The Startup Junkies Podcast
The Startup Junkies podcast is hosted by Jeff Amerine and his team at Startup Junkie Consulting. We’ll cover topics ranging from getting started, planning, growing your business, proving your concept, leadership, marketing, exit strategies and so much more. We’ll interview business owners, entrepreneurs, experts and people we think will bring value to our audience. Subscribe and together we will move your business to the next level.
How Korean Founders Break Into the US Market: Founder Interviews from Startup Crawl 2024
What does it take for a startup from Korea to break into the US market? Four founders share how they're doing it.
Recorded live at Startup Crawl in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this episode features founders from the Korea Global Expansion Accelerator. They build AI companion robots for isolated seniors, AI-powered lead generation, classroom analytics for early childhood education, and hotel operations software. We also go inside RISE Arkansas, a no-cost program for tech and tech-enabled startups. The episode closes with a look at how Startup Crawl grew from one building to a downtown-wide event.
In this...
How AI Agents Fix Denied Insurance Claims with Shahbaz Virk of Cair Health
Denied insurance claims cost clinics money, staff time, and patient care, and AI agents are starting to change that.
In this entrepreneur interview, Shahbaz Virk (co-founder of Cair Health) explains how AI agents can handle medical billing from start to finish. That covers checking eligibility, reworking denied claims, and even waiting on hold with insurance companies. He shares why so many claims get denied, how growing up with a nurse mom shaped his founder story, and why rural health is central to his mission.
Whether you're a startup founder building in healthcare or an operator b...
AI and Data Privacy for Growing Companies with Carl Maloney of FloX
On this episode of the Startup Junkies Podcast, hosts Daniel Koontz and Caleb Talley sit down with Carl Maloney, founder of FloX, a technology consulting firm helping mid-sized companies replace spreadsheet chaos with AI-driven systems.
Carl shares his journey from a decade-plus corporate career and burnout to a six-month sabbatical, and ultimately launching his own consulting business. Plus how he validates customer problems, runs marketing solo, and thinks about privacy and compliance when implementing AI for clients in regulated industries like healthcare.
In This Episode:
☑️ Warning signs a company has outgrown Excel-based operations
☑️ AI implem...
Lawn Care Olympics in Fayetteville, Arkansas with Quinn Childress of Willow Street Lawns
Quinn Childress, owner of Willow Street Lawns and founder of the digital lawn care marketplace Lawnly, joins the Startup Junkies Podcast to talk about the first-ever Lawn Care Olympics coming to Fayetteville, Arkansas on September 20th. Quinn shares how he went from experiencing homelessness as a teenager to building a lawn care business, and now a platform designed to funnel local dollars toward nonprofits and people experiencing homelessness in Northwest Arkansas.
In This Episode
Cutting Health Care Costs for Self-Funded Employers with Kirat Kharode of HealCo
Employer health care costs have risen 70% over the last decade while wages have grown just 30%. Kirat Kharode, CEO and Founder of HealCo, joins the Startup Junkies Podcast's Fuel Accelerator health tech series to break down why self-funded employer health plans are becoming unsustainable, and how HealCo's governance layer helps route employees to lower-cost, high-quality care before costs spiral.
In this episode:
Why self-funded health plans are under more scrutiny than everThe site-of-entry problem driving up specialty care costsHow HealCo's governance and routing model worksWhat a real cost-savings diagnostic looks like for employersWhy Northwest Arkansas is fertile...How to Be a Great Startup Mentor with Permjot Valia & Ross Webb
In this episode of the Startup Junkies Podcast, host Caleb Talley sits down with Permjot Valia, founder of Mentor Camp, and Ross Webb, a longtime AI product manager and returning Mentor Camp mentor, to unpack the philosophy behind one of the most unusual mentorship models in the startup world.
This is a masterclass for founders on how to actually get value out of mentorship, and for mentors on how to build relationships that last well beyond a single conversation.
In this episode:
✅ The origin story of Mentor Ca...
