Welcome to our podcast series, From Day One. Each episode features a conversation with the founder of a pioneering Brooklyn business or civic organization, who reveals what it takes to launch, persevere and thrive. From Day One is hosted by Nick Baily, founder and principal of Dumbo-based Complex Ventures. The podcast was launched with a grant from the Made in New York Media Center, where the series is recorded. Please join us for an intriguing look at how things get started in New York City’s most innovative borough.
Joel Hamilton, co-owner, Studio G Brooklyn
The music producer built a first-class sound studio from a gritty starting place
Morris Levy, co-founder and CEO, The Yard
The co-working trailblazer believes hospitality is the heart of the business
Boaz Gilad, founder and CEO, Brookland Capital
The pioneering real-estate developer has produced more than 2,000 apartments
Danny Aronson, CEO and co-founder, Even headphones
Based on a unique hearing test, his products provide 'glasses for your ears'
Ro Gupta, co-founder and CEO, Carmera
His startup is creating a "street-intelligence platform" for self-driving vehicles
Andrew Walcott, founder, Fusion East restaurant
The restaurateur brought fine Caribbean and soul food to East New York
Brian Vines, founder and host, ‘Going In With Brian Vines’
His BRIC TV magazine show is designed to "get into the stream" of Brooklyn
Jacqueline and Scot Tatelman, co-founders, State Bags
They put a new twist on the buy-one, give-one business model
Susan Povich, co-founder, Red Hook Lobster Pound
In a quirky neighborhood, she helped inspire an urban craving for lobster rolls
Roberto Gil, founder and chief designer, Casa Kids
The former architect found a market for his well-crafted children's furniture
Erik Johnson, co-founder and president, Argosy Designs
The painter-turned-craftsman is launching a bold new line of hand-crafted furnishings
Penda Aiken, founder and CEO, Penda Aiken Inc.
Her staffing agency has been a pioneer in bringing diversity to the workforce
Marissa Evans Alden, co-founder and CEO, Sawyer
She created a solution for scheduling your kids' educational adventures
Jim Munson, co-founder and CEO, Brooklyn Roasting Co.
He launched a coffee brand that pays tribute to the borough's past and present
Chelsea Brownridge, co-founder, Dog Parker
Her venture created a safe place to put your pet while you're shopping
Emma Straub, co-founder, Books Are Magic
How a Brooklyn novelist and her husband launched a thriving indie bookstore
Steve Koepp, editor and founder, The Bridge
As the Brooklyn business-news site marks its first year, the editor reflects on a changing borough
Dave Bolotsky, founder and CEO, UncommonGoods
His e-commerce marketplace for arts and crafts is a company with a conscience
Nasir Memon, co-founder, NYU Center for Cybersecurity
A pioneer in computer science aims to make the field affordable and open to all
Jenna Weiss-Berman, co-founder, Pineapple Street Media
The podcast pioneer has come up with ideas so crazy, they actually work
Jeremy McCool, founder and CEO, HEVO Inc.
He envisioned cordless charging for electric vehicles–and he's making it happen
Allison Kopf, founder and CEO, Agrilyst
She created a digital dashboard for indoor farmers to fine-tune their crops
Joseph Lubin, founder, ConsenSys
A visit with the tech wizard behind Ethereum, a new vision for the internet
Steve Hindy, co-founder, Brooklyn Brewery
He pioneered the craft-beer revolution and helped turn Brooklyn into an icon
Peter Shapiro, founder, Brooklyn Bowl
This precocious nightclub impresario created a whole new kind of venue
Sean Hoess, co-founder, Wanderlust Festival
How he turned the yoga boom into a healthy, eco-friendly party
Brian Streem, co-founder and CEO, Aerobo drones
How a former art student helped create an industry that puts movie cameras in the sky
Regina Myer, president, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership
How a pioneering urban planner is shaping the face of Brooklyn today
Michael Lebowitz, founder and CEO, Big Spaceship
How he launched into digital marketing in Dumbo at a time long before either one was cool
T.R. Ludwig, CEO, Brooklyn SolarWorks
At a time when solar power is coming of age, he found a way to make it work on urban rooftops
Meghan Ritchie, founder, Megpies pastries
How the baked creation she first sold on a Brooklyn stoop became a national brand
Gerard Masci, co-founder, Lowercase eyewear
He leaped into a business that had become virtually non-existent in America: manufacturing frames
Hana Getachew, creative director, Bolé Road Textiles
Her products are designed in Brooklyn and hand-made in Ethiopia, with vibrant results
Peter Lawrence, principal owner, the Wythe Hotel
How a visionary in the hospitality business launched Brooklyn's first boutique hotel and helped shape a famous neighborhood