Have you ever been faced with supporting a grieving employee or co-worker?  Have you ever had to manage your own grief while continuing to lead?  Margo Fowkes, President of On Target Consulting and Founder of Salt Water, joins Mark to talk about the important and often avoided topic, grief and loss in the workplace.   Inspired by her son Jimmy who passed away in 2014 after an eight year fight against brain cancer followed by the death of her mom a year later, Margo initially launched Salt Water, a website that provides a safe harbor for those who have lost someone they didn't think they could live without.   Now, she has published her new book, Leading through Loss, a practical guide that includes specific tools and actionable ideas from a collection of leaders who have had to navigate grief at work.  Margo’s compassionate, knowledgeable, and practical approach to this topic provides a valuable resource to help leaders build supportive organizations beyond offering the standard “bereavement leave.” https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Through-Loss-Navigate-Grief/dp/B0BCNXWLYV https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/leading-through-loss-margo-m-fowkes/1142104094 https://www.ontargetconsulting.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/margo-fowkes-ontarget-consulting/ ________________________________________________________________ If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region.  - Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_​...  -   Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CEO and founder of HaneyBiz  -   Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney​  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney​  Website: http://haneybiz.com​  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273​   Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney - This video includes personal knowledge, experiences, and opinions about Angel Investing by seasoned angel investors.  This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.  Nothing in this video constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement. #thebackyardadvantage #themarkhaneyshow #entrepreneur

Mark Romney, Chief Industry Alliance Officer for UC Davis, and Nikki Sims, the newest member of our Growth Factory team, join Mark to dive into the details of Aggie Square, the large scale, multi-billion dollar development where the university will converge with industry and community. The development will include state-of-the-art research facilities, modern office and mixed-use space, and world-class amenities all designed to advance human health, enrich lifelong learning, enhance emerging technologies, and set the stage for future collaborations.  Tune in to learn more about how this project came about, where it’s at today and the positive impact it is predicted to have on our region. ________________________________________________________________ If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region.  - Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_​...   -   Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CEO and founder of HaneyBiz  -   Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney​  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney​  Website: http://haneybiz.com​  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273​   Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney - This video includes personal knowledge, experiences, and opinions about Angel Investing by seasoned angel investors.  This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.  Nothing in this video constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement. #thebackyardadvantage #themarkhaneyshow #entrepreneur

The tables are turned as Mark takes on the role of guest for Bryan Verduzco’s FITFO (Figuring It The "Father" Out) podcast.  While Bryan and Mark certainly cover entrepreneurship related subjects, this conversation is a lot more about Mark’s personal journey – including his life experiences, lessons learned, thoughts on being a dad and now grandfather, and leaving a legacy.  Tune in for a fun and heartfelt discussion on a really worthy topic:  Fatherhood. ________________________________________________________________ If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region.  - Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_​...   -   Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CEO and founder of HaneyBiz  -   Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney​  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney​  Website: http://haneybiz.com​  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273​   Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney - This video includes personal knowledge, experiences, and opinions about Angel Investing by seasoned angel investors.  This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.  Nothing in this video constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement. #thebackyardadvantage #themarkhaneyshow #entrepreneur

Phil Scott from the Greater Folsom Partnership brings his incredible energy, enthusiasm, and belief in our Greater Sacramento region to this conversation with Mark as they discuss the economic development and business opportunities that are growing here.   Phil, who is himself a business owner, angel investor, and community leader, talks about key entrepreneurial initiatives specifically in the Folsom area such as Startup Folsom, Granite Coworking, the efforts at Granite School and much more.  He also shares his insights and opinions about regional collaboration as being a key to our collective success.   Throughout the conversation, Phil’s focus on taking action and getting involved is apparent and will inspire you to leave this segment asking yourself – what more can I do?

Nu Boonkham and Scott Williams, founders of Moksa Brewing Company along with their Head Brewer, Derek Gallanosa, are trailblazers and experienced craftsmen who are obsessed with creating innovative, best in class brews served in environments that offer a stellar customer experience.   They’ve recently launched Barrel House in partnership with the owners of Hawks and are bringing their same commitment to excellence to this venture – pairing great food with awesome beer at their new Roseville location. They join Mark to talk about beer, food & entrepreneurship touching on topics like the power of business partnerships, the importance of commitment, and how to build a standout brand and culture.

