The Unshakeables

iHeartPodcasts

Introducing The Unshakeables, a new podcast from Chase for Business and iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio.  Small businesses are the heart and soul of this country, but it takes a brave individual to start and run a company of their own.  From mom-and-pop coffee shops to auto-detailing garages -- no matter the type of industry you’re in, every small business owner knows that the journey is full of the unexpected.  A single moment may even change the course of your business forever.  Those who stand firm in their resolve have a special name, we call them - The Unshakeables.  These are their stories.   Join Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business, and Tanya Nebo, a lawyer and business consultant, as they share stories of real small business owners across America who’ve gone through some of the most unexpected situations anyone can face and walked away stronger for it.  These aren’t stories about the darlings of Silicon Valley or titans of Wall Street -- these are real stories from the real people behind the small companies that power their communities every day.    The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of [January 8, 2024] and they may not materialize.

  • 30 minutes 54 seconds
    Full Court Vision: Round21

    From the basketball court to the corporate boardrooms of the largest global sports brands in the world, to a locker-room–inspired idea that took off, first-time entrepreneur Jasmine Maietta’s Round21 was off to a stellar start. She’d made a quarter of a million dollars in seven days and was the first-ever Web3 company to pitch on Shark Tank—right at that moment, the NFT market bottomed out. Join Ben and Kathleen Griffith as they chat with Jasmine about her innovative approach to branding, sports sponsorship, and apparel; the future of fandom and the arts; scaling while maintaining identity; and the necessary evil of killing off parts of the business you love. These are The Unshakeables.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    16 December 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 32 minutes 57 seconds
    The State of Small Business: Holding Strong Amid Changes

    In this special episode, Ben sits with Tino McFarland, CEO of McFarland Construction, and Michelle Rockwell, Founding Member & Licensed Customs Broker of Sheltered International, for a roundtable discussion in Florida. They discuss the state of small business in America and, through the lens of commercial real estate and freight forwarding, share the realities of working through labor shortages and tariffs, as well as how inflation and policy changes affect crucial staffing, budgeting, and operational considerations. Listen in as they discuss how small business owners can become more unshakeable in the face of uncertainty.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    9 December 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 18 minutes 18 seconds
    “It’s not just innovation, it’s impact”: How AI is revolutionizing healthcare

    In this episode, Nick Richitt, global co-head of Healthcare Services at J.P. Morgan, sits down with Michael Gao, co-founder of Smarter DX and president of Smarter Technologies, to explore how AI is revolutionizing healthcare. Together, they dive into the journey from digitization to true innovation, discussing how AI is transforming clinical reasoning, improving patient records and driving operational efficiency for hospitals and health systems. They also address the challenges of scaling AI responsibly, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and control. What is the future of intelligent healthcare, and how will it amplify the human experience?

     This episode was recorded on October 30, 2025.

    This material was prepared by certain personnel of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates and subsidiaries worldwide and not the firm’s research department. It is for informational purposes only, is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase, sale or tender of any financial instrument and does not constitute a commitment, undertaking, offer or solicitation by any JPMorgan Chase entity to extend or arrange credit or provide any other products or services to any person or entity.

    © 2025 JPMorgan Chase & Company. All rights reserved.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    11 November 2025, 4:00 pm
  • 33 minutes 5 seconds
    Emergency Care with Compassion: Apogee Care

    Emergency room doctors Kevin Biese and Daniel Arteaga saw a familiar pattern: when older adults were taken into emergency departments, more often than not, they were left waiting. On stretchers, in hallways, or in overcrowded waiting rooms. For many, the longer they waited, the more agitated they got, often leaving in worse condition than when they arrived. So the doctors decided to take on this issue and change the way we treat geriatric patients across the country in the process.  

    In this episode, Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith talk with Kevin and Daniel about rethinking emergency care, pitching investors (after forgetting to ask for money), and building trust within one of the most complex systems in the U.S. They share lessons on going deep versus wide, integrating AI into a human-first model, and the power of co-founder dynamics when the mission is personal. These are The Unshakeables. 

    For more on how technology is transforming healthcare, check out the newest episode of JPMorgan's Making Sense: “It’s not just innovation, it’s impact”: How AI is revolutionizing healthcare

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    11 November 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 35 minutes 6 seconds
    Inspiring Creativity & Community: CultureCon

    Imani Ellis has always believed community is a superpower. What began as a small gathering in her Harlem apartment grew into The Creative Collective NYC and CultureCon — one of the largest conferences celebrating creators of color. But behind the highlight reels and celebrity speakers, Imani’s journey has been defined by burnout, bold leaps and learning when to pause. 

