Episodes

This week, DéVon Christopher Johnson, the founder and CEO BleuLife Media, joins Aaron Whigham in an inspirational discussion. They talk about their shared history of being entrepreneurs since they were young, why DéVon founded BleuLife Media, and their upcoming event, Black-Owned Media Weekend, on June 16 - 19, 2022, in Tulsa, OK. Subscribe to the Be Atento Podcast anywhere podcasts can be found, if you need help, check us out on Captivate at https://the-be-atento-podcast.captivate.fm.

In this episode of the Be Atento podcast, Aaron is joined by Victor Hwang, CEO of Right to Start. Victor is an economic growth expert. His ideas have shaped the economic lives of millions of people worldwide. His work has helped over 300 communities, cities, states, companies, and even entire countries in creating greater economic prosperity. Subscribe to the Be Atento Podcast anywhere podcasts can be found, if you need help, check us out on Captivate at https://the-be-atento-podcast.captivate....

Join us for another episode of the Be Atento podcast! Aaron is joined by Aaron Miller, Head of Strategic Partnerships, and Louie Napoleone, Director, Partner Operations of InTulsa to talk about how to recruit both people and businesses and mostly importantly how to retain them. They also speak on their journeys to Tulsa and back again. Looking for a new career? Make sure to join their Talent Network at https://jobs.intulsa.com/talent-network Also check out their podcast, Grow With Us at https:...

Join us for another episode of the Be Atento podcast! Aaron speaks with Ashli Sims, Development Lead at Build in Tulsa. They discuss how Build in Tulsa is working to create a scalable, replicable tech-forward ecosystem in Tulsa to catalyze the creation of generational wealth. They talk about how Black Entrepreneurs across America have been historically disenfranchised and how assisting them helps all Americans. Subscribe to the Be Atento Podcast anywhere podcasts can be found, if you need help,...

Join us for another episode of the Be Atento podcast! Aaron and special co-host and producer Jesse talk with Devon Laney, President & CEO at 36 Degrees North. Aaron and Jess talk with Devon about his entrepreneurial journey, his time in Alabama and the growth of 36 Degrees North over the past few years. Subscribe to the Be Atento Podcast anywhere podcasts can be found, if you need help, check us out on Captivate: https://the-be-atento-podcast.captivate.fm

Join us for another episode of the Be Atento podcast! Sean and Aaron talk with Dominque Clarke, Director of Member and Alumni Experience for Tulsa Remote. She talks about the work Tulsa Remote has been doing, how many people the program have brought to Tulsa and how many of them stay and how you build a community around moving to a new place. Subscribe to the Be Atento Podcast anywhere podcasts can be found, if you need help, check us out on Captivate: https://the-be-atento-podcast.captivate.fm

Join Atento Capital for the tenth episode of Season 2 of our podcast, Be Atento. In this episode, we talk to Jeanine Suah, Founder of Fynd, a platform for Black founders seeking capital, community, and content. Jeanine tells us her story from her academic background in linguistics led her to see that many possible founders did not even know the right vocabulary to become successful entrepreneurs and how her and Fynd are trying to change that. Subscribe to the Be Atento Podcast anywhere podcasts...

Join Atento Capital for the tenth episode of Season 2 of our podcast, Be Atento. In this episode, we talk to Tammy Torkleson, the founder of Indigo Technology, which is a business that helps people with tech ideas turn them into tech products. Tammy goes in depth on how she got to where she is now, and how she found her interest in coding in junior high. She was also an integral piece of the team that made the TV Guide go from being a book in everyone's living room, to digitally putting it on th...

Join Atento Capital for the ninth episode of Season 2 of our podcast, Be Atento. In this episode, we talk to Dominick Ard’is, the founder of The ACT House, which is a global platform for team formation and startup creation. Dominick goes in depth on his upbringing, education, and how his entrepreneurial journey led him to build the ACT House. Dominick also shared his very wise formula for growth, which is “diligence over time = growth”, and we talk about where that mantra has gotten him today. T...

Join Atento Capital for the seventh episode of Season 2 of our podcast, Be Atento. In this episode, we talk to Malachi Blankenship, the Venture Advisor & Director of Business Development at i2E, Inc. works in helping entrepreneurs build and develop successful companies. Blankenship follows a motto that his father taught him, and it is to “pursue excellence, not success.” We discuss Blankenship’s relationship with Tulsa and what it was like to be founder here 5 years ago, and what it is like to b...

Join Atento Capital for the sixth episode of Season 2 of our podcast, Be Atento. In this episode our two hosts Aaron and Sean talk to Libby Ediger, the Executive Director of Holberton School in Tulsa, which is a school built for software engineering students. Libby talks about her journey out of Oklahoma, and what made her come back to Oklahoma. She also discusses how the university system in the United States is not built to the be congruent with the advancement of technology. She discusses how...

Join Atento Capital for the 5th episode of Season 2 of our podcast, Be Atento. In this episode our two hosts Aaron and Sean talk to Shelly Bell, the CEO of Black Girl Ventures, a social enterprise for people who identify as black-woman entrepreneurs. Shelly discusses the long path that got her to where she is today, which consisted of various jobs on completely different ends of the job market spectrum. She also points out the importance of revenue, perseverance, and creativity in the process of...

Join Atento Capital for the third episode of Season 2 of our podcast, Be Atento. In this episode, we talk with Cioré Taylor, the director of entrepreneurial development and education at The TEDC (Tulsa Economic Development Corporation) Creative Capital. Cioré addresses various different topics including how to become a motivated entrepreneur, and what the city of Tulsa has to offer and what it needs to work on to welcome young entrepreneurs. She also discusses her goal of wanting to support and ...

Join Atento Capital for the second episode of Season 2 of our podcast, Be Atento. In this episode, we talk with Cecilia Wessinger, an ecosystem builder, community catalyst and collaborator. Cecilia joins us to discuss what it means to build an ecosystem, what it means to be a healthy entrepreneur, and the power of saying no. She also discusses the appeal of Tulsa, and what keeps her here as opposed to other cities. We also exchange our experiences at the ESHIP Summit, a gathering of entrepreneur...

In Episode 2 of Season 2 of the podcast Be Atento, hosts Sean and Aaron are joined by Michael Basch, Managing Partner and Founder of Atento Capital. Listen as Michael talks about why Atento was founded, why Tulsa right now is a great place to invest, and why the perfect founder has to be matched with the perfect idea. To learn more about Atento Capital, check out our website: https://www.atentocapital.com/ Subscribe to the Be Atento Podcast anywhere podcasts can be found, if you need help, chec...

Join Atento Capital for the first episode of Season 2 of our podcast, Be Atento. In this episode our two new hosts Aaron and Sean talk to Chandler Malone, former host of this podcast, and Founder of the Ideate Project. The Ideate Project connects students with the top student entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, and scientists across the country. Its goal is to help these students maximize their potential by offering access to content from industry leaders, opportunities for funding, internships...