Summary On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Daniel Koonce, Claudia Scott, and Harrison Kitson sit down with Daizhan Ennals, the CEO and founder of Renewed Robotics, a manufacturer leveraging robotics and technology to help people become more resource independent. Born in Cambridge, Maryland, Daizhan dedicated five years of service to the United States Marine Corps. where he developed expertise as a mechanic, inspiring him to delve into the rigorous world of mechanical engineering. Throughout the conversation, Daizhan shares his entrepreneurial journey, explains Renewed Robotics Self-As ..read more

Summary On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Victoria Dickerson, and Daniel Koonce, sit down with Bonnie Adams, founder and CEO of The Joys of Swimming, an organization providing water safety education that saves lives and develops lifelong swimmers. Throughout the conversation, Bonnie shares an inside look at her two companies: The Joys of Swimming and SWIM OZ, and delves into her entrepreneurial journey and the importance of water safety amongst swimmers with all different backgrounds, from elementary school kids to Olympic-level swimmers.  Show Notes (0:45) Introdu ..read more

Summary On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Harrison Kitson, Claudia Mercado, and Annie Xu sit down with Jenna Kempkes, a senior biomedical engineering major at the University of Arkansas and the winner of Startup Junkie’s Student Expo during last November’s Global Entrepreneurship Week. As a patient care technician at UAMS and a student intern at the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Jenna is passionate about applying her biomedical engineering skills and knowledge to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare. Jenna has received the Gilman Scholarship, was awarded f ..read more

Summary On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Victoria Dickerson, Jeff Amerine, and Grace Gill talk to Peter Mann, founder and CEO of Oransi. Oransi is a leading manufacturer of HEPA air purifiers and motor technology with a sustainable mission based in Radford, VA. Peter’s passion for clean air began with his son who struggled with asthma. Conducting extensive research, he learned the significant impact of poor air quality on one’s health. Peter aimed to create an affordable and accessible solution for others, thus, Oransi was born in 2009. Peter shares his passion for neurodiversity ad ..read more

Summary On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Victoria Dickerson are joined by Chris Heivly, co-founder of MapQuest and managing director of Build the Fort. Based out of Durham, North Carolina, Chris is the author of Build the Fort: The Startup Community Builder’s Field Guide, a book which simplifies entrepreneurship and outlines five basic elements that are common to both startups and startup communities. Chris is passionate about sharing his expertise in helping other entrepreneurs find success, and as a frequent blogger and public speaker, Chris advocat ..read more

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 cuisin ..read more

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 th ..read more

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 ..read more

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 di ..read more

Due to explicit language, we recommend listeners be over 18. 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-M ..read more