In this episode, we sit down with Geoff McDonald — CEO, investor, board member, and seasoned internet executive — to dive deep into the world of scaling AI-driven commerce and building high-growth startups. With over 15 years of experience leading small to mid-sized organizations, Geoff shares lessons from co-founding Element Data, raising $9.2 million in funding, acquiring three companies, and securing partnerships with Fortune 100 brands.

Geoff takes us behind the scenes on how he built marketing and e-commerce platforms, led major influence campaigns for brands like Dove, Coca-Cola, and Mr. Bubbles, and shaped decision intelligence tools that are reshaping the future of marketing and customer engagement.

We talk about the importance of strategy, product development, corporate operations, and the evolving role of AI in business success.

linkedin.com/in/mcdonaldgeoff

wokes.io (Company)

twitter.com/# (Twitter)

On this episode of The Sparking Entrepreneur Show, we meet Eric Leebow, the visionary Founder and CEO of FreezeCrowd — a unique social networking platform that lets users “freeze” their crowd and “break the ice” in photos. Inspired by an idea Eric had back in 1999, FreezeCrowd brings a fresh and interactive twist to how we connect online, especially among college communities.

Eric shares his entrepreneurial journey, from publishing tech-forward books featured in national media to turning a simple insight about human connection into a full-fledged platform. His passion for innovation, storytelling, and technology shines as he explains what makes FreezeCrowd different in a crowded social media landscape.

Tune in for a conversation filled with creativity, persistence, and the power of a long-held vision coming to life.

linkedin.com/in/ericleebow

freezecrowd.com (FreezeCrowd.com)

twitter.com/freezecrowd (Follow FreezeCrowd on Twitter)

twitter.com/ericleebow (Follow me on Twitter)

Eric’s Profile Websites

In this episode, we sit down with Mike DiPetrillo — widely known as “The Tech Sustainability Guy.” As the Founder & CEO of TerraTrust, Mike is on a mission to transform the way the tech world operates by making sustainability not just a goal, but a standard. With over 30 years of experience working with Global 2,000 companies across industries like finance, healthcare, and telecom, Mike brings both technical depth and business acumen to the conversation.

From cloud computing and blockchain to virtualization and green IT practices, Mike has been at the forefront of bringing emerging technologies to market. He’s a sought-after keynote speaker, published author, and respected voice in the IT industry.

We talk about why sustainability in tech is no longer optional, how TerraTrust is helping companies take accountability, and the importance of creative leadership in driving real change.

Tune in to learn how one executive is building a more responsible future for the tech industry — and how you can be part of it.

linkedin.com/in/mikedipetrillo

devvesg.com (Company)

devv.io (Personal)

mikedipetrillo.com (Blog)

On this episode of The Sparking Entrepreneur Show, we welcome Jessie Zaylia, Esq., Founder and CEO of twrk, In—an AI-driven job matching platform built to revolutionize how people find work. Jessie brings a unique blend of experience as an attorney, professor, and business leader who’s not afraid to shake things up.

She shares her journey from growing revenue and spearheading tech overhauls at a law firm, to founding a startup that uses AI and swipe-based matching to fix the outdated job search experience. Plus, we dive into her creative side—stand-up comedy, travel, and a love for languages.

linkedin.com/in/jessiezaylia

In this episode of Sparking Entrepreneur, we sit down with Taige Zhang, the visionary founder and CEO of Fairytrail—a dating and travel platform for remote workers and digital nomads. With a background in product management and analytics, Taige has built impactful marketplace solutions designed for a new era of freedom and connection. He shares how his love for travel, sailing, and freediving inspired the creation of a platform that helps others find romance and adventure around the world. Tune in to discover what it takes to turn passion into product—and how to build community through innovation.

Socials:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/taigezhang/

Website:

https://www.fairytrail.app/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/fairytrailapp/

Blog:

https://www.fairytrail.app/stories/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@fairytrailapp

Hugues (Hugo) Seureau is the Chief Business Officer at GenHax, where he's helping shape the first Growth Marketplace designed to accelerate people, processes, products, and portfolios. With deep expertise across sales, marketing, product development, and cybersecurity, Hugo brings a rare cross-functional lens to innovation.

In this episode, Hugo shares how GenHax is reimagining how companies grow—and reveals the behind-the-scenes of building a revolutionary new solution to combat phishing. We explore his global journey through enterprise, SMB, and startup environments, the intersection of marketing and cybersecurity, and what it takes to drive results across teams and sectors.

Whether you're in product, go-to-market, or digital security, this conversation offers fresh insight into how to scale sustainably and securely.

linkedin.com/in/hugoseureau

certilane.com (Company)

Eric R. Burgess is the CEO and Co-Founder of Credtent.org and Chief Product Officer at psyML. With an MBA and a career at the intersection of technology, creativity, and ethics, Eric is leading the charge in building tools that protect and empower creators in the AI era.

In this conversation, Eric dives into how Credtent is reshaping the way AI companies engage with creative content—offering a licensing and auditing utility that puts ethics and transparency at the center of AI development. We explore the urgent need for responsible training data, how creatives can safeguard their work, and what it means to align innovation with integrity.

We also touch on Eric’s diverse background—from writing books and designing gamification systems to advising companies on branding and tech-enabled marketing. If you’re curious about the future of ethical AI, creator rights, and the real-world tools being built to bridge the gap, this episode is a must-listen.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erburgess/

Bluesky Personal: https://bsky.app/profile/erburgess.bsky.social

Medium: https://medium.com/credtent-on-content

Substack Personal: https://burgessing.substack.com/

Substack Credtent: https://substack.com/@credtent

Christopher Emerson is a seasoned cybersecurity executive, startup advisor, and offensive security expert with a successful entrepreneurial exit under his belt. With more than a decade of experience building and scaling cybersecurity programs, Christopher has worked at the intersection of innovation, leadership, and digital defense—protecting critical infrastructure while enabling business growth.

In this episode, Christopher dives into what it really means to lead offensive security initiatives, how startups can embed cybersecurity from day one, and why translating technical risk into executive language is a game-changer. He also shares his passion for mentoring rising cybersecurity professionals and his perspective on the evolving threat landscape.

Tune in for a high-impact conversation about the mindset, strategy, and execution required to lead in cybersecurity today—and what tomorrow’s leaders need to know to stay ahead.

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/csemerson/

In this insightful episode, we’re joined by Akshay Madhani, a founder and CEO who leads with humility, curiosity, and deep respect for his team. Akshay shares how being impressionable in the best way—open to ideas, willing to listen, and trusting his team—has been a secret weapon in his leadership journey.

We dive into the shift from traditional command-style leadership to a more empowering model, where giving people autonomy leads to innovation. Akshay also leaves us with a powerful reminder: not taking risks might be the biggest risk of all.

Tune in to learn how embracing your team’s strengths and taking smart risks can drive real success as an entrepreneur.

Akshay Madhani’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshaymadhani

Akshay Madhani’s Website: https://www.scrollmark.com/

In this episode of The Sparking Entrepreneur Show, we sit down with Bryce DeCora, Co-Founder and CEO of CloseBot.ai — a game-changing platform that empowers agencies to build expert-level lead qualification and booking bots with ease.

Bryce shares how his unique background in AI, engineering, sales, and natural language processing has led him to create smarter, faster, and more effective AI agents for sales teams. From vision to execution, this conversation dives into the future of automation in lead generation.

Tune in to hear how CloseBot is simplifying sales with AI — and what it means for the next generation of agency growth.

https://www.closebot.ai

linkedin.com/in/iambryce