En Factor Podcast

Welcome to The En Factor, conversations with entrepreneurs.  I’m Rebecca White and my guest on today’s episode is Matthew Nauss. Matthew has a B.S. in Entrepreneurship from the University of Tampa where he started fostering his entrepreneurial mindset right here in the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center. Since then, he has founded companies such as Hussar Yachts, Dolomites Consulting, My City Co-work and is currently the marketing director at GNP development partners LLC. He lends his expertise and continues to help businesses build their brands for over a decade. We can’t wait to hear his stumbles, struggles, and successes on this episode of The En Factor.  

Keywords- Boating, Entrepreneur Center, Network, Pandemic, Yachts, Boat-Shows, Supply Chain, Army 

Welcome to the En Factor, conversations with entrepreneurs who started, stumbled, and succeeded. I’m Rebecca White and today I am talking with Italian entrepreneur, Enrico Casati. Enrico studied at top business schools in Milan, Shanghai, and the United States. However, in 2012, Enrico and his partner embarked on an ambitious entrepreneurial journey with the in founding of Velasca, a high-quality men’s shoe brand, that in his words, ended up teaching him most of his professional and personal life lessons. Today, the company has evolved from building an online men’s shoe brand to adding high-end fashions for men and shoes and accessories for women sold online and in retail stores throughout Italy and in major cities around the world, including New York. In this episode, Enrico shares valuable lessons about building, funding, and staying the course on this amazing 10-year journey from startup to successful fashion house.

Keywords: Startup, Fashion, Partner, Values, Investors, Connections, Risk, Covid-19, Reflection

Welcome to the En Factor, conversations with entrepreneurs.  I’m Rebecca White and my guest on today’s episode is Jonathan Tavarez. Having graduated from the University of South Florida, with a B.S. in management and marketing,  Jonathan is now a staple in the business community in the greater Tampa Bay area. He is the founder of several companies such as Pro-Housekeepers, Harmony by Pro-Housekeeprs, and Germaphobix. Jonathan is also the co-founder of Masterminds Tampa Bay, a group for founders and marketers with the intention of bringing like minds and go-getters together in a laid-back community, compared to more traditional and formal styles of networking. We can’t wait to hear more about his journey into entrepreneurship on this episode of The En Factor. 

Keywords- Contractor, Talent, High quality, Challenges, Pandemic, Business Model, Patience, AI, Learning

Welcome to the En Factor, conversations with entrepreneurs who started, stumbled and succeeded. Today I am recording in the University of Salerno incubator, located in the Campania region of Italy. My guest today is Ennio Adinolfi. Ennio is a post-doctoral student at the university and also the CEO and co-founder of MinervaS, a company that offers innovative solutions in the energy and automotive sectors aimed toward the reduction of CO2 and improved energy management. MinervaS provides a suite of integrated solutions for smart & future mobility, from driving advisors to fleet management tools, all tailored to the vehicle and size of the customer's business. Listen in to hear more about how Ennio and his team are building a company that not only saves money for their customers but is also helping to save our planet.

Keywords- Transportation, Fuel, Fleet, Entrepreneurial, Challenges, Turnover, Team, Pitch, Pandemic 

Welcome to the En Factor, conversations with entrepreneurs who started, stumbled and succeeded. Today I am recording in an incubator in Penta, Italy, in an interesting building that was formerly a monastery and located near the Campus of the University of Salerno. My guest today is Alessia (Al – less e a) Saggese (Si Jay se), Associate Professor and co-owner of AI Tech srl. A.I. Tech is a highly dynamic and innovative company that designs and manufactures Artificial Intelligence enterprise solutions in the field of Smart Video Analysis for such applications as monitoring vehicle and pedestrian traffic, anti-intrusion and early fire detection; behavioral analysis; and statistical and predictive data analysis. Listen in to learn more about how the team of scientists at this company studies and utilizes the latest A.I. technologies to provide a wide variety of global customers with visual recognition solutions.

 

Keywords- Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Applications, Pandemic, Sales, Team, Scientific, Complexity

On today’s episode, Dr. White talks with freelance artist Emily Bagan. Since graduating from the University of Tampa, Emily has been fostering her entrepreneurial mindset through her creative talents. Emily is a lover of music and expresses her art through the feelings she experiences when listening to songs, and recently completed the tour art titled Three Chords for Greta Van Fleet. She discusses all the aspects involved in creating her art, from the initial conceptualization of the idea, to the time and dedication put forth bringing it to life. She also discusses the process of creating content surrounding her work, as well as the less glamorous business and production aspects of creating art. This episode is full of advice and wisdom, and we can’t wait to share Emily’s story here on The En Factor. 

Keywords- Entrepreneur Center, Pitching, Brand, Art, Social Media, Consistency, Competition, Self Doubt

Our guest today on The En Factor is Peter Sayer. Peter is the founder and CEO of businesses such as FlexPath Capital, which delivers affordable capital, insurance, and practice management tools that facilitate growth. He is also the founder and CEO of Driveline, which is in the business of data infrastructure and analytics. Today we hear how he got his start and facilitated his entrepreneurial mindset, today on The En Factor. 

Keywords- Automobile Industry, Fin-tech, Strategic, Tactical, Team, Failures, Motivator, Family

On today’s episode, we will be talking with Troy Bravenboer. Troy is president of Brave Freight, a company he started 10 years ago after spending several years in sales.  This business is a premier motor carrier organization that offers unique opportunities for both its drivers and shippers. More recently, Troy helped to start Dawn TMS, an innovative tech-enabled company that supports the business side of running a freight company.  Listen in as we talk about the importance today and the future of freight and logistics and the lessons Troy has learned thus far in his entrepreneurial journey.  Plus, we had a special guest appearance by his partner in life, Sarah who shared more about the impact on family and the importance of trust for entrepreneurial support and success.

Keywords- Success Mindset, Partner, Trust, Foundation, Family, Learning, Networking, Compassion, Outlook

On today’s episode, we will be talking with Nuria, Rosaileen, and Alina. Three young women who grew up in different parts of the world, studied at different universities across the country, and are all pursuing careers in differing areas of business. However, despite these differences, they each possess a passion for seeking opportunities, creative problem-solving, and developing their entrepreneurial spirits. We can’t wait to share their stories and hear how their experiences with the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) shaped their entrepreneurial mindset on this episode of The En Factor.

Keywords– Entrepreneurial Mindset, CEO Club, Target Market, Role model, Mentors, Challenges 

Our guest today on The En Factor is Jazmine Valencia. Jazmine started her career as a media intern for Island Def Jam Music Group in 2007, she has since climbed the corporate ladder becoming the Director of Digital Marketing for Island Def Jam in 2012. Today, she is the President of the New York-based music and management firm, JV Agency, which she founded in 2015. Since founding JV Agency she has been featured in Forbes Magazine and has worked with artists such as; The Killers, Fall Out Boy, Avicii, and Shawn Mendes. Her ultimate mission is to bridge cultural and geographic divides between makers and users. She uses technology as a
catalyst for positive change while leveraging a vast reach to give a platform to connect.

Keywords– MBA, Internship, Fan base, Role Models, Failures, Data, Analytics