Get fired up about Placer Valley 2022, the region’s largest business summit, bringing together South Placer’s economic leaders to connect and collaborate on October 19th at Bayside’s Blue Oaks campus.   Mark talks with the incredible team of leaders who are bringing this event to life: Rana Ghadban, CEO of the Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce, Jeff Richardson, Senior GM of the Westfield Galleria, and Ann Bouchard, President of Bouchard Communications and this year’s event chair.   PV2022 will feature a conversation, facilitated by Mark, with celebrity keynote speaker Daymond John, best known from Shark Tank as well as numerous breakout sessions, a tradeshow floor space and VIP meet and greet and happy hour featuring food and drinks from local restaurants. Don’t miss it!  Tickets are still on sale HERE.

Marc Doerfer is COO of PEM Motion, USA, a consulting company headquartered in Aachen, Germany and Sacramento and a driving force, alongside SMUD, behind the California Mobility Center.   PEM Motion is on a mission to drastically reduce the time to market and the required investments to allow future mobility solutions to accelerate to market.  At the CMC, they are standing up a full mobility innovation ecosystem based on the successful model in Aachen.  The effort includes the build out of facilities on Sac State’s campus that will tie academic research to industry, provide infrastructure as a service with a ramp up factory facilities, offer business and engineering support, and connect mobility related startups to venture capital. Mark & Marc have a fascinating discussion about how this game changing work tied to an emerging global mobility ecosystem will transform the way we think about, develop, use and buy everything from electric vehicles to autonomous long-haul trucks to urban air or ag tech solutions and much, much more. 

Meet Michael Arredondo and Ray Weisberg cofounders of EyeRate, an innovative customer communication platform that recognizes and rewards employees with cash incentives for their great work, while providing business owners with stronger reviews and new insights into their operations.   Michael and Ray have known each other since they played basketball together as pre-teens.  They talk with Mark a little bit about how their life journeys led them back to Elk Grove to launch this company together and what it’s like to build a startup with a close friend.   While it hasn’t always been easy, they’ve had their share of success in the last couple of years – winning pitch competitions like Kings Capitalize and Pitch Elk Grove, securing grants from the City of Elk Grove and investment from a number of early-stage funds, and significantly growing their customer base. Learn more about how their business is making an impact for service employees, employers and brands, what keeps them motivated, what they need (always looking for local talent!) and more.

After a career in the Fire Service including two decades as a Paramedic, Clive Savacool recognized the need for an effective way to track narcotics. So, he developed LogRx as a standalone medication tracking application which allows EMS providers to easily and effectively record and track controlled substances. LogRx has since become internationally used and recognized as a resource not only for EMS providers, but for veterinarians, ski patrol teams and wilderness paramedicine.  Clive joins Mark to talk about how he and his co-founder have bootstrapped this impactful company and how they are currently learning to manage hockey stick growth.  Clive is full of life and entrepreneurial wisdom that surfaces during this conversation so you will surely take away a nugget or two!

Kenny Blakeslee, Founder and CEO of Apex Site Solutions and Pulse Signal Solutions, has a candid conversation with Mark sharing some of his hard-earned entrepreneurial lessons in leadership, culture building and vision setting.  Hear how he worked through his own journey to transform a self-described toxic work culture into a positive and thriving one steeped in hard work, continuous improvement and focused on creating opportunity for his team, and how he continues to learn and grow as he works to realize his vision.

Melissa Anguiano, Economic Development Director and Wayne Wiley, Economic Development Manager from the City of Roseville join Mark to talk about what makes Roseville a great place to live, work and grow a business.  As a part of the discussion, they share more details about the new Roseville Venture Lab and Roseville Rising programs launching this fall as a part of a partnership between the City and the Growth Factory and talk about how these initiatives fit into the overarching Roseville economic development strategy.

