According to a recent study from Fundera by NerdWallet, women now make up nearly half (44 percent) of Seattle’s self-employed business owners. Despite this impressive statistic, women-owned startups often face significant challenges when attempting to secure capital. While venture capital is one of the best-known ways to fund a business, it doesn't always offer the best path to success. It often comes with tradeoffs such as loss of control and equity dilution, and in 2024 only 1 percent of women-led companies received VC funding. Self-funding, on the other hand, can be a powerful alternative, allowing entrepreneurs to maintain full control of their companies and make decisions independently. In this bonus episode of From the Ground Up in partnership with Chase for Business, Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and Shelia Winston, a Seattle-based Senior Business Consultant at Chase, explain how self-funding can be a powerful alternative for growth that can also put founders in a stronger position to weather uncertainty. Listen as Walter and Winston share insights on the evolving economic climate and how women founders can avoid the VC bubble and find long-term success.

What would you do if someone told you that you had just become a billionaire? Some people would quit their jobs on the spot, go on a shopping spree, or buy a mansion they never dreamed they could afford. But Lucy Guo? When a reporter told her the news that the valuation of her first company—in which she still maintains a sizable stake—had spiked, Guo recalls telling the journalist something along the lines of, “It’s all on paper, LMAO.” With her stake in data labeller Scale AI, Guo is now the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire, a title she seized from pop icon Taylor Swift. She is now CEO of a  second startup, Passes, which is a social platform for content creators—think OnlyFans meets Patreon. On the site, fans can have bespoke relationships with creators, from sharing messages and video calls, to having one-on-one golf lessons. Passes is quite different from her previous venture at Scale. “I felt like I experienced every challenge and I could go out and build a B2B AI company enterprise. And I think B2B and enterprise is actually much easier to build a large company than consumer,” Guo tells co-host Christine Lagorio-Chafkin on this week’s From the Ground Up. “Consumer is such a gamble. It's so tough, and I think it really is the toughest challenge a founder can do.” But Guo is no stranger to entrepreneurial challenges. Guo dropped out of college to pursue a Thiel Fellowship, and she used the grant money to build her first business—an app for home-cooked food delivery on her college campus. After that didn’t end well, she took jobs at tech companies Quora and Snap. The former is where she met Alexandr Wang, her Scale AI co-founder.  Boredom and alleged clashes with Wang led Guo to leave Scale after two years, she says. As Guo notes, running Passes has been a challenge. Most recently, she and Passes have been embroiled in a lawsuit alleging that Passes knowingly allowed the distribution of child pornography on its platform.  “I've never talked to this person,” Guo says of the accuser. She believes that her wealth has put a target on her back. “People are always going to be coming after you, and you need to show that you're not an easy target,” she says.  Passes has since boosted content moderation on the platform, as well as made it strictly 18- and-older. But if Passes and Guo can overcome this challenge, Guo is convinced creators will benefit—and maybe even some of them will hit their own jaw-dropping wealth milestones. “I really do think we have the opportunity to really help creators with this … and turn them from these smaller businesses to large, potentially unicorns. I think we have the opportunity, maybe not in the next three years, but in the next 10 years, creating some unicorn creators.”       Additional research and information:To read more Inc’s coverage on Lucy Guo: Class-Action Complaint Alleges That Passes Distributes Illicit ContentLucy Guo Doesn’t Shy Away From Controversy. It Finds HerLucy Guo Is Now the World’s Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire, Beating Taylor Swift Lucy Guo’s Startup, Passes, Calls Child Pornography Lawsuit ‘Defamatory’ and Seeks Dismissal

Flashback to the 1990s: Beanie Babies are all the rage, everyone’s doing the Macarena, and, chances are, you have at least one fanny pack. Al Gore is a prominent voice spreading awareness of the looming disaster of climate change, and consumer sentiment is shifting in favor of wanting to help save the planet. Stores such as Whole Foods are starting to experience exponential growth, introducing to climate-conscious customers organic foods and ethically sourced products. Fair Trade is becoming both a rallying cry and a stamp.  Paul Rice is the founder of Fair Trade USA, which he launched as a nonprofit in 1998. It became a certification body for products that meet a set of sustainability and human rights qualifications in how they work with international suppliers on everything from coffee beans to fish to cotton.   But what’s changed since the ’90s is that customers are increasingly voting with their dollars. And companies have taken notice. That’s according to one founder who’s been at the heart of persuading companies to purchase sustainable products from abroad for decades. “The data is clear in terms of consumer preferences, especially Gen-Z and Millennials, and their expectation is that brands will not harm,” Paul Rice tells co-host Christine Lagorio-Chafkin on this week’s From the Ground Up podcast. “I mean, no one wants to think that there’s sweatshop labor in their clothes or child labor in their chocolate.” Rice would know. He created the Fair Trade Certified label and ran his nonprofit of the same name out of Oakland, California, for 26 years. He stepped down from his chief executive role in September of last year. What he’s done since, he tells Christine, is think a lot about his organization’s legacy, work, and future. In April, he published the distillation of those thoughts in his first book, Every Purchase Matters: How Fair Trade Farmers, Companies, and Consumers Are Changing the World. In it, he explains how the 11 years he spent building a network of farms in Nicaragua inspired him to create Fair Trade USA to apply change on a bigger scale financially, by helping large international companies incorporate it into their supply chains. “What we’ve seen over the last 20 years is real growth in this market and a chance for us to encourage companies to do more through our purchasing decisions,” he says. There are few fiscal reasons not to, especially if brands are thinking long-term, Rice says. “I think smart entrepreneurs today are incorporating this thinking from the very beginning into how they develop their product lines and how they develop their supply chains,” he says. “And there are tons of resources. This is not hard anymore.” Back to the question of tariffs, Christine asked Paul about the Trump administration’s rapidly shifting tariffs—and what they mean on the ground not just in the United States, but on farms and at suppliers around the world that engage in international and fair trade. It’s not good. “Tariffs are bad for sustainability because if you’re a Mexican farm owner or a Mexican factory owner, and you now have a huge tariff placed on you, you’re going to have to cut costs to try and make your product more viable in the U.S. market,” Rice says. “What’s going to be on the chopping block, probably that new worker housing dorm that you are going to build or those energy-saving investments that you’re going to make. So sustainability investments are going to be impacted by the whole tariff issue.” Additional research and information: To read Inc.’s coverage on Paul Rice:Fair Trade Founder Paul Rice on What U.S. Businesses Lose in a Trump Trade War Read Paul Rice’s Book: Every Purchase Matters How Fair Trade Farmers, Companies, and Consumers Are Changing the World

