The Startup Junkies Podcast

Summary

En nuestro quinto episodio nos acompaña una invitada excepcional: Tahamara Ibarra de LinguaConnect Translations.

En esta edición Tahamara comparte su experiencia y conocimientos sobre la importancia de comprender no solo las palabras, sino también la cultura y el contexto detrás de cada mensaje. Descubre cómo LinguaConnect está transformando la manera en que nos comunicamos en un mundo cada vez más diverso.

Prepárate para sumergirte en una conversación que te inspirará a superar los límites del lenguaje y a conectarte de manera más profunda con aquellos que te rodean. ¡No te pierdas este episodio lleno de aprendizaje y descubrimientos!

Show Notes

(00:32) Introducción a Tahamara Ibarra

(02:06) La Educación de Tahamara 

(03:25) Por qué Thamara Comenzó su Propio Negocio

(05:03) Cambios en la Cultura Local

(06:01) De una Idea a la Realidad

(07:10) La Cronología de una Empresa

(11:25) Superando Obstáculos

(14:41) Lecciones Valiosas

(17:57) Valores Fundamentales

(20:15) Palabras de la Sabiduría

Links

Claudia Scott

Ana Ortiz

Quotes

“Estudie español con énfasis en el lado medico” - Tahamara lbarra (02:06)

“Al paso del tiempo lo que me di cuenta es que me gustaba más las clases de idioma y las clases medicas eran muy difíciles.” - Tahamara lbarra (02:06)

“Decidí estudiar para ser maestra de español y después seguí mi educación con una maestría en español… Y en la maestría era la intención de ser profesora” - Tahamara lbarra (02:35)

“Primeramente nunca me vi como una emprendedora, siempre pensé que iba a estudiar en algo, iba a trabajar, pero nunca sabia en que.” - Tahamara lbarra (03:25)

“Me di cuenta que siempre, en cada trabajo usaba mi habilidad de español.” - Tahamara lbarra (03:58)

“Llegue a la conclusión que podía combinar mi pasión de educar con mi amor a lo que es el idioma, la lectura y hacer un negocio de educar.” - Tahamara lbarra (04:04)

“Uno tiene que entender que el idioma refleja lo que es la historia.” - Tahamara lbarra (04:40)

“Ahora creo que hay más conciencia de que la información se debe de proveer (en otros idiomas).” - Tahamara lbarra (05:33)

“Estoy tan orgullosa y me siento humilde de saber que hay tanta ayuda para la comunidad.” - Tahamara lbarra (09:59)

“Es impresionante cuantas personas de negocios comenzaron igual como yo, y como otras personas que literalmente era una idea...” - Tahamara lbarra (10:37)

“Estos programas hacen posible que las personas aprendan información, sepan a donde recurrir para sus herramientas y pongan esa información y herramientas a trabajar.” - Tahamara lbarra (10:45)

“Para mí, el mayor obstáculo ha sido el miedo.” - Tahamara lbarra (11:38)

“Lo que me encanta de mi proceso es que es muy orgánico.” - Tahamara lbarra (12:17)

“Para mí, nuevamente, la barrera principal he sido yo misma.” - Tahamara lbarra (12:44)

“El sol sale para todos.” - Tahamara lbarra (14:13)

“Los valores siempre van a ser los mismos… Quizás tomen diferentes formas, o tomen diferentes colores, pero la idea básicamente es la misma.” - Tahamara lbarra (18:04)

“Creo que mi negocio representa las experiencias personales que yo viví como persona bilingüe.” - Tahamara lbarra (18:29)

“Tenemos que darnos cuenta de dónde venimos para saber a dónde vamos.” - Tahamara lbarra (21:09)

“Considero que no lo hubiera pensado antes, pero ahora lo que quiero hacer es regresar a dar a las comunidades que me dieron a mí.” - Tahamara lbarra (22:20)

“Reconozco que si no hubiera tenido buenos maestros y maestras que hubieran estado interesados en mi educación no estaría aquí.” - Tahamara lbarra (22:57)

