Dawn Dickson-Akpoghene is a serial entrepreneur and coach who is tired of the negative narrative in the media that does not acknowledge the successes of Black women entrepreneurs. She is our guest this week on The Founder’s Mind and had a wide-ranging conversation with Adam touching on race and gender in the tech industry, the future of crowdfunding, and the importance of perseverance and legacy.

After not achieving the funding she wanted in the realm of VC funding, Dawn set her sights on the brave new world of crowdfunding to great success. One of the key takeaways from Dawn’s story is how important it is to educate yourself thoroughly on any new industry you want to participate in. Listen for more of Dawn’s thoughts.

• (00:57) – Dawn’s tweet about Black women’s success
• (05:39) – Dawn’s family of entrepreneurs
• (12:22) – How Dawn came to launch her first business
• (19:22) – The challenge of team building
• (22:07) – What keeps Dawn driven
• (29:47) – How Dawn got into crowdfunding
• (32:46) – Dawn’s #1 advice to entrepreneurs
• (35:40) – Dawn’s perspective on failure
• (42:23) – Why you can’t compare your journey to others

Dawn W. Dickson is CEO of PopCom, an automated retail company that uses facial recognition, AI, and blockchain technology to help retailers collect valuable customer insights. The first CRM, data, and analytics software provider for unattended retail, PopCom has developed technology to make kiosks and vending machines intelligent through data and analytics at the point of purchase. As a serial entrepreneur with over 16 years of experience in marketing and business development, Dawn launched four successful cash flow positive companies since 2002.  Her most recent ventures include Flat Out of Heels and PopCom, after identifying a need to make vending machines more intelligent.  

The Founder's Mind is a podcast for entrepreneurs wanting to gain insights and tactics from founders of all kinds to learn, grow, and be better equipped to navigate the inherent challenges of entrepreneurship. The podcast is hosted by Adam Mutschler, a Leadership Coach and COO at The Kedar Group.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to The Founder’s Mind in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Rodney Williams is a serial entrepreneur because he’s an explorer. It wasn’t enough to change the game with his first company, LISNR. He is now disrupting the lending industry with his latest company, SoLo Funds. Rodney is our guest this week on The Founder’s Mind and shares his thoughts on the evolution of his leadership style and interests.

Listen to the episode as Rodney discusses his definition of winning, what it’s like being a Black founder, why he approaches problems with an explorer’s attitude, and why the words “I remember,” are the most powerful words an investor can say to an entrepreneur. 

• (01:45) – What is Rodney Williams cooking up right now?
• (04:00) – Having vision for market opportunities
• (07:14) – How SoLo Funds is helping communities
• (19:46) – How Rodney takes risks to create new businesses
• (29:39) – Rodney’s leadership evolution
• (32:34) – How Rodney defines winning
• (41:00) – First impressions and cultivating networks
• (46:49) – Rodney’s advice for new founders
• (51:07) - Connect with Rodney on Twitter or Instagram @rodneybwilliams

Rodney B. Williams is the Founder and CCO of LISNR and the Co-Founder and Chairman of SoLo Funds. He worked in brand management at Procter & Gamble and saw firsthand the constant struggle brands have connecting with consumers. By lowering the barrier for proximity-based marketing on mobile devices, LISNR is expanding the opportunity for marketers and brands to target messaging to consumers through relevant mobile connections. SoLo Funds is disrupting the lending industry by allowing for peer-to-peer lending.

The Founder's Mind is a podcast for entrepreneurs wanting to gain insights and tactics from founders of all kinds to learn, grow, and be better equipped to navigate the inherent challenges of entrepreneurship. The podcast is hosted by Adam Mutschler, a Leadership Coach and COO at The Kedar Group, and sponsored by Upside.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to The Founder’s Mind in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Our culture has internalized the idea that art is a career choice in which poverty is the standard. Reggie Black is an artist pushing back against this narrative using his art to call out companies that devalue artists and their work.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Reggie and Adam engage in a dialog of understanding regarding the intersection of trauma and mental health for Black people in America. Reggie also breaks down the business of art and discusses how institutions and lack of resources are the real gatekeepers preventing more artists of color from breaking through.

