections
25:15 Introducing tea into the local market
29:39 Maintaining the business for thirteen years
35:56 The team at Mandala Tea
38:28 The importance of outside perspective and help to sustain a business
40:18 Where to find the business online and in the community
41:43 Future for Mandala Tea
43:38 Conclusions
44:53 End
We’re taking a small break from airing new interviews to share some of the most popular podcasts recorded over the past five years at Rochester Rising. On the show today we're rewinding back to episode 153, which originally aired on November 20, 2019. During this episode I got to sit down with Stefan Madansingh, who was a Research Fellow within the Mayo Clinic Office of Entrepreneurship (OE). The OE works to empower and inspire entrepreneurship within Mayo Clinic through educational programs and community events, such as their biannual pitch competition Walleye Tank. While it’s summer now, when we were recording this conversation it was close to the ‘ice fishing’ edition of Walleye Tank, which takes place in Rochester each December. On the podcast today we talk a lot about this pitch competition, entrepreneurship, and other activities that were taking place in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Links from today’s show:
Mayo Clinic Office of Entrepreneurship
Website: https://mayocl.in/3jOb97F
Walleye Tank
Website: http://www.walleyetank.com/
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
3:26 About the Office of Entrepreneurship
6:11 Internal and external services
9:39 Stefan’s passion for entrepreneurship
11:39 About Walleye Tank
14:30 Why you should apply to or attend this year’s Walleye Tank
17:22 How to apply to the competition or get tickets
18:51 Final questions
25:24 Final thoughts and how to connect
25:58 Conclusion
27:13 End
We’re taking a small break from airing new interviews to share some of the most popular podcasts recorded over the past five years at Rochester Rising. For this episode, we’re going all the way back to episode 25, which originally aired on January 25, 2017. In this show I sat down and talked with Dr. Bruce Levy, CEO and Founder, and Romeo Catracchia, CCO of COVR Medical. COVR Medical is a Rochester based medical device startup formed through the Mayo Clinic’s entrepreneurship program. Their mission is to raise the standard of care for patient privacy and dignity through their medical garments to keep patients covered during surgical procedures. The idea for the business developed from Dr. Levy’s experience as an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic, his frustration with the unnecessary exposure of patients in the operating room, and his desire to create a better solution. Join us today as we talk more about COVR Medical, the team’s entrepreneurial journey, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
COVR Medical
Website: https://covrmedical.com/
Facebook: @COVRMedical
Twitter: @COVRMedical
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
3:32 About COVR
4:30 Problem solved by their products
5:40 How the products work
7:09 How the idea for the business developed
8:36 COVR team
12:57 History of the company
13:55 Experience at the life science business pitch competition Walleye Tank
16:33 Entrepreneurial journey for the COVR team
21:03 Challenges faced along the business journey
22:11 Lessons learned
24:00 Momentum in the Rochester biobusiness startup community
25:32 Resource suggestions for entrepreneurs and final thoughts
33:42 Conclusion
34:44 End
We’re taking a small break from airing new podcasts to share some of the most popular podcasts over the past five years at Rochester Rising. To kick off our ‘Summertime Rewind’ series, we’re taking a look back at podcast episode 154, which aired on November 27, 2019. This was part of a series we did that year called From the Edge, where we talked about trends in entrepreneurship with business owners within the community. During this episode we were joined by Christi Jorde, former owner of Mill House Designs, and Emily Watkins, owner of Rochester Women Magazine. This was one of your favorite episodes of all time on Rochester Rising, so tune in, rewind back in time with us and listen to this conversation about what it’s really like to be an entrepreneur, showing strength and vulnerability, and the shared perspective of being a woman in business.
Links from today’s show:
Rochester Women Magazine
Website: https://rwmagazine.com
Facebook: @RWMagazine
Instagram: @rochesterwomenmag
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Photo courtesy of Emily Watkins.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
4:36 Intro to Emily and Christi
6:10 Trendiness of entrepreneurship versus the reality of business ownership
10:30 Vulnerability and fear plus the excitement of entrepreneurship
13:25 Need for balance and discipline
15:41 Developing the skill to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’
22:06 Taking time for self help
25:44 Self evaluation as a business owner
27:58 Marketing trends on instagram
29:45 Native advertising and decreasing costs to advertisement
33:15 Authentic marketing and storytelling
34:37 Biggest shifts in marketing over the past four years
35:58 Unique print market in Rochester
40:40 Leaning into a women-centric market
42:46 Finding fulfillment
46:05 Collaboration among women
50:14 Need for more diverse spaces
51:33 Final thoughts
54:39 Conclusion
55:27 End
This week on the podcast I’m joined by my teammate at Collider, Jamie, to talk about an upcoming eight week program that’s being run by Collider, called Basics of Entrepreneurship. This course is for individuals with a business idea or those who are already running a business but want to better understand their customers. Participants in this program will also hear from local entrepreneurs and learn how they’ve used tools taught within the program to build their businesses here in the community. Basics of Entrepreneurship will run virtually from July 6th through August 26th. Registration will close on June 28th.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.collider.mn/boe
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
3:58 About Basics of Entrepreneurship
5:16 Who should consider the program
6:37 What people can expect to learn
9:59 Program is for all types of early stage business (and nonprofit) ideas
12:12 Additional value for participants
15:23 How the program has changed in this third edition
18:23 Time expectations with the course
21:22 Success stories from past participants
24:59 Where to learn more and register
26:01 Program offers a constructive and welcoming environment for business growth
27:15 Conclusion
28:07 End
This week on the podcast we chatted with local serial entrepreneur and small business owner Brad Vigesaa at one of his businesses, NerdinOut. Brad started multiple businesses in Rochester with a friend and business partner. The first was NerdinOut, a pop culture store that has two locations, one in Rochester and a new shop in Inver Grove Heights. In 2019, Brad and his business partner started another business, called The Battleground, which is attached to the NerdinOut location in Rochester. The Battleground is a tactical laser tag business that allows for immersive play. Brad is the sole owner of both of these businesses since June 1st this year. On the show today we talk about Brad’s previous job in sales, going ‘all in’ with his businesses, how he found his business partner, lessons learned, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://thebattlegroundmn.com
Facebook: @TheBattlegroundTLT
Instagram: @thebattlegroundmn
Rochester Rising podcast episode 137, Brad Vigesaa + NerdinOut: https://rochesterrising.org/podcast/episode-137-brad-vigesaa-and-nerdinout?rq=Brad%20Vigesaa
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
3:23 Intro to Brad
6:02 How he got to the Rochester community
7:44 About The Battleground
9:48 Customer base
11:48 Local need for this type of business
13:25 Buildout of The Battleground space
14:56 Connecting with the first customers
17:08 2020
19:25 Being “all in” with his businesses
21:11 Finding a business partner
25:15 Lessons learned
27:33 About NerdinOut
29:49 NerdinOut Con
35:12 Passion for being an entrepreneur
36:37 Final thoughts and how to connect with the business
37:49 Conclusion
38:33 End
Today on the podcast we got the opportunity to chat, in-person, with local entrepreneur and artist Stephanie Kuglin. Stephanie is the business owner behind Hilltop Clay, a pottery studio based in Rochester, Minnesota. On this week’s podcast we chat more about Hilltop Clay, Stephanie’s entrepreneurial drive, how she connects with her customer base, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://hilltopclay.com
Facebook: @hilltopclay
Instagram: @hilltopclay
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:38 About Stephanie
8:03 About Hilltop Clay
10:35 Customer segments
12:12 Origin of the business name
12:56 History with art and pottery
16:26 From hobby to business
18:47 Effective ways to connect with customers
22:24 2020
23:14 Upcoming art shows and finding balance
24:47 Rochester art community
28:30 Finding distribution channels
30:15 Where to find Hilltop Clay art locally
30:57 Stephanie’s passion for this type of work
32:38 Involvement of her daughters in the business
33:38 Final thoughts and how to connect with the business
34:19 Conclusion
35:26 End
Photo courtesy of Julie Domaille.
This week on the podcast we chat with local entrepreneur and business woman Julie Domaille. Julie grew up in a small farming community in Iowa. She’s worked within the financial division of General Motors, coached a competitive cheer team, and has been in real estate for twenty years. Today on the podcast we talk about her food business Julie’s Cookie Creations, where she crafts custom boutique cookies and teaches cookie decorating classes within the community. Listen in as we chat about Julie’s journey with entrepreneurship, how she’s intentionally built her company and thought about starting new things, her time on the Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://julies-cookie-creations
Facebook: @juliecookiecreations
Instagram: @juliescookiecreations
Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Photo courtesy of Julie Domaille.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:30 About Julie
3:52 History with baking and art
6:20 About Julie’s Cookie Creations
12:55 Cookie offerings
14:59 Moving from hobby to business
18:24 MN Cottage Food Law
23:00 Knowing what you want from your business
26:07 Food Network Christmas Cookie Challenge
36:49 Problem solving within your business
38:00 Final thoughts and how to connect with the business
40:22 Conclusion
41:18 End
This week on the podcast we connected over Zoom with local entrepreneur Nicholas Molina. Nicholas has worn many hats in the community. He serves as the Vice President and Director of Communications for the Alliance of Chicanos, Hispanics, and Latin Americas (ACHLA). He’s done work with Threshold Arts. He’s teaching himself software development and data science, writing a science fiction series, and building his own business. Last year, Nicholas launched Tînto Communications (‘tînto’ means both ‘ink’ and ‘black coffee’ in Spanish) to fill a need he saw in the community. Now, he’s leveraging his past experiences with communications, graphic design, and videography within the business to help nonprofits and other community based organizations provide communications, especially related to health and other basic needs, in multiple languages. On the podcast today, we talk more about Tînto Communications, how Nicholas’s past experiences contribute to what he’s doing today, his passion for entrepreneurship, and more.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.tintollc.com
Facebook: @tintocomm
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:52 Intro to Nicholas
5:04 Settling into the Rochester community
8:33 About Tînto Communications
15:45 How past experiences and lessons learned contribute to what Nicholas is doing today
26:29 First steps he took to get Tînto Communications off the ground
32:11 Connecting to first customers
37:21 Persevering through the first year of business growth
40:59 His draw to entrepreneurship and business ownership
43:01 Final thoughts and how to connect with the business
47:15 Conclusion
48:15 End
This week on the podcast we chatted with local entrepreneurs Hema Sai Kishore and Mangesh Mane, Founders of Eureka Kids, a childcare center that opened its doors in northwest Rochester in July 2018. Eureka Kids was developed out of a need these entrepreneurs saw in the community for more childcare options, especially ones focused on multiculturalism and diversity. Today on the show we talk with this husband and wife team about how they balance family life with full time jobs at Mayo Clinic and their work at Eureka Kids, the buildout and launch of the childcare center in the community, navigating 2020, what keeps drawing them back to this type of work, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.eurekakidsmn.com
Facebook: @eurekakidsmn
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:42 About Hema and Mangesh
6:32 About Eureka Kids
10:44 S.M.A.R.T.E.R. curriculum
12:40 Unique value factors of the business
17:47 Buildout of Eureka Kids
23:11 Resources and help within the community
24:14 Ages served by the business
24:47 Draw to this type of business
27:11 Involvement of the family in the business
28:30 Balancing Eureka Kids with full time jobs and family
31:13 Life during 2020
32:45 Current state of childcare needs within the community
35:43 Passion for the work
38:03 Final thoughts and how to connect with the business
41:34 Conclusion
42:32 End
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Schuppe
On the Rochester Rising podcast today we got to chat with Jeff Schuppe, Owner and President of Schad Tracy Signs, a commercial sign company that’s been in operation for over forty years and manufactures all of its signs in Oronoco, Minnesota. Today on the show we talked with Jeff about his long history with entrepreneurship, what it was like to purchase an established business in the community, the value he gets from being a business owner, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.schadtracy.com
Facebook: @schadtracysigns
Instagram: @schadtracysigns
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:30 About Jeff
6:10 Lessons learned growing up in a business owning family
10:59 About Schad Tracy Signs
15:43 Geographic customer base
17:34 Expectations of a customer interaction
23:27 Jeff’s experiences with entrepreneurs
38:27 What it looks like to purchase a business
56:37 Jeff’s passion for business ownership
1:07:50 How to connect with Schad Tracy Signs
1:08:52 Conclusions
1:09:43 End
Photo courtesy of Brianna Prudoehl.
