In this episode, I have an inspiring conversation with James Paul, the founder of Blacque Acres, an indoor hydroponic container farm in Utica, NY. James shares his journey from military service to urban farming, and we’ll talk about how he was able to commit to the project without knowing much about container farming or fundraising to make the first container farm a reality.
We’ll get into how he created buy-in from the community and funders, raising over $200k to start the first farm, and how you don’t need to know exactly what you’re doing to get started on your big idea. Blacque Acres aims to provide fresh, affordable produce to the Cornhill neighborhood an often overlooked part of the city, addressing food insecurity and promoting community health in the process.
James is proving that fresh, affordable produce can be grown year-round in the middle of the city—and that a farm can be about much more than food.
Learn more about Blacque Acres at their website: www.blacqueacres.com







Rust Belt Startup · Blacque Acres: Container Farming and Committing in Cornhill

https://youtu.be/Qe_UEe1_M3k




Today on the podcast I'm honored to sit down with Erin Hamlin — Olympic Luger, World Champion, and the first American to medal in singles luge. But her story starts in Remsen, NY, where a 12-year-old kid signed up for a wheeled luge clinic on a whim… and ended up competing in four Olympic Games. We go deep on what it really takes to compete at the highest level — not just physically, but mentally. Erin shares what it’s like to train in a barn gym as well as the Olympic training center, the pressures and insane nuance that goes into competing in Luge to get to the Olympics. We also talk about the broken model of youth sports, and how she navigated the incredibly personal decision to retire on her own terms and find what's next. This is an inspiring, behind-the-scenes conversation about chasing big goals, mental and physical toughness, and reinventing yourself after a career in professional sports.



Rust Belt Startup · Sliding in to the Unknown: Erin Hamlin’s Olympic (and Post-Olympic) Journey

Fundraising expert Lara Sepanski Pimentel, founder of OSA Philanthropy and former Peace Corps volunteer, joins me to unpack what makes a nonprofit—and any mission-driven venture—truly resilient. Drawing on field lessons from community-development work in rural Central America and a decade inside U.S. nonprofits, Lara explains why “capacity” — the people, processes, and systems behind the programs — must come before the next big grant push.
In this conversation you’ll learn:

Peace Corps principles in practice – how asset-based thinking, local ownership, and radical resourcefulness translate into stronger donor relationships and staff culture.
The “capacity first, cash second” framework – diagnostic steps to spot operational gaps before chasing new money.
Fast vs. slow money – a pragmatic playbook for raising six figures quickly through warm individual donors while laying groundwork for longer-cycle institutional funding.
Reframing the ask – shifting from “begging for help” to “offering investment” so donors see themselves as partners, not patrons.
Running a location-independent consultancy – Lara’s approach to managing global contractors, Zoom-first client work, and family life across continents.
Nonprofit earthquake preparedness – why diversified revenue and data-driven dashboards are the new insurance policy in a volatile funding landscape.








Rust Belt Startup · A Sustainable Fundraising Playbook for Non-Profits with Lara Sepanski Pimentel (Osa Philanthropy)

In this episode, I'm in the shop at MVW Food Trucks with founders Jamie Thompson (Buddha) and Ryan McEwen. They discuss their challenging journey of starting a business in upstate New York, after being laid off from their respective jobs and building a food truck fabrication company from absolute scratch. Jamie and Ryan share their unique experiences, the dynamics of their partnership, and the obstacles they faced as a black and white business duo. Learn how they’ve navigated race dynamics in their business, the struggles with keeping the business afloat, and advice for anyone looking to get into the food truck industry. It's a conversation worth sharing, filled with lessons on perseverance, partnership, and passion. Learn more about MWV Trailers & Food Trucks at their website mvwtrailers.com and if you're ready to start your food truck, be sure to reach out.