“Yo quiero crear material que maestros puedan usar en sus salones para que aiga inclusividad.” - Tahamara lbarra (23:15)

Summary

On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Ahren Boulanger, the founder of Pleasant Counter, a family-run restaurant in Springdale specializing in burgers with a passion for sustainability and locally sourced ingredients. Ahren unpacks his diverse food influences, his take on the challenges of menu diversity, and why his preference for quality ingredients is revolutionizing the local dining scene. Additionally, he shares insights from his previous fermentation business, delves into the valuable lessons learned from international cuisine, and reflects on starting up in different regions, from California to Texas and now Northwest Arkansas. Caleb, Victoria, and Ahren also dive into what it takes to create food while aligning with your mission and discuss Pleasant Counter's recent trip to the World Burger Championships in Dallas where they placed 4th best burger in the world!

Show Notes

(1:09) Introducing Ahren Boulanger

(13:08) How Pleasant Counter fits into NWA’s Restaurant Scene

(23:10) Ahren’s Experience at the World Burger Championships

(36:03) How the Community Can Help Encourage Entrepreneurship

(44:49) Advice to Younger Self

(50:18) Closing Thoughts

Links

Caleb Talley

Victoria Dickerson

Ahren Boulanger

Pleasant Counter Facebook

Pleasant Counter Instagram

Quotes

“We leaned into a simple menu…there’s a lot of customization that’s kind of hidden in there, I’m not purposely trying to be cryptic, I just don’t want to clutter up the menu…[doing a few things and doing them well] is the philosophy I was trying to embrace.” - Ahren Boulanger, (8:37)

“There’s nothing we’re doing that’s so difficult. It’s just as long as we do it the way we like to do it, it works. But to try and do all that other stuff and not using an actual distributor that just shows up at your door and brings you things is rough, but it makes it so that we can do it the way we want to do it.” - Ahren Boulanger, (41:21)

“Also my personal phone number is the restaurant phone number. So my cell phone, you can just go on Google and literally call or text me…It’s just a little bit more personal. I guess it’s something that most people wouldn’t do, but it’s kind of our whole thing. There's not a lot of restaurants where you can go in and talk to the owner and actually have the owner bus your table, wash your dishes, make your food, take your order. So I think people like it.” - Ahren Boulanger, (49:01)

Summary

Welcome to another great episode of the Startup Junkie Podcast! On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine are joined by Canem Arkan and Shawn Morris from Endeavor, the leading global community of, by, and for high-impact entrepreneurs. Endeavor is on a mission to build thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging and underserved markets around the world by inspiring high-growth founders to dream bigger. Endeavor creates a multiplier effect by providing entrepreneurs with the platform to scale faster and pay it forward, resulting in a compounding of their individual impact. Throughout the episode, Caleb, Jeff, Canem, and Shawn talk about the importance of exposing yourself to a variety of markets and how a thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem can exist anywhere with the right key people and support groups.

Show Notes

(0:47) Introducing Canem and Shawn

(1:23) Endeavor’s Origin Story

(3:46) Endeavor’s Expansion into New Markets

(10:36) What’s Next for Endeavor

(23:13) The Importance of Storytelling for Northwest Arkansas

(28:24) Celebrating Wins and Normalizing Failure

(34:24) Gaining Exposure to Different Markets

(41:14) Current Challenges in the State

(47:06) Advice to Younger Self

(50:51) Closing Question

Links

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine 

Canem Arkan

Shawn Morris

Endeavor

Quotes

“We work with scaling founders with the goal of job creation and revenue generation and what that does for economic transformation…Because what we found was people with good ideas need certain help and people who have fifty or one hundred team members need a different kind of help. So how do we plug and support all the organizations that exist and do that for scaling founders who need a different kind of help?” - Canam Arkan, (1:23)

“We still have a lot more to do. So part of what we’re trying to focus on is are there areas of specialty we can really hone in on because we’re industry agnostic, but it’s hard to be everything to everyone, which is what we try to do.” - Canam Arkan, (11:00)