Before Teslas started popping off the line in 2011, few EVs were on roads. Recently, the terrain has become far more crowded. Teslas aren’t sharing the road just with major automotive companies that make their own EVs, but with smaller operators that are gaining ground as well. Christine reminded me of a new company called Slate, led by Chris Barman, who, like Diana, clocks in at 5 feet, 2 inches. But unlike Diana, Barman is a car industry veteran—and one to watch. And then there’s Rivian, the Irvine, California, electric vehicle maker that’s ascended in America’s consciousness—particularly in the wake of Tesla owner Elon Musk’s efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency to dismantle the federal government. Amid the Tesla takedown—which is seeing some Tesla owners reportedly trading them in for Rivians—the latter car company is having a moment. Still, electric vehicles are expensive. And the lack of an affordable option for consumers has been the key barrier to the proliferation of EVs. “The biggest limiting factor today is lack of choice,” R.J. Scaringe, Rivian’s founder and CEO, told Diana on the latest episode of From the Ground Up. But that’s starting to change. Scaringe says his electric car company is gearing up for the launch of not just one but two new EV models, the R2 and the R3. (And yes, dependably, Diana made an R2D2 joke.) He also mentioned the about-face among suppliers. Rather than being laughed out of meetings—which he says actually happened early on with investors—Scaringe, today, says he’s able to negotiate better terms with suppliers. And with that, Scaringe says he’s able to bring the R2 to market with a price tag of $45,000. The R3 should be even less expensive. The jury is still out about how tariffs will affect Rivian and its broader industry. For the time being, at least, the sun appears to be shining on at least one EV carmaker.   Additional research and information:To read more Inc. coverage about Rivian:Is Rivian Going Big on AI? A New Board Member Suggests Ambitious Plans Rivian-Backed Startup Raises $105M to Launch Affordable Micro Vehicles Rivian to Introduce Hands-Free Driving System This Year Visit Rivian Automotive

Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes of Levain Bakery were pioneers in the cookie industry. And their journey from owning a neighborhood bakery into running a nationally revered brand would take 30 years. The first inflection point came in 1997, when Amanda Hesser wrote in The New York Times that Levain made "the largest, most divine chocolate chip cookies in Manhattan." Following that, their business grew rapidly, with lines forming around the corner from their original location. In 1998, they launched a website to capitalize on their newfound success, and over the next decade, the mail-order business for Levain cookies grew by 1,600 percent. By the early 2000s, investors began to show interest as well. Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom recently sat down with Weekes and McDonald to discuss their friendship, their business relationship, their early venture into e-commerce, brand and store expansion, and—perhaps most important—why their cookies weigh in at a hefty six ounces. Additional research and information: To read more Inc. coverage about Levain Bakery:Why Levain Bakery’s Co-Founders Let Their Company Rise Slowly  How Top Entrepreneurs Pick Perfect Store Locations The female founders behind Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Levain Bakery, and Glowbar share their playbooks for retail expansion.Visit Levain Bakery

The online deception economy is rife with romance scams, financial fraud, and even violence. In just four years, $75 billion has been lost to pig butchering scams, where fraudsters use fake identities, like the scammers who infamously posed as Brad Pitt. In the U.S., one in 10 dating profiles is estimated to be fake, and with advances in AI, falsified information is even more difficult to detect. In this custom episode, host Abigail Bassett sits down with Kalie Nitzsche, founder and CEO of Fuzzy, and Jaqi Saleem, founder and CEO of Qualified Digital, to learn how these two visionary female founders are leveraging the power of collaboration to create revolutionary technology to solve this global issue. Discover how their new brand empowers everyone to stay safer online.

As the Trump administration closes out its first 100 days, significant changes have taken place. The Small Business Administration has cut at least 20 percent of its workforce, while Trump has tasked the agency with managing student loans. Meanwhile, the IRS is in turmoil, as some 7,000 employees have been laid off, and it’s at risk of losing tens of thousands more. In addition, we have witnessed a resurgence in cryptocurrency, and surges and flip-flops in tariffs, and we are beginning to see the impact of Trump’s trade war with China on the global economy. Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom recently hosted a roundtable discussion with senior staff writer Jennifer Conrad, policy correspondent Melissa Angell, and staff writer Brian Contreras to share the latest updates from their reporting during the first 100 days. Additional research and information: To read more Inc. coverage on Trump’s first 100 days: Trump’s First 100 Days of Tax Policy: A Lot of Ideas—and Waiting First 100 Days of Tariffs: Who’s Hit Hardest—and What Could Come Next?  To read the latest articles from our panelists: Visit Jennifer Conrad Visit Melissa Angell Visit Brian Contraras

Daniel Lubetzky, the founder of Kind Snacks, is perhaps best known for his appearances on Shark Tank. But much of his focus these days is on expanding his Builders Movement, the initiative he co-founded that aims to bring together “builders” from around the world to help replace extremism with practical problem-solving. Lubetzky is trying to counter the political polarization that is taking over our culture and discourse, and to build better communities by promoting compromise and efforts to find common ground among people who disagree. Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin spoke to Lubetzky about Shark Tank, his investment firm Camino Partners, his business philosophy, and how Builders Movement got started. He told From the Ground Up: “We need to bring a builder’s mindset to all conversations by relying on curiosity, compassion, creativity, and courage.” He said that, while founders, and leaders, are important to the process of change, it’s an anti-authoritarian movement that he’s trying to spur. “There’s no chance we’re going to change things in a community, let alone across the world, with a centralized model,” Lubetzky said. “We need a distributed model where everyone, everyone here is empowered to bring change to their own communities.” Additional research and information: For more Inc. coverage of Daniel Lubetzky, read: Daniel Lubetzky, Founder of Kind Snacks, Joins ‘Shark Tank’ Billionaire Daniel Lubetzky’s Simple Strategy for Overcoming Toxic Divisions To learn more about the Builders Movement, visit its website. Visit KIND Snacks

Over the past 13 months, venture capitalist Arian Simone has been tested. A federal court case against her Fearless Fund, which backs under-resourced entrepreneurs such as women of color to ensure they have the support they need to succeed in business, became one of the most closely watched anti-DEI lawsuits in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action. Those months of litigation meant substantial costs for Fearless Fund, including the loss of two-thirds of its team and stymied fundraising efforts. That's not to mention the emotional toll on Simone and her remaining team. However, in September 2024, the case was settled and she remains optimistic despite the continuing challenges facing DEI. As part of our 2025 Female Founder’s series, Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom sat down with Arian to talk about her upbringing, the federal court case, and how to pursue a mission-driven venture. She even spoke about her family’s relationship with civil rights legend Rosa Parks.   Additional research and information: Inc.’s 2025 Female Founder List To read more on Arian Simone: How Arian Simone Overcame Her Greatest Fear and Helped Entrepreneurs of Color Fight Another Day To learn more about Arian Simone Visit

Former finance executive Cate Luzio founded and self-funded the professional-network platform Luminary in late 2018 with the mission to uplift, upskill, and propel women and allies forward through all phases of their professional journeys. Luminary is a gender inclusive B2C and B2B global professional education and networking platform. Today the company has more than 15,000 members globally across 30 countries and leads more than 20 workshops, programs and events each month in person and virtually.  Not only did Cate appear on our Female Founders list in 2019 and 2021, but in 2024 and this year she also joined our Female Founders board of advisers and helped review the 2025 list.  Our hosts, Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom and Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, sit down with Cate in a special roundtable discussion to wrap up our Female Founders 2025 series. They chat about the state of women in entrepreneurship, why women are the masters of bootstrapping, and how founders–and we as a culture–can look beyond funding for metrics of success.  During the roundtable chat, Cate highlights some of the founders who stood out to her this year, including LTK’s Amber Venz Box, Chelsea Hirschhorn of Frida Baby, Rosanna Berardi of her eponymous immigration law firm, and Beleaf Medical’s Mitch Meyers. Cate shares some of their inspiring stories, which cross many business sectors in historically male-dominated industries such as tech, engineering, and climate. She says these women entrepreneurs are changing the pattern, and are “saying, ‘No, I'm in this, and I'm building amazing companies to change the world.’”  Additional research and information: Inc.’s 2025 Female Founder List Read more about Cate at Inc.com: There’s a boom in female founders right now Cate Luzio on the Female Founders 2021 List of 100 Visit: Luminary **and a correction at minute 32:34 Cate says LTK's cofounder and president's name is Amber Benz Vox. Her name is Amber Venz Box.