This interview was recorded live. To watch the interview, click here.

• [01:27] – Introducing Reggie Black
• [06:45] – The intersection of mental health and trauma for Black people
• [11:04] – The Mass Manipulation Series
• [16:39] – Time stamping human emotion
• [20:13] – Understanding the trauma of the Black experience
• [31:07] – Uncomfortable conversations and the dialog of understanding
• [33:56] – All Things Progressive, Reggie’s design firm
• [34:19] – Challenges faced by artists
• [40:25] – Dismantling the idea of the starving artist
• [44:20] – Unique challenges for Black artists
• [49:56] – Find Reggie on Instagram @iamreggieblack

Reggie Black is an international multimedia artist, designer, speaker, and Principal of All Things Progressive, a multidisciplinary design studio specializing in creative direction, identity, and branding.

A native of Washington D.C., Black has spent the last four years living and working throughout Asia. Intersecting hand type artistry, graphic design, typography, abstract paintings, travel and cultural juxtapositions; his work has been exhibited in several international exhibitions in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and domestically in D.C.

His art has evolved into graphic design commissions, environmental graphic design, identity creation, book cover design, branding, exhibition design, naming and nomenclature, creative direction, curation, product design, and documentary photography.

Black has presented talks at Apple, Advertising Week, TED, Pecha Kucha, Marble Print + Clay, and Resource Library addressing the importance of art, design, technology, mental health, transparency, vulnerability, and the human connection.

The Founder's Mind is a podcast for entrepreneurs wanting to gain insights and tactics from founders of all kinds to learn, grow, and be better equipped to navigate the inherent challenges of entrepreneurship. The podcast is hosted by Adam Mutschler, a Leadership Coach and COO at The Kedar Group.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to The Founder’s Mind in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

COVID-19 has pushed businesses to go digital fast. This has opened up new opportunities for Vanja Bannan, Founder of BannComm, as she’s overseeing an entirely new arm of the company she never thought possible. Despite those gains, Vanja still believes in old fashioned networking and referrals.

This week on The Founder’s Mind, Adam talks to Vanja about the importance of loving your job, why educating clients and employees is key, and why you must always remember to prioritize work and family. Vanja also shares why she hates the word, “just,” and why she wants everyone to stop saying it. 

This interview was recorded live. To watch the interview, click here.

• [00:36] – Introducing Vanja Bannan
• [02:11] – Vanja Bannan on her company, BannComm
• [05:00] – Surrounding yourself with smart people
• [12:00] – How the digital arm of BannComm has increased
• [13:49] – Why education is key
• [17:58] – The toll of making things easy for everyone else
• [23:21] – Personal strife during BannComm’s founding
• [28:14] – Why Vanja wants you to stop saying “just”
• [34:08] – The importance of building relationships
• [46:23] – Helping clients survive the transition to digital
• [50:36] – Loving your work

After working in energy, finance, and luxury sectors across Europe and North America, Vanja Bannan founded BannComm in 2014. She was fascinated with the constant evolution and innovation of the communications sector, and decided to establish a firm that pushed the digital envelope.

Today, Vanja and her award-winning team have worked with some of the leading companies in culture, architecture, corporate, and technology. She focuses on building solid working relationships and aligning the agency with progressive ideas and services.

Vanja is a passionate champion of women and female entrepreneurs, earning recognition in 2020 by Women of Influence for the Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. 

