The Sark Tank: Recent Episodes
RNOX Accelerator Inc.
On this episode of the Sark Tank, the team welcomes Let's Rolo, one of X Co's newest companies, to come and share with everyone about their company, the Las Vegas Ecosystem and Startup Vegas. Don't forget to visit their website to learn more about them. Letsrolo
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sark-tank/id1525585424
Join the team as they discuss XCo's top 10.....er 12 top moments of 2021 and what they predict will be on the docket for 2022. Lot's of fun, laughter and good chats!
This episode, the team welcomes Bryan Mcardle, the vice president of entrepreneurial development at EDAWN!
In a new format, Bryan interviews X Co's executive chairman Shaunt Sarkissian to get the latest scoop of what's new at X Co.
The team welcomes Bo Bernhard to the podcast where they will discuss UNLV, XCO and the emerging Las Vegas ecosystem.
In this episode, the team discusses the new way to invest in companies with WeFunder, the crowdfunding platform for start ups. Welcome to our special guest Adie Akuffo!
Today the team discusses the new PersonaFi application soon to come out that offers people of all ages a social site with which to learn about investing! Meet Ken Mooso, the CEO, as he discusses his experience with finance and the app!
This episode, the team speaks with David Espinosa, CEO of Alliance Forge, one of the new cohort companies of RNOX's Accelerator program. They discuss campaigns and candidates and how their new platform can help candidates reach constituents in the modern age!
www.allianceforge.net
The team discusses IP with our special guest Dr. Rippee, the Executive Director of the UNLV, Blackfire Innovation Hub.
More about Dr. Rippee
The team welcomes you back with season 2. They will discuss what has been going on since the end of season 1 with the announcement of X Co, the new cohort of companies, new partners and upcoming guests.
The RNOX team discusses everything that happened in 2020. Shaunt, Cam and Juston give their assessment of how the year went and what they're looking forward to in 2021. Two very special guests join the team to close out an awesome year.
www.rnox.io
The Sark Tanks welcomes Zach Cage who caught the entrepreneur bug at the age of 13. Since then, Zach has taken on various corporate roles, but his true passion and focus for the last 2 1/2 years is the food and beverage industry. Today, Zach and his business partners manage 6 locations in Reno, NV. Zach shares his personal story and what led him down the path of following his true sense of purpose. His American craft beer movement insight & knowledge will leave you thirsty for a pint.
Zach Cage:
https://thebrewerscabinet.com/
Taylor Cain (Chief Executive Officer of the O’Cathain Group) joins the Sark Tank to talk about being an entrepreneur and what it's like owning six Sonic Drive-In franchises and two Sola Salon franchises. Taylor gives her advice on what it takes to succeed and even shares some thoughts on what drives her personally. Things get a little bit off-topic with a rant on squirrels, but Taylor brings us back with some interesting points about the cult following for Sonic ice. Does Sonic have a secret menu? Listen to find out.
Taylor Cain:
linkedin.com/in/taylor-cain-563a9317a
https://www.facebook.com/Sonic.Drive.In.4109/
https://www.facebook.com/solasalonsrenotahoe
Gary Spitsen, Dave Spitsen and Dave 'DC' Campbell from BuildingBloc join the Sark Tank to talk about their software that solves the age old issue of Construction Payment Management and Control. The team discusses progress made since their last visit and talks about the value of mentors and the support provided by the RNOX Accelerator.
BuildingBloc
www.buildingbloc.net
https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-bloc-simplified-controlled-payment-construction-platform/
The Book It Sports team returns to talk about their experience as part of the RNOX cohort and shares some key takeaways from the R.E.A.L. Program. The team also announces some exciting news about the Book It Sports app - the first and only sports betting social media platform where users can engage with the global gambling community.
https://www.bookitsports.app
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trent-attyah
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bolisomi-57828015b
The Sark Tank welcomes Mike Walsh, an investor, advisor and FinTech veteran. Mike has been working at the intersection of Financial Services & Technology before FinTech became a buzzword. He shares his experience during the transformative dot-com boom, and how that ultimately led to his time at Visa. Mike drops some serious industry insights and gives us his thoughts on culture and what early stage entrepreneurs should be thinking about as they grow their company. A must listen for startup founders.
Mike Walsh:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-walsh-64644491/
Doug Erwin gets a grand tour of the RNOX headquarters and then sits down with the Sark Tank. Doug talks about his early days as an entrepreneur and how that led to his current role as SVP of Entrepreneurial Development for EDAWN - The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada. It was awesome to see Doug's passion for helping entrepreneurs and for the local business community as a whole. The team closes out with an exciting announcement about our next cohort (Winter 2021) which somehow leads to a debate about who would win in an MMA fight between the Muppets and Sesame Street.
Doug Erwin:
www.linkedin.com/in/douglasrerwin
www.edawn.org
Joel Grace & the RNOX team get into a lively discussion about curling and the meaning of the term 'bonspiel'. With the lesson in 16th century Scottish sporting out of the way, Joel shares a ton of wisdom about the local economy, his vision for Reno in 2030 and talks about some exciting projects that they're developing at Reno Land Inc. Joel also gives an update on his passion project - Reno Ice. We had a ton of fun talking with Joel for our 13th episode. Lastly, congratulations to Michele, Chambers - the winner of our laptop giveaway!
Joel Grace:
https://renoice.org http://renolandinc.com
Dorinda Vance joins the Sark Tank to talk about all things chocolate. Dorinda took her passion for chocolate and started Dorinda's Chocolates 12 years ago. She has since grown her business into a confectionery powerhouse. The RNOX team learns about Dorinda's latest venture, LiveKAYA, and even gets to sample some amazing treats. Speaking of treats, we're giving away a laptop, so listen closely for the super secret word.
Dorinda Vance:
www.dorindaschocolates.com
www.liveKAYA.com
Chris Myers from Holland and Hart calls into the Sark Tank. Chris is a venture capital attorney who focuses on investment management and corporate and transactional matters, including M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions, stock offerings, SEC reporting and compliance. Chris shares his advice for entrepreneurs, the importance of internal controls and having your finances in order when seeking VC funding. A must listen for any entrepreneur.
Chris Myers:
www.hollandhart.com
The Sark Tank welcomes Joey Whitacre who talks about the transformation that he's seen in the gaming industry. Joey discusses the importance of the customer experience and provides an in-depth opinion about the responsibilities of a casino operator. We ask Joey to share his funniest celebrity story which turns into an unexpected - and slightly scary - encounter with a very well known boxer. Speaking of boxing, Cam almost gets punched, but not before Shaunt shares the secret word that could win someone a laptop.
Joey Whitacre:
https://carsonvalleyinn.com
http://www.sharkeyscasino.com
http://slotworldcasino.com
https://www.tamarackjunction.com
http://bodinescarson.com
The Sark Tank talks with Phil Frayssinoux - connoisseur of nutella and a local entrepreneur whose focus is on building experiences. Phil talks about growing up in Paris and his time as a tennis pro. He also shares his experience working for a Fortune 500 tech company and how that helped him realize he wanted to be an entrepreneur. We dive deep into what it takes to get started building a business and Phil shares his top 3 tips for success. Looking to win a laptop? Listen for the secret word and go to rnox.io/contact
Learn more about Phil's projects:
www.breakthroughreno.com
www.puzzleroomreno.com
www.PuzzleRoomTahoe.com
www.RenoAxe.com
www.DarkPursuit.com
Klaus Grimm joins the Sark Tank and shares his experience that led him down the path to becoming a franchiser. He gives advice for entrepreneurs on how to find opportunities that are recession proof and emphasizes the importance location for building a business. The team discusses a franchise that was predicted by Seinfeld and Klaus helps the team come up with a clever keyword that could win one lucky listener a laptop. Keep your ears on.
Klaus Grimm:
www.linkedin.com/in/klausgrimm www.hammerandnailsgrooming.com www.wowwowhawaiianlemonade.com
The Sark Tank welcomes Katrina Ghazarian who discusses her journey from being an HR Manager to becoming her own boss and building a business. Katrina shares her unique experience as an entrepreneur who helps other entrepreneurs and dives deep into the importance of culture for organizations of all size.
The RNOX team makes some exciting announcements about our Aug 31 grand opening and then receives a needed lesson from Katrina on introductory Spanish.
Katrina Ghazarian:
www.eva8.com
www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-ghazarian
www.hrsuckspodcast.com
www.instagram.com/hrsucks
Dickson Chu joins the Sark Tank via Zoom to talk about his time as a management consultant and how he got into the world of payments, banking & fintech. He discusses his time at Yahoo!, eBay, PayPal and some of the interesting opportunities that he sees emerging with Fintech innovation.
Dickson shares his thoughts on startups and the difference between private investors vs. corporate venture funding. Speaking of sharing - Shaunt shares the Sark Tank 'secret keyword' that could lead to an amazing prize for an attentive listener.
Dickson Chu:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dicksonchu/
Sark Tank Contact:
www.rnox.io/contact
Mike Riedel calls into the Sark Tank to discuss his days as a professional golfer and how he came to be the President of the Wild Rivers Water Park. We get to hear Mike's thoughts on leadership and the importance of the customer experience - critical to the success of a business whose mission is to be the premier water park in Southern California.
Mike shares his craziest water park story and offers insight into the insane demand for Dippin' Dots.
www.wildrivers.com
www.facebook.com/WildRiversWaterpark
Chad Clemetson of NevDex Properties talks about his days managing commercial properties in San Francisco and contrasts that with the local market. Chad also offers his perspective on what the area will look like in 2025 and why Nevada is an ideal location for companies looking to expand or relocate.
Alice Heiman joins the Sark Tank to discuss her path as an entrepreneur and what it takes to build a sustainable business. Alice provides candid insight into what most organization get wrong about sales.
The team ponders an interesting question - what is a 'Sark'? The answer may shock you.
Chad Clemetson - NevDex Properties:
http://nevdexproperties.com/
Alice Heiman:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman
https://aliceheiman.com
Dave and Gary Spitsen discuss the advantages of working together as brothers and how their startup BuildingBloc solves some of the most significant challenges in the construction industry.
Cort Christie - founder and president of Nevada Corporate Headquarters, Inc. (NCH) joins the team to discuss why Home Means Nevada and how NCH assists entrepreneurs with launching their businesses while protecting their wealth.
BuildingBloc:
www.buildingbloc.net
Cort Christie:
www.nchinc.com
www.incauthority.com
The Sark Tank welcomes Trent Attyah and David Bolisomi from Bookit Sports - a social media platform for the sports betting community. Trent & David recently relocated to Reno, NV to be part of the RNOX Accelerator program.
For the second half of the show, Michele Crain from Face Forward Corrective Aesthetics gets deep into the grit and tenacity required for starting a business.
BookIt:
www.bookitsports.app
https://www.instagram.com/bookit.sports
https://twitter.com/BookitHQ
https://twitter.com/livmoods
Michele Crain (Face Forward Corrective Aesthetics):
https://www.instagram.com/ffcorrective
https://www.facebook.com/ffcorrective
Welcome to the first episode of the Sark Tank. The RNOX team discusses goals for the podcast and all things involving startups, entrepreneurship, fundraising and the age old question - is an avocado a fruit or a vegetable.
To be a featured guest entrepreneur on the Sark Tank contact info@rnox.io