Meet Tom Alston, Founder & CEO of Aero & Marine Tax Professionals, and an expert in California sales tax involving airplanes, vehicles or vessels. He and his team help clients legally avoid sales & use tax from the state of California.  Tom is also a Grant Cardone licensee, business and personal coach and a retired high school baseball coach.  Mark and Tom have a wide ranging conversation that covers everything from formative experiences in Tom’s life to philosophies on winning, to sales and use tax avoidance strategies and more.  Tune in!

Meet Dr. Ayla Ahmad and Dr. Tasnim Khan, co-founders of  ShaMynds Healing Center, where they offer Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) to treat chronic and debilitating depression and anxiety.  They join Mark, along with one of their clients, to talk a about why they’ve integrated legal psychedelics into their care practice, how Ketamine Therapy works, and who most benefits.  Tune in to learn more about how centuries old Medicinals, academic research and cutting-edge science are shaping the field of personalized medicine and alternative therapies, and how this in turn influences their approach to medicine and to building their business. https://www.shamynds.com

Mark sits down with Monique Brown, one of his Growth Factory co-founders to chat about the Growth Factory’s progress over this last year and about their upcoming startup showcase and venture conference – GFX.  Scheduled for August 25th at the Grounds in Roseville, GFX is designed to “Activate the Backyard Advantage” by bringing together Sacramento’s most innovative, committed, and successful mentors, investors, corporate, civic and community leaders to help our regional startup founders succeed.   This effort is core to their mission to create the world’s most connected entrepreneurial community that, when unified, can fuel great companies, a thriving culture, and a competitive economy.   GFX includes 20+ startup presentations, educational breakout sessions on topics like angel investing, scaling companies, and sector focused innovation, mentor sprint run by the Carlsen Center and StartupSac, a tradeshow and networking space that includes demos and information from startups, ecosystem builders, and domain experts and more!  Tickets are still available – Join in the fun –GET YOUR TICKETS HERE and Use code: Podcast and receive 50% off your registration.

Brian Bennett, founder and operator of Bennett’s Hospitality Group, which includes a portfolio of local restaurants like one of our favorites – Bennett’s Kitchen Bar Market in Roseville - talks with Mark about his journey from entry level employee at Chevys to becoming a seasoned restaurant entrepreneur.  Core to his success are Brian’s grit, determination,  and commitment and his talent for creating high quality, welcoming environments where his customers and his team feel valued.  Tune in to hear more about how Brian has weathered recessions and pandemics and get a glimpse of what’s on the horizon.

Marcus Haney, a Marine Corps veteran, entrepreneur and Mark’s son joins Mark on the show to share more about how Allegiant Giving, the non-profit their family founded, is helping veterans realize their full potential and design a successful post-military life and career through an initiative called Patriot U. Tune in to learn more about Patriot U’s custom upskilling program that includes hands-on internship opportunities with employers who are eager to engage this often overlooked but highly valuable talent pool.  And, learn how you can get involved! 

Azra Games, recently funded by Andreessen Horowitz, is arguably the hottest new startup in the Greater Sacramento region.  Sonny Mayugba, successful entrepreneur and now COO and Cofounder of Azra Games along with Neel Upadhye, VP of Creative Development at Azra Games, join Mark to talk their new Web 3 collectibles and combat RPG game franchise called Legions and Legends that they are building alongside the illustrious Mark Otero.  Tune in for a peek behind the scenes of greatness in the making and learn more about when the first release will be!

Scott Emerich, Founder of East Wind Yoga (and Mark’s yoga instructor) joins Mark to talk about the practice of yoga and how it supports a life of balance, harmony, mindfulness, and success.  Learn more about Scott’s journey to becoming a studio owner and enjoy a moment to take a deep breath and reflect on your own wellness goals.

Dean Forman, co-founder of John Adams Academy, joins Mark to talk about why and how he launched the school in 2010, what has been accomplished since and about his vision for the future of education. John Adams Academy is the culmination of decades of work by Dean and his wife Linda. With 3 schools and 5000 scholars, the academy embodies their vision of an American Classical Leadership Education® by Restoring America’s Heritage and Developing Servant Leaders.  Dean shares how John Adams academy encourages students to own their education and provides them the liberty and freedom to create and become who they were meant to be.  

