Innovation City

"If you can get a book in the hand of a kid, that's phenomenal. If you can get a book in a kid's hand, and they get to meet that author, and they get to hear about the book and they get to hear about the process, odds of them picking up that book up and reading it are just tenfold." – Holland Saltsman

Today's guest is Holland Saltsman, Owner at The Novel Neighbor, "where people, art and books meet." Holland opened the bookstore six years ago to fill a need for an independent bookseller, and it ended up being a place for connections. In this episode, Holland sits down with the team to discuss bookstores in the age of Amazon, hidden gems of the book world, creatively interacting with customers and keeping the business afloat during a pandemic, and much more!

If I can come and leave the world a little better than I left it, than when I was here, then my job is done. - T. Moore

Today's guest is T. Moore, Creative Director at Doer House. Doer House is a brick-and-mortar concept and retail space for Black creatives. T. Moore is an entrepreneur and artist, who specializes in experiential design. In this episode, T. Moore sits down with the team to discuss the Black creative movement, offline vs. online presence, his advice for young entrepreneurs, and much more!

"Don't just play the game, change it." - Khalia Collier

Today's guest is Khalia Collier, Owner & General Manager of the St. Louis Surge, the first women's sustainable basketball franchise in the Gateway City. Khalia was born and raised in St. Louis, and has turned her lifelong love of the game of basketball into an entrepreneurial journey. In this episode, Khalia sits down with the team to discuss what it's like being a young, Black, female sports team owner, owning the responsibility of making an impact on her community, what's next for the Surge, and much more!

"There's a lot of responsibility around algorithms and we're just scratching the surface because we are learning." - Demian Bellumio

Today's guest is Demian Bellumio, Vice President of Augmented Intelligence at NEORIS, which is creating disruptive solutions to enable the world's leading enterprises in transforming their data into a strategic, actionable and valuable asset. Demian is a serial entrepreneur, with over 15 years of experience in creating and growing tech companies. In this episode, Demian sits down with the team to discuss his evolution from music to algorithms, the differences between an entrepreneur and an intrapreneur, avoiding algorithmic bias, and much more!

"I think that's what it's really about, for innovators, entrepreneurs: Utilize the opportunities that you're given. Don't sit there and complain about, 'Oh, I didn't get this enough…'" - Michelle McLean

Today's guest is Michelle McClean, Founder and President at Africa's Finest Safaris. Africa's Finest Safaris is a tourism marketing company offering bespoke sales, marketing and representation services to African tourism partners. Michelle, a philanthropist, business owner, and former Miss Universe, is "the ultimate renaissance woman." In this episode, Michelle sits down with the team to discuss the importance of shifting narratives and changing perspectives, her advice on dealing with stress, her experiences with Nelson Mandela, the characteristics of a strong leader, and much more!

"It's really about allowing the culture that exists to remain." - Derek Fleming

Today's guest is Derek Fleming, managing partner at MSDG, LLC. MSDG is responsible for such community projects as the multi-layered entertainment venue, Red Rooster Overtown. Derek is a real estate developer with a specific focus on hospitality, and he's known for bridging different worlds and being a mentor to others. In this episode, Derek sits down with the team to discuss different perspectives in real estate development, the "cultural bottom line," celebrating cultural heritage in development, and much more!

"I just have a belief that there's always something that we can do. Most of the time when we fail it's because we give up. We give up way too soon." - Ernisha Randolph

Today's guest is Ernisha Randolph, owner and CEO of Sweet Butter Hospitality Group, a firm that manages a number of culinary brands and experiences including, among others, a catering company, soul food restaurants, and specialty food product lines. In this episode, Ernisha sits down with the team to discuss business insights, the non-traditional ways she raised funds for her restaurant, mentoring other entrepreneurs through the coronavirus pandemic, and much more!

"If you're creating something and there's no conflict, you're doing it wrong." - Riyaad Seecharan

Today's guest is Riyaad Seecharan, CEO at Tesser Health, which manages prescription healthcare drugs for companies, to help reduce the cost of medications for employees. Riyaad is an entrepreneur with 20 + years of leadership and product development experience, with successful exits to Microsoft, JC Flowers, and Rev360. In this episode, Riyaad sits down with the team to discuss how conflict can be a good thing, relationships in business, the characteristics of an amazing team, and much more!

"I imagine a place where, if you are working, it's not unreasonable to expect that if you have family you could buy a house to build wealth. We have to have ways to improve ourselves." – Annie Lord

Today's guest is Annie Lord, Executive Director of Miami Homes For All. Miami Homes For All has worked to end and prevent homelessness in Miami-Dade County since 1985. They believe that everyone in Miami deserves to lead a dignified, healthy, and vibrant life. Born and raised in Miami, Annie has over 15 years of experience in community development. Before joining MHFA, Annie was the Chief Program Officer for CitySquare, where she oversaw all programs, including housing for people and families experiencing homelessness, a food pantry, foster youth services, a health clinic, and a family law firm. In this episode, Annie sits down with the team to discuss the need for stable housing in Miami's lower income communities, ways her and MHFA are working to solve the housing security crisis, spotlighting some innovative spaces around Miami who are providing better access to resources for low income families and individuals, and much more!

"You feel like there's no limits when you see other people doing it [following their dreams] and it's like, "Yeah, I can do this too."" – Enoch Showunmi

Today's guest is Enoch Showunmi, Founder of Global Soccer Pathways. Global Soccer Pathways is a resource for players to get education, elite training, and mindset training. Enoch is a former professional soccer player and played for the Nigeria National Soccer Team within just 1 year of becoming a pro player. After playing soccer professionally for over a decade, Enoch started Global Soccer Pathways and is now helping student athletes develop their game and create a SUPERSTAR mindset via his specialty programming. In this episode, Tyler and Leigh-Ann sit down with Enoch to learn more about the sport of soccer, how playing a sport can provide essential exposure for a young athlete's career, the importance of using education as a tool to get you access to resources, the importance of networking as a new founder, and much more!