Get inside the brains (and hearts) of local founders of some of the most successful business ventures in and around the nation’s capital. What didn’t happen? What did? What would they like a do-over on? What failures and flops led to something better than imagined? What’s their next move? These candid conversations — led by entrepreneur and restaurateur Dan Simons — reveal the highs, lows and in-betweens that come with nurturing an idea and building it into a thriving enterprise. Our mission is to pay it forward to current and aspiring entrepreneurs by spotlighting the unique paths forged by founders who came before them. Brought to you by WTOP News
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Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
30%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchGet inside the brains (and hearts) of local founders of some of the most successful business ventures in and around the nation’s capital. What didn’t happen? What did? What would they like a do-over on? What failures and flops led to something better than imagined? What’s their next move?
Recent episodes include "#14, Gov. Wes Moore on entrepreneurship, leadership and governing like a founder" (6 October 2026, 46 minutes), "#18, “The Way Out Is Through”, 17 Founders. One Lesson." (4 August 2026, 18 minutes), and "#17, Justin Baer: Building a $75M men's lifestyle brand from 1 shirt" (7 July 2026, 48 minutes).
Founding DC publishes roughly monthly, with episodes averaging 46 minutes across 20 episodes.
Booking probability for Founding DC is 30%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Founding DC requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Founding DC's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for Founding DC are Holding Companies & Corporate HQs and Business & Management Consulting. Founding DC has a business audience.
Founding DC is a business podcast with 20 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Episode #14
Think of Gov. Wes Moore as Maryland’s chief entrepreneurial officer. He didn't take a traditional path to the top. He served in a combat zone in Afghanistan, built an edtech company, wrote multiple bestselling...
Episode #18
What happens when you step back from nearly two years of conversations with some of the region's most accomplished founders and entrepreneurs? You discover that the lessons learned in their varied industries...
Episode #17
Shark Tank success doesn't happen by accident — it takes 50 failed ideas first. Justin Baer built a $75 million men's lifestyle brand after his 7-year-old daughter told him to post a TikTok video. What followed: a deal...
Episode #16
Sarah Chen-Spellings knows venture capital — and she’s helped redefine where it flows. As the driving force behind the former Beyond the Billion, the world’s first and largest consortium of VC funds committed to...
Episode #15
Apothékary sells one tincture every 90 seconds on TikTok. That's not luck — it's nine months of disciplined investment before a single dollar came back. Shizu Okusa is the founder of Apothékary, a nature-based wellness...
Episode #14
Think of Gov. Wes Moore as Maryland’s chief entrepreneurial officer. He didn't take a traditional path to the top. He served in a combat zone in Afghanistan, built an edtech company, wrote multiple bestselling...
Episode #13
Reinvention isn’t a setback. It’s a strategy. Award-winning chef and beloved TV personality, Carla Hall, shares the mindset that helped her pivot careers, build an authentic brand and keep growing. For her, success...
Episode #12
Raised in Washington, D.C., amid hustle and ambition, KJ Hughes turned life lessons into what the world was missing: Manifest is a cultural connector that blends barbershop, speakeasy, restaurant and high-end fashion...
Episode #11
Forget overnight success. David Trone built Total Wine & More into a $6 billion, category-defining retailer spanning 30 states — without outside investment. In this episode, he breaks down the deliberate strategies...
Episode #10
Michael O’Neil, Founder, Get Well Business opportunities sometimes hide in plain sight. This founder had a vision, from his hospital bed, and capitalized on it — big time. This episode is about transforming fear into...
Episode #9
From washing dishes at a Tenleytown D.C. restaurant to founding one of the region’s most successful insurance firms, Alan Meltzer’s entrepreneurial arc is anything but predictable. In this episode of Founding DC, host...
Episode #8
From co-founder of one restaurant in Rockville, Maryland, to CEO of a multibillion-dollar public company with 400-plus locations nationwide, Brett Schulman’s journey with CAVA is anything but ordinary. On this episode...
Episode #7
In this special episode of Founding DC, we’re flipping the script. Our usual host, Dan Simons — restaurateur and co-owner of the Founding Farmers Restaurant Group — takes a turn in the hot seat. Guest host Joe Ferraro...
Episode #6
What comes after Olympic gold? For Dominique Dawes — three-time Olympian, trailblazing gymnast and now founder of a growing gymnastics academy — the answer is greater purpose. In this episode, host Dan Simons sits down...
Episode #5
Looking for a crash course in what to do when your young business takes off and you want to build a national brand without selling out? Then, this is the episode for you. Host Dan Simons sits down with Katherine...
Episode #4
Live in the future. It’s a core belief for David Gardner, who founded The Motley Fool in 1993 with his brother, Tom. David likes best to be known as the financial services business’s chief rule breaker. That and his...
Episode #3
Disruptive framing. Yes, indeed. Susan Tynan launched Framebridge as an online custom framing business in 2014. Today, with 3 million custom frames produced, Framebridge has grown into an omnichannel company with some...
Episode #1
What does it take to start an organic ice tea company — twice? In our inaugural episode, we find out from activist entrepreneur Seth Goldman. Seth was a co-founder of Honest Tea (kin to Honest Kids), which Coca Cola...
Episode #2
Mark Ein has two passions: sports and helping launch companies. We dig into both to discover how he created, invested in and bought several companies over the course of his 30-year career. Mark is one of the founding...
Episode #1
Get inside the brains (and hearts) of local founders of some of the most successful business ventures in and around the nation’s capital. What didn’t happen? What did? What would they like a do-over on? What failures...
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