Lay of The Land

#264 Bernie Kosar Oct 8, 2026 3347 The timing of this conversation feels especially meaningful. Cleveland is moving to recognize October 13 as Bernie Kosar Day — honoring one of the most beloved figures in the city’s history and marking 41 years since his first regular-season start for the Browns.Bernie Kosar has spent his life figuring out a way — from a kid in Youngstown with an improbable dream, to becoming the quarterb

#263 Jeff Charney Sep 30, 2026 4363 Today is a special episode with Jeff—or, as you’ll come to learn, Jeffrey—Charney.Jeff grew up in rural South Carolina and went on to become a two-time Chief Marketing Officer of the year across firms like Progressive Insurance, Aflac, and QVC, helping shape some of the most enduring characters and concepts in modern marketing, including the Aflac Duck, Flo, Dr. Rick, and *many more.*But

#262 Paul Benner — Platform Beer Company Sep 10, 2026 4518 Paul Benner is the founder of Platform Beer Company. What began in 2014 as a tiny neighborhood brewery grew remarkably quickly through constant experimentation before ultimately being acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2019. Platform was also personally meaningful to me…. with many formative conversations in my own entrepreneurial journey and life having occurred within its walls.In our conver

#261 Gerald Hetrick — Round III (CentSight) Sep 3, 2026 3674 Gerald was one of the very first guests ever on Lay of The Land, back on episode 6, where we talked about his path through Vox Mobile, building Able, and what it took to grow a venture-backed software company from Cleveland. We then picked the story back up on episode 142 after Able’s acquisition by Bullhorn, exploring what an exit actually feels like, what Gerald had learned about compan

#260 Josh Friedlander — Jam by Josh Aug 27, 2026 2582 Joshua Friedlander — also known as The Jam Man — is the founder of Jam by Josh, a Cleveland-based small-batch jam company he started at just 10 years old.What began as a childhood love of cooking, gardening, and canning has grown from a backyard hobby into a formidable and rapidly expanding food brand, now sold in more than 75 stores across Northeast Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and beyo

#259 Finn & Bowen Alexy — Alexy Metals & Bowfin Capital Aug 13, 2026 3646 Bowen and Finn Alexy are brothers, entrepreneurs, and investors based in Willoughby, Ohio. They serve as Co-Chief Operating Officers of Alexy Metals, a second-generation brazing alloy manufacturing and precious metals refining company, where they have helped lead the business through a period of significant growth while becoming the two youngest executives in their industry.Beyond manufac

#258 Kumar Arora — Arora Ventures Aug 3, 2026 2874 Kumar Arora — entrepreneur, investor, brand-builder, and the founder of Arora Ventures, a venture studio and portfolio of businesses spanning hospitality, apparel, events, creative agency work, and consumer brands. Born and raised in Cleveland’s Little Italy, Kumar grew up between science and art, a duality that continues to shape how he builds today. In our conversation, Kumar and I expl

#257 Alec Shankman — HeartRock Partners Jul 23, 2026 3853 Alec Shankman is the founder of HeartRock Partners.Alec has spent more than two decades at the forefront of entertainment, talent representation, reality television, digital media, podcasting, brand-building, and the creator economy. Before launching HeartRock, he was a Senior Partner at The Gersh Agency, following its acquisition of his division from A3 Artists Agency, where he built the

#256 David Gilbert — Destination Cleveland And Greater Cleveland Sports Commission Jul 9, 2026 3159 David Gilbert is the President and CEO of Destination Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.For more than three decades, David has worked to help Cleveland compete, attract visitors, host major events, and change the way the city is perceived — both by the outside world and by Clevelanders ourselves. Under his leadership, Cleveland has hosted events like the NFL Draft, NBA

#255 Duane Mancini — Project MedTech Jul 2, 2026 3638 Duane Mancini, Founder and CEO of Project Medtech, a Cleveland-based platform helping medical technology companies move from promising invention to real patient impact.What began as a podcast has evolved into a broader ecosystem of consulting, events, education, investor connectivity, and community-building for Medtech founders navigating the difficult path from idea to market.In our conv

#254 EASE Logistics & jakib Jun 25, 2026 3600 What does it take for AI to matter inside a real operating business? Not as a demo, not as a dashboard, and not as a generic productivity tool — but as something that answers calls, reduces clicks, quotes freight, improves service, and helps people spend more time doing the work that actually moves the business forward.Today we're republishing an episode from The O.H.I.O. Fund Report with

#253 Teddy Baldassarre — How Teddy Baldassarre Built His Brand Jun 11, 2026 3014 Teddy Baldassarre has built one of the most influential watch platforms in the world — and just as compelling as the watches themselves is the entrepreneurial story behind it.I first met Teddy almost ten years ago at StartMart in Terminal Tower, before any of this existed: before millions of followers, before the global audience, before the authorized retail partnerships, and before the b

#252 CJ Jang (Balance) — No Shortcuts Jun 4, 2026 3270 Hochan (CJ) Jang is the co-founder of Balance Pan-Asian Grille.What began for CJ as an effort to build a healthier, more creative, and more everyday kind of Asian fast casual concept more than 16 years ago has grown into a beloved regional brand with locations across Toledo and Cleveland — one defined by scratch-made food, bold flavors, affordability, and a real commitment to hospitality.

#251 Aidan Meany (Found Surface) — Building the Future of American Knitwear Manufacturing May 28, 2026 3853 Aidan Meany, Founder and CEO of Found Surface. Aidan is building a programmable knitwear factory in Cleveland that is reimagining what American apparel manufacturing can look likeWhat began for him with learning to sew from his grandmother and making clothes as a teenager has evolved into a much larger ambition — rebuilding the whole infrastructure to make apparel at scale here in the Uni

#250 Chris Heivly — 250 Episodes Later — Reflections on Entrepreneurship, Community, Storytelling Apr 30, 2026 4209 This is the 250th episode of Lay of The Land, and to mark it, I wanted to do something a little different.Most episodes of this podcast are centered on founder stories — what drives someone to take the very difficult leap of trying to build a company, what problem they feel compelled enough to devote their life to solving, and what they learn along the way. But for this milestone episode,

#249 Ken Sobel (Hyperframe) — Constructing The Future Apr 24, 2026 3248 Ken Sobel — Co-founder and CEO of Hyperframe.Ken is an engineer and repeat founder whose entrepreneurial path started early — out of college he launched a fingerprint payments company that predated Apple Pay, which he took through Y Combinator and ultimately was acquired by Visa in 2016.Ken grew up in construction though… recalling memories being in his father’s workshop as a kid — and hi

#248 Dave Stack — Riches in Niches and Marketplace Development Apr 16, 2026 3451 Dave Stack. Dave is an internet entrepreneur and the founder of MusicStack, one of the early online marketplaces for rare and out-of-print music, which he began building out of his dorm room at Ohio State 30 years ago in the early days of the commercial internet. Over the years, he has gone on to build a portfolio of niche vertical marketplaces under the banner of Vertical Commerce, inclu

#247 Carson Morell & Daniel Scott Mitchell (Takton) — Manufacturing Technology Apr 9, 2026 4564 Carson Morell and Daniel Scott Mitchell, Co-Founders of Takton — a manufacturing technology company building fast, affordable tools for small and mid-sized manufacturers.Carson and Daniel came into manufacturing from different paths — Carson as a founder and operator, Daniel as an engineer at companies like Tesla and Rivian — but arrived at the same realization: there is a massive gap bet

#246 Anna Dey (goGLOW, Clean Eatz, franSPOT, Smoothie King, The 24 in 24) — Franchises Apr 2, 2026 3647 Anna Dey is a multi-unit and multi-brand franchise entrepreneur who has spent the past decade building businesses across Northeast Ohio. Since getting her start in franchising with an Anytime Fitness location in 2012, she has gone on to own and operate franchises across several systems including Clean Eatz, Smoothie King, The Vitamin Shoppe, Barrio Tacos + Tequila, and goGLOW, earning nat

#245 Anne Hartnett (HCO Partners, Harness Cycle, The Vitrolite) — Brick and Mortar Entrepreneurship and Neighborhood Revitalization Mar 26, 2026 3767 Anne Hartnett is a neighborhood developer and entrepreneur focused on creating spaces where community, well-being, and small business can thrive. She is the founder of Harness Cycle and CEO of HCO Partners, a Cleveland-based real estate and placemaking company that develops and operates neighborhood-focused commercial properties.Anne began her career as a software consultant. After years

#244 Will Zell (Vessel) — Empowering Founders and Democratizing VC in Ohio Mar 19, 2026 4196 Will Zell — Founder and Managing Partner of Vessel, founding CEO and now Executive Chair of AssetWatch, and a leading voice in rethinking how venture capital works across Ohio.Will’s path into technology and venture isn’t conventional. He grew up — and still lives — in Bellefontaine, Ohio. At 17, he ran for city council under the slogan “A Voice for the Future.” He spent time in ministry,