Rust Belt Startup · Business Resilience, Race, and Respect | MVW Food Trucks

In this episode of I sit down with Richard Young, founder of CivicLex, an innovative organization based in Lexington, Kentucky, focused on improving civic engagement and strengthening local government responsiveness. CivicLex bridges the gap between citizens and local government, offering workshops, newsletters, and tools that make local governance more accessible and transparent. They are creating a more engaged, informed, and cohesive community. We’ll get into the details of some of CivicLex’s projects, and their role in shaping community-wide conversations around critical issues like land use, public policy, and civic health. We’ll discuss how CivicLex led hundreds of conversations around Lexington’s comprehensive land use plan, gathering over 17,000 public responses, which influenced city planning decisions. We’ll talk civic literacy, building trust between citizens and government, and the vital role of responsive institutions in fostering a vibrant, engaged city. If you’re interested in how cities can become more inclusive, dynamic, and collaborative by building civic engagement from the ground up, this episode offers valuable insights into replicable strategies that can work in any community - even yours. Learn more about Richard’s work at CivicLex.org







Rust Belt Startup · Innovating Civic Health: CivicLex's Guide for Small Cities with Richard Young

Today I’m talking with Casey Massimino, the founder and executive director of Green Arrow CoLab, a non-profit that integrates mindfulness and gardening to assist individuals affected by the justice system. Broadcasting from Sicily, Italy, Casey shares her  journey in digital media, building text-based shows on Facebook Watch,  to ultimately establishing her organization, all while re-locating to Italy.
We’ll talk about her role in text-based media, building Green Arrow CoLab, including its partnership with Netflix, logistics of starting a non-profit, and Casey's diverse experiences across continents.








Rust Belt Startup · RBS Casey Massimino

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ueg_I_pPjhM




Today I’m sharing a conversation with Kristin Fahy, someone who is living an unconventional life in multiple locations.



She’s the founder of Impetus Health, a strategy consultant for healthcare and life science firms, the author of “Profressionaling Is Hard - 22 Lessons to Help Make It (a little) Easier”, and the Professionaling Podcast.



So in this conversation we’re going to talk about “Professionaling” - how you should think about exercising and developing particular skills to position you for success as a professional or position yourself for the next big opportunity.



We’ll also talk about the difference between being ready to and being willing to, the process of writing and publishing her book (with a little help of The Tiny Book Course), and much much more.



If you want to learn more about Kristin or reach out, visit her website www.kristinfahy.com or subscribe to the Professionaling Podcast.



You can also order your own copy of “Professionaling Is Hard” direct from Amazon.Kristin's Website:



Subscribe to the Rust Belt Startup Newsletter:



Rust Belt Startup · Kristin Fahy Full

Today on the pod I'm speaking with Mr. David Casullo - He is the CEO and founder of Denali Partners - an executive leadership development agency, that works with companies, organizations and educational institutions to build leaders, and change culture. David is the author of the book "Leading the High Energy Culture: What the Best CEOs Do to Create an Atmosphere Where Employees Flourish " and he is a relentless champion of building community and supporting many of the things that make upstate New York a great place to live and work.

In this conversation, we're going to talk about what makes a great leader but we're also going to talk about how you identify the unique gifts and talents of all of the individuals that make up an organization, harnessing them to the mission and to supercharging it. We get into his time as the head of HR at Raymour and Flanigan, and how he transformed the culture to align people to create delight in a business where we typically don't think about that as as a core mission. Finally we'll talk about some of the tools that he uses when he's developing and working with Fortune 50 Leaders and Executives, and how you can use the same tools to become the best version of yourself.

I can't thank David enough for spending time with me and unpacking his valuable toolkit.

 









Rust Belt Startup · How to Build Leaders, Unleash Talent, and Change Culture with David Casullo

https://youtu.be/GWFRxwGx_Ec?si=GBDoKBkbPIey7cnh




On this episode I sit down with Katie Aiello for a long overdue conversation about local government, civic engagement, and using data to empower citizens. Katie is the founder of Character Coffee in Utica, NY, and found her calling in public service when she decided to run for Common Council. Now she's using social media and open data tools to shed light on the inner workings of her city.



We talk about how she's leveraging digital platforms to educate constituents and apply pressure for transparency. Find out how Katie is mining municipal data using Instagram and TikTok to help constituents think more critically about budgets, ARPA funds, and getting involved local politics. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in innovative approaches to civic participation and government accountability.



Learn more about Katie at KatieforUtica.com and @katieaiello on all the socials.



Rust Belt Startup · Coffee, Councils & TikTok Civics with Katie Aiello



RBS Extra:




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lpoLH5pmsc

I recently had the opportunity to take a 40 min demo of the Apple Vision Pro - while there are tons of tech reviews out there already about the specs, what it can and cannot do, I wanted to add my thoughts on what makes this device special, some of the most impressive experiences, the drawbacks I see - and weigh in on the AR/VR debate. Remember, I was a Google Glass user for about 18 months and I'll get into what I see as the bifurcaton of use cases rather than one device that we'll use in our daily lives. This was recorded almost immediately after my demo while it was fresh in my head. The bottom line - this is an amazing device that's the beginning of a whole new category of devices.








