Restarting America

In this episode of Restarting America, Jeremy Greenberg from 97 Switch interviews Katy Osborn, a co-founder of Amelia Street Studio, a creative agency that helps women-owned businesses with branding, websites, videos and marketing. Throughout the interview, they discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and society. Osborn shares how the current health pandemic has affected Amelia Street Studio and how they are adapting to new circumstances.

After working at advertising agencies in Chicago and then working as marketing director for a national product, Osborn realized she thrives in situations where she has control over her own success. This led Osborn to co-found Amelia Street Studio with her two sisters.

Through this work, they were inspired to produce and film a documentary about identity, mental health and beauty. After six years of filming, Head to Head is scheduled to premiere this fall. Currently, Osborn is launching a new creative endeavor, Nowhere Collective, with a mission of shifting our consumer culture to one that centers planet, people and progress.

Two things guide Osborn: a love of creativity and interest in human behavior. She views these two things as critical in rebuilding an equitable, sustainable and joyful future.

In this episode of Restarting America, Jeremy Greenberg from 97 Switch interviews Chris Lai, founder and CEO of MassVR, a virtual reality entertainment experience company. Throughout the interview, they discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and society. Lai shares how the current health pandemic has affected MassVR and how they are adapting to new circumstances.

Lai is also the co-founder and co-CEO of SafeSpeed. SafeSpeed is a technology company that employs 55 people.

Lai’s passion for gaming goes back to his undergraduate days at the University of Illinois as a computer science major, where he raised $1M to start a gaming company with 20 employees. Alums from his early efforts went on to architect major game titles including Halo and Deus Ex.

In this episode of Restarting America, Jeremy Greenberg from 97 Switch interviews Jason Coleman, a co-founder and Executive Director of Project SYNCERE, an educational nonprofit organization that focuses on creating pathways for underrepresented students to pursue careers in STEM. Throughout the interview, they discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and society. Coleman shares how the current health pandemic has affected Project SYNCERE and how they are adapting to new circumstances.

Coleman co-founded Project SYNCERE in 2008 in an effort to bring about a change within the STEM fields. As a product of the Chicago Public Schools, it was important for him to ensure that access to quality programs was available to inner-city youth.

Project SYNCERE currently works with schools, community-based organizations and universities to implement its engineering-focused programs, ENpowered and E-CADEMY, to supplement students’ learning in the STEM fields. Since its inception, Project SYNCERE has served over 20,000 Chicago area students, helping to increase their interest in STEM and improve their overall understanding of engineering.

Coleman started his career as a mechanical engineer for BAE SYSTEMS where he designed flight control systems for military and commercial aircraft. He later worked for Motorola Mobility, where he designed the mechanical layouts for mobile phones.

Coleman was recently recognized as a 2018 40 Under 40 Game Changer by Ariel Investments and WVON. He’s also a member of the 2019 class of the Eisenhower Fellows and a 2020 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow.

In this episode of Restarting America, Josh Gibbs from 97 Switch interviews Kimberly Díaz, a co-founder and CEO of oneTILT, a nonprofit that focuses on making organizations more inclusive. Throughout the interview, they discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and society. Díaz shares how the current health pandemic has affected oneTILT and how they are adapting to new circumstances.

Díaz is a proud multi-racial Latina. She started oneTILT after a decade of nonprofit management and teaching experience because she felt like she could not bring her true self to work. She holds an MBA from UVA Darden School of Business, a M.A.T. in Mathematics from American University, and a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia. Díaz also served as a founding board member of New Leaders Council - Virginia, a nonprofit committed to recruiting and developing the next generation of progressive leaders. She loves her dog Mango, the Yankees, and all things Celia Cruz.

In this episode of Restarting America, Josh Gibbs from 97 Switch interviews David Eisenberg and Alexander Loftus, two attorneys who founded Loftus & Eisenberg, Ltd. Throughout the interview, they discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and society. They both share how the current health pandemic has affected their business and how they are adapting to new circumstances.

Loftus & Eisenberg, Ltd are experienced Chicago business litigation attorneys who work on alternative fee arrangements for all litigation matters. Unlike most firms whose fee arrangements are based solely on hours, their alternative fee arrangements can take the form of a flat fee, a fixed monthly retainer, a partial contingency fee, or pure contingency in which no attorney fees are paid unless we recover money. The firm customizes and personalizes its representation and fee structure to suit each client’s goals.

