Founders Future

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we dive into the entrepreneurial journey of Stephen Lavergne, CEO and co-founder of Meraki People Solutions. With over 20 years of experience in HR and talent acquisition, Stephen shares how his company is revolutionizing HR consulting by focusing on employee engagement, diversity, and innovative solutions like their upcoming AI-enhanced applicant tracking system. Stephen discusses the challenges of scaling startups, the importance of early HR integration, and his vision for maintaining a human-centric approach in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Stephen also opens up about the core values driving Meraki, including ethical practices and relationship-building, which he believes are the foundation of lasting success. From his insights on change management to the future of HR technology, this episode offers valuable lessons for founders and leaders aiming to foster growth while staying true to their mission.

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we dive into the journey of Karan Patel, the visionary founder of Trelth Solutions, a company revolutionizing medical billing and revenue cycle management through AI-driven solutions. Karan shares his inspiration for launching Trelth, highlighting the significant revenue losses healthcare providers face due to fragmented systems and human errors in billing processes. He explains how Trelth’s AI agent aims to streamline operations by autonomously coding in real time, predicting denials, and providing a unified platform for healthcare providers to monitor their financial performance. Karan also discusses the challenges of building a compliant, HIPAA-secure AI system and his plans to launch Trelth within the next three months.

Karan emphasizes the importance of perseverance and self-education in entrepreneurship, sharing his experience of working tirelessly to perfect Trelth’s model context protocol (MCP) before entering the market. He offers valuable advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, encouraging them to stay focused on their goals despite skepticism from others. Karan’s story is a testament to the power of innovation and determination in transforming industries and solving real-world problems.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jane Carnacion sits down with Douglas Gotay, Co-Founder and Chief of AI at Cubic Squared. With over 20 years of experience in B2B sales and marketing, particularly in cybersecurity, Doug shares the inspiring story behind Cubic Squared, a pioneering company revolutionizing growth marketing for cybersecurity startups by combining human expertise with AI-powered solutions. Doug delves into the challenges of scaling startups, the importance of data-driven decision-making, and how Cubic Squared’s agentic AI workforce is transforming traditional marketing agencies. He also discusses his vision for the future of AI in marketing and cybersecurity, emphasizing the critical role of innovation and collaboration in driving success.

Doug offers invaluable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, stressing the importance of humility, surrounding yourself with the right team, and embracing AI as a tool for growth. From navigating the complexities of fundraising to building a brand in a competitive market, this episode is packed with actionable insights for founders looking to scale their ventures. Doug’s passion for AI and his forward-thinking approach make this a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Mishal Saeed sits down with Estela Hernández Jiménez, the founder and CEO of Elevar Leadership, to explore her journey from corporate leadership to building a purpose-driven consultancy focused on DEI and leadership development. Estela shares how her 15 years of experience in leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion inspired her to create Elevar Leadership, which empowers startups and mid-sized organizations to build inclusive, high-performing teams. She delves into her founding story, the challenges she faced during the pandemic, and how her consultancy evolved to address the unique needs of underserved entrepreneurs and leaders. Estela also discusses her vision for scaling Elevar Leadership, including her plans to launch group coaching programs and a leadership lab designed to foster innovation and self-defined leadership.

Throughout the conversation, Estela emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and authentic leadership in driving social impact. She reflects on her experiences as a venture capitalist, political advocate, and nonprofit executive, and how these roles shaped her approach to coaching and consulting. Estela also shares her strategies for supporting leaders in navigating today’s complex social, political, and economic landscape. This episode offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and anyone looking to make a meaningful impact through their leadership.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with LuAnn Buechler, the visionary behind PMC Events and Coaching, to explore her journey from corporate event planning to becoming a transformational business coach. With over two decades of experience, LuAnn shares how she helps entrepreneurs and corporate leaders ignite their purpose and build thriving teams. She delves into her unique “Make Your Passion Pay Playbook,” emphasizing the importance of core values, clarity, and strategic planning in creating sustainable business growth. LuAnn also discusses her transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, driven by her passion for empowering others to lead, not just manage, their businesses.