Rust Belt Startup · Vision Pro Demo Impressions | Killer Apps and the AR/VR debate
eo.

My guest today is Leon Etienne. He is a world renowned illusionist, and he's rolling through upstate New York, doing a show this Saturday at Stanley theatre. He's the creator of Magic Rocks, has been featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, America's Got Talent, Penn & Teller's Wizard Wars, and much more.
We had a fantastic conversation about why we need a little bit more magic. In our lives. We talk about the business of magic and how he started from learning some simple tricks at home when he was 12, to building this career, where he travels all over the world, showcasing one of the kind illusions.
We talk about his trajectory of making magic a career that's become a full fledged touring operation that goes all over the world. We'll talk about some of those big breaks, whether that's America's Got Talent, or working with Penn and Teller, meeting his heroes, bringing magic to the people during the pandemic and much much more. It's a really wide ranging conversation and it was awesome to catch up with Leon. I hope you guys all check out the show if you're in the region this Saturday night at the Stanley... and let's let's get right into it.







Rust Belt Startup · The Business of Magic with Illusionist Leon Etienne






BONUS: Card Tricks with Leon Etienne

This is a special episode of Rust Belt Startup because it was taped in front of a live audience this past July at MVCC’s thINCubator. This event was a partnership with The Rising Tide Society of Utica and featured a fireside chat with the founder of Utica Coffee Roasting Company, Frank Elias.
It’s a conversation that focuses on not only the origin story of the company, but how they've experienced growth. We spend a lot of time talking about building a culture and cultivating talent within your network and within your region - instead of importing that talent.
How do you create a culture where people want to be a part of the business and gve them opportunities for growth? We spend a lot of time here but also as UCR has expanded they now do a ton of their business online.
We get into that strategy and using partners like Shopify and Amazon and the pros and cons of each as it comes to online retail and distribution. So hope you find this conversation interesting and thanks to everyone that came out to this first fireside chat.
This event was also filmed and you can watch the conversation in its entirety on YouTube.







Rust Belt Startup · From Beans to Brew - The Utica Coffee Roasting Co. Story with Frank Elias

Hilda M Jordan is the founder of HMJ Equity Consulting, an anti-racist social equity firm that helps organizations attract and retain more diverse talent by identifying systems that stand in the way of helping members of the team be successful.
She is a graduate of Harvard University, and honestly one of the most inspiring your people I’ve every met.
Our conversation today centers around her personal journey from upstate NY to Harvard University and back again - learning to navigate systems from colleges to courts to companies that can stand in the way of her (and YOUR) success.
This is one of the most inspiring conversations you’ll hear  - It’s been a great privilege to get to work with Hilda in building HMJ Consulting but a greater privilege to call her a friend.







Rust Belt Startup · Building Equitable Environments From Colleges to Companies to Courts with Hilda M. Jordan

Rust Belt Startup · Finding Career Superpowers, Building Online Communities, and F-Words with Scott Grates







It’s great to be back and welcome Scott Grates to the podcast. Scott is first and foremost in the insurance business - but this isn’t a podcast about insurance. It's a conversation about how do you figure out how to reverse engineer a career that helps you live how you want to live. It’s about building systems that can save you from yourself, and it’s about essential advice from a dad to a son.

He’s created a robust online community and service called Insurance Agency Optimization, that leverages his superpower of building efficient processes for agency owners that are trying to optimize their own businesses. So we spend time discussing how you build, grow and nurture an online community.

 Finally we talk about Scott’s new book - Essential F-Words for Teens: The 117 Things You Need to Know Before Graduation. https://www.amazon.com/Essential-F-Words-Teens-Things-Graduation/dp/B0BW2MGVJW/

It’s all of the things that he wish he knew before he graduated and a message to his son who graduates this year.

Thanks for tuning in and you can learn more about Scott at the links below:


Essential F-Words
Insurance Agency Optimization
Scott Grates | State Farm

 

Rust Belt Startup · Making the Comfortable Uncomfortable - Mike Ballman







Today on the podcast, Pastor Mike Ballman returns. It’s a follow-up conversation 3 years after our first conversation (which was one of my favorite episodes ever - listen at the link below). Mike is the founder and chief operator of the Morrow Warming Center - a low-barrier shelter in Utica, NY. 



What Mike has done has made the problem of homelessness visible - and the challenges that come with it. 



