Meet courageous entrepreneurs who followed their passion

Leslie Zinn is the co-founder and CEO of Arden's Garden — a cold-pressed juice, smoothie, and vegan foods company on a mission to cultivate an oasis of health and wellness. Arden's Garden started in Leslie's mother Arden's kitchen in the early 90s. Twenty-five years later, Arden’s Garden has two processing plants in East Point, Georgia; 17 retail store locations throughout Metro Atlanta; and more than 1,000 partners in the Southeast region.

The tables are turned as host Sanjay Parekh is interviewed by friend, colleague, and podcast co-host Adam Walker. Sanjay started his first entrepreneurial venture in 2000 and has lived in the startup world ever since. Riding the ups and downs of startup culture, securing funding, and hiring staff, Sanjay has focused on being an advocate for other entrepreneurs in his roles as a VC, mentor, speaker, and podcast host.

These are the stories of four entrepreneurs, all a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Though their businesses span industries and states, they all have something in common: they’re navigating the challenges of starting a business while also working towards sustainable growth, success, and happiness as queer entrepreneurs. We’re excited to amplify their voices, share their perspective on what needs to change, and learn their hopes for the future.

Do you strive for fame and fortune? Or do you just want to get your name out there? Allie Hembree Martin can help. Allie is the founder of Fame and Fortune, a social media and public relations agency increasing the online visibility of female CEOs. She works to amplify her clients’ voices using creative and forward-thinking social media strategy and PR. In this episode, Allie will share lessons learned and her predictions for how social media will change over the next few years.

Ariana Escalante has worked as an on-camera spokesperson for many years. When her clients started asking if she could offer full production services, she saw a need for a complete package video content agency. Four years later, she and her fiancé, Jon Gluck, have grown Vydeo into a successful business that provides scripting, filming, talent, and editing. They now have a stellar team and a collection of awesome clients.