Wealthing Podcast

In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Marcela Flores, a Mexican-born food entrepreneur building a new supply chain, a nutrient-dense Mesoamerican forest seed, to discuss how regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, and investment can work together to keep forests standing.

The conversation explores the three projects Marcela is focused on today: launching a new ingredient, which sold out every day at its debut during Mexico's climate week; planting one million trees over the next 18 months in agroforestry systems with coffee and cacao producers; and the creation of the Nature Investment Corridor. Marcela also shares her path from launching "Rico Mexican Kitchen" to working in sustainability at Unilever, to discovering the capomo tree in a Mexico City market.

Throughout the interview, Marcela and Alicia draw parallels between diversification in an investment portfolio and diversification in nature, discuss the hidden costs of the global food supply chain, and make the case that small, intentional daily actions add up. They close with reflections on believing in yourself, listening to your intuition, and the legacy of changing the idea that we have to destroy nature to grow food.

About Marcela: Marcela Flores is a Mexican-born entrepreneur who founded Rico Mexican Kitchen in the UK, where her salsas reached major retailers, before moving into corporate sustainability at Unilever. She is now building a regenerative supply chain, planting one million trees through agroforestry partnerships, and developing the Nature Investment Corridor fund. She is also writing a book called Forest Positive.

Connect with Marcela:

LinkedIn: Marcela Flores

In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Fernanda Moura, documentary filmmaker and creator of On Our Own Terms, to discuss her 1.5-year journey interviewing women entrepreneurs across 24 countries.

The conversation reconnects two women who first met 10 years ago, when Fernanda interviewed Alicia for her documentary. Fernanda shares how the project began with a simple question: why were there so few women leaders in Silicon Valley, when women in Brazil had similar opportunities? She tells stories from the road.

Throughout the interview, Alicia brings her perspective as an investor and as a woman who has often been underestimated. Together they look at how societal expectations and gender bias shape entrepreneurship in different places, from Latin America and Australia to Norway and the Nordic countries. They also discuss about the imposter syndrome among immigrant women, why women are often not recognized as capable mentors and leaders, and why more women in investment roles and financial independence are key to closing the gender gap.

About Fernanda: Fernanda Moura is a documentary filmmaker and entrepreneur who spent a year and a half traveling to 24 countries to tell the stories of women founders. Her documentary On Our Own Terms is available in the US on Fawesome.

Watch the documentary: On Our Own Terms

Connect with Fernanda: LinkedIn: Fernanda Moura

In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Angel León, founder of Coquí Ventures and host of The Corridor podcast, to discuss his path from the U.S. Navy to building a platform and fund that supports Puerto Rican and Latino startups.

The conversation explores Coquí Ventures, named after the native Puerto Rican coquí frog, and its focus on pre-seed Latino companies using AI in industries such as agriculture, space, supply chain, and manufacturing. Angel shares how his military background shaped his leadership style, why asking questions, seeking help, and learning continuously matter most, and how he is working to cultivate a more entrepreneurial mindset in Puerto Rico.

Throughout the interview, the dialogue moves between Angel's work and Alicia's perspective as an investor, including cases for smaller early-stage investments to build the ecosystem, and the need for more collaboration among emerging fund managers. Together, they touch on themes of community, authenticity, and what it takes to elevate Latino voices in venture.

About Angel: Angel León is a U.S. Navy veteran, startup operator, and venture scout with more than 10 years of experience helping early-stage founders raise capital, scale operations, and navigate the venture ecosystem. Born in San Juan and based in New York, he is the founder and CEO of Coquí Ventures, a platform and pre-seed fund for Puerto Rican and Latino diaspora founders, and the creator of Coquí Sprint, a free 12-week fundraising preparation program for pre-seed Boricua founders. He also hosts The Corridor, a podcast on Latino tech and culture.

Connect with Angel: LinkedIn: Angel Leon Website: https://coqui.world/

In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Seth Kaller, president of Seth Kaller Inc. and founder of The Promise of Liberty, to discuss his journey from dealing in historic documents to using them in support of democracy and liberty, as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The conversation explores why Seth sees founding documents as living tools for progress rather than static history. He shares how an original Constitution shown to students in India led him to view it as technology that people can engage with and improve, and why he calls "E Pluribus Unum" America's "secret sauce": the country's ability to incorporate diverse ideas and people. Seth also revisits a forgotten document, the Constitutional Convention's cover letter to Congress, and its principle that individuals must give up some liberty to preserve the rest.

Throughout the interview, the dialogue moves between Seth's work and Alicia's reflections on how different cultures view government and wealth, drawing on her multicultural background. Together, they discuss the role of compromise, checks and balances, and the shared responsibility of engaging with government, closing with Seth's hope that his work will help preserve democracy and inspire others to carry these ideas forward.

About Seth: Seth Kaller is the president of Seth Kaller Inc. and the founder of The Promise of Liberty. Raised in a family business in rare stamps and coins, he built a career in historic documents, including a collection used by 35,000 schools through the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Today he focuses on pro bono work supporting democracy and liberty, including his exhibit marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Connect with Seth: LinkedIn: Seth Kaller Website: SethKaller.com The Promise of Liberty: thepromiseofliberty.org

In this episode, Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Janet C. Salazar (JC), author of Alpha Whisperers™: Power Behind the Power. JC shares her journey from growing up in a family of entrepreneurs in the Philippines to fulfilling her childhood dream of working with the United Nations, when she was appointed Permanent Representative of the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations at just 33.

Together they explore the idea of "Alpha Whisperers": the advisors and strategists who shape decisions from behind the scenes, and the concept that earned JC a place in the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Residency program. JC also opens up about the loneliness and self-doubt that even highly successful leaders face, and why self-kindness is the foundation for resilience and lasting leadership.

A conversation about influence, purpose, and what it means to be a lifelong "student of the School of Kindness."

Connect with Janet C. Salazar: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetcsalazar/ Website: https://www.alphawhisperer.com/

In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with JaQ, founder of Alexander Legacy and Queen Mother of a village in Ghana's Akuapim Kingdom. Her work focuses on talent development, economic literacy, and preparing the workforce for the new economy.

At 16, while working as a bank receptionist, JaQ came across trust paperwork that revealed her late grandmother's home was being sold, and she watched her family's estate slip away. That moment changed her path from entertainment to financial literacy and wealth protection. Since then she has taught families in churches and community groups how to protect their assets, so no one has to start from zero after losing a loved one.

In this conversation:

• Why trusts and early financial education can change a family's future
• Passing down values and lessons, not just assets
• Connecting careers and capital to the African continent
• Living life as a gift, and being a "beacon of light" for others

Connect with JaQ:

• Website: legacylessonsglobal.com
• LinkedIn: Jaq Alexander Campbell
• Instagram: JaqAlexanderLegacy

In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Henryk Dabrowski, entrepreneur and investor, to discuss the hard-won lessons from building multiple companies — from learning to be more analytical than intuitive, to continuing his formal education, to the ongoing challenge of prioritizing family over business.

The conversation explores the pressure facing today's entrepreneurial community, especially in North America and Asia, and how that pressure shapes company-building and wealth creation. Henryk explains his view that wealth is created through added value across a chain of economic elements, and that investors carry a responsibility to grow wealth rather than destroy it. Alicia and Henryk also dig into why venture capital negotiation is fundamentally different from traditional deal-making — it requires an ongoing relationship long after the deal closes, something a purely transactional approach fails to account for.

Throughout the interview, the dialogue moves between Henryk's framework for the three types of investors — confrontational, relational, and responsible. Henryk describes his own legacy as a builder and creator who makes things happen, emphasizing that the journey matters more than the destination, and closing with a Buddhist teaching on listening and learning. Together, they touch on themes of trust, family, and what it really means to build something that lasts.

About Henryk:

Dr. Henryk Dabrowski is a veteran entrepreneur, investor, and executive with over 30 years of experience building and scaling high-growth ventures across fintech, blockchain, mobile payments, deep tech, and aerospace in both private and public markets. He has raised over $250M in capital, launched global IEOs and ICOs, and led complex mergers, acquisitions, and corporate restructurings. He serves as CEO of Areca Financial Services and Managing Director at STX Aerospace and F3 Funds, a venture platform focused on biosciences and healthcare innovation. Henryk holds an MBA in Finance, an MSc in Space Economy, and a PhD in Innovation in Aerospace & Aeronautics. A licensed pilot and competitive sailor, he brings the same discipline and forward-thinking mindset to the cockpit, the racecourse, and the boardroom.

