Hunter's Fund Hunter's Fund

A third-year Syracuse University student studying advertising and entrepreneurship, Dangoor has spent the last year developing and preparing to launch his artisanal beef jerky brand, MUNCH Jerky, which has become a hit with students on campus.

In this episode of YES! Dangoor describes to host Jacob O’Connor the roots of his entrepreneurship journey, the challenges of developing a snack brand while working towards a college degree, how grants and pitch competitions helped him grow his brand, and his plans for launching MUNCH’s first products.

“I've always been an obsessive kid,” Dangoor says about his love for entrepreneurship. “I used to play sports growing up and I think it was a natural transition to entrepreneurship. When I get my mind set on something, I want to see it through until it succeeds or fails.”

In March 2021, Dangoor was awarded the Hunter Brooks Watson Entrepreneurship Award. Tune in to this YES! Episode to learn how this award from Hunter’s Fund has helped bring MUNCH Jerky to the next level.

Justin Diaz is a Syracuse University student, Hunter Watson Entrepreneurship Recipient, actor, and founder of Eco Bamboo Living, an organization working to design and build affordable, environmentally conscious tiny-homes made of bamboo. In this episode of YES! (The Young Entrepreneur Series) host Jacob O’Connor talks to Justin about entrepreneurship, attending a start-up accelerator program, growing up in New York City, and how networking and mentorship have helped him establish himself as an entrepreneur. 

“At the end of day, it’s not what I want and what my dreams are —  it’s what the people want. And if I can give them what they want and need, essentially that's all that matters.” - Justin Diaz 

Connect with Hunter’s Fund: 
https://www.hunterwatson.org/
https://www.instagram.com/huntersfund/
https://www.facebook.com/HunterWatsonFund/

Connect with EcoBamboo Living: 
https://www.instagram.com/ecobambooliving

Connect with Justin Diaz:
https://www.instagram.com/justingiodiaz
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justindiaz-

In 2017, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jackson Hirsh, who releases music under the the moniker “rence” applied for a grant from Hunter’s Fund. At the time, Hirsh was requesting funds to purchase recording equipment so he could record his first EP, Pink. Four years later, he signed a deal with Epic Records, living in Los Angeles, releasing music with Noah Cyrus, and going viral on TikTok. In this episode of YES! Hirsh breaks down the trajectory of his music career, discussing working on music production while getting a degree from NYU, and the reality of how his life has changed since scoring a record deal.

Kayla Simon is an aerospace engineer and inventor currently working at space start-up Relativity Space. She graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering from Syracuse University in 2019 and received a Hunter Watson entrepreneurship award for her invention In-Spire, a wearable asthma inhaler. In this episode of YES! Simon talks to host Jacob O’Connor about the process of inventing, working at a space start-up, and how to use networking to grow your career.

Jademan Baker is a Brooklyn-based fashion designer, Hunter Watson Memorial Fund recipient, and creator of the clothing brand LOM & MOY (Less Of Me and More of You) — a sustainable fashion line inspired by her faith.

In this week’s episode, Jademan discusses the creative process behind her faith-based clothing brand, her experience at the Savannah College of Art and Design, sustainable fashion, learning lessons as an entrepreneur, and finding self-confidence through clothing.

“I want to have a one-on-one relationship with each customer and create a sense of community in my brand,” Jademan says.

Presented by the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund, YES! (Young Entrepreneur Series) is an audio and video series featuring in-depth interviews with young entrepreneurs and innovators from around the globe.   Each week, host Jacob O’Connor, a former Hunter’s Fund grant winner and creator of the Venture Mentality podcast, explores what motivates and inspires young entrepreneurs to start businesses, non-profits, and projects that make the world a better place. From musicians and movie directors to journalists and fashion designers, YES! exists to tell the inspiring stories of young people pursuing entrepreneurial dreams, funded in part by Hunter’s Fund.  Also available on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLsu6ZJq7VXZtLM5OiDtbRA).

Jessica Toscano is a Hunter Watson Memorial Fund Grant Winner, a freelance journalist, and the founder of Intrigue Mag, a weekly blog turned online magazine. Jessica describes Intrigue as a digital, unisex lifestyle publication that targets individuals ages 18-35, with the purpose of inspiring hope, initiating change, abolishing societal norms, and igniting self-love. In this episode of YES! Jessica talks to host Jacob O’Connor about journalism, the journey of launching her own publication, and how she runs a start-up while working full-time and freelance writing.

Presented by the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund, YES! (Young Entrepreneur Series) is an audio and video series featuring in-depth interviews with young entrepreneurs and innovators from around the globe.   Each week, host Jacob O’Connor, a former Hunter’s Fund grant winner and creator of the Venture Mentality podcast, explores what motivates and inspires young entrepreneurs to start businesses, non-profits, and projects that make the world a better place. From musicians and movie directors to journalists and fashion designers, YES! exists to tell the inspiring stories of young people pursuing entrepreneurial dreams, funded in part by Hunter’s Fund.  Also available on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLsu6ZJq7VXZtLM5OiDtbRA).