This week on the podcast we got to chat, in person, with Brianna Prudoehl, owner of Fox & Fern Floral, a commission-based floral boutique in Rochester, MN. Brianna grew up in the Winona area on her family farm. She always loved art and went to school for graphic design before transitioning her skills into the floral industry. In the podcast today we talk with Brianna about the start of Fox & Fern Floral, resiliency and how she thinks about risk taking, how she views her business in the long term, boundary setting, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.foxandfernfloral.com
Facebook: @foxandfernfloralMDC
Instagram: @fox_fern_floral
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
4:15 Introduction to Brianna
7:42 Long standing interest in art
11:42 About Fox & Fern Floral
14:29 Fox & Fern Floral customer base
16:31 “Falling into” floral work
18:08 Resiliency and not being afraid of failing
19:33 Her personal gardens and greenhouse
20:32 Sourcing flowers for Fox & Fern
26:44 Understanding your customer base
28:39 Long term game for the business
29:22 Passion for the business
31:33 Understanding customer fit
32:06 Cooke Park Design District
33:58 Lessons learned in boundary setting
36:15 Surviving 2020 and being resilient
37:25 People looking outside the box in 2021
39:39 Being in control of your own success or failure
42:55 Final thoughts
46:08 Conclusion
47:09 End
Photo courtesy of Frank Jaskulke.
Today on the podcast we connect with entrepreneurial ecosystem builder Frank Jaskulke. Frank is the VP of Intelligence at Medical Alley Association, a Twin Cities based trade organization for Minnesota’s healthcare and healthtech industry. Medical Alley Association was launched in 1984 on the belief that Medical Alley, the place, which refers to the entire state of Minnesota, is the global epicenter of health innovation and care. Very recently, Medical Alley Association launched Medical Alley Starts, a focused set of services to lower the cost of starting, scaling, and pivoting new healthcare and healthtech ventures in Medical Alley through critical and credible connections. Services for Medical Alley Starts are currently focused on access to capital, connection to talent and suppliers, and a global epicenter campaign to promote the work being done in Medical Alley around the world.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://medicalalley.org/medical-alley-starts
Facebook: @medicalalleyassociation
Twitter: @MedicalAlley
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:33 Introduction to Frank
7:15 About Medical Alley Association
10:00 Importance of storytelling to an ecosystem
12:37 About Medical Alley Starts
17:58 Value of network in the entrepreneurial journey
20:01 How to access Medical Alley Starts
20:54 Team behind Medical Alley Starts
24:02 Connectivity within the entrepreneurial ecosystem
27:52 Draw to this type of work
29:48 Stories everyone should know from Medical Alley
32:33 Final thoughts and how to connect with Medical Alley Starts
34:40 Conclusion
35:29 End
Photo courtesy of Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research (HACER)
Esta semana en el podcast nos acompañan Tania Piñeiroy Juan Pablo Higueracon HACER (Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research), una organización sin fines de lucro con sede en Saint Paul que trabaja para dar a las comunidades LatinX una voz en la creación de políticas públicas y los procesos de toma de decisiones. Hoy en el programa hablamos sobre la próxima edición de Creando Ando, un programa gratuito de 8 semanas dedicado a ayudar a los aspirantes a emprendedores latinx en el sur de Minnesota a hacer realidad sus sueños de negocio. En el programa de hoy sobre Creando Ando, hablaremos sobre la población a la que está dedicada este programa, las lecciones aprendidas de la primera edición del programa en 2020 y mucho más.
Links from today’s show:
HACER webpage: https://hacer-mn.org
Photo courtesy of Bryan Wattier.
On the podcast this week we chat with local entrepreneur Bryan Wattier, owner of MegaWatt Entertainment. Bryan is a native of South Dakota who moved to the Rochester area in the late 1990s to work at Mayo Clinic. Now, he balances his job at a telehealth respiratory startup with his own business, amongst many other things, which we dive into on today’s podcast. In 2018, Bryan launched MegaWatt Entertainment in the community to bring people together through gaming. This mobile business is a luxury video gaming experience, run out of a thirty foot long trailer, that brings the party to you. We have a great conversation to share with you today as we chat about how the idea for MegaWatt Entertainment developed, how Bryan’s past experiences contribute to what he’s doing today, how a cancer diagnosis prompted him to launch his business and live life with no regrets, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.megawattgametrailer.com
Facebook: @MegaWATTEntertainmentMN
Instagram: @megawattentertainment
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:06 Introduction to Bryan
5:04 Background in respiratory therapy
6:41 Starting to think about a mobile business
11:07 Bringing people together through gaming
12:45 Bryan’s interests aligning through technology, facilitation, and connection to people
15:49 Leadership and manifestation of energy
17:28 His experience as a jazz musician
20:41 About MegaWatt
32:19 Starting a mobile business in Rochester
33:46 Finding balance
37:42 Impact of COVID on the business
40:25 His passion for the business and being an entrepreneur
42:29 Final thoughts and how to connect with MegaWatt Entertainment
44:17 Conclusion
45:16 End
Photo courtesy of Dr. Abby Splittstoeser.
Today on the podcast we connect with local business woman Dr. Abby Splittstoeser, co-owner and co-founder of Rochester Chiropractic & Wellness. Dr. Abby is a native of St. Cloud, Minnesota and met her business partner, Dr. Beth McVey, while in chiropractic school. In 2012, this pair of women purchased a pre-existing business in Rochester, transforming it into what is now Rochester Chiropractic & Wellness. Today we have a great conversation to share with Dr. Abby, talking more about her business, how to find a co-founder, what it’s like to purchase a business, connecting with your customer base, growing your team, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://rochestermnchiro.com
Facebook: @RochesterChiropracticWellness
Instagram: @rochesterchiro, @dr.abbysplitts
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:37 About Dr. Abby
4:16 Growing up locally and getting to the Rochester community
4:59 How she originally became interested in chiropractic care
7:48 About Rochester Chiropractic & Wellness
8:48 Finding a co-founder
12:12 Dealing with the ‘nay-sayers’
13:56 Legal agreements for the business partnership
14:52 Purchasing a pre-existing chiropractic business in Rochester
16:30 How to purchase a business
18:29 Challenges of becoming a new business owner
20:21 Connecting with your customer base
24:20 Navigating COVID
28:23 Scaling to a team of six
32:30 Goals for 2021
33:40 Her passion and drive to be an entrepreneur
36:58 Final thoughts and how to connect with the business
38:28 Conclusion
39:20 End
On the podcast this week we got to chat with emerging entrepreneur Boonmee McElroy, founder of Above & Beyond Coaching. Boonmee grew up in a small village in Thailand, which she left by herself at the age of twelve to pursue her education and break out of cycles she was seeing in her community. In the conversation today, Boonmee shares how she was introduced to life coaching, which allowed her to see how her own blind spots were keeping her from reaching her full potential. Now, this innovator is leveraging years of experience as a life coach, social worker, and mental health counselor to launch her own business, Above & Beyond Coaching. Join us for this conversation with Boonmee as she shares how she’s trusted her instinct and feels that now is the right time to give back to others with her new business.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.aboveandbeyondcoachingllc.com/
Facebook: @passionatecoaching
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
3:13 Introduction to Boonmee
4:50 Growing up in Thailand
6:00 Journey from Thailand to Rochester
12:17 Not waiting for just the “right moment” to get started
12:56 How past experiences are contributing to her emerging business
18:50 Launching Above & Beyond Coaching
21:32 What to expect when working with a life coach
24:34 Listening to her intuition
28:42 Connecting with customers
30:09 Opportunities in 2021
33:42 Final questions
37:48 How to connect with the business
39:14 Conclusions
40:25 End
This week on the show we chat with the mother and daughter team of Ginger and Kennis Knapp with Ama La Vita. Ama La Vita, which means “love life” in Italian, is a boutique located on Highway 52 in Rochester, Minnesota. The shop was originally named Blades to Ballet, operating as a sports wear and dance shop, which Ginger purchased in 2008. During the COVID shutdowns last year, this family owned business renovated their retail space and opened their doors later that year as Ama La Vita, focusing on women’s fashion, home decor, dance, and ice skating. On the show today we talk with Ginger and Kennis more about their business, the rebranding, what it’s like to operate a family owned business, and much more!
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.shopamalavita.com/
Facebook: @shopamalavita
Instagram: @shop_amalavita
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
4:15 Introductions to Ginger and Kennis
6:58 Connections to Rochester
7:50 About Ama La Vita
9:38 From Blades to Ballet to Ama La Vita
16:40 Rebranding
18:26 Getting into retail
20:11 Working together as a family
21:56 How to connect to customers on social media
25:21 2021
30:20 Passion for the work
33:03 How to connect with Ama La Vita
34:06 Wrap up
34:52 End
On the podcast this week we chat with entrepreneur and new Rochester resident Sen Wang. Sen was born and raised in China, where he studied acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. In 2010, he moved to Portland, Oregon where he worked and learned from a business mentor before relocating to Eugene, Oregon to start his own business, Symmetry Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs, in 2015. This past March, right at the start of pandemic fueled shutdowns in Minnesota, Sen moved himself and his business to the Rochester community, where his wife was already living and working. This September, he reopened his business in northeast Rochester. On the show today we talk with Sen about traditional Chinese medicine, we chat about this journey as an entrepreneur, and understand what his experience was like to re-launch a business in a new community in the middle of a global pandemic.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.symmetrytcm.com/
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Photo: Photo by marilyna, licensed through Canva.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
3:20 Sen’s background, interests, and hobbies
7:18 How his original interest developed in traditional Chinese medicine
8:29 Basics of traditional Chinese medicine
11:00 Specific focus on the patient
13:09 Learning from his business mentor in Portland
15:42 Move to Eugene and the launch of his own business
17:11 Re-locating his business to Rochester in the middle of a pandemic
18:18 Rochester market compared to Eugene
19:35 Increasing awareness of the business in Rochester
22:20 Physical location near Silver Lake
23:58 Looking forward to connecting with others this year
24:56 Passion for the work
28:09 Final questions
30:59 Where to find more about Symmetry Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs
31:38 Conclusion
32:31 End
On the podcast this week we chat with Jamie Sundsbak, Interim Executive Director of Collider. Collider is a Rochester based nonprofit that supports early stage entrepreneurs and is our sister organization! On the show today we talk about how the original concept of Collider developed, how the organization has changed over time, and navigating the COVID pandemic. We also discuss new opportunities for Collider in 2021, including the opening of a second coworking location within the Mayo Clinic Business Accelerator in partnership with Rochester Area Economic Development, Inc., and the welcoming of the newest Collider coworking tenant, Google.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.collider.mn
Facebook: @collidermn
Instagram: @collider_mn
Twitter: @collider_mn
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
4:54 Helping to grow Rochester’s entrepreneurial community
6:12 Original concept for Collider
10:29 The entrepreneurial bug and assessing risk
15:23 How Collider has changed over time
17:49 Transitioning Collider into a nonprofit organization
20:50 How Collider assists entrepreneurs
23:00 Navigating COVID
29:04 Highlights from the past year of work
33:53 Welcoming Google as the newest coworking tenant
39:36 Opportunities in 2021
42:35 How to build community
48:14 Where to find Collider online and in person
49:32 Conclusions
50:15 End
Photo courtesy of Brandon Hendrickson.