#243 Noah Jackson & AJ Wadian (Premier Home Pros) — $0 to $250M in 3 Years — Bootstrapping America’s Fastest Growing Remodeling Company Mar 12, 2026 3634 Noah Jackson and AJ Wadian — the Co-Founders of Premier Home ProsLaunched in December 2022 with just $65,000 of their own capital and a decision made around a dinner table, Premier Home Pros has scaled from zero to more than $150 million in annual gross sales in just three years — surpassing $100 million in under 24 months — all without raising a single dollar of outside capital. Headqua

#242 Scot Lowry (PromiseONE) — The Right to Win in Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Mar 5, 2026 4462 Scot Lowry — Managing Partner and Co-Founder of PromiseONE CompaniesScot is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of PromiseONE Companies, a Cleveland-based investment firm that helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs acquire and grow established businesses through Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, or ETA. Prior to launching PromiseONE, Scot acquired and led Fathom, a digital marketing firm

#241 Chad Delligatti (InnoSource) — Staffing, AI, and the Future of Talent Feb 27, 2026 3986 Chad Delligatti — CEO of InnoSourceChad Delligatti is the CEO of InnoSource — a more than two-decade-old, Ohio-based company that has grown into a national workforce solutions platform serving Fortune 500 and midsized organizations across the country.Since joining InnoSource in 2000 as one of its earliest employees, Chad has devoted his entire professional career to building the company —

#240 Matt Kalina (TandemStride) — The Business of Trauma Recovery Feb 12, 2026 3636 Matt Kalina — Founder and CEO of TandemStrideMatt Kalina is the Founder and CEO of TandemStride, a healthcare marketplace that connects trauma survivors with peers, care partners, and providers to support long-term recovery. Inspired by his family’s firsthand experience with traumatic injury, Matt is dedicated to building solutions that close the gap between emergency care and ongoing sup

#239: Akram Boutros (Nexus Bedside) — The Future of Healthcare and Nursing Feb 5, 2026 3328 Akram Boutros — Founder and CEO of Nexus Bedside.Akram brings more than 30 years of experience as a healthcare leader, executive, and clinician. He previously served as CEO of The MetroHealth System in Cleveland from 2013 to 2022, where he led a team of more than 6,000 employees and 3,500 medical staff, overseeing a nearly billion-dollar revenue operation and the complete transformation o

#238 Tyler Dunagin (TurnServ) — Curiosity, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship in Multifamily Jan 29, 2026 4180 Tyler Dunagin is the founder and CEO of Turnserv, a Northeast Ohio–based platform company behind brands like ApartmentPainters.com, ApartmentFlooring.com, and Liquid Liner — each rethinking a critical piece of the residential turnover and value-add process for property owners and operators.In our conversation, Tyler traces his journey from early curiosity in real estate and the unlocking

#237: Tory & Michael Waxman (Sundays For Dogs) — Making the World’s Best Dog Food in Cleveland Jan 22, 2026 3747 Michael and Tory Waxman — the founders of Sundays for Dogs, the Cleveland-based company designed to make dog parents’ lives easy.What began with their own dog, Mabel, and a simple but powerful question — why does feeding dogs well have to be so difficult? — has grown into one of the most exciting consumer companies to emerge from Ohio. Led by loving dog parents Dr. Tory Waxman, a veterina

[Bonus] Ohio VC Fest — Investing and Building with AI Jan 15, 2026 2690 Today’s episode was recorded live at Ohio VC Fest, where I hosted a panel on AI, joined by an incredible group of investors, including:Peggy Roberts, Managing Partner at The Riverside Company;Candice Matthews Brackeen, Founding Partner at Lightship Capital;Hardik Desai, Managing Partner at JumpStart Ventures;Jamie Weston, Managing Director at Spring Mountain Capital.Together, we walk thro

#235: Craig Newmark — Craigslist Jan 8, 2026 3721 Craig Newmark is the founder of Craigslist and someone whose work has shaped the modern internet as we know it.Long before Craigslist became one of the most enduring, important, and frequented platforms on the web, long before the internet even connected all of us, Craig was a computer science student here in Cleveland at Case Western Reserve University — tinkering with early programming

#234: Brad DeHays (Connect Housing Blocks) — Building the Future of Housing, Construction, and Modular’s Potential Dec 18, 2025 4206 Brad DeHays — Founder and CEO of Connect Real Estate and Connect Housing Blocks.Brad’s journey spans from buying small distressed properties while still in college to leading one of the most ambitious housing manufacturing platforms in the country. Through Connect Real Estate, Brad has revitalized some of Ohio’s most overlooked landmarks — transforming abandoned power plants, trolley barn

