Episodes

  • Building Digital Accessibility and Breaking Down Cultural Barriers for Disabled Individuals with Ablr Co-Founder & CEO John Samuel (S9E09)

    Building Digital Accessibility and Breaking Down Cultural Barriers for Disabled Individuals with Ablr Co-Founder & CEO John Samuel (S9E09)
    Feb 21 2023
    Aaron is joined by John Samuel, Co-Founder and CEO of Ablr, a digital accessibility and inclusion company supporting disabled individuals and the organizations that employ them. John walks Aaron through his own experience losing his vision from a degenerative eye condition and learning how few digital resources existed for people with vision impairments and other disabilities. He started Ablr with the goals of furthering digital accessibility, improving disability inclusion for companies and organizations, and creating employment pathways for individuals with disabilities. They discuss systematic barriers as well as technologies that have created change and improvement for the disabled community throughout the past few years, including rideshare apps and autonomous vehicles. Hear how proximity builds empathy by tuning into the episode and visit www.albr360.com to learn more. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Haley Sacotte, Nina Valdes, Maria Bayas, Michael Grubbs, Anna Lamm and Mathew Passy   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • Turning Stadiums and Graffiti into Jewelry and Opportunities for Women with Amy Peterson, CEO and Co-Founder of Rebel Nell (S9E08)

    Turning Stadiums and Graffiti into Jewelry and Opportunities for Women with Amy Peterson, CEO and Co-Founder of Rebel Nell (S9E08)
    Feb 7 2023
    In this episode, Aaron is joined by Amy Peterson, CEO and Founder of Rebel Nell, to talk about what inspired her to launch the Detroit-based jewelry company focused on providing employment, equitable opportunity, and wraparound support for women with barriers to employment. Amy takes us through her career path, which began as a lawyer for the Detroit Tigers, as well as how getting the chance to meet with women staying at a local homeless shelter shifted her perspective on life. She also explains Rebel Nell’s process of creating art and jewelry out of things like graffiti, old sports stadiums and more. Tune in to hear about a truly inspiring company and learn more at www.rebelnell.com. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Haley Sacotte, Nina Valdes, Maria Bayas, Michael Grubbs, Anna Lamm and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • CEO of CentralReach Chris Sullens on Using Technology to Expand Job Opportunities for Neurodiverse Individuals (S9E07)

    CEO of CentralReach Chris Sullens on Using Technology to Expand Job Opportunities for Neurodiverse Individuals (S9E07)
    Jan 24 2023
    Aaron sits down with CEO of CentralReach Chris Sullens to discuss CentralReach’s mission of leveraging technology to support individuals with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Chris explains that 85% of adults with autism are unemployed and CentralReach is working to fix this through innovative digital assistive software. Aaron and Chris discuss how companies can develop more inclusive processes throughout their organization, why it’s difficult to get more companies to adopt the technology available to better serve this community, and how more resources should be put in place so that families and caretakers know what options are out there. Tune in for the full conversation and head to www.centralreach.com to learn more. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Haley Sacotte, Nina Valdes, Maria Bayas, Michael Grubbs, Anna Lamm and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 mins
  • Normalizing Mental Healthcare through Humor with Erin Pash, Co-Founder & CEO of Ellie Mental Health (S9E06)

    Normalizing Mental Healthcare through Humor with Erin Pash, Co-Founder & CEO of Ellie Mental Health (S9E06)
    Jan 10 2023
    In this episode, Aaron is joined by Erin Pash, Co-Founder and CEO of Ellie Mental Health, to talk about the importance of mental health services and how the company strives to make each session as comfortable and fun as possible. The mental health industry is full of barriers, and Ellie Mental Health has made it their goal to fill the gap and find innovative ways to break down these barriers for the communities they serve. The two also discuss Erin’s experience as a therapist in both clinical settings and how she helps people in her personal life. Tune in and visit www.elliementalhealth.com to learn more. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Haley Sacotte, Nina Valdes, Maria Bayas, Michael Grubbs, Anna Lamm and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • How CEO & Co-Founder of August Nadya Okamoto Built a Brand Focused on Destigmatizing Periods (S9E05)

