In 2021, mid-pandemic, Ric Pratte and fellow remote worker Ben Newton were hanging out at a brewery when they decided to launch a MeetUp Group: the Asheville Digital Nomads. Two years later, the social networking group of remote/hybrid workers, solopreneurs and actual nomads has more than 1,700 members and it's growing. Particularly since LinkedIn …

This week we have a fascinating conversation with Ashley Haywood, the Founder of Embrew Tea, where we find out why you can re-steep their tea bags! Jeff talks with Ashley about her journey from a tea lover to a tea entrepreneur. She talks about the challenges she faced in starting her company and the lessons she learned along the way. Ashley shares…

Are Jeff and Katie Button destined to be best friends? Find out in this week's episode of Talking 'Ship where the two put their "friendship" to the test. Jeff talks with Katie about how she's gained success and notoriety - From starting Cúrate in the early 2010s to landing TV gigs on the Magnolia Network, ventures that didn’t work out (RIP Button &…

On this chaotic episode, we talk with the lovely Blake Jennelle - one of the first hires at DuckDuckGo, the search engine that emphasizes protecting privacy. As Jeff notes, Blake "could've done whatever," but he decided to move to Asheville and is now mentoring and serving as CTO at 645 Ventures. Additionally, we discuss Duck vs. Goose, Chai vs. Ma…

Is Legally Addictive Foods ACTUALLY addictive? According to Jeff’s 15-month-old daughter who ate the entire pack during this episode, it sure is. This week we talk with Legally Addictive’s Founder Laura Shafferman & Partner Seth Eisman about their delicious product, their move from Brooklyn, NY to Weaverville, NC and what’s next for the snack compa…

It's not every day you get to talk to the man who helped create one of your favorite childhood toys AND pioneered the telehealth industry. In this episode, Jeff talks to Gary Wald - the former executive and business development entrepreneur who has worked with companies like Hasbro, NBC and TeleDoc. Ever heard of the Transformers? Well, you have Ga…

Remote work is on the rise & in-migration to Asheville is up, which means Coworking businesses are flourishing. But what does it take to create a connected, high-quality coworking business? Jeff talks with Sean Comeaux & Erika Gifford this week - the power couple running Hatchworks Coworking. They cover the organization’s recent upgrades, their pla…

With pizzas as big as PIE.ZAA’s (28 inches), you’d think Owner Tyler Kotch would be compensating for something. But, based on our conversation with him, we’re not sure what! In this episode, Jeff and Tyler talk about his venture into large pizzas, his background in sales in the healthcare industry and the future of PIE.ZAA. Thanks to our sponsor, H…

Can leaders change? Are we getting too fragile? Jeff asks Outside Angle Co-Founders Sarah Silverman & Sam Franklin the tough questions on this week's 'episode. At Outside Angle, Sam & Sarah lead a team of experienced facilitators, project managers, change strategists, and organizational development experts who help clients in their most vulnerable …

Jeff puts Grandmaster Tony to the test with martial arts movie trivia in our first episode of Season 3! In addition to quizzing Tony, Jeff talks with him about his history in architecture, his entrepreneurial mindset and how he’s applied it all to his business, Asheville Sun Soo Martial Arts. Thanks to our sponsor, HomeTrust Bank for their support.…

This week, Jeff talks with Clark Duncan, the Senior Vice President of the Economic Development Coalition of Asheville-Buncombe County and also… Jeff’s boss! Yep! As Jeff says at the top of every show, Venture Asheville is an initiative of the EDC. Jeff & Clark set the record straight on their professional relationship as well as some myths & rumors…

This week, we talk ‘ship with Alex Feiszli, co-founder of Netmaker, a cloud networking startup. Recently, Netmaker announced $2.3 million in funding to launch their "superhighway for secure cloud networks." Netmaker offers a platform built on WireGuard which transforms the way companies integrate their networks to make them safe, dynamic and up to …

Yep, that's right! We recorded a live podcast during Asheville Entrepreneurship Week (Sept. 12 - 16) at the new Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins! In this episode, we talk with Co-Founders Shelton Steele and Joe Balcken about their inspiration and vision for the unconventional cabin campground located in the historic River Arts District. Steele & Balc…

Jared Wheatley, a serial entrepreneur, activist & self-described ‘Urban Indian,’ has a lot on his plate. But he likes it that way. While running two businesses, WTAPS Construction and Épatage Workwear, Jared has also been working to encourage indigenous artists and activists to join his newest initiative: the Indigenous Walls Project. Recently, Whe…

Direct Primary Care (DPC) has grown exponentially across the country and in Asheville, and Lantern Health was one of the first in our region to introduce us to the innovative healthcare concept. DPC is an alternative payment model for high-quality healthcare with a flat, affordable membership fee. At Lantern Health, they are “illuminating the path”…

This week we talk gluten-free 'ship with the Founders & Owners of Ginger's Revenge Cristina Hall Ackley and David Ackley! After a three-month backpacking trip through Central America, Cristina and David spent nearly a year living in Panama where they were introduced to alcoholic ginger beer. As a committed homebrewer, David was determined to keep u…

This week we catch up with John Canter, our Venture Asheville Honors 2021 Mentor of the Year! John helps companies unlock scalability for businesses within their business models and position them to make money. Particularly, he has an exceptional track record of guiding businesses through the NC IDEA grant process. Most recently, he’s been working …

