So Ambitious

In this special compilation episode of So Ambitious, hear directly from founders who have won funding through the Black Ambition Prize — and what it really takes to build, scale, and grow after securing capital. If you are a Black or Brown entrepreneur looking for funding for your startup, this episode is a masterclass in what happens before, during, and after winning a pitch competition. These founders share how they navigated rejection, rebuilt after major setbacks, scaled their businesses, and leveraged access to capital, mentorship, and networks to accelerate growth. From losing everything in a warehouse fire to rebuilding after six-figure losses, from innovating in clean energy and maternal health to disrupting billion-dollar industries, these stories highlight the real journey behind startup funding and business growth. This episode breaks down: What investors look for in founders How to grow after winning funding Lessons learned from the Black Ambition Prize How access to capital and community changes trajectory The emotional resilience required to scale a startup If you’re preparing to apply for the Black Ambition Prize, pitch investors, or raise capital for your business, this episode gives you insight directly from founders who have been there and built through it. This is about funding, scale, representation, and building sustainable companies that solve real-world problems. Most of all, it’s about Black and Brown entrepreneurs who turned opportunity into impact. RESOURCES Felecia Hatcher IG | @feleciahatcher Black Ambition IG | @blackambitionprize So Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media 

Entrepreneurship is not just about strategy. It is about resilience, self-forgiveness, and learning how to move forward after mistakes, losses, burnout, and rejection. This compilation episode is about having the inner strength required to survive and grow as a founder, and captures the emotional reality behind the journey and the lessons learned through experience. Discover how founders fail forward, rebuild after setbacks, and develop the endurance needed to stay in the game. This episode is for anyone navigating a hard season or questioning whether the struggle is worth it; it is a reminder that resilience is a skill you build, not a trait you are born with. KEY POINTS:  307: Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche on Losing Everything to Find Yourself: Lessons After $300,000 in Debt 306: One Vision, One Weekend, 50,000 People: Michael Barclay on Scaling Essence Festival and Cultural Legacy 301: The $15 Trillion Opportunity: Protecting Black Culture & Ownership | Lanny Smith, Tommy Johnson 304: The Future of Music is AI: How Black Creators Can Win the Next Creative Era 308: Love Is the Investment Thesis: Lessons From 8-Figure Investment Decisions | Liz Thompson 305: The Hidden Cost of Ambition: Candace Washington on Founder Mental Health RESOURCES Felecia Hatcher IG | @feleciahatcher Black Ambition IG | @blackambitionprize So Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media

This Best-Of episode spotlights founders who stopped waiting for permission and chose to build anyway. These stories highlight what happens when creators are overlooked, underestimated, or even excluded from traditional systems. Instead of fitting into spaces that were not built for them, they created their own ecosystems rooted in ownership, culture, and authenticity. You’ll hear how conviction, self-trust, and long-term vision fuel innovation. This compilation is for anyone building without validation, navigating cultural gatekeeping, or creating something new because what they needed did not exist. KEY POINTS:  301: The $15 Trillion Opportunity: Protecting Black Culture & Ownership | Lanny Smith, Tommy Johnson 302: The Unusual Pairing - Ingrid Best on Building Space for Black Women in Luxury & Wine 303: The Internet Was Built on Black Culture, Alphonzo Terrell Says It’s Time We Own It 304: The Future of Music is AI: How Black Creators Can Win the Next Creative Era 306: One Vision, One Weekend, 50,000 People: Michael Barclay on Scaling Essence Festival and Cultural Legacy 307: Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche on Losing Everything to Find Yourself: Lessons After $300,000 in Debt RESOURCES  Felecia Hatcher IG | @feleciahatcher Black Ambition IG | @blackambitionprize So Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media 

