From the Ground Up

Is the Celeb-Founder Era Over? Plus, the Women Back in Charge Feb 17, 2025

In this episode, Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom and editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin host a roundtable discussion with some of the reporters who contributed to Inc. magazine’s 2025 Female Founders issue. They are joined by freelancer writer Issie Lapowsky and senior editor Rebecca Deczynski to discuss how the state of female entrepreneurship is rapidly changing in this political moment.

In putting together the 2025 Female Founders issue of Inc., Diana noticed an interesting phenomenon: There were a significant number of women entrepreneurs who’d bought back their businesses or returned to the helm of their startups after having stepped away. What’s going on? We discuss.

Also: The challenges—and remarkable innovations—of women-founded companies in health care.

And finally! Celebrity business overload! Could 2025 see a shift in strategy, with brands leaning more on social media influencers and fans to reduce their reliance on costly A-list celebrities? What industries are still ripe for celebrity founders? Which are essentially over? And, the eternal question: What’s the real ROI for a brand when it enlists a celebrity co-founder or spokesperson?

Additional research and information:

Inc.’s 2024 Female Founder’s list (2025 out soon!)

Listen to Chrisitine’s interview with Anu Duggal about the state of female founders in 2024

To read more from Inc.com about embattled DEI: The Anti-DEI Lawsuit Against the Fearless Fund Was Just Settled

To find out more about Female Founder funding read: What Female Founders Can Do to Raise Money Right Now, Next Year, and Beyond, According to This VC

Jumping Off the Shelf, with Jen Zeszut of Goodles Feb 10, 2025

The serial founder says the legacy pasta brands have made their beds. So she made a new one.

Jen Zeszut’s mac and cheese brand, Goodles, is designed not just to stand out in the aisle—with rainbow-hued packaging amid a sea of beige and blue—but also to carve out a new customer for the classic pasta recipe: young adults who like convenience, but who aim to eat something healthier than your standard boxed fare.

This meant changing adopting new market strategies in addition to creating a nutrient-packed mac and cheese. Jen is not a first-time founder, nor is she a stranger to the consumer packaged goods landscape. She left her role as CEO of the baby food company Cerebelly to launch Goodles in 2021, and the brand has been on the rise ever since. Today, it’s the fastest-growing mac and cheese in the U.S. and the seventh-fastest-growing natural food brand in the U.S. grocery category.

For our mini-serieshighlighting Inc.’s 2025 Female Founders honorees, executive editor Diana Ransom sat down with Jen to discuss Goodles’s rapid growth, scrappy but innovative marketing, bringing in incremental customers, and how she raised $27 million for seed round funding.

Additional research and information:

Inc.’s 2024 Female Founder’s list (2025 out soon!)

Read more on Jen Zeszut and Goodles on Inc.com: If You Cannot Outspend Your Competition, Out-Weird Them

Visit: Goodles

Visit: Goodles’s bio

Jeni Britton’s Sweet Second Act Feb 03, 2025

To kick off our fourth season of From the Ground Up, Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom and editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin are speaking with founders who will be appearing on Inc. magazine’s Female Founders 2025 list. Our first guest is serial entrepreneur Jeni Britton.

She’s best known for rethinking flavor creation in ice cream, and is the founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, which has close to 100 scoop shops around the country and over $150 million in revenue.

During the pandemic, Britton took a step back from day-to-day management of her company—and that got her thinking about her own health. Christine sat down with Jeni to talk about the mental and physical health inspirations for her new business, Floura. Starting up a second time wasn’t the plan—but Jeni explains what her prior experience in retail and culinary experimentation armed her with for this next journey, and what she knows will still be a challenge. Plus: We get a peek into the burgeoning ecosystem of upcycled food, as Jeni explains the unconventional composition of her new fruit-leather bars, which includes watermelon rinds and apple cores.

Additional research and information:

Inc.’s 2024 Female Founder’s list (2025 out soon!)

Read more on Jeni Britton and her new business, Floura, on Inc.com: How the Founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Knew It Was Time for a Second Act

Why Jeni of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Won’t Stop Talking About Fiber

From the Inc.com archives: This Ice Cream Retailer Figured Out How to Turn a Logistical Nightmare Into a Stellar Brand Experience

Visit: Floura.com

Glenfiddich presents the inaugural Legacy Award to Smarsh - FROM INC. STUDIO AND GLENFIDDICH Jan 09, 2025

This is a special segment in collaboration with our partner at Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Inc. Editor-in-Chief Mike Hoffman spoke with Smarsh Founder Stephen Marsh about his remarkable journey, the legacy he has built, and the honor of being the first recipient of the inaugural Legacy Award presented by Glenfiddich at this year's Inc. 5000 gala.