How Northwest Arkansas Funds Its Startups with Chris Ehrhardt
Most founders think you need a $250,000 VC check to get funded, but angel investors will write you a check for $5,000, actually get to know you, and stick around as a mentor long after the money lands.
In this episode, Chris, the new director of 412 Angels, explains the real difference between angel investors and VCs, why founders should start building investor relationships long before they need the money, the most overrated (and underrated) traits he sees in early-stage founders, and what's next for 412 Angels — including plans to launch a fund and lead their own deals.
In th...
You're Not Thinking Big Enough with Congressman Steve Womack
He slept on the floor of a radio station he couldn't afford to staff, got told by the local coffee shop crowd he'd be out of business in six months, and ran that station for 45 years.
Before he was a U.S. Congressman, Steve Womack was a Startup Junkie: a broadcaster's son who talked his way into a shoestring AM station in Rogers, Arkansas, and built it into an institution. In this episode, he sits down with Daniel Koontz, Jeff Amerine, and Caleb Talley to trace the throughline from that station to the Rogers mayor's office...
This Restaurant Won 5 Awards in Its First Year with Maria Smith
Most restaurants don't survive their first year. This one won five awards in it. Including back-to-back People's Choice titles and a top finish for Best Asian Business in the entire state of Arkansas.
Maria Smith left a long corporate career (including years at Sam's Club) to open Lasang Pinoy with her brother, bringing Filipino cuisine, and Filipino karaoke culture, to Northwest Arkansas.
In this episode, she breaks down the history behind the cuisine, the real financial and emotional challenges of opening a restaurant, why one specific karaoke song is banned from the building, and her d...
Why We Don't Let AI Predict Your Orders - with Foreko
Everyone's racing to bolt AI onto everything, but Foreko co-founders Homero Ruiz and Alexis Rodas found the biggest opportunity in something almost boring: 76% of procurement teams are still running on spreadsheets.
In this episode, they break down why they deliberately avoided fully automating decisions with AI, how a food truck's stock-out problem turned into a company, and why they think the real Silicon Valley advantage is knowing which advice to ignore.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:59 – Welcome & Meet the Founders
1:32 – What Is Foreko? The AI Operating System for Procurement
2:11 – The Founders' Journeys: From Red Bull and Pe...
The Fundraising Mistakes That Kill Startups Before They Start with Jeff Amerine
Less than 1% of U.S. businesses that ever raise outside money end up raising venture capital, and most founders chasing it don't actually need it.
In this entrepreneur interview, Jeff Amerine — a venture capital investor and longtime advisor in the startup ecosystem — breaks down the real landscape of startup funding: when to bootstrap, when to raise, and why most companies burn time chasing the wrong kind of capital. He and co-hosts Daniel Koonce and Grace Gill also dig into what VCs actually look for, the most common fundraising mistakes founders make, and the difference between convertible note...
I Trust My Gut 70% of the Time - Here's Why with Dr. Joshua Upshaw
Insurance paperwork is delaying treatment for patients who don't have time to wait. One founder built a company to fix it.
In this entrepreneur interview, Dr. Joshua Upshaw — founder and CEO of Hidalgo Technologies and a PhD in cognitive neuroscience — shares how a family health crisis pushed him from academic research into healthcare entrepreneurship, why he trusts his gut more than any spreadsheet, and how he built his team around mission alignment instead of resumes.
Whether you're still validating your first idea or figuring out who belongs on your founding team, this conversation will...
This Founder Can Read Your Vitals From a Phone Call with Nyamitse-Calvin Mihanda
Most founders obsess over their product. The real skill is knowing which problem to fall in love with instead.
In this entrepreneur interview, Nyamitse-Calvin Mihanda — founder of Vital Audio and a Techstars and Fuel Accelerator alum — shares how his company extracts heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure from ordinary conversation, why he walked away from a "perfect" product mindset, and how his path from hospital billing collector to healthcare founder shaped the way he builds teams today.
Whether you're building your first startup or trying to close the access-to-care gap in your own comm...
Why Bentonville's Startup Ecosystem Is More Powerful Than You Think | Zak Morris
What happens when a mentor gets more out of an accelerator than the founders do?
Zak Morris joined the Fuel accelerator as a subject matter expert in AI — but quickly realized he was learning just as much as the companies he was advising. In this episode, Zak breaks down how working with startups across cybersecurity, AML, and healthcare sharpened his own thinking, why Bentonville's density of world-class talent is an underrated advantage, and how one early conversation with a founder led to a permanent board seat.
Whether you're a founder, a seasoned professional sitting on th...
How Stefanie Hammett Is Rewriting Consent Laws One State at a Time
What does affirmative consent law reform, university sex education, and AI-powered law enforcement tools have in common? They're all part of Stefanie Hammett's ambitious startup, HMS.
HMS (Have More Safety · Have More Sex · Have More Space) is a consent education company with a bold 2036 goal: insert affirmative consent into all 50 state criminal codes. But getting there means building a real business — with a direct-to-consumer product line, a university B2B pilot program, and a law enforcement tech partnership with Clipper AI.
Stefanie breaks down:
454: Why Aha Moments Are Less Instantaneous Than You Think
Summary
Innovation isn’t a lightning bolt, it's a process. That’s the message threaded throughout the latest episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, where Eva Fast, director of the University of Arkansas MSPI program, joined hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley for a deep dive into product innovation, entrepreneurial mindsets, and the realities behind those famed “aha” moments.
Drawing from her upbringing in Kenya and extensive academic career, Eva breaks the myth that innovation is a singular, sudden event. Instead, she describes it as a gradual journey shaped by diverse perspectives and cont...
453: The Power of Print in a Digital World
Summary
What happens when passion for storytelling meets the entrepreneurial spirit? In this episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, Danielle Keller, media entrepreneur, award-winning podcaster, and editor-in-chief of Northwest Arkansas’s beloved Peekaboo magazine, joins Daniel Koonce, Caleb Talley, and Ty Steele for a conversation packed with inspiration, nostalgia, and the realities of building community through storytelling.
Danielle shares her fascinating career journey, from her beginnings in California writing for school papers, through a detour in higher education, to diving fearlessly into documentary film, video production, and ultimately acquiring and revitalizing Peekaboo ma...
452: Building a Culture of Fun and Community with Arkansas Track Club
Summary
What does it take to build a thriving running community from scratch—and keep it going year after year? In this episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, Daniel Koonce, Ty Steele, and their guests dig into the passion, patience, and persistence behind the Arkansas Track Club’s rise and evolution.
Founder, Shawn Wierick, never imagined trading in med school dreams for youth coaching and ultra-marathons, but since 2012, he’s built a track club with roots deep in Arkansas’s running culture. Driven by the belief that culture trumps all, Shawn shares insights...
451: How a Northwest Arkansas Dad Transformed His Love for Water Adventures into a Business
Summary
Ever thought about what’s missing from your community—and what could happen if you decided to fill that gap yourself? That question is at the heart of Ozark Float Park, the innovative family-friendly business featured in the latest episode of the Startup Junkies podcast. In a region known for its outdoor spirit, Michael Barron saw an opportunity: despite Northwest Arkansas’s wealth of natural settings and active families, the area was missing a float or aqua park—a modular, inflatable obstacle course on a lake designed for all ages.
Michael shares h...
450: How Black Paper Party Turned a Pandemic Passion Into a Multi-Retail Success
Summary
Have you ever wondered how a simple idea born from a desire to spread joy can transform into a thriving business that redefines representation during the holidays? The latest episode of the Startup Junkies podcast offers a powerful glimpse into the origin and phenomenal growth of Black Paper Party, the vibrant Black-owned brand shaking up the seasonal décor industry.