    How CEO & Co-Founder of August Nadya Okamoto Built a Brand Focused on Destigmatizing Periods (S9E05)
    Dec 27 2022
    This week on Brand on Purpose, Aaron talks to Nadya Okamoto, the CEO and Co-Founder of lifestyle period brand August. Nadya shares what made her passionate about the period care space and what she has learned from building a brand that is dedicated to making high-quality period care more accessible. Tune in to hear Nadya and Aaron discuss marketing in the attention economy, why social media can be a double-edged sword, and how purpose-led brands can create change throughout an entire industry. Head to www.itsaugust.co to learn more about August. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Haley Sacotte, Nina Valdes, Maria Bayas, Michael Grubbs, Anna Lamm and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • How DJing for JLo Led to Empowering Young Investors with Acorns CEO Noah Kerner (S9E04)

    How DJing for JLo Led to Empowering Young Investors with Acorns CEO Noah Kerner (S9E04)
    Dec 13 2022
    We all hear how important it is to start saving young and consistently put money away for later in our lives. In this episode, Noah Kerner, CEO of Acorns, joins the show to talk about the company’s mission to look after the financial interests of the up-and-coming, beginning with the step of micro-investing. Noah and Aaron talk about the idea behind a feature of the app that rounds up every purchase you make to the nearest dollar and adds the difference to your portfolio, and why it makes investing more accessible. The two also discuss Noah’s background as underground DJ in New York’s East Village, even performing with Jennifer Lopez, and why his experiences led him to become a serial entrepreneur whose purpose is to “level the playing field.” Tune in to hear more about Noah and sign up to start investing at www.acorns.com. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Haley Sacotte, Nina Valdes, Maria Bayas, Michael Grubbs, Anna Lamm and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    37 mins
  • We Need to Feed More People with Less Resources ASAP, But How? Featuring Jonathan Webb, Founder and CEO of AppHarvest (S9E3)

    We Need to Feed More People with Less Resources ASAP, But How? Featuring Jonathan Webb, Founder and CEO of AppHarvest (S9E3)
    Nov 29 2022
    Jonathan Webb, Founder and CEO of AppHarvest, joins the show to talk about the sustainable food company that is designed to grow non-GMO, chemical pesticide-free produce, using only recycled rainwater at some of the world’s largest indoor farms. Aaron and Jonathan discuss the major challenges we are facing when it comes to food shortages and why it’s so important to reduce the amount of water used in agriculture as quickly as possible. Jonathan also identifies Controlled Environment Agriculture as the third wave of sustainable infrastructure following renewable energies and electric vehicles, noting that the convergence of technologies like LED lighting, AI and robotics allows AppHarvest to optimize nature. Tune in to hear the full conversation and learn more about AppHarvest at www.appharvest.com. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Haley Sacotte, Danny Ziolkowski, Maria Bayas, Michael Grubbs, Anna Lamm and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • Being Naked is the Most Sustainable Option When it Comes to Fashion, but Chief Executive Officer of Reformation Hali Borenstein Says Reformation is Second (S9E02)

    Being Naked is the Most Sustainable Option When it Comes to Fashion, but Chief Executive Officer of Reformation Hali Borenstein Says Reformation is Second (S9E02)
    Nov 15 2022
    Chief Executive Officer at Reformation, Hali Borenstein, takes Aaron through her background in business, what she’s learned from being a leader in times of transition, and what being sustainable means in the fashion space. Hali explains how Reformation was created to be a catalyst for change in the fashion industry. The company constantly tries to improve its business practices, from having a D2C model that is responsive to consumer demand to emphasizing transparency by releasing quarterly sustainability reports. Hali and Aaron discuss what it takes to be a climate positive company and how they see the industry prioritizing sustainability going forward. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Haley Sacotte, Danny Ziolkowski, Maria Bayas, Michael Grubbs, Anna Lamm and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins