Founders Future

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with Effenus Henderson, President & CEO of HenderWorks Inc., a pioneering consultancy in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). With decades of experience—from corporate HR leadership at Weyerhaeuser to co-authoring the first ISO global standard for DEI—Effenus shares how he guides organizations to embed equity into their DNA. He reveals the challenges of today’s polarized climate, where DEI initiatives face backlash, and how HenderWorks adapts by reframing inclusion as a business imperative, not just a moral obligation.

Effenus also opens up about his unconventional approach to scaling: prioritizing impact over revenue. As a semi-retired leader, he focuses on thought leadership (like his upcoming book SPINE) and strategic partnerships—leveraging LinkedIn, podcasts, and national organizations like the National Organization of Minority Architects. For aspiring consultants, his advice is timeless: “Follow your passion, but stay agile—what worked 5 years ago won’t cut it today.”

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with Erika Mand, Founder and CEO of Elite Talent Partners, a boutique recruiting and staffing firm. Erika shares her nearly 20-year journey in talent acquisition, from starting in Houston, Texas, to leading high-impact recruiting teams across industries. She discusses how Elite Talent Partners has pivoted in today’s challenging market—shifting from traditional contingency staffing to outplacement services and fractional HR solutions—while maintaining a high-touch, relationship-driven approach to client success.

Erika also dives into the evolving recruitment landscape, from remote work demands to corporate layoffs, and how her firm adapts to economic shifts. She highlights the importance of exclusivity in client partnerships, her global recruiting model (including offshore teams), and why networking and referrals remain her top lead generation strategies. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, hiring manager, or talent professional, Erika’s insights offer a roadmap for navigating the future of recruitment.

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with Dr. Camille Preston, Founder & CEO of AIM Leadership, a pioneering executive coaching firm transforming how leaders navigate complexity. With 22 years of experience—from counseling police chiefs post-9/11 to guiding family businesses through generational transitions—Camille reveals her "compounded crisis" framework for helping high-achievers rediscover purpose beyond profit. She shares how her latest bestselling book, Living Real, and an upcoming AI-powered platform are democratizing leadership development, while staying true to her core belief: "Tension creates consciousness—and breakthroughs."

Camille also pulls back the curtain on AIM’s unconventional growth strategy—relying on "whisper circuit" referrals and velvet-rope CEO gatherings—while teasing a 4x revenue expansion plan. For founders feeling the weight of leadership in turbulent times, she offers a rallying cry: "Destruction precedes construction. The most enlivening opportunities emerge from adversity."

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Mishal Saeed, we sit down with Tracey Evans, a former VP of Marketing at American Express who left the corporate world after 20 years to pursue her passion for horses and founded Dreamwinds Equine Assisted Learning. Tracey shares her unconventional journey from leading high-stakes marketing teams to pioneering a unique approach to leadership development through equine-assisted learning (EAL). She discusses how her realization that horses could serve as unbiased mirrors for human behavior led her to create programs that bridge the gap between traditional corporate training and authentic, experiential growth. Tracey explains how Dreamwinds’ corporate team-building and facilitator certification programs help participants reveal blind spots in communication, emotional intelligence, and team dynamics—often missed by conventional methods—by working directly with horses in ground-based, non-riding activities that emphasize clarity, trust, and nonverbal cues.

Tracey also delves into the challenges of scaling a niche business, from navigating unpredictable sales cycles in corporate training to leveraging targeted Facebook ads for her EAL certification programs. She emphasizes the importance of niching down with the mantra "choose what you love, not just what’s profitable," and shares her vision for 2025: expanding specialized retreats like Ignite Her Leadership and increasing broader awareness of EAL’s proven ROI, noting that her programs have achieved 100% top-box satisfaction rates. For aspiring entrepreneurs, she offers profound advice: "Your passion will fuel you through the ‘no’s’—it’s the only way to build something sustainable".

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Mishal Saeed sits down with Michael Schindler, Navy veteran and founder of The VUCA Principle, to explore his mission to revolutionize leadership development in an era of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Michael shares how his military background inspired a unique framework—transforming VUCA challenges into vision, understanding, clarity, and adaptability—and why traditional corporate training fails (75% of programs are ineffective, he notes). From coaching Fortune 100 executives to developing AI-powered "embodied companions" like Max, Michael reveals how his hybrid model bridges self-assessment, neuroscience, and moonshot thinking to help leaders upgrade their "operating systems" before scaling their impact.