This week, we talk vegan ‘ship talk with the Founder & Owner of Darë Vegan Cheese Gwendolyn Dare Hageman! With a degree in Biology from UNC-Asheville and as the vegan chef at Warren Wilson College, Gwendolyn was inspired to dig into experimentation with her cooking. When she turned to the tradition of cheesemaking, she explored fermentation to coax…

This week, we 'ship talk with Ginger Frank, the owner & founder of Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn! Poppy Popcorn has won multiple Venture 15 & Asheville Honors awards over the years, but at our 2021 ceremony, Poppy was the 6th fastest growing start-up in Asheville. We discuss how Ginger came up with the idea for a popcorn business, failed flavors and t…

The outdoor industry is growing fast in WNC and Rockgeist Bikepack USA is no exception! The company was the first-ever outdoor gear company to break into the Venture 15 and this past year, Rockgeist ranked as the 8th fastest growing start-up in Asheville. Bikepacking is exactly what it sounds like. Backpacking, but with a bike! At Rockgeist, founde…

This week we talk ‘ship (and air fryers!) with Benjamin Colvin, the president and co-founder of Devil’s Foot Beverage Company! Devil’s Foot started with a group of friends brewing around in the backyard when they happened upon something they just had to share with the world: farm-to-can soda. At our Venture 15 this year, Devil’s Foot was ranked the…

We're back for Season 2! On this season of Talking 'Ship, we’re talking with some of the winners from our 2021 Venture 15 & Venture Asheville Honors awards. And our first guest is... *drumroll*... Clark Harris, the Co-Founder of LoLo Gifts! LoLo has won been nominated for several Venture 15 & Venture Asheville Honors awards. We talk about his backs…

J Hackett, the founder of Grind AVL, the home of Black Wall Street AVL, has quickly become a household name in the Asheville community. In our season finale episode, Jeff talks with J about his journey before Grind, how GRINDfest was conceived and Black Wall Street AVL’s past, present and future in the River Arts District. Watch out for Season 2, c…

Established corporations can play a hugely important role in fast-tracking startups. In this Freaky Friday episode, Juliana (or J-Walker) talks with Director of Venture Asheville Jeffrey Kaplan about his take on the different ways corporations can get involved with and support the startup ecosystem. (He also just wrote an article on Medium about it…

Asheville has been growing exponentially for a reason. But with that growth, comes an array of challenges. Thrive Asheville is bringing together local community advocates from diverse fields and backgrounds to find equitable solutions to our city’s toughest challenges ranging from affordable housing to sustainable tourism. In this episode, Jeff spe…

What are the 13 Entrepreneurial Competencies and do you know how proficient you are in them? Well, thanks to Jeff and Dr. Paul Gratton, you can find out! In this episode, listen to Jeff and Dr. Gratton talk about their meet-cute that helped lead to theE13.com, how they are helping ESOs measure founder growth, digging up worms and some shocking new …

What is the Asheville-Buncombe Economic Development Coalition (EDC) doing to foster a dynamic, inclusive workforce? In this episode of Talking ‘Ship, Jeff talks with co-workers (or should we say, mates?) Tiarra Wilkie, Workforce Partnership Specialist, and Samantha Cole, Workforce Partnership Manager, about the work they’re doing at the EDC ranging…

Is it antithetical to the start-up lifestyle to finance and grow a business without debt? In this episode, Jeff talks with Co-Founders of Moonlight Makers Claire Watson & Nicole Hairfield and Everyday Oil Founder Emma Allen about the stories behind their businesses and how their start-ups have achieved quick growth & success without taking on debt.…

In this episode, Jeff talks with NC IDEA CEO Thom Ruhe & Senior Director Amy Bastian about the steps the foundation is taking to support North Carolina’s entrepreneurs achieve their potential through grants and programs. Learn more about NC IDEA here: https://ncidea.org/ Venture Asheville: https://ventureasheville.com/…

Is company culture overrated or just misunderstood? Do employees really need a ping pong table in the break room to be happy at work? In this episode, Jeff talks with Tracy Eames, the President & CEO of TEAMES & CO — a management consulting firm that works with teams from strategy through implementation. TEAMES & CO: https://teamesandco.com/ Ventur…

In this episode of Talking ‘Ship, Jeff talks with CEO & Co-Founder of French Broad Chocolates Jael Skeffington about the early days of FBC, her involvement with the community and the ongoing Chow Chow event series. Get 15% off of Chow Chow tickets when you use the code CHOWCHOW15. Learn more about Chow Chow here: https://www.exploreasheville.com/ch…

Colleges and universities are ecosystems that serve as talent pipelines and incubators of ideas & experimentation. In this episode, Jeff talks with Kevan Frazier, the Executive Director of Western Carolina University Programs in Asheville & Dr. Susan Clark, a professor at UNC Asheville teaching courses on management, organizational behavior and the…

In our very first episode of Talking 'Ship, Jeff talks with local, seasoned podcasters (and entrepreneurs!) about their successes, failures and how we can make our podcast great. In this episode: Supportedly Co-Founder & COO Stephanie Kissel, WatchPitch Founder & CEO Trey Scott and Making It Creative Co-Founder Tony Ubertaccio. Supportedly: https:/…