Lauren Johnson is an athlete-turned-mental performance coach, who is highly motivating, and relatable with a passion for developing the minds of the elite. From the playing field to the boardroom, Lauren helps elite performers develop mental toughness so they can be their best regardless of circumstance. She joins Mark for an engaging and informative conversation about what it takes - from clarity to consistency to consciousness - to cultivate a winning mindset.  If believe “you are never too good to get better” as Lauren says in the segment, then tune in to learn more!

Meet Adrian Blanco, founder of Adrian Blanco Jewelry in Folsom which has been voted the best local business, the best jeweler and the best jewelry store in Folsom and El Dorado Hills.  Throughout his engaging conversation with Mark, Adrian’s personal drive, strong commitment to community, and his relationship first approach to life shine through.  Tune in and learn more about the jewelry industry and how Adrian’s built his business in the highly supportive Folsom community.

Mark talks with visionary civic leaders, Kevin Spease and Darrell Doan from the City of Elk Grove, about how they, along with a strong and collaborative group of leaders, have effectively positioned Elk Grove as a hub of tech innovation and a startup friendly community.  By offering early-stage companies that locate in the city incentives like non-dilutive funding, permit assistance and free space and by hosting engaging events like the recent Pitch Elk Grove competition, they have both established their brand and fueled high growth companies like Clockwork Logistics, Eyerate (a new Growth Factory portfolio company) and more.  Tune in to learn more about the impressive work they are doing, why it matters for our region, and what’s on the horizon.

Data, Diversity and the Future Workforce Sadie St Lawrence, Founder and CEO of Women in Data, the #1 Community for Women in AI and Tech joins Mark to talk about how and why she got started, the explosion and importance of data related careers, and how data touches all of our lives.   Sadie has trained over 400,000 people in data science and has developed multiple programs in machine learning and career development. She was named 10 Most Admired Business Women to Watch in 2021, has been listed as a Top 21 Influencer in Data and her work has been featured in USA Today, Dataversity.  In addition, she serves on multiple start-up boards, and is the host of the Data Bytes podcast.   Tune in for an educational and inspiring discussion with a true game changer!  

Arik Levy, Founder of Luxer One and General Partner in Locker One Ventures and Robert Morin, owner of Lux Powder Coat, join Mark to talk about the power of entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs and in doing so, creating new ventures in our region. They share the story of Robbie’s journey starting as a 19-year-old employee of Luxer One.  Arik speaks to the talent and drive he saw in Robbie and the experiences that he was able to offer him from leading a customer support team of 85 people to project management to figuring out a new powder coat business that Luxer One had acquired.  All along the way, Robbie leaned into the opportunities that he was exposed to, maximized his learning, and soaked up the mentorship provided.  He was very much a part of the growth and successful exit of Luxer One and now, at 27, he's applying it to running his own company.  Tune in to hear more!

Derek Chase is at it again.  After selling his last company, a services-based business in the Solar Industry, he has founded Onsight Technology (which is one of our Growth Factory portfolio companies).  Onsight Technology enables Utility Solar Asset Owners get more power out of their systems with lower costs by automating the inspection process and giving them unparalleled access to data on their sites. This is done through the first and proprietary robot designed to be controlled from anywhere in the world for solar inspections.  Derek and Mark talk about the inspiration for this new company (it all started at a garage sale…), the differences between this company and the last, how Derek is applying lessons learned, and how he’s approaching team building and product development.  Tune in for this dynamic and educational discussion! 

Mark sits down with Willy Duncan, President of Sierra College, to talk about the critical role that this community college plays in paving the path to success for students of all ages in our region.  From offering an affordable and accessible steppingstone to a four-year degree to upskilling mid-career adults and so much more, Sierra College has a demonstrated track record of being agile, responsive and impactful with the programs and resources it designs and delivers.   In recent years, the College has increased its focus on innovation and entrepreneurship with a goal of equipping students with an entrepreneurial mindset, skillset and toolset that can serve them well no matter the career path they choose.  They’ve launched a new state of the art Makerspace, where students across disciplines can come to prototype products and test their ideas.  They’ve partnered with Lemelson-MIT on the i3 program (Invention & Inclusive Innovation) to teach students about problem identification and real solution creation. They’ve established a mentor network and entrepreneurship council to build connections between successful local entrepreneurs and business leaders with their students.  And most recently, they’ve onboarded a new Entrepreneur in Residence (the Growth Factory will be leading this effort) to support in connecting more deeply with the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem among other things.   Tune in for this inspiring and informative episode about one of our region’s most valuable assets!