LuAnn opens up about her client engagement process, which includes a year-long commitment to help businesses establish their vision, core values, and actionable strategic plans. She highlights the challenges of building a predictable lead generation system and the importance of speaking engagements and workshops in attracting clients. LuAnn also shares her future vision of combining travel and coaching to create unique, impactful experiences for business leaders. Her story is a testament to the power of aligning passion with purpose and the value of having a coach to navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Mishal Saeed sits down with Shera Haliczer, founder and principal of Engage 3P, to explore her journey in transforming workplaces through people-centric solutions. With over 20 years of expertise in leadership, development, and operations, Shera shares how her consultancy empowers startups and mid-sized organizations to tackle challenges in people, process, and technology. She delves into her founding story, the inspiration behind Engage 3P, and how her unique approach helps companies uncover root issues and create actionable roadmaps for growth.

Shera also discusses her vision for scaling Engage 3P while maintaining its boutique, bespoke nature. She emphasizes the importance of authentic relationships, curiosity, and asking the right questions to drive meaningful change. From her global perspective to her plans for expanding her team, Shera offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs looking to build impactful, sustainable businesses in the leadership and talent space.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Gina DiStefano, President of DiStefano Group, to explore her transformative journey from corporate life to building a performance coaching firm that helps professionals unlock their full potential. Gina shares her powerful story of self-discovery—how she left a Fortune 500 career to start her own business, only to face deep personal challenges that reshaped her approach to coaching. She reveals her proprietary Revitalized System, designed to help Gen Xers and high achievers break free from limiting beliefs, align with their purpose, and create fulfilling lives beyond societal expectations.

Gina dives into the core of her coaching philosophy—why true transformation requires radical self-awareness, confronting subconscious programming, and rewriting personal narratives. She discusses the importance of intentionality, energetic alignment, and building authentic relationships in business, rather than relying solely on transactional marketing. With raw honesty, she explains how her own struggles with self-worth and identity led her to develop a coaching framework that empowers clients to alchemize pain into power and step into their divine potential. Whether you're an entrepreneur, leader, or someone seeking deeper fulfillment, Gina’s insights offer a roadmap for personal and professional reinvention.

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Mishal Saeed, Jean-Marc Mercy, founder and managing director of Mercy Consulting Group, shares his journey of empowering West African businesses through strategic talent solutions. Jean-Marc discusses how his company bridges critical gaps in talent acquisition, leadership development, and team engagement, helping organizations align their workforce with business goals. He opens up about the challenges of scaling a consulting firm, from navigating operational demands to building a community of coaches and consultants to expand impact.

Jean-Marc also reflects on the importance of authenticity in leadership and the lessons learned from his early entrepreneurial failures. He outlines his vision for Mercy Consulting Group, aiming to help 100,000 professionals discover their talents by 2030 through coaching programs, digital products, and tailored HR solutions. With a focus on education and community-building, Jean-Marc’s story inspires founders to "build before they’re ready"—but never alone.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Angelo Austin, the founder and CEO of Austin Media Group, a full-service marketing and branding agency that helps businesses amplify their presence through strategic branding, visual storytelling, and innovative media solutions. Angelo shares his entrepreneurial journey, from running a fragrance brand to pivoting into digital marketing during the pandemic. He discusses how his experience in e-commerce and lead generation led him to specialize in helping service-based businesses scale through automation, SEO, and modern branding strategies.

Angelo dives into the core services offered by Austin Media Group, emphasizing the importance of automating lead generation and nurturing systems to turn leads into lifetime customers. He also shares insights on targeting high-ticket clients, the challenges of building a predictable lead generation system, and his vision for the future, which includes acquiring and scaling e-commerce sites.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with Lane Rizzardini, founder of Sleep Apnea Leads, a niche marketing agency helping dental sleep clinics attract patients through AI-driven lead gen and conversion systems. Lane shares how a serendipitous referral from a home organizer client led him to discover the untapped $7B dental sleep medicine market—where dentists treat sleep apnea but struggle to market beyond their dental patient base. He breaks down his "dual brand" strategy (separate sleep-focused websites and messaging) and reveals how his proprietary Patient Conversion System—featuring an AI agent named Sarah—boosts appointment rates by 8X with 5-minute response times and automated follow-ups.

Lane also opens up about the challenges of niching down reluctantly, why most digital agencies fail without specialization, and how dominating a micro-industry unlocked unexpected opportunities (like physician referral programs). For founders hesitant to delegate, he shares hard-won lessons on balancing hands-on execution with scaling—including why he still handles sales himself at $1.4M revenue. Listeners will walk away with tactical insights on leveraging AI for lead nurturing, the power of in-person niche events, and why "owning the ecosystem" beats competing on generic marketing services.