PODCAST · business
Finding Founders
by Finding Founders
A podcast about vulnerability and entrepreneurship — learn from the life stories of founders 🚀, activists ✊, and even drug lords 💊 Our aim is to inspire you and let's face it... you aren't inspired when you hear about success. Real inspiration comes from hearing someone's lowest moment, and rising with their success. Using music, sfx, and voiceover, we interview the founders of companies, movements, and even drug cartels to reveal vulnerability so you can learn from victory. I’m your host, Samuel Donner, and together with my team we aim to inspire and educate a global community of leaders.
Episodes
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From $0 to $25M Jewelry Events: Reinvention, Resilience & AI Storytelling w/ Theresa Bruno - #225
In this emotional and inspiring episode, Theresa Bruno recounts her extraordinary journey from Juilliard-trained concert pianist to award-winning creative director and founder of a multi-million-dollar fine jewelry brand. After a career-ending injury, she pivoted into advertising, secured major...
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The Joy-Driven Inventor — Kevin Surace on Building 5 Companies, Revolutionizing Tech & AI Video #224
In this episode, we sit down with Kevin Surace, a legendary inventor, keynote speaker, and the man credited with creating the world’s first virtual assistant—technology that would eventually power Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. With 94 patents under his belt and a track record of turning…
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How an Attorney Became a NYT Best-Selling Author…With a Cookbook- #153 Joanne Molinaro | Creators
Only a year after joining social media, Joanne Molinaro would become a New York Times bestseller for “The Korean Vegan Cookbook”— but when she was crying in her car, stressed about her job, her divorce, and future, this eventual reality seemed like a fantasy. Now, Joanne is one of leading voices…
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How France's #1 Song Became a Fart Themed Ringtone - #154: Christian Buttner | Creators
We all start somewhere…and for christian, that start was a best-selling, chart-topping, fart-themed ringtone. Now, with over 1.7 billion views on YouTube, 6 million subscribers, and 3 million monthly Spotify listeners, Christian-better known as TheFatRat- has outgrown this early legacy and made…
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Lessons from Losing a Mentor: Omar Alvarez on Startups, AI Family Stories & Life | #223 Kinnect
In this episode, Omar Alvarez, founder of Kinnect, shares his incredible journey from growing up amid gang violence in Chicago to breaking into Nike’s ultra-competitive hiring pipeline—beating a 0.5% acceptance rate. He dives into his experiences as a Division 1 athlete, surviving a Twitter mass...
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Why 20 Subs is Enough to Quit Your Job And Pursue YouTube- #142: Hunter Williams | Creators
Hunter Williams witnessed his mother’s diagnosis, prognosis, decline, and passing in the span of only two months and two weeks. And at the end of the summer of 2016, he suddenly found himself stranded in the middle of his life, unable to move forward in any direction. Fast forward to today and...
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From $30,000 Debt to an 8-Figure AI Publishing Empire – The Yehuda Niv Playbook | #222 Spines
In this episode, Yehuda Niv, founder of Spines and Niv Publishing, shares his entrepreneurial journey from a struggling musician to a publishing disruptor. Yehuda details how he built Israel’s largest publishing house, scaling it to over 1,200 books a year, and later transitioned into AI-powered...
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From $1M in Debt to Financial Freedom: Chris Miles’ Money-Making Playbook | #220 - ChrisMiles | MoneyRipples
In this episode, we sit down with Chris Miles, CEO of Money Ripples, who shares his journey from financial advisor to financially free entrepreneur – twice. Chris opens up about how he built a successful career, lost it all in the 2008 financial crisis, and came back stronger by developing...
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From Obscurity to Viral Horror: The YouTube Growth Strategies Behind Gemini Home Entertainment | #221: Remy Abode | Gemini Home Entertainment
In this episode, we dive deep into the mind of Remy Abode, the creator of Gemini Home Entertainment, a critically acclaimed YouTube horror anthology series with over 348,000 subscribers and 14.4 million views. We explore Remy's early inspirations, including his childhood fascination with horror...