Liz Thompson is an investor, philanthropist, and CEO of the Café Group, whose story embodies ambition, faith, and love in action. From her beginnings in Chicago’s Cabrini Green to co-founding Cleveland Avenue with her husband, former McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson, Liz has built a legacy around pouring into people and proving that love is a strategy for leadership, not a sentiment. In this inspiring episode of So Ambitious, Liz opens up about what it means to take leaps of faith, navigate “no’s” as data points, and use abundance as a guiding force. She shares lessons on mentorship, marriage, and building both billion-dollar businesses and impact-driven communities, rooted in faith, excellence, and purpose. “No is a data point. It’s information that makes you stronger for the next yes.” – Liz Thompson Through personal stories of resilience, risk-taking, and radical love, Tune in as Liz reminds us that the real work of leadership isn’t about titles… it’s about sending the elevator back down and bringing others up with you. KEY POINTS  - Growing up in Cabrini Green and learning the value of love, resilience, and self-worth - Starting college at 16 and tackling the challenges of being “the only one” in the room - Lessons from corporate life at Ameritech: excellence, humility, and constructive feedback - Taking the leap from corporate to purpose - founding City Year Chicago - The story behind Cleveland Avenue and The Café Group: building wealth and impact - Love as leadership: why “I am the elevator” became Liz’s life mantra - The power of mentorship, faith, and being in relationship with your community - Turning rejection into growth: “No is a data point.” - Redefining abundance and what it means to lead, give, and build with love - The urgency of investing in education and betting on overlooked genius in our communities  QUOTES  “Genius is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We invest in the people closest to the answers.” – Liz Thompson “Love is a strategy. Nothing of any importance will happen without it.” – Liz Thompson “Abundance has always existed—it’s our limitations that stop us from touching it.” – Felecia Hatcher RESOURCES Liz Thompson  Website | www.thecafe.org/  Felecia Hatcher IG | @feleciahatcher Black Ambition IG | @blackambitionprize So Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media 

Tiffany Aliche, better known as The Budgetnista, built a multimillion-dollar empire rooted in transparency, discipline, and service. From being scammed out of $35,000 and sleeping on her sister’s couch to leading a global financial education movement, Tiffany’s story is a masterclass in rebuilding, resilience, and radical integrity. In this episode of So Ambitious, Tiffany joins host Felecia Hatcher to unpack her journey from preschool teacher to eight-figure entrepreneur. She breaks down what it really means to build a profitable, values-based business without outside funding, how to heal a toxic relationship with money, and why slow and steady growth beats overnight success every time. Tiffany also opens up about her late husband’s influence, her unique leadership style, and how she’s creating generational impact through community, honesty, and heart-centered entrepreneurship. This episode is a blueprint for founders, dreamers, and builders who want to grow sustainably – without losing their soul in the process. KEY POINTS  - Tiffany’s traumatic financial wake-up call: losing $35,000 to a scam before the recession - Rebuilding from $300,000 in debt and moving back home with her parents - The power of community and vulnerability in overcoming financial shame - Turning pain into purpose: from teaching preschool to teaching personal finance - How The Budgetnista became an eight-figure, self-funded business - Why venture capital wasn’t her path and how she built wealth through ownership - Creating a healthy company culture rooted in trust, rest, and autonomy - Financial wellness as emotional wellness: healing toxic money beliefs - How Tiffany runs a debt-free business that prioritizes team wellbeing and sustainability - Legacy redefined: kindness, obedience, and being a vessel for impact QUOTES  “The worst thing for someone who’s not ready for success is to become successful.” – Tiffany Aliche “You don’t have to be perfect before you start; you just have to be willing to grow.” – Tiffany Aliche “Revenue is freedom—it’s what allows you to serve with integrity.”  – Felecia Hatcher “Money is an amplifier. If you have poor business habits, funding will only make it worse.” – Tiffany Aliche “Entrepreneurship will rock you, but it will also reveal you. It pulls you to your highest self if you let it.” – Tiffany Aliche RESOURCES  Tiffany Aliche Felecia Hatcher IG | @feleciahatcher Black Ambition IG | @blackambitionprize So Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media