As third generation filmmakers, Texas-based brothers Shezad and Hussain Manjee have always been passionate about the power of storytelling. A few years ago, they teamed up when Hussain, a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses and Babson College alumnus, saw the opportunity to scale up his brother’s film company, DHD Films, and together they built up a successful company in Dallas, TX. When COVID came, however, they had to think creatively in order to sustain their business, and they quickly developed systems for contactless filming that have allowed them to continue their work. Listen to learn more about the lives, learnings, and business of Shezad and Hussain Manjee! “Anything is possible as long as we can make dreams come true for other people. And, I think at the end of the day, that's the business we're in… we're making dreams come true for businesses, for enterprise, for nonprofits, for our team and, I wouldn't have it any other way.”
In pursuit of her life-long passion for doing hair, LaTarah Edmond left her marketing career to build Good Hair Day Salon in Duncanville, Texas. An alumnus of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, LaTarah speaks with MCAAD president Kerry Healey about her genesis story, her difficulty in raising capital in a high-risk industry, the importance of mentorship, and her challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. "You can do it… you really can. I mean, you don't have to be a victim of your circumstances. Whatever you can come up with, whatever passion you decide to store down in your belly, you can make it - or whatever big idea you have in your brain - you can make it come true. And I think that it's just a blessing to be in a position where you can inspire other people as well."
Listen to this week’s episode to hear Angela and MCAAD president Kerry Healey discuss how, when she had to pause her food tours as a result of COVID-19, Angela found a way to continue supporting her community by distributing food boxes that highlight the vendors with whom she has spent the last 13 years building relationships. “I grew up seeing hospitality through the lens of food and what that can do to people together in the community.”
Scott Harris has built one of the largest food manufacturers in the nation, DeliverLean. The company, unlike many other businesses, has seen growth during the COVID pandemic because of his unique business model that involves safe, economical and streamlined delivery of prepared but fresh food during quarantine. Even before the pandemic resulted in an increased demand for delivery of healthy meals, DeliverLean was experiencing rapid growth after a decade of trial, error and dedication, and his story is inspirational for all budding entrepreneurs. In this week's episode, the DeliverLean co-founder and CEO and Endeavor Miami entrepreneur speaks with MCAAD president Kerry Healey about how he entered the “healthy food” industry and how he is now sharing his success by partnering with community organizations to provide free meals to those in need.“You look at certain entrepreneurs and, most that have been wildly successful, they have failed so many times before they hit. Look at my story. … I'm in a better position than I've ever been in and it happens for me just before my 50th birthday. So, it takes time, right? 11 years of hard work. And I'm here today.”
Would you start a new business in a field you’ve never worked in, after moving to a brand new city where you know no one? That’s what Juha and Johanna Mikkola did when they started Wyncode Academy. Today on our podcast, the Endeavor Miami entrepreneurs speak to MCAAD President Kerry Healey about building their business, and the success of their graduates, their latest commitment to social justice issues, and the co-founders’ beliefs about the American Dream. “What we're seeing over and over again with our graduates -- the fact that technology and technology careers are really the way to live out that American Dream in modern America. I think entrepreneurship is a huge part of that in technology.”
Seth Cassel and Anton Diego, founders of EveryMundo, share with MCAAD President, Kerry Healey, how they met, the origin of their business, and the value they see in committing to a diverse workforce in order to be successful. Located in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Miami, Florida, Seth and Anton have fought for their survival in the airline industry during Covid-19. “I think one of the good things about our company culture, about Anton and me, is we're very open minded about advice. We take it very directly. We're very quick to admit when we're wrong. I think that's really important, particularly if you're competing with the very limited resources in a massive global enterprise driven industry, you have to be flexible and have to be open minded.”
Originally from Sweden, entrepreneur Sassa Akervall, CEO of Akervall Technologies and a member of Endeavor Detroit, shares with MCAAD President Kerry Healey the story of her transition to the United States, the origin of her business, and how she pivoted from creating mouthguards to producing face shields. Listen in to learn more about Sassa and her business’ inspirational response to the pandemic. “We were up and running with facial production within 10 days. We were calling everybody back and, we were all in there cutting and stapling and packaging.”
MCAAD President Kerry Healey speaks with Rodney Williams, CoFounder and Chief Commercial Officer of LISNR and Endeavor entrepreneur about his time at Procter & Gamble before founding LISNR and, his most recent start-up, SoLo Funds. “I think the American Dream for me is that I'm going to go out and define my own world. I'm going to go out and define the environment that I'm going to be successful in and then, I'm going to be relentless…”
MCAAD President Kerry Healey speaks with Kaveh Zamanian, CEO/Founder and Whiskey Maker of Rabbit Hole and Endeavor entrepreneur about his transition to the U.S., leaving the psychology field to become a bourbon entrepreneur, and the success and challenges along the way. "For me, the American Dream is about opportunity… and it's about the opportunity to be able to achieve things that otherwise seem impossible."
The fallout from an unprecedented global pandemic has had severe consequences on the global economy. While thousands of US small business owners have faced deep challenges, there are inspiring and uncommon stories of resilience to share as well. Rising to meet the challenge, these American small business owners are inspirational lifelines for their communities even despite the circumstances. What happens when outside forces collide with their dreams, as in the recent impact of COVID-19? In this season, small business owners from across the country share their experiences building and growing a business, the lessons they've learned during the coronavirus pandemic, and their own definitions of the American Dream.
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Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream.
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