Noon Business Lunch

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, and publisher of Love, Money + Real Estate on Substack, joins John to talk about how AI can help with your personal finances.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Amazon expanding its drone delivery service, the acquisition of Pluie, the maker of the world’s first self-sanitizing diaper changing table, and an Australian quantum firm opening an office in Chicago.

Segment 3: Nancy Economou, Founder / CEO, Watts of Love, joins John to talk about the mission of their organization, how solar lighting can help families who are living in ultra-poverty, how the lights work, why she decided to start Watts of Love, the impact of the Watts of Love program around the world, the inspiration for the lighting design, how they are able to fund their mission, and the upcoming premiere of ‘Light on the Water,’ a short film that highlights the plight of women living in Kenya.

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the market volatility this week, the bond market and national debt awareness, why treasury yields are higher, the concern about the job market, why he doesn’t expect wage growth to happen, what’s driving the stock market right now, and what investors need to know about building a portfolio.

Segment 2: Carl Prouty, “The Technologist” at Abt Electronics in Glenview, talks to John about the most popular tech items for back-to-school season.

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John to talk about how concerned listeners should be about the national debt hitting $40 trillion, why he’s not concerned about the market fluctuation, why he believes the economy will continue to grow, if he thinks the Fed will raise rates in September, and what he’s telling his clients about investing right now.

Segment 2: Kathy Kwak, COO of Proper Title, talks to John about the rise in deed theft scams and what you need to know about protecting yourself so it doesn’t happen to you.

Segment 3: Austin Fletcher, CEO and Co-Founder of Momento, joins John to talk about how their new technology captures real, in-the-moment reactions from live events and turns them into high-quality photos. Austin explains how the technology works, how they have launched at Wrigley Field, how they have grown since January, how the business is structured, and when they hope to get into the Rate or the United Center.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the U.S. national debt, Secretary Scott Bessent’s effort to steady the bond market, the overall health of the economy, and to answer all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the incredible season of baseball we are seeing on both sides of town, the importance of good culture at work, and if a company should require employees to work out.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about when a ‘disappearing act’ is sometimes the best decision for a company.

Segment 3: Faron Daugs, CFP, Founder and CEO, Harrison Wallace Financial Group, joins John to talk about what’s going on with the markets this week, inflation cooling off, how wages are keeping up with inflation, the continued conflict in Iran and the pressure on oil, why we are seeing the consumer slow down, a nice string of earnings reports, and what the Fed will likely do with rates in September.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, and publisher of Love, Money + Real Estate on Substack, joins John to talk about where people are getting their financial advice including AI and TikTok ‘finfluencers.’

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Loop, an AI logistics platform, ranking as Chicago’s fastest-growing private company, and MHub planning a massive West Side campus.

Segment 3: Charlie Alfarah, Founder, ProjectLeo, talks to John about creating a new AI-powered platform designed to help patients and caregivers understand medical records, prepare for appointments, coordinate care and challenge insurance denials.

Segment 1:  Michael Miller, Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor Emeritus at DePaul University, joins John to talk about a recent study regarding networking and its relationship to a company landing the best candidate for the job, a new study on the cost of childcare.

Segment 2: Matt Adams, principal at Deloitte Consulting specializing in retail, joins John Williams to talk about Deloitte’s 2026 Back-to-School Survey.

Segment 3: Jon Gordon, Chicago Bitcoin Collective + Fork & Coin Restaurant in Portage Park, joins John to talk about his interest in Bitcoin, what the Chicago Bitcoin Collective is, what type of food the restaurant is focused on, why everything at the restaurant is cooked in beef tallow, the ability to pay in Bitcoin for your food, the benefits of accepting Bitcoin, and how business has been going at the restaurant and their focus on the local community and supper clubs.

Segment 1: Mark Hamrick, journalist, economic analyst, author of ‘The Hamrick Brief‘ on Substack, joins John to talk about the latest data on inflation, how may people use a credit card to pay for groceries, and the likelihood the Fed raises rates in September.

Segment 2:  Mike Spriggs, Head of Consumer Insights at Fiserv, joins John Williams to break down Fiserv’s July Small Business Index.

Segment 3: Colleen Ceh Becvar, Co-Founder, Trinity Advocacy Group, joins John Williams to talk about how they usher older adults and their families through difficult times, the two sides of their business, the various types of services they provide, how they charge for their services, and how they come up with sustainable care plans that is accessible to all families.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins Jon Hansen to talk about today’s inflation report, what inflation will mean for Fed policy moving forward, and what to know if you are still waiting for your IRS refund. And as always, Terry answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about Friday’s disappointing jobs data, and to share his thoughts about a viral Reddit post where an employee has been working less than 8 hours a day, but still getting all the work done.  

Segment 2: Andrew Pentis, Bankrate Lead Watchdog Reporter, joins John Williams to talk about a new Bankrate report that shows some senior homeowners may be paying more to refinance.

Segment 3: Longtime Chicago radio veteran Harvey Wells, founder, Lower Tech Bills, talks to John about what you need to know about switching cell phone providers, why watching football this year is getting more expensive, and the deals for internet service that are available right now.