Hosts Daniel Koonce and Ty Steele sit down with the dynamic founders of Black Paper Party—Jasmine Hudson, Madia Willis, and J’Aaron Merchant—to uncover the inspirations, challenges, and triumphs behind...
449: How CeCe Marie Turned Hard Times Into a Dance Revolution
Summary
In this episode of the Startup Junkies podcast sponsored by Bank of America, CeCe Marie, dancer, choreographer, and founder of The Vibe, joins Daniel Koonce and Ty Steele to share her inspiring journey of resilience, culture, and community through dance.
Raised in a culturally diverse family, CeCe was immersed in Afro-Caribbean dance from a young age, fueling her love for culture and movement. Life’s challenges, including her father’s incarceration and solo parenthood, only deepened her connection to the black and brown communities and hip hop, which CeCe describes as lifes...
448: The Banking Relationship Every Startup Needs to Survive and Thrive with James Norman
Summary
In this special episode of the Startup Junkies podcast sponsored by Bank of America, hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley are joined by James Norman, Relationship Manager at Bank of America, to explore the evolving needs and challenges of today’s entrepreneurs.
The conversation opens with James sharing his personal journey—moving from a small community bank to a pivotal role at Bank of America, where he leverages the bank’s robust resources and global reach to empower local business owners. Emphasizing the importance of strong banker-client relationships, James describes how Bank o...
447: The Secret That Changes Everything for Startup Success with Benjamin Greene
Summary
In this powerful episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, Benjamin Greene shares his candid and deeply personal journey – from his early battles with adversity to his success as a co-founder of Green Performance & Wellness Coaching. Interviewed by Daniel Koonce, Cindy Lin, and Grace Olson, Benjamin dives deep into the heart of entrepreneurship, mindset, and resilience.
A recurring theme is the importance of consistency and mastering the basics. As Benjamin Greene notes, most people will never master the foundations, stressing that true success isn’t about flashy moves but doing the fundamentals at a...
446: Why NWA Is the Best Place for Entrepreneurs with Randy Wilburn
Summary
On this insightful episode of Startup Junkies, the team sits down with Randy Wilburn, director of communications and marketing at the Fayetteville Public Library and founder/host of the I Am Northwest Arkansas podcast. Randy shares his journey moving from Boston to Northwest Arkansas in 2014, and how the region’s rich entrepreneurial spirit inspired him to start a podcast that now boasts over four hundred episodes.
Throughout the episode, Randy details the vibrant business culture in Northwest Arkansas and explains why it’s an ideal place to launch a new venture. He h...
445: The Untold Challenges of Rapid Growth with Thomas Healy
Summary
In this episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, hosts Caleb Talley and Grant Boston sit down with Thomas Healy, founder of Hyliion, to dive deep into his entrepreneurial journey and the innovative path his company is charting in the power generation space.
Thomas shares how Hyliion moved from an initial focus on electrifying commercial vehicles to developing the groundbreaking KARNO power module, a distributed power generation solution intended to transform how facilities like Walmarts, data centers, and airports get their energy. Drawing on his experiences as a young, ambitious founder at...
444: How a Failed Entertainment Venture Shaped a Real Estate Empire
Summary
In the latest episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, hosts Daniel Koonce and Grant Boston sit down with real estate mogul Ari Rastegar, founder and CEO of Rastegar Capital, to discuss entrepreneurship, investing, and the value of failure. Calling in from Austin, Texas, Ari Rastegar shares his journey from law school student to head of a multi-billion dollar real estate firm, including the pivotal moments, such as a multi-million dollar entertainment company undone by a freak ice storm.
Throughout the episode, Ari emphasizes the importance of relentless energy, expansive learning, and...
443: Trucking, Tech, and Taking Risks: Inside Hemet’s Founding with Alex Kruchten
Summary
On this episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, Alex Kruchten, co-founder of Hemut, joins Caleb Talley and Harrison Kitson to share his journey from adventurous student to tech entrepreneur and how Hemut is revolutionizing the trucking industry.