    In this episode, Ben and Kathleen sit down with Imani and explore what it takes to transform a passion project into a cultural movement. From balancing a demanding career at NBCUniversal with late-night CultureCon planning, to walking away from work at the height of burnout for a self-designed “creative residency” in Paris, Imani shares the realities of leadership, rest and why joy and community must stay at the center of her work.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 October 2025, 11:00 am
  • 1 minute 51 seconds
    Next Up on The Unshakeables

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    21 October 2025, 10:00 am
  • 32 minutes 24 seconds
    Storm Tested: re:3D

    Samantha Snabes never set out to build a typical company. As co-founder of re:3D and a member of the Air Force National Guard, she launched an open-source 3D printing company that prioritizes access over exclusivity. But when back-to-back hurricanes hit both her team in Houston and her customers in Puerto Rico, it nearly brought the business to a halt. Then came COVID, and a vendor vanished without a trace.

     

    In this episode, Ben Walter is joined by returning guest Ryan Pavel, CEO of the Warrior-Scholar Project, to talk with Samantha about building something bigger than profit, the messy realities of mission-driven entrepreneurship and the moment she hired an Uber driver to help her track down a missing supplier. Together, they unpack what it means to lead an open-source company through crisis, and why leadership sometimes requires breaking the rules. These are The Unshakeables.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    24 June 2025, 11:00 am
  • 32 minutes 2 seconds
    Called to Serve: Mercy Chefs

    When Hurricane Katrina hit, Gary LeBlanc did what he knew best—he showed up to cook. But what he found on the ground was far from comforting. The food being served to survivors wasn't physically or spiritually nourishing. That moment sparked the idea for Mercy Chefs, a faith-based disaster relief organization committed to serving high-quality, home-cooked meals to people in crisis.

     

    In this episode, Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith sit down with Gary to hear how he built Mercy Chefs from the ground up, often with no money in the bank and no backup plan. They'll also discuss the true price of answering a calling, and what it takes to serve others when the storms just keep coming. These are The Unshakeables.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    10 June 2025, 11:00 am
  • 12 minutes 21 seconds
    BONUS: Boost Your Resilience At Work

    What can we do to cultivate more resilience at work? Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of The Unshakeables podcast, thinks about this question a lot. In today’s mini episode, Ben joins Maya to talk about the unique challenges faced by America’s small business owners—and the insights he shares can help anyone who wants to improve their well-being at work.

    This episode was made in partnership with Chase for Business. Listen to Ben’s podcast, The Unshakeables, here

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 May 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 34 minutes 51 seconds
    Insuring a Family's Future: Elan Flowers

    After a sudden health crisis rocked his family, Patrick Hall made an unexpected move: he bought a flower shop. Elan Flowers wasn’t just a creative venture—it was a lifeline. For Patrick, becoming a small business owner was the only way he could guarantee healthcare, financial stability, and a sense of control in a moment that felt anything but secure. 

     

    In this episode, Ben Walter is joined by Dr. Laurie Santos, Yale professor and host of “The Happiness Lab,” to talk about how stability, risk, and security shape our sense of wellbeing. They’re also joined by Dan Mendelson, CEO of Morgan Health, and Stacy Edgar, CEO and Co-Founder of Venteur, to explore the real-world challenges of accessing health insurance as a small business owner—and what it takes to navigate a system that often leaves entrepreneurs behind.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 May 2025, 11:00 am
  • 32 minutes 50 seconds
    Bionic Breakthrough: Psyonic

    Aadeel Akhtar always knew he wanted to help people, but instead of following the traditional path through medicine, he took a detour that led to something a little more electric: building a bionic hand. He started his company Psyonic to merge engineering with compassion and transform the prosthetics industry, but it didn’t come easily. Dead batteries, buggy code, and even a missing patient nearly cost him his shot. 

     

    Join Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith as they sit down with Aadeel to talk about walking away from med school, betting on a vision, and building a business that could change life for millions. These are The Unshakeables. 

     

    To see the Ability Hand in action, check it out here

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    13 May 2025, 11:00 am
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