Founding DC

Apothékary sells one tincture every 90 seconds on TikTok. That's not luck — it's nine months of disciplined investment before a single dollar came back.Shizu Okusa is the founder of Apothékary, a nature-based wellness brand she built from zero to $40 million in revenue and into 1,800 retail doors in six years. But her origin story is not what you'd expect. She walked away from a Wall Street trading desk to work on a banana farm in Mozambique for $30 a day.Dan and Shizu dig into why, how Shizu stays immune to praise and criticism, the cost of blind spots and what second-time founders still get wrong.This is a conversation about believing in yourself before anyone else does — and what it looks like to build a company rooted in both numbers and humanity.If you're a founder, entrepreneur or business leader looking for lessons on leadership, resilience, scaling and building something that matters, this is the conversation for you. Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Think of Gov. Wes Moore as Maryland’s chief entrepreneurial officer. He didn't take a traditional path to the top. He served in a combat zone in Afghanistan, built an edtech company, wrote multiple bestselling books and became Maryland's first Black governor by running as an anti-establishment Democrat, initially polling at less than 1%. In this episode, the governor leaves the politics at the door and talks with host Dan Simons as a founder, leader and entrepreneur. They discuss what military service teaches you about startup culture, how to lead a 60,000-person organization while still moving like a startup, what it takes to rebrand an entire state, how mission-driven leaders measure success and why the best entrepreneurs are the ones who climb without a rope. If you're a founder, entrepreneur or business leader looking for lessons on leadership, resilience, scaling and building something that matters, this is the conversation for you. Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and watch the full episode on YouTube.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reinvention isn’t a setback. It’s a strategy. Award-winning chef and beloved TV personality, Carla Hall, shares the mindset that helped her pivot careers, build an authentic brand and keep growing. For her, success isn’t linear. It’s built through intentional choices, learning from failure and trusting your voice. This episode is packed with practical insights, including why failure is just experience in disguise, how knowing yourself fuels better decisions, why joy is a competitive advantage and when to walk away and start fresh. This is an episode entrepreneurs won’t want to miss. Hall reminds us that we don’t win by avoiding change. We win by leaning into it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raised in Washington, D.C., amid hustle and ambition, KJ Hughes turned life lessons into what the world was missing: Manifest is a cultural connector that blends barbershop, speakeasy, restaurant and high-end fashion into a new model for belonging.As founder and CEO, KJ reveals how his early life shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and why relationships have become his greatest business asset. We learn how solving real human problems led him from promoting parties and managing elite athletes to building one of D.C.’s most innovative destinations.It’s a must-listen for entrepreneurs ready to build businesses with purpose, resilience and lasting impact.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Forget overnight success. David Trone built Total Wine & More into a $6 billion, category-defining retailer spanning 30 states — without outside investment. In this episode, he breaks down the deliberate strategies behind pricing innovation, regulatory navigation, operational rigor and people-first systems in one of America’s most complex retail industries. It’s a masterclass for entrepreneurs focused on durable advantage, margin discipline and long-term value creation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael O’Neil, Founder, Get WellBusiness opportunities sometimes hide in plain sight. This founder had a vision, from his hospital bed, and capitalized on it — big time. This episode is about transforming fear into purpose and how one life-altering moment became the reason to build something that would help millions and make millions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From washing dishes at a Tenleytown D.C. restaurant to founding one of the region’s most successful insurance firms, Alan Meltzer’s entrepreneurial arc is anything but predictable. In this episode of Founding DC, host Dan Simons explores how a local restaurateur became a titan in the insurance world. Alan shares how he built The Meltzer Group from the ground up, what drove his early-morning hustle and why he ultimately sold to NFP, one of the largest brokers globally. But Alan’s story goes beyond business. As one of the DC area’s most generous philanthropists, he opens up about the causes that fuel his giving and the values that shaped his journey.Whether you're building a business or looking to give back, this episode offers insights from a life lived with purpose — and a 4:30ish alarm clock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From co-founder of one restaurant in Rockville, Maryland, to CEO of a multibillion-dollar public company with 400-plus locations nationwide, Brett Schulman’s journey with CAVA is anything but ordinary.On this episode of Founding DC, host Dan Simons sits down with Schulman to unpack how a local entrepreneur scaled a Mediterranean