#233: Chaya Slain (Virtera Partners) — Dare To Be Different, Dare To Be Great Dec 11, 2025 3044 Chaya Slain is the Founder, President, and Chief Investment Officer at Virtera Partners.After studying mathematics at Columbia University, she discovered her deeper interest in investing at Goldman Sachs. After several years in New York, she returned to Cleveland and joined Parkwood, the Mandel family investment office, where she spent more than a decade immersed in institutional investin

#232: Jerry Schill (Schill Grounds Management) — Embrace the Change Dec 4, 2025 3205 Jerry Schill is the founder and CEO of Schill Grounds Management — a company he launched in 1993 with his brother after a chance summer job revealed a passion for landscaping. What began as a two-person side hustle has grown into a large-scale commercial grounds management company, now one of the fastest-growing platforms in the industry.In 2020, Jerry began a bold new chapter—scaling Sch

#231: Perry Stancato (Signature Sauces) — The Secret Sauce of Sauces Nov 20, 2025 3293 Perry Stancato is the founder and CEO of Signature Sauces and a third-generation operator of the beloved Cleveland institution, Stancato’s Italian Restaurant.This conversation with Perry explores the entrepreneurial journey of someone who grew up in the family restaurant — from standing on a milk crate as a kid making waffles for Sunday brunch to running Stancato’s today while simultaneou

#230: Kaitie & Kyle Nickel (Cleveland Vibes) — All Things Positive in Cleveland Nov 13, 2025 3654 Kaitie and Kyle Nickel are entrepreneurs, storytellers, and community builders based in Cleveland. They have grown beloved brands such as Cleveland Vibes, The Cleveland Market, and Cleve or Leave to reach hundreds of thousands of followers and many millions of people. Their work is driven by a shared goal: to connect people, celebrate local culture, and inspire growth. Passionate about em

#229: Keith Gerchak & Marisa Guterman (Lost & Found In Cleveland) — The Making of a New American Fable on Hope & the Post-Industrial American Dream in the Industrial Midwest (REWIND) Oct 30, 2025 4638 Nearly a year and a half after our conversation first aired in 2024, Lost & Found in Cleveland is ready to make its way to theaters nationwide on November 7, 2025.When I first sat down with Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman, the creative forces behind the film, we explored the decade-long journey that brought this story to life—from writing and directing this cinematic love letter to

#228: Aaron Slodov (Atomic Industries) — Techno-Industrial Optimism and Exascaling American Manufacturing (REWIND) Oct 23, 2025 4277 Nearly a year and a half after our conversation first aired, Aaron Slodov and Atomic Industries have reached an important milestone worth celebrating. Atomic recently announced the close of its $25 million Series A, led by MaC Venture Capital and DTX Ventures, with participation from Narya and others, to accelerate the rollout of its AI-driven manufacturing platform.With this funding, Ato

#227: Ralph Lazaro (INaudio) — Building the World's Audiobook Partner Oct 16, 2025 4480 Ralph Lazaro, Co-founder & CEO of INaudio, has spent more than two decades leading high-performing teams and driving innovation. His career began in Fortune 500 companies before he joined Findaway in 2012, where he helped transform the business from a physical device company into a $100M+ digital audiobook powerhouse — a journey that ultimately led to Spotify’s acquisition of Findaway

#226: Terry Coyne (Terry Coyne Properties) — Risk, Patience & Opportunity Oct 9, 2025 3326 Terry Coyne is an Executive Vice Chairman of Newmark and Principal of Terry Coyne Properties. Over his 25-plus-year career, Terry has become one of Ohio’s most accomplished commercial real estate leaders, negotiating more than 2,000 transactions totaling over $5 billion in value. In Cleveland alone, over the past five years, he and his team have brokered 250 transactions worth more than $

#225: Jeff Berlin (Bridge Industries) — American Manufacturing, Permanent Capital, and Patiently Scaling an Industrial Platform Oct 2, 2025 4088 Jeff Berlin is the Founder and President of Bridge Industries & Chairman and CEO of TransTech Energy. Jeff’s journey spans from his early days at Parker Hannifin to helping grow Hawk Corporation from a $20 million single-plant business into a $200 million global operation, and ultimately to founding his own company, Bridge — an industrial holding company anchored by TransTech — that h

