Joel Holland, founder of VideoBlocks, talks about establishing a Netflix-style, members only site for stock video, cultivating office culture around both long and short term goals and weighing the intangibles behind successful venture funding.

Ep 13: Growing beyond the kitchen to create a lifestyle brand with Erik Bruner-Yang of Maketto

Aug 19th, 2015 44m 34s

Erik Bruner-Yang, owner and head chef of DC Based Restaurants Toki Underground and Maketto, talks about finding his place among the DC food scene, celebrating the importance of the neighborhood ramen shop and expanding his brand to something be

Ep 12: Using data and analytics to disrupt legislation and regulation with Tim Hwang of FiscalNote

Jun 25th, 2015 45m 18s

Tim Hwang, founder of FiscalNote, talks about creating a critical product for every office and organization, fostering a transparent political and legal system and exploring new avenues for corporate growth.Tim, an internet entrepreneur and po

Ep 11: How a school experiment became a way to fight food waste with Kavita Shukla of Fenugreen

Jun 10th, 2015 39m 57s

Kavita Shukla, founder of social enterprise Fenugreen and creator of FreshPaper, talks about overcoming self-doubt as an entrepreneur, approaching partnerships thoughtfully, and the grassroots movement that brought FreshPaper to market.Fenugre

Ep 10: Empowering health and wellness one meal at a time with Patrick Smith, Founder of Power Supply

May 13th, 2015 45m 6s

Patrick Smith, co-founder of Power Supply, talks about the intersection of health and wellness, authentic company values, and the criteria and motivations for West Coast expansion.Patrick Smith, a developer turned entrepreneur, began Power Sup

Ep 9: The grit (and credit cards) it takes to build a truly disruptive start-up with Tobin Moore & Adam Vitarello of Optoro

Apr 15th, 2015 46m 21s

Tobin Moore and Adam Vitarello, co-founders of Optoro, talk about the evolution of their company from eBay resale shop in a Georgetown garage to one of the fastest growing start-ups revolutionizing the retail returns industry.More than 15% of

Ep 8: Providing a tech-saavy solution to gourmet food delivery with Alan Clifford of Galley

Apr 2nd, 2015 34m 22s

Alan Clifford, co-founder of gourmet food delivery app Galley and a former LivingSocial exec, talks about balancing supply and demand as a young startup, approaching recruiting like a marketing problem, and bridging the gap between tech and foo

Ep 7: Building startup ecosystems and hosting President Obama with Donna Harris, Co-Founder of 1776, a DC Incubator and Seed Fund

Mar 11th, 2015 39m 38s

Donna Harris, co-founder of DC startup incubator and seed fund 1776, talks about building startup ecosystems across the US, the relationship between government and entrepreneurs, and the single skill all founders need. Donna Harris is the co-

Ep 6: What it means to be a serial entrepreneur with Eric Koester, Founder of Main Street Genome and Zaarly

Mar 4th, 2015 1h 11m

Eric Koester, founder of Main Street Genome and Zaarly, talks about serial entrepreneurship, how Zaarly went from idea to app in a matter of weeks, and his dedication to the small business economy. Eric Koester is what many would call a "seria

Ep 5: Pivoting from a marketplace business model with Sam Pollaro, CEO of Venga

Feb 25th, 2015 37m 48s

Sam Pollaro, CEO of Venga, talks about pivoting his second startup, the yin and yang between co-founders, and learning the value of "hire slow, fire fast" the hard way.Sam Pollaro founded and sold a subscription service startup before companie

Ep 4: Breaking away from big-agency life and branding lessons from Bill Murray with Colin Moffett, founder of Artemis Ward

Feb 18th, 2015 38m 6s

Colin Moffett, managing partner of Artemis Ward, talks about year-one as a new digital agency, staying relevant in the "Wild West" world of modern marketing, and what brands can learn from Bill Murray.After founding the digital shop at global

Ep 3: How startup teams are like families, and being open to founding moments with Dan Berger, founder of Social Tables

Feb 11th, 2015 37m 11s

Dan Berger, the CEO and founder of Social Tables, talks about the power of meetings, the "founding moments" of Social Tables, and what it means to treat teams like family.In the lobby of their Chinatown office, a gold bamboo banquet chair is m

Ep 2: How mindfulness makes you a better founder with Allen Gannett, CEO of TrackMaven

Feb 4th, 2015 35m 39s

Allen Gannett, founder and CEO of TrackMaven, a competitive intelligence tool for marketers, on the importance of trust between team members at a startup and how mindfulness makes you a better founder and manager.As you step off the elevator a

Ep 1: Disrupting the multi-billion dollar framing industry with Susan Tynan, founder of Framebridge

Feb 4th, 2015 31m 19s

Susan Tynan, CEO and founder of custom framing company Framebridge, on capturing customers' priceless moments with convenience and confidence.We all have treasured mementos from the trips we've taken or milestones we've reached. Whether it’s a

Ep 0: Introduction to The Protagonist Podcast

Feb 3rd, 2015 2m 16s

A weekly podcast featuring interviews with entrepreneurs, innovators, and underdogs who champion change. Listen and be inspired as they swap stories from the field with host Pranav Vora, founder of Hugh & Crye.Episode 0 is an introduction and

Rate