Babba Rivera, the founder and CEO of clean-beauty company Ceremonia, is a cover subject of Inc. magazine’s 2025 Female Founder issue. Her heritage is both an inspiration and a driving force for her brand.  When Babba Rivera was growing up, her Chilean family moved to Sweden to escape the brutal Pinochet dictatorship. She spent her early career working at startups in both Sweden and the U.S., at Uber and at the luggage upstart Away, where she was director of marketing. During that time, Babba was spending an hour every morning styling her hair with really “toxic, unhelpful products.” As a Latinx woman, she didn’t see any products that were designed with her heritage or type of hair in mind. So, in 2020, she founded Ceremonia, an aspirational natural-ingredient brand that seeks to fill a void in the beauty market for her fellow Latinx consumers. For Inc. magazine’s Female Founders 2025 series, Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom sat down with Babba to chat about her background and where the seeds for Ceremonia took root. They discussed how Babba felt that working at Uber in her 20s was like getting paid to go to business school, how she created a knowledge exchange with another founder to learn about the beauty business, and how her company’s product development is constantly evolving with the help of customer feedback. Joining Diana is Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, as well as special guest Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of Luminary. Additional research and information: Inc.’s 2025 Female Founder List Read more about Babba and Ceremonia at Inc.  Visit: Ceremonia

Half of Americans live in child care deserts. For many more, child care is unaffordable. Paid leave for parents is far from universal. Reshma Saujani is on a mission to change all this.  Reshma is best known for having founded Girls Who Code in 2012 during her run for the U.S. Congress. She has raised $100 million and taught 670,000 girls programming skills over the past decade. Now, Reshma has turned her sights on building her second nonprofit, Moms First, which focuses on making women’s lives better in the workplace through paid family leave, improved child care, and pay equity for moms. Today, Moms First is a community of 1.1 million. For Inc. magazine’s Female Founders 2025 series, Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin sits down with Reshma to chat about how she is bringing everything she learned from scaling Girls Who Code into her new venture, the potential lasting impact of the war on DEI programs, and the ongoing fight against the rising cost of child care in this country. Along with Inc. executive editor and co-host Diana Ransom, Luminary founder and CEO Cate Luzio joins the conversation as a special guest. Additional research and information: Inc.’s 2024 Female Founder’s list (2025 out soon!) Read more about Reshma and Moms First (previously The Marshall Plan for Moms) at Inc.com: https://www.inc.com/rebecca-deczynski/marshall-plan-for-moms-mothers-day-ad-flexible-work-policies.html Check out My So-Called Midlife with Reshma Saujani Podcast Visit: Moms First Visit: Girls Who Code

In this episode, Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom and editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin host a roundtable discussion with some of the reporters who contributed to Inc. magazine’s 2025 Female Founders issue. They are joined by freelancer writer Issie Lapowsky and senior editor Rebecca Deczynski to discuss how the state of female entrepreneurship is rapidly changing in this political moment. In putting together the 2025 Female Founders issue of Inc., Diana noticed an interesting phenomenon: There were a significant number of women entrepreneurs who’d bought back their businesses or returned to the helm of their startups after having stepped away. What’s going on? We discuss. Also: The challenges—and remarkable innovations—of women-founded companies in health care. And finally! Celebrity business overload! Could 2025 see a shift in strategy, with brands leaning more on social media influencers and fans to reduce their reliance on costly A-list celebrities? What industries are still ripe for celebrity founders? Which are essentially over? And, the eternal question: What’s the real ROI for a brand when it enlists a celebrity co-founder or spokesperson? Additional research and information: Inc.’s 2024 Female Founder’s list (2025 out soon!) Listen to Chrisitine’s interview with Anu Duggal about the state of female founders in 2024 To read more from Inc.com about embattled DEI: The Anti-DEI Lawsuit Against the Fearless Fund Was Just Settled To find out more about Female Founder funding read: What Female Founders Can Do to Raise Money Right Now, Next Year, and Beyond, According to This VC

The serial founder says the legacy pasta brands have made their beds. So she made a new one.   Jen Zeszut’s mac and cheese brand, Goodles, is designed not just to stand out in the aisle—with rainbow-hued packaging amid a sea of beige and blue—but also to carve out a new customer for the classic pasta recipe: young adults who like convenience, but who aim to eat something healthier than your standard boxed fare.   This meant changing adopting new market strategies in addition to creating a nutrient-packed mac and cheese. Jen is not a first-time founder, nor is she a stranger to the consumer packaged goods landscape. She left her role as CEO of the baby food company Cerebelly to launch Goodles in 2021, and the brand has been on the rise ever since. Today, it’s the fastest-growing mac and cheese in the U.S. and the seventh-fastest-growing natural food brand in the U.S. grocery category.   For our mini-series highlighting Inc.’s 2025 Female Founders honorees, executive editor Diana Ransom sat down with Jen to discuss Goodles’s rapid growth, scrappy but innovative marketing, bringing in incremental customers, and how she raised $27 million for seed round funding.  Additional research and information: Inc.’s 2024 Female Founder’s list (2025 out soon!) Read more on Jen Zeszut and Goodles on Inc.com: If You Cannot Outspend Your Competition, Out-Weird Them  Visit: Goodles Visit: Goodles’s bio

To kick off our fourth season of From the Ground Up, Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom and editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin are speaking with founders who will be appearing on Inc. magazine’s Female Founders 2025 list. Our first guest is serial entrepreneur Jeni Britton.   She’s best known for rethinking flavor creation in ice cream, and is the founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, which has close to 100 scoop shops around the country and over $150 million in revenue.   During the pandemic, Britton took a step back from day-to-day management of her company—and that got her thinking about her own health. Christine sat down with Jeni to talk about the mental and physical health inspirations for her new business, Floura. Starting up a second time wasn’t the plan—but Jeni explains what her prior experience in retail and culinary experimentation armed her with for this next journey, and what she knows will still be a challenge. Plus: We get a peek into the burgeoning ecosystem of upcycled food, as Jeni explains the unconventional composition of her new fruit-leather bars, which includes watermelon rinds and apple cores.   Additional research and information:   Inc.’s 2024 Female Founder’s list (2025 out soon!)   Read more on Jeni Britton and her new business, Floura, on Inc.com: How the Founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Knew It Was Time for a Second Act Why Jeni of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Won’t Stop Talking About Fiber   From the Inc.com archives: This Ice Cream Retailer Figured Out How to Turn a Logistical Nightmare Into a Stellar Brand Experience   Visit: Floura.com

Ah, 2024. So much to say! For our last episode of the season, we analyze the biggest small-business and workplace topics of the past year and highlight what’s on the horizon for 2025. Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom and editor-at-large Chrsitine Lagorio-Chafkin sat down with senior editor Tim Crino, and staff writer Sarah Lynch to discuss the annual changes that have taken place here at Inc., the massive layoffs in the tech sector, DEI backlash, and the generational workplace mismatch between managers and Gen Z employees. Also, we look ahead to Trump’s proposed tariffs and the new wave of crypto hype and scams. Don’t worry, we are optimistic about a few things in the startup landscape, though. Additional research and information:  To read more from our Inc. 5000 coverage: How Tiny Changes Have Reaped Enormous Results at America’s Fastest-Growing Company   How Inflation Shaped the Companies of the Inc. 5000 To read our coverage from the tech layoffs: Employees Are Still Worried About Layoffs The 2024 Layoff Landscape Is Better Than You Might Think To read our coverage of Gen Z in the workplace: Gen-Z Hits Some Bumps as it Enters the Workforce Are You Leading on Empty? How to Recognize and Combat Manager Burnout Why Gen-Z Workers Are Consciously ‘Unbossing’ To read our coverage DEI Backlash: U.S. Workers Might Be Souring on DEI Here Are the Most Common Anti-DEI Legal Cases Right Now — and What You Need to Know About Them To read more on tariffs and crypto: Here’s What Trump Says About Tariffs, and How They Would Work New Trump Crypto Venture Gets Boost From GOP Candidate Himself

If you grew up in the ’90s, the “¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!" chihuahua commercial was inescapable. Remember the vital-to-surfers sunscreen Sun Bum? Both of these memorable branding moments were created by serial entrepreneur Tom Rinks.   Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom sat down with Tom for this episode of From the Ground Up to discuss his unusual path to becoming a branding whiz—and what he’s learned about identifying human desire along the way. His early job of selling furniture taught him how to read people, and his first branding deal, with the University of Michigan’s Fab Five, immersed him in the skills needed to identify talent. Diana and Tom discuss the complex art of brand-creation, company-building, and finding the niche audience who will fiercely love your product. They also discuss Tom’s most recent branding venture, the oral-care line Made by Dentists. Additional research and information: Visit: Made By Dentists Visit: Made by Dentists’s profile Visit: Made by Dentists’s educational page Visit: Sun Bum Visit: Sun Bum’s profile

Honing one's craft. Dedicating many, many hours to perfecting a skill set. Entrepreneurship can, in some ways, resemble the work life of a professional athlete. Ayesha Curry is certainly focused on her burgeoning lifestyle and culinary brand, Sweet July, and the multiple businesses within it—but that’s where she might say the similarities she has with her husband, NBA star Stephen Curry, end. Whereas Steph brings a calm sense of logic to business and philanthropic decisions, Ayesha says she’s the kind of creative founder who brings passion to a project. In this interview with Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, Ayesha describes how, when building Sweet July, she built in soul: It is designed to empower and celebrate women and BIPOC creators, and multiple arms of the business were inspired by her family’s Jamaican heritage. Ayesha explains to Christine how she’s navigated her career from aspiring chef to business owner, including the early tumultuous moments in the company, how she delegates responsibility to her small team, and how she creates an atmosphere of autonomy and trust. They also discuss the Currys’ Oakland-based philanthropic endeavor, Eat. Learn. Play., which builds playgrounds, opens access to nutrition, and fosters literacy skills through partnerships with local schools. Additional research and information: To read our Inc. 5000 coverage on Ayesha Curry: How Ayesha Curry Cooked Up Her Own Business Empire   Read more on Ayesha Curry on Inc.com: Ayesha Curry Launches a Food Startup, So You Can Eat Like a Golden State Warrior Visit: Sweet July To learn more about: Sweet July bio Visit: Sweet July’s Instagram Visit: Eat. Learn. Play.

Have you ever wondered what happened to your favorite kettle chip brand or kombucha in your local supermarket? Don’t see your favorite cranberry sauce for the holidays? For this episode, Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom and editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin spoke with editor-at-large Tom Foster about his recent article, “Why Are So Many Supermarket Brands Losing Shelf Space?” By the end of last year, the total amount of early-stage venture-capital funding for consumer-product brands was down about 60 percent from its 2021 high. And new product launches were down about 70 percent in the same period, according to consumer-products data provider Spins. What’s going on? Is it a CPG rupture? Paul Voge, co-founder of the sparkling water brand Aura Bora, told Tom that getting on store shelves “is astronomically harder today.” He adds that “I had a smaller, worse business in 2019, and it was easier to run than my larger, better business today.” One thing’s clear: Gone are the days of consumer-product brands being able to use the strategies of Silicon Valley tech startups to fuel their rapid growth. This fascinating conversation explains why this is happening in so many supermarkets, how having shelf space for a product in a supermarket is like paying rent for an apartment, and how brands such as Me & the Bees lemonade and Aura Bora are finding ways to thrive in this industry by being creative and navigating their business relationships. Additional research and information:  Read Tom Foster’s story on Inc.com: Why Are So Many Supermarket Brands Losing Shelf Space? Read another article from Tom Foster on Inc.com: At This Company, the Free Office Lunches Are So Good, Even Remote Employees Can’t Resist To learn more about Me & the Bees lemonade and Mikaila Ulmer on Inc.com: Forget an "$11 M Contract" with Whole Foods. This Kid Did Better To learn more about Aura Bora and Paul Voge on Inc.com read: Scott Galloway Called Public Universities ‘America’s Greatest Innovation.’ These Founders Agree Visit: Me & The Bees Lemonade Visit: Me & The Bees Lemonade’s bio Visit: Aura Bora Visit: Aura Bora’s bio

You’ve seen the headlines: Gen-Z Getting Fired. Employers Avoiding Hiring Gen-Z Employees. Perhaps to understand the generational struggle in American businesses today, we need to look back to March 2020. Simon Sinek, the author and speaker on business leadership, says the emotionality and intensity of the early pandemic taught him a great deal about himself and his relationships—in and out of the office—and even how to lead a new-era employee.   These moments contributed to the creation of the Optimism Company, Sinek’s digital learning platform, which helps companies inspire and develop their employees. Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom sat down with Sinek for what resulted in a deep discussion about how we think about emotion in the workplace, grappling with unproductivity, the complex relationship between friendship and entrepreneurship, the meaning of confidant ignorance, and, the question on so many leaders’ minds, how do we actually manage Gen-Z?

This is a special segment in collaboration with our partner at Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Inc. Editor-in-Chief Mike Hoffman spoke with Smarsh Founder Stephen Marsh about his remarkable journey, the legacy he has built, and the honor of being the first recipient of the inaugural Legacy Award presented by Glenfiddich at this year's Inc. 5000 gala.

It’s a young company, but its legacy spans generations. And thanks to Fawn Weaver, the story and legacy of her whiskey brand, Uncle Nearest, is becoming ever more expansive. Its most recent chapter: The company reached a $1.1 billion valuation in 2024. However, none of this would have been possible without Weaver, Uncle Nearest’s founder and CEO, who envisions herself as not just an executive and leader, but also as the company’s chief historian. She’s made it her mission to build a brand honest to the legacy of a man named Nearest Green, or Uncle Nearest, the formerly enslaved laborer who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. Weaver has spent much of the past decade researching and piecing together the story of Nearest Green. Her book Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest was released in June. Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin sat down with Weaver recently to discuss her legacy as well: This year she became one of the first-ever African American women to run a company valued at more than $1 billion. Additional research and information: Christine interviewed Fawn Weaver in this 2021 episode of the What I Know podcast Read Fawn Weaver’s advice on Creating a Winning Team on Inc.com Visit: Uncle Nearest For more on Fawn Weaver Visit: Fawn Weaver’s Instagram For more on Love & Whiskey Apple Podcasts Spotify

The shapewear brand that exploded onto the scene with the most famous pitchwoman in the business as a co-founder recently hit a major milestone: Kim Kardashian’s Skims is now a unicorn four times over. Writer Max Berlinger sat down to talk with Kardashian for his feature article in our September issue of Inc. magazine—so Christine and Diana sat down to talk with Max to get the behind-the-scenes. He delivered. Kardashian launched her shapewear brand, Skims, in 2019 in Los Angeles, and over the past three years, the company more than quintupled its annual revenue to nearly $713 million in 2023. That landed it at No. 1,168 on our annual Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies. Just over a year ago, Skims raised a round of funding that catapulted its valuation to $4 billion. Kardashian created Skims out of personal need—with the side benefit that it might just change people’s perspectives on shapewear. She wanted to make the brand fun. Cheeky, even. It is all about owning the shape of your body. However, the brand’s progress also has a lot to do with its CEO and co-founder, Jens Grede, who has launched other successful companies. He and his wife—Emma Grede, the third founding partner at Skims—have long worked closely with the Kardashian family. Additional research and information: Read on Inc.com : The Inside Story of How Kim Kardashian Made Shapewear Sexy Read Max Berlinger’s story on Inc.com: Skims Is a Huge Hit for Kim Kardashian. But Is It Ready for an IPO? Read on Inc.com: Skims Inc 5000 profile For more Inc.com coverage on Skims: The WNBA Is Teaming Up With Women-Led Businesses For more Inc.com coverage on Emma Grede: How to Successfully Launch Products in Crowded Categories, According to Emma Grede Visit Skims Visit Skims’ Youtube Visit Skims Instagram page Apple Podcasts Spotify

Before Monte Deere joined Kizik, the hands-free shoe brand, as chief executive, he had zero experience in selling consumer products–—and no experience in footwear. Heck, he’d never been a CEO before. But Kizik’s Kizik founder Mike Pratt had worked with Deere previously– and took a bet on him. Deere was tasked with recruiting a dream team of executives with experience at brands such as Hoka, Converse, and Nike--"—“shoe dogs,”" as he likes to call them, a reference to Nike founder Phil Knight's Knight’s memoir--—to complement the “"cool contingency of innovators”" led by Pratt. This year, Kizik is #No. 407 on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest fastest-growing companies in America. In 2023, its revenue was more thanover $100 million. In an interview with Inc. editor editor-at at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, Deere explains Kizik’s pandemic-era brand transformation, how it found its loyal customers, and its expansion into DTC and wholesale–—plus its fascinating collaborations. Monte believes that soon 10% percent of the global footwear market could soon be hands hands-free. Following our regular episode, we have a special segment in collaboration with our partner at Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Inc. Editor-in-Chief Mike Hoffman spoke with Smarsh Founder Stephen Marsh about his remarkable journey, the legacy he has built, and the honor of being the first recipient of the inaugural Legacy Award presented by Glenfiddich at this year's Inc. 5000 gala. Skillfully Crafted, Enjoy Responsibly. Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky ©2024 Imported by William Grant & Sons, Inc. New York, NY. Additional research and information: Read on Inc.com: Is Kizik Building the Next Billion-Dollar Sneaker Brand? Read on Inc.com: Kizik Inc 5000 profile Visit Kizik website: https://kizik.com/pages/about-us Visit Hands Free Labs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handsfreelabs/ Visit Kizik’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRjtGcRZbkj4yQ3SrU4YcDQ Apple Podcasts Spotify

Dilip Rao had what he would call “the perfect life” until he was in a car accident on July 5, 2014, in New York City. What followed changed his outlook—and his values. That same year, he founded Sharebite to change the way workplaces bring their employees together for, and show them appreciation through, meals. And he built in a mission that has helped bolster struggling restaurants—and combat food insecurity. The company, of which Dilip is now CEO, is a meal benefit platform built for the modern workforce—one in which some workers are hybrid, some fully in-person, some fully remote—and all want to feel appreciated. It specializes in feeding in-office and remote employees food they want from local restaurants–and lets companies chip in, to make each meal feel like a real benefit for workers. The chipping in goes further than that, though: Through Sharebite, each meal bought is equal to one meal donated. Over the past three years, the company has had a growth rate of 4,914 percent, and it landed at No. 56 on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. For this episode of “From the Ground Up,” Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom spoke with Dilip about his accident and recovery process, his stoic philosophy, and Sharebite’s lightning-fast growth. Source notes and additional research and information: Read: How This Food-Ordering Platform Gave Restaurants a Lifeline During Covid https://www.inc.com/magazine/202112/diana-ransom/sharebite-food-ordering-restaurants-covid-community.html by Diana Ransom, on Inc.com Read: Sharebite’s Inc. 5000 profile https://www.inc.com/profile/sharebite Visit Sharebite’s website https://sharebite.com/

This week, we kick off our Inc. feature coverage by exploring the making of–and proliferation of–cult brands. In this episode, executive editor Diana Ransom and editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin invite Inc. staff writer Ali Donaldson to talk about an article she wrote that broke open a lot of consumer trends we’ve seen over recent years–and explained the anatomy of consumer-product virality. Certain brands seem to grow cult followings almost overnight. Turns out that’s no happy accident–it’s all in the plan. And Ali lays out precisely what that plan looks like for brands that achieve cult status. Stanley, Kendra Scott, and Bogg Bag are extremely different companies–aside from the fact that each has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. And it turns out, they are all fascinating case studies in appealing to customers, both online and offline. Bogg Bag, founded by Kim Vaccarella, out of Lodi, New Jersey, landed on the Inc. 5000 this year and expects to book over $100 million in revenue by the end of 2024. Kendra Scott, the Texas-based jewelry brand, continues to evolve with its customers online–and meets them where they are on campuses, too. And the Stanley cup stans are seriously engaged and proudly express it through TikTok and other social media channels. They might wonder: How on earth is this a 110-year-old company? Donaldson explains, and also dishes about her interview with the marketing genius behind both the Stanley brand shift that brought it to a new generation and the proliferation of Crocs. Source notes and additional research and information: Read: How Preppy Cult Brands Captured the Imagination and Wallets of Female Consumers, by Ali Donaldson, on Inc.com Read: How This Marketing Pro Got Crocs on Every Celebrity–and Also Was Behind the Stanley Tumbler Trend Listen: Kendra Scott interviewed on Inc.’s What I Know podcast Read: How Kendra Scott Crafted a Remarkably Wholesome Customer Service Philosophy Read: A history of Stanley Cups, via Stanley1813.com Read: Dive into the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America Visit: Kendra Scott Visit: Bogg Bag Apple Podcasts Spotify

Ariel Kaye spent 10 years working in advertising and brand development in New York City before launching the Los Angeles-based home-goods brand Parachute. So she was equipped with insight into consumer purchase behavior and folks’ growing interest in comfort, quality, craftsmanship, and social responsibility—all of which are now tenets of the Parachute brand.   When it launched in 2014, Parachute was not only early to focus on sustainability and quality, but also early to the direct-to-consumer party. “We immediately saw this massive reaction from the customer,” Kaye says. And venture capitalists agreed. Parachute raised $47 million by 2018. Kaye didn’t stop there: She pursued an omnichannel strategy, starting with opening her first location in Venice, California.    It’s been a wild ride. She now has 25 stores, and plenty of brand collaborations. While the company has had moments of profitability, sustained profits have remained elusive. It’s a fascinating moment in time, as DTC companies across the United States continue a slow death march, and Kaye has stepped down as CEO of her brand. Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom and Kaye get into the future of Parachute in its quest for sustained profitability, what sustainability and circularity mean to brands today, and what it’s like stepping down from the helm of the company she founded. Read more about Ariel, Parachute, and the brand’s quest for profitability, on Inc.com  How Ariel Kaye opened Parachute’s first brick-and-mortar storefront, on Inc.com Parachute’s website Parachute’s mentorship and grant program for Black-owned small businesses Read more about Supercircle saves textiles from landfills: How a Supply Chain Startup Is Making Recycling in the Apparel Industry Scalable Apple Podcasts Spotify

Are you ready to take advantage of AI and the latest performance marketing tools to elevate your holiday sales? The explosion of AI tools in recent years has transformed key sectors like medicine and finance, but AI is also empowering small and medium-size businesses as they seek to elevate sales via online advertising. This impact is most evident during the all-important holiday season, when last year alone, AI-driven predictive recommendations generated nearly $200 billion in sales, according to Salesforce. From personalization and creative diversification to lead generation and customer support, AI offers a wide range of capabilities for companies looking to create efficiencies, unlock new audiences, and ultimately drive sales. But while AI is the latest trend helping SMBs level up their game, the question is, how else can marketers set up their ad strategies to maximize performance through Q4? In this custom episode, Skai Blue Media Founder Rakia Reynolds sits down with Meta’s Director of Small Business Group North America Becky Bui, KiwiCo Associate Director of Marketing Jonathan Fukuhara, and Jewels & Aces Founder & Designer Grace Wong. They discuss when you should get serious about planning for the holiday season, when the right time to integrate AI into your marketing strategy is, and which tools are most appropriate and for which outcomes? And, finally, how you can make the most of measurement and testing to prepare for the peak sales season.

Anu Duggal has funded the businesses of hundreds of women—and has seen multiple hundred-million-dollar-plus exits. Now, she’s trying to make a statement.   For our season opener, we sat down with Anu Duggal, the founding partner of Female Founders Fund, a seed-stage venture capitalist fund focused on providing early-stage funding for startups by women entrepreneurs. Female Founders Fund has invested in more than 75 companies, including the digital financial service Tala, the razor company Billie, and the women’s health care company Maven Clinic. Ten years into running her fund, Duggal says she still has something to prove: “We’re really trying to make more of a statement than your typical VC fund that’s only looking for returns.”   Since starting Female Founders Fund in 2014, Anu has been a helping hand for female founders, but how is she navigating what companies to invest in during an election year? She speaks to Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin about pulling back from funding direct-to-consumer brands, whether AI startups are forming a bubble, the female founder ecosystem, and her journey from being an entrepreneur to leading a fund working to bolster startups by women—and proving a point along the way. Article and transcript Read more about Female Founder Fund The Female Founders Fund website Apple Podcasts Spotify

Inc. editor-in-chief Mike Hofman and Salesforce's Adam Alfano talk about sales leadership and best practices based on an exclusive survey of Inc. 5000 companies.

Welcome to Inc's From the Ground Up Summer programming! While we’re hard at work on season two of the show, we wanted to keep bringing you astute conversations , courtesy of our live events throughout the year. In this segment we have Editor In Chief, Mike Hofman in a fireside chat with La Colombe Coffee Founder, Todd Carmichael at Inc's Founders House in Philadelphia. Carmichael transformed La Colombe from a local Philadelphia roaster into a global coffee powerhouse. We hear about the journey that began with opening a local coffee shop, led to a $900 million sale to Chobani, and transitioned with the decision to step down as CEO to start a new venture, Rebel Beverage Labs.

Welcome to Inc's From the Ground Up Summer programming! While we’re hard at work on season two of the show, we wanted to keep bringing you astute conversations , courtesy of our live events throughout the year. In this panel at this year's SXSW, Inc's Editor At Large, Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan talks to Brittany Driscoll, co-founder and CEO, Squeeze; Jason Wersland, founder and chief wellness officer, Therabody; and Isa Watson, founder and CEO, Squad about being an entrepreneur wearing many hats, and while having passion and enthusiasm can fuel success, they can also lead to burnout, stress, and exhaustion. These struggles not only impact performances but also can trickle down to interacting with teams and loved ones. Listen to these three entrepreneurs on a honest discussion on navigating the demands of entrepreneurship while prioritizing your own mental well-being.

Welcome to Inc's From the Ground Up Summer programming! While we’re hard at work on season two of the show, we wanted to keep bringing you astute conversations , courtesy of our live events throughout the year. In this episode, Inc's Editor In Chief, Mike Hofman speaks to Stacy Spikes, co-founder and CEO, MoviePass; Katie Spies, founder and CEO, Maev; and Maria Goy, co-founder and CEO, Spot Insurance about entrepreneurs who wear the scars of failure. And how the most successful founders learn to transform those setbacks into springboards. Take a listen to a candid conversation with entrepreneurs who’ve successfully turned defeat into fuel for future success.

Welcome to Inc's From the Ground Up Summer programming! While we’re hard at work on season two of the show, we wanted to keep bringing you astute conversations , courtesy of our live events throughout the year. For our first episode, Executive Editor, and cohost of this podcast, Diana Ransom hosts Kate Foster, co-founder and CEO, The Outset; Lisa Bubbers, co-founder, Studs; and Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, founder and CEO, BrainTrust about starting a business is tough for anyone, but women often face additional headwinds, such as limited access to funding and punishing double standards. But these challenges also forge unique strengths: resilience, collaboration, and innovative thinking. This panel at Founders House from this years SXSW celebrates the power of female leadership and shares tips from female founders who’ve overcome these hurdles.

Ever wonder what it takes to start a second company? For our last episode of the season, we wanted to take a look at what it’s like to start up from scratch—to scale it, to take it public, to become a household name. And, after all that, to decide to do it all over again. So we sat down with Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb, and Mike McNamara, former CEO of Flex. Their new company is called Samara, and their first product is an accessory dwelling unit that can be transported and placed on the property of a typical home. It’s called the Backyard. They spoke about all the challenges of starting a company again, but also about how much easier it is to accomplish certain goals, such as gaining the trust of venture capitalists and hiring employees. Read this story and see full transcript on Inc.com. To read more about Samara

From a business news standpoint, the first few months of 2024 had it all: the rare IPO of a social media company, a very strange economic situation facing founders, and enough developments in artificial intelligence to train a new LLM. Inc.'s editors have been chewing over all of it. In this roundtable episode of From the Ground Up, we hear from Inc. reporter Ben Sherry about the state of AI use in the American workforce, the latest in the AI safety debate out of Silicon Valley, and what's going on within OpenAI. Inc.'s new Editor-in-Chief, Mike Hofman, discusses the unusual state of the American economy, and how entrepreneurs are feeling amid wildly mixed signals from the Fed, consumers, and what seems like a cooling labor market. We also examine what's happened at Reddit since its March IPO--and how the massive community-based social network finally, after years of false starts, made its unusual public debut.

