Ep. 114 Inspiring Business & Innovation With Onyeka Obiocha

This week on Mission CTRL, Ramon and the Flight Crew sat down with the Executive Director of CT Next, Onyeka “Ony” Obiocha.  Born and raised in Windsor Connecticut, Ony’s interest in entrepreneurship was sparked by his father who arrived home one evening with dozens of gum ball machines and announced he would be placing them in local barber shops throughout Connecticut.  Ony’s first foray into entrepreneurship failed fabulously but, if you’re not failing you’re not learning.  Upon graduating from the University of Connecticut, Ony became intrigued with the concept of using economic enterprises to solve social ills.   Ony initially thought the idea of selling coffee beans and opening a brick and mortar shop was ludicrous, but that’s exactly what he ended up doing.  After only a year in business they were recognized by the National Retail Federation as one of the most innovative retail spaces in the country.  Ony’s work created an incredible buzz on Yale’s campus, prompting a professor to leave the hallowed halls of Yale University and visit “A Happy Life” coffee roasting company and offer him a position as a teaching ‘fellow’.  Ony consults for entrepreneurship service organizations in Budapest and Beijing, and his work has been featured in Fast Company, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Take Magazine.  Tune in as Ramon and Ony launch into a fascinating discussion about the intersection of pop culture, content creation, innovation and using culture as the front door to entrepreneurship. . . Find Mission CTRL on Anchor, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and our website. Mission CTRL aims to ignite the innovative spirit inside us all through providing budding and successful entrepreneurs and community leaders with a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Tune in every Wednesday and catch up with the team at Peralta Design as we unleash the origin stories behind some exceptional leaders, share marketing/branding insights, and navigate the ever-changing currents of pop culture. Subscribe for weekly branding and entrepreneurial content here!  To learn more about Peralta Design's work visit peraltadesign.com. #welaunchbrands #digitalagency #mbeagency #mbe #digital #branding #marketing #web #startups #creative #BrandU #w2 #fulltime #leadership #contentcreator #contentstrategy #marketingstrategy #entrepreneurs #business #launchyourbrand