#224: The O.H.I.O. Fund — Origins and Ambitions Sep 25, 2025 3771 On this special episode of Lay of the Land, I’m joined—for the first time—by the two co-founders of The O.H.I.O. Fund, Mark Kvamme and Ray Leach, as well as the fund’s two founding partners, Jill Meyer and Mike Venerable, to share the inside story of how a bold idea became reality.We explore the inspiration and origins behind a first-of-its-kind strategy designed to generate returns while

#223: David Conwill (Redwood Living) and Jimmy McCarthy Jr. — Mr. Football Sep 18, 2025 3454 Jim McCarthy Jr. is a filmmaker and the director of the new documentary Mr. Football, and David Conwill is the Executive Vice Chairman and former CEO of Redwood Living as well as an executive producer of the film.Dave’s career spans two decades of building Redwood Living into a national leader in single-story rental neighborhoods—scaling from a handful of units in Northeast Ohio to more t

#222: Ivy Zelman (Zelman & Associates) — Non-Consensus and Correct in The Housing Industry Sep 4, 2025 3281 Ivy Zelman is one of the most respected voices in American housing, co-founder of Zelman & Associates, and now Executive Vice President at Walker & Dunlop, which acquired her firm in 2021 as the leading institutional research, advisory, and investment banking firm dedicated exclusively to the U.S. housing industry.Over the last three decades, Ivy has built a reputation for bold, c

#221: Ryan Kelly (Substance) — Building Cleveland’s Film Industry Aug 28, 2025 3520 Ryan Kelly is a filmmaker, entrepreneur, and partner of Substance, a film and television production company based in Cleveland.What if Northeast Ohio had the infrastructure to support large-scale film productions? That question first took root when Ryan found himself on the set of Cherry—a feature film shot in Cleveland by the Russo Brothers, the acclaimed Cleveland-born directors behind

#220: Andrew Hurst (Delivered) — The Business of Moving Things Aug 14, 2025 4161 Andrew Hurst is the founder and CEO of Delivered, a fast-scaling logistics platform revolutionizing parcel shipping with faster, more reliable deliveries at lower costs.He also serves as CEO of Ark Transportation, where he led a fivefold revenue increase in just five years, and is the founder of Veroot, a compliance platform now trusted by thousands of logistics teams nationwide.Under his

#219: Dale Wollschleger (ExactCare) — From Pharmacist to Building a Billion-Dollar Pharmacy Care Company (TOF Report) Jul 31, 2025 3169 Dale Wollschleger is the Founder and former CEO of Cleveland-based ExactCare Pharmacy and the developer of the ExactPack™—a patient-specific medication packaging system designed to simplify complex medication regimens.This conversation with Dale dives into the unlikely journey of a pharmacist-turned-entrepreneur who started in the back of a small Cleveland pharmacy and built a billion-dol

#218: Sanjay Singh (Mace®) — Get Good at Hard Things Jul 24, 2025 3956 Sanjay Singh is a thoughtful strategist, seasoned executive, and business philosopher whose journey to leading the iconic Cleveland brand Mace Security—and his reflections on it—are remarkable.Sanjay’s story weaves together a deep appreciation for manufacturing and a career shaped by curiosity, resilience, and a knack for doing hard things—ultimately culminating in a personal philosophy g

#217: Kelcey Lehrich (365 Holdings) — Building the Forever Home for E-Commerce Companies Jul 17, 2025 3440 Kelcey Lehrich is the Co-Founder and CEO of 365 Holdings, based in Akron, Ohio. 365 Holdings acquires and operates consumer products companies, with a focus on eCommerce and a goal of long-term ownership.In our conversation, Kelcey shares his path to entrepreneurship and his evolution from making his first acquisition to becoming a seasoned operator. He weaves in lessons from challenging

#216: TJ Dembinski (Eagle Electronics) — Onshoring America's Critical Technologies (TOF Report) Jul 10, 2025 2933 TJ Dembinski is the co-founder and CEO of Eagle Electronics, dedicated to on-shoring America’s critical technology supply chain, starting with the IoT and automotive-grade cellular modules!This journey traces a fascinating arc — one that begins with the macro and geopolitical forces shaping global commerce and lands in a Northeast Ohio advanced micro-electronic manufacturing floor where E

#215: Ibrahim Mohmed (CourtSide Media & Taja AI) — Revolutionizing Content Creation Jun 26, 2025 3002 Ibrahim Mohmed is the founder of CourtSide Media Group and the co-founder & CEO of Taja AI. His entrepreneurial journey began right here in Ohio, where he launched CourtSide Media, a digital media agency that serves influencers with audiences ranging from 1 million to 75 million followers across various social platforms. Through CourtSide Media, Ibrahim has collaborated with high-prof

