Knoodle Founders Hour

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Welcome to Knoodle Founders Hour, the ultimate destination for deep-dive interviews with company founders. Every week, we pull back the curtain on the startup journey, exploring the raw stories behind innovative brands. From the "lightbulb moment" to scaling through the struggle, we talk entrepreneurship, leadership, and the grit required to build something from nothing. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur looking for a business roadmap or a seasoned leader seeking inspiration, join us for tactical advice and powerful founder stories. Watch and listen as we build the future.

  1. 5d ago

    State Forty Eight Co-Founder Mike Spangenberg

    Putting Arizona on the Map and the Map on the Shirt In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Mike Spangenberg, co-founder and CEO of State Forty Eight, to explore how a passion for apparel and local pride transformed a $1,500 startup into one of Arizona's most recognizable lifestyle and custom merchandise brands. Born and raised in Chandler, Arizona, Mike spent 15 years climbing the ranks in the hospitality industry—starting as a dishwasher at a Residence Inn before working his way up to general manager. Driven by a desire to create a fashionable brand that represented Arizona's culture beyond generic souvenir shirts, he teamed up with his co-founders in 2013\. Launching with just $500 each, pressing shirts in a spare bedroom, and selling out of dirt lots at First Friday events, the team federally trademarked the State Forty Eight name and built a multi-faceted business that now includes retail, custom screen printing, fractional design services, and a thriving nonprofit arm. In this episode, you’ll discover: The Spark Behind the Brand: How the realization that Arizona was the 48th state led to an "aha moment" in a bathroom doorway and sparked a trademarked apparel movement. Humble Beginnings and Grassroots Hustle: The reality of working full-time hotel shifts while hand-pressing T-shirts in a spare bedroom and pitching booths wherever space was available. Pivoting for Long-Term Sustainability: Why closing three retail storefronts to double down on B2B custom merchandise, screen printing, embroidery, and e-commerce created a stronger, more resilient business model. High-Impact Community Collaborations: The story behind major local partnerships with former Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians, Phoenix Children's Hospital, the Diamondbacks, and a touching Make-A-Wish collaboration. Empowering Local Entrepreneurs: How launching the State Forty Eight Foundation in 2020 has provided over $200,000 in grant funding, free educational events, and mentorship to aspiring business owners across the state. Leading with In-Person Hospitality: Why Mike prioritizes real-world human connections, voice calls, and hosting partners over digital noise and transactional emails. Entrepreneurs building a brand from scratch, leaders navigating business pivots, and anyone passionate about local community impact will find immense value in Mike’s candid take on grit, leadership, and purpose-driven growth.

  2. Sep 15

    ValleyLife Arizona Chief Marketing Officer Adam Saks

    Elevating Dignity, Independence, and Community for Adults with Disabilities (with Adam Saks of ValleyLife) In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Adam Saks, the first-ever Chief Marketing Officer for ValleyLife, to discuss how the 79-year-old nonprofit is modernizing its brand to expand support for adults with developmental disabilities. After a distinguished career in entertainment, hospitality, and real estate development—building iconic brands like Planet Hollywood, Ultra Star Multitainment, and Cannon Beach—Adam made a pivotal move into the nonprofit sector. Bringing his extensive marketing experience and an Emmy Award-winning creative vision, he now leads the charge to elevate ValleyLife's mission, re-engage corporate partners, and raise community awareness across Arizona. In this episode, you’ll discover: Promoting Choice and Dignity in Residential Living: How ValleyLife operates 27 group homes across Phoenix, empowering members to make daily choices—from their meals to community field trips—with total dignity and respect.Empowering Independence Through Workforce Development: The vital role of vocational training and job placement programs, which have successfully placed over 60 members into meaningful employment in 2026 alone.Graduated Skill-Building in the Aspire Autism Program: How a tiered autism program helps adults build communication skills and self-confidence, leading to inspiring real-world success stories.Bridging the Gap for Aging-Out Adults: Why ValleyLife provides a critical lifelong safety net for individuals turning 18, serving as a family for members who have lived in their residential care for over 50 years.Lessons from Planet Hollywood to Surf Parks: Adam’s fascinating background navigating high-stakes PR at Planet Hollywood on 57th Street in New York, developing major entertainment hubs, and winning an Emmy and a Telly Award.Reimagining an 80-Year Legacy Brand: How ValleyLife is gearing up for its 80th anniversary with digital marketing overhauls, a $25,000 hole-in-one prize at their September 18 golf tournament, and a reimagined gala for 2027.Leadership Driven by "CPR": Adam's core leadership philosophy centered on Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect, alongside insights drawn from visionaries like Tony Hsieh, Richard Branson, and Shaquille O'Neal.For anyone passionate about disability advocacy, brand transformation, or building inclusive communities, this conversation delivers an inspiring roadmap for creating lasting impact. Listen to the full episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour podcast to hear Adam's inspiring journey of service, brand building, and empowering adults with disabilities.

