Venture unscripted.

In this episode of Venture unscripted., Josh Barker, Founder and CEO of City Innovations, talks with Mike Gatny, the Chief Operating Officer at Connamara. The episode revolves around Mike’s journey not only in software development but how he helped Connamara shift from service-oriented goals into product-oriented success.➡️ For more information about City Innovations visit: https://cityinnovations.com/➡️ For more information about Connamara visit: https://www.connamara.com/⭐️ Follow us for more great venture stories, advice, and news! ⭐️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cityinnovations/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cityinnovationlabs/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cityinnovationlabs/

In the latest Venture unscripted., City Innovation’s Josh Barker sat down with the co-CEOs of Atomic Object, Mike Marsiglia and Shawn Crowley, to dissect some of their extensive insights into the world of custom software development.Check out the podcast to learn about Mike and Shawn’s experiences navigating the complexities of software innovation and business growth in the ever-evolving tech landscape.➡️ For more information about City Innovations visit: https://cityinnovations.com/➡️ For more information about Atomic Object visit: https://atomicobject.com/⭐️ Follow us for more great venture stories, advice, and news! ⭐️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cityinnovations/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cityinnovationlabs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cityinnovationlabs/

Adaptability and the ability to embrace change are essential qualities for success. In this episode of Venture unscripted., podcast host Josh Barker sat down with business leader Ron Neary, to dive into his invaluable insight on how to generate success through adaptability. Ron has been in the business world for nearly 30 years, and has held leadership roles in everything from sales to marketing to product development to operations — in both publicly traded and private equity companies. Now, as the owner of his own consulting business, Ron helps businesses identify their issues and implement creative solutions to help them generate success.​ ➡️ For more information about City Innovations visit: https://cityinnovations.com/➡️ For more information about Ron Neary Consulting Solutions visit: https://www.ronneary.com/⭐️ Follow us for more great venture stories, advice, and news! ⭐️LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cityinnovations/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cityinnovationlabs/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cityinnovationlabs/

For many of us, pets are more than just animals who live in our homes — they’re family. And when it comes to taking care of family, you have to do it the right way. In this edition of Venture unscripted., podcast host Josh Barker sits down with the co-founders of Vetr, a mobile veterinary care service that was developed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their story of “zero to one” and entrepreneurship during a tumultuous time reveals their spirit of innovation, adaptability, and passion for pets all over the world. Listen to the podcast to learn how pivoting their business strategy led to revolutionizing their venture.

What if you could get the cheat code to successful entrepreneurship? Would you play to win? Or would you enjoy the journey and explore the side quests?In this edition of Venture unscripted., podcast host Josh Barker sits down with world-renowned gamification expert, developer, and author Yu-kai Chou for insights on how to gamify entrepreneurship, what his journey has looked like over the years, and what advice he has for other entrepreneurs looking for their big break.

No two journeys of innovation and entrepreneurship will look the same. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a creative thinker, or simply someone eager to learn from those who have walked unconventional paths, understanding how your collective experience can inform your journey might completely change your trajectory. This is exactly what happened for our latest guest of Venture unscripted.Podcast host Josh Barker sits down with Taryn Kutches, the Vice President of Brand and Business Development at Twisthink. This episode delves into Taryn's remarkable journey through entrepreneurship, her current role at Twisthink, and how she drove innovation by bringing design and technology together — offering listeners insights into her dynamic experiences and the lessons she's learned along the way.✳️ Interested in learning more about Tech Week Grand Rapids? Visit: www.techweekgr.com➡️ For more information about City Innovations visit: www.cityinnovations.com➡️ For more information about Twisthink visit: www.twisthink.com

If you’re looking for instant success, the world of startups might not be for you. When you have an idea that you want to make into a reality, it will take time and a healthy dose of persistence. In this edition of Venture unscripted., City Innovations CEO, Josh Barker, sat down with Todd Kuslikis, a health and fitness entrepreneur with plenty of advice to share with startups just kicking off their journey.

Entrepreneurship can be a difficult, but often rewarding roller coaster ride. One moment, you could be flying high and the next, you might be at the very bottom of a dip. And depending on the coaster design, you might go full circle. So, are you up for the ride?In this edition of Venture unscripted., podcast host Josh Barker sits down with Matt Gira, Director of Student Programming at the Tsai Center of Innovative Thinking at Yale and Founder of Station, to learn more about taking his venture from “zero to one,” and what that roller coaster journey looked like for him.