The Founder's Mind is a podcast for entrepreneurs wanting to gain insights and tactics from founders of all kinds to learn, grow, and be better equipped to navigate the inherent challenges of entrepreneurship. The podcast is hosted by Adam Mutschler, a Leadership Coach and COO at The Kedar Group.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to The Founder’s Mind in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Black women have to work harder to earn less, and as if that wasn’t enough, have to spend anywhere from 5-8 hours to get their hair done in ways society deems “professional.” Dawn Myers is the founder of The Most, a tool to make hair care easier for Black women. She is our guest this week on The Founder’s Mind and talks about her experience as a founder from an underrepresented, marginalized group.

Dawn shares how advocacy is at the core of her passions through her work with The Vinetta Project, and how she translates that work into a successful beauty company. Listen in for her insights on equity, inclusion, and justice.

This interview was recorded live. To watch the interview, click here.

• [00:41] – Introducing Dawn Myers
• [01:55] – Dawn’s working on her company The Most and the DC Chapter of The Vinetta Project
• [03:38] – Passion for the work
• [06:57] – The unique challenge of Black women’s hair
• [12:00] – The prototype process
• [21:46] – Why lawyers make better founders
• [28:16] – The Vinetta Project
• [30:59] – Marrying advocacy and beauty
• [36:21] – Following your gut to forge your path
• [42:10] – Systemic racism and founders
• [47:03] – Dawn shares her pride at the work being done by young people

Dawn Myers is a startup eco-system architect, having launched and managed educational programming for entrepreneurs throughout the Washington metropolitan area. As Ambassador to Black Girl Ventures and Director at The Vinetta Project, a national 501(c)(3), Dawn develops seminars, bootcamps, and accelerator programming for up and coming founders of color. 

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Dawn teaches founders how to lay a sound foundation for their business, build the relationships they need to thrive, and access capital using non-traditional strategies.

The Founder's Mind is a podcast for entrepreneurs wanting to gain insights and tactics from founders of all kinds to learn, grow, and be better equipped to navigate the inherent challenges of entrepreneurship. The podcast is hosted by Adam Mutschler, a Leadership Coach and COO at The Kedar Group.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to The Founder’s Mind in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

1871 is a hub of technology and entrepreneurship in Chicago. This is a place where founders from all industries gather to support each other. This week on The Founder’s Mind, we’re trying something a little different. Before the COVID craziness started, Adam found himself with an extra day in Chicago. He put out a call to any founders at 1871 to come to the recording studio and chat. Aaron Filous, David Pawlan, and Dana Todd answered the call.

Today, we’re sharing three conversations with three founders from very different industries. Adam asks each founder what they wish they had known when they started and how their previous job experiences prepared them for their newest challenges. Their answers will surprise you.

• [01:09] - Aaron Filous, Founder and CEO of Promotable
  • [01:34] - What is Promotable
  • [04:40] - Why feedback is important and how to bridge the gap between the tech and non-tech sides of a business
  • [11:15] - What it’s like contributing to someone else’s success
• [13:18] - David Pawlan, Co-Founder at Aloa
  • [13:56] - David Pawlan explains the concept of Aloa
  • [15:25] - Why Aloa is a relationship focused company
  • [18:40] - Aloa’s mission
  • [20:25] - What David wished he knew before founding Aloa
• [24:45] - Dana Todd, CEO of Balodana
  • [25:02] - Dana Todd on what it’s like to be on her third business, Balodana
  • [28:53] - Challenges of slow fashion
  • [35:11] - The difficulty of getting people to try new things
  • [36:05] - Educating the customer

The Founder's Mind is a podcast for entrepreneurs wanting to gain insights and tactics from founders of all kinds to learn, grow, and be better equipped to navigate the inherent challenges of entrepreneurship. The podcast is hosted by Adam Mutschler, a Leadership Coach and COO at The Kedar Group.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to The Founder’s Mind in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Charles Ashley III has given up dream jobs because he has a fire in his belly to help as many people as he can. His company, Cultivating Coders, seeks to bring coding camps to people who don’t usually have easy access to digital tools we take for granted – those living in poverty, as well as people of color. But what do you do when you have an in-person business model and a pandemic hits?