  3. Sep 8

    Million Dollar Teacher Project Founder Lloyd Hopkins

    Transforming Classrooms by Empowering the Educator (with Lloyd Hopkins of the Million Dollar Teacher Project) In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Lloyd Hopkins, the passionate founder of the Million Dollar Teacher Project, to discuss the critical challenges facing today's educators and how community activation can rebuild the teaching profession. Lloyd’s path to advocacy began with a major career setback. After being fired from a job, a life-changing phone call with his younger brother—who told him, "Great, you lost your job. Now find your life"—prompted a deep period of self-discovery. Inspired by the book "Do You" and a Fast Company article on Richard Branson, Lloyd realized his true calling was in education. Having previously spent six years as a middle school teaching assistant, he had witnessed firsthand the immense workloads, low pay, and lack of support that teachers endure. He went back to Arizona State University to earn a degree in nonprofit leadership and management, using his academic assignments to build a comprehensive business plan. In October 2016, with zero dollars in the bank, he launched the Million Dollar Teacher Project. In this episode, you’ll discover: The Realities of Teacher Burnout: The laundry list of systemic issues driving teachers out of classrooms, from overcrowded rooms and overloaded workloads to starting salaries that average around $45,000 a year—even for educators holding master's degrees.Shattering the "Cushy Job" Myth: Why the public perception of teaching as an easy, 8-to-3 job with summers off is completely detached from reality, forcing many teachers to work second jobs and side hustles just to survive.Grassroots Activation in Title One Schools: How the Million Dollar Teacher Project partners with marginalized communities using a sustainable three-to-five-year model, helping schools implement teacher support programs before transitioning the ownership back to the community.Action-Oriented Support Programs: A look at the organization's unique initiatives, including fully catered "Take a Teacher to Lunch" events, monthly "Teacher Spotlights" that celebrate educators in front of their students, and "A Teacher's Net Worth"—a program providing vital financial literacy to help educators retire as millionaires.Keeping Classrooms Bipartisan: Why education must be protected from political weaponization, and how viewing classrooms as sacred, collaborative community spaces benefits the long-term talent pool of our workforce.An Unexpected MTV Past: Lloyd's surprising background spending a decade in the music industry under the alias Atlas, running an independent record label, and coaching a Sedona high schooler as a rap coach on the hit show "MTV Made."Education advocates, nonprofit leaders, and business owners looking to strengthen their future talent pipelines will find inspiration and a clear roadmap for community impact in this powerful conversation.

  4. Sep 1

    Capital Asset Management LLC Founder Rachelle Strole

    Fearless Innovation, Empathy, and the Future of Real Estate (with Rachelle Strole of Capital Asset Management) In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Rachelle Strole, owner and managing partner of Capital Asset Management LLC, to discuss the shifting tides of commercial real estate and what it truly means to lead with empathy and a fearless mindset. Rachelle’s journey as a founder is marked by resilience. She launched her company in February 2009, right in the wake of the Great Recession. Surviving that challenging era left her with valuable scars and a deep-seated determination to shake up the industry. Today, she is recognized as one of Arizona’s most influential and interesting figures in asset management, managing commercial properties across the Southwest and Hawaii. Rather than sticking to comfortable, traditional blueprints, Rachelle is on a mission to build a more beautiful, sustainable, and technologically advanced future. In this episode, you’ll discover: Tackling the "Stucco and Sticks" Heat Bubble: Why Phoenix needs to move away from asphalt, concrete, and cheap traditional construction. Rachelle highlights the environmental stakes of urban development, sharing how the region lost roughly 10% of its native saguaros a few years ago because persistent night temperatures never dropped below 90 degrees for the cacti to breathe.The Kona Cloud Forest Blueprint: An inspiring example of environmental restoration from Rachelle's project in Hawaii. She recounts how a scientist purchased a deforested grazing pasture on a mountain and, through 30 years of planting specific trees, successfully generated a self-sustaining cloud forest that creates its own daily rainfall.Empathetic Leadership vs. Being the Hero: Why empathy is the single most critical (and often missing) quality in leadership. Rachelle explains her daily practice of doing a "two-second" check-in with every employee in her office to feel the room, notice who might be struggling, and build authentic connections.The AI Renaissance in Commercial Real Estate: How Capital Asset Management embraces technology to eliminate soul-crushing administrative tasks. Rachelle shares how they use AI to automate invoicing, contracts, and demographic research—saving hours of work and freeing up employees to learn new skills or personally connect with tenants.Tennis, Sarcasm, and Swahili: A hilarious look into how Rachelle blows off steam by writing the names of frustrating people on tennis balls and hitting them thousands of times, plus her passion for studying Swahili, Spanish, and Japanese.Altruistic Global Philanthropy: Rachelle’s hands-on work funding a self-sustaining farm in Malawi to provide food, security, and independent growth for double-orphan children under the age of nine.For real estate professionals, corporate leaders looking to navigate technological disruption, or anyone wanting to build a purposeful and creative career, Rachelle’s fearless approach offers an empowering roadmap for the future.

