Spark

Episodes

1. 6

   Post-Pandemic Online Entrepreneurship Trends

   In this episode, Nico introduces Ainsley, the podcast's future host. They discuss how entrepreneurship has grown especially in the online sphere since the pandemic. They also cover how certain types of online entrepreneurship like selling courses and drop shipping have become more popular.

   May 13, 2024

   31m
2. 5

   National Expansion with Gabriel Fleury

   Gabriel Fleury shares his experience creating DeepPurpl, an Acai Bowl restaurant in Chicago. From opening days before the pandemic to national expansion, DeepPurpl has had a challenging road to success.

   Feb 27, 2024

   26m
3. 4

   A Gen-Z Start To Entrepreneurship with Riz Zaheer

   In this episode, Riz Zaheer joins us to discuss his many ventures. His entrepreneurial spirit was especially ignited during the quarantine in 2020 when he built an e-commerce brand from scratch—with zero capital.

   Dec 25, 2023

   46m
4. 3

   Freelance Entrepreneurship with Mike Zingg

   Mike Zingg, a senior at LUC shares his entrepreneurial journey as a photographer. What started as a hobby turned into freelancing and eventually a self-made company. This and more in our conversation with Mike.

   Dec 5, 2023

   30m
5. 2

   Running a Business as a Student With Jaime Orejuela

   Jaime Orejuela, a senior at Loyola University Chicago majoring in economics, talks to us about his experience at Loyola Limited. Loyola Ltd creates experiential learning opportunities rooted in creativity, innovation, & entrepreneurship. Jaime talks us through the challenges of a young…

   more
   Oct 25, 2023

   22m
6. 1

   What Makes Good Branding with Kevin McGroarty

   In this episode, we talk about the importance of good branding. Companies of all sizes need to differentiate themselves and establish brand identity. Kevin talks us through what makes good branding great and shares some examples. Listen to some tips to improve your business and brand for the future!

   May 7, 2023

   37m
7. Innovation In Finance With Bill Feeley

   In this episode, we talk to Bill Feeley, a seasoned investor. Bill talks about his innovations in the field, from being an early promoter of online trading to creating a trading company that focuses on giving opportunities to ex-convicts. Innovation can be internal and in many cases can be one...

   Apr 6, 2023

   46m
8. Digital Fitness Communities with John Thompson

   A conversation with John Thomson, co-founder of Swol Technologies a social digital fitness company. John shares his path to entrepreneurship and his experience with entrepreneurship during his time at Loyola.

   Mar 14, 2023

   40m
9. Social Media and Entrepreneurship with Dr Jenna Drenten

   We host Dr Jenna Drenten, associate professor at the Quinlan School of Business. Our conversation focuses on how can we use new social media platforms to create a new venture. How can we explore these to make sure that we do our best as consumers, and also as entrepreneurs?

   Feb 27, 2023

   31m
10. Education as an Entrepreneurial Tool with Eve Geroulis

    In this episode, we have a conversation with Professor Eve Geroulis on how education can help shape us into entrepreneurs. We talk about the good and the bad of current education and what changes both institutions and students can make to be more successful.

    Feb 1, 2023

    41m
11. Understanding Consumer Behaviour with Dr. Katherine Sredl

    In today's episode, we discuss consumer behaviour with Dr Katherine Sredl. Understanding trends and how consumers behave is key for any new or existing business. Dr Sredl shares her projections on future trends and the opportunities she sees opening up for new businesses.

    Jan 19, 2023

    24m
12. Intrapreneurship & The Entrepreneurial Mindset With Tyler Thorne

    Tyler Thorne, a successful intrapreneur, talks to us about his experience building something of his own in a large multi-billion dollar tech company. We talk about what being an intrapreneur entails and how we can carry an entrepreneurial mindset everywhere in our lives. This and more on this...

    Nov 28, 2022

    29m
13. 2022 Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge Third Place, Fusion Foods, & Finalists, Fungi Stone

    In the second episode of the season, we welcome 2022 Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge third-place finishers Fusion Foods & Finalists Fungi Stone. We dive deep into their motivations and their ideas and how the challenge helped them boost their ideas into reality. Jonathan Ostroff and Jose...

    Oct 5, 2022

    37m
14. 2022 Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge Winners Tikal & Runners-Up Loop

    To kick off the 2022-2023 academic year we are talking to 2022 Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge Winners Tikal & Runners-Up Loop. We dive deep into their motivations and their ideas and how the challenge helped them boost their ideas into reality. Megan Yamauchi and Tayyaba Ali from Tikal…

    more
    Sep 20, 2022

    25m
15. From Sketch to Product Launch: Arielle Leopold on Building an Athleisure Company While Working Full-Time

    Arielle Leopold's story is proof that you don't have to limit success to just one area of your life. In addition to her full-time corporate job, she runs The Armory United, an athleisure company she launched in the midst of the pandemic. With everyone lounging around at home in their sweatpants…

    more
    Aug 11, 2021

    38m
16. How Ian Dilick Used Twitter to Meet His First Investor and Kickstart His Business for Self-Driving Cars

    At just 19 years old, Ian Dilick formally incorporated Eschaton. The vision for the business was to build the hardware and software for self-driving cars to essentially share data with each other about what they see around them. Not long after incorporating the business, Ian went on to pursue...

    Jul 28, 2021

    32m
17. Mahdi Sahloul on Social Entrepreneurship and Launching Fashion Website Soori as a Student

    Mahdi Sahloul is a Loyola alum who, during his final years of undergrad, launched his own e-commerce fashion website called Soori. Although no longer currently in operation, Soori was a purpose-driven venture with the mission of preserving Syrian culture through eco-friendly and ethically-made...

    Jul 14, 2021

    27m
18. Breaking Down Product Market Fit With Entrepreneurship Instructor April Lane

    April Lane, an entrepreneurship instructor at the Quinlan School of Business, joins this episode to share her expertise on the topic of product market fit. Drawing from over 15 years of experience in the entrepreneurship community, she explains what product market fit is and further illustrates…

    more
    Jun 30, 2021

    32m
19. How Undergraduate Research Led Charles Hardeman to a Business Opportunity and $250,000 in Grant Funding

    In this episode, I am joined by Charles Hardeman, a Loyola alum who co-founded a business with chemistry professor Jacob Ciszek while still in college. This business, Molecular Interfaces, specializes in technological advancements in large-scale displays with a range of applications, such as...

    Jun 16, 2021

    32m
20. Trailer: Introducing Spark

    Welcome to Spark, an entrepreneurship podcast hosted by Ignite Lab at Loyola University Chicago! Listen to hear an overview of the podcast, as well as what you can expect from future episodes. You can find Spark on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you listen to podcasts.

    Jun 9, 2021

    1m