fast-casual concept into a national powerhouse. From investment banking to grocery aisles, Brett shares the pivotal moments, challenges and mindset shifts that have shaped his path to success.Whether you’ve dined at CAVA or just spotted their products on shelves, this conversation dips deep — revealing the grit behind the growth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special episode of Founding DC, we’re flipping the script. Our usual host, Dan Simons — restaurateur and co-owner of the Founding Farmers Restaurant Group — takes a turn in the hot seat. Guest host Joe Ferraro, creator of the acclaimed One Percent Better podcast, steps in to lead the conversation.Joe dives deep into Dan’s journey, uncovering how he rebounded from his first restaurant failure to build a thriving enterprise generating over $100 million in annual revenue. It’s a thought-provoking conversation about the resilience and drive to keep forging forward as your business vision takes shape.Tune in to meet our entrepreneur in residence like you’ve never heard him before.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What comes after Olympic gold? For Dominique Dawes — three-time Olympian, trailblazing gymnast and now founder of a growing gymnastics academy — the answer is greater purpose. In this episode, host Dan Simons sits down with Dominique to unpack her remarkable transition from elite athlete to mission-driven entrepreneur launching a youth-focused business, scaling it with intention and redefining success. Dominique shares how the toxic culture and abuse she endured helped shape her vision for the Dominique Dawes Academy, a movement-first gymnastics and ninja program rooted in mental health, confidence and community.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looking for a crash course in what to do when your young business takes off and you want to build a national brand without selling out? Then, this is the episode for you. Host Dan Simons sits down with Katherine Kallinis Berman and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne, the sisters who co-founded and co-own Georgetown Cupcake and starred in the popular TV series, “DC Cupcakes.” They share the unfrosted truth about how they survived the early go-go years and kept their business growing while keeping true to their vision and core values, millions of cupcakes later. Learn how they managed explosive early growth, maintained quality standards during rapid expansion and built sustainable systems that still power their success today. These battle-tested strategies are essential listening for entrepreneurs ready to scale without compromising their vision.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Live in the future. It’s a core belief for David Gardner, who founded The Motley Fool in 1993 with his brother, Tom. David likes best to be known as the financial services business’s chief rule breaker. That and his absolute belief that the future will be bright — “optimism is the rational call” — make him a bit unique in the investment world. Discover why this drives his approach to investing, both from a personal and an entrepreneurial perspective. Plus, host Dan Simons had the chance to read a pre-release version of David’s new book, Rule Breaker Investing, out this fall — so you get a sneak peek too!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Disruptive framing. Yes, indeed. Susan Tynan launched Framebridge as an online custom framing business in 2014. Today, with 3 million custom frames produced, Framebridge has grown into an omnichannel company with some 40 storefronts — and more than 600 employees. Find out how Susan keeps pushing forward, figuring out when to say yes and also, critically, no. She reveals how she maintains her passion for her business and taps into emotional realness to continually create experiences and products that bring her customers joy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark Ein has two passions: sports and helping launch companies. We dig into both to discover how he created, invested in and bought several companies over the course of his 30-year career. Mark is one of the founding partners in the team that acquired the Washington Commanders NFL franchise. He founded Washington Kastles Tennis. And he’s executive chairman of Kastle Systems. Mark shares what entrepreneurial persistence really looks like (psst: think cold night sweats).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does it take to start an organic ice tea company — twice? In our inaugural episode, we find out from activist entrepreneur Seth Goldman. Seth was a co-founder of Honest Tea (kin to Honest Kids), which Coca Cola bought and then discontinued. Seth and his partners, Spike Mendelsohn and Barry Nalebuff, have come back strong with Just Ice Tea. Seth is also the chairman of the board of Beyond Meat. You don’t want to miss this first Founding DC chat about remaining optimistic and pressing ahead in businesses born of a passion to be a force for good and to please customers.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get inside the brains (and hearts) of local founders of some of the most successful business ventures in and around the nation’s capital. What didn’t happen? What did? What would they like a do-over on? What failures and flops led to something better than imagined? What’s their next move? These candid conversations — led by entrepreneur and restaurateur Dan Simons — reveal the highs, lows and in-betweens that come with nurturing an idea and building it into a thriving enterprise. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.