We talk about the founding of the Morrow Warming Center, homelessness in small cities, potential solutions, opposition to what he’s doing, being uncomfortable, and building community through connection as we come out of the pandemic. 



This is a heavy conversation but an important one. 



Learn more about The Morrow Warming Center via their Facebook Group:



https://www.facebook.com/groups/430038701543837



Donate or Support the Warming Centerhttp://morrowwarmingcenter.org



Mike Ballman - Invest, Commit, Dig In (Rust Belt Startup Podcast)




https://rustbeltstartup.com/2018/07/19/episode-7-mike-ballman-invest-commit-dig-in/

Rust Belt Startup · Rust Belt Toolbox - Download, Digest & Delete


Today on the podcast I want to talk to you about data - specifically your data - well, specifically MY data…. but it just as well might be your data. We all know that tech giant and social networks collect TONS of our personal formation and that they have become intregral into so many parts of our lives. And they collect a LOT of data about you. But have you ever tried to take a look at just how much of your data you’re sharing? Have you ever tried to take any of it back?
Today I’ll tell you about some of the tools I’ve used (and that you can use) to view, download, digest and if you so choose - DELETE some of the data that is stored via social media and other tech giants. Specifically we’ll look at Google, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I’ll tell you what I’ve found and how easy (or impossible) it is to remove your data.
Resources:Scott Galloway’s TED talk on The 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRL2vVAa47I
Google Takeout: Takeout.Google.comTweetDelete: https://tweetdelete.net

Rust Belt Startup · Are NFT's stupid or is it just early? What's coming next?



NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are reaching a fever pitch with some digital artwork selling for tens of millions of dollars. The landscape changes daily and so today I want to give you a brief primer on how you might think about NFTs, what they are, and what could be next in the space. 



In this podcast I reference a great interview with Kara Swisher of the New York Times and Beeple - whose recent NFT of a collection of his daily works sold at auction for over $60 million. It's a fantastic interview and you can check it out here:



What do you think? Do you own any NFTs? If so, what made you decide to take the plunge?

Today I'm sharing a conversation I had with chef Tim Hardiman of The Tailor and the Cook. And we're talking about his experience over the past 12 months.



What is it like to be in the restaurant business as everything collapsed around us?



Tim takes us through T&C's core philosophies and what has made them successful over the years, but we also spend time talking about how he pivoted during the pandemic to create innovative virtual dining experiences, the difficult decisions he had to make as an entrepreneur and the lessons learned over 2020. We talk about the importance of service, detail, and stepping back to make better decisions.



Rust Belt Startup · A Chef's Journey Through the Pandemic - Tim Hardiman

Rust Belt Startup · Building More Meaningful Relationships and Being Connected From Afar - Kat Vellos



Today’s conversation is one I’ve been really looking forward to sharing. I’m talking with Kat Vellos about UX, building (and maintaining) community and connection.



Kat is a UX (user experience) designer, the founder of the Bay Are Black Designers, Connection Club, a facilitator, coach, and someone who is obsessed with community and connection.



She’s also the author of two books - “We Should Get Together - The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships” and “Connected From Afar - A Guide For Staying Close When You’re Far Away.”



In our conversation we talk about User Experience - what makes good UX and how do you apply that to your app, business or city. We talk about building and maintaining healthy, resilient communities - and probably most important, we talk about connection.



We talk about “platonic longing” which probably encapsulates a feeling that many adults are feeling in this time of isolation, and the idea of ‘familiar strangers’ who gave our daily lives dynamism and rhythm.



You can learn more about Kat and her books at weshouldgettogether.com and katvellos.com

Rust Belt Startup · Venture Caplital and Leveling The Playing Field - James Shomar



On today’s podcast I’m having a conversion with Mr. James Shomar. James is a partner at StartFast which is a venture accelerator program in Syracuse NY. 



I reached out to James after reading one of his LinkedIn posts about how he’s re-thinking startup funding and economic development as it relates to startups. 



In our wide ranging conversation he gives us a primer on angel and venture investment and the kinds of companies that this investment attracts. Ever wondered why your company isn’t attractive to angel or venture capital? We’ll talk about it. 



We also talk about leveling the playing field when it comes to opportunities for entrepreneurs of color, and much more.



You can learn more about James on LinkedIN.



On my end - I’m a partner in a new initiative called the Mohawk Valley Micro Seed Fund that’s looking for it’s first investment. You can learn more about that venture at our website.