Spark Ideas Podcast with Jon Yarian Jon Yarian

Yao Huang is a community builder, bringing entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders together to help innovation thrive. She founded The Hatchery, a New York technology ecosystem fostering innovation in artificial intelligence and machine learning. She also created Wonder Women, a network to foster relationships among women of various professions to encourage each other’s success.

Yao has helped over 350 emerging companies through different phases of growth, and she advises Fortune 100 companies on innovation and diversity programs. Among many other accolades, she was named to TechWeek’s list of the 100 most influential people in technology. She is also a U.S. State Department delegate for entrepreneurship and initiatives to strategic countries.

Laura is the founder of StoryCode, which is a strategic communications agency and content studio in London. She started out as a Staff News Reporter at The Times and Daily Mail. She covered breaking news, investigations, and personal interest stories, reporting on the U.S., Egypt, Greece, and Iraq. She then worked as Head of Group Media Relations at a FTSE 100 technology business, and Director of Media Strategy in the London office of a Silicon Valley PR agency.

Laura specializes in corporate communications, critical issue and crisis management, and content strategy and production. She also teaches on leadership and influence programs at Ashridge Business School.

Jerome Grant is a celebrated chef who has received multiple James Beard nominations. He is currently Executive Chef of Dacha Restaurant Group in Washington, D.C., overseeing two Beer Gardens and the restaurant Jackie, located next to the Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium.


Chef Jerome was Executive Chef of the critically acclaimed Mitsitam Cafe, at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, and then developed and opened the award-winning Sweet Home Café at the Museum of African American History and Culture, which earned him national acclaim, including guest appearances on ABC’s The Chew and NBC’s The Today Show.


He is an active mentor of high school and culinary students both in his restaurants and through programs across the country, which we talk about on our show today.

Eric Holtzclaw is a visionary, “idea guy,” and serial entrepreneur, with nearly 30 years of experience. His start-ups include one of the first profitable internet enterprises and a company that appeared on the Inc. 5000 fastest growing list three years in a row.

Eric’s tech background and experience founding and scaling businesses led him into consulting for Fortune 500 companies as well as startups. Eventually he took his own advice and formed the full-service marketing firm, Liger, where he guides businesses to find their identities and core values, craft their visions, and establish their brands. He is author of the book “Laddering” and hosts the podcast “The Claw,” where he shares advice and insights for entrepreneurs.

Sid and Ann Mashburn have been reinventing what good looks like – at the cross-section of fashion design, retail and hospitality – for decades. Following successful careers in New York at leading fashion houses such as J. Crew, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger for Sid and Vogue and Glamour magazines for Ann, the power couple decided to settle down in Atlanta and have kids. Five girls later, they opened a store that effortlessly mixed beautiful clothing, accessories and other “cool, special, useful things” for men and women inside a fun, inviting, carefully curated space, staffed with the nicest, coolest sales people - and tailors - in town. Since then they’ve gone on to launch five more stores across the U.S. and an online shop featuring both classic and unique clothing and treasures. They remain the king and queen of effortlessly cool, incredibly kind and full of wisdom for work and life.

Ricardo Lopez has been a leader of strategic growth in the hospitality and travel business for more than 25 years. He has helped both InterContinental Hotels Group and Taca Airlines grow and expand their commercial operations through marketing, sales and strategic planning, while also delivering excellence in customer service and corporate partnerships. He is now the Chief Growth Officer for Reunitus, an integrated company specializing in Lost & Found solutions.

Ricardo has a passion for growth, excellence in execution, and leading with purpose. He is a native of El Salvador and lives in Atlanta with his wife and 5 children.