Ramon and the PD Flight Crew welcomed Larry Janesky to the Mission CTRL studios. A native of Bridgeport, Janesky's entrepreneurial journey to success spanned 40 years. He holds 32 patents and manages 40 companies under the Contractor Nation brand. Janesky's business model is straightforward: he assists contractors in growing their businesses by selling them products. More than just a businessman, Larry is a self-professed personal development enthusiast. He believes the goal of learning is to ma...
Jan 10, 2024•58 min
This week on Mission CTRL, Ramon and the Flight Crew sat down with the Executive Director of CT Next, Onyeka “Ony” Obiocha. Born and raised in Windsor Connecticut, Ony’s interest in entrepreneurship was sparked by his father who arrived home one evening with dozens of gum ball machines and announced he would be placing them in local barber shops throughout Connecticut. Ony’s first foray into entrepreneurship failed fabulously but, if you’re not failing you’re not learning. Upon graduating from t...
Jan 03, 2024•40 min
This week on Mission CTRL Ramon and the PD Flight Crew had the pleasure of interviewing the host and executive producer of Melissa in the Morning at WICC. In 2019 Connoisseur Media hired Sheketoff and by the spring of 2020 she took over the morning talk show as the first female and youngest host in WICC’s history. Melissa is a dynamo with an infectious personality and a master storyteller. Sheketoff produces all of the daily news content, presents multiple newscasts throughout the weekday show f...
Dec 20, 2023•50 min
On this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon and the flight Crew sat down with Paul S. Lavoie, the Chief Manufacturing Officer of Connecticut. Lavoie was appointed by Governor Ned Lamont as the CMO in February 2022. Connecticut is the only state that has a Chief Manufacturing Officer position. When appointing him, Governor Lamont said “manufacturing is a key sector of our economy and having this position of chief manufacturing officer in my administration is important to letting these companies know t...
Dec 13, 2023•54 min
In this episode Ramon and the Mission CTRL flight crew unpack one the most strategic and culturally iconic recent marketing campaigns that captured the hearts and minds of consumers from Gen Z to Boomers. By leveraging Snoop Dogg’s personal brand, Solo Stove experienced a surge in its stock price following the news of their collaboration with Snoop. Solo brands announced their third-quarter earning revealing 176% surge in net income compared to last year. The year-end Marketing & Branding ru...
Dec 06, 2023•35 min
This week’s Mission CTRL episode is an international adventure filled with history, mystery and intrigue. Born in Asunción, Paraguay in 1989 under the dictatorship of Gen. Alfredo Stroessner, mom, author and entrepreneur, Amanda Mottola would find her way to the United States by way of adoption. From an early age Amanda knew she was different as her classmates would ask: why don’t you look like your parents? Mottola’s parents never hid the fact she was adopted and despite positive affirmations a...
Nov 29, 2023•51 min
In this episode, Dr. Noel Sepulveda discusses how he is passionate about making chiropractic services accessible to all. A lifelong resident of Bridgeport with deep ties in the community, Dr. Sepulveda knew he wanted to be a doctor from an early age; he just had to figure out how he was going to make that happen. Through grit and determination, Dr. Sepulveda served as a barber for four hours during the day, worked the graveyard shift at UPS till 4am and slept in his car so he’d be on time for cl...
Nov 22, 2023•33 min
Our guest this episode of Mission CTRL is on a quest to return Connecticut to the economic powerhouse it once was. Born and raised in Connecticut, Chris DiPentima has an affinity and a love for the nutmeg state. DiPentima is the president and CEO of CBIA, Connecticut Business and Industry Association, a leading business organization, with thousands of member companies, small and large, representing a diverse range of industries from every part of the state. Chris started his career as an attorne...
Nov 15, 2023•38 min
Stratford’s Samuel Diaz III is a fierce Karate World Champion with wins in South Africa, Germany, Austria and London. At the tender age of two years old the Bridgeport native was placed in a dojo and introduced to Karate by his mother. Listen in as Samuel joins Ramon and the Mission CTRL Flight Crew on his birthday to share his journey into entrepreneurship. A man of many talents, Diaz is the Chief Strategy Officer at Southwest Community Health Center Inc. by day is a self-employed karate instru...
Nov 14, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 107
This week’s Mission CTRL episode takes us behind the Blue Wall in Bridgeport. David Daniels III is a Retired Lieutenant from the Bridgeport Police Department. After serving the residents of Bridgeport for over 25 years he decided to call it quits. Daniels was born and raised in the infamous P.T. Barnum Housing Projects and what he learned there prepared him for a lifetime of adversity. What he had to deal with would cause the average person to throw in the towel. Eight months after transitioning...
Nov 01, 2023•52 min•Ep. 106
Our next guest joins Mission CTRL from across the pond, East Yorkshire, England to be precise. Hannah studied at Beverley College, where she earned a degree in childhood education and development. From an early age Hannah developed a passion for art and helping children. In 1999, Hannah left England to head to the U.S. where she became an Au Pair to follow her passion of working with children with special needs. Hannah set her intentions on marrying her two interests, with no business plan or mo...
Oct 25, 2023•42 min
Celeste Tapia is our special guest this week on Mission CTRL in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Tapia immigrated from Argentina to South Florida and eventually to Connecticut the same year “Nemo” dumped over 2.5 feet of snow across the southern half of New England. Celeste is the Business Relationship Coordinator for the CEDF (Community Economic Development Fund) and owner of Air Bounce Amusements. Celeste’s path into entrepreneurship and leadership wasn’t linear, but she always...
Oct 25, 2023•41 min
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month Ramon and our Mission CTRL Flight Crew had the honor of interviewing Dr Vilma Luz Caban. Dr Caban is a proud educator of over 32 years, a world-trotting Humanitarian Researcher, Program Evaluator, Harley riding, self-proclaimed “Swifty” and the author of: The Heart of an Advocate. In the early 2000’s, Dr. Caban was bitten by the equity bug and since then has found herself working for equality in places as far away as Egypt, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Caba...
Oct 11, 2023•42 min
John Torres joins the PD Flight crew in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. John is the Co-founder of Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders. After Torres lost his Dad in 2003 to emphysema, John and his brother wanted to do something to honor his memory, from that desire BCYL was created to provide opportunities for the youth of Bridgeport to participate in a baseball league. Over the last 20 years, BCYL has served over 10,000 families in Bridgeport and awarded over $1.5 million dollars in...
Oct 05, 2023•37 min•Ep. 102
Fasten your seatbelts Mission CTRL Nation Andrea Torres-Fodor is our special studio guest in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Andrea is the Relationship Marketing Manager at Newtown Savings Bank and serves as the President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Bridgeport. In 2000, Fodor migrated from Quito, Ecuador with her family to the United States and like most immigrant families in pursuit of the American Dream, she was a focused leader at an early age. Andrea had a vision o...
Sep 28, 2023•44 min
This week’s Mission CTRL is special for two reasons: it represents our 100th show and 15 year anniversary of Peralta Design. Thriving 15 years in business is a major milestone. When Ramon was laid off from Walker Digital in 2008 during the Great Recession, he officially became a Reluctant Entrepreneur, and while his initial impulse was to get another job, he had no idea how big of a decision it would be to launch his own brand. What happened during those early days that changed the trajectory of...
Sep 20, 2023•53 min
Rhonda Vetere joins the Mission CTRL Flight crew to share wisdom from her worldwide travels, business and life adventures. Rhonda Vetere is a seasoned global C-Suite executive who has worked in technology fields across industries. Vetere is a global STEM Ambassador and change agent for digital transformation, she has led the way for growth with more than 23 mergers and acquisitions. Rhonda is also the author of Grit & Grind: 10 Principles for Living an Extraordinary Life. Rhonda is a congrue...
Sep 13, 2023•26 min
Dr. Mark and Christina Konopka joined the PD flight crew, to share their spine tingling journey into the adventurous world of entrepreneurship, fitness, and wellness. The Konopka’s are the power couple behind OnPoint Chiropractic, Sports Medicine & Integrated Wellness and the newly launched OnPoint Pelvic Health. Growing up, Mark recalls his Mother suffering from back pain. Mark would watch his Mom feeling helpless and unbeknownst to him, he’d soon develop an intimate relationship with pain ...
Sep 06, 2023•44 min
Our flight crew is joined today by Speech Pathology Group of CT’s founder Rachel Criscuolo, and Kayla Hawley, Marketing & Communication Director. In this episode, Rachel tells the inspiring story of when she first witnessed the impact of Speech Pathology while visiting her boyfriend’s grandfather in college. Rachel saw how quickly the therapist altered his state of mind and grumpy behavior and referred to the therapist as his “sunshine”. This drove Rachel to switch majors and find her true c...
Aug 30, 2023•55 min•Ep. 97
Join Ramon and the flight crew as they sit down with the co-founders of Blacc Bottle, Necas Collins and Ralph White. Collins and White started out as work colleagues and through their shared passion and values, their relationship extended beyond the corporate playground. Recognizing a need for financial literacy in the community, Collins and White started a podcast and their passion overflowed into the creation of Blacc Bottle, the first premium black-owned water bottle company. When Necas migra...