Entrepreneurship is an extraordinary journey. The ups, downs, and everything in between often determines where your ventures go and how well they succeed. In this edition of Venture unscripted., podcast host Josh Barker sits down with longtime entrepreneur and filmmaker John Pottenger to talk about what a 20-year career in entrepreneurship entails and the lessons John has learned along the way.

Every team, venture, and startup has a story to tell. In this special edition of Venture unscripted., podcast host Josh Barker looks inward at City Innovations’ team to pick the brain of Thad Senti, Chief Digital Officer at the company.Thad has a unique entrepreneurial history and brings a special kind of experience and perspective to the table that makes City Innovations a strong team. He also goes in-depth about how his career started, how his company first launched, and tips for entrepreneurs when first creating their venture.

According to 2022 data from Statista, there are over 70 million freelancers in the United States. In 2028, that number is predicted to jump up to a whopping 90 million. But where do all these people work? Of course, some work from home. But wouldn’t that get distracting? And for those who don’t have a home office, where do they work? Surely, not all of them work at a coffee shop every single day. Instead, coworking spaces have been revolutionizing the way people work — giving freelancers shared office space and the opportunity to join a community. In this episode of Venture unscripted., Josh Barker, CEO of City Innovations, sat down with Alysha Lach White, Founder and CEO of Little Space Studio — a coworking venture focused on serving the needs of creative entrepreneurs — to talk about how the venture got started, what makes it unique, and some key advice to those looking to start their own business. 

Many people believe "If you build it, they will come.” But that’s almost never the case when it comes to building a venture. So, what does the journey from startup to first customer look like, and how do you become successful in the process? In this edition of Venture unscripted., City Innovations CEO, Josh Barker, sat down with Dr. Mac Adkins, Founder and Chief Academic Officer of SmarterServices, to talk all about the journey from 0 to 1, what that journey looked like for their company, and the role entrepreneurs can play in the education space.

Facing complex challenges can put a serious strain on a team. Far too often, a series of seemingly endless meetings leave people frustrated and with little to show for their efforts. But what if there was a proven method for tackling problems that everyone on your team can adopt? A way that leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs could collaborate to drive innovative problem-solving in any organization?Luckily, there is. It’s called “FrameShifting” and in this episode of Venture unscripted., City Innovations’ CEO, Josh Barker, sat down with Communications Consultant and Co-Author, Mary O’Connor Shaw, to talk about her book, FrameShifting: Unleashing the Power of Frameworks to Solve Tough Problems. Mary also shares some insights on problem framing, the writing process, and words of wisdom for innovators with big dreams.Read the podcast recap: https://cityinnovations.com/frameshifting-an-entrepreneurs-guide-to-innovative-problem-solving-podcast-recap/

What does innovation look like? How does innovation inspire change and growth? In this episode of Venture unscripted., City Innovations CEO Josh Barker sat down with Jennifer Garbos, the Design Engineering Manager at Hallmark.Josh and Jennifer dig into the intersection of work and entrepreneurship, while providing insight into how Hallmark continues to emerge as an innovation company: the process, what technology they’re looking at next, and what human-centered design means to their organization. Finally, Jennifer shares some tips on how to move a company like Hallmark, forward in the innovation arena. *This Podcast was originally recorded in 2020.*Read the podcast recap: https://cityinnovations.com/how-hallmark-embraces-innovation-as-a-company/

There are over 42,000 pieces of space debris orbiting the earth. Unable to perform their original function, this debris poses a risk of colliding with other working objects in orbit and setting off other untrackable cascading collisions.How does one solve this issue? Can anything be done?In this episode of Ventures unscripted., Josh Barker, CEO of City Innovations, sat down with Troy Morris, Co-Founder and Director of Operations, Austin Morris, Co-Founder and Director of Engineering, and Adam Kall, Co-Founder and Director of Technology of Kall Morris Inc (KMI) to talk about how they started their venture to solve for the growing amount orbital space debris, what challenges they have overcome, and words of advice to other entrepreneurs looking to start a venture. Click here to read the podcast recap. 

