A third-year Syracuse University student studying advertising and entrepreneurship, Dangoor has spent the last year developing and preparing to launch his artisanal beef jerky brand, MUNCH Jerky, which has become a hit with students on campus.

In this episode of YES! Dangoor describes to host Jacob O’Connor the roots of his entrepreneurship journey, the challenges of developing a snack brand while working towards a college degree, how grants and pitch competitions helped him grow his brand, and his plans for launching MUNCH’s first products.

“I've always been an obsessive kid,” Dangoor says about his love for entrepreneurship. “I used to play sports growing up and I think it was a natural transition to entrepreneurship. When I get my mind set on something, I want to see it through until it succeeds or fails.”

In March 2021, Dangoor was awarded the Hunter Brooks Watson Entrepreneurship Award. Tune in to this YES! Episode to learn how this award from Hunter’s Fund has helped bring MUNCH Jerky to the next level.

Justin Diaz is a Syracuse University student, Hunter Watson Entrepreneurship Recipient, actor, and founder of Eco Bamboo Living, an organization working to design and build affordable, environmentally conscious tiny-homes made of bamboo. In this episode of YES! (The Young Entrepreneur Series) host Jacob O’Connor talks to Justin about entrepreneurship, attending a start-up accelerator program, growing up in New York City, and how networking and mentorship have helped him establish himself as an entrepreneur. 

“At the end of day, it’s not what I want and what my dreams are —  it’s what the people want. And if I can give them what they want and need, essentially that's all that matters.” - Justin Diaz 

Connect with Hunter’s Fund: 

Connect with EcoBamboo Living: 

Connect with Justin Diaz:

Justin Diaz is a Syracuse University student, Hunter Watson Entrepreneurship Recipient, actor, and founder of Eco Bamboo Living, an organization working to design and build affordable, environmentally conscious tiny-homes made of bamboo. In this episode of YES! (The Young Entrepreneur Series) host Jacob O’Connor talks to Justin about entrepreneurship, attending a start-up accelerator program, growing up in New York City, and how networking and mentorship have helped him establish himself as an entrepreneur. “At the end of day, it’s not what I want and what my dreams are —  it’s what the people want. And if I can give them what they want and need, essentially that's all that matters.” - Justin Diaz 

Connect with Hunter’s Fund: 

Connect with EcoBamboo Living: 

Connect with Justin Diaz:

In 2017, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jackson Hirsh, who releases music under the the moniker “rence” applied for a grant from Hunter’s Fund. At the time, Hirsh was requesting funds to purchase recording equipment so he could record his first EP, Pink. Four years later, he signed a deal with Epic Records, living in Los Angeles, releasing music with Noah Cyrus, and going viral on TikTok. In this episode of YES! Hirsh breaks down the trajectory of his music career, discussing working on music production while getting a degree from NYU, and the reality of how his life has changed since scoring a record deal.

Kayla Simon is an aerospace engineer and inventor currently working at space start-up Relativity Space. She graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering from Syracuse University in 2019 and received a Hunter Watson entrepreneurship award for her invention In-Spire, a wearable asthma inhaler. In this episode of YES! Simon talks to host Jacob O’Connor about the process of inventing, working at a space start-up, and how to use networking to grow your career.

Jademan Baker is a Brooklyn-based fashion designer, Hunter Watson Memorial Fund recipient, and creator of the clothing brand LOM & MOY (Less Of Me and More of You) — a sustainable fashion line inspired by her faith.

In this week’s episode, Jademan discusses the creative process behind her faith-based clothing brand, her experience at the Savannah College of Art and Design, sustainable fashion, learning lessons as an entrepreneur, and finding self-confidence through clothing.

“I want to have a one-on-one relationship with each customer and create a sense of community in my brand,” Jademan says.

Presented by the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund, YES! (Young Entrepreneur Series) is an audio and video series featuring in-depth interviews with young entrepreneurs and innovators from around the globe.   Each week, host Jacob O’Connor, a former Hunter’s Fund grant winner and creator of the Venture Mentality podcast, explores what motivates and inspires young entrepreneurs to start businesses, non-profits, and projects that make the world a better place. From musicians and movie directors to journalists and fashion designers, YES! exists to tell the inspiring stories of young people pursuing entrepreneurial dreams, funded in part by Hunter’s Fund.  Also available on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLsu6ZJq7VXZtLM5OiDtbRA).

Jessica Toscano is a Hunter Watson Memorial Fund Grant Winner, a freelance journalist, and the founder of Intrigue Mag, a weekly blog turned online magazine. Jessica describes Intrigue as a digital, unisex lifestyle publication that targets individuals ages 18-35, with the purpose of inspiring hope, initiating change, abolishing societal norms, and igniting self-love. In this episode of YES! Jessica talks to host Jacob O’Connor about journalism, the journey of launching her own publication, and how she runs a start-up while working full-time and freelance writing.