#214: Carey Jaros (GOJO — Makers of PURELL®) — 80 Years of Ohio Legacy and Well-Being Solutions Jun 19, 2025 3753 Carey Jaros joined GOJO in 2014 as a board member, later taking on executive roles as Chief Strategy Officer—where she oversaw Marketing, Product Management, and Innovation—and as Chief Operating Officer, before becoming President and CEO in January 2020.Our conversation today covers Carey’s call to lead—shaped by a lifelong passion for solving problems and telling stories—her reflections

#213: Jodi Berg, PhD (Vitamix) Pt. 2 — Resilience, Succession, and Purpose Jun 12, 2025 4839 Today, we’re picking up with the second part of my conversation with Jodi Berg, the former President & CEO of Vitamix.In Part 1, we explored Jodi’s career, the history, evolution, and family legacy of Vitamix, and her leadership journey in growing the company into the global brand it is today.In Part 2, we continue with her reflections on stepping away from the business—and dive deepe

#212: Jodi Berg, PhD (Vitamix) Pt. 1 — Delivering Quality, Leading with Passion, and Embracing Legacy Jun 5, 2025 3911 Jodi Berg, PhD recently retired as the fourth-generation President and CEO of Vitamix, having joined the family business in 1997 with the directive to lead the company’s overseas expansion, later serving as director of international, household and commercial divisions, and then ultimately as Executive Vice President in 2007, President in 2009, and CEO in 2011.Under her leadership, Jodi bu

#211: Max Pennington (CLEANR) — Microplastics, Macro Solutions May 29, 2025 3997 Max Pennington is the Co-Founder & CEO of CLEANR, an innovative company that uses filters to prevent microplastics from entering water streams. Max graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, where he co-developed CLEANR’s innovative VORTX filtration technologyb. Inspired by nature, VORTX biomimcry is capable of removing over 9

#210: Umberto Fedeli Round III — Patience & Persistence, Progress & Perfection, Rationality & Uncertainty May 15, 2025 4373 I’m very excited to welcome Umberto Fedeli back for his third conversation. In our first two conversations — episode 135 and episode 171 — we explored Umberto’s remarkable life journey, deep-rooted wisdom, and how he's mastered the craft of building authentic relationships and connecting people across business, politics, and philanthropy. Those episodes are timeless and packed with valuab

#209: Daniel Anstandig (Futuri Media) — AI, Future of Media, Music, and Investing May 8, 2025 4534 Daniel Anstandig is the CEO of Futuri Media, a leading AI-driven platform he founded in Cleveland in 2009 to help companies build and monetize engaged audiences.Today, Futuri’s sales, content, and audience technology serves over 7,000 media brands across 22 countries, powered by a bold and passionate team recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies for nine yea

#208: Sonia Winner (Cleveland Museum of Natural History) — $150m Centennial Transformation May 1, 2025 3674 Sonia Winner is the CEO of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. In July 2018, she became the 10th director of the Museum in its more than 100-year history, dating back to 1920. Since then, she has spearheaded a $150 million reinvention of the institution—reimagining its campus and exhibits to highlight the interconnectedness of life on Earth.Under her leadership, the Museum continues

#207: DJ Eidson (Limitless Minds) — Peak Performance, Deep Humility, Power of Mindset Apr 24, 2025 3250 DJ Eidson is the President and Co-founder of Limitless Minds, where he spearheads efforts to make elite mindset coaching accessible to everyone. Through their digital platform and programs, Limitless Minds has empowered hundreds of individuals and teams across organizations like Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Chick-fil-A, Bristol Myers Squibb, Goldman Sachs, Harvard Business School, an

#206: Blake Squires (Findaway, Movable, and Stubl) — Serial Entrepreneur Apr 17, 2025 4036 Blake Squires began his journey in the mid-90s in Los Angeles, capitalizing early on the convergence of technology and media. He soon returned to his hometown of Cleveland to co-found Everstream with Steve McHale (episode 196) and Charlie Lougheed (episode 42, and also my co-founder at Axuall). Blake served as COO until Everstream’s acquisition by Concurrent Computer Corp in 2005.Next, he

#205: Carl Walz (NASA Astronaut) — 230+ Days In Outer Space Apr 10, 2025 3186 Carl Walz is an astronaut, a pioneer of space exploration, and a proud Clevelander! As an astronaut, Carl is a veteran of four spaceflights, logging a total of 231 days in outer space and performing three spacewalks during that time.A physicist by training, with degrees from Kent State and John Carroll University, Carl made his way to NASA via the Air Force, where he served as a flight te

