“You can put more creativity in your work, you can be more inspired and have a deeper connection to your purpose, because if you understand what problem you’re trying to solve and what you’re trying to do in the community, then you will feel better about the work you’re doing.” — Michael Sarasti

Today’s guest is Michael Sarasti, CIO / Director of Innovation and Technology at City of Miami. As the city’s first Chief Innovation Officer, Michael has been aiding city government in process improvement to help make the government as streamlined as possible. Michael joins the team to discuss how he is liaising the startup and tech communities, training city employees on the practice of innovation, helping people find more time for creativity in their work, the importance of user-testing, Miami’s surge of innovation and new business, and much more!

“Diversity of thought is what creates innovation.” — Lusnail Haberberger

Today’s guest is Lusnail Haberberger, President of LUZCO Technologies. LUZCO Technologies is an electrical engineering consulting firm offering project management services, engineering design services, and transmission and distribution engineering services. Lusnail sits down with the team to discuss her passion for engineering, the diversity struggle in engineering, breaking down barriers in the engineering industry, the importance of work-life balance, getting access to resources to help your business grow, and more!

“Raising money is hard, but you stumble through it...you work your way through every phase of the [startup] process.” — Jeff Stevens

Today’s guest is Jeff Stevens, Founder of WellBeing Brewing. WellBeing Brewing is a craft brewing company that is solely dedicated to brewing non-alcoholic craft beer. Jeff sits down with the team to discuss how he got started brewing NA beer, the non-alcoholic brewing process, acceptance in the craft beer community, marketing and selling NA beer nationally, the struggle of raising money for your venture, and much more!

“Entrepreneurship is not something just rests within the business schools, it is cross-disciplinary.” — Romi Bhatia

Today’s guest is Romi Bhatia, Executive Director of The Idea Center at Miami Dade College. The Idea Center offers a support network for all MDC students and community members to make creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial ideas come true. Romi sits down with the team to discuss the importance of real-world application in a teaching setting, the center’s main teaching methodologies, his passion for economic empowerment, starting Scale Up Miami, and much more!

“What if instead of a company coming in and giving support, an entire city came in and supported entrepreneurs?” — Emily Lohse-Busch

Today’s guest is Emily Lohse-Busch, Executive Director at Arch Grants. Arch Grants is a nonprofit organization that is building a new economy by providing $50K equity-free grants and pro bono support services to entrepreneurs who locate their early-stage businesses in St. Louis. Emily sits down with the team to talk about Arch Grants' goal for the St. Louis economy, providing support and resources to startups, the process of receiving a grant, the struggle of raising capital in the Midwest, the future of Arch Grants, and more!

“Processes make everything better … Spend time on how to operate efficiently with human capital constraint.” — Aaron Mottern

Today’s guest is Aaron Mottern, Founder & CEO of AGOGIE. AGOGIE designs and manufactures resistance integrated clothing for the sports performance, fitness, and athleisure industries. Aaron sits down with the team to discuss his entrepreneurial journey that led him to his current product, his passion for creating opportunities for others, customer success stories, working within the St. Louis business ecosystem, the importance of internal processes to maximize efficiency, and much more!

“Being candid with other entrepreneurs about your vulnerabilities or places that you want to improve actually enhance the business.”  — Aryan Rashed

Today’s guest is Aryan Rashed, Co-owner of JetSet Miami. JetSet Miami is a fitness studio that utilities a modern form of pilates to transform your body and mind. Aryan joins the team today to discuss her passion for fitness and starting JetSet, creating a common purpose bigger than fitness, welcoming competition and learning from one another, the importance of negotiating as a small business owner, giving back to the community, encouraging authenticity, celebrating hard work, and much more!

“Rather than creating a system that is teaching people to be reactive … teach them to be proactive.” — Matthew Haber

Today’s guest is Matthew Haber, Co-Founder at CivicPro. CivicPro is a Miami-based social enterprise focused on making it easier to track and engage with the local policy decisions that affect residents, businesses, and the city. Matthew sits down with the team to discuss why he started CivicPro, simplifying the government - resident interaction process, how CivicPro is  working to increase non-electoral civic engagement, the importance of speaking up at the local government level, and much more.

“Do something that moves you … just start with something that gets you excited and see where it takes you.” — Alejandro Cornejo

Today’s guest is Alejandro Cornejo, Leadership Development Trainer at Emerson. Emerson concentrates on challenges facing the process, industrial, commercial and residential markets. Alejandro joins the team to discuss his passion for influencing and impacting people, the importance of goal setting and anticipating roadblocks, how to handle feedback from anyone, doing something that moves you, and the importance of exposing yourself to other communities. Reach out to Alejandro on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter for more insights and info!

“Life is short and if don’t take the chance, you’ll never know.” — Lisa Hu

Today’s guest is Lisa Hu, Founder & CEO of Lux and Nyx. Lux and Nyx is a luxury hand and travel bag company that creates products with a social conscience. Lisa sits down with the team to discuss how she came up with her business idea, the importance of staying organized and creating a business plan, the demands of being a full time entrepreneur, how to network and market a new product, scaling up her business and her next steps for growth, and much more!