Summary: Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies! On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Randy Wilburn, founder of I Am Northwest Arkansas, a website that showcases business, culture, and life right here in the Ozarks. Additionally, Randy hosts the I Am Northwest Arkansas podcast, an informative interview-based show that highlights everything that makes NWA one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country. As an unexpected transplant to the area, Randy embraced the community and he embarked on a mission to share its vib ..read more

Summary: Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies! On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Grace Gill sit down with James Bell, vice president of Bentonville Economic Development and host of the Bentonville Beacon Podcast, a show that tells the stories of triumph and growth through the lives of the business leaders, executives, and business owners of Bentonville, Arkansas. Additionally, James is an accomplished senior executive and previous founder with more than twenty-five years of experience in diverse business environments. His passion for economic development a ..read more

Summary: Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies! On this episode, hosts Victoria Dickerson, Jeff Amerine, and Caleb Talley sit down with Ricky Ludeman, founder of Ozark Compost & Swap, an environmental protection organization on a mission to make composting mainstream. Ozark Compost & Swap makes composting convenient by offering pick-up services at your doorstep. Throughout this episode, Ricky discusses his entrepreneurial journey and how Ozark Compost has grown over the years from another idea to an actionable concept that promotes sustainability to the NWA community ..read more

Summary: Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies! On this episode, hosts Victoria Dickerson, Jeff Amerine, and Grace Gill sit down with Stamatis Astra, co-founder and head of product at Intelligent Relations, a PR firm that leverages artificial intelligence to build broader and smarter relationships. Additionally, Stamatis is a venture partner who invests in strategic startups with applications that enrich people’s lives. He also co-hosts Grecian Echoes, a talk show in Boston, that offers an in-depth analysis of current news and events laced with provocative commentary to its one ..read more

Summary: Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies! On this episode, hosts Matthew Ward, Caleb Talley, and Jeff Amerine sit down with Dr. Adam Stoverink, the director of the Sam M. Walton College of Business MBA program at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Stoverink is the author of the book Unbreakable, a resource for leaders on how to build resilient teams, and has also been featured in twelve other notable publications. Additionally, Dr. Stoverink is an associate professor of management, teaching leadership and teamwork to graduate, undergraduate, and executive audiences. Througho ..read more

Summary: Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies! On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Kelton Hays, executive director of Cobblestone Farms. Cobblestone Farms is a local nonprofit committed to cultivating a community free from hunger by ensuring all people have access to fresh, nutritionally dense foods that are produced through sustainable agriculture practices. Throughout this episode, Kelton discusses the deeper mission of Cobblestone Farms and how important addressing food insecurity is to uplifting the community. Show Notes ..read more

Summary: Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies! On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and previous Startup Junkie Michael Iseman sit down with Philip Mudd, a former CNN correspondent and counterterrorism analyst. During Philip’s extensive and accomplished career, he was a valuable asset to the FBI, CIA, and the American nation as a whole and received numerous CIA awards for his expertise and diligence. Philip is also the author of three distinguished publications and is a member of multiple prestigious associations. Throughout this episode, Philip shares insight on ..read more

Summary: Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies! On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Grace Gill sit down with Quinn Robertson, a senior associate at NXTUS. NXTUS is a non-profit organization that connects mentors, capital opportunities, and customers in an effort to further entrepreneurial growth. As an entrepreneurship supporter, Quinn decided to leave his position in the corporate world and work with startup founders by helping them grow companies of significance. Throughout this episode, Quinn shares about NXTUS’s role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the ..read more

Summary: Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies! On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Nate Walls to chat about his endeavors, Secondhand Smoke and Second Helping NWA. Nate has been serving the community since 2020, when he started sharing meals with families impacted by the pandemic. Throughout the episode, Nate shares his entrepreneurial journey starting Secondhand Smoke and his mission to better the community with Second Helping NWA. Show Notes: (0:59) Introduction to Nate (1:38) Nate’s Backstory (8:11) About Secondhand Smoke ..read more

Summary: Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies! In this episode, Startup Junkies Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Michail Myburgh, co-founder and chief technology officer of Backd, an alternative lending company headquartered in Austin, TX. Michail explains how Backd helps entrepreneurs secure business funding with quick turnaround times rather than waiting months for traditional funding options. He also shares about what it's like to build a resilient company culture, going into business with his brother, and why the United States is an incredib ..read more