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Reluctant Disrupter: How an Entrepeneur Went From Torrents to TextNow | #231 Derek Ting | Text Now
Derek Ting began his entrepreneurial journey in high school, founding two companies: TorrentReactor, a torrent-sharing platform, and WoolNet, a web hosting service. He later earned a degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo. In 2008, Derek launched TextNow to provide free...
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Browness, World Travel , and the Artistic Experience- #176: Linda Vallejo | Creators
Linda has experienced a lot. She’s traveled the world as an army brat, played piano and sung in Led Zeppelin's tour bus, explored drugs as an “X rated hippie”, and worked to understand her Latin American, Chicano, and Indigenous roots through her art. Through these various paintings, sculpture…
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How Chickpeas Met Shanghai's Eat Well Movement | #162 Jimmy Edgerton & Julie Meyer | Creators
You just heard from Jimmy Edgerton about a crucial time in his entrepreneurship career, a moment when it seemed like his new startup was going down in roasted chickpea flames. Luckily, these hard times didn’t last forever, since today I’m presenting a special episode, a podcast swap with seasoned...
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Partnering with Cesar Millan & Mr. Beast: How Spot Insured 500,000 Pets | Trey Ferro #230 | Spot Pet
Trey Ferro, CEO of Spot Pet Insurance, turned a lifelong love for animals into a mission to revolutionize pet care. From mimicking animal sounds as a toddler to raising millions in funding for Spot, Trey’s journey blends personal passion with innovative leadership. Using AI and celebrity...
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Building the Machine: How this Man's Journey Leads Amazing Tech | #229 Jeremy Toeman | Augie Studios
Tech has always been a part of Jeremy Toeman’s life. Loving math at a young age allowed Jeremy to want to continue his career path in the tech industry. Jeremy learned basic C++ programming during elementary school. Today he owns Augie Studio, a programmed AI system able to make videos for...
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How to Create a Best-Selling YA Series with No Money- #137: Kimberly Derting | Creators
Despite having two hit book series under her belt, it was at this moment that Kimberly caught a glimpse of the publishing industry’s true nature. The world of literature had a short term memory and she was only as good as her most recent book’s sales. No matter how proud she was of her stories or...
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How Inventing a Drinking Game Almost Bankrupted This Creator- #148 Ali Spagnola | Creators
You just heard Ali describing one of her breaking points, where a battle for a copyright claim over one of her creations caused her to file a lawsuit. Now, Ali Spagnola, musician, comedian, and artist, has proved herself to be a creator you can’t look away from. With her eccentric dedication to...
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Haunted Houses, Writing Horror, and Winning Stoker Awards | #228 Lisa Morton | Author
Writer, Halloween expert, paranormal historial, and bookseller, Lisa Norton’s entire life is defined by the genre she has devoted her career to. Beginning as a young child in Pasadena consuming a large amount of horror content, she now loves to set her prose in her hometown, creating stories of...
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Horseback riding, SNL greenrooms, Brain Hemorrhages, and Aligning Capitalism with Ethics | #227 Alex Mufson | Entrepeneur
Alex Mufson has always been an entrepreneur, from her first imaginary business she began at the age of three years old to a very real horse training company that she ran nearly a decade. But after experiencing deep frustration with the medical system, she felt led to build a values based business...
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Writing Through Natural Disasters and a Space for Nomads- #182: David Abraham | Destination Outpost
Somehow David has repeatedly found himself at the center of disaster. His most life changing trip through Asia was during the Asian financial crisis, his first big writing opportunity was during the 2008 financial crisis (which resulted in him losing his day job), this earthquake in Japan…
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How to Survive Med School and Make it as a YouTuber- #190: Zach Highley | Creators
Zach put 40 hours into his YouTube debut only to get 10 views and a spam comment. That left him to question his online identity; was this the end of his short-lived YouTube career? I mean there wasn’t much in his favor. He was starting at the height of covid and the worst of med school just…
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Modernizing an 800 Year Old Japanese Tradition- #173: Kyukei Goto | Creators
Kyukei Goto was saddled with massive responsibility from birth. He was the first born son to his father of 50, meaning Goto would have to carry the weight of a tradition going back 28 generations. He comes from a lineage that has perfected the art of Kamakura Buri which is a method of carving…
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The Dog Who Rode the Wave to Fame and Fortune | #226 Ivan Moreira | Surf Dog Family
Growing up near the beach in Rio de Janeiro, Ivan Moreira lived for the water, first learning how to surf at 5 years old. He was a lifelong amateur surfer, but when his dog Bono joined him on his surfboard, the world took notice. At first it was just something fun for the pair of water loving...
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From 37 Rejections to Over 40M Books Sold and a Hit Netflix Show - #156:Daniel Handler | Creators
Disheartened by the 37 rejection letters in his back pocket, Daniel was shocked when a hasty bar-pitch landed him with a $40,000 publishing deal. After all, he was still relatively unknown…and his children’s story was odd to say the least. What kind of kid would want to read a faux (FOE) gothic...
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The $300M Space Junk Problem - #160: Nobu Okada | Astroscale
Kobe Earthquake 1995. At 5:46 in the morning, the city was struck by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake, leaving 6,000 casualties and 45,000 others homeless. Nobu Okada was only just out of college when he witnessed this scene of devastation and decided to turn his life towards a path of action and...
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From Hustling Video Games at 11 to $500M Construction Empire- #225 Damion Lupo | Financial Underdogs
Damion Lupo has always been a hard worker since the age of 11. His first business started when he wanted to buy video games for himself. When he went to college he started another business of selling books at a cheaper price than his school bookstore. Damion was kicked out of college for…
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Black Magic, Boarding School and Bali's First Waterpark- #183: Sayan Gulino | Waterborn Bali
Maybe it was black magic, or maybe it was the locals pushing back on the first signs of foreign development. Regardless, it is a complicated thing to start a business when you are a foreigner. In spite of countless roadblocks, Waterborn stands, and Sayan Gulino, the current CEO of Waterborn Bali,...
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Transforming Lives Through Psychedelic Microdosing- #224 Paul Austin | Third Wave
For Paul Austin, psychedelics are a tool or skill to be used to courageously explore and create. His own psychedelic journey began at the age of 19, and through those journeys, they allowed him to release some of the shame and guilt he’d been raised in within a fundamentalist religious family.…
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From Drive-By Shootings to Chicano Social Movements- #166 Raul Baltazar | Creator
Raul Baltazar wields the power of painting, video, visual art performances, and much more to examine the experiences of the Mestizo Los Angeles Communities, including responses to trauma and post-colonialism. Baltazar has exhibited his community-focused art in LA and internationally, including...
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This Entrepreneur Traveled the World to Help Others Find Themselves- #223 Patrick McAndrew | HARA
After growing up in Ireland, Patrick McAndrew moved to New York City to work in business. But after feeling called to quit his job to start his first business, he became interested in exploring human attention, particularly how we relate to technology. With that question in mind, he founded HARA,...
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From the City to the Set of Alone- #222 Joe Robinet | Bushcraft Survivalist
Growing up in a city with no wilderness at close proximity, Joe Robinet found his love for nature through television shows such as Little House on the Prairie. With over a million subscribers on YouTube, Joe has been sharing his outdoors experiences since 2007. Joe goes on 1 - 2 week camping...
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Can AI Help us Speak to the Past?- #165 Heather Smith | Storyfile
Have you ever wished you could capture a memory forever? Heather Maio-Smith and her team have made this reality through thousands of recorded interviews with Holocaust survivors. After working with them to create interactive testimony exhibits, Heather was inspired to develop new technology that...
