Innovation City

“There’s so many days that can just roll on, with the work, with the day to day toiling. But the real thing is pushing yourself.” - Christian Ethridge Today’s guest is Christian Ethridge, Chef and Owner at Taco Circus. Taco Circus is a “fundamental taqueria” in St. Louis, serving up authentic Austin-style Mexican street food. Christian worked his way up in the food industry, starting as a dishwasher, and still gets his hands dirty when a job needs to be done. In this episode, Christian sits down with the team to discuss his entrepreneurial journey, economic mobility for his team, making Taco Circus more than your average “margarita mill,” and much more!

“It goes back to my childhood. It goes back to the definition of gratitude. And that’s been I would say the motivating factor that made a difference in what I could have been and where I am today.”  -– Galina Russell Today’s guest is Galina Russell, Managing Director of REEF Technology and COO of REEF Energy Division, a tech startup transforming under-utilized urban spaces into local neighborhood hubs. Prior to REEF, Galina directed projects for multiple Fortune 100 companies. She takes pride in being a self-starter, is fluent in several languages and is active in supporting youth in foster care. In this episode, Galina sits down with the team to discuss how she connects with her work, staying motivated to chase her ambitions, the importance of gathering and understanding data, REEF’s potential to help communities on a global scale, and much more!

“The need to seem perfect. The need to always have to be winning or be successful to be valuable, to be seen, to be important. None of that really matters.” - Danie Spikes Today’s guest is Danie Spikes, CEO of Beloved, Inc., a fragrance house and body care brand she leads with her husband, Stephen. Danie is a relationship coach, public speaker, and award-winning businesswoman. In this episode, Danie sits down with the team to discuss how her fragrance journey began, the relationship between self and others, learning to let go of control, and much more!

Something that’s very important to us at JOCON is to make sure that our lineup definitely reflects the community that supports us. - J.J. Jones Today’s guest is J.J. Jones, Managing Partner & Chief Creative Officer at JOCON Media, which currently produces 10 podcasts. J.J. has traveled the world, and his love of business, innovation, and artistry all intersect at JOCON Media. J.J. sits down with the team to discuss going from one podcast to 10, the challenges of managing podcast talent, giving people a voice who have something to say, and much more!

“I know all across the country and neighborhoods, communities, they’re suffering through food apartheid. And my goal is so that we don’t have to talk about that word anymore.” - Tyrean Lewis Today’s guest is Tyrean Lewis, Founder & CEO of Heru Urban Farming, which aims to provide underserved communities with fresh, local produce, and put an end to food apartheid in St. Louis’ underserved communities. Tyrean is a fourth-generation farmer who began a community garden that became a successful business. In this episode, Tyrean sits down with the team to discuss his family tradition of farming, ending food apartheid in St. Louis and beyond, what’s next for Heru Urban Farming, and much more!

It is clear through the years that inclusion and diversity drive innovation. The more diverse views you have, that’s better for everyone. - Laura Maydón Today’s guest is business leader, investor and advisor, Laura Maydón, former Managing Director and CEO of Endeavor’s first U.S. affiliate, Endeavor Miami. Laura is currently an advisory board member of NovoPayment and Sustalytics. She’s also Co-president of the Harvard Business School Club of South Florida. In this episode, Laura sits down with the team to discuss her journey from Mexico City to Harvard Business School to Miami, as well as innovation in Miami, the importance of inclusion, and much more!

“We all have the ability to transform our lives. We all have the ability to do and be and have the things that we want.” - Marianna Lopez Today’s guest is Marianna Lopez, Founder of Wander Not Lost. Marianna is a Catalyst, Healer and Life Coach, and she brings heart and soul to everything she creates. Her services offer a space for others to discover their light, embrace their shadow and find a balanced, joyful life. In this episode, Marianna sits down with the team to discuss being a Catalyst, connecting with your emotions on the deepest level, her advice to others wanting to become a healer, and much more!

