Finding Founders

Erik is redefining the world of fashion through his company Art Hearts Fashion, but before making his mark on the runway, Erik started off as one of those marching band kids — always on the outside looking in. After high school, Erik did a stint with the olympic figure skating team and he began to feel more confident. He would eventually find himself gravitating towards the fashion industry. As he started putting on shows he realized each show would cost over $150k and that it was completely unattainable for most fashion designers. He wanted to create an event that could change the industry. And that led to the creation of Art Hearts Fashion, an event that opens the floor to up and coming designers with shows that cost $15,000–$25,000. And these events have attracted huge names. He's collaborated with the likes of Kendell Jenner and his designers have designed concert wardrobe for pop stars like Ariana Grande and Jennifer Lopez. With his fashion production company, Rosete has been responsible for facilitating some of the most talked about runway shows from Mercedes Benz’s show at Lincoln Center in New York in 2013 to the finale show at NYFW following fashion titans Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, and even Betsey Johnson’s 50th anniversary presentation.https://artheartsfashion.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter!https://findingfounders.co/subscribeWebsite: findingfounders.coFollow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The L.A. Times calls it “the epitome of broad scale shopping” while Vox News describes it as “a teen fashion paradise”. Despite its current renown, Melrose still follows the fundamental vision that inspired its inception: uniting the community through arts, education, and entrepreneurship. L.A.’s most beloved open air market initially started as a project to bridge the gap between the students of Fairfax High and the surrounding neighborhood. Today, Melrose Trading Post has raised over 10 million dollars, caters to around 5,000 visitors weekly and hosts hundreds of vendors and local artists. Pierson and Whitney’s journey isn’t one of ambition or personal glory. Instead, it’s a story about service, harnessing your passion to serve the needs of others while building something bigger than yourself. Their example demonstrates that big dreams begin with humble acts. By interacting with someone outside your circle or simply asking, “How can I help with that?”, you just might be setting the stage for the production of a lifetime. And if the stage hasn’t been built yet, remember, you can always build it yourself.https://melrosetradingpost.org/Subscribe to our Newsletter!https://findingfounders.co/subscribeWebsite: findingfounders.coFollow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andelain Roy is a third generation cannabis cultivator, and weed runs deep through her familial roots. But life on the farm wasn’t always easy. Andelain was also unfortunately exposed to the war on drugs as early as three years old. There was this confusing dichotomy between how the government viewed weed and how her family did. Despite all of this, the cannabis community supported her. It has always been tight-knit and relied on loyalty, trust and support. Although she had a brief teaching job, she would eventually begin to “take cannabis” seriously, encountering difficulties of all kinds ranging from the war on drugs to legalization and its impact on smaller businesses. Despite everything, Andleain’s company DewPoint Farms continues to operate as she holds on to her values and remembers the importance of her local community.https://hcga.co/Subscribe to our Newsletter!https://findingfounders.co/subscribeWebsite: findingfounders.coFollow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cartel Deals. Helicopter Surveillance. Weed Homesteaders. Artists. Outlaws. It all started with growing weed in Humboldt. Tommy’s relationship with cannabis began at 15 years old. He would plant seeds along bridges and places like the Museum of Modern Art. Eventually, the 60s would lead to a time where Tommy would receive a “life in prison” sentence for smoking a joint. Luckily, the sentence was reduced to 90 days, which encouraged him to ignore the system and instead follow his interests. Eventually, Karen and Tommy would relocate to California after a brief stint in Mexico, allowing them the opportunity to live self-sufficiently while also allowing Tommy the ability to develop as an artist. A Native American would teach them to live off the land, eventually allowing the Hesslers to build their own house and grow their own food. Eventually, their interest would expand to growing cannabis, earning them the title of “original outlaw growers” as well as helping to found the cannabis culture in California.https://hcga.co/Subscribe to our Newsletter!https://findingfounders.co/subscribeWebsite: findingfounders.coFollow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marijuana Outlaw. Smuggler. Draft Dodger. Commune Founder. Hippie Entrepreneur. Revolutionary. Protector of the Forest. At every opportunity Douglas Fir goes against the system. This philosophy, this way of moving through the world started with the war in Vietnam. Douglas was so opposed to the war that he gave himself two choices: become a revolutionary against the war, or remove himself from the political scene and move somewhere remote. Douglas chose the latter. After hitchhiking around the country and even traveling to South America, Douglas settled down with some friends and started a commune in Humboldt, California. The commune began to really develop when the residents discovered that growing and selling marijuana was a good – though illegal – source of income. The money made off of the marijuana was used to build houses, roads, and eventually an infrastructure for the community. Once the war on drugs began, the peaceful pot-growers stood up for their community against the federal government.https://hcga.co/Subscribe to our Newsletter!https://findingfounders.co/subscribeWebsite: findingfounders.coFollow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After finishing his education at the Savannah School of Art and Design (SCAD), Adam Amaral quickly put his VFX skills to good use in the professional world. He freelanced as a designer and animator for Nike and Target, while working on major studio projects such as Transformers, Star Wars, and Ender’s Game. Despite his great success with large media and commercial companies, Adam wished to create something for himself and started Master of Shapes. This design-driven interactive studio allowed him to showcase all of his skills, dabbling in game design, virtual reality, interactive installations, and app development (to name a few!). His artistry and innovation lead him to work with powerhouses such as DeadMau5 and Miley Cyrus, and extended to the co-founding of the augmented reality program Red 6. With this boundless creativity already evident throughout his young career, Adam Amaral is a founder you'll be inspired by.https://masterofshapes.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter!https://findingfounders.co/subscribeWebsite: findingfounders.coFollow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marta Miller was always drawn to the fashion industry. Admiring the work of her fashion major friends in college, she moved to London after finishing her education at the University of Texas Austin and worked as a sales rep for Christian Siriano (who became the youngest winner of Project Runway in 2007). Her desire to deepen her experience led her to Los Angeles, where she was introduced to the fashion scene by Rosetta Getty. At the young age of 23, she started Moody Mamas, a maternity wear brand that drew the attention of Target, Nordstrom, and other large clothing suppliers. Despite these successes, the brand suffered from hurdle after hurdle in the international manufacturing process, which slowed production or even ruined whole shipments of clothing. Seeing firsthand how difficult it was for young designers to get off the ground, Marta co founded Lefty Production Company to streamline clothing brand creation through a US based, customer focused, and environmentally conscious approach.https://www.leftyproductionco.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter!https://findingfounders.co/subscribeWebsite: findingfounders.coFollow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Myra Christopher’s life changed forever when her mother’s doctor appointment turned into a diagnosis for Stage IV esophageal cancer. Given a life expectancy of two years at best, Juanita Etheredge’s condition deteriorated quickly and Myra fought the hospital tooth and nail to allow her mother to die at home as she had wished. Hospice care was still nearly unheard of at this time. This fact motivated Myra to dedicate her life to helping others choose the medical care they desired at the end of their life. After going back to school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, a teacher directed her to talk to philosophy professor, Hans Uffleman. Through her mentorship from Professor Uffleman, she learned about the developing field of bioethics, became a supplemental instructor in the college’s medical department, and was eventually approached with the opportunity to be the executive director of the Center for Practical Bioethics. Myra took the medical field by storm through political lobbying, drafting the Patient Self-Determination Act and directing a national program for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to improve end-of-life care. She also founded the Coalition to Transform Advanced Illness in Washington, D.C. before her retirement, concluding an impressive career dedicated to providing a voice for the vulnerable.Subscribe to our Newsletter!https://findingfounders.co/subscribeWebsite: findingfounders.coFollow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kyle Bergman doesn’t like to sit still. On an average day for the founder of Swoveralls, Kyle goes for a 6 mile run in the morning, teaches a class at NYU, leads a few fitness classes at his local gym, and manages his company. Yet, despite this hectic schedule, Kyle keeps his cool. He’s used to this. While working as an Associate Buyer at Bloomingdale’s, he applied for an MBA and joined the Israeli National Lacrosse Team. During his stint at Birchbox, Kyle started his own company and made an appearance on Shark Tank. Even during the height of the pandemic, a time when laying low felt inevitable, Kyle managed to create a virtual fitness company to continue sharing his love for athletics. Tune into this episode to learn how Kyle avoids burnout and how his work-life balance has evolved over the years.https://swoveralls.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter!https://findingfounders.co/subscribeWebsite: findingfounders.coFollow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Central LA: an area of Los Angeles where 31% of its inhabitants are below the poverty line and over 72%, are people of color. As a Mexican immigrant, this is the city Rita Ortiz Contreras grew up in. She spent her childhood in an area with a widespread lack of social support, and when it came to yoga it never seemed to be in the realm of possibility for her neighborhood. From what she saw in mainstream media, yoga was an activity reserved for thin, white, affluent women. So yoga wasn't a big part of her life. But that would soon change. After working in the Army and the fashion industry, she finally sparked her passion for yoga. Determined to make this practice more accessible to those in her community in South Central LA, Rita tells us of how she helped instruct at a yoga non-profit known as The Tree South LA and how she decided to work with others to open up their own POC-owned and run yoga school known as The Tree Yoga Cooperative.https://thetreeyogacoop.org/Subscribe to our Newsletter!https://findingfounders.co/subscribeWebsite: findingfounders.coFollow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices