Joining us today is Dr. Nadia Shakoor, Founder and CEO of Agrela Ecosystems, an agtech start-up focused on delivering research quality data collection products and services in an effort to accelerate breeding cycle time within agricultural communities. Nadia is a crop phenotyping expert and co-inventor of the PheNode and is speaking with us today to help us better understand the world of agriculture. In this episode: Nadia talks about what sparked her interest in the field of biology and agriculture. Nadia says that entrepreneurial thinking to her means, “actively working on solutions to difficult problems that I am to help leave the world a better place, then we found it and the world of ag-tech helps her to achieve that goal.” Nadia talks about St. Louis' very own Danforth Plant Sciences Center and what attracted her to this state of the art research institute. Nadia says that she self identifies as an Inventor, an Entrepreneur, a CEO and Founder, but says that her passion is trying to develop crops that are healthier and better and improving on current crop technologies. Nadia explains what it means to take discoveries out of a lab and then build a company around them. She says that it takes a lot of hard work and determination to shift gears from developing your product to then selling your product. Nadia talks about what she has learned as a wearer of many hats. She shares with us some valuable advice and says she recommends just sticking with your passions and staying focused on the long term goals.   Learn More: Email: [email protected]   Company Website:    Company Facebook:    Company Twitter:

Joining us today is Valerie Liddell, Founder and CEO of Grind + Growth, a non-profit co-working space that empowers, educates, and inspires people in underserved communities throughout the St. Louis and Illinois region. Through trial and error, Valerie gained a wealth of knowledge and skills, which inspired her to help other aspiring entrepreneurs like herself. In this episode: Valerie explains that she got her entrepreneurial drive, professional commitment and worth ethic from her Grandfather and her Father. While growing up and being provided with the things she needed and not provided with the 'wants' of a child, she found the drive to allow her as a grown up and entrepreneur to be able to purchase the things she not only needed but that she wanted as well. Valerie says that entrepreneurial thinking to her means being able to take a risk and not getting discouraged when obstacles pop up. Valerie talks about being a serial entrepreneur and the inner joy it brings her on a daily basis. Valerie tells us how Grind + Growth came to be and how she overcame the challenges she faced when acquiring capital. Valerie says she turned the obstacle in front of her into a treasure hunt and through research, the use of resources available to her and her drive until eventually, she found her treasure - aka CAPITAL. She explains that Grind + Growth can be of service to non-profits as well as for-profit organizations such as healthcare agencies, restaurant owners and a variety of other business development agencies. Prospective members can also learn more about day passes and annual memberships.   Learn More:   Email: [email protected]   Company Facebook:    Company Twitter:

Joining us today is Elise Miller Hoffman, General partner at Cultivation Capital, a Venture Capital Firm that manages a family of funds focused on early-stage investing. Elise is active in St. Louis' entrepreneurial ecosystem and invests in promising digital health and life sciences start-ups. In addition, Elise was named as a St. Louis Business Journal "30 under 30" awardee in 2018. In this episode: Elise talks about growing up in Texas and what brought her to St. Louis. Elise says that entrepreneurial thinking to her means envisioning what a better world could look like and using your unique talents and relentless drive to make your vision happen.   Elise shares with us her adventures and what led her to the Venture Capital field and she says that she was very drawn in by St. Louis' entrepreneurial ecosystem. Elise says that she was able to find the right fit for her amongst many different business options by playing an internship role on all playing fields. Elise describes her experiences with the different ranks she held once entering the Venture Capital game. Elise talks negotiating, board representation, strategic counseling, sales process and analytics. Elise discusses how Cultivation Capital fits into our ecosystem. She explains that there are many different investment focuses such as software and IT, Ag Tech and early stage company formations. Elise gives some advice to women and minorities who are thinking about getting into a male dominated Venture Capital industry. Elise also tells us what is on the horizon for her and her Cultivation Capital team. Elise states that the pandemic has sifted her focus and thinking towards effectively battling and conquering the challenges we currently face during Covid.   Learn More:   Email: [email protected] Company Website: Company Twitter:

Joining us today is Ron Story, Jr., Serial entrepreneur and Founder of PitchDB, a search engine for speaking engagements that saves hours of digging for leads and contacts in just a few clicks. Over the past 20 years, Ron has been instrumental in the creation, development and leadership of over 30 companies with a potential market value of over 200 million.   In this episode:   Ron explains that while he was born and raised in East St.Louis he took some advice and decided to go where he would be treated best, so with that he took the advice and some research and moved to Medelllin, Columbia. Ron says he is a starter and a fixer at heart and says that entrepreneurial thinking to him means finding a problem and fixing that problem.   Ron talks about being an international entrepreneur and why he chose to make Medellin his permanent business home.   Ron shares a warm and fuzzy story about employee development and talks about hiring employees that you can trust. Ron explains his take on business development and says that he is fond of the 'buying a business plan' as opposed to the 'building a business plan'.   Ron shares with us his experience with being an author of a book titled "The First 100 Miles".   Ron says that your brain is just as valuable as your body, so feed your brain with knowledge and do the things you love to do in life.   Learn More:   Email: [email protected]   Website:   Personal Facebook:

Joining us today is Bob Miller, CEO and Founder of Melio, a company that offers products that harness the power of the sun, all while upcycling plastic bottles for a more sustainable future. Bob followed his passion of design and environment by creating a solar charging back-pack and says he envisions Melio as a lifestyle brand.    In this episode:   Bob says growing up in a small business environment may have played a role in his desire to become an entrepreneur. Bob also says that entrepreneurial thinking to him means opening your eyes to new opportunities to be able to grow and develop into that individual that you want to be or the organization that you want to have.   Bob explains that as a small business owner of a lifestyle brand, he hopes to persuade consumers to think about and to make a conscious effort to learn about the companies that they are buying from.    Bob tells us how he discovered, marketed and developed Melio and also talks about where the business name Melio derived from.    Bob talks about Melios' flagship product called JUICE, a solar powered backpack designed to appeal to outdoor enthusiasts and consumers that are on the go.   Bob speaks about the changes in his marketing plan that had to be made in the face of Covid. Bob says that while Covid added some challenges to the marketing of the product, it also helped due to the fact that consumers are participating in more outdoor themed activities.    Bob shares with us some of the things he has learned on his journey to entrepreneurship.    Learn More:   Email: [email protected]   Website:   Company Facebook:   Company LinkedIn:

Joining us today is Whitney McClendon-Gregory, CEO and Founder of Eemerg.com, a local company that is reinventing how drivers request roadside services. Whitney is ambitious and dedicated to providing an open marketplace platform and has pledged to build a service where her customers can choose a suitable price option for their needs. In this episode: Whitney explains that roadside assistance and businesses of the like, have always been in her blood by way of family entrepreneurs. Whitney says that entrepreneurial thinking to her means having the ability to see differently than the rest of the world and having the inherent trait to make it easier to develop items and innovation. Whitney talks about how the Eemerg app was developed and how it works. Whitney talks about the importance to her of providing a fair marketplace to consumers and says that before Eemerg there really wasn't a fair marketplace. Whitney talks about building a phenomenal customer acquisition strategy. Whitney says she used connections from her family and says attending tow conventions helped her build her company's provider database. Whitney tells us about making the shift from an LLC to a Corporation AND all of the different programs she utilized while working on developing Eemerg.com. She explains that she used Square1, Arch Grants and WEPOWER and talks about the different inputs she received from each program. Whitney shares with us what she has learned on her entrepreneurial journey and gives us some advice to share with our listeners. Learn More: Email: [email protected] Website: Company Facebook: Company Twitter:

Joining us today is Keith Turner, Serial Entrepreneur and Founder of Happy Doggy Treats. With almost 20 years of entrepreneurial experience and community service, Keith has found his niche in life not only as a businessman but also a community do-gooder. In this episode: Keith gives us some insight into his lifelong passion of being an entrepreneur; from crafting and selling to selling items out of his college dorm room to being a business owner in the present. Keith says that entrepreneurial thinking to him means every time you see an opportunity you realize it, identify the product and target audience, solve the problem and if you can do all of that and make a profit, then you are an entrepreneur. Keith explains how the Happy Doggy Treats concept came to be. He says that after many months of research, he realized that there was not a 'healthy' dog treat, so he set out on a mission to create a product and start a company. Keith talks about how his tech business led to a bunch of research that eventually led him to another business and he tells us how he identifies new opportunities and lists 3 strategies to help you. Keith tells us about how he is involved in the community and also explains how he dovetails entrepreneurship and community service in an effort to produce a win-win for all. Keith gives us some advice on entrepreneurship and says that you must have positive cash flow, make sure you understand your cost and he gives us a few other tips of the trade. Learn more: Email: [email protected] Website: Company Facebook:

Joining us today is Debra Corrie, CEO of Acumaxum, LLC, a financial consulting company that helps privately held businesses generate more cash, increase company profits, and scale their businesses. Debra surrounds herself with many other entrepreneurs and is dedicated to helping business owners reap the financial benefits within their company while building personal wealth for themselves. In this episode: Debi talks about the ups and downs of figuring out her life's purpose and passions and says that she ultimately sacrificed herself so that the business she first poured her heart into could survive. Debi explains that she loves working with strategy and says there are always numbers behind the strategy. Debi tells us how Acumaxum came to be and how she developed her team. Debi says that a lot of people are involved in a company and that people are what make or break your company. As an entrepreneur, Debi likes to develop people and says she finds it exciting to watch them learn and grow. Debi talks about the focus of Acumaxum and how her company plans to help other businesses hit their growth goals. Debi says that entrepreneurial thinking to her means always looking for the next tech advance and seeing how you can use it for your business. Debi explains what her launch strategy is and says that one of her tools is a book she authored titled "Loving Failure: Getting Control of your Business Health." This book talks about all things money - Great read! Debi talks about financial indicators within your business and never says ever let failure define you or stop you! Learn More: Email: [email protected] Website:  Company Facebook:

Joining us today is Tashara Earl, President and Co-Founder of Techrein, a company that specializes in innovative safety solutions with wearable technology. Tashara is a talented marketing idea generator and business professional implementing ideas to maximize brand exposure and increase sales.  In this episode: Tashara talks about growing up as a St. Louis native and tells us about her many passions, from dance to cosmetology to DJing and her newfound tech passion. Tashara talks about pivoting and says that entrepreneurial thinking to her means breaking through barriers by creating innovative solutions.  Tashara explains how Techrein came to be. Tashara says that Techrein is a lifestyle brand designed to keep people safe and to look good while doing it. Tashara tells us how her team worked on building a brand and developed a product geared for a certain target audience. Tashara says that Techrein products are not only safe for outdoor enthusiasts but also for police departments and the Department of Defense.  Tashara talks about what it has been like to work with a co-founder and to build a team in an effort to pursue one common goal of becoming an entrepreneur. Tashara says working to find each partners' 'superpower' in order to maximize the company's full potential has been very important to her.  Tashara discusses creating life balance and says she is working on a public online course so that she can share her learned business nuggets with the rest of the world, and Tashara offers up some advice to other entrepreneurs as well.  Learn More: Email: [email protected] Website: Company Facebook:

Joining us today is Frank Williamson, CEO of STL Black Restaurant Week. Frank is a St. Louis native and loves being involved in the community by serving as Engagement Chair for Urban League-St. Louis and by spearheading STL Black Restaurant Week in an effort to promote restaurants that are owned and operated by African-Americans. In this episode: Frank starts the conversation by explaining that he grew up and went to school in St.Louis, and for college, he went to Lincoln University in Jefferson, MO. Frank says that entrepreneurial thinking to him means “stepping outside of your comfort zone and exceeding.  Frank explains how being part of the Urban League Young Professionals of Metropolitan ​St. Louis (ULYP-STL) helped him connect with others in Memphis, TN., that started the first STL Black Restaurant Week. Frank talks about how STL Black Restaurant Week works and what people can do at the event, and the restaurants involved for the week. He also shares how he promotes the event. Frank shares that UMSL Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA) was also a great resource to build and grow the event Frank speaks about the pull of entrepreneurship and having several streams of income to make that possible. He always wants to help the community and give back this year with Covid-19 and also going forward to lessen that impact. Learn More: Email: Company Facebook: Personal Facebook