#204: Paul Roetzer (SmarterX & Marketing AI Institute) — Accelerating AI Literacy Mar 27, 2025 3927 Paul Roetzer is the founder and CEO of SmarterX and the Marketing AI Institute—a media, event, and online education company that he started back in 2016 to make AI accessible, approachable, and actionable for marketers and business leaders. Through the institute, he created MAICON—the leading annual Marketing AI conference, which is hosted here in Cleveland!He is also the co-author of Mar

#203: Geoff Bruder (Sonic Fire Tech) — Fighting Fires with Sound and Acoustic Waves Mar 20, 2025 2386 Geoff Bruder, co-founder of GhostWorks Engineering and Sonic Fire Tech—a company redefining fire suppression—is fighting fires with acoustic wave technology.Geoff's journey is rooted in his work at NASA Glenn Research Center here in Cleveland, where he focused as a Research Engineer on projects like the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG), thermoacoustic stirling heat engine d

#202: Jared Semik (Eternium Aerospace) — Transcontinental Electric Flights Mar 6, 2025 3628 Jared Semik, founder of Eternium Aerospace, a long-range, zero-emissions aircraft development company, is focused on sustainable transatlantic flight.A multi-service military aviation veteran with three global deployments, Jared began his career in the Marine Corps in 1999. He is an aerospace research and development engineer with over 20 years of experience working with next-generation z

#201: Robert Marks (Projector) — Keepsake and Personal Streaming for Legacy Feb 27, 2025 3807 Robert Marks founded Fidelity Voice and Data in 1999 with just a $600 investment, which he grew into a business generating over $30 million in revenue, making it one of the largest telecommunications and cloud services competitors throughout the Midwest. The company focused on providing high-speed Internet access to various industries.After selling the company in 2015, Robert turned his a

#200: Andy Tran (Arthur Street Ventures) — A Modern Renaissance Man Feb 13, 2025 3317 Andy Tran has lived more lives than just about anyone I know. He’s a serial entrepreneur who has started multiple businesses across industries, including tech, ammunition manufacturing, defense contracting, and tequila, among many others. Andy is a true modern Renaissance man whose path defies convention and serves as a testament to his deep curiosity, creativity, ability to execute, and

#199: John Knific (Squad) — The EdTech Guru Feb 6, 2025 3973 John Knific is a serial entrepreneur and investor who has built three venture-backed software companies here in Cleveland.His latest venture, Squad, is a peer discovery platform designed to gamify ratings and rankings for Gen Z, starting on college campuses, delivering valuable preference data to marketers.Before Squad, John co-founded Wisr, a virtual communities platform that transformed

#198: Rob van Haaren (Proximal Energy) — Powering The Solar Revolution Jan 30, 2025 3751 Rob van Haaren is a Dutch-born entrepreneur and CEO of Proximal Energy, a Cleveland-based SaaS company transforming asset management for solar and energy storage projects.Rob has long been interested in renewable energy engineering — he holds a Master’s from Columbia University in Earth and Environmental Engineering and a PhD from Columbia as well with a focus on utility-scale energy stor

#197: Ali Bonar (Oat Haus) — The Granola Butter Company Jan 23, 2025 3486 Ali Bonar — CEO & Co-Founder of Oat Haus, a food company bringing fun and play to eating. Their flagship product, Granola Butter, is the world's first oat-based spread and while Oat Haus was born out of Ali's decade-long battle with an eating disorder, and it's now her mission to help others feel less alone.Since its beginnings in 2018, Oat Haus has evolved from Ali’s personal project

#196: Stephen McHale (Graici & Unify Labs) — Serial Entrepreneurship & the Pursuit of Inclusive Prosperity Jan 16, 2025 3106 Stephen McHale — a long-time Cleveland serial entrepreneur with a 40-year career founding, investing in, and building companies.Most notably, Steve served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Explorys, which he formed in 2009 in partnership with The Cleveland Clinic. He co-founded and funded Explorys with Charlie Lougheed, one of my former co-founders from Axuall, where

[Bonus] Rust Belt Rundown featuring Jeffrey Stern of The O.H.I.O. Fund Jan 9, 2025 2946 Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Lay of The Land podcast. Today, we're doing something a bit different as I take on the role of guest on other podcasts to discuss recent developments in my journey and offer a glimpse of what lies ahead.As some of you may know, I've recently embarked on a new professional path by joining the founding team of The O.H.I.O. Fund. In the near future,