Alex unpacks the founding story of Hemut, a venture born from the resourcefulness of his co-founder, who overcame extraordinary odds and built a multimillion-dollar trucking operation in his teens. Together, their team identified a major problem: trucking companies rely on outdated systems, with most current Transportation Management Systems (TMS) dating back to the ‘90s or...
442: The Power of Persistent Capital: Lessons for Rural Economies
Summary
The latest episode of the Startup Junkies podcast shines a spotlight on the enduring legacy and forward-thinking strategies of ACC Capital (formerly Arkansas Capital Corporation). Host Caleb Talley, joined by Jeff Amerine, welcomes Sam Walls, who shares the rich history and impact of ACC in Arkansas’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
From its inception in the 1950s, ACC played a pivotal role in driving economic development and entrepreneurship in a state once plagued by poverty and limited capital. Sam details how ACC, born out of the vision of leaders like Winthrop Rockefeller, became a...
441: Connecting Korean Ventures to US Markets with Louis Diesel
Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley and Daniel Konnce sit down with Louis Diesel, director of Startup Junkie Asia. Based in Seoul, South Korea, Louis shares the journey of connecting Korean startups to the US market, emphasizing Korea’s powerhouse status in public and private investment for entrepreneurial growth.
What began in 2019 as an idea to build on the Fuel Accelerator’s success resulted in a dedicated program helping Korean tech companies find a foothold in America. Over time, the initiative expanded to include consumer brands and media vent...
440: Unlocking Arkansas’s Outdoor Economy with Katherine Andrews & Yoon Kim
Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine sit down with Katherine Andrews, director of the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation, to explore the dynamic growth of outdoor recreation in Arkansas. Established in 2021, the Office of Outdoor Recreation was created to amplify the state's natural assets while fostering entrepreneurial opportunities and economic development. Katherine explains the office’s mission to leverage state resources for both industry and communities, collaborating with entrepreneurs and agencies to position Arkansas as an outdoor haven.
The conversation delves into Arkansas’s seven bill...
439: Demystifying Startup Law and Compliance with Phil Pesek
Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley sit down with Phil Pesek, founder of the Law Office of Philip A. Pesek, to unravel the mysteries of business law and compliance for entrepreneurs and startups.
With over thirty years of legal experience spanning big-name companies like Dillard’s, Walmart, and Home Depot, Phil’s journey is packed with stories, insight, and a passion for making the law accessible. After retiring just before the pandemic, Phil discovered his true calling in education—teaching contract law at the University of Ark...
438: Why Repair Is Easier Than Manufacturing: Inside Upkept’s Disruptive Vision
Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, Robin Atkinson, founder and CEO of Upkept Inc., shares her fascinating entrepreneurial journey, which began in the nonprofit arts sector before evolving into building a tech-driven apparel repair company. Hosted by Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley, this lively conversation dives into Robin’s unique approach to solving consumer challenges in the world of clothing repairs.
Robin reflects on her early start in nonprofits, launching an arts collective at seventeen, and the creative problem-solving skills she brought to every role since. Her latest venture, Upkept, aims to...
437: How Startups Are Bringing Transparency and AI Innovation to Land Acquisition with Acres
Summary
In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies, Maddison Tailor and Audrey Hickox join hosts Caleb Talley and Daniel Koonce to share the genesis and growth of Acres.com, a platform revolutionizing land acquisition and management.
Acres began as an internal solution to disjointed and complicated land deal processes. Recognizing shared pain points with clients, the team built a comprehensive platform making land data transparent and accessible—no GIS expertise required. Now, Acres empowers everyone from home builders and brokers to agricultural managers and recreational land users with real-time data on elev...
436: Solving Agriculture’s Biggest Challenges Using Biotechnology Innovation with Joseph Batta-Mpouma
Summary
In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley sat down with Joseph Batta-Mpouma, founder and CEO of CelluDot, to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and how CelluDot is tackling critical issues in agriculture through innovation.
