Entrepreneurial Appetite

Langston Clark
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Entrepreneurial Appetite is a series of events dedicated to building community, promoting intellectualism, and supporting Black businesses. This podcast will feature edited versions of Entrepreneurial Appetite’s Black book discussions, including live conversations between a virtual audience, authors, and Black entrepreneurs. In this community, we do not limit what it means to be an intellectual or entrepreneur. We recognize that the sisters and brothers who own and work in beauty salons or barbershops are intellectuals just as much as sisters and brothers who teach and research at universities. This podcast is unique because, as part of this community, you have the opportunity to participate in our monthly book discussion, suggest the book to be discussed, or even lead the conversation between the author and our community of intellectuals and entrepreneurs. For more information about participating in our monthly discussions, please follow Entrepreneurial_ Appetite on Instagram and Twitter. Please consider supporting the show as one of our Founding 55 patrons. For five dollars a month, you can access our live monthly conversations. See the link below:https://www.patreon.com/EA_BookClub

  1. 4D AGO

    Pretend The Ball is Named Jim Crow: The Story of Josh Gibson as told by Dorian Hairston

    In this extraordinary bonus episode from the African Americans in Sport Podclass, Dr. Langston Clark sits down with Dorian Hairston—poet, educator, former University of Kentucky baseball player, and author of "Pretend the Ball is Named Jim Crow: The Story of Josh Gibson"—for a conversation that bridges sports history, poetry, and the humanization of Black athletic excellence. Josh Gibson was a Negro League baseball legend credited with hitting over 800 home runs in his career. He died in January 1947, just months before Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in April of the same year. But Gibson's story is more than statistics—it's about a 19-year-old who lost his wife during childbirth, a man who faced Jim Crow at every turn, and an athlete whose greatness was confined by systemic racism. Dorian's book tells this story through poetry, not traditional biography. Using persona poems written from the perspectives of Josh Gibson, his wife Helen, his son Josh Gibson Jr., teammates like Hooks Tinker, and even time-traveling observers, Harrison creates what he calls "historical fiction"—using real historical figures and events to explore empathy, humanity, and the messy complexity of history. In this conversation, Dorian shares his journey from being a student-athlete who earned All-SEC Academic honors while playing baseball at Kentucky, to becoming an English major mentored by Kentucky's first Black Poet Laureate, Frank X Walker, to joining the Affrilachian Poets collective dedicated to "making the invisible visible" in Appalachian storytelling. He discusses the power of complex identity, the importance of preparing for life after sports, and why poetry is the best medium for humanizing historical figures who are often reduced to one-dimensional narratives. Support the show https://www.patreon.com/c/EA_BookClub

    30 min

  2. FEB 2

    I Have Avenged America: A Conversation with Dr. Julia Gaffield about Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Haiti’s Fight for Freedom

    "What does it matter how present and future races will judge me? I have done my duty. I know my worth. That is enough for me." Jean-Jacques Dessalines's defiant words open this Black History Month episode of Entrepreneurial Appetite—a conversation about the revolutionary leader history tried to erase. Dr. Julia Gaffield, whose discovery of Haiti's Declaration of Independence made international headlines, joins us with special guest host Lloyd Kuykendoll to discuss why Dessalines deserves to be remembered as more than a warrior who secured Haiti's independence. This is the first English-language biography of the man who led the only successful slave revolution in history, and Dr. Gaffield reveals a figure of surprising complexity—loyal, witty, strategic, and deeply human. We explore why historians have overlooked him, what his story teaches us about the full arc of the Haitian Revolution, and why Haiti's Declaration of Independence—which imagined white skin as paper and blood as ink—needs to be read alongside America's founding document. Lloyd brings the passion of a veteran and self-taught historian who knows this work matters, creating moments of genuine emotion and insight. This conversation honors the rigorous work of Black scholars and their allies who are reclaiming our history, one archive at a time. During Black History Month and beyond, this is the scholarship that builds community, promotes intellectualism, and ensures our stories are told right. Support the show https://www.patreon.com/c/EA_BookClub

