From the Ground Up

The Business Model by Inc. is the multi-episode-a-week podcast for small-business owners, entrepreneurs, and startup founders who want to start, run, and grow stronger companies. Each week we deliver a curated mix of business-trend analysis, actionable playbooks, and candid interviews with real founders—from Main Street businesses to cutting-edge startups.  In this video podcast, you’ll learn how to hire and lead, raise capital, market efficiently, manage cash flow, fix operations and supply chains, and leverage new technology and AI to stay ahead. Every episode is built to fit your workweek and help you make smarter decisions, faster.  If you only have time for one business podcast to start, run, and grow your company—this is it. 

For today's summer episode, we have another panel from this year's Founders House at SXSW at the Founders House, moderated by Inc. Editor-in-Chief Mike Hofman. He spoke with Shuman Ghosemajumder, co-founder and CEO of the AI cybersecurity startup Reken; Ben Goodwin, co-founder, CEO, and formulator of the prebiotic soda Olipop; and Melissa Mash, co-founder and CEO of the fashion bag brand Dagne Dover. They discuss how to have fun at work again, plus how to manage building a cohesive company culture in a hybrid work schedule environment

In this special episode of From the Ground Up, we sit down with Kelly Twichel, founder and CEO of Access Trax, to discuss how her portable mats are helping people with mobility challenges access beaches, parks, and outdoor spaces. Twichel will also share her journey from occupational therapist to entrepreneur, and how Access Trax is building inclusive communities through partnerships with local San Diego nonprofits, adaptive sports programs and local governments. Peter Jackson, Executive Director and Southern California Area Manager at Chase, also joins the conversation offering insights on how businesses can scale impact through inclusive design and community engagement.

Lauren Asghari, founder and president of Alderson Loop, and Jose Herrera, the CEO and co-founder of Horatio, discuss being transparent about mistakes and challenges, and how that builds trust and keeps culture intact.

In this special custom episode, Inc. host and moderator Abigail Basset joins Kris Billmaier, EVP and GM of Sales Cloud and Growth Product at Salesforce, to discuss some of the most interesting trends and insights from Inc.’s annual CEO survey. For the second year running Inc has partnered with Salesforce to underwrite an exclusive survey of the CEOs of Inc. 5000 companies. In this thought-provoking conversation, you’ll learn how America’s greatest sales teams are navigating the ongoing challenges, opportunities, and transformations of today’s business landscape. Tune in to hear how the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. are strategizing around game-changing technologies like generative and agentic AI, adapting to a drastically shifting workforce, and how they’re structuring their sales teams to fuel productivity at scale.

As the summer comes to a close, we have a collection of panels from this year's Inc Founders House in Philadelphia dedicated to our fall schedule. In this segment, deputy digital editor Graham Winfrey talks to Philadelphia Eagles center Cam Jurgens, founder of the beef jerky company Beef Jurgey, and former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury, who is the chief brand officer of the smart sunglasses company Chamelo Eyewear. Cam spoke about how he grew the jerky business, while Graham asked Stephon about his first business venture, the affordable Starbury sneakers. They both compare how their preparation and the obstacles they have overcome in their professional sports careers help them run their businesses.

In this episode, Dr. Gina Anderson, CEO and co-founder of Luma Brighter Learning, and Marisa Murgatroyd, Founder of Live Your Message, continue their conversation. In this segment, they discuss learning how to separate yourself from your business, evolve your strategy, and give your company what it really needs to thrive. 

In this segment, we have another panel from our live event at this year’s Inc Founders House in Philadelphia. Editorial director Bonny Ghosh hosted a conversation about "The New Creative Frontier: Navigating the Creator Economy." She was joined by Matt Quinn, frontman and songwriter of the indie rock band Mt. Joy, and Dave Silver, co-founder and CEO of the marketing agency REC Philly. They explained how to sustain a fan base after a viral moment, how Rec Philly’s strategies enable companies, brands, and clients to connect with Gen Z and millennial audiences, and how Mt. Joy adjusted its content creation approach across all social platforms.

Dr. Gina Anderson, CEO and co-founder of Luma Brighter Learning, and Marisa Murgatroyd, Founder of Live Your Message, talks about how to get your brand to attract attention.

At this year's Inc Founders House event in Philadelphia, Editor-in-Chief Mike Hoffman spoke with Joao Gomes, Senior Vice Dean of Research and Professor of Finance at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, about the Future of Capitalism: Tariffs, Growth, and Markets. They delved into topics such as the consumer outlook, the decreasing trend of extravagant spending, the hiring slowdown in various job markets, the negative impact of Trump's tariffs, concerns regarding the supply chain, particularly from China, and the undervalued issue of immigration in the business community.