87:60 by Virtuoso

Restore is a SaaS platform built for restaurants to track and resolve guest issues in real time, whether it’s handling concerns in person, offering rewards through the app, or using insights to improve service. Founder Nathan Catapano is focused on giving restaurant owners a credible, engaging tool that strengthens customer relationships and boosts operational performance. In this episode, Nathan shares how Restore helps hospitality teams respond faster, learn from feedback, and turn guest experiences into lasting loyalty, and why earning credibility with early adopters is key to scaling in the restaurant industry.

Puure is a mission-driven intimate apparel brand putting women’s health first. Founder Christina Phillips was inspired by her personal health journey to design organic, non-toxic lingerie that’s as safe and sustainable as it is beautiful. In this episode, Christina talks about the gaps in the intimate apparel market, how Puure blends wellness with fashion, and why conscious consumer choices can transform an industry.

Orbit Crates is reimagining playtime with a toy rental service designed to reduce clutter, encourage sustainable play, and help families save money. Founder Kim Conti, a three-time AI product founder, left a C-suite role to build a mission-driven business tackling the environmental and financial waste of toy overconsumption. This episode highlights the inspiration behind Orbit Crates, lessons from early customer feedback, and her vision for growing the toy rental economy nationwide.

PatentPlus AI is automating one of the most time-consuming parts of innovation: patent search. Co-founder Massyl Mallem is pioneering a system that delivers premium-quality search reports in less than 24 hours, giving inventors and startups faster paths to protection and commercialization. We take a closer look at how AI can transform IP research, the impact on global innovation, and what’s next for their market-ready autonomous search platform.

Levo International is transforming food security with affordable, accessible hydroponic technology. Founder Christian Heiden started the company as a teenager and has since scaled it into a community-driven enterprise producing fresh, local food with 90% less water and faster growth than traditional farming. We talk about Levo’s journey from small pilot farms to statewide expansion and how their model empowers neighborhoods to grow, and own, their food supply.

Andrea Shields is a physician-entrepreneur and maternal health advocate, co-founding Varda5 to tackle a critical gap in emergency response education: maternal cardiac arrest. Their Obstetric Life Support (OBLS) training is a first-of-its-kind, evidence-based program preparing healthcare teams to save lives in critical moments. In this episode, Andrea discusses the urgent need for OBLS, the challenges of scaling life-saving training, and how innovation in healthcare education can reach underserved communities.

WheelPrice is reshaping how car enthusiasts buy and sell secondhand vehicles, combining tech, trust, and a deep connection to car culture.

In this episode of Shaping CT's Future Pitch Competition, Co-Founder Wally Namane shares how his team is building a purpose-driven marketplace that solves the frustrations of outdated forums and fragmented resale experiences. With AI-powered fitment tools, real-time pricing, escrow protection, and simplified shipping, WheelPrice is making the process faster, safer, and more reliable.

With 25,000 users and a growing community of 200K+ followers, they’re scaling with intention and staying rooted in authenticity.

Kicking off our Shaping CT's Future Pitch Competition series is a duo transforming how we teach kids to handle big feelings, with science, puppets, and a whole lot of heart.

Meet Emily Wicks and Dr. Sandy Chafouleas, Co-Founders of Feel Your Best Self.

Emily brings a decade of leadership in puppetry arts and education. Sandy is a nationally recognized psychologist and Distinguished Professor known for turning research into real-world impact.

Feel Your Best Self is an award-winning, research-backed toolkit that makes emotional wellness fun and accessible, and it’s already being adopted in schools, libraries, and even by the Irish Department of Education.

BJ Kito, host of 87:60, sits down with Bernt Ullmann—the strategic force behind global brands like FUBU, Sean John, Jennifer Lopez, and Adam Levine. With over $6 billion in retail sales to his name, Bernt unpacks how he’s helped turn celebrity into enterprise and personality into profit. This episode explores the playbook behind billion-dollar brand launches, the overlooked art of brand longevity, and why staying off-camera might just be the smartest move in the business. A must-listen for anyone serious about fashion, influence, and building brand value that lasts.

BJ Kito, host of 87:60, sits down with Pete Tucci— creator of the game-chaning Torpedo bat and founder of Tucci Limited. Once a first-round draft pick, Pete shares the journey from pro ball to the garage workbench, where he began building one of the most respected names in baseball bat manufacturing. In this powerful conversation, Pete shares how a career-ending injury led him to redefine success, channeling his pro athlete mindset into building a performance-driven brand from scratch. They talk legacy, obsession, grief, and the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. A must-listen for anyone passionate about sports, business, and building something that lasts.