  5. Aug 24

    Synthetic Grass Store Founder Bonnie Mull

    Scaling a Turf Empire and Solving the Desert Water Crisis (with Bonnie Mull of the Synthetic Grass Store) In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Bonnie Mull, co-founder, owner, and visionary of the Synthetic Grass Store, to discuss how she and her husband, Stephen, grew a startup during the Great Recession into one of the Southwest’s largest synthetic turf suppliers. Bonnie's journey is a masterclass in calculated risk-taking. Before entering the artificial grass industry, she earned a degree in communications from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University. While her husband Stephen was the natural risk-taking entrepreneur, Bonnie was the "stay on the sidewalk" type who took a giant leap of faith in 2008 to start the business. In the early days, the two of them did everything themselves—from warehouse work and sales to finance and marketing. Today, the Synthetic Grass Store is a major B2B player operating three large warehouse locations across three states, supplying top-tier synthetic turf to contractors, landscapers, and homeowners alike. In this episode, you’ll discover: Starting in the Teeth of the Recession: Why launching a business in 2008 was brutal yet exciting, and how a stagnant housing market actually drove homeowners to invest in home equity and outdoor face-lifts.The Evolution of Synthetic Grass: How artificial turf transitioned from purely athletic surfaces into realistic landscaping lawns, moving from only two color options in 2008 to a massive catalog of colors, shapes, heights, and weights today.Tackling the Southwest Water Crisis: Bonnie’s strategic perspective on the Colorado River supply issues and how the turf industry acts as a crucial partner in water conservation, including helping customers navigate valuable municipal rebates.Designing for Four-Legged Customers: The booming pet turf market and the latest innovations in canine-friendly products, including permeable backings, antimicrobial fibers, and specialized infills.Commercial Resilience vs. High Interest Rates: How commercial developments with dedicated budgets continue to flourish, while residential homeowners adapt to 6% interest rates by choosing to remodel and fall in love with their existing properties.The Spouse Business Dynamic: The secret to working side-by-side in a family-owned business, where Bonnie handles the creative marketing and Stephen focuses on visionary ideas without stepping on each other's toes.For landscapers looking to boost job site efficiency, homeowners designing their dream desert oasis, or entrepreneurs curious about the dynamics of running a successful family business, this episode delivers invaluable insights into industry innovation and smart scaling.

  6. Aug 18

    Housing Consultants of America Founder Jenna Ghisolfo

    Breaking Barriers and Rebuilding Lives: Spreading Hope Through Affordable Housing (with Jenna Ghisolfo) In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Jenna Ghisolfo, the founder and president of Housing Consultants of America, to talk about housing stability, compliance, and her personal mission to end homelessness. Jenna's journey into the housing sector is deeply personal. Once a competitive figure skater dreaming of performing on Disney on Ice, her life took a drastic turn when she had to flee an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with nothing but her infant son, a trash bag of belongings, and a Section 8 voucher. That voucher became her second chance, inspiring a 20-year career in affordable housing. Encouraged by a mentor, she took the leap to open her own business nine years ago. Today, she leads a nationwide team of over 80 members, helping secure stable housing and manage compliance services for approximately 2,000 families every single month. In this episode, you’ll discover: Demystifying Affordable Housing and Compliance: How Section 8 and public housing programs verify that participating families actually income-qualify to keep the system fair. Jenna explains how Section 8 adjusts rent so families pay only 30% of their adjusted income, and why those with zero income pay nothing at all.The Real Faces of Homelessness: Why the common assumption that homelessness is strictly driven by drug use or mental illness is incorrect. Jenna reveals how economic realities put everyday families and single mothers just one paycheck away from eviction, and explains why veteran homelessness has led to a greater number of men's shelters than family shelters across the country.The Devastating Impact on Children: Why experiencing homelessness can severely damage a child's mental status and growth, and how Housing Consultants of America works to restore a sense of belonging and community.Overcoming "NIMBYism" with Creativity: How to challenge the "Not In My Backyard" mindset by showing that affordable housing strengthens communities rather than diminishing property values. Jenna also highlights the need for creative, cost-effective solutions—like converting old hotels, schools, and shipping containers—to bypass traditional construction bottlenecks.Shattering Stigmas in High Heels: How Jenna uses her platform as Mrs. Arizona—and her top-five finish at the national pageant—to advocate for domestic violence survivors and end homelessness.Still Standing in Heels: A look at Jenna's newly launched book, "Still Standing in Heels: What Love Didn't Take and Trauma Didn't Break," which serves as an empowering roadmap and resource guide for survivors ready to reclaim their lives.For anyone passionate about community advocacy, nonprofit leadership, or finding the strength to turn personal trauma into a national movement, Jenna's story is an empowering masterclass in resilience.