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How a Sand Castle Business Thrived in the Pandemic- #221 Janel Hawkins | Sand Castle University
Janel Hawkins was just scrolling on Craigslist looking at jobs when she noticed one hiring sand sculptors, no experience necessary. She worked there through college, but as she was going into her senior year, she decided to blow her life up. In one month she cut her lease, left a bad…
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From Travel Startups during Lockdown to Innovation in Mentorship- #179: Jamie Goulding | Been There
Jamie Goulding has been an entrepreneur & leader since the age of 14. He has led two start-up sales teams to success and been a top salesman wherever his career has taken him, closing more than $2 million in sales. Jamie has now turned his passion for mentoring into a new mentoring platform,...
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Shark Tank Vietnam and Building a Sustainable Company_ #186 : Marina Tran-Vu | EQUO
The Vietnam War put many people in the position to flee Vietnam. Marina Tran-Vu’s parents were one of the millions of people put into the position. Marina’s parents fled to Canada where Marina was born. As a refugee, it was hard to make a living as Marina’s mother worked hard to get their family...
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Herion, Punk Rock, and the Trainspotting Origin Story- #155 Irvine Welsh | Creator
This author holds the title for having written the most shoplifted novel in British publishing history. Meet Irvine Welsh, the author of the critically acclaimed novel “Trainspotting”. Famous for his harrowing depictions of heroin addicts and imbuing them with humanity, it may be no surprise that...
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Broke at 21, $15M at 23, Starting Over at 25- #220 Andrew Spira | Pineapple Investiments
Start-up millionaire nephew of former ABC chair Ita Buttrose, Andrew Spira has not had an easy life. But between the heavy drug use, childhood PTSD, and brushes with the law, he has managed to build several businesses, including a highly successful small loan business, Pineapple Funding, and a…
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Why He needs 10,000 Calories a Day...- #219 James Webb | Competitive Eating
James Webb is a competitive eater from Australia who has completed over 400 food challenges and consumes as much 10,000 calories a day. As the #1 competitive eater in Australia and #5 in the world, James has learned how to navigate eating large amounts of food while maintaining his health,...
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Becoming Hot Dog Eating World Champion- #218: Patrick Bertoletti | Competitive Eating
Patrick Bertoletti‘s ability to eat large amounts of food took him from an insecure teen to the high-competition circuit of professional eating. He competed in 47 contests in one year at the height of his Major League Eating career, from state fairs to the stage of America’s Got Talent, where he...
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Why A Famous Comedian Still Bags Groceries - Josh Johnson | Comedian
You just heard Josh Johnson recalling the moment where his worst nightmare came true: after finally stepping away from his safety net, he found himself jobless with the rug yanked out from under him. Now well known for his performances on Conan and Comedy Central, his tours with Trevor Noah, and…
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How a Magic Trick got 21M Followers- Sean Sotaridona | Creators
Watching as he racked up tens of thousands of new fans over the course of the day, Sean Sotaridona let out a sigh of relief he didn’t even know he was holding. This success, this new and unexpected online stage, was what he had been looking for all his life. It only took him 16 years to find it....
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Chilling with Will Smith, Becoming a CamBoy, & 1M+ on YouTube- #217: Kevin Langue | @KevinLangue
From dreams of being in the NBA to personal assistant of multiple Hollywood stars, then a waiter, and finally becoming a YouTube sensation, Kevin Langue’s career path has been anything but conventional. Known for his genuine and fun-filled content, Kevin has always stayed true to being himself on...
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Chasing Ghosts, YouTube Stardom, & Selling Shows to Marvel- #216: Joshua Ovenshire | TheJovenshire
Imagine being launched into YouTube stardom within hours… From his first channel playing video games with friends to joining SMOSH and co-hosting Smosh Gaming, Josh Ovenshire, better known as Joven, quickly became a pivotal figure in YouTube Gaming Channels. Smosh Gaming showed there was an...