Presented by the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund, YES! (Young Entrepreneur Series) is an audio and video series featuring in-depth interviews with young entrepreneurs and innovators from around the globe.   Each week, host Jacob O’Connor, a former Hunter’s Fund grant winner and creator of the Venture Mentality podcast, explores what motivates and inspires young entrepreneurs to start businesses, non-profits, and projects that make the world a better place. From musicians and movie directors to journalists and fashion designers, YES! exists to tell the inspiring stories of young people pursuing entrepreneurial dreams, funded in part by Hunter’s Fund.  Also available on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLsu6ZJq7VXZtLM5OiDtbRA).

Brianna Howard is a Syracuse University alumni and co-founder of PAANI, a global health company that aims to provide access to clean water to women in India through water filtration devices that are built into traditional worn women's saris. She and partner Nikita Chatterjee won a Hunter Watson Entrepreneurship Award grant for PAANI through Syracuse University in 2019

In this episode of YES! Brianna talks with host Jacob O’Connor about balancing work and getting her Master’s Degree with developing a start-up business, how being a woman of color and first-generation college student inspired her to become an entrepreneur, launching her global business, finding grants, and using and networking opportunities to develop her business, and the downfalls of using modern solutions to solve problems in third-world countries.

“If you have an idea and you're super passionate about it, stick with it.

There's going to be people who might not believe in it... but in the coming years it could be something really valuable that our global community needs."

Presented by the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund, YES! (Young Entrepreneur Series) is an audio and video series featuring in-depth interviews with young entrepreneurs and innovators from around the globe.   Each week, host Jacob O’Connor, a former Hunter’s Fund grant winner and creator of the Venture Mentality podcast, explores what motivates and inspires young entrepreneurs to start businesses, non-profits, and projects that make the world a better place. From musicians and movie directors to journalists and fashion designers, YES! exists to tell the inspiring stories of young people pursuing entrepreneurial dreams, funded in part by Hunter’s Fund.  Also available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts on "Hunter's Fund". (https://anchor.fm/huntersfund)

Sophie Fazio is a Brooklyn, New York based filmmaker, director, producer, and actor who has worked on set of shows including The Tonight Show, The Affair, and Vinyl. She developed a love for film while growing up in Tribeca attending the Tribeca Film Festival, and will soon release her latest film, Wilde Flowers.

In episode three of YES! Sophie talks to host Jacob O’Connor about how getting her start in filmmaking, growing her network to land jobs on film sets, and creating her latest film in the pandemic.

“A lot of the best advice I've had from some of my mentors has been to really try everything. Even if you're the best actor in the industry, there might still be a time where you have a few months off. Why wouldn't you want to try writing, or producing, or directing? I think making my own stuff, being an assistant, acting.... It's allowed me this sort of learning experience that I didn't really get in college.”

Presented by the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund, YES! (Young Entrepreneur Series) is an audio and video series featuring in-depth interviews with young entrepreneurs and innovators from around the globe.   Each week, host Jacob O’Connor, a former Hunter’s Fund grant winner and creator of the Venture Mentality podcast, explores what motivates and inspires young entrepreneurs to start businesses, non-profits, and projects that make the world a better place. From musicians and movie directors to journalists and fashion designers, YES! exists to tell the inspiring stories of young people pursuing entrepreneurial dreams, funded in part by Hunter’s Fund.  Also available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts on "Hunter's Fund". (https://anchor.fm/huntersfund)

17-year-old Anwar Karim may be young, but the high school student is already making major waves in the Washington D.C. area’s rap music scene. The young hip-hop artist launched his music production and merchandise company Elevate & Motivate in 2018 and hopes to use rap music and fashion to shine a light on racial injustice and engage young people in activism.

In episode two of YES! Anwar talks to host Jacob O’Connor about the intersection of social justice and music, how he got his start in the music industry, how his song landed on local news, and how he’s learned to stay true to his sound.

“By the time it’s all said and done, it would be a disservice if we didn’t give back,” Karim says. “I just want to give people more opportunities and try to bring more equity into the world.”

Presented by the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund, YES! (Young Entrepreneur Series) is a series featuring in-depth interviews with young entrepreneurs and innovators from around the globe. Each week, host Jacob O’Connor, a former Hunter’s Fund grant winner and creator of the Venture Mentality podcast, explores what motivates and inspires young entrepreneurs to start businesses, non-profits, and projects that make the world a better place. From musicians and movie directors to journalists and fashion designers, YES! exists to tell the inspiring stories of young people pursuing entrepreneurial dreams, funded in part by Hunter’s Fund.

https://www.hunterwatson.org/