Shane Stodghill
Shane Stodghill joined Oracle Corporation in Dallas, Texas, in 2015. As a senior regional manager of Oracle’s energy and utilities data platform, he manages an array of strategic investor-owned utilities….
Interview
More conversations with founders. Different format, same honesty. These interviews dig into the messy middle of building something. The part between the big idea and the press coverage that most people skip over. Spoiler: that’s where all the interesting stuff happens.
The founders here share what actually fills their days. Not the Instagram version. The real one. With the early mornings, the difficult conversations, and the moments of genuine doubt that somehow coexist with genuine excitement. It’s a weird combination. Ask any founder.
What makes these conversations worth reading is the specificity. Not vague advice like “follow your passion” or “think outside the box.” Actual details. How they got their first customer. What they’d do differently. The habits that keep them from losing their minds.
Some of these founders run companies you’ve heard of. Most of them you haven’t. Yet. That’s kind of the point. The best insights often come from people who are still in the trenches, not the ones writing memoirs about trenches they left years ago. Browse through. Find someone in your space. Or don’t. Sometimes the best perspective comes from a completely different industry.
Joseph Gradante
Joseph Gradante is a finance professional and entrepreneur based in Lake Oswego, Oregon. His path into finance was not something he planned from the beginning. Growing up on Manhattan’s Lower…
Quran Wilyum Riddick Jr.
Quran Wilyum Riddick Jr. is a tax accountant based in Exton, Pennsylvania. Raised in Philadelphia, he learned early that progress often comes from discipline, sacrifice, and setting high standards for…
Bronwyn Finnegan
Bronwyn Finnegan is a nonprofit strategist and organizational consultant based in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trained at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned master’s degrees in Nonprofit Leadership and…
Paul E Skidmore III
Paul E Skidmore III is a lifelong Tampa resident whose path has been shaped by family, hard work, and learning through experience. He grew up with his parents and younger…
Sundas Naqvi
Sundas Naqvi is a Chicago-based jazz and folk vocalist, songwriter, and occasional vocal coach whose work is rooted in storytelling and human connection. She grew up in southern England, where…
Nick Miccarelli
Nick Miccarelli has built his career around one guiding principle: service. Whether serving his country, representing his community, or leading an organization, he has consistently focused on helping people and…
Richard and Jillian Corbett
Richard and Jillian Corbett have built their life around growth, curiosity, and a willingness to try something new. Their story began in different parts of the country. Richard grew up…
Emily Armstrong
Emily D. Armstrong is an employment lawyer based in DuPage County, Illinois, and a member of the Arizona Employment Lawyers Association. She owns a successful law firm headquartered in the…
Bruno Clemente
“After 20 years as a cinematographer for major Brazilian broadcasters — covering the World Cup, the Olympics, and national news — I rebuilt my career from scratch in the U.S.,…
Gabriel Soffer
Running a lawn care business is about much more than mowing grass or keeping properties tidy. For Gabriel Soffer, it is about giving homeowners one less thing to worry about….
Dr. Kelechi Ekuma
Dr. Kelechi Ekuma has always been fascinated by how ideas become action. Growing up in Nigeria, he saw firsthand how education, public institutions, and leadership could shape opportunities for individuals…