Connect with Henryk: Website: www.arecafinancial.com

In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Eric Dawson, founder of RIVET, to discuss his journey to becoming a lifelong advocate for young people — as a youth organizer at 14, the founder of Peace First (which reached young people in 166 countries over 30 years), and now the builder of the world's first microfinancing platform for young changemakers. The conversation explores the massive gap RIVET was built to close: of the 2 billion young people worldwide, roughly 85% live in "capital deserts," with only 0.002% of the world's $700 billion in philanthropic capital reaching young people with innovative ideas. Eric explains how RIVET provides up to $1,000 in no-strings-attached grants, paired with mentorship from local and global partners across 190 countries and 50 states — building what he calls a "capital ladder" toward RIVET's goal of giving a million young people their first financial support over the next decade and a half. Throughout the interview, the dialogue moves between Eric's philosophy that young people are powerful and brilliant in the present, not just the future, and Alicia's own reflections on mentorship, social capital, and what she calls the transformative power of feeling valued. Eric introduces the concept of "imagination capital" — the belief in possibilities — illustrated through the story of a young man in Lagos who pivoted from an after-school program to solar engineering after RIVET's initial support. Together, they touch on themes of presence, "holy listening," and what it means to invest not just in ideas, but in people. About Eric: Eric Dawson is the founder of RIVET, the world's first microfinancing platform for young changemakers, providing capital and mentorship to help promising projects scale from a first grant to larger investment. He is also the founder of Peace First and the author of Putting Peace 1st. Eric's work centers on unlocking the potential of the world's 2 billion young people — believing they are powerful agents of change today, not just leaders of tomorrow. Connect with Eric: LinkedIn: Eric Dawson Website: https://rivet.org/

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo-Holley is joined by Lawrence "Chip" Dawson. Together, they explore his evolution from his early days as a volunteer firefighter in Lakewood, New York, and his training in fire protection at Oklahoma State University, to his distinguished 22-year career at Kodak.

The conversation covers the leadership and tactical lessons Dawson applied as he rose to become the Director of Industrial Safety at Kodak, supervising 550 employees during the company's peak employment of 36,000 people. It delves into his supportive management philosophy, characterized by the constant question "how can I help?"—an approach that resonates with the host's view on human value in industry.

Additionally, the episode examines life lessons on the importance of doing tasks well and thoroughly, alongside the value of partnership in raising children and family.

The discussion addresses retirement planning challenges, contrasting the security provided by military benefits and a generous Kodak retirement plan with the uncertainty of international pensions, highlighting the importance of financial proactivity. The dialogue concludes with a reflection on legacy and the meaningful impact individuals can leave through their long-term actions and relationships. About Lawrence (Chip) Dawson: Lawrence Dawson had a distinguished career focused on safety, industrial safety, and fire protection. After serving in the U.S. Navy and teaching at the University of Illinois, he joined Kodak, where he spent over two decades leading the industrial safety department until his retirement.

In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Marco Funk, founder of Enerlink, to discuss his unconventional path into clean energy — from Nielsen, to private banking in Dubai, to building the "Uber of home services" in Singapore, picking up nearly a dozen languages along the way before finding his true calling in solving one of the world's biggest infrastructure problems.

The conversation explores Marco's deep passion for clean energy and why closing this gap matters at a global scale: local solar is already cheaper and cleaner than fossil energy, yet makes up less than 1% of global supply — a gap Marco argues isn't a technology problem, but a data problem. Marco and Alicia also dig into the importance of relationships in making projects succeed — how trust, partnerships, and the right network are often what separate a good idea from a bankable one, especially when working across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.

Throughout the interview, the dialogue moves between Marco's work building Enerlink's data infrastructure and Alicia's own reflections on capital, trust, and what it takes to move money toward the world's biggest problems. Together, they touch on themes of resilience, global impact, and what it means to make clean energy not just possible, but bankable.

Connect with Marco: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marcofunk Website: www.enerlink.ai