There is such a wide range of shocks that can happen to your supply chain and to the demand for what you’re making. Can you ever truly prepare? What kinds of projections are most useful, and how can you set yourself up for success if you do have the ability to anticipate a surge in demand? We decided to ask someone who has worked with many companies, large and small, to make their supply chains more diversified and flexible. She’s also something of a supply chain influencer (the LinkedIn variety, not TikTok!). She’s Lisa Anderson, president of LMA Consulting Group.

No matter how sturdy your supply chain is, sometimes, crisis hits. And sometimes, it's due to something that seems positive: A sudden surge in customer demand. For The Woobles and founder Justine Tiu, a huge order of her pre-started crochet kits was delivered with flaws. Could she get her customer orders out on time? For Bobbie infant formula co-founder Laura Modi, it was a nationwide formula shortage that caused her to rethink her customer communications--and cut off new orders on her website altogether. Hosts Diana Ransom and Christine Lagorio-Chafkin unpack all the complex supply-chain management issues and customer communications strategies that come with a sudden surge in demand. Article and Transcript Read more about Bobbie. Bobbie's website. How Bobbie handled the formula shortage. Read more about The Woobles. The Woobles website.

This week, we’re following up our discussion about how to make sure your mission fits your business with an interview with one of the most fascinating sustainability experts working today: Vincent Stanley, Patagonia’s director of philosophy. Patagonia has been one of the most notable brands in environmentally responsible business practices and production for decades, and Vincent has been with the company, evangelizing about what makes Patagonia unique, since even before it was called Patagonia.   Host Diana Ransom talks to Stanley and is told some stories from Patagonia's history that we've never heard before, revealing tipping points that caused the company to adapt its social mission from outdoor-enthusiasm to one that includes a sustainable supply chain and responsible manufacturing, and led to the adoption of a profit-donation model as well. He shares his perspective on making a company's mission more than just a statement, but a way of operating that builds trust and engagement among employees--and spurs creativity too. Read the full transcript Learn more about social responsibility at Patagonia Read more about The Future of the Responsible Company: What We've Learned from Patagonia's First 50 Years by Stanley and founder Yvon Chouinard Learn why Patagonia was Inc.'s 2022 Company of the Year

What happens when a company's giving back ... just isn't enough? In a special panel at this year’s SXSW festival, co-host and Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom led a discussion with Jacq and Scot Tatelman, the co-founders of State Bags, as well as Mandy Teefey, the CEO of Wondermind, which she co-founded with her daughter Selena Gomez. The conversation gets into the difficulties and successes of mission-driven businesses, and how these creative founders have adapted their missions to best serve the communities that inspired them. Read the story at Inc.com and see the full episode transcript. Read more about this conversation about mission-based businesses. Learn more about Wondermind Learn more about State Bags

Which should come first, your killer idea or your ideal customer? So many questions about finding product-market fit were raised by our fascinating discussion with Michelle Cordeiro Grant of Gorgie, and Steven and Brittany Yeng of Skrewball. Christine Lagorio-Chafkin spoke with Jeff Bussgang, a venture capitalist and senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, where he teaches a revered class all about product-market fit called Launching Technology Ventures. He has fascinating thoughts on why your early-stage startup should be an experimentation machine; the effect AI has had on startups testing their market; and some of the ethical considerations that put pressure on this process and disproportionately affect BIPOC and women founders. Learn more: Read this story and see full transcript on Inc.com Flybridge Capital Partners, Bussgang's early-stage venture-capital firm with offices in Boston and New York City and over $1 billion under management.  Jeff Bussgang's Harvard Business School site.  BrightHire, referenced at 5:02 Read more about Classpass's pivot, referenced at 17:36 link  Bussgang's post about ethical considerations early-stage founders need to make, referenced at 20:02  X Factor Ventures, referenced at 21:37

Build it and they will come? It’s not so simple. Hosts Diana Ransom and Christine Lagorio-Chafkin spoke with founders who took two totally different approaches to a core business concept: finding product-market fit. They spoke with Michelle Cordeiro Grant, founder of the sugar-free energy drink Gorgie, and Brittany and Steven Yeng, founders of the peanut butter liquor brand Skrewball whiskey, about how they identified their markets, strategies they used to get their items on shelves, and how they applied consumer feedback to adjust what they were selling. Learn more: Michelle Cordeiro Grant’s website Gorgie Skrewball Whiskey Inc. podcasts Episode recap and full transcript

During her time at SXSW this year, Diana Ransom sat down with Shira Lazar, video blogger, personality, and founder/host of the web series “What’s Trending,” to discuss her journey in the creator economy space. Shira also gave Diana personal tips and strategies on how to capitalize on trends, using vlogging as a creative outlet, and how to be the face of a brand through social media outlets.

In the past couple of years, TikTok has provided a platform for budding entrepreneurs to connect with their consumers. But how effective is this method, and can it lead to a new level for success for founders? In a panel discussion for Inc.’s Founders House at SXSW, Diana Ransom posed this question to FYSH Foods founder Zoya Biglary, Hot Take co-founder Gabrielle Brulotte, and Bloom Nutrition founder and president Mari Llewellyn. They discuss the importance of putting a face on your brand, being personable for your audience, and how TikTok is an effective marketing tool-provided your approach is on target.

After our conversation with the co-founders of the Sloomoo Institute, co-host Christine Lagorio-Chafkin followed up with clinical psychologist, author, and professor Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, about the concept of grief--and how to navigate it, especially when you’re extremely busy, or a founder. She explained the complex range of responses humans have to grief, and the unique ability founders might have when it comes to coping through being able to envision a transformation in the future. She also spoke about getting off the productivity-industrial complex’s “wellness hamster wheel” and instead embarking on your own journey. She shared insight into finding support systems for mental health--and establishing a healthy relationship with your co-founder. Show notes and links: Tracy’s company, Arcade Theraputics: https://arcadetherapeutics.com/about-us/ Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary’s website: https://www.drtracyphd.com/ Inc.com article on Sloomoo Institute episode Grief as Startup Fuel: The Sloomoo Institute's Unusual Beginnings https://www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/from-the-ground-up-sloomoo-institute-karen-robinovitz-sara-schiller-grief-as-startup-fuel.html Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller had been through multiple businesses--and multiple traumas--before coming together to find reinvention and joy through an unlikely substance: slime. recap: https://www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/from-the-ground-up-sloomoo-institute-karen-robinovitz-sara-schiller-grief-as-startup-fuel.html Transcript of this episode: https://www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/transcript-from-the-ground-up-tracy-dennis-on-grief.html DSM entry on Prolonged Grief Disorder: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/prolonged-grief-disorder

Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller had each been through multiple traumas when they found reinvention and joy through the unlikeliest of substances: slime. Yes, slime. They explain to hosts Diana Ransom and Christine Lagorio-Chafkin how they channeled their newfound joy, and passion for sensory play, into a business, the Sloomoo Institute. Sloomoo is a growing slime-museum business with four locations that makes some 600 gallons of slime each day. This episode was recorded live on-site in SoHo, New York, at the Sloomoo Institute Links: Inc.com article: www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/from-the-ground-up-sloomoo-institute-karen-robinovitz-sara-schiller-grief-as-startup-fuel.html Episode transcript: www.inc.com/transcript-from-the-ground-up-podcast-sloomoo-institute-founders-karen-robinovitz-sara-schiller.html The Sloomoo Institute: https://sloomooinstitute.com/pages/new-york-2-0?utm_source=google.com&utm_medium=organic Slime play and care (PSA about slime removal!): https://sloomooinstitute.com/pages/slime-care *note to listeners: The concepts of death and depression, are mentioned in this episode, as is the fact of a school shooting, though none are discussed in depth.

Join Inc. Executive Editor Diana Ransom and Editor-at-Large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin as they host From The Ground Up, a new podcast from Inc. that features frank and unfiltered conversations—with some of the most successful founders in the world—about navigating the role of the founder, the tips and tricks entrepreneurs need to know to be successful, and the secrets that nobody really tells you before you start a business. New episodes start April 4th, see you then! Website: https://www.inc.com/podcasts/from-the-ground-up

The impact of AI on finance departments will be huge.

How artificial intelligence is shaping the product journeys from procurement to end customers.

At last year's Inc 5000, editor-at-large Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan spoke to The ActOne Group CEO Janice Bryant Howroyd about her new book, Acting Up: Winning in Business and Life Using Down-Home Wisdom. Janice touches on her life and the importance of self-care for entrepreneurs. We also have a special custom segment in partnership with Chase. A third-generation homebuilder, Jake Jorgensen built Jorgensen Builders, a residential and commercial construction and remodeling company, on his own terms. In episode 2 of Redefining Growth, a miniseries by Inc. and Chase, Jorgensen shares how he went from “broom-pusher” to dream-maker, helping customers build the homes and businesses they envision. Here, he shares practical strategies that you can apply to kickstart, grow and transform your own venture, as well as how his Chase credit card rewards helped him along the way.

In this podcast, leaders in HR and AI reveal what it will take for businesses to get their staff on board.

Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin chatted with David Lubetzky about his journey starting Kind Snacks in Mexico City, and the lessons he learned from his father, who was also a business man. Then we have a special custom segment in partnership with Chase: Iceland offers up wintry landscapes, fiery volcanoes, and the descendants of Vikings. For Matt Wilson, co-founder and CEO of Under30Experiences, it also offered the start of an entrepreneurial journey. Wilson shares how he got the idea for his thriving travel company and how he and his co-founder have turned wanderlust into a lucrative opportunity. Wilson also shares how he maximized his Chase credit card rewards to help build his team and his brand.

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At ‘Inc.,’ we focus a lot on how people become entrepreneurs, but what do you do after you’ve founded your company, turned it into a successful business, and then decided to move on? Stax founder and former CEO Suneera Madhani and Panera Bread founder and former CEO Ron Shaich describe their individual entrepreneurial journeys.

Over recent years, the use of psychedelics, specifically psilocybin and LSD, has become more mainstream in discussions of mental health. While it is still premature to say anything definitive, there have been more studies, research, and experimentation done. But the discussion has not stopped at mental health—some in the business community have been touting the benefits of psychedelics in leadership development. Paul F. Austin of Third Wave and Deepak Chopra chatted about a wide-ranging slate of topics. They covered everything from the benefits of microdosing for our brain health to how the best leadership actually mirrors what's happening in nature.

The so-called “fifth quarter” could be your opportunity to give your business a competitive edge. Hear directly from successful small business owners Lauren Petrullo, of Mongoose Media, and John Wai of John Wai Martial Arts Academy about how they use the post-holiday season to grow their businesses. In this podcast, the entrepreneurs are joined by Meta executive Becky Bui to explain how this so-called “fifth quarter”—a period often overlooked by businesses as a slow season—can be the key to unlocking new cost-effective, quality leads that lead to sales, while building meaningful connections with customers.

Ample Hills Creamery first came on the dessert and ice cream scene in 2011 when married cofounders Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith opened their first store in Brooklyn. The business expanded to 17 stores with an endorsement from Oprah, a partnership with Disney, and mentorship from Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s. But by 2020, the couple had to file for bankruptcy. After selling the company to Schmitt Industries for $1 million, they opened another dessert company called ‘The Social.’ In March of this year, they found investors and bought Ample Hills back, committed to rebuilding the business. And then, a couple of weeks ago, they were fired. We chatted with them in a very uncensored conversation about failure, resilience, and how to learn from your mistakes. For more info on the ups and downs of this story, check out Jennifer Conrad's article.

There are a lot of frustrating, misogynistic tropes associated with being a career-focused woman—especially when you have kids. If your business is like another child, how do you balance that? Or is balance even the right word?  "The question bothers me, no offense. It's just like we shouldn't feel that way." Alli Webb is the cofounder of Drybar and has two children of her own. "There's guilt on both sides." Alli explains how running a business and being a parent doesn't require balance because that's unrealistic. Instead, it requires honesty with your children about what you love and showing up for what matters most to them.  So, what's one solution? Alli suggests surrounding yourself with people who really love your kids. "The more people around you who love your kids, the better. Whether it's a grandma or an aunt or a nanny or the high school kid [ . . . ] anybody who loves on your kids." For more on Alli's life and career, take a look at her recent memoir

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Working together within a marriage can require give and take, but imagine working in the same company too. Melissa Ben-Ishay, co-founder and CEO of Baked by Melissa, and Adi Ben-Ishay, its director of technology and innovation, met by happenstance—to be honest, it was something out of a romance novel. Now, they're married with two kids and still running Baked by Melissa. How do they make this work? We sat down with them to discuss how they met, how they support each other, and how they iron out their disagreements while raising children and working to grow their business.

From the outside, founders seem to have so much freedom in running their own businesses. But how much control do they really have? When is it an advantage to retain control over decisions, and when is it time to let go? Christene Barberich, cofounder of Refinery 29 and author of the newsletter, A Tiny Apartment; and Rebecca Minkoff, founder of her own fashion brand, sat down to talk through the nuances of working with cofounders, selling a company, and watching it grown beyond a single person’s control.

Scott Omelianuk and Diana Ransom talk with Stacy Spikes, Kathryn Minshew and Taryn Langer about how founders should approach dealing with the media. Stacy Spikes is the co-founder and CEO of MoviePass. Kathryn Minshew is the co-founder and former CEO of The Muse. Taryn Langer is the founder and president of Moxie Communications Group.

Inc. Executive Editor Diana Ransom and Editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk pull back the curtain on the world of entrepreneurship with some of the most successful founders in the world. Inc. Uncensored features frank and unfiltered conversations about what makes business leaders tick, the trends founders need to know to be successful, and the secrets that nobody really tells you before you start a business.