    1h 10m

  3. JAN 19 · BONUS

    Building the Future of Athlete Branding: Jenna Smith & Tantamount Sports Group

    Jenna Smith takes us on a captivating journey from locker room to boardroom, revealing how her experiences as the "only girl on the team" shaped her path to founding Tandemount Sports Group. With remarkable clarity, she articulates the untapped potential at the intersection of beauty brands and women's sports, particularly for Black women athletes seeking authentic expression. The conversation explores how strategic brand alignments are closing the NIL gap between men's and women's sports. Smith's insights on Gen Z athletes' natural content creation abilities demonstrate why beauty and lifestyle brands have unique opportunities to partner with women athletes who are essentially "walking markets" during competition. We dive deep into emerging sports technology focused on critical women's sports challenges. From revolutionary injury prevention tools addressing the epidemic of ACL tears to biometric tracking systems accounting for menstrual cycles, Smith identifies where technology meets human performance in ways specifically benefiting women athletes. What makes this discussion particularly compelling is Smith's personal testimony of risk-taking. Her applications to prestigious universities despite self-doubt, her entry into venture capital without traditional backgrounds, and her international career moves all exemplify her powerful message: "The belief in myself will always be bigger than the belief anybody else has for me." Smith's vision extends beyond marketing to creating equitable opportunities for women athletes through advisory roles and equity positions with sports tech companies. She's working to ensure women athletes leverage their influence into long-term business opportunities and ownership stakes. For anyone navigating entrepreneurship, sports business, or seeking authentic representation, Smith's parting wisdom resonates deeply: "Don't be afraid to fail... You are 99% of the time equipped with the tools to do it. You just may not have the support system to push you." Her story illuminates why taking risks, building community, and believing in yourself creates pathways where traditional roadmaps don't exist. Support the show https://www.patreon.com/c/EA_BookClub

    32 min

  4. JAN 5

    REPLAY: Building America's Largest MLK Celebration - Sho Nakpodia on Dream Week San Antonio & Social Entrepreneurship

    In this throwback episode of Entrepreneurial Appetite, host Langston Clark revisits his powerful conversation with Sho Nakpodia, founder of Dream Week San Antonio and Dream Voice. Discover how San Antonio became home to the largest Martin Luther King Day celebration in the country and how one Nigerian-born social entrepreneur transformed a single march into a 16-day summit of civil and civic engagement. Sho shares his journey from Lagos, Nigeria, through London and New York, to establishing roots in San Antonio, where he founded the Mighty Group advertising agency and later created Dream Week - a community-curated platform featuring hundreds of events focused on diversity, tolerance, equality, and social justice. Learn about the philosophy behind making Dream Week accessible to all voices, the importance of African American genius in leading social movements, and how San Antonio's unique DNA makes it the perfect incubator for peaceful dialogue across differences. This replay is essential listening as we prepare for Dream Week 2026 (January 9-31). Topics include social entrepreneurship, community building, cultural identity, navigating tier-two cities, local versus national impact, and creating platforms for marginalized voices Support the show https://www.patreon.com/c/EA_BookClub

    42 min

  5. SEASON 7, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    Entrepreneurial Appetite: Season 7 Preview - A Conversation with Lloyd Kuykendoll

    As we launch into Season 7 of Entrepreneurial Appetite, I'm sitting down with one of my favorite co-hosts, Lloyd Kuykendoll, founder of Black Cabinet Education, to preview what's coming in 2026 and reflect on the books and conversations that are shaping our thinking. Lloyd shares the four books that changed his life this year: The Black Jacobins by C.L.R. James, I Have Avenged America by Julia Garfield (exploring the true legacy of Jean-Jacques Dessalines), The Wounded World: W.E.B. Du Bois and World War I by Chad L. Williams, and the rare bibliophile treasure Damn Rare by Charles Blockson. We dive deep into Du Bois—not just as an intellectual, but as a flawed human navigating mistakes like his controversial "Close Ranks" article, and how Anna Julia Cooper pushed him to write Black Reconstruction in America. I share my favorite interview from last season with Julius Garvey, Marcus Garvey's youngest son, discussing Justice for Marcus Garvey—an interview that happened just before President Biden pardoned Garvey. What's Coming in Season 7: We're previewing conversations with authors and entrepreneurs who are pushing the boundaries of Black economic thought: Dr. Rachel Laryea on Black Capitalists and what Pan-African business really meansTrey Baker and his blueprint for Black economic development in In the Black 2050Dr. Julia Gaffield on Dessalines and rewriting Haiti's narrativeOji and Ezinne Udezue, Nigerian-American tech leaders who wrote Building RocketshipsPlus book reviews of Banking on Freedom: Black Women in U.S. Finance Before the New Deal and Mentorship UnlockedLloyd reveals his dream interview: Dr. Greg Carr, Chad L. Williams, or Gerald Horne. I share mine: Demaurice Smith, former NFL Players Association executive director, on his book Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America's Game. This season, we're also evolving—more live events, more book reviews, and a challenge for you: share your favorite episode with six people to help us grow this community of Black entrepreneurs, intellectuals, and dreamers. Lloyd closes with his powerful origin story—from being a "functioning illiterate" who feared reading aloud to building Black Cabinet Education, where his books became his greatest friends and his ancestors spoke back to him when he was lost. Welcome to Season 7. Let's build together. Support the show https://www.patreon.com/c/EA_BookClub

