In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge, and Maggie, are joined by Liana Garcia, the Director of Gift Planning for the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven. Liana discusses the CFGNH’s Progreso Latino Fund, in which businesses can develop funds where the money can later be put back into developing Latino scholarships, programs, and services. It is also the 20th Anniversary of the fund, which means $100,000 in grants will be awarded over the next 2 years and gifts will be price-matched...
May 05, 2023•42 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge, and newcomer Derek, are joined by J. Richard Byrd, the CEO of the Byrdology Group. JR shares how he balances his intense work schedule with his day-to-day life, how his business strategy has evolved over time, and why this transformation is important. Listen as JR discusses the significance of self-care, his use of the Pomodoro Technique, and the way he identifies issues quickly within the work he produces. Do not miss out on this insightful podcast...
Apr 21, 2023•48 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge, and Kevin are joined by Rob Rodriguez, Personal Trainer and Managing Partner of BDx Fitness. Rob shares how he keeps a thriving, healthy environment by selecting high-quality trainers and maintaining employee morale. Additionally, he discusses BDx’s focus on creating an environment where people over 50 years of age can feel comfortable working out, whether in a personal or group training setting. Listen as Rob discusses supplements, cryotherapy, and...
Apr 07, 2023•48 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge, and Kevin are joined by the one and only Robert "Bob" D. Scinto, real estate developer extraordinaire and founder and CEO of R.D. Scinto, Inc. Bob shares his incredible journey, from being a young adult with speech and learning challenges to owning a successful commercial real estate empire. He talks about how his humble beginnings in plumbing gave him the lessons and skills he needed to succeed in business. More importantly, he describes how overco...
Mar 24, 2023•43 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon and Kevin are joined by Stefania and Jessica, the founders and owners of the bakery, The Drunk Alpaca. Stefania and Jessica recount their inspiring journey from being employees at Whole Foods to starting their own brand from scratch, with no outside help. They delve into the story behind their unique name and share their experience transitioning from a retail storefront to a wholesale kitchen. Along the way, they reveal their plans for expansion, including ...
Mar 13, 2023•45 min•Ep. 80
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge, and Kevin are joined by Duncan Harris, the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Community College. Duncan shares his inspiring journey, from working as a broker at Merrill Lynch to holding top positions at several colleges in Connecticut. His passion for empowering and coaching students has led him to establish strong connections in the state, particularly in Hartford. Duncan discusses the innovative programs he has spearheaded at Capital and shares h...
Feb 24, 2023•44 min•Ep. 79
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge, Kevin, and newcomer Maggie, discuss the best and the worst of the Super Bowl Commercials, as well Rihanna’s halftime performance and the game itself. Join the PD team as they discuss M&M’s marketing strategy, the buzz around Tubi, Jack Harlow’s collaboration with Dorito’s, and more. Be sure to tune in for more on this week’s special episode of Mission CTRL. . . Find Mission CTRL on Anchor, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and our website . Mission CTRL i...
Feb 17, 2023•38 min•Ep. 78
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge and Kevin host David Femi, Senior Vice President, M&T Bank. David shares his remarkable journey of growing up in Nigeria and moving to the United States to pursue Business and Financial Services in college. His core values of serving the community have followed him throughout his endeavors at colleges and banks all across the East coast. David reveals his path to working with M&T and why he holds its connection with the city of Bridgeport ver...
Feb 10, 2023•51 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge and Kevin host Marta Irene the owner of Absolutely Healthy Living Center. Marta shares the story of the life-changing events that put her on a path towards healthier living and ultimately opening a center to help others by expanding their knowledge and changing their habits. Marta brings the PD Flight Crew through the process of growing her business and doing the work to promote the mission of making healthy living possible for everyone. Be sure to t...
Jan 27, 2023•59 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge and Kevin host Eric Mercado, Hiphop Producer and Grandmaster Emcee also know as Krook Rock. Not only is Mercado in the music industry, but he is also an entrepreneur and owner of Southside Smoothie in Providence, Rhode Island. Mercado shares the story of a dramatic experience that led him to become the fearless entrepreneur that he is today. Mercado describes how he juggles his music career and his efforts in bringing healthy food choices to the urba...
