30 OCT 2019 · ETHINKSTL 146: Betsy Nacrelli | Joya [Season 12, Episode 02] Joining us today is Betsy Blancett-Nacrelli, Founder of Collections by Joya. Betsy's lifelong passion for Women empowerment and her 14 years of experience in international retail and design, afforded her many opportunities to travel to amazing places such as Istanbul, Bali and India where she fell in love with the vast selection of artisan jewelry. Founded in 2016, Collections by Joya continues to grow and inspire women all over the world. Betsy believe fully that when women support each other, incredible things can happen! In this episode: Betsy tells us about how her journey in product development and design in the furniture industry turned into a whole new journey in jewelry design and development which Betsy has since turned into a full-time career and business. Betsy fills us in on the long line of entrepreneurs with her family and how she knew from a very young age that she too wanted to be an entrepreneur. She talks about the long line of leaders who taught her the many principles of business such as retail to product development and supply chain management. Betsy discusses the process of testing the market and the conclusions she reached form that process and how testing helped her have a better understanding of the needs of the market. She also gives us some insight on the testing timeline. Betsy tells us about the growth of Collections by Joya and how with a lot of support from family and friends she was able to grow from a company of 1 in her home to a company of 12 in a studio here in St. Louis, Missouri. Learn More: Email: betsy@collectionsbyjoya.com Company Website: www.collectionsbyjoya.com Company Facebook: http://www,facebook.com/collectionsbyjoya Company Instgram: http://www.instgram.com/collectionsbyjoya

23 OCT 2019 · ETHINKSTL 145: Jeremy Goss | LinkMarket [Season 12, Episode 01] Joining us today is Dr. Jeremy Goss, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Link Market. Jeremy is an advocate for low-income communities on issues related to food justice, hunger and health. Upon graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, Jeremy took notice to the fact that healthy food options were not available to certain communities in the St. Louis Region. Jeremy's frustration turned into a life changing idea for many St. Louis residents. In this episode: Jeremy discusses the challenges he faced upon his arrival here in St. Louis and how he began to tackle poverty and inequality in the region and how he turned the art of science and healing to a reality for a city that so badly needed it. Jeremy talks about how he reached out to his peers in the medical community to help research how he could best fill the void in the food deserts of of St. Louis and the next steps he took to make his idea take form. Jeremy discusses his very own experience with racism within his own team and the challenges he faced as an out-ofstate entrepreneur. Jeremy talks about the training program set up specifically centered around the community each Link Market serves. Learn More: Email: Jeremy@linkmarket.org Company Website: http://linkmarket.org/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelinkmarket

16 OCT 2019 · ETHINKSTL 144: Shannon Thompson | Indie Eatery [Season 11, Episode 11] Joining us today is Shannon Thompson, Proprietor of Indie Eatery and Indie 4 Catering. Shannon devoted 12 years of her life to the United States Air Force. Upon returning , she spent a short time in the corporate world. It didn't take long for Shannon to realize that the corporate world just didn't fill her passion within; It was then that she and her husband started Indie 4 Catering and the rest is history. In this episode: Shannon discusses how Indie 4 Catering maintains sustainability not only in the business aspect but also on the menu side of the business with items such as 'compost nachos' and health based all natural juice drinks. Shannon talks about how being laid off from her full-time job thrust her into entrepreneurship by incident and the process of transitioning into the business with her husband by her side. Shannon discusses the difficulties she and her husband faced in trying to find a new form of employment once exiting the Air Force and how she has to teach herself to ask others for help and how through mentoring, she was able to learn how to be 'coachable'. Shannon tells us about where she sees herself and Indie 4 catering in the future through partnerships, collaborations and franchising. Learn More: Email: eatsbyindie@gmail.com Company Website: http://www.eatsbyindie.com Company Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eatsbyindie