“It feels more and more people are seeing that there’s things happening here in NWA. And so whether it’s investors from out of town or just founders in the region checking this place out, it feels more like people want to come in. And so how do we bring those people in and show them around and what’s happening here and hold their feet to the fire of you’ve been here, you’ve seen it, now start doing stuff here.” - Shawn Morris, (12:35)

“I think [celebrating wins] is helpful when it comes to selling to both, like bringing in and then retaining your employees, communicating to them like maybe we haven’t raised a ton of money or we have a down round, but there’s traction here. Your decision to jump ship from corporate to go work in a startup was smart because we’re moving in the right direction. And I think we have to reiterate that and derisk it to people as often as possible.” - Shawn Morris, (30:59)

Summary

Welcome to another great episode of the Startup Junkie Podcast! In this live recorded special episode, hosts Jeff Amerine and Caleb Talley join Amy Herzberg and Bob Ford, the co-founders of TheatreSquared (T2), and Shannon Jones, the executive director, on the set of A Christmas Carol for a captivating discussion about TheatreSquared’s origin and mission. Since its founding in 2005, TheatreSquared’s locally produced and nationally acclaimed productions have remained rooted in its founding vision that “theatre done well and with passion can transform lives and communities.” Throughout the episode, Amy, Bob, and Shannon share how TheatreSquared has impacted Arkansas’s artistic landscape and how its reputation continues to blossom in the performing arts world.

Show Notes

(1:45) Introduction to Bob Ford and Amy Herzberg

(2:23) TheatreSquared’s Origin Story

(15:59) TheatreSquared’s Impact on Arkansas’s Artistic Landscape

(19:53) Attracting Talent from the University of Arkansas

(26:29) Introduction to Shannon Jones

(33:29) Catering To New Audiences

(36:37) How TheatreSquared Approaches Innovation

(40:37) Measuring TheatreSquared’s Success

(44:32) Questions from the Audience

(52:54) Advice to Younger Self

(56:09) Closing Question and Thoughts

Links

Jeff Amerine 

Caleb Talley

Bob Ford

Amy Herzberg

Shannon Jones

TheatreSquared

Quotes

“Having this theatre [in Northwest Arkansas] makes a real statement about how the arts are valued in this area, and that means a lot to people who are coming from all over the place to study at the University of Arkansas in its theatre department.” - Amy Herzberg, (20:05)

“I think one of the things that theatre does really well is it touches lives. Like you said, in our mission, it transforms communities. And the thing about T2 and the thing I think that we do really well, and I think we'll continue to expand upon, is making that human connection. And I think one thing that we use to help build upon what is already there is our ability to adapt.” - Shannon Jones, (33:52)

“When I see a young person say, ‘I've never seen me and my friends on stage before, I've never seen my story before. Thank you.’ That's how I measure [success]. That's what keeps me going, that to me is impact. We could fill this place, I guarantee, if we put on certain shows over and over again, and that would also look like a certain kind of success. But our goal is to do both because what we're discovering is that our community wants to see a full range of stories because, as we know, everybody's different, but also everybody's the same. But that's an amazing kind of conundrum.” - Bob Ford, (41:19)

Summary

En nuestro cuarto episodio, tenemos el honor de contar con la presencia de Olivia Barraza, directora ejecutiva de Latinas en Bici. Esta apasionada emprendedora comenzó su viaje en el mundo del ciclismo en 2016 y, al experimentar personalmente los impactantes cambios que esta actividad trajo a su vida, decidió compartir esa transformación con otras mujeres.

Acompáñanos para conocer más sobre el viaje personal de Olivia, las experiencias que la llevaron a fundar Latinas en Bici y cómo esta organización está haciendo una diferencia significativa en la vida de muchas mujeres. ¡Prepárate para ser inspirado y motivado en este episodio lleno de determinación y empoderamiento!

