En Factor Podcast

Feeding the Tampa Bay Community with Mike Magee and LoCo Tampa Bay

This week’s episode of the En Factor features serial entrepreneur Mike Magee, who is currently the founder of LoCo Tampa Bay, which is a local office catering marketplace that works with local Tampa Bay restaurants to cater to office and workplace meetings while increasing restaurants’ catering revenues. Think of it like an Uber Eats or a DoorDash for office meetings, where Mike and LoCo promote different local catering options to local businesses, and then also deliver the food to the meeting for the restaurant. The key difference about LoCo Tampa Bay is that half of their profits are going straight back to the Tampa Bay community, including giving back to the restaurants they partner with, the referrals that help bring them business, and donating to the Florida Cancer Specialist Foundation Charity.

Tune into this episode with Mike and Dr. Rebecca White as Mike has extensive experience as a business owner and provides many valuable lessons on failure and what it means to be able to persevere through setbacks as an entrepreneur. This episode also explores topics including the importance of goal setting and sales experience as an entrepreneur, mentorship and building a team around you, and the value of being able to have empathy for and an understanding of every part of your business.

Key Words - Social Entrepreneurship, Resilience

Revolutionizing Predictive Healthcare to Prevent and Protect with Xavier Serrano and Marqi Medical

In this episode of the En Factor, we are joined by serial entrepreneur Xavier Serrano, who is now the founder and CEO of Marqi Medical. After spending over two decades in the insurance world, Xavier transitioned out of his previous venture to revolutionize preventive healthcare with Marqi. Using resources like artificial intelligence, advanced testing and diagnostics, and personalized coaching, Xavier and his team have developed a personalized predictive healthcare platform that works to identify and prevent significant illnesses and diseases before they truly become significant. 

In this conversation, Xavier and Dr. Rebecca White take a deep dive into a variety of topics including Xavier’s journey from insurance to starting his own holistic healthcare platform, navigating and managing the many relationships and moving parts involved in leading Marqi Medical, and the importance of prioritizing your own personal health as an entrepreneur. Tune in as you won’t want to miss a second of Xavier’s incredible journey, insights and advice!

Key Words - Healthcare Innovation, Technology Entrepreneurship

Navigating Early Stage Entrepreneurship and Growth with Jake Colognesi

In this episode of the En Factor, we are thrilled to be joined by Jake Colognesi, who is the founder of Mamba Growth Equity. Jake has spent numerous years as an investor and analyst in the technology space, working for firms like Fidelity Ventures, Volition Capital and Sageview Capital before he started his own growth equity firm, Mamba, just one year ago back in 2024. Jake has retained his focus on the technology world since Mamba’s founding, investing in B2B software companies in their earlier stages and providing these entrepreneurs with focused and valuable strategic and financial advice and expertise. Jake’s leadership experience goes beyond being a founder, as he also has spent over a decade as a board member for numerous different companies around the United States and Canada. 

You won’t want to miss out on this episode filled with meaningful and thoughtful insights and advice as Jake and Dr. Rebecca White dive into conversations such as Jake’s professional journey and the start of his entrepreneurial journey, funding advice for early stage entrepreneurs, and best practices for building and operating successfully as a board. 

Key Words - Funding, Investor

Navigating the Bankability Blueprint with Lauren Fernandez

In this newest episode of the En Factor, we are thrilled to be joined by Tampa native Lauren Fernandez, who is the Tampa Bay Market Executive of the Bank of Central Florida. Lauren has extensive experience within the banking world, as she started her career in banking right out of college, working across countless different industries and with all sorts of different businesses and entrepreneurs. Throughout today’s conversation, Lauren and Dr. Rebecca White take a deep dive into the world of banking and continuously emphasize the importance of preparation, organization, and understanding the impacts that financing can have on your business in order to increase the bankability of your business. No matter what stage you are at as an entrepreneur and business, you will want to tune in to this episode filled with advice and positive practices relating to the necessity of building mutual relationships with trusted advisors, the significance of structured business plans and models with clear goals, and the risks that can potentially hurt you and your business by not staying organized and consistently planning.

Key Words - Banking, Finance

Delivering the Future of Logistics with Jason Brown and Deliveri

This newest episode of the En Factor features entrepreneur Jason Brown, who is the founder and CEO of Deliveri. Jason’s entrepreneurial passion was sparked when he returned to school to earn his MBA after spending working in telecommunications for over a decade and led him to beginning his venture, Deliveri. Jason and Deliveri are working to become the first choice for finding a logistics tech stack for the next generation of consumer brands in the United States and Latin America looking to ship their products internationally. With now over 30 million small businesses in the United States alone, Deliveri focuses on servicing smaller, earlier stage businesses who don’t have access or leverage to key logistics resources such as lower shipping costs like a larger, more developed company would. 

Join us for this amazing episode where Jason and Dr. Rebecca White discuss the changing landscape of logistics and shipping internationally, Jason’s transition from corporate to entrepreneurship, the importance of using the shipping and transportation experience as a brand building experience, and much more!

Key Words - Logistics, Technology Entrepreneurship

A Socially Inclusive and Global Perspective on Entrepreneurship with Dr. Marissa Kaloga

In this episode of the En Factor, we are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Marissa Kaloga, recording this episode at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dr. Kaloga joins us all the way from New Zealand, where is she is the Hynds Lecturer of Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland Business School. 