“If you can get a book in the hand of a kid, that’s phenomenal. If you can get a book in a kid’s hand, and they get to meet that author, and they get to hear about the book and they get to hear about the process, odds of them picking up that book up and reading it are just tenfold.” – Holland Saltsman Today’s guest is Holland Saltsman, Owner at The Novel Neighbor, “where people, art and books meet.” Holland opened the bookstore six years ago to fill a need for an independent bookseller, and it ended up being a place for connections. In this episode, Holland sits down with the team to discuss bookstores in the age of Amazon, hidden gems of the book world, creatively interacting with customers and keeping the business afloat during a pandemic, and much more!

If I can come and leave the world a little better than I left it, than when I was here, then my job is done. - T. Moore Today’s guest is T. Moore, Creative Director at Doer House. Doer House is a brick-and-mortar concept and retail space for Black creatives. T. Moore is an entrepreneur and artist, who specializes in experiential design. In this episode, T. Moore sits down with the team to discuss the Black creative movement, offline vs. online presence, his advice for young entrepreneurs, and much more!

“Don’t just play the game, change it.” - Khalia Collier Today’s guest is Khalia Collier, Owner & General Manager of the St. Louis Surge, the first women’s sustainable basketball franchise in the Gateway City. Khalia was born and raised in St. Louis, and has turned her lifelong love of the game of basketball into an entrepreneurial journey. In this episode, Khalia sits down with the team to discuss what it’s like being a young, Black, female sports team owner, owning the responsibility of making an impact on her community, what’s next for the Surge, and much more!

“There’s a lot of responsibility around algorithms and we’re just scratching the surface because we are learning.” - Demian Bellumio Today’s guest is Demian Bellumio, Vice President of Augmented Intelligence at NEORIS, which is creating disruptive solutions to enable the world’s leading enterprises in transforming their data into a strategic, actionable and valuable asset. Demian is a serial entrepreneur, with over 15 years of experience in creating and growing tech companies. In this episode, Demian sits down with the team to discuss his evolution from music to algorithms, the differences between an entrepreneur and an intrapreneur, avoiding algorithmic bias, and much more!

“I think that’s what it’s really about, for innovators, entrepreneurs: Utilize the opportunities that you’re given. Don’t sit there and complain about, ‘Oh, I didn’t get this enough…’” - Michelle McLean Today’s guest is Michelle McClean, Founder and President at Africa’s Finest Safaris. Africa’s Finest Safaris is a tourism marketing company offering bespoke sales, marketing and representation services to African tourism partners. Michelle, a philanthropist, business owner, and former Miss Universe, is “the ultimate renaissance woman.” In this episode, Michelle sits down with the team to discuss the importance of shifting narratives and changing perspectives, her advice on dealing with stress, her experiences with Nelson Mandela, the characteristics of a strong leader, and much more!

“It’s really about allowing the culture that exists to remain.” - Derek Fleming   Today’s guest is Derek Fleming, managing partner at MSDG, LLC. MSDG is responsible for such community projects as the multi-layered entertainment venue, Red Rooster Overtown. Derek is a real estate developer with a specific focus on hospitality, and he’s known for bridging different worlds and being a mentor to others. In this episode, Derek sits down with the team to discuss different perspectives in real estate development, the “cultural bottom line,” celebrating cultural heritage in development, and much more!

“I just have a belief that there’s always something that we can do. Most of the time when we fail it’s because we give up. We give up way too soon.” - Ernisha Randolph   Today’s guest is Ernisha Randolph, owner and CEO of Sweet Butter Hospitality Group, a firm that manages a number of culinary brands and experiences including, among others, a catering company, soul food restaurants, and specialty food product lines. In this episode, Ernisha sits down with the team to discuss business insights, the non-traditional ways she raised funds for her restaurant, mentoring other entrepreneurs through the coronavirus pandemic, and much more!

“If you’re creating something and there’s no conflict, you’re doing it wrong.”  - Riyaad Seecharan   Today’s guest is Riyaad Seecharan, CEO at Tesser Health, which manages prescription healthcare drugs for companies, to help reduce the cost of medications for employees. Riyaad is an entrepreneur with 20 + years of leadership and product development experience, with successful exits to Microsoft, JC Flowers, and Rev360. In this episode, Riyaad sits down with the team to discuss how conflict can be a good thing, relationships in business, the characteristics of an amazing team, and much more!

