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Hosted by Unknown Host · 🇺🇸 US · EN · 108 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
This podcast explores the opportunity to build wealth in local, regional, and national economies through entrepreneurship-led economic development. Episodes feature changemakers with innovative approaches to empowering people to start businesses that create wealth for their families and improve outcomes for their communities. Conversations highlight work being done in communities across the US to break down barriers to entrepreneurial opportunity in underserved and underrepresented communities. In this series, we share authentic stories about the impact that entrepreneurship-led economic development has on the local economy and connect a global network of passionate economic developers. Find out more at economicimpactcatalyst.com/impact
Unknown Host hosts Breaking Down Barriers, a business show with 108 episodes published.
In this episode of Breaking Down Barriers, McKenzie sits down with Becky McCray to unpack why the old lines between "business" and "community project" don't hold up anymore, especially in rural America. Becky has spent n
In this episode of Breaking Down Barriers, David sits down with Marci Goodwin, co-founder of SmartStart Business Development and creator of the SmartStart Navigator, to talk about the "hidden entrepreneurs" quietly resha
Guest: Deb Brown, rural economic development specialist and co-founder of SaveYour.Town Host: McKenzie Dial-Fritscher, SVP of People, Economic Impact Catalyst Episode Summary Deb Brown has spent over a decade working wit
David Oliver sits down with Rhonda Ladig, Director of Entrepreneurship at the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), to challenge common assumptions about rural innovation. Rhonda shares how CORI's 43 member communities and
Oklahoma Farm Bureau, the state's largest generalist farm and ranch organization, with a presence in all 77 counties, runs one of the most surprising and effective rural entrepreneurship programs in the country. What sta
In this landmark episode of Breaking Down Barriers , EIC CEO David Ponraj sits down with one of the most influential voices in economic development—Nathan Ohle, President & CEO of the International Economic Development C
In this episode, EIC CEO David Ponraj, VP of Clients Molly King, and Associate Product Owner David Oliver break down what it actually takes to build a technical assistance (TA) program that serves entrepreneurs well and
What separates a truly impactful cohort program from one that's just filling seats? In this episode, hosts Taylor Sherbine and David Oliver sit down with Karen Collins, Director of Programs at LAUNCH Chattanooga, to expl
In this episode of Breaking Down Barriers , host David sits down with LeSean Shaw, co-founder of Empowered AI and Actual Reality Technologies, and a Toledo, Ohio native on a mission to make artificial intelligence access
What does it actually take to run a high-tech incubator in a public-private partnership — and make it work at scale? In this episode, Molly King is joined by Taylor Sherbine from the EIC team, plus Paula Macpherson, Exec
In honor of National Small Business Week and Economic Development Week 2026, David Ponraj sits down with Tarsha Hearns of Economic Growth Strategies for a candid, practical conversation about what it really means to put
In this episode of Breaking Down Barriers , host David Ponraj sits down with Erik Reader of Reader Area Development to celebrate National Small Business Week, Economic Development Week, and the 100th anniversary of the I
What if the real problem with small business lending isn't the banks, but that nobody's actually built the system around the business owner? In this conversation, David sits down with Charles Kollo, Head of Innovation at
What does it actually take to build a pitch competition that changes lives and keeps founders in their hometown? In this episode, Molly King, VP of Clients at Economic Impact Catalyst, sits down with Cenzo Caronna and Sh
In our season seven opener, host David Ponraj, CEO of Economic Impact Catalyst, sits down with Sharon Nichols (State Director) and Derek Stephens (Assistant State Director) of the Mississippi SBDC Network to explore how
I this episode, we're bringing you recent panel discussion on how Miami-Dade County is building a more inclusive '305 economy.' Our guests, Anthony Bonamy and Manny Cid share practical strategies for connecting entrepren
What happens when you create a comprehensive support network that serves nearly 4.3 million small businesses across an entire state? In this insightful episode of "Breaking Down Barriers," host David Ponraj interviews Dr
David Ponraj speaks with Victor Hwang, founder of Right to Start, about how our policy framework for entrepreneurship is stuck in the 20th century. They discuss the barriers entrepreneurs face, the effects on a society's
In this episode of Breaking Down Barriers , EIC CEO David Ponraj is joined by Charles Kollo, fintech leader and Head of Innovation at BBF Capital, to explore the urgent need for innovation in the financial system. From i
In this insightful episode of "Breaking Down Barriers," host David Ponraj sits down with Michael Bevis , the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the City of Denver, and founder and CEO of Cool Skins. They del
Matt Wagner
Chief Sales and Marketing Officer · Mississippi Ecological Services Field Office
2 appearances on this show
Jeff Morris
Race Director Ultraman · Charming Disaster
1 appearance on this show
Chris Heivly
MapQuest Co-Founder · The Startup Factory
1 appearance on this show
Johnny Crowder
Keynote Speaker | Founder & CEO, Cope Notes · COPE Notes
1 appearance on this show
David Brock
author of 'The Sales Manager’s Survival Guide', sales trainer, advisor
1 appearance on this show
Nathan Ohle
President & CEO · International Economic Development Council
1 appearance on this show
Danielle Patterson
CEO · Family Office List
1 appearance on this show
David Kenney
Emergo Academy
1 appearance on this show
Amanda Kelly
Product Director, Snowflake and Co-Founder & COO, Streamlit · AWAKE
1 appearance on this show
Shelly Bell
Founder · Black Girl Ventures
1 appearance on this show
Becky McCray
SaveYour.Town
1 appearance on this show
Rhonda Ladig
Center on Rural Innovation
1 appearance on this show
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To pitch Breaking Down Barriers, visit https://www.economicimpactcatalyst.com for contact information, then craft a tight one-paragraph hook that ties your expertise to a gap in their recent business coverage.
Breaking Down Barriers is hosted by Unknown Host. The show is categorised under Business (entrepreneurship) and has published 108 episodes.
Breaking Down Barriers has published 108 episodes.
Breaking Down Barriers regularly covers Business, Entrepreneurship, Non-profit. It sits in the Business category, with a entrepreneurship focus.
Breaking Down Barriers is accessible for guests with genuine business expertise. A personalised, episode-aware pitch will still outperform a generic one every time.
Breaking Down Barriers hasn't explicitly signalled guest openness in recent episodes. That doesn't rule out pitching. your hook just needs to be especially compelling and relevant to their recent content.
Episodes of Breaking Down Barriers average 39 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
Our data rates Breaking Down Barriers's guest bar at 80/100 (Premium tier). Established thought leaders with verified media credentials. Sign in to PitchCentric to see how your own Pod Score compares against this show.
Methodology. Booking Probability™ blends Listen Score, 30-day Virality, open-to-guests detection, and Apple ratings. Data refreshed every 60 minutes. Listen Score and Booking Probability are calculated by PitchCentric. Last enriched 5 days ago.