Show Notes

(00:10) Introducción a Olivia Barraza

(01:13) El Inicio de Las Latinas en Bici

(06:38) Un Viaje de Desarrollo Personal

(11:10) Desafíos de Iniciar Un Negocio

(13:24) Lo Que Hace Latinas en Bici

(15:35) La Misión de Latinas en Bici

(18:20) Aprendiendo de Tus Lecciones

(13:21) La Importancia de la Adaptabilidad

(22:37) Consejos Para Emprendedores

(25:36) El Futuro de Las Latinas en Bici

Links

Claudia Scott

Ana Ortiz

Olivia Barraza

Latinas en Bici

Quotes

“Latinas en Bici nació de este deseo de compartir una misión de empoderar a otras chicas a través de la bicicleta.” - Olivia Barraza (01:13)

“Yo siento que el inicio comenzó desde esa primera vez que empecé yo a ver los cambios cuando empecé a hacer bici y que me ayudo a transformar mi vida personal.” - Olivia Barraza (01:27)

“Empecé hacer yo bici en el 2016 y en el 2019 nació Latinas en bici.” - Olivia Barraza (01:52)

“Empezó con un deseo, con una energía con un propósito y con una fuerza interior.” - Olivia Barraza (02:26)

“Son pasos fundamentales para regístralo a nivel del estado.” - Olivia Barraza (03:41)

“Esto no es nada más un grupito es también una potencia a crea una comunidad latina.” - Olivia Barraza (04:36)

“Los primero tres años fue el enfoque a crecer el grupo, a community outreach pero ya ahora este año me he dado cuenta como Directora Ejecutiva necesito un desenvolvimiento personal, capacitarme para poder manejar y llevar esta organización.” - Olivia Barraza (06:12)

“Lo que es bien importante es saber hacia dónde voy… Tomar pasos hacia las metas que tengo como directora ejecutiva.” - Olivia Barraza (07:01)

“Todo empezó con un propósito de año nuevo, voy a comprarme una bicicleta.” - Olivia Barraza (09:15)

“El aprender andar en bici me llevo a salirme de mi zona de confort pero también a descubrir que había una comunidad.” - Olivia Barraza (10:13)

“El mayor reto, primero, la barrera del idioma.” - Olivia Barraza (11:43)

“Ese es el poder de la mujer latina.” - Olivia Barraza (12:52)

“Yo no traigo un background de ejecutiva, no tengo un background de corporación.” - Olivia Barraza (13:43)

“Ya estoy aquí, no puedo dar un paso para atrás.” - Olivia Barraza (14:22)

“Mas que todo el motor interno y el deseo de mejorar mi vida personal y decir sabes que yo no sé cómo le voy a hacer, pero le voy a dar ‘pa delante.” - Olivia Barraza (14:45)

“Nuestra misión es en el enfoque de mejorar el estado físico, social la mujer latina por medio de nuestros programas.” - Olivia Barraza (15:45)

“La lección es, no importa las barreras que hallan, si tú tienes ese enfoque, ese deseo de empezar tu negocio, de empezar tu non-profit, de empezar tu grupo… No quitar el dedo del renglón, las posibilidades son infinitas.” - Olivia Barraza (18:47)

“Para mi Latinas en Bici es mi misión, aquí en la vida, mi misión personal.” - Olivia Barraza (19:28)

“Somo una comunidad inmigrante que está creciendo aquí, y si, nos sentimos limitados a veces, intimidados.” - Olivia Barraza (21:11)

“Lo que yo recomiendo es primeramente que tengas bien definido que es lo que quieres… Que tengas ese deseo más que todo y esas ganas de superarte.” - Olivia Barraza (23:25)

“Definitivamente el ser estructurada esa es la clave.” - Olivia Barraza (26:10)

“Estamos allí para agarrar aquellas chicas de la mano y decirles: mira eres capaz de hacer esto y más.” - Olivia Barraza (27:11)

Summary

On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Victoria Dickerson talk to Austin Simkins, co-founder of Natural Way Food Group, an innovative food company based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In 2017, Austin and his brother Quinn started their journey in their grandmother's utility room with a family recipe for chocolate covered peanut butter. Natural Way Food Group has since grown to sell peanut butter in six different flavors in over one thousand stores across the country, including Walmart, Safeway, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. Throughout the episode, Austin discusses how Natural Way Food Group’s products differ from its competitors, what’s on the horizon for Natural Way Food Group, and how its marketing tactics are community driven.

