Made in Gainesville

Marcus Tucker is the Pit-master of Tailgators BBQ. Marcus will walk us through how to make great BBQ and how to master cooking ribs (even if you don't have a smoker)! Marcus will also describe how catching a frightening case of Covid-19 made him realize he wanted to leave his successful career and launch his own BBQ business.

In this episode, I will be talking with Dr. Nuri Yeralan, a senior software engineer lead at Microsoft. Nuri and I will discuss the problems that social media can cause in society, artificial intelligence, the rapid disruption of traditional jobs by tech, developing Microsoft’s Windows operating system, and more.

On this episode, I will be talking with Dean Cacciatore, owner of Cacciatore Catering. Dean and I will discuss how he has turned a passion for food into a reputation for world class catering. Dean will tell us about learning to cook in his grandmother’s kitchen, as well as in the restaurant kitchens of high-tempered German head chefs. Dean will give us some tips on staying positive and motivated during difficult times, and he will share some exciting news about his pizza restaurant opening in the Haile Village Center in January 2021.

Keith Watson, owner of Keith Watson Events, will be joining me on this episode. Keith is known for putting on top notch events in Gainesville as well as up and down the east coast. Keith will share his journey from being raised on a farm in Alabama and working at the family propane business, to putting on high profile events at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and finally starting his own event production business in Gainesville.

On this episode, we will be talking with Sam Rosati of Pursuant Capital.  Sam operates a search fund that purchases and operates Florida businesses. Sam and I will discuss the challenges of managing multiple businesses, why he prefers “old-economy” enterprise, and go over some pointers for people looking to start or buy a company.

On this episode, we will be discussing ecotourism and wildlife photography with Court Whelan. Court has a phD in Ecotourism from the University of Florida and leads nature and wildlife expeditions around the world with NatHab Adventures. Court will tell us about dangerous wildlife encounters, how Covid19 shutdowns has impacted his industry, and how he has made a brand of his wildlife photography on social media.

We discuss Virtual Reality with Dr. Benjamin Lok, Co-founder of Shadow Health and a Computer & Information Sciences Professor at the University of Florida. Shadow Health uses virtual reality to help healthcare providers learn how to communicate with patients by allowing them to practice in a virtual environment. Dr. Lok will discuss uses of VR and risks that technology poses to society. We will also discuss his first Ironman Triathalon and how he was able to weave his training into his commitments to his company, the university, and his family.

Andy Stark will share his impressive resume working for Gainesville-based tech companies, as well as his time in the Navy. Andy worked his way from a tech support employee to President and owner of Jenmar, a cloud-based dental-lab tech company, which was sold to EasyRX earlier this year. We will also discuss innovation, taking risks with startups, and how to brand Gainesville to retain UF grads and entrepreneurs.

On this episode, we will hear from Evan Ferl, General Counsel & VP of Legal and Operations at Hired, a tech company based in San Francisco. Evan and I will discuss the career path that took him to Silicon Valley, how he inadvertently advised a startup company that was funded by illegal drug trade, whether or not students should go to law school, his career in stand-up comedy, and much more.

On this episode, we will hear from Brad Stumpff, co-owner of UF Mover Guys, a full service moving company in Gainesville. Brad and I will discuss marketing and how he has maintained a 4.9 star rating on Google with over 500 reviews, how to keep clients happy by keeping employees happy, as well as some hilarious mishaps and unusual things he has been asked to move.