As the world masked up during the pandemic, Izzy Dadosky realized she had lived her whole life relying on reading lips to fully hear what people around her were saying. After getting hearing aids for severe hearing loss, she found out that nearly 1 billion people will have some form of hearing loss by 2050. So, she decided to do something. YAH HEARD destigmatizes what it means to be hard of hearing and educates youths on how to protect themselves, encouraging getting tested regularly.

In this episode, we hear about what it's like to live with severe hearing loss, Izzy's plans for YAH HEARD and the difficulties of pitching a social media-reliant company to funders.

Follow YAH HEARD on Instagram @yah.heard and TikTok @yah_heard.

Chris Witherspoon has built a career in entertainment journalism. He's interviewed the biggest names of our time, like, literally: Oprah, Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, Hugh Jackman, Octavia Spencer, Harrison Ford, Andre Leon Talley... You get the point. It's safe to say he knows the industry like the back of his hand. 

On this week's episode, we discover how Chris went from entertainment journalism to social media entrepreneurship. The hardships he faced to get PopViewers off the ground, his resilient nature, and the complexities of Hollywood. With a quick wit and a multifaceted approach to building a startup, Chris is sure to entertain and inspire. 

Have an entrepreneur you want to hear on an episode? Send them my way! Reach me at rb572318@ohio.edu 

Lightscreen Art is a company started by Ron Seide, an economist of over thirty years and OU graduate, that sells acrylic stained glass window coverings. Seide and his business partners Willow Mattison, a recent OU graduate, and Logan Richards, a current student, come on this episode to talk about what it means to be a generalist in a startup and how to create a strong team passionate about making a product consumers love. 

Customize your windows and bring any room to life on the LightscreendotArt website: https://lightscreen.art/light-screen 

Collin Maple is a videographer who works on brand management through short-form videos and social media. He recalls an amazing past three years full of travel and working with influencers to build their brands, including softball star AJ Andrews. Since recording this episode, Collin moved his talents to Los Angeles while finishing his degree remotely.

Courtney Martin owns Dainty Prairie, a jewelry and accessory company started by the Athens native in her hometown. In this episode, Courtney talks about dropping out of college, the importance of following your passions and how to recover from burnout. 

Sean Smothers is the mind behind Jukebox Java, a coffee brand currently located in Athens, OH. Jukebox Java connects coffee lovers to music with a song recommendation on every cup. In this episode, we discuss how priorities change once you become a small business owner and Sean recalls how his life changed for the better after the COVID-19 pandemic.