Show Notes

(0:56) Introducing Austin Simkins

(1:37) The Start of Natural Way Food Group

(6:02) The Process and Struggles of Building a Business

(10:21) Natural Way Food Group’s Peanut Butter vs. Others

(14:09) Natural Way Food Group’s Target Market

(16:28) The Impact Sports Can Have on Entrepreneurship

(19:27) What’s Next for Natural Way Food Group

(30:45) How Natural Way Food Group Is Reaching Its Customer Base

(40:00) Advice to Younger Self

(42:18) Closing Thoughts

Links

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine 

Victoria Dickerson

Austin Simkins

Natural Way Food Group

Quotes

“For me personally, since I wasn’t the most talented athlete, I had to outwork people. And so that’s the same mentality I have with our business. I may not be the smartest guy in the room, but I will outwork you. I will put in more hours than you do. I will find a way to get over whatever hurdle I have in my way to get to the next point.” - Austin Simkins, (17:14)

“Building those relationships at the end of the day, I can love my job, I can make as much peanut butter as I can make, but if I don’t have customers that love the product and believe in what we’re doing, it doesn’t matter. So they are the lifeblood of the company. I want to connect with people on the deepest scale that we can.” - Austin Simkins, (33:10)

“Trust the process. The first couple of years when we started, it was the expectation that things would happen overnight, and I think that’s part of our culture of instant gratification. We’re just inundated with it. We put in a little bit of work and we want the finished result right now...but as I’ve gotten a little bit older, I’ve just fallen in love with the process. I’ve had a couple of mentors that have told me if you can learn to love the process instead of the results, you could do this your entire life.” - Austin Simkins, (40:06)

Summary

Welcome to another great episode of the Startup Junkie Podcast! On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Grace Gill sit down with serial entrepreneur Lloyed Lobo, co-founder of Boast.ai, a company accelerating the success of innovation by helping eligible companies get quicker access to R&D tax credits. Lloyed has been involved in the startup ecosystem for more than fifteen years as an entrepreneur, community builder, and angel investor. Throughout the episode, Lloyed talks about dealing with his sharp rise to success, the power of having a tribe, and his Wall Street Journal bestseller From Grassroots to Greatness.

Show Notes

(1:01) Introducing Lloyed Lobo

(3:13) Lloyed’s Origin Story

(14:04) The Inspiration behind From Grassroots to Greatness

(24:50) Balancing Resilience and New Opportunities

(29:01) The Process of Idea Validation

(39: 13) Advice to Younger Self

(45:46) Closing Thoughts

Links

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine 

Grace Gill

Lloyed Lobo

Boast.ai

From Grassroots to Greatness

Quotes

“...when we ask what entrepreneurship is today, it’s all about making money. But to me, what entrepreneurship is, is taking an obscure idea to execution and impact while dealing with extreme risk. There’s no bigger risk than being in the middle of a war. The other thing I learned was about leadership. Great leaders cascade purpose, not just goals.” - Lloyed Lobo, (5:50)

“The only way to learn something that you suck at is to put yourself in an environment that forces you to do that something over and over again. Now, another key lesson here is the importance of the people you surround yourself with, right? You become the average of the people you surround yourself with.” - Lloyed Lobo, (9:59)

“Every obscure idea that eventually went on to become this enduring global phenomenon had four stages in common. People listen to you or buy your product or service. You have an audience. When you bring that audience together to interact with one another, it becomes a community. Now, when the community comes together to create impact towards a greater purpose far greater than your product or profit, it becomes a movement. And when that movement has undying faith in its purpose through sustained rituals, over time it becomes a cult or religion. So audience, community, movement, religion.” - Lloyed Lobo, (20:59)

“What I tell people is if you have an idea and you don’t have an ideal customer profile, then figure out who you’re going to serve. Understand their pains and goals, but also understand their aspirations because the aspiration is forever. Your customer problem or goal will give you the first product, but if you understand the customer’s aspiration, then you will go on the journey of building your future products.” - Lloyed Lobo, (30:11)

