GSD Factor Podcast

Stepping Into Your Extraordinary in Transforming Communities with Johari Matthews

Johari Matthews embodies what it means to #beinfluential as an ambassador for transformation within Nashville and surrounding communities.
She is getting shit done in an intentional way with her lens and perspective of community and bringing them along in their transformational journey.
Johari’s expertise in enhancing private and public partnerships has been a cornerstone of her career. She has successfully brought together diverse stakeholders to drive impactful community initiatives, including forging collaborations between corporate sponsors, nonprofit organizations, and government entities to create sustainable and inclusive programs. Her ability to align the interests of private and public sectors has resulted in meaningful projects that deliver long-term benefits to the community including:
Vice President and Executive Director of ONE Community and the Tennessee Titans Foundation - The ONE Community initiative aims to serve Middle Tennessee’s most underserved and historically marginalized communities, addressing societal barriers and promoting generational change through strategic partnerships and outcome-based programs in the areas of opportunity, neighborhoods, and education.
Additional accolades: 
Nashville’s Top 40 Under 40
A 2024 ‘Ten People to Watch’ 
Women’s Empowerment Innovator award
Johari LinkedIn

Stepping Into Your Extraordinary in InsurTech with Tony Lew

We are better together. Tony Lew,  co-founder of InsurTech NY, the largest InsurTech community in North America, brings together traditional insurers, insurtechs, startups, investors, solution providers, and mentors to drive innovation within one unique ecosystem. InsurTech NY has run several accelerators since 2020 and graduated 200+ portfolio companies. 
InsurTech is an industry typically known for being behind or antiquated but is being infused with an energy and intentionality to bring about change that allows anyone to plug and play. 
Tony is also managing partner of InsurTech Fund, a seed-stage VC fund focused on InsurTech and InsurTech adjacencies with a portfolio of 16 companies as of Feb 2025.
 
Spring Conference April 2-3, New York
 
InsurTech NY
 
Tony Lew on LinkedIn

Stepping Into Your Extraordinary in Revolutionizing Safety with Joy Hoover

Joy Hoover, an unapologetic innovator powered by delusion, passion, and the deeply held belief that bold ideas can change the world as we get shit done.
 
13+ years of Entrepreneurship
$7.5M+ raised
3X Founder in Women's Safety Space
Accomplished TEDx Public Speaker
2024 Top Tech of the Year Award
2022 WODA Entrepreneur of the Year
 
She is revolutionizing safety with her patented tech enabled lipstick. 
 
Esōes Cosmetics (pronounced S-O-S) is beauty with a purpose. Their lipstick doesn’t just make you look amazing—it’s designed to keep you safe. With built-in drink test strips and a Bluetooth help button, this is the ultimate accessory for anyone who wants to feel confident and protected, wherever they are. It’s beauty that’s smart, bold, and ready for anything—just like you.
Joy LinkedIn
Esōes

Stepping Into Your Extraordinary in Tech Innovation + Investing with Erynn Petersen

“Move fast and fix things.” 
Erynn Petersen is moving fast, fixing things, and getting shit done! Throughout her career she has worn multiple hats as a successful serial technology entrepreneur and an angel investor. 
Erynn is a seasoned technology executive with over two decades of experience leading teams at top companies. She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Emme, a healthcare technology company, where she and her team are making healthcare access transparent and affordable. She has also held the position of Chief Technology Officer at SimpleHealth, the USAF, and Drizly, in addition to her work at Microsoft, Amazon, AOL, and Time, Inc. 
Her extensive background showcases a commitment to leveraging technology to drive impactful change across various industries and building value for the common good. 
 
Erynn Linked
Emme

Get STUFF Done: Stepping Into Your Extraordinary in Guiding Entrepreneurs with Destanē Garrett

Special Get STUFF Done episode:
“I believe that everyone has an innovative idea that can be fostered with the right support.”
Destanē Garrett uses her skills in biology, educational entrepreneurship, and innovation as a whole to assist everyone that has an innovative idea through her role at Vanderbilt University's entrepreneur and innovation center the Wond’ry where she is the Program Coordinator for Biomedical Innovation. 
She has been doing scientific research for over a decade and has harnessed that experience to now assist the thought processes of others to innovate on their technologies.
 
Connect with Destanē Garrett on LinkedIn
 
Are you ready to start your GSD Factor journey but perhaps you’re unsure where to start? We recommend you start by taking our quick online survey to help you understand what GSD Factor persona you are.

Stepping Into Your Extraordinary in Public Speaking with Celeste Leon

Speaking with power while stepping into your extraordinary. The energy of that sentence excites us to share this powerhouse of an episode with you today with our guest Celeste Leon.
Celeste Leon is a dynamic public speaking coach, a professional emcee and a bilingual speaker. She is the TV Host for Telemundo Tennessee for the program, Aceso Total, and the founder of the Nashville Book and Sip Club. 
Celeste is on a mission to help people increase their confidence, develop their communication skills and live an empowered life by using the power of their voice. She has worked with brands like Goya, Valley Bank, Inca Cola, Miss World Peru USA, NBC and more.
 