#1 in agriculture, veterinary medicine, winemaking, sustainability and diversity, inclusiveness and internationalization among many other things, UC Davis is a beacon for talented students and faculty who are known for world class research aimed at solving some of our most critical global challenges.  Mark talks with Chancellor Gary May about what it takes to lead this complex, high performing organization that serves about 40,000 students each year and is also in high growth mode with projects like Aggie Square.  

Jim Corbett, Former Chairman at Bay Equity and Founder of the Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy (SEA), has not only navigated his own entrepreneurial journey culminating with a successful exit but has positively impacted the journey of so many others.  He founded SEA in 1986 before entrepreneurship was a household term and over the years has worked to support nearly 1000 entrepreneurs including some of our region’s most notable founders like Buzz Stryker of POS Portal.  Jim’s advice to all those aspiring to build their own company – Listen more than you talk and don’t quit.  Tune in for this dynamic conversation with one of our region’s treasures.

Braydan Young is the co-founder and Chief Alliances Officer of Sendoso, the world’s first Sending Platform that provides a fully integrated solution to help companies easily source, store, ship, and track ROI for everything they ever need to send: direct mail, physical gifts, plants, perishables, customer rewards, company swag, handwritten notes, gift cards, and anything else -- kind of a remote swag closet.  Sendoso recently raised $100M Seies C led by Softbank’s Vision 2 Fund.   Braydan joins Mark to share his experiences in launching and scaling this high growth company and he imparts a few nuggets of wisdom as well.  Tune in to hear more from this talented and driven entrepreneur!

Like many business leaders, Jason Hanson, President and CEO of Sierra Pacific Home & Comfort, Inc., has faced a number of major challenges over the last decade plus from the 2008 economic downturn to the recent pandemic.  He talks about how he led the company through both with clear direction setting, rapid decision making and by building a culture of excellence.  He differentiates his company by investing in his team as tradesman and craftsman who are called upon to put their best into workmanship while delivering a delightful customer experience.  His commitment to building an enduring company is inspiring and impressive.  Tune in to hear more! 

Christina Dyer, Certified Professional Coach, Organizational Change Consultant and Founder & CEO of Noble Adventures joins Mark for a fascinating discussion about one of his favorite topics: Leadership.  Christina, an expert in helping to unleash the potential of leaders around the world, talks about her approach to working with individuals and teams and her perspectives on the qualities of effective leaders.  She and Mark also dig into many of the challenges and personal pitfalls that people often face along the way.  Don’t miss this thought provoking and insightful conversation! 

What makes you different?  According to Katherine Bateman, President of Kayelbee Associates and a Fractional CMO, this is a critical question that today’s brands need to answer.  Listen in as she and Mark talk about the importance of brand building and how resource constrained early-stage startups can achieve results on a budget with scalable outsourced marketing talent.  

Kelly Resendez, EVP of Talent Acquisition and Development at GoodLeap, Speaker and Best-Selling Author shares a little about her philosophies on life, parenting, and professional success with a notable focus on cultivating an abundance mindset and putting the right people in your life.  She talks specifically about how Masterminds, which offer a curated peer group experience, can fuel personal and professional growth by providing a level of accountability, unique learning experiences and a forum to develop deep and meaningful relationships.  Tune in for this engaging and inspiring discussion that speaks to all areas of our lives. ________________________________________________________________ If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region.  - Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_​...   -   Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CEO and founder of HaneyBiz  -   Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney​  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney​  Website: http://haneybiz.com​  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273​   Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney - This video includes personal knowledge, experiences, and opinions about Angel Investing by seasoned angel investors.  This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.  Nothing in this video constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement.

