There’s a job to do, and in the South Bend - Elkhart region, a midwestern work ethic is changing the narrative from rusty to ready. Our cities are opening up and working together as a region—universities are engaging beyond their campuses, sharing their brainpower and realizing that they’re bigger and better with the community behind them. Organizations are reaching out to newcomers and helping them build local networks, leveling the playing field. Infrastructure is being creatively adapted ...
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How A Bite With Mee Fused a Passionate Following with Great Food and Great Community
45:15
45:15
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This week host Marty Mechtenberg and Susan Ford welcome the founders of "A Bite With Mee," Mi Sun Klingerman, and Hiro Alaman. Mi Sun and Hiro discuss the formative experiences that led them to the food industry, including Hiro's early aspirations inspired by TV chefs and Mi Sun's involvement in organic farming and cooperatives. They share how thei…
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Aunalyze This - Local Ideas with National Scale: Rich Carlton on the Future of Aunalytics
41:14
41:14
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41:14
This week hosts Marty Mechtenberg and Susan Ford speak with Rich Carlton, President of Aunalytics, a company that specializes in managed IT and analytics services. Rich discusses the fascinating journey of Aunalytics, exploring how it has paved the way for innovation and technology in the South Bend-Elkhart region. He shares insights into the compa…
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Waste Not, Want Not: How Rian McDonnell took a passion for sustainability and is fixing our food production systems
34:31
34:31
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34:31
This week host Marty Mechtenberg and Susan Ford explore the fascinating world of food analytics with Rian McDonnell, Co-Founder of FloVision Solutions. Rian shares his journey from rural Ireland to establishing a cutting-edge company in the South Bend Elkhart region, focused on optimizing the food chain, particularly within the protein industry. He…
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The Audacity of Building Your Dreams: Richard Worsham and the creation of Janus Motorcycles
1:00:32
1:00:32
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This week host Marty Mechtenberg and Susan Ford talk with Richard Worsham, Co-Founder of Janus Motorcycles. Richard shares his journey Richard Worsham transitioned from architecture to designing custom motorcycles and founding Janus Motorcycles. He discusses the importance of relationships and the role of community and local resources in his entrep…
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The Things That Bind Us: Mike Brown's Journey to Publishing Books That Inspire Us
38:58
38:58
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38:58
This week host Marty Mechtenberg and Susan Ford talk with Mike Brown, Founder of SOULSTIR Publishing. Mike shares his remarkable journey from personal reflection during 2020’s challenges to the establishment of his publishing company. In sharing his family’s impactful story and his deep-rooted connections with Notre Dame, Mike reveals how he found …
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A Clear Step Forward: How Len Morris Built Viewrail by Building an Unbeatable Team
30:13
30:13
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30:13
This week host Marty Mechtenberg and Susan Ford talk with Len Morris, CEO of Viewrail, a modern stair company in Goshen, Indiana. Len’s background is multifaceted, having once been a pastor, he transitioned into an entrepreneur and business leader in the South Bend-Elkhart region. He shares the core values of Viewrail and the pivotal moments that h…
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Plugging the Gap: How Josh Rodgers is Using a High Tech Llama to Solve the Substitute Teacher Crisis
35:32
35:32
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35:32
This week host Marty Mechtenberg and Susan Ford sit down with Josh Rodgers from Mili Llama to dive into the entrepreneurial mindset transforming the educational landscape in the South Bend-Elkhart region of Indiana. With a focus on community-based solutions, Mili Llama aims to address the substitute teacher shortage by leveraging local talent. Josh…
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Live session at IDEA Week - Recent Raises
40:37
40:37
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This week on the Rooted and Reaching podcast Marty Mechtenberg and Susan Ford are joined by a vibrant panel of entrepreneurs and startup founders at IDEA Week, a festival hosting business, technology, and entertainment events to inspire and further innovation in communities. Ray Fraser, Cofounder of Vital View Technologies, Riley Ellingsen, Cofound…
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Shattering the Glass Pint: Amanda Havens on Creating a Female Brewing Collective
29:20
29:20
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This week host Marty Mechtenberg and Susan Ford talk with Amanda Havens, curator of the South Bend Elkhart region's only female-led brewery and cidery. Amanda shares her journey of working in established breweries to fostering an innovative concept focused on community engagement and the empowerment of women. With a collaborative cooperative model,…
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From Podcasting to Fatherhood, Michael Yoder on the Pursuit of Growth
23:25
23:25
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This week host Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Michael Yoder, owner of Truth Work Media and Stockroom East. Michael shares his journey as a serial entrepreneur and how he started his own podcast company after realizing he wanted more fulfillment in his career. Michael talks about the importance of building relationships and surrounding your…
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Building Community: Mike Keen’s Journey of Urbanism and Sustainability
19:29
19:29
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This week host Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Mike Keen, Founder of Hometowne Development LLC. Mike discusses his work in the Near Northwest neighborhood of South Bend, Indiana and the upcoming opening of Ward Baking Company. He shares his journey from being a college professor to becoming a small-scale developer and the principles of urba…
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Exploring Real Estate, Hospitality, and Impact in South Bend with Austin Cabello
20:34
20:34
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20:34
This week host Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Austin Cabello from Haunt of Hounds and ZR Investments. Austin shares his experiences in real estate development, and what it's like being a co-owner, navigating the day-to-day challenges of running a business with your friends. He also discusses the unique ways he has approached the restaurant…
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The Power of Unity and Innovation with Phil Smoker of Smoker Craft Boats
16:57
16:57