Aug 23, 2023•47 min
With Hip Hop celebrating 50 years it's only fitting to have our next guest join Mission CTRL. Before Ivan Lopez became DJ Ink DaVinci he was a skateboarder, a B-Boy and a graffiti artist. Diminutive in size and inspired by a t-shirt in Trumbull Mall: “Chicks Love Tricks'', Ivan realized he was going to need a hook to help him stand out amongst his peers. Creativity in fashion, music and photography became his differentiating factor and would later become key components of the Ink DaVinci Brand. ...
Aug 18, 2023•50 min•Ep. 95
Our next guest is a local icon and spiritual leader in the Bridgeport community and beyond, referring to none other than Pastor Anthony T. Bennett. Pastor Bennett joins our Mission CTRL launch crew by way of Los Angeles California and from an early age Bennett knew he was destined to be in the ministry. His father once said: “If you’re going to do that church thing, go beyond your church and yourself.” Bennett would carry his father's admonition with him to Morehouse College and beyond. Upon gra...
Aug 09, 2023•57 min•Ep. 94
This week's mission takes us to Antwerp, a port city in Belgium with a history dating back to the Middle Ages. It’s the epicenter of the centuries-old Diamond District that houses thousands of diamond traders, cutters, and polishers. But, you don’t have to travel to Belgium to dig for Diamonds, every year our next guest has a diamond dig in her location as a fundraising event for cancer research. Kate Marks is the founder of Marks of Design in Shelton. Kate’s soccer coach, who was also her Art T...
Aug 02, 2023•43 min•Ep. 93
On this episode of Mission CTRL Ramon and the PD flight crew sat down with Sebastian Cardona, the Founder and CEO Papichulo Style. Sebastian shares his secret to how he used $10 a day for 10 days on Facebook Ads to grow his audience from 600 to 14,000 followers in a day. Papichulo Style is Sebastian’s deluxe hair care brand for men with unique packaging that honors the legacy of the “lucha libre” masked Mexican wrestlers. Before launching into Papichulo Style’s origin story, our Flight Crew cove...
Jul 26, 2023•52 min•Ep. 92
In this episode of Mission CTRL Ramon and our PD Flight crew sat down with Bridgeport Mayoral candidate Lamond Daniels to discuss his vision for what Bridgeport can be. Daniels moved to Bridgeport 30 years ago when he was in high school. Inspired by his grandmother’s commitment to helping the less fortunate, he decided to pursue a career in social work. Daniels cut his political teeth working as a policy associate with Annie E. Casey Foundation in Bridgeport and the opportunity allowed him to tr...
Jul 12, 2023•34 min•Ep. 90
During this episode, Ramon and the PD Flight Crew are joined by Maria Flores, the founder of Prumatt to discuss how she’s carving out a niche in the $330 Billion dollar athleisure industry by launching her own brand for the discerning woman who loves comfortable, high quality and affordable workout gear. Born and raised in Peru, Maria dreamt of migrating to the United States in pursuit of the American dream, and despite falling into a deep depression after a tragic event at the age of 16, Maria ...
Jul 05, 2023•37 min•Ep. 89
This week's episode is with Dr. Mark Melendez the Founder of Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgery Associates of Connecticut. Dr. Melendez talks about his story and how he became a doctor. Dr. Melendez discusses growing up in the Bronx in a close-knit Hispanic family and how he had to face many challenges but at the end of the day his family, God, mentors, and friends helped him stay sound and true to his well-being. He also talks about how the great education he was fortunate to receive and how...
Jun 28, 2023•38 min
During this episode of Mission CTRL our flight crew sat down with Silvia Rodriguez aka “Chef Sil”. Sil serves as a ParaLegal by day, but on nights and weekends, she serves up delicious spicy vegan sushi. Sil’s mother is a two-time cancer survivor, so after hearing the news of her father’s cancer diagnosis she started exploring healthier food alternatives and turned vegan cold turkey (no pun intended). Eating healthy doesn’t have to be bland and tasteless, but that’s what she found was the case w...
Jun 09, 2023•40 min•Ep. 87
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon and Jorge are joined by Dan Onofrio, President and CEO of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council (BRBC). Early in his career, Dan would find himself as the youngest person in the room - never one to stray away from a challenge. So when the opportunity presented itself to serve Greater Bridgeport, he jumped at it. During this episode, Dan shares about his own experiences as a Rita’s Italian Ice franchisee, the current economic landscape and the role the BR...
Jun 02, 2023•59 min
In this episode of Mission CTRL, Ramon, Jorge, and Kevin are joined by Nate and Marlon Moran, the agency owner and CEO of Moran Insurance Agencies, respectively. The two discuss their journey from Puerto Rico to the States, where they moved to Connecticut as teenagers. They share how their parents’ hardworking nature inspired them to get certified as insurance brokers and grow in their respective companies before creating one of their own with their last name in the title to ensure their long-la...
May 19, 2023•52 min