Jennifer Edwards, the co-author of Bridge the Gap, a new book written in collaboration with Katie McCleary,  joins Mark to talk about the tools for becoming a strong communicator and why this matters for leaders striving to build great companies.   From exploring what gets in the way to learning how to cultivate authentic curiosity and active listening, Jennifer offers a peek into the work that she and Katie did to uncover communications strategies to build meaningful and productive relationships at work and in our lives. 

In addition to their core business – basketball – the Sacramento Kings are well known for their entrepreneurial owners, building the most high-tech arena in the world in the middle of downtown Sacramento, and for being an engaged member of the broader Sacramento community. In this segment, Mark sits down with John Rinehart, President of Business Operations at the Sacramento Kings to talk about the team, arena, the Sacramento ecosystem, and one of the King’s community initiatives: their Capitalize startup pitch competition.  John is joined by Andrew Gardner, Founder of Humanly, a local HR tech startup that won Capitalize in 2020 who shares his experience and what has happened with his company since. Now in its 7th year, Capitalize attracted over 140 applicants from the Greater Sacramento region. Over the last several weeks, through a series of reviews, interviews, and a pitch day, these applicants have been whittled down to four companies competing for the $10,000 first prize.  The winner will be announced during the Kings v. Warriors game on April 3rd and will be, in part, decided by fan voting between now and the 3rd.  Tune in to this fantastic conversation and then head over to the Kings site to meet this year’s finalists and VOTE! https://www.nba.com/kings/blog/capitalize-contest-four-finalists-announced-and-fan-voting-begins. To learn more about John, Andrew or the Kings Capitalize check out the links below: https://www.nba.com/kings/roster/john_rinehart https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-gardner-0b3548a0 https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanlyhr https://humanly.io/ ________________________________________________________________ If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region.  - Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_​...   -   Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CEO and founder of HaneyBiz  -   Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney​  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney​  Website: http://haneybiz.com​  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273​   Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney - This video includes the personal knowledge, experiences, and opinions about Angel Investing by seasoned angel investors.  This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.  Nothing in this video constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement.

Zach Denning and Jeremy Spillman, co-founders of Hank, a cloud based HVAC software platform startup that was recently acquired by JLL, join Mark to talk about their experience in building the company and leading it through an acquisition by a strategic investor.  Throughout this discussion, they continually emphasize what we know to be true: nobody builds (or exits) a truly great company alone.  Zach shares how and why he sought out a co-founder in Jeremy, and they both share the value that key advisors and partners brought to the table as they navigated negotiations with one of the largest property management and investment firms in the world.  They also provide a little insight into what it’s been like to go from startup founders to corporate employees via the acquisition.  There is so much to learn in this segment!  Tune in.

After 20 years leading advertising and marketing campaigns, in 2004 Anne founded Sagent in response to a dare: “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” Her answer: create an agency focused exclusively on creating positive social change that has a healthy culture and workplace.  Sagent is now an award-winning company and Sacramento’s only certified B Corp that develops strategic branding, marketing, and public outreach campaigns for public agencies, nonprofits, and “companies with a conscience.” Anne joins Mark to talk about her entrepreneurial journey and the core values that drive her which dovetails nicely into how and why she pursued getting Sagent certified as a B Corp.   Tune in!

Join Mark for this engaging discussion with Manvir Sandhu, Co-founder, and CEO of Zennify, an award-winning technology consulting firm and platinum Salesforce partner based in the Sacramento region that enables clients to drive change through digital transformation. Manvir left his corporate job of 19 years in 2012, and he and his co-founders Nathan Mueller and Jesse Barker set off to do a project in Haiti - solving a vaccine spoilage problem.  Bootstrapped and pressed for time, they designed and developed a cloud-based Salesforce IOT solution to track and manage temperature data, and, within months, the entire country had a potential solution to protect the vaccine supply. Post-go-live, their solution was published in a leading global medical journal as the WHO and UNICEF's gold standard for developing nations.  As a result, Zennify was born.    Over the last 8 years, Manvir and the team have grown Zennify into an innovative and impactful company recognized as a “Best Place to Work” by the SBJ and with Manvir listed as a 2021: Most Admired CEO.  Manvir’s love of people and his passion for the transformative role that tech can play in a company and a community shine through in this conversation.  And, he drops quite a bit of knowledge and experience about what it takes to grow a team, culture, and a successful business.  This is a don’t miss an episode!