Michael delves into the future of leadership development, where AI augments (but doesn’t replace) human coaching, and how his upcoming 2025 initiatives—like the HR Ally program—aim to redefine workplace culture. For aspiring entrepreneurs, he offers a counterintuitive truth: "Security is an illusion; solve real problems, prove your model on the side, and listen for that inflection point when it’s time to leap." With referrals driving growth (and a deliberate avoidance of "easy button" clients), Michael’s story is a masterclass in aligning profit with purpose—one veteran, leader, and AI bot at a time.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with Jeff Hulett, Founder & President of Personal Finance Reimagined (PFR), who’s bridging the gap between institutional decision-making and everyday financial literacy. A behavioral economist with 30+ years in banking and risk management, Jeff reveals how PFR’s unique "decision-first" approach helps students, content creators, and startups navigate complex financial choices—not through memorization, but by building scalable decision systems. From licensing patented software to universities to pioneering a "skin-in-the-game" fractional CFO model for early-stage businesses (where PFR takes equity + revenue share), Jeff unpacks why delayed gratification problems require radically different solutions than today’s instant-satisfaction economy.

Jeff also shares why content creators are PFR’s fastest-growing client segment, how neuroscience informs their financial education frameworks, and the counterintuitive truth that "success is a lagging indicator of your decisions." Whether you’re an entrepreneur struggling with cash flow, an educator rethinking financial literacy, or a founder scaling through uncertainty, this episode offers actionable insights on turning decision science into competitive advantage.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Dr. Seth Dobrin, founder and CEO of Qantm AI, a pioneering advisory firm specializing in AI strategy and governance. With a distinguished career spanning molecular biology, Monsanto’s digital transformation, and serving as IBM’s first Global Chief AI Officer, Dr. Dobrin shares his insights on the future of AI—from the limitations of large language models to the revolutionary potential of world models and deterministic AI. He also discusses his venture fund, One Infinity Ventures, which invests in cutting-edge deep-tech AI innovations like neurosymbolic systems and quantum AI.

Dr. Dobrin dives into Qantm AI’s mission to democratize responsible AI adoption, offering tools like readiness assessments and governance software—once high-ticket consulting services now productized for scalability. He candidly addresses the challenges of transitioning from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of sales operations and his vision to shift Qantm into a subscription-based model. The conversation also explores emerging AI trends, including physics-based simulations and small models, while offering practical advice for aspiring consultants and technologists navigating the AI landscape.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Kari Mills, founder of Women's Sports Xcelerator, a pioneering consultancy dedicated to accelerating the business growth of women's college sports programs. Kari shares her journey from athlete and sports marketer to entrepreneur, discussing how her company helps athletic departments build strong brands, expand fan bases, and generate new revenue. She dives into the challenges of navigating the evolving landscape of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals, the cultural shift driving women’s sports fandom, and why filling stadiums is just the first step in unlocking long-term revenue opportunities.

Kari also opens up about the importance of trusting intuition as an entrepreneur, the power of organic growth through referrals in a tight-knit industry, and her vision for dominating regional markets before scaling nationally. Whether discussing the impact of social media stars like Caitlin Clark or the legal complexities of Title IX, Kari provides a compelling look at the future of women’s sports—and how her company is leading the charge.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Tristen O'Bannon, founder of Beacon Strategy, a lead generation and business development agency revolutionizing outbound sales. Tristen shares his journey from selling pest control door-to-door to building a consultancy that prioritizes quality over quantity in lead generation—helping founders secure high-fit clients through tailored cold email systems, direct mail, and strategic positioning. He reveals why he avoids niching down, how he navigates the evolving challenges of outbound (like firewall changes and script fatigue), and his bold $2M revenue goal for Beacon Strategy.

Tristen dives into his philosophy of "educator over pitchman," emphasizing trust-building and intentional outreach. He critiques reliance on LinkedIn ("I don’t see the value in strictly LinkedIn outreach") and champions tools like Apollo for scalable prospecting. The conversation also explores founder-led sales, the pitfalls of robotic AI-driven outreach, and Tristen’s vision to expand into executive development—transforming not just lead volume, but sales processes for creative agencies and SMBs.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Jason Patison, founder and CEO of Defiant Media, a full-service marketing agency blending creativity and technology to deliver transformative marketing solutions. Jason shares his journey from tattoo artist to television network executive and finally to entrepreneur, detailing how his passion for creativity led him to launch Defiant Media. He discusses the challenges of client acquisition in a crowded digital space, his vision for VR in marketing, and why he believes standing out with unique content is the key to success—without niching down too soon.

Jason also opens up about his goals for Defiant Media, including scaling to a national agency and building a dedicated studio space. He emphasizes the importance of passion in entrepreneurship, the fluidity required in today’s AI-driven marketing landscape, and why he prefers working with one client per industry to maintain authenticity. Whether discussing lead generation strategies or the future of immersive marketing, Jason provides candid insights for aspiring agency owners.