On today’s show we got to sit down and chat with Brandon Hendrickson, local entrepreneur and founder of Science is WEIRD. Originally from Milwaukee, Brandon has spent time in Arizona and most recently Washington state before moving with his family to Rochester last summer. Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD, he actually avoided science classes up through college and cut his teeth teaching within the homeschooling community in Seattle, where he got to experiment and figure out how to make subjects fascinating to kids. What started out as a Facebook post offering virtual lessons during spring break last year has transitioned into what is now Science is WEIRD, an online learning platform to teach the basics of science in a way that Brandon did not feel he had growing up. Each Science is WEIRD session starts with a riddle and allows kids to work together toward the answer, as a “giant throbbing brain.” The conversation today with Brandon is so engaging as we chatted about the value of experimentation, the adventure of entrepreneurship and getting “ridiculously excited” about what you’re doing, the value of community, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.scienceisweird.com/
Facebook: @scienceisweird
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
4:05 Recording a podcast during one of the biggest blizzards in Minnesota this season
5:45 Brandon’s background
9:17 Active avoidance of science classes growing up
16:16 How to best connect with education
18:42 Cutting his teeth in teaching in the Seattle homeschooling scene
21:42 Moving to Rochester
23:05 Start of Science is WEIRD
23:05 Opening up possibilities through learning
28:48 Goal to create more curriculum
34:22 Different offerings through Science is WEIRD for kids and adults
37:02 SAT tutoring
42:41 The value of experimentation
44:18 Goal to have kids experience science as an adventure
49:58 The adventure (and suffering) of entrepreneurship
52:39 The value of community
1:00:50 Where to connect online with Science is WEIRD
1:04:00 Conclusion
Photo courtesy of Annie Balow.
On the podcast this week we talk with Annie Balow, owner of ThaiPop, a Thai food micro-restaurant based in Rochester, MN. A native of Thailand, Annie moved to Rochester with her husband Ryan in 2012. While in her home country, she worked as a medical laboratory scientist. However, when Annie moved to this community, she really missed the food she was used to having at home. So she decided to learn how to cook Thai food herself, something that she did not have much experience doing prior to living in the US. She taught herself to cook through experimentation and got so good that in 2015 she started doing pop-ups at Forager Brewing to share her Thai food with the community. In 2019, Annie, and her growing business ThaiPop, moved into a more permanent location at Marrow, at chef-in-residency program at the then Grand Rounds Brewing location. Join us today as we talk more about Annie’s journey with food and with her business ThaiPop.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://thaipopmn.com/
Facebook: @ThaiPopMN
Instagram: @thaipopmn
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
3:30 Annie’s background and love for cooking and learning about new cultures through food
6:41 Desire to learn to cook Thai food to feel closer to home
12:38 Thai Pop pre-pandemic and now
16:03 Transitioning from medicine to following her love for food
19:20 Starting with pop-up Thai tasting menus at Forager Brewing
23:29 Moving to chef-in-residency program at Marrow
27:11 ThaiPop during the pandemic
31:49 Introducing Thai food to the Rochester community
33:37 Overwhelmed by the support given by this community
34:44 Tips for running a business with a spouse
37:42 Finding happiness when people experience her food
39:43 Plans for ThaiPop in 2021
42:06 Final questions
47:03 End
This week on the podcast we got to chat with Chef Eman Abdulmuaty and her daughter Dina Abo Sheasha of SETO Bakery. Chef Eman was a customer service representative at a bank in Qatar until just a few months ago, but she always had a dream to open a bakery in the US. This September, she moved to Rochester to be closer to her two daughters and son and started the process to launch her business, SETO Bakery, in the community. Translating to “grandma” in Arabic, the business is named in deference to Chef Eman’s mother, who was a keystone in their family unit. SETO Bakery serves up a variety of sweets like baklava, apple pie, mediterrean cookies, and a syrupy sweet cake, called basbousa. After launching the business around the holidays out of her kitchen, Chef Eman has spent the last few months interacting with customers and sharing her passion for baking with the community.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://myseto.com
Facebook: @SETOBAKERY
Instagram: @SETO
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:30 Chef Eman’s dream to open a bakery in the US
5:56 Self taught baking
8:06 Prior work at a bank in Qatar
9:31 SETO namesake
11:36 Allowing people to taste other types of cuisine
16:15 Trying to keep the food as fresh as possible
17:44 Launch of SETO Bakery in the community
20:04 Cottage Food
21:47 Interactions with customers
25:19 Role of family in the business
30:03 Reception by the community
32:07 Next steps for the business
34:24 Why Chef Eman is passionate about this business
36:24 Closing remarks
42:11 Conclusion
Photo courtesy of Amarilys Henderson.
On the podcast this week we chat with local creative Amarilys Henderson. This entrepreneur was born in Puerto Rico but has lived all over the US and the world from Dallas, to DC, to Savannah, and China before moving to Rochester with her family. Amarilys has always had an interest in art, spurred by her love for Disney movies. In the conversation today we talk about her journey with art, including time spent with animation, illustration, print design, surface design, and painting, the evolution of her watercolor devotionals, and her brand new book coming out this spring.
Links from today’s show:
Website: https://www.watercolordevo.com/
Facebook: @WatercolorDevo
Instagram: @watercolordevo
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
3:00 About Amarilys
6:23 The many places she’s lived throughout her life
10:00 Getting started in art
17:20 Making creativity a career and building revenue streams
26:54 Teaching
32:18 New book to be released this spring
35:37 Emotional investments in writing and teaching
42:20 Where to find her books
43:11 Interactions with book readers
44:15 Final questions: mindset and traditions
57:00 Conclusion
Photo courtesy of Tricia Piepho, Hello Media
This week on the podcast we chat with local entrepreneur and business owner Tricia Piepho of Hello Media. Hello Media is a boutique social media, marketing, and brand agency that launched in the community two years ago. The company works collaboratively with small businesses through organic and paid social media marketing strategies and visual brand development and design. This business woman started her journey with entrepreneurship at a very young age; she grew up with small business owning parents and bought into her first company, a dance studio, at the age of nineteen. Tune in for this conversation today with Tricia to learn how she launched her current business while starting her own family, hear her lessons learned in risk taking and trusting your instincts, understand how she’s built culture with a virtual team, and much more.
Links from today’s show:
Hello Media website: https://www.hellomediamn.com/
Facebook: @hellomediamn
Instagram: @_hellomedia
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
3:12 Tricia as a business owner, wife, and mom of two young girls
5:09 Introduction to business ownership at a young age
6:49 Education as a maturation process
8:18 Having parents as business owners and risk acceptance
9:23 About Hello Media
10:58 Gaps to fill in the local business community
12:41 Getting a return on investment with social media marketing
14:40 Launching the business while starting a family
18:39 Flexibility and charting your own path in life
20:41 Hello Media target market
22:50 Maintaining brand voice
25:14 Online networking
26:47 Power of a good social media engagement strategy
28:40 The team at Hello Media
30:05 Building culture with a virtual team
31:40 Rebranding of the business in 2020
35:57 What to think about when considering a rebrand
37:56 Impact of the pandemic on the business
40:17 Zoom fatigue and the future of in-person networking events
41:22 Final Questions
47:38 Conclusion and wrapup
Photos courtesy of Levi Sauerbrei and Eve Mayer.
This week on the podcast we chat with the husband and wife team of Eve Mayer and Levi Sauerbrei with Diversity Crew. While Diversity Crew is a completely virtual business, Eve and Levi share their time between Dallas, Texas and Rochester. Diversity Crew launched during the summer of 2020 as an equal consortium of partners focused on diversity and inclusion. The business works with both large and small companies to understand their current diversity and inclusion efforts and develop ways to improve these processes and keep these efforts moving forward. On the show today we chat more about Diversity Crew, learn the history of how and why the business was developed, who Diversity Crew serves, and ways to examine diversity and inclusion efforts within your own company. You can also join Diversity Crew at their upcoming (and entirely free) virtual event “The ROI of DEI” taking place this Thursday.
Links from today’s show:
Diversity Crew: https://diversitycrew.com/
Facebook: @diversitycrew2020
“The ROI of DEI” event registration: https://diversitycrew.com/roiofdei/
Eve on Twitter: @EveMayerMedia
Levi on Twitter: @NerdButler
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
5:14 About Levi and Eve and their journey with entrepreneurship
11:08 Dealing with imposter syndrome and there’s no “secret sauce” to entrepreneurship
13:23 No “one size fits all” method or model to entrepreneurship
16:19 Nerd Butler
19:05 Choosing your team and delegating tasks
23:07 Ties to the Rochester community
27:28 Eve’s passion for building company culture and the launch of Diversity Crew
35:31 Expanding the view of diversity, inclusion, and equity
38:03 The ideal client for Diversity Crew
40:41 Hyper-transparent pricing
42:33 Focus of efforts for upcoming year
45:47 Partners at Diversity Crew
48:05 Launch of the company this summer
52:50 How to approach your own diversity and inclusion efforts
58:18 Final thoughts
59:42 End
On the first, brand-new podcast of 2021, we sit down with Rochester resident Bethany Morrisey, Program Director of Just for Kix Rochester. Just for Kix was launched over thirty-five years ago by Minnesota entrepreneurs Cindy and Steve Clough in Brainerd. Today, the business has 200+ locations, united through the mission “to change lives, one dancer at a time.” On the show today, we have a really full and fun conversation with Bethany (who was voted the Best Just for Kix Director in 2020). We chat about Bethany’s transition from nuclear medicine to the role of Program Director at Just for Kix Rochester, learn more about how she grew her location’s customer base from 67 to over 737 students, understand how she’s found numerous homes for the business over the past ten years, chat about how she sets goals to achieve, hear her passion to help kids take their best journey in life through dance, plus much more.
Links from today’s show:
Just for Kix: https://www.justforkix.com/danceclasses/rochester-mn/
Facebook: @rochestermnjfk
Instagram: @jfkrochester
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
5:57 How Bethany first got involved with dance and left a career in nuclear medicine
10:20 Soaking up dance “like a sponge”
11:30 Background of Just for Kix as an organization
13:40 Age of kids served by Just for Kix
17:48 Growing the customer base at Just for Kix Rochester
20:10 Responsibilities as Program Director
22:54 Multiple Just for Kix locations in the area
25:21 Decision process in navigating her career change
28:25 Making the right choices for her family
29:58 Appreciating the full potential of the business to serve kids in Rochester
31:43 Priorities when first starting in her role
34:25 Past tenant of our storytelling space
36:15 Finding the Just for Kix current location on South Broadway
40:31 Strategies to grow the customer base
45:03 Dancers themselves as the best form of advertisement
45:59 Impact of COVID on the business
53:19 Continuing to provide a safe environment for the mental health and wellbeing of kids
56:05 Her passion to do this work and helping kids recognize their best journey in life
59:39 Final questions
Before we launch into our first brand new podcast of 2021, we wanted to take a look back at some of your favorite episodes from this past year. While 2020 was in many ways a devastating and distanced time, we still had many impactful conversations with entrepreneurs in the community. These went from in-person in the beginning of the year, to completely virtual in the middle months, moving to socially distanced and masked conversations for the last bit of 2020. These top episodes could not be more different. They span a range of industry starting with a conversation with Dr. Tim Nelson of ReGen Theranostics, to David Ollila, an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder in Flint, Michigan, to Vy Thorng, owner of the independent store Hidden World Vinyl Records, to the husband and wife co-founding team of Dan and Natalie Slagle with Fyooz Financial Planning. While the clips you’ll hear on this podcast are just snippets of these past conversations, I hope they offer each of you something that you need to hear today, as you look towards the new year.
