Inspired over the decades by the farm-to-table movement of Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse and Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma, Dorsey Barger has pursued her businesses as a zealot. Barger’s East Side Cafe in Austin, TX, and now urban farm are part of her mission to improve the way we eat, and the way we grow food ..read more

When Vera Deckard's obsession for brewing began to overwhelm their modest house, her husband Brent suggested they go pro. They set out to create a German-style brewpub that could serve as a third space, a neighborhood meeting place for friends and families. Success, to them, means delighting customers and attracting employees who want to run their own brewpub some day ..read more

Janie Barrera founded one of the largest and most successful non-profit business microlenders in the country. Her journey to that founding has roots in her youth in Corpus Christi, Texas, and by no means was Barrera’s a typical path to starting a finance company ..read more

Tirso Sigg took a leap of faith coming to the United States from Mexico and taking a job at Disney World for which he wasn't quite qualified. Thanks to a little luck and a lot of ingenuity, he now owns a restaurant business and went on a personal journey to overcome his fear of the unknown ..read more

Younger Melissa Jones would never have believed, as a teen growing up in good standing with the Church of Latter Day Saints, what older Melissa Jones now does. Her Sexology Institute in downtown San Antonio grew directly from her experience within the Mormon Church, but eventually led her very far from her childhood roots in Provo, Utah ..read more

Walter Massey’s journey from Jim Crow Mississippi to a doctorate in physics and the heights of academic leadership were just the first act in the screenplay of his life ..read more

A new podcast from Texas Public Radio about overcoming challenges in business and surprising stories of entrepreneurship. In Texas, there's an old saying, "That's no hill for a climber." It means that a task that looks daunting to most is a welcome sight to someone who wants to challenge themselves. In this podcast, you'll meet people who fit that mold and pushed through hardships to follow a dream. New episodes out weekly starting December 10. Made possible by Texas Mutual Insurance Company ..read more

Dwight Hobart is a restaurateur, rancher, and storytelling original whose family roots go back to settling the Texas Panhandle. We talked during the COVID pandemic about running the Liberty Bar in San Antonio, and what success means to him in this venture. We also talk about the highs and lows of commodity markets, whether the ranching business is built on socialist principles, and maintaining the respect of his peers ..read more

Neil Leatherbury is a bioscientist who left San Antonio, and then left Texas, to work for a biotechnology company in Durham, NC. We talk about how his own career may illustrate the “cluster theory” of business. We talk about the nature of risk, optimism, and that “failure is the default” when it comes to biotechnology startups. Finally, we discuss what it's like to be out of the closet, corporate “allyship” in 2021, and the struggle to recruit under-represented minorities to the life sciences ..read more

Jungmin Kang built an astonishing entrepreneurial success by cracking the code of Instagram and then TikTok, amassing millions of followers for her business Snoop Slime. We talk about the "satisfying videos" that power her marketing, the genius of her restock model, and how she defines success. Also, she's 17 years old and juggles the demands of exponential business growth with high school. Subscribe for more episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app ..read more