“I imagine a place where, if you are working, it's not unreasonable to expect that if you have family you could buy a house to build wealth. We have to have ways to improve ourselves.” – Annie Lord   Today’s guest is Annie Lord, Executive Director of Miami Homes For All. Miami Homes For All has worked to end and prevent homelessness in Miami-Dade County since 1985. They believe that everyone in Miami deserves to lead a dignified, healthy, and vibrant life. Born and raised in Miami, Annie has over 15 years of experience in community development. Before joining MHFA, Annie was the Chief Program Officer for CitySquare, where she oversaw all programs, including housing for people and families experiencing homelessness, a food pantry, foster youth services, a health clinic, and a family law firm. In this episode, Annie sits down with the team to discuss the need for stable housing in Miami’s lower income communities, ways her and MHFA are working to solve the housing security crisis, spotlighting some innovative s

“You feel like there’s no limits when you see other people doing it [following their dreams] and it’s like, “Yeah, I can do this too.”” – Enoch Showunmi Today’s guest is Enoch Showunmi, Founder of Global Soccer Pathways. Global Soccer Pathways is a resource for players to get education, elite training, and mindset training. Enoch is a former professional soccer player and played for the Nigeria National Soccer Team within just 1 year of becoming a pro player. After playing soccer professionally for over a decade, Enoch started Global Soccer Pathways and is now helping student athletes develop their game and create a SUPERSTAR mindset via his specialty programming. In this episode, Tyler and Leigh-Ann sit down with Enoch to learn more about the sport of soccer, how playing a sport can provide essential exposure for a young athlete’s career, the importance of using education as a tool to get you access to resources, the importance of networking as a new founder, and much more!

"I believe I can always do something better than the way I am doing it." – Brooke Meek Today’s guest is Brooke Meek, Founder of PLNK Fitness. Her love of fitness and "Big Hairy Audacious Goals" inspired her to turn an innovative design into a full-fledged business. Her studio focuses on a piece of workout equipment called the Megaformer. A need to nurture her mental and physical health combined with a love of learning and a good opportunity was her catalyst for becoming the successful female founder she is today. In this episode, Tyler and Leigh-Ann sit down with Brooke to learn about how she made her vision a reality, how she approaches building great teams, her focus on maintaining a well defined brand, and much more!

“Sometimes what you feel in your gut is what you ignore all the time. You just go from what you’ve learned and what you’ve had programmed in your mind...rather than “what is my heart saying?”” – Pascal Beauboeuf Today’s guest is Pascal Beauboeuf, Executive Producer and Host of The Pascal Show. Beauboeuf has always had a passion for conversation. Perfecting the art form has helped him discover his authenticity and voice. He believes the most meaningful conversations are heart centered and based on genuine feeling. His "heart over head" approach to people has helped him to amass nearly 100,000 followers on social media. In this episode Tyler and Leigh-Ann turn the tables, putting the host in the guest seat to find out what his idea of good dialogue is, the need for more public discourse on social justice, his process for scoring interviews, and much more!

"It's a matter of bringing out the best of who our clients are and putting the right words around it." – Mich Hancock Today's guest is Mich Hancock, Founder & CEO of 100th Monkey. Mich started 100th Monkey when she recognized a real need to help older internet users and business owners get acquainted with social media platforms. She was inspired by the opportunity to provide a safe bridgeway to help her clients make social media work for them. A long period of personal hardship was the catalyst that sparked Mich into action. Also the Co-founder at TEDx Gateway Arch, Mich understands the power of stories. She uses her marketing savvy and warm demeanor to empower clients to create compelling and authentic ways of connecting digitally. In this episode, Mich joins Tyler and Leigh-Ann to talk about how personal triumph can lead to breakthroughs, how building more inclusive online spaces sparks new ways of thinking, crafting messages that bring out the best in clients, and much more!