Year In Review Dec 23, 2024

Ah, 2024. So much to say! For our last episode of the season, we analyze the biggest small-business and workplace topics of the past year and highlight what’s on the horizon for 2025. Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom and editor-at-large Chrsitine Lagorio-Chafkin sat down with senior editor Tim Crino, and staff writer Sarah Lynch to discuss the annual changes that have taken place here at Inc., the massive layoffs in the tech sector, DEI backlash, and the generational workplace mismatch between managers and Gen Z employees. Also, we look ahead to Trump’s proposed tariffs and the new wave of crypto hype and scams. Don’t worry, we are optimistic about a few things in the startup landscape, though.

Additional research and information:

To read more from our Inc. 5000 coverage:

How Tiny Changes Have Reaped Enormous Results at America’s Fastest-Growing Company

How Inflation Shaped the Companies of the Inc. 5000

To read our coverage from the tech layoffs:

Employees Are Still Worried About Layoffs

The 2024 Layoff Landscape Is Better Than You Might Think

To read our coverage of Gen Z in the workplace:

Gen-Z Hits Some Bumps as it Enters the Workforce

Are You Leading on Empty? How to Recognize and Combat Manager Burnout

Why Gen-Z Workers Are Consciously ‘Unbossing’

To read our coverage DEI Backlash:

U.S. Workers Might Be Souring on DEI

Here Are the Most Common Anti-DEI Legal Cases Right Now — and What You Need to Know About Them

To read more on tariffs and crypto:

Here’s What Trump Says About Tariffs, and How They Would Work

New Trump Crypto Venture Gets Boost From GOP Candidate Himself

The Alchemy of Branding Dec 16, 2024

If you grew up in the ’90s, the “¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!" chihuahua commercial was inescapable. Remember the vital-to-surfers sunscreen Sun Bum? Both of these memorable branding moments were created by serial entrepreneur Tom Rinks.

Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom sat down with Tom for this episode of From the Ground Up to discuss his unusual path to becoming a branding whiz—and what he’s learned about identifying human desire along the way. His early job of selling furniture taught him how to read people, and his first branding deal, with the University of Michigan’s Fab Five, immersed him in the skills needed to identify talent. Diana and Tom discuss the complex art of brand-creation, company-building, and finding the niche audience who will fiercely love your product. They also discuss Tom’s most recent branding venture, the oral-care line Made by Dentists.

Additional research and information:

Visit: Made By Dentists

Visit: Made by Dentists’s profile

Visit: Made by Dentists’s educational page

Visit: Sun Bum

Visit: Sun Bum’s profile

Brand Building With Ayesha Curry Dec 09, 2024

Honing one's craft. Dedicating many, many hours to perfecting a skill set. Entrepreneurship can, in some ways, resemble the work life of a professional athlete. Ayesha Curry is certainly focused on her burgeoning lifestyle and culinary brand, Sweet July, and the multiple businesses within it—but that’s where she might say the similarities she has with her husband, NBA star Stephen Curry, end.

Whereas Steph brings a calm sense of logic to business and philanthropic decisions, Ayesha says she’s the kind of creative founder who brings passion to a project. In this interview with Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, Ayesha describes how, when building Sweet July, she built in soul: It is designed to empower and celebrate women and BIPOC creators, and multiple arms of the business were inspired by her family’s Jamaican heritage.

Ayesha explains to Christine how she’s navigated her career from aspiring chef to business owner, including the early tumultuous moments in the company, how she delegates responsibility to her small team, and how she creates an atmosphere of autonomy and trust. They also discuss the Currys’ Oakland-based philanthropic endeavor, Eat. Learn. Play., which builds playgrounds, opens access to nutrition, and fosters literacy skills through partnerships with local schools.

Additional research and information:

To read our Inc. 5000 coverage on Ayesha Curry: How Ayesha Curry Cooked Up Her Own Business Empire

Read more on Ayesha Curry on Inc.com: Ayesha Curry Launches a Food Startup, So You Can Eat Like a Golden State Warrior

Visit: Sweet July

To learn more about: Sweet July bio

Visit: Sweet July’s Instagram

Visit: Eat. Learn. Play.

The Year of Disappearing Brands Nov 25, 2024

Have you ever wondered what happened to your favorite kettle chip brand or kombucha in your local supermarket? Don’t see your favorite cranberry sauce for the holidays?

For this episode, Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom and editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin spoke with editor-at-large Tom Foster about his recent article, “Why Are So Many Supermarket Brands Losing Shelf Space?” By the end of last year, the total amount of early-stage venture-capital funding for consumer-product brands was down about 60 percent from its 2021 high. And new product launches were down about 70 percent in the same period, according to consumer-products data provider Spins. What’s going on? Is it a CPG rupture?

Paul Voge, co-founder of the sparkling water brand Aura Bora, told Tom that getting on store shelves “is astronomically harder today.” He adds that “I had a smaller, worse business in 2019, and it was easier to run than my larger, better business today.” One thing’s clear: Gone are the days of consumer-product brands being able to use the strategies of Silicon Valley tech startups to fuel their rapid growth.

This fascinating conversation explains why this is happening in so many supermarkets, how having shelf space for a product in a supermarket is like paying rent for an apartment, and how brands such as Me & the Bees lemonade and Aura Bora are finding ways to thrive in this industry by being creative and navigating their business relationships.

Additional research and information:

Read Tom Foster’s story on Inc.com: Why Are So Many Supermarket Brands Losing Shelf Space?

Read another article from Tom Foster on Inc.com: At This Company, the Free Office Lunches Are So Good, Even Remote Employees Can’t Resist

To learn more about Me & the Bees lemonade and Mikaila Ulmer on Inc.com: Forget an "$11 M Contract" with Whole Foods. This Kid Did Better

To learn more about Aura Bora and Paul Voge on Inc.com read: Scott Galloway Called Public Universities ‘America’s Greatest Innovation.’ These Founders Agree

Visit: Me & The Bees Lemonade

Visit: Me & The Bees Lemonade’s bio

Visit: Aura Bora

Visit: Aura Bora’s bio

Leadership For a New Generation Nov 18, 2024

You’ve seen the headlines: Gen-Z Getting Fired. Employers Avoiding Hiring Gen-Z Employees. Perhaps to understand the generational struggle in American businesses today, we need to look back to March 2020. Simon Sinek, the author and speaker on business leadership, says the emotionality and intensity of the early pandemic taught him a great deal about himself and his relationships—in and out of the office—and even how to lead a new-era employee.

These moments contributed to the creation of the Optimism Company, Sinek’s digital learning platform, which helps companies inspire and develop their employees. Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom sat down with Sinek for what resulted in a deep discussion about how we think about emotion in the workplace, grappling with unproductivity, the complex relationship between friendship and entrepreneurship, the meaning of confidant ignorance, and, the question on so many leaders’ minds, how do we actually manage Gen-Z?

The Billion-Dollar Whiskey Story Nov 11, 2024

It’s a young company, but its legacy spans generations. And thanks to Fawn Weaver, the story and legacy of her whiskey brand, Uncle Nearest, is becoming ever more expansive.

Its most recent chapter: The company reached a $1.1 billion valuation in 2024. However, none of this would have been possible without Weaver, Uncle Nearest’s founder and CEO, who envisions herself as not just an executive and leader, but also as the company’s chief historian. She’s made it her mission to build a brand honest to the legacy of a man named Nearest Green, or Uncle Nearest, the formerly enslaved laborer who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey.

Weaver has spent much of the past decade researching and piecing together the story of Nearest Green. Her book Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest was released in June.

Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin sat down with Weaver recently to discuss her legacy as well: This year she became one of the first-ever African American women to run a company valued at more than $1 billion.

Additional research and information:

Christine interviewed Fawn Weaver in this 2021 episode of the What I Know podcast

Read Fawn Weaver’s advice on Creating a Winning Team on Inc.com

Visit: Uncle Nearest

For more on Fawn Weaver

Visit: Fawn Weaver’s Instagram

For more on Love & Whiskey

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Let’s Talk About Skims! Oct 28, 2024

The shapewear brand that exploded onto the scene with the most famous pitchwoman in the business as a co-founder recently hit a major milestone: Kim Kardashian’s Skims is now a unicorn four times over.

Writer Max Berlinger sat down to talk with Kardashian for his feature article in our September issue of Inc. magazine—so Christine and Diana sat down to talk with Max to get the behind-the-scenes. He delivered.

Kardashian launched her shapewear brand, Skims, in 2019 in Los Angeles, and over the past three years, the company more than quintupled its annual revenue to nearly $713 million in 2023. That landed it at No. 1,168 on our annual Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies. Just over a year ago, Skims raised a round of funding that catapulted its valuation to $4 billion.

Kardashian created Skims out of personal need—with the side benefit that it might just change people’s perspectives on shapewear. She wanted to make the brand fun. Cheeky, even. It is all about owning the shape of your body. However, the brand’s progress also has a lot to do with its CEO and co-founder, Jens Grede, who has launched other successful companies. He and his wife—Emma Grede, the third founding partner at Skims—have long worked closely with the Kardashian family.

Additional research and information:

Read on Inc.com : The Inside Story of How Kim Kardashian Made Shapewear Sexy

Read Max Berlinger’s story on Inc.com: Skims Is a Huge Hit for Kim Kardashian. But Is It Ready for an IPO?