Meet Captain Augustine Joesph, founder of the Advanced International Aviation Academy and JetEXE Aviation Corp.  He is an entrepreneur, military veteran, pilot, and fountain of hard-earned and intentionally developed wisdom.  He recounts fascinating stories of his life from becoming a fighter pilot to his study of world religions including time at monasteries in the Himalayas, to surviving a helicopter crash that caused severe spinal injuries to the launch of his businesses.  Captain Augustine is a testament to the power of our minds and the possibilities we can unlock in our own lives – “It’s what you put in your mind that manifests…so careful what you put in you” he advises.  Tune in!

Marcos Fernandez is the Managing Partner at Fiat Ventures and a Partner at Fiat Growth. He has an extensive background in the Fintech space having led Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy at SoFi and BD/Partnerships efforts most recently at Ripple. Outside of his day-to-day responsibilities Marcos has also spent a large part of the last decade advising and investing in companies in the Fintech space including Brex, Ladder, Treasure and Sigo. We are also fortunate to have him as a mentor in our Growth Factory community.  Listen in to hear more about Marcos’ path to co-founding an early-stage venture capital fund and his philosophy on the role that venture investors play: “…entrepreneurs are really the rockstars. I like to consider us as the roadies who are setting the stage for them.”  This informative discussion also covers the ins and outs of venture investing from developing an investment thesis to sourcing and selecting companies to effectively supporting founders. 

Rebecca Ye is the co-founder and CEO of Kyros.ai, an AI-powered College Prep and College Admission platform on a mission to be the Virtual Counselor & the GPS System for high school students and families on their journey to dream Colleges. Kyros.ai uses Machine Learning to provide the largest knowledge repository, objective benchmark, and profile-based recommendations, deriving insights from 350K+ Courses and Tests, 10,000+ sample essays, resumes and letters of recommendations, 3,000+ financial aid programs, 3,000+ Podcasts, and much more for high school students to find the best path. Rebecca joins Mark to share how she and the Kyros team are demystifying and democratizing the college application process signifying the next wave of the innovation in the education space.

Aaron Anderson runs the Student Startup Center at UC Davis, overseeing undergraduate education and programs in technology entrepreneurship and is also a principal investor at the early-stage venture firm Impact Venture Capital where he focuses on corporate venture capital and regulated tech industries.  Previously, Aaron served as the Harvard Business School Leadership Fellow and Director of Business Initiatives for Mayor Kevin Johnson in Sacramento. He and Mark sit down for a wide-ranging discussion that weaves through Aaron’s journey from “military brat” to his stint in government and nonprofit economic development work through Harvard Business School to his current roles as an investor and educator.  Aaron shares stories about the early career explorations that shaped his path and passes along some of the wisdom he has earned and acquired along the way.   He also provides his thoughtfully developed perspectives on the current state of venture capital, the next generation of entrepreneurs, and what it takes to make a true impact. The books mentioned in this episode:  The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen - https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Technologies-Management-Innovation/dp/142219602X Competing Against Luck by Clayton Christensen - https://www.amazon.com/Competing-Against-Luck-Innovation-Customer/dp/0062435612 The Rainforest: The Secret to Building the Next Silicon Valley by Victor W. Hwang and Greg Horowitt - https://www.amazon.com/Rainforest-Secret-Building-Silicon-Valley/dp/0615586724 To learn more about Aaron check out the links below:  Student Startup Center at UC Davis - https://startup.ucdavis.edu/ Impact Venture Capital - https://impactvc.com/ Aaron's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronmondell ________________________________________________________________ If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region.  - Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_​...   -   Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CEO and founder of HaneyBiz  -   Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney​  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney​  Website: http://haneybiz.com​  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273​   Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney - This video includes the personal knowledge, experiences, and opinions about Angel Investing by seasoned angel investors.  This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.  Nothing in this video constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement.

