From the Ground Up

Launched during the pandemic to bring people together outdoors, Toss & Spin is now scaling across the U.S. through smart growth decisions, strategic partnerships, and strong financial discipline supported by Chase for Business

A few years ago, Ariela Safira’s Zeera was set to launch a brick-and-mortar mental health concept in New York. The opening month was set to be April 2020. As you might’ve guessed, things didn’t go as planned. Still, Ariela led her company through the hardships, a rebrand, and an acquisition. It’s something of a storybook ending for a founder. But how did Ariela cope with the challenges? And how did she take care of herself along the way? On this Founder Group Chat, Inc.’s Graham Winfrey continues his conversation with three founders. Fany Gerson, founder of Mexican ice cream and sweets brand La Newyorkina Sarah LaFleur, CEO of women’s clothing company M.M. LaFleur Ariela Safira, founder of recently acquired mental health startup Zeera Watch and listen to hear how they’ve successfully thrived and grown through adversity, plus how they look after their mental health along the way.

From selling prints made at Kinko’s to global art exhibitions and collaborations with major brands like New Balance and Netflix, Chicago-based artist Louis de Guzman shares the leap-of-faith decisions and business tools that helped transform his creative vision into a thriving enterprise

As a founder, trying to scale your business can feel like walking on a knife’s edge. Go too fast or too early, you’ll fall off. Move too slowly and you’ll get left behind. Every Friday on The Business Model, we’re hosting a Founder Group Chat. Each episode will feature a candid, in-depth conversation about one of the many pressing topics entrepreneurs are facing. On this first group chat, our topic is scaling. Specifically, how do you scale in the right way? Three founders from very different industries share lessons on scaling that can apply across business. Our roundtable is: Fany Gerson, founder of Mexican ice cream and sweets brand La Newyorkina Sarah LaFleur, CEO of women’s clothing company M.M. LaFleur Ariela Safira, founder of recently acquired mental health startup Zeera Graham Winfrey, deputy digital editor for Inc.

The top 10 percent of earners account for half of consumer spending. To target those big spenders, brands are meeting them where they are: behind closed doors. Host Chloe Aiello talks with Inc. staff reporter Ali Donaldson about why brands are trying to get their products -- not on the shelves of major retailers, like Walmart, Target, or REI -- but behind the closed doors of private, members-only clubs. This means, putting products in the bars, restaurants, and gift shops of places that people have to pay tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, just to walk into.

Today, we have a special segment, brought to you by Inc. in collaboration with our partners at Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. This year, at the Inc. 5000 gala, Glenfiddich presented this year's Legacy Award to Tim Heitmann, founder of Double Good. Double Good is a fundraising company that helps schools, teams, and nonprofits raise money by selling delicious, small-batch popcorn. Founded in 1998 and based in Burr Ridge, Illinois, the company has grown into a fully virtual platform, making it incredibly easy for organizers to set up and run fundraisers without handling any inventory, payments, or delivery. Supporters just order online, and Double Good takes care of the rest. This award recognizes a trailblazer, an individual who has graced the Inc. 5000 list multiple times, embodying the spirit of innovation, boldness, and a relentless drive to defy the ordinary. Much like Glenfiddich, a brand that has pushed the boundaries of excellence throughout its 130- year history to become the world’s most awarded single malt scotch whisky, Tim Heitmann exemplifies the courage and brilliance it takes to redefine industries and elevate the game. Inc. Editor-in-Chief, Mike Hoffman, spoke with Tim Heitmann about his remarkable journey, the legacy he has built, and the honor of being presented this award sponsored by Glenfiddich.

The Business Model by Inc. is the multi-episode-a-week podcast for small-business owners, entrepreneurs, and startup founders who want to start, run, and grow stronger companies. Each week we deliver a curated mix of business-trend analysis, actionable playbooks, and candid interviews with real founders—from Main Street businesses to cutting-edge startups. In this video podcast, you’ll learn how to hire and lead, raise capital, market efficiently, manage cash flow, fix operations and supply chains, and leverage new technology and AI to stay ahead. Every episode is built to fit your workweek and help you make smarter decisions, faster. If you only have time for one business podcast to start, run, and grow your company—this is it.

In this special episode of From the Ground Up, we sit down with Kelly Twichel, founder and CEO of Access Trax, to discuss how her portable mats are helping people with mobility challenges access beaches, parks, and outdoor spaces. Twichel will also share her journey from occupational therapist to entrepreneur, and how Access Trax is building inclusive communities through partnerships with local San Diego nonprofits, adaptive sports programs and local governments. Peter Jackson, Executive Director and Southern California Area Manager at Chase, also joins the conversation offering insights on how businesses can scale impact through inclusive design and community engagement.

Lauren Asghari, founder and president of Alderson Loop, and Jose Herrera, the CEO and co-founder of Horatio, discuss being transparent about mistakes and challenges, and how that builds trust and keeps culture intact.

