This is “IRON” Mike Steadman, host of Black Entrepreneurs Survive and Thrive, happy to announce we’re back with another Season of the Show. Our first 12 Episodes allowed to highlight the impact of patient capital, the BEST Fund, and the resilience of black entrepreneurs here in the great state of New Jersey. When we initially launched, we were stil…

To learn more about New Jersey Small Business Development Center, visit: https://njsbdc.com/By Mike Steadman, Kelly Broznya

On this episode of the Best Podcast, I’m joined by Shannon Lazare, North New Jersey Regional Manager for M&T Bank. On the show, Shannon discusses how M&T supports black business owners, why they’re excited to be part of the BEST Initiative, and shares her perspective on how the banking system can help more black entrepreneurs survive and thrive. To…

On this episode of the BEST Podcast, I’m joined by Ayana Morris, Co-Founder of Newark Moonlight Cinema, a drive-in movie theater located in Newark, NJ. Ayana and her husband Siree, launched Newark Moonlight Cinema in the middle of the pandemic to create a fun and entertaining experience for the City’s residents, despite being in the midst of so muc…

On this episode of the BEST Podcast, I’m joined by Sharif Muhammad, Founder and CEO of Unlimited Capital Advisors, a certified public accounting firm in New Jersey that delivers customized financial solutions for a diversified spectrum of clientele. Sharif has over 21 years of experience working in the financial services industry.On the show, Shari…

On this episode of the BEST Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Pedro Santana, Founder and CEO of Deal With It Management, a full-service management and consulting firm dedicated to providing top quality solutions and services to government clients, business, K-12 and higher education leaders. To learn more about Deal With It Management , visit: https://dea…

On this episode of the BEST Podcast, I’m joined by Keisha Wright Daniel, Owner and Director of Care for Me Children’s Learning Center, a private learning center offering a quality educational program for children from ages 6 weeks to 13 years old. Keisha shares how resilience and the responsibility of serving her youth and staff, have kept her goin…

On this episode of the BEST Podcast, I interview David Langlieb, Senior Underwriter at New Jersey Community Capital, a non-profit community development financial institution (CDFI) dedicated to creating thriving communities through strategic investments and knowledge. To learn more about New Jersey Community Capital, visit: https://www.newjerseycom…

On this episode of The BEST Podcast, I sat down with Jason Martin, Founder of Jason Martin Productions, a leading digital multimedia service company that specializes in corporate photography and video marketing. Jason opens up about his journey to survive and thrive, despite the pandemic, what led him to starting a business in the first place, and …

On this episode of The BEST Podcast, I’m joined by Marcus Crawford, a young & hungry entrepreneur who Co-Founded Bro-Ritos Food Truck with some friends in 2016. Despite operating at zero revenue for several months, Marcus found a silver lining through all the chaos and has managed and shares how he’s thriving during the pandemic. To learn more abou…

On the following episode of The BEST Podcast, I sat down with Mitchell Greene, who’s leading the ground efforts with the New Jersey BEST Fund, which includes identifying, screening, and working with black entrepreneurs, in order to get them access to patient capital through our partners. Subscribe to our newsletter here: https://thebestpodcast.subs…

On this episode of The BEST Podcast, I sit down with Kristine Smith, CEO/Co-Founder of the InSpira Performing Arts & Cultural Center, a dance and music center for children and adults, currently operating two locations in New Brunswick and Newark, NJ. Kristine started InSpira in 2002 in the basement of a church with 14 kids and now is currently serv…

On this episode of The BEST Podcast, I interview Dr. Suffiyah Web, a Newark Native and Founder of Brilliant Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, a unique dental environment that focuses on total body wellness for children. Suffiyah and I discuss how the pandemic has impacted her business, and how through it all, she’s kept her small team inspired, employed,…

On this inaugural episode of the BEST Podcast, I’m joined by Lyneir Richardson to discuss Patient Capital and the NJ BEST Patient Capital Fund. With financial support secured from M&T Bank and the Surdna Foundation, The NJ BEST Patient Capital Fund will deploy $250,000 - $500,000 of non-dilutive capital – specifically, recoverable grants $25,000 to…

Introducing The BEST (Black Entrepreneurs Survive and Thrive) Podcast, a show dedicated to highlighting the resilience of black entrepreneurs and the impact of patient capital. This series is brought to you by the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development at Rutgers Business School, where we integrate scholarly works with private c…