Links from today’s show:
- Episode 171: Tim Nelson and ReGen Theranostics- https://rochesterrising.org/podcast/episode-171-tim-nelson-and-regen-theranostics
- Episode 166: David Ollila and 100K Ideas- https://rochesterrising.org/podcast/episode-166-david-ollila-and-100k-ideas-flint-mi?rq=david%20ollila
- Episode 163: Vy Thorng and Hidden World Vinyl Records- https://rochesterrising.org/podcast/episode-163-vy-thorng-and-hidden-world-vinyl-records?rq=vy
- Episode 159: Dan and Natalie Slagle with Fyooz Financial Planning- https://rochesterrising.org/podcast/episode-159-dan-and-natalie-slagle-with-fyooz-financial-planning-services?rq=fyooz
Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
5:45 Dr. Tim Nelson and ReGen Theranostics
12:12 David Ollila and entrepreneurial ecosystem building
23:27 Vy Thorng and Hidden World Vinyl Records
37:06 Dan and Natalie Slagle and Fyooz Financial Planning
50:34 Closing Remarks
For the last podcast of 2020, we want to introduce you to the final new Collider team member, Sara-Louise Henry. This Rochester native was drawn to the role of an Ecosystem Navigator with Collider to empower entrepreneurially-minded women and to help people recognize their full potential as innovators, especially those who have experienced disproportionate access to resources. Tune in today to hear more of Sara-Louise’s story and learn more about how her role as an Ecosystem Navigator could help you find just the right business resource in the community.
Links from today’s show:
Sara-Louise’s email: sara-louise@collider.mn
Collider’s Ecosystem Navigator Program: https://www.collider.mn/connect-with-our-navigators
Ambient House Productions: https://www.ambienthouseproductions.com/
Rochester Downtown Alliance: https://www.downtownrochestermn.com/
Collider’s Basics of Entrepreneurship Program: https://www.collider.mn/boe
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
4:21 Introduction to Sara-Louise
5:21 Sara-Louise’s role as an Ecosystem Navigator
6:02 What a typical interaction with an Ecosystem Navigator looks like
7:07 Perspective and insight from growing up in the community
7:42 Barriers facing women in business
8:33 Desire to “pour backing to the community” with role
9:10 Passion to connect and meet new people
9:41 Giving entrepreneurs hope
10:18 Assisting those with disproportionate access to resources
10:53 To women listening: you are already entrepreneurs at heart
12:03 Conclusion
16:11 End
This week on the podcast we introduce you to another new team member at Collider, Ecosystem Navigator Kristopher Derwin Loving, Senior. Kristopher moved to Rochester from Chicago six years ago. He’s a family man who’s also a minister and sports official. He has experience in the nonprofit sector in Rochester and also is on his own entrepreneurial journey in the community. Kristopher is primarily serving the Black business community in his role as an Ecosystem Navigator, functioning as a listener and connector to link entrepreneurs to the person, education, or organization they need most for their business. Kristopher’s role is part of a two year pilot program to lower barriers to entrepreneurship in Rochester through the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Audio for this podcast was recorded in collaboration with Ambient House Productions through a ‘Keep it Local’ Grant Collider was awarded from the Rochester Downtown Alliance.
Tune in today to learn more about this brand new resource in the community and how it can help move your business forward.
Links from today’s show:
Kristopher’s email: kris@collider.mn
Collider’s Ecosystem Navigator Program: https://www.collider.mn/connect-with-our-navigators
Ambient House Productions: https://www.ambienthouseproductions.com/
Rochester Downtown Alliance: https://www.downtownrochestermn.com/
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
6:58 Introduction to Kristopher and his role as an Ecosystem Navigator
8:53 Serving as a connector in the business community
10:20 Kristopher’s desire to “pay it forward” to other entrepreneurs
11:42 Kristopher’s transition to the Rochester area six years ago
14:15 Tapping into local business resources
16:16 How Kristopher can relate to those he is serving
18:40 Personal goals and success for the program
21:14 Encouragement to other Black entrepreneurs in the community
22:32 End
Over the three weeks remaining in 2020, we want to introduce you to the newest members of the Collider team, the Ecosystem Navigators. These passionate individuals offer valuable, confidential services in the community to help Rochester business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs connect to the right business resource at the right time to accelerate their entrepreneurial progress. We start out by sharing the story of Collider Ecosystem Navigator Julio Molina. Julio, a native of Ojinaga, Chihuahua, moved to the Rochester area when he was ten-years old. Passionate about learning and his family, Julio is growing a business himself and wants to help others pursue their business dreams. Join us today in this first of three conversations to learn more about these passionate individuals and understand why they are driven to serve.
Audio from Julio’s interview was recorded through a collaboration with Ambient House Productions. Ambient House is producing this interview in video format as well to help share Julio’s story. This effort is made possible through a “Keep it Local” grant Collider was awarded from the Rochester Downtown Alliance.
Links from today’s show:
Julio’s email: julio@collider.mn
Collider’s Ecosystem Navigator Program: https://www.collider.mn/connect-with-our-navigators
Ambient House Productions: https://www.ambienthouseproductions.com/
Rochester Downtown Alliance: https://www.downtownrochestermn.com/
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
5:47 Introduction to Julio’s role as a Navigator
6:50 Julio’s interests and background
7:09 How he originally got interested in the Navigator role
7:35 Julio’s move to Rochester at the age of 10
8:12 The dream of owning his own business and what drives him to help others
8:36 Opportunities in Rochester
8:52 Being a “helper”
9:25 How Julio can add value to other entrepreneurs
10:26 Barriers in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem
10:55 What success looks like in the Navigator role
11:17 A normal day in the life of an Ecosystem Navigator
11:52 The joy in meeting new people
12:28 Believe in yourself
14:07 End
This week on the podcast we got to record at Roca Climbing & Fitness with owners Karen and Jeremy Schaar. Roca is an indoor rock climbing facility (and more) in northwest Rochester. The business will celebrate its five year anniversary on December 15th. On the show today we talk with Karen and Jeremy about their passion for climbing and community, the risks they took along their entrepreneurial journey, and how they are navigating 2020. Today’s conversation is so important for the community to understand the experience of small business during the COVID pandemic, especially a business such as Roca, which will have had its doors closed to the public for at least four months by the end of the year. Tune in today to hear more about these entrepreneurs and how they are giving back to the local community.
Links from today’s show:
Roca Climbing and Fitness
Website: https://www.climbroca.com/
Facebook: @rocaclimbingandfitness
Instagram: @climbroca
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
4:10 Introduction to Jeremy and Karen
9:16 Taking big risks in life, plus kids and climbing
12:52 How Jeremy’s past business experience help to accelerate their process
16:40 Importance of leverage your resources
20:10 Amenities at the climbing facility
25:10 Social community of rock climbing
27:20 Building the Roca facility
32:40 Giving back to the community
36:40 Yoga for breast cancer patients and survivors
44:25 Impact of COVID on the business
54:50 Final thoughts
58:30 End
Photo courtesy of Tawonda Burks.
On the show this week we got to chat with Rochester resident and serial entrepreneur Tawonda Burks. Tawonda owns and operates the local consulting firm Elocina, which specializes in startup business assistance, especially for minority owned companies. Don’t miss out on this conversation with Tawonda today to learn more about her business, gaps she observed in the local community that needed to be filled, and trends she’s seeing in the local startup ecosystem.
Links from today’s show:
Elocina
Website: https://www.elocina.com/
Facebook: @elocinabusiness
Instagram: @elocinabusiness
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:20 Intro to Tawonda and how she got to Rochester
4:01 About Elocina
7:18 What a typical interaction with Elocina looks like
9:39 Elocina client base
9:54 Startup education and resource gaps in the local community
11:48 Finding balance
15:16 Closed mouths don’t get fed
17:49 Post-pandemic business trends
20:29 Need to simplify language in contracts
23:16 What motivates Tawonda
25:11 How to say “no” to a potential client
27:57 Closing remarks
On the podcast today we break down the latest WE Forum that took place in the community last week. WE Forums are a grassroots program run by a collaboration between the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, RAEDI, and Collider to support local women entrepreneurs. At the latest panel discussion, we heard how local experts Shari Mukherjee of Spiced up Mom, Tiffany Alexandria of Choochoo-ca-Chew, and Beth Fynbo of Busy Baby used social media to grow their customer base and converted that base to sales. Tune in for our breakdown of this impactful conversation and takeaway some key points you can apply to your business.
Please also check out the YouTube video from the WE Forum to catch the full conversation with these ladies: https://youtu.be/iI7qeJxE8Fo
Links from today’s show:
Spiced Up Mom
Instagram: @spicedupmom
Facebook: @spicedupmom
Choochoo-ca-Chew
Instagram: @choochoocachew
Facebook: @choochoocachew
Busy Baby LLC
Instagram: @busybabymat
Facebook: @busybabymat
WE Forum
Facebook: @weforumrochmn
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:22 WE Forum intro to how to use social media to grow your customer base
5:53 Growing your base with Instagram stories
8:57 Using collaborations to increase your social media following
10:36 When and how to use a professional to manage your social media
15:58 The responsibility of using social media as a voice
18:02 The danger in trying to do too many things at once
18:46 Scheduling and frequency of posts
22:37 Content is not free and knowing your worth
24:02 Balancing posting with engagement
24:56 Creating more personal engagement
25:57 Best practices when starting a brand new social media account
27:08 How to use hashtags
27:58 Conclusions
It has been an amazing 4 years and 200 episodes worth of storytelling at Rochester Rising. To celebrate this milestone, we've invited some friends over, virtually, to share with you why storytelling is so important for the Rochester entrepreneurial ecosystem. Please join us for this celebration in our special video edition of the podcast. You can also tune in on our website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and on our YouTube channel.
And a big thank you all of the entrepreneurs who trusted us to share their stories over the years.
Join us on the podcast today as we are visited by Kenneth Ngah of Program or Die, Dean and Jayne Bredlau of The Greensted, Chris Lukenbill of Shrpa, Allisa Song of @Nanodropper, and Jackie and Ryan Steiner of UNRAVELED Escape Room.
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Today on the show we got to connect with local entrepreneur and Maryland native Cathy Sell. Cathy is a dental hygienist turned graphic designer who has always had a love for art. This innovator doubled down on this passion in 2017 when she launched her business Pink Sheep Designs when she was in her mid-30s. Join us for an engaging and educational conversation today as Cathy shares how she grew Pink Sheep Designs from the ground up, transitioned from free to paying customers, built and sharpened her skill set, and learned excellent time management skills from Ironman training.
Links from today’s show:
Pink Sheep Designs: https://pinksheepdesigns.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PinkSheep-Designs-112411353662684
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
1:59 How this dental hygienist turned back to her love of art in her mid-30s
6:13 How she cut her teeth designing medals, posters, shirts, and swag for free
12:10 Balancing the vision of the customer with intentional design
14:02 Key tools and processes during the early stages of Pink Sheep Designs
16:27 Building and sharpening her graphic and web design skills
19:15 How to build up your support network
22:28 Being able to share this experience with her girls
24:34 How she always wanted to work for herself but got cold feet about the process
27:36 Setting costs for design services
29:16 Transitioning and modifying processes to move from free to paying customers
33:52 How a year training for an Ironman was key for her time management skills
39:52 How COVID has impacted business and the need for more ecommerce
41:56 Final questions and thoughts
50:31 End
Other links from today’s podcast:
Southeast Minnesota SCORE- https://seminnesota.score.org/
Skillshare- https://www.skillshare.com/
Design Cuts- https://www.designcuts.com/
Rochester Rising survey- https://airtable.com/shr9xqxwNtPIvVXbM
On the podcast this week we got to chat with local entrepreneur Hannah Eidem, Owner of Damsel and Fox. This Lawrence, Kansas native and current Rochester resident launched her online business three years ago, creating handcrafted leather earrings. Today, Hannah is evolving the business to be a space that’s comforting and motivational for women and aims to use her love of writing to elevate other boutique owners through her business blog. Tune in today to learn more about this entrepreneur’s journey, how she grew her business by word of mouth, and her vision for 2021.
Links from today’s show:
Damsel and Fox: https://damselandfox.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Damsel-and-Fox-LLC-513645815729767
Instagram: @damselandfoxshop
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:40 Interview intro
3:25 The Kansas native, entrepreneur, and mom of three that loves to read and write
6:38 Vision, mission, and products offered by Damsel and Fox
9:35 How the business launched from a Pinterest-inspired DIY gift
12:08 Growing the business by word of mouth, vendor shows, and networking groups
16:58 Focus on relationship building with boutique owners
19:14 Growing a customer base and directly interacting with the customer
22:43 Celebration of three years of business
24:19 How Damsel and Fox has evolved over the years
28:26 Balancing working from home with living at home
32:37 Lessons learned about self through entrepreneurship
34:27 Focusing on your passions and how Hannah’s joy for entrepreneurship evolved over time
37:16 Cultivating balance between family and business
42:01 Move toward a motivation platform in 2021
44:55 Final thoughts
45:49 End
This week on the show we got to sit down and chat with local entrepreneur and business owner Jenyce Habibovic of Sweet House Bakery. This Stewartville native grew up around her grandparents’ restaurant and had a love for art, creativity, and baking from a young age. She turned her baking into a hobby with the creation of her son’s first birthday cake and only grew from there. When Jenyce got an opportunity to open up her first brick and mortar location for the bakery this June, she quickly took it, setting up shop within the new Pasquale’s Express on 2nd Street. Tune in today to listen to the conversation with this local entrepreneur to learn more about innovation taking place all around us in Rochester, MN and to understand how Sweet House Bakery grew from a kitchen to its new space in the community.
Links from today’s show:
Sweet House Bakery: https://sweethousebakery.org/
Facebook: @choosehappy.eatcake
Instagram: @sweethousebakery2018
Minnesota Cottage Food Law: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/food-feed/cottage-food-producer-registration
Pasquale’s Express Pizza: https://pnpizza.com/
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
3:39 Growing up in Stewartville with restaurant-owning grandparents
5:53 Turning a baking hobby into a business with her son’s first birthday cake
8:06 Kids give brutally honest customer feedback
9:04 The start of the business from a home kitchen and Minnesota Cottage Food Law
12:31 The value this community places on small business
13:25 Growing the business by word of mouth
15:22 Opening of a brick and mortar location in Pasquale’s Express Pizza this June
16:47 Assessing financial risk and the need to be financially smart
17:32 Scaling the business from one to a team of five
19:22 What to expect from a visit to the bakery
21:40 Bakery hours
22:18 A typical day in the life of a bakery business owner
24:22 Making a decision to open a brick and mortar location in 30 days
26:20 How to accommodate people’s risk acceptance during a pandemic
28:32 What motivates Jenyce as an entrepreneur
29:44 Final thoughts and where to find Sweet House Bakery
36:39 End
On the podcast this week we listen in to the latest Women Entrepreneur (WE) Forum, talking business resources and other supports for Rochester businesses. Tune in this week as I get to join Christine Beech, Executive Director of the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies as we lead this discussion with other women in business in the community.
Links from today’s podcast:
Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies: https://www.smumn.edu/about/institutes-affiliates/kabara-institute-for-entrepreneurial-studies
RAEDI: http://www.raedi.com/
Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce: https://www.rochestermnchamber.com/
WE Forum #rochmn: https://www.facebook.com/weforumrochmn
Video recording of today’s panel discussion: https://youtu.be/1IGXAr8KdE4
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
3:18 Intro to WE Forum, partners, and panel speakers
5:16 Focus of the conversation on what’s missing, what’s out there, and what’s next
6:24 Connections and networking resources for idea stage businesses
9:44 Education for idea stage businesses
13:36 Incubators and business pitch competitions
17:34 Funding and certifications for idea stage businesses
20:54 Diverse and inclusive business resources
23:21 Scaling stage business resources
31:43 End
Today on the podcast I got to chat with some entrepreneurial ecosystem building friends to discuss more about entrepreneurial ecosystems and how they work to support innovators in our communities. Today we connect with Christine Beech, the Executive Director of the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, Garret Lieffring, a Fellow with Lead for Minnesota working for Mankato-based Greenseam, and Jamie Sundsbak, Interim Executive Director at Collider. This September, we all virtually joined in with over 800 entrepreneurial ecosystem builders across the US at the virtual ESHIP summit, which is hosted by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Tune into the podcast today as we break down lessons learned and excitement gained from this conference experience to help us all better serve entrepreneurs within our communities.
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
5:07 Intro to our assembled group
7:28 Systemic impacts of racism in entrepreneurial ecosystems and affirmation of the work being done in SE MN
8:44 Christine’s panel discussion at ESHIP about the private/public initiative Launch Minnesota and the role of states in supporting entrepreneurship
10:35 Removing barriers to entrepreneurship through public libraries
11:31 The role of government to connect regional communities and the value of grassroots leadership
13:13 ESHIP as a “church of entrepreneurship” and the resultant excitement and momentum after an ESHIP conference
15:44 Value offered by rural entrepreneurs
16:34 Growth of entrepreneurship during times of economic downturn and the movement of knowledge through an ecosystem
18:12 Making room for new ways of doing
18:44 Leveraging networks and collaborating across startup communities
20:16 Entrepreneurial ecosystem building versus traditional economic development
21:04 Difference between a virtual versus an in-person ESHIP experience
24:19 Validation of hard problems across the field of ecosystem building
25:54 The ease of connection with other ecosystem builders enabled by a virtual conference setting
29:16 Professionalization of the field of ecosystem building
33:23 The role of ecosystem builders to unlock talent and connect entrepreneurs to resources
35:17 The value of thinking on a systems level
36:03 Teaching miners to code in Pikeville, Kentucky and exploring “majors” for entrepreneurial ecosystems
47:36 The importance of regional connectivity to leverage assets
48:43 Wrapup and final thoughts
52:40 End
Other links from today’s show:
ESHIP: https://www.kauffman.org/eship-summit/
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: https://www.kauffman.org/
Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies: https://www.smumn.edu/about/institutes-affiliates/kabara-institute-for-entrepreneurial-studies
Lead for Minnesota: https://www.leadforminnesota.org/
GreenSeam: https://greenseam.org/
The Startup Community Way: https://startupcw.com/
Forward Cities: https://forwardcities.org/
Keystone Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/the-keystone/
The Unsung Heroes of Ecosystem Building: https://ecosystembuilderhub.com/the-unsung-heroes-of-ecosystem-building/
Bit Source: https://bitsourceky.com/
SOAR: https://www.soar-ky.org/
Launch Minnesota: https://mn.gov/launchmn/
Photo courtesy of Sister Seekers. From left to right: Marie Neher, Donna Magitbay, and Diane Anderson.
Today on the podcast we got to Zoom chat with local innovators Diane Anderson, Donna Magitbay, and Marie Neher of Sister Seekers. Sister Seekers launched in 2018 to improve the world through teaching, healing, retreats, space clearing, and ceremony. On the show today we chat about the building of Sister Seekers from the ground up, the importance of a good team, how Sister Seekers has navigated the current global health pandemic, and what these entrepreneurs are looking forward to in 2020. Tune in for this wonderful conversation today to learn more about this local business.
Links from today’s podcast:
Sister Seekers:
Website:https://www.sisterseekers.net/
Facebook:@sisterseekers
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
You can also catch today’s episode on our YouTube channel:
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
2:42 Intro to Diane, Donna, and Marie
6:11 Mission and Vision of Sister Seekers
9:26 Sister Seekers Services
12:43 How these entrepreneurs originally met
18:14 The value of team
20:32 Building Sister Seekers from the ground up
30:40 Navigating COVID-19
34:52 The most rewarding part of the work
37:26 Goals for the rest for 2020
40:24 Wrap up and final thoughts
47:46 Where to final Sister Seekers on the web
49:01 End
Other links from today’s show:
Hermitage Farm: https://hermitagefarm.org/
A Beautiful Soul: http://beautifulsoulgifts.com/index.html
Rochester Women Magazine: https://www.rwmagazine.com/
Photos courtesy of Nanodropper.
Today on the show we sit down with two members of the local startup Nanodropper, CEO Allisa Song and Marketing Manager Robbie Spencer. Nanodropper develops value-based solutions to close health equity gaps and is named after their first product, the Nanodropper. This flagship innovation is a direct to patient eyedrop adaptor for medical bottles that reduces the size of eyedrops delivered to the eye to minimize solution waste and reduce prescription cost to the patient. On today’s podcast we chat with Allisa and Robbie about their start as entrepreneurs, how Nanodropper got its initial funding through student pitch competitions, recent exciting steps for the company, shared love of dogs, and much more. Tune in today for this engaging conversation.
Links from today’s podcast:
Nanodropper:
Website: https://nanodropper.com
Facebook: @nanodropper
Twitter: @nanodropper
Instagram: @nanodropper
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Photo courtesy of CASP Technologies.
On the podcast this week we talk with local students Anjali Donthi and Sarah Bulur of CASP Technologies. Along with their friends Caitlin McWilliams and Payton Maas, these innovators came together as part of the global Technovation challenge to create their first product, Operational Serenity. The girls intend this mobile application to serve eight to fifteen-year-old pediatric surgery patients. The app helps to reduce anxiety and stress associated with surgery prep by providing a clear visualization of the surgery procedure. Tune in today as Anjali and Sarah talk about their process to create the app, their progress through Technovation, and what it was like to get to the final round of the 2020 Minnesota Cup.
Links from today’s podcast:
CASP Technologies/Operation Serenity
Website:https://opserenityapp.wixsite.com/casptechnologies
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CASP-Technologies-107089940946645
Instagram: @operationserentiy
Other Links:
Technovation: https://www.technovation.org/
Technovation[MN]: https://technovationmn.org/
Minnesota Cup: https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/mn-cup
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Our Podcast:
Subscribe and like us wherever you listen in to your audio content!