In this special custom episode, Inc. host and moderator Abigail Basset joins Kris Billmaier, EVP and GM of Sales Cloud and Growth Product at Salesforce, to discuss some of the most interesting trends and insights from Inc.’s annual CEO survey. For the second year running Inc has partnered with Salesforce to underwrite an exclusive survey of the CEOs of Inc. 5000 companies. In this thought-provoking conversation, you’ll learn how America’s greatest sales teams are navigating the ongoing challenges, opportunities, and transformations of today’s business landscape. Tune in to hear how the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. are strategizing around game-changing technologies like generative and agentic AI, adapting to a drastically shifting workforce, and how they’re structuring their sales teams to fuel productivity at scale.

In this episode, Dr. Gina Anderson, CEO and co-founder of Luma Brighter Learning, and Marisa Murgatroyd, Founder of Live Your Message, continue their conversation. In this segment, they discuss learning how to separate yourself from your business, evolve your strategy, and give your company what it really needs to thrive.

In this segment, we have another panel from our live event at this year’s Inc Founders House in Philadelphia. Editorial director Bonny Ghosh hosted a conversation about "The New Creative Frontier: Navigating the Creator Economy." She was joined by Matt Quinn, frontman and songwriter of the indie rock band Mt. Joy, and Dave Silver, co-founder and CEO of the marketing agency REC Philly. They explained how to sustain a fan base after a viral moment, how Rec Philly’s strategies enable companies, brands, and clients to connect with Gen Z and millennial audiences, and how Mt. Joy adjusted its content creation approach across all social platforms.

Dr. Gina Anderson, CEO and co-founder of Luma Brighter Learning, and Marisa Murgatroyd, Founder of Live Your Message, talks about how to get your brand to attract attention.

At this year's Inc Founders House event in Philadelphia, Editor-in-Chief Mike Hoffman spoke with Joao Gomes, Senior Vice Dean of Research and Professor of Finance at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, about the Future of Capitalism: Tariffs, Growth, and Markets. They delved into topics such as the consumer outlook, the decreasing trend of extravagant spending, the hiring slowdown in various job markets, the negative impact of Trump's tariffs, concerns regarding the supply chain, particularly from China, and the undervalued issue of immigration in the business community.

In this custom episode from our partners at Insperity, Inc. Editorial Director Bonny Ghosh chats with Roger Nicholson, SVP of Service Operations at Insperity, about the results of the Inc. 5000 CEO Survey. The conversation reveals how today’s top business leaders are laser-focused on workplace culture, adaptability, and the integration of generative AI. With only 35% of CEOs believing their teams are AI-ready, the conversation turns to the urgent need for upskilling as a retention and competitiveness strategy. Nicholson emphasizes that the companies best positioned for the future will be those that invest not just in technology—but in their people.

For today’s episode, we have a panel from this year’s Inc’s Founders House in Philadelphia. Social media director, Andrea Hardalo and her fellow panelists: Woodie Hillyard, co-founder and CEO of the men’s personal care brand W, Arthur Leopold, co-founder and CEO of the ad platform called Agentio, and Alicia Yoon, founder and CEO of the Korean skin care beauty brand Peach & Lily, discuss the Future of E-Commerce. They chatted about the challenges of starting your business online, which trends are still relevant in their business strategies after the pandemic, and the difference in selling products on your website compared to selling them on social media.

Seth Goldman, co-founder of Honest Tea and Eat the Change, talks with Ron Holloway, co-founder of Woofbowl, about the importance of starting small.

Here's a panel from this year's Inc Founders House in Philadelphia. In this episode, staff reporter Ali Donaldson led a discussion about challenger brands—companies that punch above their weight to succeed. Her guests were Sarah Paiji Yoo, founder and CEO of Blueland, a microplastic-free cleaning products company; Babba Rivera, founder and CEO of the clean hair care line Ceremonia; and Justin Rosenberg, founder and CEO of the fast-casual chain Honeygrow. During the discussion, Sarah explained why she started her company, Babba emphasized the importance of having a person of color in the beauty industry, and Ali asked Justin why building community through your first brick-and-mortar locations matters.

Panera founder Ron Shaich coaches Johnny Yarusi on risk, resilience, and building the “greatest breakfast sandwich in America.”

As the summer comes to a close, we have a collection of panels from this year's Inc Founders House in Philadelphia dedicated to our fall schedule. In this segment, deputy digital editor Graham Winfrey talks to Philadelphia Eagles center Cam Jurgens, founder of the beef jerky company Beef Jurgey, and former NBA All-Star Stephen Marbury, who is the chief brand officer of the smart sunglasses company Chamelo Eyewear. Cam spoke about how he grew the jerky business, while Graham asked Stephen about his first business venture, the affordable Starbury sneakers. They both compare how their preparation and the obstacles they have overcome in their professional sports careers help them run their businesses.