School for Startups Radio

May 25, 2026 – Lake House Digital Lauren Schafer and Adapt or Thrive Thomas Douglas

Lauren Schafer – Founder of Lake House Digital Media [https://thelakehousedigital.com/] They remember how your story made them feel. Lauren Schafer is the founder of Lake House Digital Media, a boutique marketing agency that helps companies strengthen their digital presence through strategic SEO, content marketing, and thought leadership. She works with businesses across the United States, with a particular focus on life sciences, healthcare, startups, and highly specialized industries where trust and credibility are essential. Known for her hands on and relationship driven approach, Lauren helps brands improve visibility, generate qualified leads, and position executives as industry authorities. In addition to leading client strategy, Lauren is recognized for helping leadership teams maximize their presence on LinkedIn through profile optimization, executive branding, and practical training that drives authentic engagement. Through Lake House Digital Media, she partners with organizations ranging from early stage startups to established mid sized companies, creating marketing strategies designed to support long term growth and meaningful industry influence. Thomas Douglas – Chief Executive Officer of JMARK [https://www.jmark.com/] and The Author of Adapt or Die [https://www.adaptordie.com/] AI is more deceptive than a lot of other technologies, because it seems very simple. Thomas H. Douglas is the Chief Executive Officer of JMARK, an award-winning innovative IT solutions provider for organizations of all sizes. Thomas has led his company to 9 consecutive appearances on the Inc. 5000, something only 1% of CEOs who make the list ever achieve. He became a part of JMARK designing, building, and maintaining its functional aspects as an entry-level engineer before purchasing the company in 2001. As JMARK’s CEO, he formulated processes that provided repeatable outcomes and a predictable revenue stream that placed JMARK on a growth trajectory that up to this day, is revolutionizing the region’s engagement with technology. JMARK has been providing I.T. support services in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas for 30 Years; catering to various industries such as banking, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, transportation, accounting, legal, and oil, and gas. Thomas has seen it all as a father, veteran, business leader, and technologist. He visited 18 countries when he served in the US Navy and is also publishing a book entitled Adapt or Die, which explores Thomas’ algorithm of success. The algorithm is built on more than 30 years of lessons and business acumen that Tom has acquired through his tenure as CEO. He has now compiled his wisdom in order to provide the next generation of business leaders a launch pad to help them understand and determine product innovation, business strategy, growth, sales and marketing models, organizational strengths, operations, and processes. With his vast experience, Thomas is also a trusted technology adviser to international clients. He is an innovator in managed services and an engaging speaker on various topics like Executive Strategies, Entrepreneur Tactics, Technology Trends, IT Maturity Methodologies, Cybersecurity, and all Leadership and Technology related subjects.

May 22, 2026 – The Alloy Market Brandon Aversano and Legal Rights Cindy Cohn

Brandon Aversano – Founder of Alloy Market [https://thealloymarket.com/] In some of the darkest times come the brightest moments. Brandon Aversano is the founder of Alloy Market, a Newtown, Pennsylvania-based fintech startup launched in 2023 to bring more transparency, trust, and simplicity to the gold and fine jewelry resale market. Alloy Market buys gold jewelry and other precious metals directly from consumers online, offering a tech-enabled alternative to the traditional “Cash for Gold” or pawn shop experience. The idea came from a deeply personal moment. While undergoing cancer treatment at age 30, Aversano brought jewelry he had inherited from his grandmother to Philadelphia’s historic Jeweler’s Row, hoping to sell it to help cover mounting medical bills. Instead, he had what he described as “an absolutely horrific experience,” marked by lowball offers and little clarity into how prices were being set. That experience became the foundation for Alloy Market. The company’s model gives customers a free evaluation kit, insured shipping, and an offer based on weight, gold content, and current market prices. Alloy uses X-ray fluorescence technology, certified scales, and real-time pricing data to analyze each item and provide a more transparent process. Now, Alloy Market has launched a new model where sellers get paid upfront and also keep a share of the resale upside, something rarely seen in this category. The goal is to give consumers immediate liquidity while allowing them to participate in the additional value their jewelry may create on the resale market. The timing is significant. Resale prices for fine jewelry are reportedly up about 17% year over year, with high-value pieces seeing roughly 22% growth on resale platforms. Gold has surged more than 200% since 2020, and demand is especially strong for high-purity gold pieces and everyday “wearable assets,” rather than only ultra-luxury jewelry. Mid-tier jewelry in the $500 to $2,000 range is now driving much of the resale volume, while pieces with intrinsic material value, including gold, pearls, and certified stones, are outperforming trend-based jewelry. Before founding Alloy Market, Aversano worked in management consulting, strategy at JetBlue, and financial services at JPMorgan Chase, where he oversaw a major co-branded credit card portfolio, including the Amazon Prime card. Since launching, Alloy has raised approximately $3 million from partners including 11 Tribes, Hustle Fund, and Ben Franklin Technology Partners. At its core, Alloy Market is built around a simple idea: customers deserve honesty, transparency, and respect when selling valuable personal items. As Aversano puts it, “We just try to be as honest and transparent as possible. I think that goes a really, really long way with customers.” Brandon can speak to why more consumers are liquidating jewelry right now, what is happening in the gold and estate resale market, the shift from pawn shops to digital resale platforms, and why more people are moving from “buy and keep forever” to “buy, wear, and eventually liquidate.” Alloy Market [https://dotellpublicity-com.rmailroute.net/x/d?c=50922690&l=ae5b84dc-ad1c-451e-89b4-2fcefcaa75d2&r=60a62eab-7d76-4320-b337-61a501a730da], just launched a model where sellers get paid upfront and keep a share of the resale upside, something we haven’t seen before in this category. Cindy Cohn – Executive Director of Electronic Frontier Foundation [https://www.eff.org/] The AI doesn’t know when it’s lying to you and when it’s not. Cindy Cohn is the Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. From 2000-2015 she served as EFF’s Legal Director as well as its General Counsel.  Ms. Cohn first became involved with EFF in 1993, when EFF asked her to serve as the outside lead attorney in Bernstein v. Dept. of Justice, the successful First Amendment challenge to the U.S. export restrictions on cryptography. Ms. Cohn has been named to TheNonProfitTimes 2020 Power & Influence TOP 50 list, honoring 2020’s movers and shakers.  In 2018, Forbes included Ms. Cohn as one of America’s Top 50 Women in Tech. The National Law Journal named Ms. Cohn one of 100 most influential lawyers in America in 2013, noting: “[I]f Big Brother is watching, he better look out for Cindy Cohn.” She was also named in 2006 for “rushing to the barricades wherever freedom and civil liberties are at stake online.”  In 2007 the National Law Journal named her one of the 50 most influential women lawyers in America. In 2010 the Intellectual Property Section of the State Bar of California awarded her its Intellectual Property Vanguard Award and in 2012 the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded her the James Madison Freedom of Information Award. Ms. Cohn is the author of the professional memoir, called Privacy’s Defender published by MIT Press in March, 2026. As part of promoting the book, she appeared on The Daily.

