We have an opportunity to create an entirely new ecosystem for the entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship community that is responsible for driving innovation and change in business that puts diversity at the forefront of everything it does. The...

Pierce Freelon is a musician, director, and Durham City Council Member. Pierce is the founder of Blackspace, an Afrofuturism digital maker space for teens in Durham. He is the writer, composer, and co-director of the PBS animated series, The Hi...

Why are community ecosystems important? What can they provide to a community? Today, Jim Roberts and Nick Jordan talk about what an ecosystem can provide to large and small communities. Jim has been involved in community ecosystem building for ...

In this episode of Next Matters Most, we speak with David Morris & Patrick Lineberry, attorneys at law, about Opportunity Zones, Qualified Opportunity Zone Funds, Qualified Opportunity Zone Businesses, and what this means for investors, sma...

We all know that entrepreneurship is tough; their many challenges, headaches, and stress points to overcome before starting a business. Keeping these points in mind, add the detail that the entrepreneur is in college, and the challenge of start...

Leadership can have many different forms, but how do you know which one is right for you or your business? In episode 12 of the Next Matters Most Podcast, Walter Pinson, President of Smashing Boxes, talks with Nick Jordan about how he learned h...

In the first episode of season two of the Next Matters Most Podcast, we are talking with Ryan Kraudel, VP of technology at Valencell, an inventor and maker of wearable and hearable biometric sensor technology that can monitor and measure key vi...

Will Barfield, is a seasoned builder of sales teams and is currently the founder and principal of Barfield Revenue Consulting which helps companies of all sizes identify talent, build teams, and scale the revenue side of their companies. In thi...

Gavin Jocius is an experienced ecommerce operator building brands, recently CanvasonDemand into an 80M juggernaut which exited in 2019. Currently, Gavin is forging his own path into entrepreneurship through his search fund, Riverside Ventures. ...

Daniel Scagnelli is a driven, results-oriented, customer-focused technology professional with diverse industry experience, strong business acumen, and an unbridled passion for building strong partner relationships and customer loyalty. Daniel h...

Tom Snyder is a senior-level manager with substantial experience building and leading global teams, technology development, product design, and introduction. He and his team have a  proven innovation skillset with over 25 US patents issued...

Whitney Marston Pierce has two decades of creative/marketing consulting experience. Originally advised established companies in connecting with a younger generation. Since then, she has continued to connect brand and audience through multiple i...

Brandon King is a football star turned programmer and entrepreneur. While in the NFL, Brandon learned many lessons about staying focused, being one with your team, and understanding the opposite team. These teachings allowed him to go on to suc...

We’d like to give a warm welcome to Maria Kingery! Maria co-founded Southern Energy Management with her husband in 2001. Since then, she has helped pioneer the residential energy efficiency and solar industries in North Carolina and beyond. Bei...

What's holding you back from moving forward with the ideas swirling around your head? Venus Liles loves new ideas, whether thinking of them for herself or supporting those of other entrepreneurs. Venus has many passions, including law, entrepre...

Anna Shuford is an innovative, business professional with experience in campaign development, strategic partnerships, and content creation. Anna is currently enrolled in UNC Kenan Flagler's MBA program, Class of 2022. At UNC, she’s pursuing a c...

Anna Shuford is an innovative, business professional with experience in campaign development, strategic partnerships, and content creation. Anna is currently enrolled in UNC Kenan Flagler's MBA program, Class of 2022. At UNC, she’s pursuing a c...

Madilynn A. Beck is a former actor and entertainment industry executive turned psychotherapist, entrepreneur, and podcast host. One of her current startups is Better Spot, which you can think of as We Work for wellness and wellbeing professiona...

Brett Danforth is the co-managing director of NC State University's Wolfpack Investor Network, an angel network currently comprised of 150 NC State-affiliated angel investors that have deployed over $10 million into NC State-affiliated early st...

From India, to Dubai, to Durham NC. A truly world-class citizen, business owner, and architect, Vandana Dake and Nick Jordan sit down to discuss her career journey, her passion for helping empower and inspire women in developing nations, and fi...

In this conversation, Eric Porper, Nick Jordan, and Rachel Walter delve into the complexities of chronic pain, exploring its psychological roots and the mind-body connection. They discuss personal experiences with pain management and healing, e...

In this conversation, Nick and Eric outline their ambitious plan to establish a $1 billion venture studio in the Raleigh-Durham area with Unboxed Venture Studio. They delve into the motivations driving their goal, such as the need for more succ...

Sumit Vohra is a passionate entrepreneur and founder of Lonerider Brewing & Distillery Owner, known for creating a distinctive brand identity within the craft beer community. In this episode, he shares insights on the enduring enthusiasm...

In this episode, Pardees shares insights on the evolving landscape of remote work and ecosystem development. With a focus on fostering strategic partnerships and effective leadership, Pardees discusses the importance of finding the right approa...

Jenn Summe is a startup enthusiast who excels at connecting people and scaling ideas and businesses. At Primordial, she invests in early-stage tech startups within the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of NC. Jenn is a well-known figure in the Tr...