#194: Hanna Kassis (Babylon Asset Management) — Business Financing, Private Credit, and Growth Capital Dec 19, 2024 3068 Throughout his career, Hanna Kassis has overseen $1.5 billion in capital deployment. Hanna began his entrepreneurial journey in Youngstown, where he managed Tim Ryan's congressional campaign from 2008 to 2011. This early taste of independence would prove formative for his future ventures. Though he initially pursued law school in Chicago with intentions of becoming a tax attorney, Hanna's

[In Honor Of] Bob Sopko Dec 10, 2024 3535 It is with a heavy heart that I honor Bob Sopko’s memory by revisiting Lay of The Land's 12th episode. While no conversation could ever fully capture the breadth or depth of his legacy, I hope this episode relays an essence of his spirit, his unwavering commitment to supporting others, and his vision for Cleveland’s entrepreneurial future. Bob will be deeply missed, but I believe his infl

#193: Ryan Schreiber (Streamline) — The One-Stop Streaming Guide Nov 21, 2024 3379 Ryan Schreiber is a long-time Clevelander and major advocate for the city, as well as the founder and CEO of Streamline, an innovative mobile platform tackling one of the streaming industry's most pressing challenges—helping users navigate the increasingly fragmented world of content and entertainment, from sports to shows and movies, across over 200 streaming platforms.With over $1.6 mil

#192: Jim Weisman (Ingine) — Revolutionizing Knowledge Generation for a Healthier Tomorrow Nov 14, 2024 3201 Jim Weisman, CEO of Ingine, exploring deep into the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcareIn our world where healthcare costs are soaring and drug development timelines stretch into decades, Ingine is revolutionizing how we can analyze complex medical and healthcare data to produce better knowledge to create better medicine. By leveraging quantum mechanics principles and a

#191: Lance Hill (Within3) — Raising >$100 Million to Breakdown Healthcare Communication Barriers Nov 7, 2024 3691 Lance Hill, CEO of Within3, has led one of Cleveland's most well-capitalized startups, raising over $100 million to transform how the healthcare and life sciences industries communicate. What began in 2007 as a secure peer-to-peer platform for physicians quickly evolved into something much more ambitious—a solution to break down communication barriers in life sciences and accelerate the d

[Bonus] Marketing Moves — Investing in Ohio's Future: Ft. Jeffrey Stern Oct 31, 2024 2480 Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Lay of The Land podcast. Today, we're doing something a bit different as I take on the role of guest on other podcasts to discuss recent developments in my journey and offer a glimpse of what lies ahead.As some of you may know, I've recently embarked on a new professional path by joining the founding team of The O.H.I.O. Fund. In the near future,

#189: Chas D. Withers (Dix & Eaton) — Running Towards the Fire Oct 24, 2024 3569 Chas Withers, chairman and CEO of Dix & Eaton, the storied Cleveland integrated communications firm, known for its specialization in marketing communications, Crisis management, and investor relations, which has partnered with its clients to drive impact and results in their public relations since 1952.While Chas has led the firm as CEO since 2015, he’s overseen many aspects of the bu

#188: Joe Pulizzi (Tilt Publishing & Content Entrepreneur Expo) — Content Marketing, Community, and Cleveland Oct 17, 2024 3110 Joe Pulizzi is a serial entrepreneur and deeply passionate about all things content marketing and entrepreneurship —he is the bestselling author of seven books including Content Inc., selling over 500,000 copies worldwide with his work featured New York Times, Insider, Entrepreneur, and other notable publicationshe hosts multiple podcasts and writes Orangeletter, a weekly newsletter with

#187: Aaron Hoffman & John Zinno (DeliverThat) — The Future of Catering Delivery Oct 10, 2024 4221 Aaron Hoffman and John Zinno — co-founders of DeliverThat, based in Canton Ohio.Friends for life, the two of them started this business out of Ohio University in 2016 off the bat of a viral tweet and have since proceeded to revolutionize catering delivery with over $300 million dollars of catering delivery under their belt, a network of over 25,000 active drivers on their platform, operat

#186: Andrew Rising (Encore Venture Labs) — Bridging Cleveland's Industrial Heritage To Its Industrial Future Oct 3, 2024 3557 Andrew Rising, CEO of Encore Venture Labs.As someone who believes deeply in the opportunity for Cleveland’s future, I find Andrew’s journey to be an inspiring and optimisitc one… …Deeply rooted in the heart of Cleveland’s west side where he grew up before embarking on a decade-long adventure in the Bay Area—a place where innovation and venture capital converged to create world changing te

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