This week on The Founder’s Mind, we’re talking to Charles about how he successfully migrated his business to the virtual realm and even added compelling new offers such as his Code Crush Crew. Charles also speaks passionately on how we can overcome the digital divide and how the implementation of small business loans has put inequality in the spotlight.

Listen to the episode and remember to shop local!

• [04:48] – Charles explains his background and road to Cultivating Coders
• [13:48] – Community equity
• [18:37] – A hard lesson in business
• [24:33] – What drives Charles
• [32:24] – Issues with the disbursement of SBA money
• [37:09] – Entrepreneurs know that you eat what you kill

Charles Ashley III is President & Founder of Cultivating Coders, a New Mexico based company that provides technical training and curriculum in web and mobile application development to K-12 schools in tribal, rural and overlooked urban areas that lack resources in coding and computer science education. 

Prior to his current role, Charles was a Marketing & Strategy Consultant for several clients including Harmonix Technologies, VARA Wines and DeVry University. He previously served as Film Liaison & Marketing Manager for Bernalillo County’s Economic Development Department in New Mexico and was Manager of Marketing for CNM’s STEMulus Center. 

Charles currently sits on the US Eagle Federal Credit Union Advisory Board, Learning Alliance and has served on variety of boards such as New Mexico AIDS Services, Albuquerque Youth Basketball League Board, Mayor Berry’s Albuquerque Deep Dive Council for Arts & Culture and Mayor Keller’s Education Transition Team.

The Founder's Mind is a podcast for entrepreneurs wanting to gain insights and tactics from founders of all kinds to learn, grow, and be better equipped to navigate the inherent challenges of entrepreneurship. The podcast is hosted by Adam Mutschler, a Leadership Coach and COO at The Kedar Group.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to The Founder’s Mind in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Whether your business has been around for years or you just got in the game, no one could have anticipated the COVID-19 pandemic to effectively wipe out business revenues by 50% or more overnight. But that’s the situation we’re in right now - our new normal - and it’s time for you to take a step back to figure out what routines to put in place and what decisions need to be made to keep your company afloat.

This week on The Founder’s Mind, Adam talked to Scott Case, Founder of Upside Travel and a sponsor of this show. Scott is a serial entrepreneur and also has experience with public health thanks to years serving as CEO and as a board member of Malaria No More. Scott shares his deep knowledge and offers concrete strategies that every business should take right now to ensure they weather this storm. Listen in to learn about the similarities to the fight against malaria and how the CARES Act can help businesses.

• [02:17] – Why companies need to plan for the worst right now
• [06:18] – Don’t wait for new information, start making decisions
• [09:08] – Establishing new routines for work and social connections
• [17:51] – Playing offense against the disease: CARES Act
• [18:31] – How fighting malaria is similar to fighting COVID-19
• [24:08] – Identify how your unique business can contribute
• [31:02] – A breakdown of steps to be taken to secure your business

Scott Case is a technologist, entrepreneur and inventor and was founding CTO of priceline.com, the "Name Your Own Price" Internet service. At the Walker Digital Invention Laboratory, he helped build a portfolio of intellectual property. In November 2015, he rejoined Jay Walker to transform the way we buy business travel at Upside (www.upside.com).

In 2006, Scott joined the Malaria No More team (www.MalariaNoMore.org) to inspire individuals and institutions to end deaths caused by malaria. He also serves as the Chairman of Network for Good (www.NetworkForGood.org), a national nonprofit that has distributed more than $1.4 billion to 100,000 nonprofits.

The Founder's Mind is a podcast for entrepreneurs wanting to gain insights and tactics from founders of all kinds to learn, grow, and be better equipped to navigate the inherent challenges of entrepreneurship. The podcast is hosted by Adam Mutschler, a Leadership Coach and COO at The Kedar Group.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to The Founder’s Mind in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.