Jan 13, 2023•1 hr 8 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge and Kevin host A.V. Perkins , media personality and Co-Founder & CMO of University of Dope . Perkins shares the story of how she, alongside her college friend, came to create an award-winning game for hip hop lovers, covered in Forbes, NBC, Essence, Cosmopolitan and Esquire. Along with the story of bringing the product to life and how to play the party game, Perkins shares some tips for aspiring entrepreneurs working to bring their business ideas...
Dec 30, 2022•51 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge and Kevin host Michael (Mikey) Cotela, the After School Coordinator at Derby Public Schools. Mikey shares his journey of how working with kids has always been his passion from the beginning. The PD flight crew and Mikey discuss the nonlinear path that his career took from working at the Boys & Girls club to owning a deli, then becoming a private chef to finally returning to his passion of working with kids. He works to provide kids with quality p...
Dec 16, 2022•50 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge and Kevin host Nicole Stere, Director of Resource Development at The Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Nicole shares the journey of how she arrived at her current position directing the BGC's community efforts. She works to advocate for the kids who rely on the club and has gained support for their life-changing programs. Be sure to tune in to hear more about Nicole’s inspiring work to uplift and support our youth, along with this ...
Dec 02, 2022•40 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge and Kevin host Abdul Muhammad, Executive Director and founder of the multidimensional social service agency, My People Clinical Services. While diving into his entrepreneurial efforts and overcoming adversity, Muhammad discusses with the PD flight crew how he came to build a business that provides support for fatherhood, manhood and dream chasing. Be sure to tune in for more on Muhammad’s inspiring journey, stories of international adventure, as well...
Nov 18, 2022•39 min•Ep. 71
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge and Kevin host Tori Brown, Executive and Celebrity Shef (Yes, that’s chef with an s, for SHEf!) and founder of Breakfast Belle. Shef Brown joins the PD flight crew to tell her story about how she came to make the big decision of stopping her catering business and making the full-time switch to growing her food product line ‘Breakfast Belle’. Be sure to tune into the full episode for more of Shef Brown’s story, a hot debate on breakfast, as well as so...
Nov 04, 2022•28 min•Ep. 70
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge and Kevin host Aaron Moynihan, owner of The Perfect Mix Recording Studio and adjunct professor in music production at Middlesex Community College and The University of New Haven. Joining the PD Flight Crew for the first time, Aaron shares his story on how he started in music production. Through finding mentorship as he came into the industry, Aaron talks about how it helped lead him to giving back to the youth through teaching. Be sure to tune into t...
Oct 14, 2022•30 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, and Kevin hang out with the Cordido Brothers, Andres and Alejandro who share their story of what inspired them to launch and expand their growing Venezuelan arepa empire with locations in New Haven and Shelton, CT. Their story of being first generation college kids who ultimately quit their day jobs to launch their own restaurant chain is funny, inspiring and sure to make you hungry for their delicious arepas and for possibly making the entrepreneurial lea...
Sep 23, 2022•40 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge and Kevin host Rob Thomas, author of “Who Do You Need to Meet”, Founder of Networking in Diners and Creator of the Rob Thomas Method of Networking. Rob joins the PD Flight Crew at MissionCTRL for a 2nd time to share how he pivoted during the pandemic and came back stronger, expanding his networking consulting empire across continents in his latest rebrand. Rob also shares his adventures as a board member of the New York City Chapter of the NSA - the ...
Sep 09, 2022•30 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge and Kevin are visited by Robert Warren, a bright, young man who just graduated high school but is already running his own SMS marketing agency called Blue Cyclone Media. Ramon met Robert Warren at a local business pitch competition as was impressed by this aspiring tech entrepreneur. After some jovial banter between the PD Flight Crew, listen in as Robert explains why text message marketing may be the perfect advertising solution for your business.
Sep 02, 2022•35 min
In this special episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon and PD team members, Jorge, Amanda, and Rebecca unpack "The Upside Down" from the fourth season of Stranger Things. Join the team as they talk about fan theories and everything 80s. Spoiler Alert: Make sure to watch the season before listening because the team doesn't hold back!
