Videos

When the Carolina Times went out of business in 2020, Cary Wheelous began looking for other Black-owned media outlets. When he was unsuccessful in finding them in one convenient place, he decided to create a space where Black news outlets were aggregated together. The birth of the Hayti app may…

Not all entrepreneurs are leaders, but all leaders can benefit from thinking like entrepreneurs. To close the gap between those at the top and those doing the work, Margaret Brunson PhD. teaches leadership to encourage healthy work cultures. Through accountability, wellness, and innovation inspired by life experience, she works with…

Confections, community, and a little bit of fairy dust make up the incredible sugary profiles made sensational by Wonderpuff. Jackie Marin and her husband discovered their interested in creating custom confections for events, weddings, and more in South Florida and brought their talents to the Durham area 6 years ago.…

Liberation Station is a children's book store that was created on the belief that youth need a safe space for discovery. A space centered in humanity, joy, and curiosity. A physical space located in downtown Raleigh in view of the capital building made for the perfect location in the eyes…

Durham's first sweet hub has landed in historic East Durham. Stacey Ramos is the founder of Bull City Sweet Shoppe, and the lead curator of the confections that are featured in her shop form herself and other businesses in the area. In getting a brick and mortar location, she had…

What is your superpower? Whether you're a creator, entrepreneur, or nonprofit founder there's likely something that makes you and what you do unique. When it comes to identifying and showcasing your unique perspective as a thought leader, working with a ghost writer is one way to communicate your thoughts better.…

From power poses to powdered noses, Valonda Calloway is no stranger to the spotlight. With a career in television and media, she's learned and adapted how to show up on screen, learnings she practices herself and teaches to her clients. If you don't want to hinder your success, you need…

Being in a family of entrepreneurs can be a great way to learn how to successfully start your own business. However, it may take a few tries to build the right one. Charles Freeman is the founder of Black Cap Ginger, and brought all the lessons from his previous business…

Why would a brewery care about eliminating local bus fares, decreasing gun violence, or any social issues? When you build businesses to create positive social in your community change like David Meeker, you're bound to get into some good trouble. To help him balance his commitments to his business ventures…

Accepting that debt could benefit his business is a financial mindset shift that Chi Yiu made during his journey in entrepreneurship. Being afraid of failure and not wanting to be in a position to be fired from a job are powerful motivators to exploring different approaches to making your business…

Jennifer and Tina have come a long way from their “sausage wagon” days, but their goal has remained the same: supporting local farmers in getting their meat on your kitchen table. Jennifer Curtis, the co-founder of Firsthand Foods, knows the importance of taking a risk alongside farmers. Having a healthy…

Black farmers are losing land at an alarming rate in the United States. Hearing the struggles of Black farmers in North Carolina during the pandemic prompted the founders of Tall Grass Food Box to ask themselves, “ What is our role in their sustainability?” Derrick Beasley, Gabrielle Carter, and Gerald…

Lie + Loft is a brand at the intersection of golf, interior design, and art. The founder, Luke Davis, makes this multi-passionate venture look as easy as enjoying being a homebody on a chilly, winter day. However, pushing through self-doubt without a co-founder as a sounding board has presented him…

Sometimes, the best thing to do is start something bananas with other crazy people who believe it can work. Crystal Dreisbach is the founder and executive director of Don’t Waste Durham and Green To Go, a nonprofit and subsidiary organization focusing on reusable products and the circular economy. By structuring…

Using language that’s accessible and inviting to anyone, Omari Akil of Colorway Game Labs has successfully been able to highlight aspects of Black culture through board games. A graphic designer and creative by trade, Omari branched into the world of tabletop design when he and his brother realized that there…

A majority of the general population fears public speaking. Where does the trauma of public speaking stem from? Kenia Thompson has made it her mission to demystify public speaking to help people gain confidence in sharing their voices, no matter the size of the audience. Her career in journalism has…

How can you learn if you're hungry?" Margo Newkirk, one half of the dynamic duo that is Blend of Soul, asked this during our conversation. Margo Newkirk and Kiera Gardner set out to make healthy smoothies accessible to underserved areas in North Carolina. Though they began in Durham, their dream…

What do you truly want your life to look like? This important question is the driving force behind how to define your sales goals based on the life you want to lead. Elyse Archer is a sales coach, speaker, and consultant that empowers her clients to dig deep when looking…

With over 70 years of collective living experience in the Triangle, Tom and Keith have developed a lot of relationships in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. I sat down with the founders of Resilient Ventures to talk about their approach to investing in minority-owned startups to address systemic wealth gaps. Why…

I sat down with the founder of we are, Dr. Ronda Taylor Bullock, at the Durham Bottling Co. As the executive director of a nonprofit, she has her own definition of what it means to "scale" or grow her organization. We talked about diving head-first into social entrepreneurship on accident,…

Dr. Nehemiah Mabry began STEMedia while pursuing his PhD in engineering. During his transition from full-time engineer to full-time digital agency owner, he talks about the mental and emotional parts of the job being the hardest to overcome. Hear him talk about firing himself to realize his company's full potential.…

Wells Thompson began his journey to co-founding Soccer Resilience after a 9-year career as a professional athlete. Making the transition from athlete to business leader was a hard and necessary change, and luckily, Wells didn't have to do it alone. Starting a business during a global pandemic has its own…

What should a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion executive add to company culture? I asked Carolyn Rhodes while sitting at the Durham Bottling Co. to give me her opinion on the matter. With career experience in human resources, she excels as a DEI consultant helping businesses assess how they can create…

I sat down with Joye Speight at American Underground to talk about all things event planning. When you build a business around making others feel special it can be hard to remember to make time for yourself. Entrepreneurship is a career and for Joye, a lifelong journey. She shares how…