May 20, 2026 – VC Nikhil Choudhary and Cementing Change Mary Lou Panzano

Nikhil Choudhary – Managing Partner at Nirman Ventures [https://www.nirman.vc/] The world we live in right now is designed around a human form factor Nikhil Choudhary is a Silicon Valley-based investor and operator focused on technologies modernizing the physical economy. He has spent more than two decades building and scaling businesses across construction, manufacturing, logistics, and real-asset–driven industries, before turning his attention to early-stage investing in robotics, autonomy, and applied AI systems deployed in real-world environments. His work centers on under-digitized sectors where productivity, safety, and labor constraints present both structural challenges and long-term technology opportunities. Choudhary’s perspective is shaped by hands-on operating experience, with an emphasis on solutions that perform outside controlled settings and deliver measurable outcomes on job sites, in warehouses, and across industrial operations. Mary Lou Panzano – Author of Cementing Change-Cracking the Code for Communications that Work [https://www.amazon.com/Cementing-Change-Cracking-Code-Communications-that/dp/195503687X?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dch4VYynDL6TgD1xynGalrUZOSZu1cw8oP-QWqwJfsYLQfAXzxS4x-CTOUJgeIJlmN1aZYY1B8RZX4oJgSv4MQ.DJ_gQCYfuRjJdIbGfn-nTKCwp_j47hh_gbu9XnKSlnY&dib_tag=se&keywords=cementing+change&qid=1777809653&s=audible&sr=1-1-catcorr] & Cracking the Rich Code Volume 18 [https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=g4C3lmyrA1pS6rzj8JQtYnoDbMizAsyTzAKMHQowNsi] You can’t fix what you can’t see as a problem Mary Lou Panzano is an award-winning communications executive with over 35 years of experience in employee communications at global companies, empowering leaders to guide strategic organizational change. She is a certified leadership coach, communications advisor, speaker, and best-selling author, passionate about helping people succeed through any change they want to make in their business or lives. Mary Lou is a featured author in the Cracking the Rich Code, Volume 18 anthology and a contributing author in The Art of Connection: 365 Days of Resilience Quotes by Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Influencers. Her solo book, Cementing Change: Cracking the Code for Communications that Work, will be published in 2026