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This week hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Phil Smoker, Vice President of Sales at Smoker Craft Boats. Phil shares the history of the family-owned business and how the company transitioned from a lumber company to building boats and eventually merged with StarCraft to create a larger and more innovative product line. He also highlights…
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Web3 and The Crypto Space with Nate Miller of Consenus Networks
20:10
20:10
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20:10
This week hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Nate Miller, Founder of Consensus Networks, a startup that aims to simplify cryptocurrency and blockchain wallets. Nate shares his experiences in the Navy and how he transitioned into entrepreneurship through Notre Dame's ESTEEM program. He also discusses the challenges of building a startup i…
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Creating Connection Through Gifting with Entrepreneur Annie Johnson
18:20
18:20
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18:20
This week hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Annie Johnson, Founder of Take Care, South Bend, a business connecting the South Bend community with the gifting industry. Annie curates care packages, gift baskets, and subscription boxes using products from various vendors in the South Bend area. She shares her founding story, how she finds …
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Building Empathy and Community through a Bookstore: A Conversation with Kathy Burnett of Brain Lair Books
19:39
19:39
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19:39
This week hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Kathy Burnett, the owner of Brain Lair Books. Kathy shares her experiences of owning a bookstore that focuses on uplifting marginalized voices, highlighting authors and illustrators from underrepresented communities. She discusses navigating challenges during the pandemic, implementing revenue…
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Creating Impactful Businesses: Insights From South Bend Entrepreneurs Ramal Taylor & Joel Neidig
41:28
41:28
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For the first live episode of the Rooted and Reaching Podcast hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Ramal Taylor, CEO of Millennia Strategies, and Joel Neidig, the Director of Research and Development at ITAMCO. Joel and Ramal share the beginnings of their entrepreneurial journeys and how they found success in business through their family …
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Improving Lives with Medical Tech: Ray Fraser of VitalView
18:50
18:50
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This week hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Ray Fraser, Entrepreneur in Residence at The IDEA Center at the University of Notre Dame. Ray explains how he got into medical technology and how VitalView helps visualize patients' data to prevent hospital visits. He shares his passion for the future of medical technology and talks about the …
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Using The Power of Innovation For Good with Ambrose Kamya of Kinga Safety
19:35
19:35
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This week hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Ambrose Kamya, Founder of Kinga Safety, a South Bend startup working to keep communities and campuses safer. Originally from Uganda, Ambrose discusses a project involving the entire agricultural value chain of his home country and how he was able to connect farmers to exporters with organic pr…
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Entrepreneurship, Giving Back, And Using AI In Coding with Alex Sejdinaj
16:44
16:44
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This week hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Alex Sejdinaj, Co-founder of Code Works, a digital product studio based in South Bend that designs and develops tech solutions for clients with digital needs. Alex talks about the importance of tech literacy and how it gave her the skills to start her own business. She shares how Code Works is…
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Building a Thriving Business with Jess Koscher
17:33
17:33
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This week hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley have a conversation with Jess Koscher, Founder of Write Connections, a design, marketing, and strategic services company. After losing her job and being unemployed for 12 hours, Jess was overwhelmed with requests from her network to discuss her next move. Although concerned about paying her rent, her ne…
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Guacamole and the Entrepreneurial Spirit with Johan Vazquez of Guac N’ Squat
15:29
15:29
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In this episode of the Rooted and Reaching podcast, hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley speak with Johan Vazquez, Founder of Guac N’ Squat, a food business based in Goshen, Indiana. Johan’s passion for serving people, his pride in his Mexican heritage, and his entrepreneurial spirit have driven him to create a successful business from the ground up…
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Wins and Losses: The Power of Perspective with Kevin Craig of Tessellated
14:02
14:02
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In this episode of the Rooted and Reaching podcast, hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley speak with Kevin Craig, Chief Executive Officer at Tessellated, a company developing high-strength polymer films in partnership with The University of Notre Dame. Kevin shares his journey from the Air Force to working with Tessellated to create graphene. He also…
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In this episode of the Rooted and Reaching podcast, hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley speak with Paul Anthony, CEO and Co-founder at OpStart, a South Bend based company managing accounting, finance, and other back-office functions for startups. Paul talks about his background in venture capital and how deviating from the traditional career path c…
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The Journey of a Specialty Mushrooms Farm | Jared Bell
14:11
14:11
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In this episode of the Rooted and Reaching podcast, hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley speak with Jared Bell, Founder of Myco Mushrooms, a specialty mushroom farm based in Goshen, Indiana. Jared shares how Myco Mushrooms began with a vision to bring specialty mushrooms to local restaurants, farmers markets, and wholesale distributors. He also disc…
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From Card Games to Connecting Communities through Video Production | Derald Gray
15:55
15:55
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15:55
In this episode of the Rooted and Reaching podcast, hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley speak with Derald Gray, also known as DG, Owner of DG Visionary, an Elkhart-based business offering upscale video production and mobile DJ services. DG talks about his professional journey as a photojournalist and how his entrepreneurial spirit led him back to E…
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