Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion talks with Dr. Jodi Blinco, founder of Zen Leader, a mission-driven platform redefining leadership development through holistic training. With over 20 years of experience, Jodi shares how her journey as a female leader inspired her to create programs like the Zen Leader Masterclass, coaching, and customized workplace experiences that integrate emotional, mental, and physical wellness—without the fluff.

Jodi reflects on the evolution of her brand, the power of authenticity, and how she’s growing Zen Leader through past relationships and organic outreach. She also opens up about the challenges of building a scalable B2C funnel and offers valuable insights for leaders looking to align purpose with impact.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Karen Vadnais chats with Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, a leadership development company focused on emotional resilience. Bill shares how surfing in Hawaii shaped his approach to leadership and how his tech background, including time at Google, led him to create a practical coaching system for team leads.

He discusses the shift from one-on-one coaching to corporate programs, breaking down team friction, and scaling impact through a train-the-trainer model. Bill also touches on client acquisition challenges and his vision to grow through video content and broaden the reach of his unique, real-world leadership approach.

In this episode, host Ammar Elm sits down with Brigid Ephault, founder of Gotham Meridian Group, a boutique consultancy helping early-stage founders bring clarity, structure, and scale to their businesses. With a rich background spanning luxury, real estate, finance, and tech—and a client portfolio featuring names like Apple, SpaceX, and Acura—Brigid shares how she turned a series of career pivots into a purpose-driven venture that blends psychology, storytelling, and strategy. From uncovering blind spots and guiding high-achieving entrepreneurs through periods of growth to positioning brands for funding and traction, Brigid offers a masterclass in building businesses with both vision and structure. If you're a founder looking to scale with intention and soul, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

In this episode of Founders, Future, we sit down with Marwa Yehia Sadek, founder of Sales Max, to uncover how she’s successfully scaled her startup consultancy on a global scale. Marwa shares her unique perspective on how the “startup language” transcends borders and the importance of deeply understanding key industries like e-commerce, fintech, and AI to deliver tailored solutions.

She reveals why inbound marketing—leveraging LinkedIn, content creation, and community-building—is her preferred strategy over paid advertising for reaching high-quality clients worldwide. Marwa also opens up about her vision for the next 6 to 12 months, focusing on doubling supported startups and nurturing in-house ventures to guarantee higher success rates.

When asked what she’d do with unlimited resources, Marwa dreams big—investing heavily in tech development to build innovative products that address real market needs. For founders and consultants, she offers invaluable advice: focus on fewer, better-aligned clients, validate products early, and prioritize sustainable growth over vanity metrics.

In this episode, Sacha joins host Mishal Saeed to break down how she’s scaling mentorship, building trust through community, and qualifying leads without the hard sell. From her $30/month membership to high-touch agency work, Sacha shares how she’s democratizing access to real marketing support — and why cutting your marketing budget is the last thing you should do when times get tough.

Whether you’re a solopreneur or scaling your service business, this conversation is packed with practical insights on growing smart, staying scrappy, and turning authenticity into your greatest asset.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jay Incarnacion sits down with Seth Marlatt, CEO and co-founder of Altir, an AI innovation studio based in San Mateo, focused on transforming how enterprises and startups solve complex challenges across AI, supply chains, and the creator economy.

Seth shares his entrepreneurial journey spanning multiple ventures since the dot-com era and the vision behind founding Altir in 2020—a lab and launchpad to explore cutting-edge AI applications before the AI boom fully took off. He discusses how Altir’s unique “AI studio” model combines strategy, product development, engineering, and go-to-market expertise to help clients accelerate innovation up to 50% faster than traditional methods.

Listeners will hear about Altir’s evolution from early-stage startups to partnerships with Fortune 500 companies like Visa, focusing on co-creating IP-driven AI solutions tailored to specific business outcomes. Seth also explains their lean sales approach based on trusted relationships and referrals and the challenges of educating clients on complex AI technologies.

Tune in for an insightful conversation about entrepreneurship, AI-powered transformation, and the future of innovation in business.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion chats with Steve Gatter, co-founder of Underdog Business Strategies. Steve reveals how focusing on a simple, client-centered MVP and embracing AI tools like ChatGPT can transform your coaching game. From mastering lead generation to creating a business you actually love, Steve shares actionable insights and bold predictions on the future of coaching in an AI-driven world. Tune in for fresh strategies and inspiring advice to help you build a business that’s fun, sustainable, and future-ready.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Mishal Saeed sits down with Trevor Stolber, co-founder and CTO of Vibe Logic—an AI-driven marketing agency redefining how small businesses grow online. With 20+ years in digital marketing and a precision engineering background, Trevor shares how Vibe Logic blends human-centered SEO, smart automation, and process-driven systems to drive real ROI.

We dive into Vibe Logic’s founding story, their unique “search landscape” strategy, and how Trevor balances bespoke service with scalability. He also offers valuable insights for agencies navigating growth, productization, and the ever-evolving role of AI in marketing.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Michelle Saeed sits down with Ray Ortega, founder and CEO of Grata Software, a company transforming how small businesses leverage technology through custom AI solutions, web and mobile app development, and IT consulting. With over 15 years of experience in software development and IT, Ray shares his entrepreneurial journey, including overcoming failed startups and personal challenges that led to founding Grata.

Ray dives into the industry gap that inspired Grata—highlighting how small businesses often lack access to high-level tech consulting, unlike large Fortune 500 companies that rely on expensive consultants who sometimes deliver unvalidated solutions. Grata Software’s mission is to empower small to mid-sized businesses to compete with bigger players by automating processes and improving operational efficiency with custom software.

Listeners get an inside look at how Grata approaches client engagements, starting with free consultations that analyze business processes to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for automation. Ray shares a compelling case study where Grata helped a client drastically reduce FEMA flood claim processing time by 80% through automation, and how AI is now enabling even greater efficiencies.

In this inspiring episode of Founders Future, host Mishal Saeed sits down with leadership coach Rose Marie Sloan to explore the transformative power of trust, psychological safety, and authentic connection in leadership. Rose Marie shares her philosophy of being a true thought partner—creating a safe space for honest conversations, empowering growth, and holding people accountable to bring their best selves to work.

Drawing from nearly a decade of leading a loyal, zero-turnover team, Rose Marie reveals how collaboration and shared voice build a culture where people work with their leader, not just for them. Whether you’re a leader, coach, or entrepreneur, this episode offers valuable lessons on building trust, empowering teams, and cultivating a mindset for growth and impact.