Nora chats with Crunchbase CEO Jager McConnell about the increasingly difficult funding environment for late stage startups, and why some companies who raised at massive valuations last year are running into trouble. Jager also offers insight into the industries that are taking a beating in the startup world, and explains why biotech and cybersecurity are thriving. For more info on our presenting sponsor, check out realvision.com/businesscasual. 

Host: Nora Ali

Producer: Bella Hutchins 

Video Editor: Sebastian Vega

Production, Mixing & Sound Design: Daniel Markus

Music: Daniel Markus & Breakmaster Cylinder

Fact Checker: Kate Brandt 

Senior Producer: Katherine Milsop

VP, Head of Multimedia: Sarah Singer 

Full transcripts for all Business Casual episodes available at https://businesscasual.fm

Nora chats with NYU psychology professor Tessa West about her book Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them, and offers strategies on how to deal with difficult people at work (from co-workers to managers), and communication tips that go beyond confrontation, to knowing how and when to speak up. For more info on our presenting sponsor, check out realvision.com/businesscasual.

Host: Nora Ali

Producer: Bella Hutchins 

Video Editors: McKenzie Marshall and Christie Muldoon

Production, Mixing & Sound Design: Daniel Markus

Music: Daniel Markus & Breakmaster Cylinder

Fact Checker: Kate Brandt 

Senior Producer: Katherine Milsop

VP, Head of Multimedia: Sarah Singer 

Full transcripts for all Business Casual episodes available at https://businesscasual.fm

Nora chats with Snigdha Sur, the founder & CEO of The Juggernaut, a media company focused on telling smart South Asian stories and news. In the U.S. alone, South Asians have half a trillion dollars of spending power, are the fastest growing demographic, and became the world’s largest diaspora in 2010… about 52 million people strong. Snigdha offers career insights as the founder of a media company, and details how The Juggernaut succeeded by sharing narratives that have been missing until now, and that mainstream media has gotten wrong. For more info on our presenting sponsor, check out realvision.com/businesscasual. 

Host: Nora Ali

Producer: Bella Hutchins 

Video Editors: McKenzie Marshall and Christie Muldoon

Production, Mixing & Sound Design: Daniel Markus

Music: Daniel Markus & Breakmaster Cylinder

Fact Checker: Kate Brandt 

Senior Producer: Katherine Milsop

VP, Head of Multimedia: Sarah Singer 

Full transcripts for all Business Casual episodes available at https://businesscasual.fm

Nora chats with celebrity chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay about his latest venture, Made By Nacho, a line of premium cat food and treats inspired by his beloved maine coon, Nacho Flay. Bobby also shares his approach to creating new restaurant concepts while managing a diverse business portfolio, and offers tips for aspiring chefs and restaurateurs. For more info on our presenting sponsor, check out realvision.com/businesscasual. 

Host: Nora Ali

Producer: Bella Hutchins 

Video Editors: McKenzie Marshall and Christie Muldoon

Production, Mixing & Sound Design: Daniel Markus

Music: Daniel Markus & Breakmaster Cylinder

Fact Checker: Kate Brandt 

Senior Producer: Katherine Milsop

VP, Head of Multimedia: Sarah Singer 

Full transcripts for all Business Casual episodes available at https://businesscasual.fm

Senegalese chef and entrepreneur Pierre Thiam is on a mission to break into the Western-dominated grain market with an ancient grain called fonio. He built his company, Yolele Foods, in 2017 with the intention of creating economic opportunities for farmers who grow grains like fonio, and his success could have a huge impact on African countries by alleviating poverty and hunger for millions of people. Pierre tells us about his strategy to break into a global market that obsesses over wheat, rice, corn, and soy. And so far, it's working. Yolele's packaged fonio is flying off the shelves at Whole Foods locations all across the country. For more info on our presenting sponsor, check out realvision.com/businesscasual. 