From seeding ideas to scaling technologies that solve global challenges, capital is a critical component to catalyzing and commercializing innovation.  Grants – including $750B of Federal dollars – are a unique, non-dilutive part of the capital stack that can play a powerful role in funding this work.  Unfortunately, there are significant issues around efficiency, transparency, traceability and equity in the distribution of grant funds that result in a lot of waste and unrealized potential. Enter Sedale Turbovsky and the team at OpenGrants who are building a solution to efficiently connect funders to grant seekers, searchers to grants, and grant consultants to opportunities…and that’s just the beginning.   OpenGrants is also a part of the Growth Factory Accelerator. During this segment, Sedale shares a little about his company building and fundraising journey including the approach he's taking to engage a broad pool of investors and build community around his transformative work. Join Mark as he and Sedale dig into what OpenGrants is today and talk about the possibilities Sedale is working to create as he envisions the future. To learn more about Sedale and OpenGrants check out the links below: https://www.opengrants.io/ https://twitter.com/opengrants_io https://www.facebook.com/opengrants.io/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sedaleturbovsky https://twitter.com/STurbovsky ________________________________________________________________ If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region.  - Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_​...   -   Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CEO and founder of HaneyBiz  -   Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney​  Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney​  Website: http://haneybiz.com​  Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273​   Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney - This video includes the personal knowledge, experiences, and opinions about Angel Investing by seasoned angel investors.  This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.  Nothing in this video constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement. #SedaleTurbovsky #StrategicFundingSpecialist #TheMarkHaneyShow

Most entrepreneurs featured on the show are driven by passion and purpose.  Jon Shumate, founder of Remember.us, takes both of these to the next level and adds a huge dose of authenticity and creativity to the mix.  He’s a really special person – as you’ll quickly discern from this segment - and we are thrilled to have him as a part of our first Growth Factory cohort. Join Mark as he and Jon talk about the origin story behind Remember.us and learn why Jon is so committed to building a company that helps people beautifully capture and celebrate the life stories of those they love.

Alert: Company building in progress!  Meet Reneta Jenik, founder of Foodom, a local early-stage startup that is connecting private chefs with busy families to cook meals in the customer's kitchen for less than the cost of take out.  Essentially, she’s built a better way to answer the age-old question of “what’s for dinner?”  We are very honored to be working alongside Reneta and Foodom through the Growth Factory Accelerator!  Reneta’s goal is to help families reduce stress in their life and get healthy food tailored to whatever they need while also creating flexible and good paying job opportunities for certified chefs who are passionate about cooking.  And, it’s happening!  Despite launching during the heart of the pandemic, Foodom’s chefs have prepared over 500 meals for some very happy customers and they are just getting started. Tune in to hear Mark and Reneta talk more about her story – from her background in corporate America and her why behind starting the company to the challenges and victories she’s encountering while launching her first startup.

Frank Ono is the founder of the iFish Group, a Sacramento-based government consulting firm that was named one of the fastest-growing companies by both the Sacramento Business Journal and Inc. 5000 for 2 years in a row and also recognized as one of the best places to work by the SBJ.  He joins Mark to share his experiences, agile approach to business growth, and lessons learned in building a successful company and a winning culture.  From hiring for character, critical thinking, and work ethic to building an Innovation and Leadership Board that provides a framework for evaluating business opportunities, Frank’s intentional and people-centric approach is worth learning more about! Following his discussion with Frank, Mark also takes a few moments to dive deep and share his thoughts about the one ingredient he feels is needed to start and grow a business: Commitment.  Tune in!

Mark Rawson is the Chief Operating Officer for the California Mobility Center (CMC), a Sacramento-based organization whose mission is to help early-stage mobility companies accelerate the commercialization of their products by linking them with established industry leaders and service providers.  He shares more about the CMCs founding, current partner and client activities, the future of their 25-acre campus at Sacramento State (in development), and how this work will not only fuel the Sacramento region economy but attract and grow innovative mobility solutions from around the world.

Kenneth Johnston, CEO of KJ 2 Productions, a full-service digital media production company based in Sacramento, California, shares his story of perseverance in life, business, and most recently through the pandemic.  Like all great entrepreneurs, KJ is living proof that while the journey is often incredibly tough, with creativity, grit, and the right people by your side so much can be accomplished.