    25 min

  6. JAN 1 · BONUS

    Entrepreneurial Appetite 2025 Year in Review

    Entrepreneurial Appetite: 2025 Year in Review - Your Top 5 Episodes As we close out an incredible Season 6, I'm reflecting on the conversations that moved you most. From franchise ownership to electric vehicles, fatherhood to family wealth, and global Black history—this season has been a journey of transformation and possibility. In this special episode, I'm counting down the five most downloaded conversations of the year, each one a blueprint for building community, promoting intellectualism, and supporting Black businesses. #5: Dr. Tamara J. Walker - Scholar and author of Beyond the Shores: A History of African Americans Abroad challenges us to see travel as a tool for reimagining Black identity and building global consciousness. #4: LaVaisha Davis - Wealth advisor and founder of L Wess Advisors reframes wealth building around family as your economic unit, revealing that it's not about what you make—it's about what you plan. #3: Shawn Rhoder - Entrepreneur and father shares how being present for his son became his greatest success story, redefining what it means to build generational wealth. #2: Mike Colias - Automotive journalist and author of Inevitable breaks down the electric vehicle revolution and what it means for American innovation, featuring special guest host Shawn Wilson. #1: Darren Vanderhall - Former corporate executive turned franchise owner explains why leaving 25 years at Coca-Cola to own a Signarama franchise was the best decision for his family's future. Each conversation offers insights, inspiration, and actionable wisdom for Black entrepreneurs, intellectuals, and dreamers ready to write their own success stories. My challenge to you: Pick your favorite episode and share it with six people. Let's grow this community together as we head into Season 7. Support the show https://www.patreon.com/c/EA_BookClub

    7 min

  7. 12/22/2025

    InEVitable: Why the EV Transition Will Happen (Messy or Not) with Mike Colias

    In this episode of Entrepreneurial Appetite, we speak with Mike Colias, author of InEVitable: Inside the Messy, Unstoppable Transition to Electric Vehicles, and guest co-host Shawn Wilson, a business development leader in EV infrastructure. From the streets of Detroit to the battery factories of China, we explore what’s shaping the future of electric mobility, why legacy automakers fell behind, and what this transformation means for entrepreneurs and communities of color. Support the show https://www.patreon.com/c/EA_BookClub

    55 min

  8. 12/08/2025

    Minding the Wealth Gap: Cliff Goins on Collective Solutions to Economic Injustice

    Join us for a profound discussion with Cliff Goins IV—author, entrepreneur, and wealth strategist—as we examine the real costs and collective solutions to America’s racial wealth gap. With insights from his book, Minding the Wealth Gap, Cliff lays out practical steps for becoming a “gap closer,” no matter your income, background, or beliefs about capitalism. With guest host Lloyd Kuykendoll, the conversation is an honest exploration of history, policy, investment, and community, all rooted in Black economic empowerment. Support the show https://www.patreon.com/c/EA_BookClub

    44 min
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About

Entrepreneurial Appetite is a series of events dedicated to building community, promoting intellectualism, and supporting Black businesses. This podcast will feature edited versions of Entrepreneurial Appetite’s Black book discussions, including live conversations between a virtual audience, authors, and Black entrepreneurs. In this community, we do not limit what it means to be an intellectual or entrepreneur. We recognize that the sisters and brothers who own and work in beauty salons or barbershops are intellectuals just as much as sisters and brothers who teach and research at universities. This podcast is unique because, as part of this community, you have the opportunity to participate in our monthly book discussion, suggest the book to be discussed, or even lead the conversation between the author and our community of intellectuals and entrepreneurs. For more information about participating in our monthly discussions, please follow Entrepreneurial_ Appetite on Instagram and Twitter. Please consider supporting the show as one of our Founding 55 patrons. For five dollars a month, you can access our live monthly conversations. See the link below:https://www.patreon.com/EA_BookClub

Information

  • Creator
    Langston Clark
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    180
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Entrepreneurial Appetite
  • Show Website
    Entrepreneurial Appetite