Joseph, whose background is in material science and engineering, shared how his academic path shifted when exposed to entrepreneurship during graduate school. Inspired to make a real-world impact, he founded CelluDot to deliver concrete solutions for encapsulating bio and chemo compounds, a breakthrough especially vital for crop protection.
4: How Believ.ai Powers Seamless Onboarding for Supply Chain Platforms with Sanjay Ahuja
Summary
In this episode of the Fuel Podcast, host Caleb Talley sits down with Sanjay Ahuja, founder of Believ.ai, to discuss his inspiring entrepreneurial journey. Sanjay shares how, after twenty-seven years of thriving in global corporate roles across India, Dubai, and the U.S., he embraced his entrepreneurial spirit to address a crucial gap in AI: clean data.
Believ.ai emerged from Sanjay’s firsthand experience with the complexities of onboarding merchants efficiently and securely. The platform's focus is on streamlining onboarding for marketplaces, payments, and logistics companies, tackling the dual ch...
435: From Idea to Impact: Inside the Pivot X Approach with Heather Applegate
Summary
In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies, host Caleb Talley sits down with Heather Applegate, founder of Pivot X Coaching, for a conversation packed with wisdom on entrepreneurship, coaching, and personal growth. Heather shares her unique journey from studying psychology to launching Pivot X, an executive coaching and strategic advisory firm. Her passion for human behavior and propelling teams forward shines as she explains how she helps founders and executives transition from product-focused mindsets to leading effective teams, and eventually, through ownership transitions.
A major theme throughout the discussion is the...
3: Navigating Data Complexity Using Agentic Workflows with Ravinder Sharma
Summary
In this episode of the Fuel Podcast, Grace Gill welcomes Naukr.ai CEO, Ravinder Sharma, for an insightful dive into the transformative journey of data science and AI. With over fifteen years in the field, Ravinder shares his expansive career journey, spanning both U.S. coasts, India, and ultimately leading back to Northwest Arkansas, a region he calls the “epicenter of retail.”
The conversation highlights the exponential growth and rising cost of data, a challenge facing enterprises large and small. Ravinder describes Naukr.ai’s mission: democratizing data science by leveraging agenti...
434: Building a Sustainable Outdoor Brand: How LIVSN Designs Found Success
Summary
In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley sat down with Andrew Gibbs-Dabney, founder of LIVSN Designs, a Bentonville-based outdoor apparel company with a mission to create high-quality, versatile clothing for outdoor enthusiasts who value experiences over possessions. Andrew’s vision for LIVSN is clear: make products that last, fit into multiple situations, and help customers "own less, live more."
Andrew traced the company's roots back to a personal journey focused on simplifying life, which ultimately inspired LIVSN’s commitment to durability and versatility. The busine...
433: Reinventing Private Aviation Staffing with Tyler Flagg and Flying Company
Summary
In this week’s episode of Startup Junkies, host Daniel Koonce sits down with Tyler Flagg, founder and CEO of Flying Company, to discuss his mission to transform private aviation and put Bentonville, Arkansas, on the map as an emerging aviation tech hub.
Tyler shares his unique journey from failed child actor to fourteen-year Air Force pilot and squadron commander, and ultimately, tech entrepreneur. After leaving the military, Tyler found himself managing a private business jet and was shocked at the pain points in finding and hiring contract pilots. The process, re...
2: The Transship Story: A Journey from Cold Storage to AI-Powered Shipping with Amit Hasak
Summary
In this episode of the Fuel Podcast, Grace Gill sits down with Amit Hasak, CEO of Transship Corp, to dive into the challenges and innovations reshaping the logistics and supply chain industry. As a seasoned supply chain logistics professional, Amit recounts his two-decade journey running a cold storage warehouse in Chicago. His deep involvement with exporters of perishable goods gave him firsthand insight into the chaos and inefficiency plaguing traditional shipping. After fielding endless complaints from clients about the unpredictable and costly shipping process, Amit saw the need for change, prompting the birth of Transship in 2020.<...