You can find us on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rochester-rising/id1135305723?mt=2
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ikxL2wdmI67DOqBl8FvM2?si=JXQ4Q5C5RvC05CljsB803g
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL7qErj0NfmmgVngwozoEFWGwajTc98V3
Today on the podcast we join our colleagues at Entrepreneurs First (E1) for their most recent Tech Talk. E1 is a partnership of Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESOs) across southeastern Minnesota to provide connected support for tech entrepreneurs in the region. They host a monthly E1 Tech Talk to provide inspiration and conversation around tech-based business. This month, the group hosted local entrepreneur Scott Schwalbe, CEO and Cofounder of NimbeLink. Nimbelink is an IoT cellular solutions company that connects people, products, and things to the internet. On the podcast today, Scott talks about his transition from corporate leadership to what he calls reluctant entrepreneurship, what it was like to grow his company from one to twenty-five employees, the value of mentorship and advice from other entrepreneurs, conversations you should have with potential cofounders, and more.
Links from today’s podcast:
NimbeLink
Website:https://nimbelink.com/
Facebook: @nimbelink
Twitter: @NimbeLink
Entrepreneurs First
Website: https://www.entrepreneursfirst.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/E1-Entrepreneurs-First-SE-MN-114533650274704/
Twitter: @E1Entrepreneurs
Other Links:
E1 Tech Talk with Scott Schwalbe YouTube video: https://youtu.be/a_R1Dl_n9_o
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Our Podcast:
Subscribe and like us wherever you listen in to your audio content!
You can find us on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rochester-rising/id1135305723?mt=2
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ikxL2wdmI67DOqBl8FvM2?si=JXQ4Q5C5RvC05CljsB803g
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL7qErj0NfmmgVngwozoEFWGwajTc98V3
On the show today we sat down with local entrepreneur Katrina Pulham. Katrina and her husband are owners of Air Insanity, an indoor trampoline park in Rochester that just celebrated its two-year anniversary this July. A native of Kasson, MN, Katrina also spent time in both Texas and North Carolina. She started her career in banking and finance, but took multiple different paths along her journey, including a stint building race cars and teaching archery to women. On the podcast today, we chat with Katrina about Air Insanity and the second business she’s building with her family. We discuss how the business navigated the 3.5 month shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic and what the process has been like to reopen mid-June. Join us for this great discussion today to hear the story of this local business.
Links from today’s podcast:
Air Insanity
Website:https://airinsanity.com/
Facebook: @airinsanity
Instagram: @airinsanity
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Our Podcast:
Subscribe and like us wherever you listen in to your audio content!
You can find us on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rochester-rising/id1135305723?mt=2
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ikxL2wdmI67DOqBl8FvM2?si=JXQ4Q5C5RvC05CljsB803g
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL7qErj0NfmmgVngwozoEFWGwajTc98V3
Today on the podcast link up with the Entrepreneurs First (E1) Collaborative for their most recent E1 Tech Talk. The E1 Collaborative is a partnership of 15 different organizations across southeastern Minnesota to provide programming and support and to enhance regional connectivity for tech entrepreneurs. This initiative is supported by funding through Launch Minnesota. As an E1 Partner, I got the opportunity to moderate this Tech Talk with guest David Russick. David is a serial entrepreneur who got his start in the waste management industry before founding the local investment group Gopher Angels. On the show today we talk with David about his start in entrepreneurship and transition into investing, the launch of Gopher Angels, and what ingredients he thinks it takes to be an investable company. Be sure to tune in today for this conversation.
Join E1 for their next E1 Tech Talk on August 27th at 2PM with NimbeLink CEO Scott Schwalbe.
Links from today’s podcast:
Gopher Angels
Website:https://gopherangels.com/
Twitter: @gopherangels
Entrepreneurs First (E1):
Website: https://www.redwingignite.org/entrepreneursfirst
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/E1-Entrepreneurs-First-SE-MN-114533650274704
Video of this E1 Tech Talk with David Russick on the E1 Entrepreneurs First YouTube Page: https://youtu.be/6A8aacvIXms
Link to next E1 Tech Talk (on August 27th): https://www.facebook.com/events/611780419484125?acontext=%7B%22source%22%3A5%2C%22action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22page%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22main_list%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%22%5C%22[]%5C%22%22%7D]%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D
Other Links:
NimbeLink: https://nimbelink.com/
Collider’s Ecosystem Navigator Contract Positions: https://www.collider.mn/news/2020/8/3/part-time-ecosystem-navigator-contract-positions
Launch Minnesota: https://mn.gov/launchmn/
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Our Podcast:
Subscribe and like us wherever you listen in to your audio content!
You can find us on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rochester-rising/id1135305723?mt=2
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ikxL2wdmI67DOqBl8FvM2?si=JXQ4Q5C5RvC05CljsB803g
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL7qErj0NfmmgVngwozoEFWGwajTc98V3
Today on the podcast we link up two local female venture capitalists, Mary Grove of Bread & Butter Ventures and Pam York of Capita3. This is an episode you don’t want to miss. On the show today we talk about Pam and Mary’s journey as venture capitalists, learn more about their investment firms, understand what they look for in a portfolio company, and much more. Tune in today for an impactful conversation for anyone looking to learn more about the venture capital space from some key local leaders.
Links from today’s podcast:
Bread & Butter Ventures:
Website:https://www.breadandbutterventures.com/
Twitter: @Bread_ButterVC
Capita3:
Website: https://www.capita3.com/
Twitter: @Capita3vc
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Photo was taken from a screen shot of this E1 Tech Talk from the E1 Entrepreneurs First YouTube channel.
Today on the podcast we link up with the E1 (Entrepreneurs First) Partnership for the E1 Tech Talks. This monthly series, hosted by E1, shares stories of tech entrepreneurship within southeastern Minnesota. E1 is a partnership between fifteen different stakeholders across southeastern Minnesota to enhance regional connectivity and leverage multiple assets to support tech entrepreneurs. On the podcast today, we listen in to an E1 Tech Talk that took place in late June with local entrepreneur Tammy Lee. Tammy is the Founder and CEO of Xena Therapies, a Red Wing, MN company that develops, acquires, and licenses new medical technology products. On the podcast today, we listen in as Tammy shares her journey through her start in journalism, time with the airline industry, run for Congress, and her eventual landing in the biotech scene.
Links from today’s podcast:
Xena Therapies:
Website:https://xenatherapies.com/
E1 (Entrepreneurs First) Partnership:
Website: https://www.redwingignite.org/entrepreneursfirst
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/E1-Entrepreneurs-First-SE-MN-114533650274704
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Join us today for the latest in our Inspirational Collisions series with Ahmed Makkawy and Anthony Kinyanjui of Quizzem. This series shares the stories of how and why entrepreneurs are building their business in Rochester and leaves the listener with some actionable advice they can apply to their personal or professional lives. Tune in today to learn more about Ahmed and Anthony’s journey as entrepreneurs, understand how they’ve been building the Quizzem educational app in Rochester, learn gaps and assets they see in the Rochester entrepreneurial ecosystem, hear strategies they’ve used to build their personal networks, and much more. Don’t miss out on this engaging and inspiring conversation.
Links from today’s podcast:
Quizzem:
Website:https://quizzem.app/
Facebook: @quizzemapp
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library
This week on the podcast sit down with Executive Director Rodolfo Gutierrez and Communications and Outreach Specialist Anna Bjorge of Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research (HACER). Today on the show we chat about COVID-19 and the disproportionate impact it’s having amongst Minnesota’s Latino population. We also discuss resources for Hispanic small businesses to assist during these times as well as ways to maintain personal wellness. Join us today for the show (which is half in English, half in Spanish) and listen in to this meaningful conversation.
Links from today’s podcast:
HACER:
Website:https://hacer-mn.org/
Facebook: @HacerMNResearch
Twitter: @hacer_research
Instagram: @hacerminnesota
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we get to listen in to a great conversation with Brett Bohl with E1 Tech Talks. E1 Tech Talks is a series created to share knowledge and inspiration for tech entrepreneurs. E1 (or Entrepreneurs First) is a collective of fifteen organizations in southeastern Minnesota to facilitate increased connections within the entrepreneurial ecosystem to help accelerate entrepreneurship. On this E1 Tech Talk, the community connected with guest Brett Bohl. Brett is the Founder and Managing Director of The Syndicate Fund, is an entrepreneur himself, and serves as Managing Director of the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator, amongst many other hats he wears. Join us for this discussion today to learn more about Brett’s journey and passion for entrepreneurship, to better understand how an accelerator works, and to learn his thoughts on fundraising and team building.
Links from today’s podcast:
E1 (Entrepreneurs First) Partnership:
Website: https://www.redwingignite.org/entrepreneursfirst
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/E1-Entrepreneurs-First-SE-MN-114533650274704
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast chat with local entrepreneurs Ginny Smith and Ann Marie Jahn. Ginny is a Rochester native and the owner of the retail business Ginny’s Fine Fabrics. Ann Marie is a business consultant who first came to the city to work at Mayo Clinic, but ended up falling in love with the region and staying in the community. On the show today we talk with Ginny about the 44 years she’s been in business with Ginny’s Fine Fabrics and how her passion to identify and choose beautiful quality fabrics and inspiration from her mother fueled her path. We also chat about lessons learned and a new transition to ecommerce, which Ann has been instrumental in for the business, and other adaptations during the coronavirus pandemic. Join us today for an inspiring conversation.
Links from today’s podcast:
Ginny’s Fine Fabrics
Website: https://ginnysfinefabrics.com/
Facebook: @GinnysFineFabrics
Instagram: @ginnysfinefabrics
Ann Marie Jahn
Website: https://ann-marie-creates.github.io/
Facebook: @t.i.yourself
Instagram: @tailorityourself
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we listen in to our very first “Inspirational Collisions” discussion with Rochester entrepreneur Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk. “Inspirational Collisions” was born out of a need to hear the real stories of Rochester entrepreneurs and to understand how and why they are building their business in Rochester. At the end of each talk, we also leave the listener with some tangible takeaway they can apply to their personal or professional life. Join us today for this motivating discussion with Leena. Leena is the CEO and Founder of Canomiks, a biotech startup that “makes food as medicine a reality.” Today on the show Leena talks about Canomiks, her entrepreneurial journey, and how she’s bringing her business from Boston to our city.
Links from today’s podcast:
Canomiks:
Website: https://www.canomiks.com/
Facebook: @canomiks
Twitter: @canomiks
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast sit down with local entrepreneur and small business owner Danni Trester of Trester Tailor. This business is located on Broadway and specializes in a range of alterations on men’s and women’s clothing. On today’s show we hear how Danni originally got interested in the tailoring business and lessons learned from her first three years of operation. We also talk about her brand-new video tutorial series “Tailor It Yourself” that she recently launched to share her tailoring knowledge.
Links from today’s podcast:
Trester Tailor:
Website: https://www.trestertailor.com/
Facebook: @trestertailor
Instagram: @trestertailor
Tailor It Yourself:
Website: https://www.tailorityourself.com
Facebook: @t.i.yourself
Instagram: @tailorityourself
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Lisa’s photo was captured as a screen shot from the E1 Tech Talk zoom webinar.
This week on the podcast we listen in to the very first E1 Tech Talk featuring Lisa Lavin, CEO of Omcare. This ongoing series is meant to share knowledge and inspiration around tech entrepreneurship. These talks are hosted by the E1 (Entrepreneurs First) Initiative, which is an ecosystem to enhance regional connectivity among builders and stakeholders across an eleven-county region in southeastern Minnesota. Join us on the podcast today as we listen in to this recent zoom webinar to learn more from local entrepreneur Lisa Lavin. Lisa’s company Omcare is a digital health firm that extends the reach of caregivers and redefines medication adherence. On the podcast today, we listen in as Lisa talks about her journey as a serial entrepreneur, lessons learned about perseverance and grit, the value of intentional leadership and much more.
Links from today’s podcast:
Omcare:
Website: https://omcare.com/
Twitter: @Omcare_health
E1 Partnership: https://www.redwingignite.org/entrepreneursfirst
E1 Tech Talk with Tammy Lee: https://www.facebook.com/events/263271008247041/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22search_results%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22search%22%7D]%7D
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we chat with General Manager Trevor McCarthy and Founder Matt Little of Midwest Hemp Farms and The CBD Centers. Together Midwest Hemp Farms and The CBD Centers create a fully vertical business to take hemp plants from “seed to shelf.” The business started out as an indoor hemp farm in Waseca in 2018 and expanded to the retail market in 2019 with The CBD Centers stores. Now, there are seven different CBD Center locations, including two in Rochester. On the podcast today with chat with Trevor and Matt about hemp and CBD, educational barriers they’re facing, and how the business has pivoted to meet needs of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Links from today’s podcast:
The CBD Centers
Website: https://www.thecbdcenters.com/
Facebook: @thecbdcenterrochester
Instagram: @the_cbd_centers_of_rochester
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we chat with Tania Eden-Piñeiro and Juan Pablo Higuera with HACER (Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment thru Research). HACER, founded in 1988, is the only Latino research nonprofit in the Midwest. HACER designs and develops programs that help people thrive in Minnesota, with initiatives focused around education, empowerment, health, leadership, and entrepreneurship. On the show today we chat about HACER and why Tania and Juan Pablo were drawn to this mission. We also talk about HACER’s upcoming pilot program in Rochester, called Creando Ando. This program, which will run in June and July of this year, is meant to instill self-confidence and entrepreneurial thinking in Latino entrepreneurs through design thinking methodology. Individuals interesting in participating in this free program should fill out HACER’s survey by June 19th. As a Rochester Rising podcast first, today’s show is recorded both in Spanish and English. Take some time to listen in and learn more about entrepreneurial activity taking place in Rochester.
Links from today’s podcast:
HACER
Website: https://hacer-mn.org/
Creando Ando survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEj5lRghrRFHU2y9eMu98Ij-68XBMnGNfvMDz5Mv-L1vKMcQ/viewform
Tania’s email: tania@hacer-mn.org
Juan Pablo’s email: juan.pablo@hacer-mn.org
Facebook: @HacerMNResearch
Twitter: @hacerreserach
Instagram: @hacerminnesota
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we got to chat with Courtney Dugstad, Interim Executive Director at Next Chapter Ministries. Courtney is a native of Byron, Minnesota and lived in Honduras for a decade before moving back to Rochester to work with Next Chapter Ministries. Next Chapter Ministries has been in the community for twenty years serving families impacted by the cycle of incarceration. On the show today we talk with Courtney about resiliency, grit, entrepreneurship, and skills development and how the organization has evolved over the last twenty years while retaining a focus on relationships.
Links from today’s podcast:
Next Chapter Ministries
Website: http://nextchapterrochester.org/
Facebook: @NextChapterRochester
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
On the podcast this week we got to chat with Manasseh Kambaki, Founder and President of Hope Fuse. Hope Fuse is a local nonprofit organization that was “founded to explore and address solutions to the crippling impact of generational poverty in the lives of at-risk youth and overall youth in Rochester, Minnesota.” Hope Fuse is the manifestation of something Manasseh felt he was called to do and is his way to give back to the community to mentor kids and develop leaders. On the show today we chat about Manasseh’s youth, where he was driven to play basketball at a high level, and his journey from New England to Minnesota. We also talk about how he’s been using this time of isolation to reflect on what’s of most value in his personal life and to fine-tune his plan for Hope Fuse.
Links from today’s podcast:
Hope Fuse
Website: https://hopefuse.com/
Facebook: @HopeFuse
Twitter: @FuseHope
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Today on the podcast we chat with Jamie Sundsbak, Director of Operations at Collider, about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Rochester. We recorded this podcast in the very beginning of March, when the corona virus and the impact it could have on our community was not fully on our radar. However, the discussion today highlights how far this community has come and the creative innovations that have been or are currently being developed within this city, offering hope of what will be written in the community’s next chapter.
Links from today’s podcast:
Collider
Website: https://www.collider.mn/
Social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Today on the podcast we chat with Joe Sriver, one of the founders of the Minnesota-based emerging business 4giving. 4giving has created a single platform to help nonprofits and businesses launch fundraising campaigns with just a few clicks of a button to get their fundraisers started and promoted to their networks from a single platform. 4giving has no service charges and is currently covering all credit card processing fees associated with fundraisers on their platform to support nonprofits and small businesses as they navigate the COVID-19 crisis. Today on the podcast we talk with Joe about origins of 4giving and the challenges they are currently facing. We also chat about Joe’s entrepreneurial journey (he was the first UI designer at Google and founded the Rochester startup DoApp) and learn what motivates him to innovate.
Links from today’s podcast:
4giving
Website: https://www.4giving.com/
Social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Today on the podcast we listen in to the latest 1 Million Cups Rochester (virtual) meetup. This month the community welcomed local entrepreneur Nate Nordstrom to talk about the web-based application RochStrong. RochStrong is a collaboration between Rochester-based BrandHoot and Collider Foundation to provide one, quick solution to help spread and amplify ways to support local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The app launched on March 20th to share ways to eat, shop, donate, and “do” to support Rochester businesses. Listen in to the podcast today to learn the backstory of the app and current challenges it’s facing to support the community. Join us next month at 1 Million Cups Rochester on May 6th as we hear from Roasted Bliss and TerraLoco.
Links from today’s podcast:
RochStrong
Website: https://rochstrong.com/
1 Million Cups Rochester
Website: https://www.1millioncups.com/rochester
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Today on the show we sit down with Dr. Tim Nelson, a researcher and physician at Mayo Clinic specializing in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). HLHS is a severe congenital disease where infants are born without the left side of the heart and require three open-heart surgeries to survive. Dr. Nelson is also a founder at Rochester-based biotech firm ReGen Theranostics, which manufactures induced pluripotent stem cells in a reproducible manner. ReGen was one of the first tenants in the Minnesota BioBusiness Center and now is located on 41st Street NW. Currently, ReGen is in the final stages of preclinical testing and hopes to offer the first clinical trial of bioengineered cardiac tissues in 2021. On the podcast today we talk about Dr. Nelson’s journey with ReGen and his biomedical research, including local resources key to the company’s success.
Links from today’s podcast:
ReGen Theranostics
Website: https://regentheranostics.com/
Cause2Cure Podcast
Website: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cause2cure/id1489215831
NIH Stem Cell Information
Website: https://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/5.htm
Collider Donation Campaign:
Website: https://www.4giving.com/C2C3
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we listen in to a Zoom discussion from the Collider Online Collision Series, a virtual series of discussions covering topics impacting our entrepreneurial ecosystem at this time. This week, we hear from Jerome Ferson and Emily Johnston with the United Way of Olmsted County. This organization began locally as a community chest in 1925, becoming known as the United Way of Olmsted County in 1972. Today on the podcast Jerome and Emily chat about the Together COVID-19 Community Support Fund, a grant fund being raised by the United Way of Olmsted County and community partners to help Rochester area nonprofits deal with financial stressors from COVID-19 impact. To date, the team has raised $685,000 for the fund.
Links from today’s podcast:
United Way of Olmsted County
Website: https://www.uwolmsted.org/
Social: Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram
Collider Donation Campaign:
Website: https://www.4giving.com/C2C3
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we listen in to a discussion from the very first Collider Online Collision Series, a virtual series of discussions covering topics impacting our entrepreneurial ecosystem at this time. During this inaugural Zoom event, the community got to chat with Philadelphia-based digital healthcare strategist and intrapreneur Craig DeLarge. Craig is a Founder at The Digital Mental Health Project, which explores how digital technology is being used in the mental health field. On the show today Craig chats about ways to maintain mental, emotional, and psychological health during this increased time of stress and isolation. The community also chats with Craig about information diets, deep breathing, and tapping into your superpower to be of service to your community. Don’t miss out on this timely conversation.
Links from today’s podcast:
The Digital Mental Health Project
Website: https://digitalmentalhealthproject.com/
Social: Facebook & Twitter
Collider Donation Campaign:
Website: https://www.4giving.com/C2C3
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Screen shot of the Choochoo-ca-chew “Rochmn Food” webpage.
This week on the podcast we chat with local entrepreneurs Sean Archer and Tiffany Alexandria about how they’ve innovated to help local businesses during this time of need. Archer, founder of the handmade woodcraft store Knotty Woodpecker, has launched Rochester Marketplace, a one-stop shop to purchase goods from local craftsmen in an effort to minimize the workload in setting up online retail and to provide professional photography for local products. Alexandria, a food blogger, home chef, photographer and owner of Choochoo-ca-Chew, is curating a comprehensive list of restaurants still open in Rochester, including changes in hours and methods of food delivery/pickup available on her food blog. Join us on the podcast today as we talk about their recent work to support the Rochester business scene and discuss best practices to support local.
Links from today’s podcast:
Rochester Marketplace (from Knotty Woodpecker)
Website: https://kwoodpecker.com/rochmarket/
RochMN Food (from Choochoo-ca-Chew blog)
Website: https://choochoocachew.com/rochmnfood/
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
This week on the podcast we got to chat with Chandu Valluri, Andy Kollengode, and Bhaskar Iyengar of Infuzn Foods. Infuzn Foods is a local business supplying “Minnesota nice” Indian-fusion, home-style, vegetarian meals to you at your business or home. On the podcast today we talk about how these three friends and their families came together to form this solutions-oriented business, how Infuzn has pivoted over the last four years based on market demand, keys to working together as a strong team, and more.
Links from today’s podcast:
Infuzn Foods
Website: https://www.infuznfoods.com/
Social: Facebook
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
On the show this week we had the opportunity to sit down with Flint, Michigan entrepreneurial ecosystem builder David Ollila! David was the keynote speaker for the RAEDI Annual Meeting & Luncheon a few weeks ago in Rochester. Always an innovator, David began creating solutions to problems at the age of seven and currently holds sixteen patents. He has spent his career in both Marquette and Flint, Michigan bolstering the local innovation community and understanding how to cultivate ideas from within your community. Outputs of these initiatives have included Invent@NMU, 100K Ideas, and renovation of the Ferris Wheel building in Flint into an innovation center. Don’t miss out on the podcast today where we chat about the difference between innovation and entrepreneurship, how you find the most personal growth when uncomfortable, how to drive inclusion in your innovation ecosystem, and more.
Links from today’s podcast:
100K Ideas
Website: https://www.100kideas.org/
Social: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Skypoint Ventures
Website: http://skypointventures.com/
Social: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Ferris Wheel
Website: http://www.ferriswheelflint.com/en
Social: Facebook, Instagram
Find David’s talk at the RAEDI Annual Meeting and Luncheon on the RAEDI Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RAEDImn/
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
On the podcast this week we sit down with local innovator Christopher Brenna, founder of Revolutionary Earth. This nonprofit aims “to empower compassionate people to transform waste and scarcity into an ecosystem.” Revolutionary Earth works to reduce waste within social, economic, and natural systems. They run a program called “The Farm,” a collection of volunteer-maintained backyard gardens, to address both natural waste and scarcity with organic foods. Join us on the show today to learn more about this nonprofit, the state of food scarcity in Rochester, and how Revolutionary Earth aims to start a revolution from the ground up.
Links from today’s podcast:
Revolutionary Earth
Website: https://revolutionaryearth.org/
Facebook: @revolutionaryearth
Instagram: @revolutionaryearth
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Photo courtesy of Eva Glamaris Cruz Pena.
Today on the podcast we chat with local female entrepreneur Eva Glamaris Cruz Pena. Eva, originally from Puerto Rico, moved to the Rochester area a few years ago from Portland, Oregon. She runs her home-based online business right here in Rochester teaching emotional mastery and executive and corporate leadership skills and performing diversity and inclusion consulting. Today on the podcast we talk more about Eva’s business, her love for nature, and her passion to coach women to be more whole and fully integrated.
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Links from today’s podcast:
Eva Glamaris Coaching
Facebook: @evaglamaris
Instagram: @evaglamaris
Today on the show we chat with Vy Thorng, owner of Hidden World Vinyl Records. This independent music shop held its grand opening this December at their location on 2nd Avenue Northwest. Today on the show we talk about Vy’s journey from cake decorator in Minneapolis to finding his space in the music scene right here in Rochester.
Links from today’s podcast:
Hidden World Vinyl Records
Facebook: @hiddenworldvinylrecords
Instagram: @hiddenworldvinylrecords
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Today’s podcast is sponsored by:
Alsbrook Accounting
Website: https://www.alsbrookaccounting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alsbrook-Accounting-PC-188399485212470/
Twitter: @AlsbrookAccntg
On today’s podcast we chat with Rochester native and writer Christian Nisbit who is looking to release his very first book, Desperate for Redemption, sometime this summer. On the show today we talk about the content of Christian’s book, which details his journey through a Chicago-based art school and resultant $80,000 in student loan debt. Now, Christian is studying in a local nursing program and getting ready to share his story with the world. Today on the show we share Christian’s powerful story and how he’s writing and publishing his book right here in Rochester.
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
On today’s podcast we chat with Colorado native and Rochester entrepreneur Jeb Taylor of Jeb Taylor Knives. Jeb got interested in making knives while serving in the US Army and homed in his craft while living in North Carolina. He now lives in Rochester with his very entrepreneurial family. He launched Jeb Taylor Knives in 2017, crafting primarily tactical knives in the beginning stages of the business, and is currently transitioning in the kitchen cutlery market. Don’t miss out on today’s conversation where Jeb shares his story and how he’s growing his business right here in Rochester.
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Today’s podcast is produced by Matt Eng at Horizon Edge Media. (Facebook: @MatthewEngMedia. Instagram:@mattheweng_, @matteng.video).
Links from today’s podcast:
Jeb Taylor Knives
Website: https://jebtaylorknives.com/
Facebook: @jebtaylorknives
Instagram: @jebtaylorknives
On today’s podcast we chat with local entrepreneurs Andy Vig and Chris Lukenbill. This pair co-founded the startup Shrpa, a website that helps both locals and visitors find fun things to do in their community. On the show today we chat with Andy and Chris about the evolution of Shrpa over the past year, how previous entrepreneurial experience has influenced the startup’s trajectory, and the path to develop the business model behind Shrpa.
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Today’s podcast is produced by Matt Eng at HorizonEdgeMedia.com.
Links from today’s podcast:
Shrpa
Website: https://shrpa.com/
Facebook: @shrpaapp
Instagram: @shrpa.explore.local
Today’s podcast is sponsored by:
Alsbrook Accounting
Website: https://www.alsbrookaccounting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alsbrook-Accounting-PC-188399485212470/
Twitter: @AlsbrookAccntg
For our first brand new podcast of 2020 we sit down with new entrepreneurs Dan and Natalie Slagle. This married couple created Fyooz Financial Planning Services, a fee-only financial planning business specifically for couples in their late twenties through early forties. On today’s episode we chat about how the couple met while at school in Saint Paul, their journey to Portland, Oregon, and their decision to start their business right here in Rochester. Tune in for an inspiring show to kick off 2020.
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Links from today’s podcast:
Fyooz Financial Planning Services
Website: https://fyoozfinancial.com/
Facebook: @fyoozfp
Instagram: @fyoozfp
Today’s podcast is sponsored by:
Alsbrook Accounting
Website: https://www.alsbrookaccounting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alsbrook-Accounting-PC-188399485212470/
Twitter: @AlsbrookAccntg
Today on the show we take a look back at some of your favorite podcasts from 2019. These short clips serve as a strong taste of what Rochester Rising represents in terms of stage of business, type of startup and entrepreneurial story! Sit back and enjoy as we look back on our discussions with:
- Kayla Fjelsted of Swoon Lash + Beauty Lounge
- Amy and Linda Lorber of Figue
- Stefan Madansingh of the Mayo Clinic Office of Entrepreneurship
- Nashauna Johnson Lenoir of Journie Program
Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.
Today’s podcast is sponsored by:
Rochester Home Infusion
Website: https://www.rochesterhomeinfusion.com/
Facebook: @RochesterHomeInfusion
LiveAtom
Website: https://liveatom.com/
Facebook: @liveatomnow
Twitter: @LiveAtomNow
Today we share our final “From the Edge” podcast talking trends in entrepreneurship. On the show we’re joined by two fantastic ladies, Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk and Nicole Nfonoyim Hara. Leena is a very recent transplant from Boston who was on the faculty at Harvard Medical School for the past fourteen years. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Vascular Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Leena is also cofounder of a genomics startup, called Canomiks, that provides genomic and bioinformatic services to the natural product industry. Nicole, also a transplant to the Rochester area, is an anthropologist by training with a specialization in cultural and visual ethnography. Nicole obtained her master’s at the University of Oxford in Immigration Studies. Her anthropological studies have focused on how social change occurs. Nicole is also a writer and is the host of R-Town, the show about Rochester.
We have a fantastic conversation on the show today with these highly intelligent women! This is an episode you don’t want to miss.
Today on the podcast we chat about:
· Social innovation and what this looks like in action.
· Using social innovation to break down silos in a community.
· Managing balance and affordability with community growth.
· The importance of social engagement and grassroots movements.
· Talent pipeline development.
· The challenge of being a female entrepreneur.
· The value of conversations between businesses and community.
Links from the podcast today:
Canomiks
Website:https://www.canomiks.com/
Facebook: @canomiks
Twitter: @canomiks
R-Town
Website:https://www.ksmq.org/index.php/r-town
Facebook: @KSMQPBS
Twitter: @KSMQ
Instagram: @kmsqtv
Music Attribution: Odd News by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/
Today’s podcast is sponsored by:
Rochester Home Infusion
Website: https://www.rochesterhomeinfusion.com/
Facebook: @RochesterHomeInfusion
LiveAtom
Website: https://liveatom.com/
Facebook: @liveatomnow
Twitter: @LiveAtomNow
This week on show we share our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide. The best way to support local entrepreneurs is through your spending power. While this list is not comprehensive of our entire small business community, it’s a great place to start to find local options to gift this holiday season. Check out more of the Holiday Gift Guide on our website and on our social media platforms from now until late December.
Included in the 2019 Holiday Gift Guide:
· Baby Baby Mat (busybabymat.com)
· Love in a Tuscan Kitchen (loveinatuscankitchen.com)
· VinChef Cooking (Facebook)
· Figue (figuemn.com)
· FAVR (askfavr.com)
· Pearson Organics (pearsonorganics.com/signup)
· Healthy Start Byron (Facebook)
· Trail Creek Coffee Roasters (trailcreekcoffeeroasters.com)
· Nerdin Out (nerdinout.com)
· MedCity Doulas (medcitydoulas.com)
· Pasquale’s Neighborhood Pizzeria (pnpizza.com)
· Collider Foundation (colliderfoundation.org)
· Jeb Taylor Knives (jebtaylorknives.com)
· Taco Jed (tacojed.com)
· Shrpa (shrpa.com)
· Gray Duck Theater & Coffeehouse (grayducktheater.com)
· TerraLoco (runterraloco.com)
· MagiKids (magikids.org)
Links from the podcast today:
Graphics Attribution: Thumbnail present graphic was created by Marketplace Designers and licensed through Canva.
Music Attribution: Odd News by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/
Today’s podcast is sponsored by:
Rochester Home Infusion
Website: https://www.rochesterhomeinfusion.com/
Facebook: @RochesterHomeInfusion
LiveAtom
Website: https://liveatom.com/
Facebook: @liveatomnow
Twitter: @LiveAtomNow
Rochester Area Economic Development, Inc. (RAEDI)
Website: http://www.raedi.com/
Facebook: @RAEDImn
Twitter: @RAEDIInfo
Alsbrook Accounting
Website: https://www.alsbrookaccounting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alsbrook-Accounting-PC-188399485212470/
Twitter: @AlsbrookAccntg
Photo courtesy of Emily Watkins.
This week on show we record out latest “From the Edge” podcast talking trends in entrepreneurship. This month we’re joined by two amazing female entrepreneurs. The first is Emily Watkins, personal trainer and owner of Rochester Women Magazine and Empowered Wellness & Fitness Studio. We’re also joined by interior designer and entrepreneur Christi Jorde of Mill House Design.
On the podcast today we talk about:
- The reality and daily grind of entrepreneurship.
- The importance of living a purpose driven life.
- The skill of saying “no”.
- What we’re reading.
- Physical and mental health.
- Current trends in marketing.
- Finding your niche market.
- Vulnerability.
Links from the podcast today:
Mill House Design
Website: https://www.millhouse.design/
Facebook: @Mill.House.Design.Inc
Instagram: @mill_house_design
Rochester Women Magazine
Website: https://www.rwmagazine.com/
Facebook: @RWmagazine
Instagram: @rochesterwomenmagazine
Music Attribution: Odd News by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/
Today’s podcast is sponsored by:
Rochester Home Infusion
Website: https://www.rochesterhomeinfusion.com/
Facebook: @RochesterHomeInfusion
LiveAtom
Website: https://liveatom.com/
Facebook: @liveatomnow
Twitter: @LiveAtomNow
Rochester Area Economic Development, Inc. (RAEDI)
Website: http://www.raedi.com/
Facebook: @RAEDImn
Twitter: @RAEDIInfo
This week on show we chat with Stefan Madansingh, a Research Fellow with the Mayo Clinic Office of Entrepreneurship. The Office of Entrepreneurship (OE) supports aspiring entrepreneurs within Mayo Clinic through educational programs, grant writing support, and community events.
On the podcast today we talk about:
- The power of the lean startup method to solve business problems using a scientific approach.
- The Office of Entrepreneurship’s educational courses within Mayo Clinic, including plans to build a certificate and master’s program in Entrepreneurship.
- The OE’s involvement in the community to promote a culture of entrepreneurship, which includes a bi-annual life science business pitch competition called Walleye Tank.
- Self-motivation that occurs through surrounding yourself with exciting ideas.
- The upcoming Walleye Tank competition, which will be held on December 6th on the Mayo Clinic Rochester campus.
- The value of Walleye Tank to startups and other attendees.
Links from the podcast today:
Walleye Tank:
Website:http://www.walleyetank.com/
Eventbrite registation: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walleye-tank-ice-fishing-edition-2019-tickets-76156713781
Music Attribution: Odd News by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/
Today’s podcast is sponsored by:
Rochester Home Infusion
Website: https://www.rochesterhomeinfusion.com/
Facebook: @RochesterHomeInfusion
LiveAtom
Website: https://liveatom.com/
Facebook: @liveatomnow
Twitter: @LiveAtomNow
Rochester Area Economic Development, Inc. (RAEDI)
Website: http://www.raedi.com/
Facebook: @RAEDImn
Twitter: @RAEDIInfo