Connect with Celeste Leon:
www.celesteleon.co 
www.linkedin.com/in/celesteleon
https://www.instagram.com/celesteleon.co/
https://www.instagram.com/nashbookandsipclub/
 
Are you ready to start your GSD Factor journey but perhaps you’re unsure where to start? We recommend you start by taking our quick online survey to help you understand what GSD Factor persona you are.

Get STUFF Done: Stepping Into Your Extraordinary Through Networking with Rachel Rozen

Special Get STUFF Done episode:Do you network? Today we learn that networking takes practice. Rachel Rozen is known for turning “icky” networking into “sticky,” lasting relationships, she helps individuals and teams grow their “net worth” network. 
Just like athletes train and singers rehearse, networking takes role play and repetition. In order for a networking event to be effective you must formulate a plan and execute with intentionality. Rachel has created a formula that teaches you how to do just that. Tune in to hear some of her fantastic guidelines to help anyone improve and elevate their networking game.
Rachel Rozen, a former Chief Customer Officer, transformed her career by connecting with 300 individuals in a year, leading to the founding of Connection Catalyst. Through group coaching, she teaches professionals to overcome networking challenges and build meaningful connections. Connection Catalyst also empowers teams with communication and relationship-building skills, fostering collaboration and workplace satisfaction. 
 
Connect with Rachel Rozen on LinkedIn
Connection Catalyst Website
Free Networking Webinar
 
Are you ready to start your GSD Factor journey but perhaps you’re unsure where to start? We recommend you start by taking our quick online survey to help you understand what GSD Factor persona you are.

Stepping Into Your Extraordinary as a Female Medtech Innovator with Téa Phillips

Téa Phillips witnessed her grandmother struggle with arthritis and wasn’t satisfied with doing nothing. She wanted to do something, anything to help provide relief. 
When she couldn’t find a product that would help she decided to invent it. Téa founded ATS Innovations and is the inventor of the MedTech product MetaFlex, a grip-strengthening compression glove that’s helping her grandmother and many more people. 
Téa LinkedIn
ATS Innovations LinkedIn
MetaFlex Website
 
Are you ready to start your GSD Factor journey but perhaps you’re unsure where to start? We recommend you start by taking our quick online survey to help you understand what GSD Factor persona you are.

Stepping Into Your Extraordinary In Your Second Act with Ann Kimmel

Have you thought about your second act? Are you in your relentless era? 
Ann Kimmel is a wife, mom, and Gram loving her second act in sports media. Ann is a writer and radio co-host for Penalty Box Radio and co-host of the Locked on Predators podcast covering the Nashville Predators hockey team. Over her reporting career she has written for Sports Illustrated and The Hockey News. 
On today’s episode we touch on the tough season that the Nashville Predators have been experiencing and discuss how they have had to tap into their resilience and confidence. Only now are we starting to see the fruits of continuing to do the hard things and showing up with their recent comeback that was the greatest in franchise history. What’s ironic is the lessons they are learning are so applicable to entrepreneurs and the mindset that is needed.
Follow Ann on X: @AnnK_MamaOnIce
Locked on Predators Podcast
Penalty Box Radio

Stepping Into Your Extraordinary with a Female Founder Mindset with Annika Lundström

Annika Lundström, a woman who wears many hats: youth Olympian, entrepreneur, Nordic Women in Tech Awards Rising Star of the Year winner, TEDx speaker, she successfully led a pre-seed round of half a million, and the list goes on.
Also with her background in molecular biosciences, she is trailblazing how mental health can be measured and assessed through her MedTech startup company Reminded as Founder and CEO.
Annika drives ReMinded forward with her resilient mindset and willingness to navigate the complex field of healthcare innovations through a ‘doing what is required’ approach. Her dedication to improving behavioral healthcare stems from her personal experiences while enrolled in high-performance sports, alongside a passion for making a powerful contribution to a cause that is close to her heart. Here are some of the remarkable highlights in 2024:
Successfully completed Pre-Seed round of approximately $500,000. 
Rapid saliva-based cortisol sensor development is ready for integration in clinical settings.
Secured a partnership with a well-known hospital to conduct a clinical trial in Q2 2025. 
On track with regulatory requirements and expected FDA approval by Summer/Fall 2025.
2nd place at the Wearable Technologies Innovation World Cup Finals.
Annika won the ‘Rising Star of the Year’ award at the Nordic Women in Tech Awards 2024.
Annika Gave a TED Talk on her athlete/scientist MedTech founder journey.
 
Links: 
Reminded Website
ReMinded LinkedIn
Annika LinkedIn
 
Are you ready to start your GSD Factor journey but perhaps you’re unsure where to start? We recommend you start by taking our quick online survey to help you understand what GSD Factor persona you are.