Jul 28, 2022•45 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon is joined by Joe Treacy, a returning guest and the founder of Treacyfaces. Joe Treacy has created groundbreaking Treacyfaces TF font families like TFForever, TFTrantino, TFHabitat, and TFAvian. In this episode, Joe explains the process of creating a font family, and how his fine arts and graphic design background helps him design typefaces. Tune in for this informative episode!
Jun 07, 2022•38 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon is joined by Chad Betz, an executive coach, speaker, and the published author of “Late Bloomer” and most recently, ”The Second Mouse Gets the Cheese”. He has devoted himself to helping people and organizations achieve success through building relationships, improving processes, coaching teams, and driving production. Chad shares his journey from growing up in Bridgeport, CT, to what inspired him to become an author, and the importance of giving back to the ...
May 10, 2022•32 min
In this special episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon is joined by Eric Hardy, w3r’s President, CEO, and co-founder, and Carolyn Ball, w3r’s Vice President of Strategy & Client Solutions. w3r Consulting is an award-winning, IT consulting and management company that delivers enterprise solutions at the intersection of innovation and ingenuity. Together Eric and Carolyn walk us through the story of how w3r began as a dream for Eric and his friend Patrick Tomina, while they were attending the Universi...
Apr 26, 2022•23 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon is joined by Simone Morris, an amazing transformative leader and a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the field of Diversity and Inclusion! She’s the CEO of Simone Morris Enterprises, a professional services firm that provides career expertise and inclusive leadership consulting to empower others to take control of their careers. Morris is a fellow podcast host, a published author, and contributor to Forbes, Glassdoor, Thrive Global, Leadercast, Socialhire.com,...
Apr 12, 2022•38 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon is joined by Lee Cantelon, a global citizen, talented photographer, and fellow creative. However what is most remarkable about Lee is his dedication to helping the less fortunate. Cantelon’s mission has tied into his role at Microboard where he is in charge of Special Projects. This outstanding company, located here in the Valley, has been involved in aid projects among the world’s marginalized, and crisis-impacted peoples for the past 30 years. Throughout ...
Mar 29, 2022•42 min
In this special episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon is joined by PD flight crew members Jorge, Amanda, and Francisco! The team came together to discuss the newest installment of the Batman saga, “The Batman” directed by Matt Reeves. The film stars Robert Pattinson in the dual role of reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne, and his alter ego the Batman, Gotham City’s vigilante detective. “The Batman” has been extremely well received by audiences and is set to become 2022’s biggest hit as their box office n...
Mar 15, 2022•44 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon is joined by Dr. Dwayne Smith, the CEO of Housatonic Community College. Dr. Smith is a fellow Alpha Brother who is held in high esteem across the country for his roles in education, servant-leadership, and transformational leadership. He is the immediate past interim president of Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, and in a short time is already making a tremendous impact here in the Greater Bridgeport community. Smith has more than 30 years of high...
Mar 01, 2022•1 hr 5 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon is joined by Elena Cahill, the new Vice President of Innovation, Strategy, and Advancement at the University of Bridgeport. Elena is a highly sought after entrepreneur, speaker and author who continues to oversee the University of Bridgeport’s Bauer Hall Innovation Center, leads UB’s government and external affairs programs, and serves as the contact for city, state, and federal officials. She previously served as the director of the School of Business and ...
Feb 15, 2022•41 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon is joined by Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, the President of The Productivity Institute.Don is a legend in the world of productivity and time management, and his proven methods are known to increase productivity rates by 25%. He has led more than 2,000 presentations for over 100,000 people all over the globe, and has even been to Dubai several times as a professional paid public speaker and subject matter expert! His presentations employ humor, actionable strategie...
Feb 01, 2022•46 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon is joined by long-time friend Matt McGuire, who is an account executive at MNI Targeted Media Inc. where customer-centric, brand agnostic campaigns start. Matt is a big sports fan, a husband, a great dad, and a lover of all things media-related. He discusses what it’s like working at an agency like MNI, what Targeted Media is, and how it can help business owners. You won’t want to miss this episode as Ramon and Matt reminisce about their time as coworkers a...
Jan 18, 2022•39 min