Host: Nora Ali

Producer: Bella Hutchins 

Video Editors: McKenzie Marshall and Christie Muldoon

Production, Mixing & Sound Design: Daniel Markus

Music: Daniel Markus & Breakmaster Cylinder

Fact Checker: Kate Brandt 

Senior Producer: Katherine Milsop

VP, Head of Multimedia: Sarah Singer 

Full transcripts for all Business Casual episodes available at https://businesscasual.fm

Nora chats with bestselling author Susan Cain. Fast Company named her one of its Most Creative People in Business, and her record-smashing TED Talk has been viewed over 30 million times on TED.com and YouTube combined. Susan’s latest bestseller called Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole.  For more info on our presenting sponsor, check out realvision.com/businesscasual.

Host: Nora Ali

Producer: Bella Hutchins 

Video Editors: McKenzie Marshall and Christie Muldoon

Production, Mixing & Sound Design: Daniel Markus

Music: Daniel Markus & Breakmaster Cylinder

Fact Checker: Kate Brandt 

Senior Producer: Katherine Milsop

VP, Head of Multimedia: Sarah Singer 

Full transcripts for all Business Casual episodes available at https://businesscasual.fm

Just two years ago, Alex Warren was sleeping in friends’ cars and working non-stop making videos for TikTok and YouTube. Now, the 21-year-old content creator has over 20 million cumulative followers and recently released his single "Remember Me Happy.” Nora chats with Alex about how he mastered the algorithm, his newfound wealth, and the hard lessons he learned about personal finance. His new podcast is called "Locked In With Alex Warren." For more info on our presenting sponsor, check out realvision.com/businesscasual. 

Host: Nora Ali

Producer: Bella Hutchins 

Video Editors: McKenzie Marshall and Christie Muldoon

Production, Mixing & Sound Design: Daniel Markus

Music: Daniel Markus & Breakmaster Cylinder

Fact Checker: Kate Brandt 

Senior Producer: Katherine Milsop

VP, Head of Multimedia: Sarah Singer 

Full transcripts for all Business Casual episodes available at https://businesscasual.fm

What does it mean to be a “multi-hyphenate” and how do you make it all work? Nora finds out with Hitha Palepu, an entrepreneur and the CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, who also runs a fund focused on investing in women-founded companies and is a published author. Her latest book is “We’re Speaking: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris.”  For more info on our presenting sponsor, check out realvision.com/businesscasual.

Host: Nora Ali

Producer: Bella Hutchins 

Video Editors: McKenzie Marshall and Christie Muldoon

Production, Mixing & Sound Design: Daniel Markus

Music: Daniel Markus & Breakmaster Cylinder

Fact Checker: Kate Brandt 

Senior Producer: Katherine Milsop

VP, Head of Multimedia: Sarah Singer 

Full transcripts for all Business Casual episodes available at https://businesscasual.fm

Nora chats with musician singer/songwriter, actor and entrepreneur Christina Milian for a special bonus episode! She co-founded Beignet Box in 2019 starting with a pop-up location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Beignet Box has since expanded with two brick and mortar locations in California and two food trucks. Christina talks about her partnership with the California Strawberry Commission, her pivot to entrepreneurship, future business goals and how she deals with burnout.

Host: Nora Ali

Producer: Bella Hutchins 

Video Editors: McKenzie Marshall and Christie Muldoon

Production, Mixing & Sound Design: Daniel Markus

Music: Daniel Markus & Breakmaster Cylinder

Fact Checker: Kate Brandt 

Senior Producer: Katherine Milsop

VP, Head of Multimedia: Sarah Singer 

Full transcripts for all Business Casual episodes available at https://businesscasual.fm

Nora chats with musician Tai Verdes, who rose to fame on TikTok in 2020, about songwriting, the importance of having a plan, the myth of overnight success and how his approach to playing the long game in the music business is to write songs that he likes. Tai’s forthcoming album “HDTV” is due out later this year, and he’s currently on a 22-city HDTV Headline Tour. For more info on our presenting sponsor, check out realvision.com/businesscasual. 

Host: Nora Ali

Producer: Bella Hutchins 

Video Editors: McKenzie Marshall and Christie Muldoon

Production, Mixing & Sound Design: Daniel Markus

Music: Daniel Markus & Breakmaster Cylinder

Fact Checker: Kate Brandt 

Senior Producer: Katherine Milsop

VP, Head of Multimedia: Sarah Singer 

Full transcripts for all Business Casual episodes available at https://businesscasual.fm