Read on Inc.com: Skims Inc 5000 profile

For more Inc.com coverage on Skims: The WNBA Is Teaming Up With Women-Led Businesses

For more Inc.com coverage on Emma Grede: How to Successfully Launch Products in Crowded Categories, According to Emma Grede

Visit Skims

Visit Skims’ Youtube

Visit Skims Instagram page

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Finding Your Footing Oct 21, 2024

Before Monte Deere joined Kizik, the hands-free shoe brand, as chief executive, he had zero experience in selling consumer products–—and no experience in footwear. Heck, he’d never been a CEO before.

But Kizik’s Kizik founder Mike Pratt had worked with Deere previously– and took a bet on him. Deere was tasked with recruiting a dream team of executives with experience at brands such as Hoka, Converse, and Nike--"—“shoe dogs,”" as he likes to call them, a reference to Nike founder Phil Knight's Knight’s memoir--—to complement the “"cool contingency of innovators”" led by Pratt.

This year, Kizik is #No. 407 on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest fastest-growing companies in America. In 2023, its revenue was more thanover $100 million. In an interview with Inc. editor editor-at at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, Deere explains Kizik’s pandemic-era brand transformation, how it found its loyal customers, and its expansion into DTC and wholesale–—plus its fascinating collaborations. Monte believes that soon 10% percent of the global footwear market could soon be hands hands-free.

Following our regular episode, we have a special segment in collaboration with our partner at Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Inc. Editor-in-Chief Mike Hoffman spoke with Smarsh Founder Stephen Marsh about his remarkable journey, the legacy he has built, and the honor of being the first recipient of the inaugural Legacy Award presented by Glenfiddich at this year's Inc. 5000 gala. Skillfully Crafted, Enjoy Responsibly. Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky ©2024 Imported by William Grant & Sons, Inc. New York, NY.

Additional research and information:

Read on Inc.com: Is Kizik Building the Next Billion-Dollar Sneaker Brand?

Read on Inc.com: Kizik Inc 5000 profile

Visit Kizik website:

https://kizik.com/pages/about-us

Visit Hands Free Labs Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/handsfreelabs/

Visit Kizik’s YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRjtGcRZbkj4yQ3SrU4YcDQ

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

How a Near-Death Experience Inspired This Founder to Revolutionize Office Lunch Oct 14, 2024

Dilip Rao had what he would call “the perfect life” until he was in a car accident on July 5, 2014, in New York City. What followed changed his outlook—and his values. That same year, he founded Sharebite to change the way workplaces bring their employees together for, and show them appreciation through, meals. And he built in a mission that has helped bolster struggling restaurants—and combat food insecurity.

The company, of which Dilip is now CEO, is a meal benefit platform built for the modern workforce—one in which some workers are hybrid, some fully in-person, some fully remote—and all want to feel appreciated. It specializes in feeding in-office and remote employees food they want from local restaurants–and lets companies chip in, to make each meal feel like a real benefit for workers. The chipping in goes further than that, though: Through Sharebite, each meal bought is equal to one meal donated.

Over the past three years, the company has had a growth rate of 4,914 percent, and it landed at No. 56 on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. For this episode of “From the Ground Up,” Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom spoke with Dilip about his accident and recovery process, his stoic philosophy, and Sharebite’s lightning-fast growth.

Source notes and additional research and information:

Read: How This Food-Ordering Platform Gave Restaurants a Lifeline During Covid https://www.inc.com/magazine/202112/diana-ransom/sharebite-food-ordering-restaurants-covid-community.html by Diana Ransom, on Inc.com

Read: Sharebite’s Inc. 5000 profile

https://www.inc.com/profile/sharebite

Visit Sharebite’s website

https://sharebite.com/

How Cult Brands Capture Imaginations–and Wallets Oct 07, 2024

This week, we kick off our Inc. feature coverage by exploring the making of–and proliferation of–cult brands. In this episode, executive editor Diana Ransom and editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin invite Inc. staff writer Ali Donaldson to talk about an article she wrote that broke open a lot of consumer trends we’ve seen over recent years–and explained the anatomy of consumer-product virality. Certain brands seem to grow cult followings almost overnight. Turns out that’s no happy accident–it’s all in the plan. And Ali lays out precisely what that plan looks like for brands that achieve cult status.

Stanley, Kendra Scott, and Bogg Bag are extremely different companies–aside from the fact that each has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. And it turns out, they are all fascinating case studies in appealing to customers, both online and offline. Bogg Bag, founded by Kim Vaccarella, out of Lodi, New Jersey, landed on the Inc. 5000 this year and expects to book over $100 million in revenue by the end of 2024. Kendra Scott, the Texas-based jewelry brand, continues to evolve with its customers online–and meets them where they are on campuses, too. And the Stanley cup stans are seriously engaged and proudly express it through TikTok and other social media channels. They might wonder: How on earth is this a 110-year-old company? Donaldson explains, and also dishes about her interview with the marketing genius behind both the Stanley brand shift that brought it to a new generation and the proliferation of Crocs.

Source notes and additional research and information:

Read: How Preppy Cult Brands Captured the Imagination and Wallets of Female Consumers, by Ali Donaldson, on Inc.com

Read: How This Marketing Pro Got Crocs on Every Celebrity–and Also Was Behind the Stanley Tumbler Trend

Listen: Kendra Scott interviewed on Inc.’s What I Know podcast

Read: How Kendra Scott Crafted a Remarkably Wholesome Customer Service Philosophy

Read: A history of Stanley Cups, via Stanley1813.com

Read: Dive into the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America

Visit: Kendra Scott

Visit: Bogg Bag

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Can Parachute Find Sustained Profitability as DTC's Golden Age Wanes? Sep 30, 2024

Ariel Kaye spent 10 years working in advertising and brand development in New York City before launching the Los Angeles-based home-goods brand Parachute. So she was equipped with insight into consumer purchase behavior and folks’ growing interest in comfort, quality, craftsmanship, and social responsibility—all of which are now tenets of the Parachute brand.

When it launched in 2014, Parachute was not only early to focus on sustainability and quality, but also early to the direct-to-consumer party. “We immediately saw this massive reaction from the customer,” Kaye says. And venture capitalists agreed. Parachute raised $47 million by 2018. Kaye didn’t stop there: She pursued an omnichannel strategy, starting with opening her first location in Venice, California.

It’s been a wild ride. She now has 25 stores, and plenty of brand collaborations. While the company has had moments of profitability, sustained profits have remained elusive. It’s a fascinating moment in time, as DTC companies across the United States continue a slow death march, and Kaye has stepped down as CEO of her brand. Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom and Kaye get into the future of Parachute in its quest for sustained profitability, what sustainability and circularity mean to brands today, and what it’s like stepping down from the helm of the company she founded.

How Ariel Kaye opened Parachute’s first brick-and-mortar storefront, on Inc.com

Parachute’s website

Parachute’s mentorship and grant program for Black-owned small businesses

Read more about Supercircle saves textiles from landfills: How a Supply Chain Startup Is Making Recycling in the Apparel Industry Scalable

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Unwrapping AI: How New Tech Enhances Holiday Season Sales - FROM INC. STUDIO AND META Sep 27, 2024

Are you ready to take advantage of AI and the latest performance marketing tools to elevate your holiday sales? The explosion of AI tools in recent years has transformed key sectors like medicine and finance, but AI is also empowering small and medium-size businesses as they seek to elevate sales via online advertising. This impact is most evident during the all-important holiday season, when last year alone, AI-driven predictive recommendations generated nearly $200 billion in sales, according to Salesforce. From personalization and creative diversification to lead generation and customer support, AI offers a wide range of capabilities for companies looking to create efficiencies, unlock new audiences, and ultimately drive sales. But while AI is the latest trend helping SMBs level up their game, the question is, how else can marketers set up their ad strategies to maximize performance through Q4?

In this custom episode, Skai Blue Media Founder Rakia Reynolds sits down with Meta’s Director of Small Business Group North America Becky Bui, KiwiCo Associate Director of Marketing Jonathan Fukuhara, and Jewels & Aces Founder & Designer Grace Wong. They discuss when you should get serious about planning for the holiday season, when the right time to integrate AI into your marketing strategy is, and which tools are most appropriate and for which outcomes? And, finally, how you can make the most of measurement and testing to prepare for the peak sales season.

What Women Founders Still Have to Prove Sep 23, 2024

Anu Duggal has funded the businesses of hundreds of women—and has seen multiple hundred-million-dollar-plus exits. Now, she’s trying to make a statement.

For our season opener, we sat down with Anu Duggal, the founding partner of Female Founders Fund, a seed-stage venture capitalist fund focused on providing early-stage funding for startups by women entrepreneurs. Female Founders Fund has invested in more than 75 companies, including the digital financial service Tala, the razor company Billie, and the women’s health care company Maven Clinic. Ten years into running her fund, Duggal says she still has something to prove: “We’re really trying to make more of a statement than your typical VC fund that’s only looking for returns.”

Since starting Female Founders Fund in 2014, Anu has been a helping hand for female founders, but how is she navigating what companies to invest in during an election year? She speaks to Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin about pulling back from funding direct-to-consumer brands, whether AI startups are forming a bubble, the female founder ecosystem, and her journey from being an entrepreneur to leading a fund working to bolster startups by women—and proving a point along the way.

Article and transcript

Read more about The Woobles.

The Woobles website.

