Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we dive deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Darren Kanthal, founder and executive coach at The Kanthal Group, a boutique leadership development firm specializing in coaching C-suite executives at PE-backed portfolio companies. Darren shares his compelling transformation story from being an uncooperative, brash HR professional who struggled with job stability to becoming a successful entrepreneur who found his calling in executive coaching. He candidly discusses his early career challenges, including getting fired from jobs, his moment of self-realization after calling his mother in tears, and how working with his own coach led him to discover that maybe he needed to "change the sandbox" rather than learn to play better in corporate environments.

The conversation explores the practical realities of running a coaching business, from the difficulties of selling yourself versus representing a large corporation, to building predictable revenue streams and developing effective client acquisition strategies. Darren provides valuable insights into their 6-month coaching engagements, the importance of the "cascading leadership" approach where coaching one executive impacts the entire team, and shares honest advice for new entrepreneurs about leaning into their network, acknowledging weaknesses, and being clear about their service offerings. His authentic approach to discussing both successes and ongoing challenges, combined with his emphasis on personal accountability and the power of speaking up in uncomfortable situations, makes this episode particularly valuable for aspiring coaches and entrepreneurs looking to build sustainable consulting practices.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Tamara Thorpe, widely known as the Millennials Mentor and founder of TNT Development, a leadership consultancy that equips emerging leaders with the mindset, skill set, and cultural intelligence needed to build inclusive, values-driven organizations. Tamara shares her fascinating journey from teaching English as a foreign language in Seoul, South Korea, to becoming a sought-after leadership development consultant who has worked with everyone from startup founders to global corporations across industries like luxury retail, pharma, and communications.

Throughout the conversation, Tamara discusses the evolution of her career from international education to leadership development, driven by her passion for different cultures and languages that began with her first international experience at age 16. She explains how TNT Development's bespoke approach to consulting, coaching, and training helps organizations committed to learning and growth, while navigating current challenges including budget cuts, economic uncertainty, and shifting political climates around equity and inclusion programs. Tamara emphasizes the importance of multi-faceted lead generation strategies, building strong client relationships, and gives valuable advice to new entrepreneurs about not comparing themselves to online success stories and understanding that struggles are part of the entrepreneurial process.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Jake Pigatto, founder of EVOLVE FITNESS CHICAGO III LLC, a premium personal training studio and wellness brand that merges functional fitness with holistic health and personal development. Jake shares his unique journey from having a background in taxes and financial analysis to becoming a serial entrepreneur who has successfully acquired two businesses. He details his acquisition of Evolve Fitness in 2022, explaining how he discovered the opportunity through BizBuySell, completed the entire acquisition process in just 4-5 months, and transitioned from the previous owners who were looking to retire.

The conversation dives deep into Jake's business model, which focuses on personalized one-on-one training where every client is paired with a dedicated trainer, setting them apart from traditional gyms. Jake discusses his role as the primary driver of marketing and sales through Google Ads, while his trainers focus on delivering exceptional client experiences. He also reveals his innovative expansion into corporate wellness programs, partnering with corporate wellness coach Ty Whitley to offer three-tier services to companies including online fitness and nutrition coaching, group classes, and personal training. This strategic diversification allows Evolve to serve clients beyond their Chicago location and tap into the growing corporate wellness market, demonstrating Jake's entrepreneurial vision for scaling a service-based business.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Sean Lovejoy, founder and CEO of Courage to Lead, a coaching organization that helps business leaders scale their companies while maintaining personal and professional alignment. Sean shares his remarkable journey from real estate development to ministry, where he built a megachurch from his living room in just three years, only to realize he had become a workaholic when his wife confronted him about prioritizing growth over their relationship. This pivotal moment taught him the crucial difference between growing and scaling a business.

Sean discusses his coaching methodology centered around three irreducible minimums: culture, team, and systems, explaining how most business leaders excel at one but struggle with the others. He emphasizes the importance of building a "last 10%" culture where team members feel safe to share honest feedback, and shares practical advice on creating accountability through clarity rather than just demanding results. With 17 coaches across 13 states and clients ranging up to $9 billion in revenue, Sean's philosophy focuses on helping leaders work on themselves first, then their business, while maintaining the respect and admiration of those closest to them.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Mishal Saeed, Dr. Dale Laing-Hall, CEO and founder of Dale Reports, shares her powerful journey from witnessing workplace burnout and employee mistreatment to becoming a thought leader in organizational psychology. Driven by a mission to improve workplace well-being, she discusses how emotional intelligence and data-driven insights can transform leadership, employee engagement, and company culture.