Summary

On this very raw episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Victoria Dickerson chat with repeat guest and serial entrepreneur Deric Calhill, founder of Wicked BOLD, a company that crafts small-batch, all-organic vegan chocolate utilizing ethically sourced cacao and just four other real ingredients. Deric founded Wicked BOLD chocolate with his wife Brooklynn in 2019 after years of not being able to find a dairy-free chocolate. Now, four years later, Wicked BOLD has flourished and is being sold in Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, and Sprouts stores nationwide. Throughout the episode, Deric discusses his success on social media, the multiple books he’s authored: Zero to Side Hustle and Have You Ever Had a Silly Idea?, and how wealth doesn’t always mean that you’re happy or that you’re making conscious money.

Show Notes

(0:52) Introducing Deric Calhill

(1:15) Wicked BOLD’s Origin Story

(11:14) Deric’s Social Media Strategy

(17:05) About Zero to Side Hustle

(23:44) Redefining Wealth

(31:28) Being Able to Trust Yourself

(36:59) Advice to Younger Self

(41:12) Closing Thoughts

Links

Jeff Amerine 

Caleb Talley

Victoria Dickerson

Deric Calhill

Wicked BOLD

Zero to Side Hustle

Have You Ever Had a Silly Idea?

Quotes

“We read ingredients and a lot of mainstream chocolate had corn syrup in it or artificial flavors, and it was bullshit because chocolate is such a simple food. We decided we can probably go and make it simple. And I think I credit it because neither of us come from food so we’re not immersed in this crazy ingredient world. We were so simple going into it. We just believed that we could do it.” - Deric Calhill, (5:54)

“I’m obviously very entrepreneurial and capitalistic, and I love making money, but I don’t love making money so much that I’d bring my value system down in order to do it.” - Deric Calhill, (7:20)

“....because you put yourself out there when you start a business, when you post a video, when you try to write a book, you’re putting your soul on the line that says this is what I think I can be good at…No one successful is going to try to hurt someone else because they’re too busy being successful.” - Deric Calhill, (15:42)

“If you’re going after perfection, you’re never going to start anything because it’s never going to be perfect. And whatever you start is going to suck horribly. It’s going to take you forever to evolve into something that’s actually cool…I was after perfection because it meant a lot for me to give this experience that I’d failed at so many times and give that to someone else at the very beginning of their journey to inspire them to go start something.” - Deric Calhill, (17:46)

Summary

En este tercer episodio de Startup Junkies En Español nuestras anfitrionas Claudia Scott y Ana Ortiz tiene como invitada a Daymara Baker de Right to Start, una organización sin fines de lucro y no partidista dedicada a ampliar las oportunidades empresariales para todos. Daymara comparte cómo desempeña un papel crucial al conectar las voces de los emprendedores con los responsables de la toma de decisiones, trabajando incansablemente para eliminar obstáculos y facilitar el camino para aquellos que desean lanzar su propio negocio. 

Show Notes

(00:50) Introduction to Daymara Baker

(02:03) Growth in Northwest Arkansas

(02:30) Daymara’s Background

(04:07) Opening a Business

(09:29) The Benefit of Networking

(13:21) The Power of Adaptability 

(15:24) Learning from Failure

(17:50) The Social Impacts of Business

(19:26) Metrics That Matter 

(21:08) Bridging the Gap

(25:23) Government Contract Experiences

(29:06) Managing the Pandemic

(34:08) Advice to Entrepreneurs

Links

Claudia Scott

Ana Ortiz

Daymara Baker

Right to Start

Quotes

“Yo nunca había pensado abrir un negocio” - Daymara Baker, (04:15)

“Abrí una panadería comercial para ayudar a gente” - Daymara Baker, (04:41)

“¿Qué te está frenando para no hacerlo?” - Daymara Baker, (05:38)

“Así que decidí abrir un negocio porque claro yo ya tenía una misión bien concreta de lo que quería hacer” - Daymara Baker, (05:56)

“Dentro de un negocio es esencial el networking” - Ana Ortiz, (09:29)