The Evolution of Social Mission May 23, 2024

This week, we’re following up our discussion about how to make sure your mission fits your business with an interview with one of the most fascinating sustainability experts working today: Vincent Stanley, Patagonia’s director of philosophy. Patagonia has been one of the most notable brands in environmentally responsible business practices and production for decades, and Vincent has been with the company, evangelizing about what makes Patagonia unique, since even before it was called Patagonia.

Host Diana Ransom talks to Stanley and is told some stories from Patagonia's history that we've never heard before, revealing tipping points that caused the company to adapt its social mission from outdoor-enthusiasm to one that includes a sustainable supply chain and responsible manufacturing, and led to the adoption of a profit-donation model as well. He shares his perspective on making a company's mission more than just a statement, but a way of operating that builds trust and engagement among employees--and spurs creativity too.

Read the full transcript

Learn more about social responsibility at Patagonia

Learn why Patagonia was Inc.'s 2022 Company of the Year

Stress-Testing Your Mission May 16, 2024

What happens when a company's giving back ... just isn't enough? In a special panel at this year’s SXSW festival, co-host and Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom led a discussion with Jacq and Scot Tatelman, the co-founders of State Bags, as well as Mandy Teefey, the CEO of Wondermind, which she co-founded with her daughter Selena Gomez. The conversation gets into the difficulties and successes of mission-driven businesses, and how these creative founders have adapted their missions to best serve the communities that inspired them.

Read the story at Inc.com and see the full episode transcript.

Learn more about Wondermind

Learn more about State Bags

Nailing Product Market Fit May 09, 2024

Which should come first, your killer idea or your ideal customer? So many questions about finding product-market fit were raised by our fascinating discussion with Michelle Cordeiro Grant of Gorgie, and Steven and Brittany Yeng of Skrewball. Christine Lagorio-Chafkin spoke with Jeff Bussgang, a venture capitalist and senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, where he teaches a revered class all about product-market fit called Launching Technology Ventures. He has fascinating thoughts on why your early-stage startup should be an experimentation machine; the effect AI has had on startups testing their market; and some of the ethical considerations that put pressure on this process and disproportionately affect BIPOC and women founders.

Learn more:

Read this story and see full transcript on Inc.com

Flybridge Capital Partners, Bussgang's early-stage venture-capital firm with offices in Boston and New York City and over $1 billion under management.

Jeff Bussgang's Harvard Business School site.

BrightHire, referenced at 5:02

Read more about Classpass's pivot, referenced at 17:36 link

Bussgang's post about ethical considerations early-stage founders need to make, referenced at 20:02

X Factor Ventures, referenced at 21:37

Find Your Fans May 02, 2024

Build it and they will come? It’s not so simple. Hosts Diana Ransom and Christine Lagorio-Chafkin spoke with founders who took two totally different approaches to a core business concept: finding product-market fit. They spoke with Michelle Cordeiro Grant, founder of the sugar-free energy drink Gorgie, and Brittany and Steven Yeng, founders of the peanut butter liquor brand Skrewball whiskey, about how they identified their markets, strategies they used to get their items on shelves, and how they applied consumer feedback to adjust what they were selling.

Learn more:

Michelle Cordeiro Grant’s website

Gorgie

Skrewball Whiskey

Inc. podcasts

Episode recap and full transcript

Cracking the TikTok Code Part 2: How We Got Here Apr 25, 2024

During her time at SXSW this year, Diana Ransom sat down with Shira Lazar, video blogger, personality, and founder/host of the web series “What’s Trending,” to discuss her journey in the creator economy space. Shira also gave Diana personal tips and strategies on how to capitalize on trends, using vlogging as a creative outlet, and how to be the face of a brand through social media outlets.

Cracking the TikTok Code Apr 18, 2024

In the past couple of years, TikTok has provided a platform for budding entrepreneurs to connect with their consumers. But how effective is this method, and can it lead to a new level for success for founders? In a panel discussion for Inc.’s Founders House at SXSW, Diana Ransom posed this question to FYSH Foods founder Zoya Biglary, Hot Take co-founder Gabrielle Brulotte, and Bloom Nutrition founder and president Mari Llewellyn. They discuss the importance of putting a face on your brand, being personable for your audience, and how TikTok is an effective marketing tool-provided your approach is on target.

Can You Start a Company While Grieving? Should You? Apr 11, 2024

After our conversation with the co-founders of the Sloomoo Institute, co-host Christine Lagorio-Chafkin followed up with clinical psychologist, author, and professor Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, about the concept of grief--and how to navigate it, especially when you’re extremely busy, or a founder. She explained the complex range of responses humans have to grief, and the unique ability founders might have when it comes to coping through being able to envision a transformation in the future. She also spoke about getting off the productivity-industrial complex’s “wellness hamster wheel” and instead embarking on your own journey. She shared insight into finding support systems for mental health--and establishing a healthy relationship with your co-founder.