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How this Ballet Prodigy Became a YouTube Icon- #215: Mari Takahashi | AtomicMari
Mari Takahashi’s first video for SMOSH, a YouTube sketch comedy channel, wasn’t immediately met with praise. And this gig was far on the side – she had a legitimate career as a professional ballet dancer. Youtube stardom wasn’t even a consideration… but eventually she’d have to make a choice.…
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The Viral King of New York (1.3B+ Views)- Caleb Simpson | Creators
It’s not every day Barbara Corcoran slides into your dms, but for Caleb Simpson this was suddenly the new normal. Now, if this name is sounding familiar at all, it’s because you’ve probably met Caleb before….on your For You page. Known for his casual house tours and the signature question “how…
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How One Woman Funds 700 Artists- #214: Jan Williamson | 18th Street Arts Center
Jan Williamson is a dedicated artist and community leader who’s transformed Southern California's art scene over three decades. As the executive director of the 18th Street Arts Center, she has grown the organization into the region's largest artist residency center, supporting nearly 700…
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This Artist Professionally Makes Shit Art- #213: Sean Andrews | Shit Art Club
This project, Shit Art Club, started from creative expression in high school. But from a high school rebellious art project, it grew into a thriving artistic community in Downtown Los Angeles. Dedicated to genuine creative expression, Shit Art Club rejects conventional form and function…
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How This Actor Created a Successful Woodworking Shop- #212: Eric Clem | LA Woodshop
Despite thinking his career was shattered by his injury, Eric Clem continued to follow his passion for woodworking. In 2010, Eric was able to mix his love for archery and woodworking through Bowyer Brooklyn, where he sold handcrafted bows and arrows to the people of New York. He would eventually...
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How a Food Blog Led to LA’s Largest Open Air Food Market- #211: Zach Brooks | Smorgasburg LA
Midtown Lunch was a hit but we’ll come back to that later… because before Zach Brooks was looking for hidden gems in food he was looking for gems in music. Zach’s career would go from radio to food blogging, to eventually becoming the general manager at Smorgasburg where he operates the largest...
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From Penniless to Premier: Shaping LA's Top Photography School- #210: Julia Dean | Projecting L.A.
So if you don’t know Berenice Abbott was a famous photographer known for capturing New York's transformation from low-rise to skyscraper-filled in the 1930s. Julia’s apprenticeship with this renowned photographer was just the beginning. Despite facing financial constraints, Julia's determination...
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How a Pandemic Pivot Made $5,000,000 a Month- #209: Adam Pisk | BruntWork Outsourcing
Amidst Covid lockdown disruptions, Adam Pisk navigated the challenge of keeping his Manila-based business running. Recognizing opportunities, he swiftly spearheaded the development of an online store for a major Supermarket, followed by a similar success with one of Australia's leading fashion...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast about vulnerability and entrepreneurship — learn from the life stories of founders 🚀, activists ✊, and even drug lords 💊 Our aim is to inspire you and let's face it... you aren't inspired when you hear about success. Real inspiration comes from hearing someone's lowest moment, and rising with their success. Using music, sfx, and voiceover, we interview the founders of companies, movements, and even drug cartels to reveal vulnerability so you can learn from victory. I’m your host, Samuel Donner, and together with my team we aim to inspire and educate a global community of leaders.
HOSTED BY
Finding Founders
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Finding Founders have?
Finding Founders currently has 348 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Finding Founders about?
A podcast about vulnerability and entrepreneurship — learn from the life stories of founders 🚀, activists ✊, and even drug lords 💊 Our aim is to inspire you and let's face it... you aren't inspired when you hear about success. Real inspiration comes from hearing someone's lowest moment, and...
How often does Finding Founders release new episodes?
Finding Founders publishes regularly with 348 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Finding Founders?
You can listen to Finding Founders on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Finding Founders?
Finding Founders is created and hosted by Finding Founders.
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