“El efecto multiplicador es increíble sobre todo ena zona como esta (Noroeste de Arkansas) que tiene una concentración increíble de recursos” - Daymara Baker, (10:15)

“Y en el momento que damos el paso, preguntamos, hablamos, pedimos… Es toda una avalancha de ayuda y sentimientos positivos” - Claudia Scott, (10:46)

“Algo que yo pienso que compartimos los Latinos… Es que tu no confías en las instituciones, sobre todo instituciones del gobierno” - Daymara Baker, (11:15)

“Otro está pagando para que sea gratis para nosotros” - Daymara Baker, (11:42)

“Si vas a ser emprendedor tienes que aceptar desde un principio que vas a cambiar” - Daymara Baker, (12:35)

“Uno aprende muchísimo más cuando uno fracasa que cuando todo va super bien” - Daymara Baker, (15:39)

“El conocimiento que obtienes de un fracaso, una idea que no funcione, también te ayuda a tener que adaptarte” - Daymara Baker, (15:47)

“Que tu impacto social pueda seguir incluso a través de una pandemia” - Daymara Baker, (30:59)

“Ser empresario es un camino un poco solitario” - Daymara Baker, (32:30)

“Cuando tienes una idea uno tiende compartirla mucho con amigos y los familiares, muchas de estos amigo y familiares van a decirte: si hazlo, se emprendedor… Si alguien lo puede hacer tu eres el que lo puede hacer vas a escuchar muchísimo de eso” - Daymara Baker, (34:19)

“Siempre te tienes que buscar una persona fuera de ese círculo para que te de apoyo y compartir sus ideas a otro nivel” - Daymara Baker, (34:34)

“Tienes que prepararte y conocer tus números” - Daymara Baker, (35:24)

Summary

On this special episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Grace Gill, Darian Harris, Tom Douglass, and Louis Diesel head north to the Ledger in Bentonville, where they sit down with four of the participants in Fuel’s AI and machine learning 2023 cohort. Fuel is specifically designed for seed and growth-stage technology companies ready to scale and become enterprise-ready. Members of the cohort receive mentorship and education from leaders in their vertical, as well as coaching and connections from Fuel’s enterprise partners. Caleb, Grace, Darian, and Tom sat down with Kannan Udarayajan of Siemba, Mike Romeri of Analytics2Go, Humphrey Chen of CLIPr, and Somya Munjal of Youthful Savings to discuss their entrepreneurial journeys and their experiences with Fuel thus far. 

Show Notes

(0:38) Introducing Part 2

(1:24) Kannan Udayarajan and Siemba

(10:59) Mike Romeri and A2Go

(18:04) Humphrey Chen and CLIPr

(34:04) Somya Munjal and Youthful Savings

(43:47) Closing Thoughts

Links

Fuel 

Caleb Talley

Grace Gill

Darian Harris

Tom Douglass

Louis Diesel

Kannan Udayarajan

Siemba

Mike Romeri

Analytics2Go

Humphrey Chen

CLIPr

Youthful Savings        

Quotes

“Just being under the umbrella of Fuel gives enormous credibility to whatever you’re building and showcasing. By being part of the Fuel cohort, we have been able to get so many introductions in the Bentonville area, but I’m also seeing that the fact we are part of the Fuel program is resonating in other markets as well.” - Kannan Udayarajan, (7:27)

“Certainly, everyone knows Walmart is here [in Bentonville], and there’s a level of sophistication with Walmart, but I think the entire ecosystem is a very high-performing ecosystem. And I think there’s sort of a community of interest here where people are trying to optimize the performance of the entire ecosystem, and it brings a lot of sophistication and a certain set of skillsets that are cooperative and innovative, and people know how to get things done.” - Mike Romeri, (15:13)

“This is like one of those things where Northwest Arkansas hadn’t been on my to-do list, but now that I’m here, I feel like I’ve been marketing the whole region, and so now more people are planning on coming and checking it out.” - Humphrey Chen, (29:31)“I just think there’s so many great people here [in Bentonville] and it’s an abundant place, but everybody has this same salt of the earth attitude, and you can just get so much more done.” - Somya Munjal, (37:23)