  7. Jul 14

    Brick Road Coffee Founder Gabe Hagen

    In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Gabe Hagen, the co-founder of Brick Road Coffee in Tempe, Arizona, to discuss his journey from corporate banking compliance to creating a thriving, queer-owned community gathering space. After a 15-year career in the banking industry, complete with a Master's degree in law and compliance, Gabe realized he was unfulfilled by the rigid, soul-sucking constraints of corporate America. Faced with the isolation of the 2020 pandemic and a profound personal reckoning regarding his mental health and true allyship, he decided to leave the corporate world behind. He launched Brick Road Coffee not just to sell coffee, but to build a "brave space" where everyone could find authentic belonging, human connection, and safety. In this episode, you’ll discover: The Power of a "Third Space": Why the ultimate goal of his business isn't just serving beverages, but facilitating human connection and hosting community-led events—from queer trivia and history nights to open crochet meetups.Navigating Pushback and Advocacy: The terrifying reality of receiving a bomb threat, protests from the Proud Boys, and being doxxed over a drag story time event—and how it propelled Gabe into national advocacy for small businesses.Redefining Corporate Success: Gabe's vision for a new kind of capitalism based on "radical hospitality" and values alignment, prioritizing living wages, mental health, and community impact over endless profit margins.Embracing the Ecosystem: Why he views other local coffee shops as part of a collaborative ecosystem rather than competitors, and why he freely shares his playbook with anyone looking to build a purposeful business.Prioritizing Mental Health: A candid look at the dark spaces that pushed Gabe to make a life-changing pivot, the importance of consistent therapy, and how protecting your personal time (even at a gym you hate) makes for a better leader.For anyone feeling stuck in the corporate grind, business owners looking to align their operations with their values, or leaders navigating community backlash, this episode offers a profound look at building an impactful brand from the ground up.

  8. Jul 7

    Fulton Homes Vice President Dennis Webb

    In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Dennis Webb, a home building maverick who spent decades in high-end retail before bringing a customer-first mindset to Fulton Homes. After rising to store president during a 23-year career at Silver Woods and spending five years with Eaglesons in Los Angeles, Dennis was recruited by Ira and Doug Fulton to modernize their Phoenix-based home building operations. Over the last 30 years, he has revolutionized the way the company does business by introducing retail concepts to an industry historically resistant to change. In this episode, you’ll discover: The Retail Mindset: The fundamental difference between retail and home building, and why prioritizing customer satisfaction over stock prices or product features is the ultimate key to success.A Legacy of Firsts: How Dennis spearheaded major industry innovations, including launching the first home builder website in Arizona in 1997, creating the country's first digital design center, and leading the charge on Energy Star 3.0 and Indoor Air Plus compliance years ahead of government requirements.Radical Transparency: Why Fulton Homes treats its massive $40 million design center like a high-end Nordstrom store, offering complete pricing transparency before a contract is even signed to build deep customer trust.Thriving Through Chapter 11: The bold strategies that allowed Fulton Homes to survive the 2009 housing crash, doubling their market share from 3% to 7% and emerging from bankruptcy stronger by doing the exact opposite of their competitors.The Future of Home Building: Dennis’s candid thoughts on the current housing affordability crisis, the lack of research and development among public builders, and why the industry must eventually abandon 200-year-old "stick-built" construction methods.Business leaders looking to disrupt a traditional industry, survive economic downturns, or apply customer-centric retail strategies to an entirely different field will all benefit from this masterclass in innovation.

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About

Welcome to Knoodle Founders Hour, the ultimate destination for deep-dive interviews with company founders. Every week, we pull back the curtain on the startup journey, exploring the raw stories behind innovative brands. From the "lightbulb moment" to scaling through the struggle, we talk entrepreneurship, leadership, and the grit required to build something from nothing. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur looking for a business roadmap or a seasoned leader seeking inspiration, join us for tactical advice and powerful founder stories. Watch and listen as we build the future.

Information

  • Creator
    Knoodle
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Knoodle
  • Show Website
    Knoodle Founders Hour