Episodes

Jan. 5, 2023

#100: Jeffrey Stern's Reflections on 100 Episodes — Entrepreneurial M…

Jeffrey Stern — host of the Lay of The Land Podcast and co-founder at Axuall — reflecting on the 99 conversations prior, what draws people to entrepreneurship in the first place, where do company ideas come from, and the real importance of culture!

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Dec. 22, 2022

#99: Steve Santamaria (Folio Photonics)

Steve Santamaria — CEO of Folio Photonics — on innovating storage media and the future of storage technology, the opportunity ahead for Folio Photonics, Cleveland's entrepreneurial ecosystem, and reflections on leadership!

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Dec. 15, 2022

#98: Kris Snyder (Ninety.io, Impact Architects, & Vox Mobile)

Kris Snyder — founder of Vox Mobile and Impact Architects & Head of Finance and Partnerships at Ninety.io — on working with entrepreneurial leaders to create impact and pursue a world where small and medium organizations and their employees can become more humane, productive and resilient in order …

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Dec. 8, 2022

#97: Raji Sankar (Choolaah // Wholesome International)

Raji Sankar — co-founder of Wholesome International & co-CEO of Choolaah — on building best-in-class restaurants, culture, and customer experiences after more than a decade in the restaurant industry.

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Dec. 1, 2022

#96: Lukas Minkov & Logan Schouman (afters.io // IDRA)

Lukas Minkov & Logan Schouman — Co-Founders at afters.io & IDRA — on unlocking the value of instant local delivery services!

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Nov. 17, 2022

#95: Ed Weinfurtner (Great Day Improvements & Blue Olive Partners)

Ed Weinfurtner — Executive Chairman of Great Day Improvements (one of NEO's largest companies employing over 2,000 people) & Co-Founder at Blue Olive Partners — on growing Great Day Improvements from $44M to $922M in sales in just 7 years to become a national leader in home remodeling and premium b…

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Nov. 10, 2022

#94: Chef Douglas Katz (Amba, Chimi, Zhug)

Chef Douglas Katz — chef & owner of Amba, Chimi, Zhug — on creating fulfilling, transportive experiences that nurture and inspire guests, his own passion and journey through the world of food, and Cleveland's culinary scene!

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Nov. 3, 2022

#93: Michael Kubinski (Cleveland Clothing Company)

Michael Kubinski — Founder & CEO of Cleveland Clothing Company — on spreading Cleveland pride, one t-shirt at a time since 2008

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Oct. 27, 2022

#92: Leopoldo Peña (Presta)

Leopoldo Peña — Co-Founder & CEO of Presta ($3.3 million raised) — on startups, his passion for expanding access to those who historically haven't had it, Cleveland's ecosystem, and the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurship — from failures to acquisitions.

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Oct. 20, 2022

#91: Heather Lenz (Sangfroid Strategy)

Heather Lenz — Founder & CEO of Sangfroid Strategy — on her entrepreneurial journey, how data is currently used in the nonprofit sector, and where societally we have a massive opportunity right now to leverage advances in technology — automation, data science, open source software systems, and more…

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Oct. 13, 2022

#90: Pat Conway & Mark King (Great Lakes Brewing Company)

Pat Conway & Mark King — Co-founder & CEO respectively of Great Lakes Brewing Company — on building Ohio’s original craft brewery, celebrating 34 years of sustained success and continuous innovation, the history of beer production in Cleveland, br

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Oct. 6, 2022

#89: Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland)

Lila Mills — founding editor-in-chief of Signal Cleveland — on starting a newsroom from scratch and building the trust required to be the source of daily news and information for Greater Clevelanders.

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Sept. 29, 2022

#88: Anne Skoch (Anne Cate)

Anne Skoch — Founder and CEO of Anne Cate — on how to marry art and business, pursue your passion as a profession, and building her made‐in‐Cleveland accessories brand and manufacturing firm!

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Sept. 22, 2022

#87: Sherrill Paul Witt (Lolly The Trolley)

Sherrill Paul Witt — founder of Lolly The Trolley — on running one of Cleveland's most beloved icons since 1985, covering 3.1 million miles during its 37 years on the road and introducing so many to the hidden gems of the city!

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Sept. 15, 2022

#86: Dallas Hogensen (Felux)

Dallas Hogensen — CEO of Felux ($24mm raised) — on marketplaces, importance of culture, and creating the world’s largest operating platform and marketplace to help solve commerce for the steel industry.

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Sept. 8, 2022

#85: Shawn Rech (Transition Studios, AGTV & TruBlu)

Shawn Rech — Co-Founder/CEO/Director at Transition Studios, AGTV & TruBlu — on growing Cleveland's permanent media industry, the importance of factual programming and positively affecting history through truth-telling and documentary production!

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Sept. 1, 2022

#84: Graham Veysey & Fisk Biggar (Graham+Fisk’s Wine-In-A-Can \\ Fire…

Graham Veysey & Fisk Biggar — founders of Graham+Fisk’s Wine-In-A-Can \\ Firehouse Can Co. — on building the first exclusive wine-in-a-can company!

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Aug. 25, 2022

#83: Tom Tyrrell (Great Lakes Biomimicry)

Tom Tyrrell — founder and Chairman of Great Lakes Biomimicry & co-founder of Segmint — on the power of biomimicry and harnessing the intelligence found in nature’s 3.8 billion years of R&D (asking questions nature has already found the answers to)

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Aug. 18, 2022

#82: Baiju Shah (Greater Cleveland Partnership)

Baiju Shah — President and CEO of Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) — on economic development in Cleveland and leading the largest metropolitan chamber of commerce in the nation!

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Aug. 11, 2022

#81: David Sylvan (UH Ventures)

David Sylvan — president of UH Ventures, the innovation and commercialization division of University Hospitals, a Cleveland-based health system with two dozen hospitals, more than 50 health centers, and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices located throughout 16 counties.

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Aug. 4, 2022

#80: Dr. Colleen M. Lorber (Wraparound Experts)

Dr. Colleen M. Lorber — Founder & CEO of Wraparound Experts — on the current state of our society’s mental health and the work to be done to address it concentrating on our basic human needs which include not only our physical/biological needs but also our feelings of safety/security, love and belo…

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July 28, 2022

#79: David Davis II (FBA Flip)

David Davis II — Founder & CEO of FBA Flip — on entrepenuership, the changing dynamics of the modern internet-first world we find ourselves in, and the challenges, opportunities, and prospects for his home of Cleveland.

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July 21, 2022

#78: William Littlefield II (Wizest)

William (Billy) Littlefield II — President & CTO of Wizest — on Wizest's (recently raised $1.7mm) vision to democratize access to financial expertise to his own path to Cleveland, to digital normadacy, philosophy, and more!

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July 14, 2022

#77: Dr. Chelsea Monty-Bromer (RooSense // SweatID)

Dr. Chelsea Monty-Bromer — founder & CEO of SweatID (aka RooSense) — on bridging the academic-entrepreneurial gap, the implications of bio-electrochemical interfaces, building a company capitalizing on them, and the future of wearables!

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