Show notes and links:

Tracy’s company, Arcade Theraputics: https://arcadetherapeutics.com/about-us/

Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary’s website: https://www.drtracyphd.com/

Inc.com article on Sloomoo Institute episode

Grief as Startup Fuel: The Sloomoo Institute's Unusual Beginnings https://www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/from-the-ground-up-sloomoo-institute-karen-robinovitz-sara-schiller-grief-as-startup-fuel.html

Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller had been through multiple businesses--and multiple traumas--before coming together to find reinvention and joy through an unlikely substance: slime.

recap: https://www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/from-the-ground-up-sloomoo-institute-karen-robinovitz-sara-schiller-grief-as-startup-fuel.html

Transcript of this episode: https://www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/transcript-from-the-ground-up-tracy-dennis-on-grief.html

DSM entry on Prolonged Grief Disorder: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/prolonged-grief-disorder

Grief, Joy, and Giant Vats of Slime Apr 04, 2024

Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller had each been through multiple traumas when they found reinvention and joy through the unlikeliest of substances: slime. Yes, slime. They explain to hosts Diana Ransom and Christine Lagorio-Chafkin how they channeled their newfound joy, and passion for sensory play, into a business, the Sloomoo Institute. Sloomoo is a growing slime-museum business with four locations that makes some 600 gallons of slime each day. This episode was recorded live on-site in SoHo, New York, at the Sloomoo Institute

Links:

Inc.com article: www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/from-the-ground-up-sloomoo-institute-karen-robinovitz-sara-schiller-grief-as-startup-fuel.html

Episode transcript: www.inc.com/transcript-from-the-ground-up-podcast-sloomoo-institute-founders-karen-robinovitz-sara-schiller.html

The Sloomoo Institute: https://sloomooinstitute.com/pages/new-york-2-0?utm_source=google.com&utm_medium=organic

Slime play and care (PSA about slime removal!): https://sloomooinstitute.com/pages/slime-care

*note to listeners: The concepts of death and depression, are mentioned in this episode, as is the fact of a school shooting, though none are discussed in depth.

Welcome to From the Ground Up! Mar 28, 2024

Join Inc. Executive Editor Diana Ransom and Editor-at-Large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin as they host From The Ground Up, a new podcast from Inc. that features frank and unfiltered conversations—with some of the most successful founders in the world—about navigating the role of the founder, the tips and tricks entrepreneurs need to know to be successful, and the secrets that nobody really tells you before you start a business.

New episodes start April 4th, see you then!

Website: https://www.inc.com/podcasts/from-the-ground-up

Powering the Future - AI Bootcamp FROM INC STUDIO AND SAP Mar 25, 2024

The impact of AI on finance departments will be huge.

Supply Ch(AI)n Strategy Session - AI Bootcamp FROM INC STUDIO AND SAP Mar 11, 2024

How artificial intelligence is shaping the product journeys from procurement to end customers.

Janice Bryant Howroyd talks about acting up Mar 05, 2024

At last year's Inc 5000, editor-at-large Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan spoke to The ActOne Group CEO Janice Bryant Howroyd about her new book, Acting Up: Winning in Business and Life Using Down-Home Wisdom. Janice touches on her life and the importance of self-care for entrepreneurs.

We also have a special custom segment in partnership with Chase. A third-generation homebuilder, Jake Jorgensen built Jorgensen Builders, a residential and commercial construction and remodeling company, on his own terms. In episode 2 of Redefining Growth, a miniseries by Inc. and Chase, Jorgensen shares how he went from “broom-pusher” to dream-maker, helping customers build the homes and businesses they envision. Here, he shares practical strategies that you can apply to kickstart, grow and transform your own venture, as well as how his Chase credit card rewards helped him along the way.

Time for Growth - AI Bootcamp FROM INC STUDIO AND SAP Mar 04, 2024

In this podcast, leaders in HR and AI reveal what it will take for businesses to get their staff on board.

Daniel Lubetzky on the future of Kind leadership Feb 22, 2024

Inc. editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin chatted with David Lubetzky about his journey starting Kind Snacks in Mexico City, and the lessons he learned from his father, who was also a business man.

Then we have a special custom segment in partnership with Chase: Iceland offers up wintry landscapes, fiery volcanoes, and the descendants of Vikings. For Matt Wilson, co-founder and CEO of Under30Experiences, it also offered the start of an entrepreneurial journey. Wilson shares how he got the idea for his thriving travel company and how he and his co-founder have turned wanderlust into a lucrative opportunity. Wilson also shares how he maximized his Chase credit card rewards to help build his team and his brand.

A Look Back at 2023 Jan 01, 2024

What the lifecycle of entrepreneurship looks like Dec 21, 2023

At ‘Inc.,’ we focus a lot on how people become entrepreneurs, but what do you do after you’ve founded your company, turned it into a successful business, and then decided to move on? Stax founder and former CEO Suneera Madhani and Panera Bread founder and former CEO Ron Shaich describe their individual entrepreneurial journeys.

Deepak Chopra on how psychedelics could help leadership Dec 14, 2023

Over recent years, the use of psychedelics, specifically psilocybin and LSD, has become more mainstream in discussions of mental health. While it is still premature to say anything definitive, there have been more studies, research, and experimentation done. But the discussion has not stopped at mental health—some in the business community have been touting the benefits of psychedelics in leadership development. Paul F. Austin of Third Wave and Deepak Chopra chatted about a wide-ranging slate of topics. They covered everything from the benefits of microdosing for our brain health to how the best leadership actually mirrors what's happening in nature.

FROM INC STUDIO AND META - The Secret Leads Goldmine: How Savvy Companies Capitalize on Q5 Dec 11, 2023

The so-called “fifth quarter” could be your opportunity to give your business a competitive edge. Hear directly from successful small business owners Lauren Petrullo, of Mongoose Media, and John Wai of John Wai Martial Arts Academy about how they use the post-holiday season to grow their businesses. In this podcast, the entrepreneurs are joined by Meta executive Becky Bui to explain how this so-called “fifth quarter”—a period often overlooked by businesses as a slow season—can be the key to unlocking new cost-effective, quality leads that lead to sales, while building meaningful connections with customers.

How the founders of Ample Hills lost their business a second time Dec 07, 2023

Ample Hills Creamery first came on the dessert and ice cream scene in 2011 when married cofounders Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith opened their first store in Brooklyn. The business expanded to 17 stores with an endorsement from Oprah, a partnership with Disney, and mentorship from Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s. But by 2020, the couple had to file for bankruptcy. After selling the company to Schmitt Industries for $1 million, they opened another dessert company called ‘The Social.’ In March of this year, they found investors and bought Ample Hills back, committed to rebuilding the business. And then, a couple of weeks ago, they were fired. We chatted with them in a very uncensored conversation about failure, resilience, and how to learn from your mistakes.

For more info on the ups and downs of this story, check out Jennifer Conrad's article.

Alli Webb on entrepreneurship and parenting Nov 16, 2023

There are a lot of frustrating, misogynistic tropes associated with being a career-focused woman—especially when you have kids. If your business is like another child, how do you balance that? Or is balance even the right word?

"The question bothers me, no offense. It's just like we shouldn't feel that way." Alli Webb is the cofounder of Drybar and has two children of her own. "There's guilt on both sides." Alli explains how running a business and being a parent doesn't require balance because that's unrealistic. Instead, it requires honesty with your children about what you love and showing up for what matters most to them.

So, what's one solution? Alli suggests surrounding yourself with people who really love your kids. "The more people around you who love your kids, the better. Whether it's a grandma or an aunt or a nanny or the high school kid [ . . . ] anybody who loves on your kids."

For more on Alli's life and career, take a look at her recent memoir

Couples Counseling PART 2: How to argue Nov 09, 2023

Couples Counseling with Baked by Melissa Nov 02, 2023

Working together within a marriage can require give and take, but imagine working in the same company too. Melissa Ben-Ishay, co-founder and CEO of Baked by Melissa, and Adi Ben-Ishay, its director of technology and innovation, met by happenstance—to be honest, it was something out of a romance novel. Now, they're married with two kids and still running Baked by Melissa. How do they make this work? We sat down with them to discuss how they met, how they support each other, and how they iron out their disagreements while raising children and working to grow their business.

Christene Barberich and Rebecca Minkoff on having control in a company Oct 26, 2023

From the outside, founders seem to have so much freedom in running their own businesses. But how much control do they really have? When is it an advantage to retain control over decisions, and when is it time to let go? Christene Barberich, cofounder of Refinery 29 and author of the newsletter, A Tiny Apartment; and Rebecca Minkoff, founder of her own fashion brand, sat down to talk through the nuances of working with cofounders, selling a company, and watching it grown beyond a single person’s control.

How founders should (and should NOT) navigate the media Oct 19, 2023

Scott Omelianuk and Diana Ransom talk with Stacy Spikes, Kathryn Minshew and Taryn Langer about how founders should approach dealing with the media. Stacy Spikes is the co-founder and CEO of MoviePass. Kathryn Minshew is the co-founder and former CEO of The Muse. Taryn Langer is the founder and president of Moxie Communications Group.

Inc. Uncensored is Back! Oct 12, 2023

Inc. Executive Editor Diana Ransom and Editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk pull back the curtain on the world of entrepreneurship with some of the most successful founders in the world. Inc. Uncensored features frank and unfiltered conversations about what makes business leaders tick, the trends founders need to know to be successful, and the secrets that nobody really tells you before you start a business.

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