Founders' Forum

From running a presidential campaign at 28 to building a Philadelphia PR powerhouse, Susan Jacobson has never stopped betting on herself.

In this episode of Founders Forum, Marc Bernstein sits down with Susan Jacobson, CEO of Jacobson Strategic Communications and Praxtera AI Institute, to trace her path from political operative to PR entrepreneur to AI fluency pioneer. Susan opens up about getting pushed out of a corporate role afte...

From an eight-year-old sweeping up scraps in his father's makeshift dental lab to co-leading a five-location practice with his wife and business partner, Jay Gohel's path into dentistry was anything but planned.

In this episode, Marc sits down with Dr. Jay Gohel and Preeti Gohel of Aesthetic Dental Associates, husband-and-wife founders who built one of the largest privately owned dental groups in the Delaware Valley from a single pr...

From a potluck dinner for Italophiles to a 20,000-person street festival, Tim Austin has turned small-town Lancaster County into a launchpad for big ideas.

In this episode of Founders' Forum, Marc Bernstein sits down with architect and entrepreneur Tim Austin, founder of Colab XYZ and co-founder of Litalia Fest and the new Lancaster Capital Day. Tim shares his path from studying architecture at Cornell and earning a design degree in...

Helen Denise left the Soviet Union with nothing but a suitcase and a knack for sales, and built a company that changed how women understand their own bodies. On this episode of Founders' Forum, Marc Bernstein sits down with the CEO and Founder of Hilin Life Products, Inc. and inventor of KNOWHEN, to talk about ambivalence, risk, and the traumatic health event that launched a movement.

After surviving an ectopic pregnancy in 1999, He...

Most surgeons chase technical mastery. Dr. Patrick Roth built a career on something rarer: listening.

In this episode of Founders' Forum, Marc Bernstein sits down with neurosurgeon Dr. Patrick Roth, co-founder of New Jersey Brain and Spine, to talk about building a specialized medical practice rooted in empathy rather than ego. Pat shares how he went from general neurosurgery to a narrow focus on spine, why he wrote a book that "can...

 At 47, Justin Tennant is only two years removed from selling the medical supply company he bootstrapped from nothing, and he's already found something he didn't expect: it's harder to walk away from a business than it was to build one.

 Justin Tennant grew up in a second-generation steel mill family in Weirton, West Virginia, where he learned that nothing is given, it's earned. After working full-time since age 16 and put...

When experts told Judith Creed that her son would never walk, talk, or live independently, she refused to accept that as his future. Instead, she turned one family's challenge into a movement that has transformed hundreds of lives.

In this episode of Founders' Forum, Judith Creed shares her remarkable journey from speech-language pathologist and entrepreneur to founding JCHAI, a nonprofit dedicated to helping adults with intellectua...

Success isn't always about avoiding failure. Sometimes it's about what you build after everything falls apart. In this episode, Steve Berardi shares how resilience, leadership, and a willingness to adapt helped him rebuild both his business and his future.

Steve Berardi, Founder and President of Omni Building Group, joins Marc Bernstein to discuss his entrepreneurial journey from music student and stonemason's son to leading a respe...

Pete Meyer has spent nearly three decades building businesses, navigating industry shifts, and learning one of entrepreneurship's toughest lessons: success comes from execution, not perfect planning.

In this episode of Founders Forum, Pete Meyer, Founder and CEO of Cause Connect, joins Marc Bernstein to share his journey from the early days of the dot-com boom to building companies that have generated more than $100 million in reven...

Some founders launch companies. Syd Kitson set out to build a hometown.

In this episode of Founders' Forum, Marc Bernstein welcomes Syd Kitson, the visionary behind Babcock Ranch, one of the most innovative and resilient master-planned communities in the United States. Syd shares how his experiences growing up in a close-knit New Jersey town and playing in the NFL helped shape his approach to leadership, perseverance, and community ...

When the housing market collapsed in 2008, many business owners pulled back. Mark Wagner saw an opportunity to pivot, helping transform a small family flooring business into a national industry leader. His journey is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the power of long-term thinking. 

In this episode of Founders Forum, Marc Bernstein sits down with Mark Wagner, Co-Founder and CEO of RM Interiors, to discuss his path f...

Susan McCrossin launched Boomtown Internet Group in 2001, when nobody knew what to call what she was doing. Two decades later, her daughter Devon is running the company and building it into something even bigger.

From cold-calling clients in the early days of Google to managing a global team of 25, the Boomtown story is one of timing, grit, and an unexpected family handoff. Susan shares how she and her husband Jim built one of the e...

Selling your business doesn't mean you've arrived. It means you're starting over. And nobody warns you about the wall you hit on the other side.

In this episode, Marc Bernstein sits down with Chris Donnelly, a former investment banker turned plumbing and HVAC entrepreneur who spent a decade rebuilding his family's business before selling it in 2023. Amy Wicks, founder of Wicks Consulting Group, joins as guest co-host. Chris shares t...

Her son asked her one question that changed everything. How many tons of plastic are you personally responsible for sitting in a landfill right now? For Marta Sylvester, founder and CEO of NuGen Packaging, that moment didn't just sting. It sparked a company.

After 20 years climbing the ranks of the traditional packaging industry, Marta walked away from a VP of Sales role to build something she actually believed in. Today, NuGen Pack...

What does it really take to build a brand people trust and remember? In this episode of Founders Forum, Amy N. Wicks, P.E. shares how she turns insight into impact and helps founders create meaningful connections that support long term growth.

Joined by guest co-host Chris Donnelly, the conversation explores Amy’s journey through business growth, brand strategy, and staying authentic in a crowded market. She opens up about ear...

Bill Sprague didn't wait for the perfect moment — he built one. Starting Risk Averse Insurance in 2015 with no clients and a blank slate, Bill and his childhood best friend turned a bold idea into one of Philadelphia's leading commercial insurance brokerages.

Bill Sprague, President and founder of Risk Averse Insurance, shares how he grew a firm built on proactive service, strategic acquisitions, and a culture of accountabilit...

If you feel like your company can’t grow unless you work harder, you’re not broken. You’re probably missing the right second-in-command. In this episode of Founders Forum, Alec Broadfoot, Founder and CEO of Vision Spark and author of Hiring Your Right Number Two Leader, joins Marc Bernstein and guest co-host Anthony Naccarato to break down how the right leadership hire can completely change the trajectory of a bus...

Family, trust, and grit are the foundations behind one of the country’s leading structural engineering firms.

Anthony and Pete Naccarato share the story behind O'Donnell & Naccarato Structural Engineers, from its early days built on long hours and strong relationships to becoming a national, employee-owned company. Pete reflects on building the firm with deep trust in his partner, while Tony shares his journey from entry-l...

Most founders don’t start with a clear plan. They start by figuring things out as they go.

In this episode, we’re joined by Mitch Gyger, President and Co-Founder of OPS Security Group, with Vera Hempel as guest co-host. Mitch shares how graduating into the 2009 recession led him to take a security guard role, an opportunity that ultimately shaped his entire career. What started as a stopgap turned into a long-ter...