May 19, 2026 - Ageless Peak Performance Ted Yang and Geofencing Chris Seminatore

Ted Yang – Author of Ageless Peak Performance: The Playbook for AI-Powered Excellence [https://www.amazon.com/Ageless-Peak-Performance-AI-Powered-Excellence-ebook/dp/B0GRHKTHTS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3KNYKYVXIXMEK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jIvnfaET2AuVkl_ZX2hieInfDcP9dOZ37vYvZK5dLCnFjMRDqIYjQxyRXzocpmo6XC70hK6YuMfoz_thzEShP45G5wNfCM-pPf5vBjp4hBe2A4qsKTHhjHeB2a_0-VNap9g-0L5PoVlP8QLPM2byroGJ_nvJp-5J8KjVCaFshCiz0UUFArAy28XdwctO_5-vU7lVEFLzh9sk_XfVg9RSVRGDAbUfF5nMPQaNWcvgHLg.vyRCed_axrhWPmM76GFyiCXESsWL-kPEj93WR7Ecj4c&dib_tag=se&keywords=Ted+Yang&qid=1778652970&sprefix=ted+yang%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-1] What becomes the real skill is knowing what’s real from AI slop. Ted Yang is a visionary entrepreneur, MIT-trained engineer, and multidisciplinary leader at the intersection of finance, technology, and social impact. With a career spanning elite institutions such as Bridgewater Associates and Citadel, Ted has led high-stakes investment strategies and built transformative businesses—from hedge funds and private equity platforms to high-growth startups like Daily Voice and Purple Insurance. Equally committed to public service and personal storytelling, Ted co-founded 4-CT, Connecticut’s largest COVID-19 relief fund, and earned a regional Emmy nomination for his creative work. He’s the author of a deeply personal memoir chronicling the premature birth of his triplets, Table for Five (see below!) and was appointed by Governor Lamont to the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education, helping shape the future of learning in Connecticut. A compelling speaker and storyteller, Ted has taken the stage at South Summit, Startup Grind, Cleantech Open, and university commencements, and is known for translating complex ideas into actionable insights. His thought leadership has been featured by Fox Business News, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR. Chris Seminatore – Founder of GetGeofencing [https://www.getgeofencing.com/] A location is the strongest indicator of buying intent. Chris Seminatore is the founder of GetGeofencing.com, a location-based digital marketing agency that has worked with more than 1100 businesses across the U.S. and Mexico. He’s spent the past seven years helping organizations in highly practical, often overlooked industries like funeral homes, plasma donation centers, real estate, and political campaigns, and use geofencing and targeted advertising to drive measurable results. Before starting his agency, Chris served five years in the U.S. Navy, including deployments during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After leaving the military, his path included time in Los Angeles working in television commercial production, founding multiple businesses (one of which he exited), and eventually building GetGeofencing without outside funding. Today, he runs the company remotely from Mexico and is known for a straightforward, ROI-focused approach to marketing that prioritizes clarity, execution, and results over buzzwords or vanity metrics.

May 18, 2026 – Easy App Building Joel Brewer, Functional Health Dr. Dusty Hess and Ford’s Matt Atkenson

Joel Brewer – CEO of Brewer Digital [https://www.brewerdigital.com/] You can move really, really fast, but you have to know where you’re headed. Joel Brewer is the Founder and CEO of Brewer Digital, a US based software development agency that helps early stage startup founders launch products with confidence. A software developer himself, Joel works directly with founders who have an idea, some traction, or fresh funding but no internal engineering leadership. His team builds MVPs, rescues failed offshore projects, and helps founders make smart technical decisions before they burn runway. Joel believes most startups do not fail because of bad ideas. They fail because they build the wrong thing or build it the wrong way. Brewer Digital partners with founders who value communication, clarity, and long term thinking over cheap shortcuts. With deep experience in HealthTech and FinTech, Joel helps founders decide what to build next, why it matters, and how to launch without creating technical debt that slows them down later. Dr. Dusty Hess –  Founder and CEO of Upstream Health [https://upstreamhealth.com/] If you see yourself as not playing a role in your own health, and you’re leaning on your health insurance to get you healthy, you’ve already lost Dr. Dusty Hess is a functional medicine doctor, speaker, and founder of Upstream Health, where he helps Christian families restore health by returning to God’s original design. Our modern world has drifted far downstream from the way we were created to live. Processed food, chronic stress, poor sleep, environmental toxins, and disconnected lifestyles have left many families feeling burned out, inflamed, anxious, and spiritually depleted. Dr. Hess believes the good news is that the body was built for more, and it still remembers how to heal. Through Upstream Health, Dr. Hess helps families turn upstream again by restoring physical, mental, and spiritual health through faith-driven functional medicine tools, education, and community. Through Upstream+, a personalized functional medicine membership, and Upstream Magazine, a monthly faith-based health publication, Upstream Health equips Christian families with practical, God-aligned habits to help prevent and reverse chronic disease, reclaim energy, and live with greater joy and purpose. As a speaker, Dr. Hess brings together science, Scripture, and humor to make audiences laugh, think, and take action. His talks are faith-filled, evidence-based, and designed to inspire lasting change long after the event ends.   Matt Atkenson – Executive Director of Sales & Operations at Ford Motor Company [https://www.careers.ford.com/] What I know from small business is that they watch their costs relentlessly. Matt Atkenson is the Executive Director of Ford Pro North America Sales and Operations at Ford Motor Company, where he leads sales and operational strategy for Ford’s commercial, government, and dealer reported business channels. In this role, he oversees key areas including production planning, inventory management, vehicle allocation, and scheduling, while working closely with dealers, fleet customers, field operations, and retail marketing teams. He also serves as chair of the Ford Pro Dealer Council and Fleet Advisory Board, helping strengthen Ford Pro’s dealer network and support businesses that rely on work vehicles every day. Atkenson has been with Ford for more than 20 years and has held leadership roles across sales, service, dealer relations, field operations, commercial and industrial sales, and retail communications. His work focuses on aligning Ford Pro’s vehicles, services, and customer support with the real needs of North American businesses, especially commercial fleets and small business owners.