Dr. Laing-Hall dives into her core offerings, including psychometric assessments, leadership coaching, and her new 8-week emotional intelligence course. She also opens up about her client acquisition strategies, the challenges of scaling her business, and the importance of self-awareness for leaders. With a focus on human-centered leadership, she leaves listeners with actionable advice for entrepreneurs looking to create meaningful impact in their organizations.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Mishal Saeed, Andre Luck, Co-Founder of Four Leaf Marketing & Consulting, shares his journey from Major League Baseball sales leadership to entrepreneurship. Driven by the gap in B2B sales strategies within sports organizations, Andre and his wife Brittany built a consultancy focused on revenue growth through digital marketing, sales coaching, and strategic go-to-market solutions. He reveals how his experiences with teams like the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins shaped his mission to modernize sports sales and marketing alignment.

Andre dives into Four Leaf’s core offerings, including social media management, sales training, and fractional leadership support. He emphasizes the importance of long-term client engagements over one-off trainings, leveraging AI for scalability, and niching down to serve sports teams and home-service businesses. With insights on LinkedIn prospecting, personalized outreach, and building predictable revenue streams, Andre leaves listeners with actionable strategies for entrepreneurial success in competitive industries.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Maria Gonzalez, founder of M&A Supplier Diversity Consultants, to explore her journey from law enforcement to becoming a powerhouse in supplier diversity. With over 25 years of experience, Maria shares how she built her minority-women-owned business to help BIPOC and small businesses secure certifications, unlock growth opportunities, and navigate state, federal, and private procurement systems. She reveals her 100% approval rate for certifications and how she’s pivoting toward international supply chain logistics to future-proof her business.

Maria dives into her hands-on approach, the power of networking, and her mission to make supplier diversity a standard—not an afterthought. From leveraging AI to streamline presentations to her candid advice for entrepreneurs (“Don’t be afraid to ask for help!”), Maria’s energy and wisdom shine through. She also teases her upcoming collaborations and her vision to become a national leader in diverse business certifications.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jay Encarnacion sits down with Zack Walmer, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of sc0red, to explore how AI is revolutionizing the M&A landscape. With 15+ years in strategic growth, Zack shares how sc0red’s AI-powered platform solves the critical pain point of inefficient deal sourcing—replacing outdated databases with intelligent target discovery and prioritization. From his consulting roots to co-founding sc0red in 2024, Zack breaks down how mid-market advisors and PE firms leverage their SaaS platform to find "the perfect puzzle piece" acquisition targets faster than ever.

Zack dives into sc0red’s lean, AI-driven approach to scaling—using tools like PhantomBuster for LinkedIn outreach and AI agents to replace traditional sales teams. He also unpacks the future of M&A, where AI handles transactional heavy lifting (research, diligence) while humans focus on relationship-building. With a seed round underway and an elite advisory board forming, Zack reveals his vision for an end-to-end M&A workflow powered by "man-machine collaboration" and why paying knowledge forward is his #1 rule for entrepreneurial success.

In this powerful episode of Founders, Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Vasanthan Ramakrishnan, the visionary founder of Ascend HSI Advisory Partners—a pioneering immigration consulting firm with a 100% success rate in guiding high-skilled professionals through complex U.S. immigration pathways.

Vasanthan shares his deeply personal journey of navigating the U.S. immigration system after facing multiple rejections from top law firms. With grit, strategy, and an entrepreneurial mindset, he not only secured his own green card through the elite EB-1A visa, but also built a firm that has since empowered hundreds of professionals across fields like AI, cybersecurity, and healthcare.

Whether you're a founder, a professional navigating immigration, or someone building a mission-driven business, this episode is packed with insight and inspiration.

 In this episode, Ammar Elm talks with Julie Coyne, founder of Fractional COO NYC and women’s sleepwear brand Midnineties. Julie shares her journey from Wall Street executive to fractional operator and physical product founder. She offers practical advice for consultants looking to scale, from building a referral engine to productizing services.

Julie also unpacks the challenges of launching a consumer brand — from factory sourcing to tariffs — and explains why time, communication, and leverage are the keys to sustainable growth.

Whether you're a consultant, founder, or builder, this episode delivers hard-won insights on turning expertise into impact.