Dr. Kaloga has been a scholar throughout her life as she led numerous initiatives and studies in order to explore and one day realize a future where entrepreneurial ecosystems are equitable, sustainable, and vibrant. Her research has brought her to many different places since completing her education at Franklin University and The Ohio State University in the United States including the University of Pennsylvania, Université Général Lansana Conté – Sonfonia, the University of Otago School of Social Sciences, and now the University of Auckland. Dr. Kaloga is also the chairperson and co-founder of the Social Work Innovation Network (SWIN), and board member of the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD).

Tune and join for this special episode live from Indianapolis as Dr. Rebecca White and Dr. Kaloga dive into her research around socially inclusive entrepreneurship, her professional journey from Michigan to New Zealand, and the unique entrepreneurial landscapes that she has been involved with outside of the United States! 

Key Words - Entrepreneurship Education, Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Finding Her Fit Through Passion and Problem Solving: Danielle Rushton’s Journey with Wherewithal

Founder and CEO Danielle Rushton joins us for this inspirational of the En Factor, as she discusses her journey of creating and leading her company Wherewithal, a brand new approach at reinventing the ordinary bra with adjustable features and personalized sizing through a single product. In this episode, Danielle discusses the challenges of entering a busy market with innovation and perseverance, as well as her story of tackling a personal problem and transforming it into a feeling of empowerment to help others. By creating a community and taking advantage of her resources, Danielle reveals how she achieved success in her product development, marketing, and sales while overcoming numerous obstacles along the way. Join us and tune in as you won’t want to miss a second of Danielle’s emotional and inspirational entrepreneurial journey with Wherewithal!

Key Words - Passion, Product Development

Inventing and Inspiring The Future of Healthcare with Dr. Cori Lathan

In this episode of the En Factor, we are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Cori Lathan, who is a neuroscientist and serial entrepreneur with vast experience in the medical field as well as the author of a best-selling book Inventing The Future, Stories From a Techno-Optimist. Cori’s entrepreneurial journey includes extensive involvement in improving healthcare and its availability through technological innovations involving robotics, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality. Cori also has extensive board experience with a variety of profit and nonprofit organizations including AnthroTronix, PTC Inc., the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, Engineers Without Borders and more.

Join us for an exciting and inspiring episode of the En Factor as we dive into Cori’s entrepreneurial journey and her experience with developing countless innovative healthcare products, focusing on problems and turning them into opportunities, and the importance of adaptability especially as it pertains to her vast experience with managing the product life cycle and technology!

Key Words - Technology Entrepreneurship, Product Development

New Majority, New Mindset: Jackie Hernandez on the Future of Consumer Engagement

In this newest episode of the En Factor, we are thrilled to welcome Jackie Hernandez as our guest. Jackie is the Founder and CEO of New Majority Ready, which provides marketing consulting services to companies that allow them to better engage with the younger generations that are Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha. These generations combine to make up the largest demographic segment in all of the United States, now representing over half of America’s population, and behave differently than past generations requiring companies to adapt and shift their strategies to better resonate and align with these growing generations. Jackie and New Majority Ready enable companies to be better prepared to connect with this new majority of the US population through a deep understanding of these consumers and audiences, as well as cultural and social trends that impact the behaviors of this demographic.

Beyond New Majority Ready, Jackie has vast leadership and board experience with Fortune 500 companies as well as investor-backed startups including MediaCo Holding, NBCUniversal Hispanic, and Victoria’s Secret. Jackie has established herself as a proven leader within brand building and business growth as she has been named among FORTUNE's Most Powerful Latinas, The Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 Women in Entertainment, and Advertising Age's 100 Most Influential Women in Advertising. She is also working on writing a new book focused on Gen Z while reflecting on her journey with New Majority Ready.

Join us for this amazing episode with Jackie as she we discuss her entrepreneurial journey with New Majority Ready, consumer insights and trends pertaining to Millenials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, as well as the role that resilience and innovation plays in responding to change and adapting your business!

Key Words- Marketing, Consulting

From Trauma to Trusting the Process and Triumph: Vincent Lanci’s Inspiring Entrepreneurial Journey

In this newest episode of the En Factor we welcome Vincent Lanci, who is the founder of Coming Alive Podcast Production. Vincent joins Dr. White at The University of Tampa in front of a live student audience to discuss his journey as a student at UTampa, to experiencing a traumatic, life-threatening injury that led him to starting his own venture through book authoring and podcast production. Vincent’s story is the ultimate message of being resilient and responding to setbacks as his journey is truly an inspiration to anyone looking to build their own path to success and trusting your own process. Along with his extensive experience in ghostwriting and producing and managing podcasts for his clients, Vincent also started his own entrepreneurship centered podcast, That Entrepreneur Show, which began back in 2019 and has led him to starting other podcasts related to mental health, authoring, and podcast production. Vincent will also be sharing this episode on That Entrepreneur Show as well!

You will not want to miss a moment of this special episode of Vincent’s emotional and inspiring journey as he and Dr. White dive into topics including strategies to starting your own podcast, building a team around you, the value of consistently networking and connecting with others, and so much more! Dr. White and Vincent also turn to the live audience of students to accept and answer questions towards the end of the episode.

Key Words - Resilience, Podcaster