Having to awkwardly ask a stranger to take a photo of you while on vacation is never on someone’s bucket list. What’s worse is taking a selfie and missing the beautiful monument behind you. Or even more dreadful — a member of your group isn’t in the photo because they have to take the photo.Luckily, you no longer have to go through the pain of missing out on your favorite vacation spot — Look@’s selfie sculpture will do it for you.Josh Barker, CEO of City Innovations, sat down with Luka Vukovic, Founder of Look@, to discuss how the company started, how they tested their product, a look forward to what’s next for the company, and more. Click here to read the podcast recap.

If you’ve been following college sports, you’ll remember that the NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved the “Name, Image, and Likeness” (NIL) policy in June of 2021. This allows student-athletes to make money for their name, image, and likeness. From signing endorsement deals, to selling products, to running clinics — they are now able to generate funds by creating their own brand, which was previously illegal.In this episode of Venture unscripted., Josh Barker, CEO of City Innovations, sat down with Thomas Coke, CEO of Varsity Gems to learn how his company combines NIL policy with NFTs, how to handle a two-sided market, and 7 pieces of advice that every entrepreneur should follow when creating a startup.Click here to read the recap blog.

Originally recorded in April 2020. Nature and business have become more intertwined than ever. Not only does it provide a source of inspiration, but it is also a resource that is in need of protection as population size and consumption grows.In this episode of Venture unscripted., Josh Barker, CEO of City Innovations, sat down with Nicole Miller, Managing Director at Biomimicry 3.8 to talk about the role of corporate social responsibility, how to pull creative ideas from the natural world and how we can use the environment to impact innovation.Click here to read the full Biomimicry 3.8 podcast recap.

This podcast was originally recorded in June 2019. With multiple moving pieces, people, and processes, creating innovation at the corporate level can be challenging. In this episode of Venture unscripted., Josh Barker, CEO of City Innovations, sat down with Matteo Dariol, the Lead Innovation Strategist at Bosch Rexroth to chat about how Bosch has been able to create an innovation framework that inspires employees and tips on how to incorporate innovation at your organization.Click here to read the full Bosch Rexroth podcast recap.

This podcast was originally recorded in August 2019. Brand perception is one of the most instrumental keys to consumer success. We’ve all been there — scrolling endlessly until something catches our attention and draws us in. Sometimes, we buy particular products based on appearance — it’s not always the quality that influences our buying decisions. Sometimes, the brands that are quickest to build appeal or answer questions are the ones to influence buying decisions. Max Juster, Brand Director at Anheuser-Busch (most famously known for Budweiser), has experienced this first-hand.Click here to read the full Anheuser-Busch podcast recap.

In the past hundred years, the population of the contiguous United States has shifted from living in mostly rural areas to urban and suburban areas. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, urban areas make up only 3% of the entire land area of the country but are home to more than 80% of the population. Whereas 97% of the country’s landmass is rural but only 19.3% of the population lives there. And that population is dwindling with each passing year. With that in mind, Dirk armed himself with a camera and microphone and embarked on a five-state journey to extract the history of the American countryside, the modern challenges of living in isolated places, and the remarkable beauty in one of the least visited regions of the country.  Click here to read the full Route 2 Elsewhere podcast recap.

Across the globe, we all need access to great healthcare. The need is especially urgent in the midst of poverty-stricken communities.  But how does a social entrepreneur help solve this? Where does one start?These are the questions that Dr. Stephen Letchford and Wesley Brown grappled with over the past few decades. And these are the issues that inspired them to create their social for-impact venture, Banda Health, and release an online health information technology system, BandaGo, that transforms frontline health clinics, providing cloud-based digital solutions to get the most out of available resources. Click here to read the full Banda Health podcast recap.

We’re all familiar with it — the almost always uncomfortable, awkward conversation when a family member or friend asks to borrow money. Will they be mad if you say no? Do you trust them to pay you back? Why did they have to ask you in the first place?Well, that’s exactly where Brian Bristol found himself in early 2020 when a family member asked to borrow a large sum of money. But instead of letting it become another uncomfortable conversation, the situation inspired him to create his business venture, Pigeon Loans — the easiest way for friends and family to set up contracted loans between each other online from over 30 countries.Click here to read the full Pigeon Loans podcast recap.