9 OCT 2019 · ETHINKSTL 143: Alexces Bartley | MO SourceLink [Season 11, Episode 10] Joining us today is Alexces Bartley, Director and Network Builder of Missouri SourceLink. At her core, Alex is a connector with a deep passion for helping communities and individuals grow through access to entrepreneurial opportunities. Prior to her work with Missouri SourceLink, Alex served as Outreach Programs Manager at Oklahoma State University Riata Center for Entrepreneurship. In this episode: Alexces talks about how she fills her role as a Network Builder and the idea of the concept that entrepreneurship is a team sport wherever you go and how social networks are extremely valuable to the growth of a business. Alexces talks about the importance of unlocking the talent that Missouri holds within it many territories and accepting that what is good for Missouri is good for its towns and what is good for our towns is good for Missouri. Alexces explains how Missouri SourceLink connects rural communities who may not have the ability to connect otherwise, with the tools the need to get their business to the next step. Alexces gives a detailed summary of the resources available to small business owners and start ups through Missouri SourceLink such as a hotline number, referrals, a personal action plan and a Resource Navigator that gives you access to 500 business resource organizations with the click of just one button. Learn More: Email: bartleya@mosourcelink.com Company Website: https://www.mosourcelink.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoSourceLink/ Company Twitter: https://twitter.com/mosourcelink

2 OCT 2019 · ETHINKSTL 142: Collective STL | Healing Mind, Body and Spirit in North St. Louis [Season 11, Episode 09] Joining us today are Terry and Ericka Harris and Alonzo Nelson, Jr., Co Founders of Collective STL. This team of amazing yogi's create a healthy and safe experience catered to African Americans by offering compassionate wisdom that helps heal the mind, body and spirit through techniques of yoga mindfulness and culturally relevant self-strategies. In this episode: Ericka and Terry talk about how their love for yoga transformed into the thought of bringing African American communities together through the Collective STL environment by creating a space that helps heal the mind, body and spirit. The trio talks about the need and importance of accessibility not just for some but for ALL in terms of financial and economics. Before the Collective STL, North St. Louis had no yoga studios. Alonzo discusses the platforms used to bring awareness to the African American communities about the healing qualities of yoga and the results that can be achieved thru a healthy mindset. Ericka explains how the team goes above and beyond to make the space a welcoming one through creating a family environment, various classes and a donation based model so that even low income families can participate. Learn more: Company Website: www.thecollectivestl.org Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecollective

25 SEP 2019 · ETHINKSTL 141: Rachel D'Souza Siebert | Gladiator Consulting [Season 11, Episode 08] Joining us today is Rachel D'Souza Siebert, Founder and Principal of Gladiator Consulting. Rachel is at her best when she's starting, fixing or leading. In 2015, Gladiator Consulting came to life offering Core Values and Guiding Principles to our communities. In this episode: Rachel talks about how a need to have her voice heard and having a way to fulfill her interest in social justice led her to the nonprofit sector. Rachel discusses the importance of breaking down the barrier of being a mom and an entrepreneur and how she makes that work. Rachel talks about the power dynamic that exists in philanthropy between the people that fund and the people who need the funds and how Gladiator Consulting seeks to obtain their goals. Rachel explains abundance in the non-profit world and forging a new path for future organizations. Learn more: Email: Rachel@gladiatorrds.com Company Website: www.gladiatorrds.com

18 SEP 2019 · ETHINKSTL 140: Jessica Hitchcock | Following Her Entrepreneurial Heart for Art [Season 11, Episode 07] Joining us today is Jessica Hitchcock , owner of Jessica Hitchcock, LLC. Jessica paints from her home in St. Louis, Missouri and it's her bold colors that give her a signature look. She only recently quit her day job in Finance and Human Resources to devote her efforts full-time to her art business. Following a recent trip to Mexico to work with an expert to discuss a business plan, she is off to a great start and getting her name out there. In this episode : Jessica tells us where and how her artistic story started in 2015 and how her mom’s entrepreneurship story may have had a little influence on her becoming an entrepreneur. Jessica explains how she went from being an artist as a hobby to having her paintings on display at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan. She tells us how it all happened very naturally for her. Jessica tells us how the transition of working full time in the Finance and Human Resource field into a full time artist happened and how other full time artists sparked a flame in her to make the jump from corporate to the world of entrepreneurship. Jessica talks about Instagram and how the Instagram platform has made a tremendous contribution to the growth of her business model not only locally but internationally. Jessica also talks about the power of social media in general. Learn More : Email: info@jessicahitchcock.org Website: http://www.jessicahitchcock.org Company Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jessicahitchcockart