Loftus is a business and class action attorney. He has resolved a wide range of significant cases through mediation, arbitration, and trial across all sectors of commercial litigation, including breach of contract, fraud, professional malpractice, business divorce, and shareholder disputes. Loftus specializes in litigating business, intellectual property, commercial, employment, and class action cases and is passionate about fighting for the little guy in failed business transactions.

Eisenberg is a business litigator. He focuses his practice across all facets of commercial litigation. He takes a personal approach to his practice, going beyond simply connecting with clients and understanding their struggles and goals, to taking on their problems as his own and fighting for them as he would for himself or his family.

In this episode of Restarting America, Jeremy Greenberg from 97 Switch interviews Dana Kaye, a veteran publicist, brand manager and entrepreneur. Throughout the interview, they discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and society. Kaye shares how the current health pandemic has affected her business and how they are adapting to new circumstances. 

In 2009, Kaye founded Kaye Publicity, Inc., a boutique PR company specializing in publishing and entertainment. Known for her innovative ideas and knowledge of current trends, she coaches her clients on how to identify and establish their unique personal brands. Kaye is also the author of Your Book, Your Brand: The Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Book and Boosting Your Sales, and the co-founder of Bouquet Stock Photography, a curated library of stock photos with a focus on representation and equity. Connect with her at DanaKaye.com.

In this episode of Restarting America, Jeremy Greenberg from 97 Switch interviews Debra Giunta, founder of three education companies: Design Dance, Prismatic, and The Brainchild Collective. Throughout the interview, they discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and society. Giunta shares how the current health pandemic has affected her businesses and how they are adapting to new circumstances.

Design Dance, Prismatic, and The Brainchild Collective all focus on building the next generation of conscious leaders through social-emotional development. Giunta herself is a fierce advocate for the power of emotional intelligence. She is a TEDx speaker, founding board member of the Illinois Dance Education Organization and an active member of the Chicago female entrepreneurship community.

In this episode of Restarting America, Jeremy Greenberg from 97 Switch interviews Ahmed Flex Omar, co-founder of the Muslim American Leadership Alliance (MALA). Throughout the interview, they discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and society. Omar shares how the current health pandemic has affected MALA and how they are adapting to new circumstances.

Before co-founding MALA, Omar worked at UBS Wealth Management Group, American Express, RSM McGladrey and Deloitte. He is the founder of Global Eventz, an event-marketing company, and a founding member of the Chicago Leadership Alliance. Omar is passionate about youth mentorship, particularly for millennials and members of Generation Z, through internships and fellowship programs, scholarships, exposure to arts and culture, and other creative opportunities to provide engagement. He has created several educational programs—such as Mompreneur, Muslims in Tech and Introduction to Islamic Art—to encourage professionals to take time to build skills like public speaking, personal branding and negotiating. Omar earned a Bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago and a certificate in organizational leadership from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

In this episode of Restarting America, Jeremy Greenberg from 97 Switch interviews Dr. Chris Calarco, a chiropractor and co-owner of Accident Treatment Centers, a clinical network of physicians specialized in the treatment of auto and work-related accidents. Together they discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and society. Throughout the episode, Calarco shares how the current health pandemic has affected his company and how they are adapting to new circumstances.

Calarco is dedicated to a lifetime of continuing education on spinal biomechanics and musculoskeletal pathology. He also serves as the Managing Clinic Director of Accident Treatment Centers and understands the many opportunities and challenges associated with business ownership.

Calarco completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Nevada Las Vegas where he received a Bachelor in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Biochemistry. He then attended the National University of Health Sciences earning his Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine.

Restarting America is produced by 97 Switch

In this episode of Restarting America, Josh Gibbs from 97 Switch interviews Scott Friedland, store owner of Timeless Toys and Timeless Tots. Together they discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and society. Throughout the episode, Friedland shares how the current health pandemic has affected his company and how they are adapting to new circumstances. 

Friedland has been the store owner of Timeless Toys since 2016 and opened his second store, Timeless Tots, in 2018. He has a background in marketing and management, as well as small business accounting. He considers himself a leader to the younger generation working in the specialty toy industry. He regularly volunteers in positions on the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce Executive Board and American Specialty Toy Retailers Association. 

Friedland is also a leader in the Indiana Army National Guard. He is currently a Captain and has been serving since 2010.  He lives in Chicago with his wife, Leah and son, Jackson. 

Timeless Toys Website: https://www.timelesstoyschicago.com/

Follow Timeless Toys on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timelesstoyschicago

Restarting America is produced by 97 Switch.