11 SEP 2019 · ETHINKSTL 139: Nick Dunne | Marketing M.A.D.E. Man [Season 11, Episode 06] Joining us today is Nick Dunne, Communications Director For MADE, Third Degree Glass Factory and The Delmar Maker District. A 2011 graduate of Webster University with a B.A. degree in Public Relations, Nick brings a culmination of marketing experience to all three businesses while using his background as a professional communicator to elevate the community of artists, makers and other entrepreneurs in the St. Louis area. In this episode: Nick talks about how a collaborative idea turned into an evolution of a multifaceted studio for creating, making and selling; all the while building a social network. Nicks explains where the name M.A.D.E came from and its meaning;M-Makers, A-Artists, D-Designers, E-Entrepreneurs and he tells us how the MADE concept works. Nick talks about the lack of resources for children to learn, make and create and how MADE and The Magic House have collaborated to make a space for children to learn, grow and express themselves through art and design. Nick discusses the future of the maker district and his hopes of development which will help cultivate a community including the joining of a credit union and the possibility of a food truck park . Learn More: Email: promo@stlglass.com Website: http://delmarmakerdistrict.org Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delmarmakerdistrict Nick Dunne Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nickdunne_stl

4 SEP 2019 · ETHINKSTL 138: De Nichols | De-Signing Creative Cultures of Impact [Season 11, Episode 05] Joining us today is De Nichols, Principal of Design and Social Practice at Civic Creatives. As a cultural producer, De organizes artists to develop digital media and visual artworks that extend the impact of her design practice. In this episode: De speaks about the current challenges she faces and how she and her team at Civic Creatives rise to those challenges in an effort to bring awareness to these issues. De tells us about her projects such as designing the St. Louis Metro Market, The Artistic STL Collective; which mobilizes artists and creators across the region, the Unites Stories Summit and how she likes to create a vulnerable and brave space for people to express themselves in a safe environment. De describes how she came to the decision to be involved in Social Entrepreneurship. De speaks about how being an artist molded the social side and how her studies solidified the entrepreneurship side. De fills us in on how she manages to separate herself from a personal vantage point of a person from the person that fuels the business. De discusses what it was like to be the visioning artist of The Mirror Casket; currently on display at the Smithsonian. The Mirror Casket is a sculpture and performance piece created as protest art during the 2014 Ferguson uprising. Learn More: Email: deandrea@civiccreatives.com Website: https://www.denichols.com Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/civiccreatives Company Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/civiccreatives

28 AUG 2019 · ETHINKSTL 137: Claire Flowers | Durable, Comfortable, Stylish Shoes for Professional Women [Season 11, Episode 04] Joining us today is Claire Flowers, Founder and Designer of Claire Flowers, LLC. Claire has a passion for making things better. While working in sales and constantly traveling for her work, Claire found herself rapidly going through pairs of heels. In a effort to make women's lives easier, Claire decided to make a change. In December of 2014, Claire quit her full-time technology career to make this idea a reality by forming Claire Flowers, LLC. In this episode: Claire tells us how Claire Flowers, LLC evolved from a self-servicing idea to a much larger production of a full-line of women's shoes. Claire talks about the many different phases of getting her idea from her mind, to a CAD file, to a designer, to manufacturing, then finally to promotion. Claire tells us the 5 things that set Claire Flowers shoes apart from the competition. Claire discusses company growth and where she sees Claire Flowers, LLC in the future. Claire talks SEO and brand accountability. Learn More: Email: Claire@claireflowers.com Website: www.claireflowers.com Company Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/claireflowersshoes