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Image by Chris Lynch

FOUNDING DC

Hosted by Dan Simons in Partnership with WTOP

A podcast about the real stories behind the DC region’s boldest founders — their wins, missteps, and everything in between.

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Get inside the brains (and hearts) of local founders of some of the most successful business ventures in and around the nation’s capital.

​These candid conversations reveal the highs, lows and in-betweens that come with nurturing an idea and building it into a thriving enterprise.

Latest Episodes

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Alan Meltzer

Founder,

The Meltzer Group

(Acquired by NFP)

November 4, 2025

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Katherine Kallinis Berman & Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne

Co-Founders & Co-Owners,

Georgetown Cupcake

July 1, 2025

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Seth Goldman

CEO & Founder, Just Iced Tea

April 1, 2025

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Brett Schulman

Co-Founder & CEO,

CAVA

October 7, 2025

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David Gardner

Co-Chairman & Co-Founder,

The Motley Fool

June 3, 2025

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Dan Simons

Co-Founder & Co-Owner,

Founding Farmers Restaurant Group

Sept 2, 2025

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Susan Tynan

CEO & Founder, Framebridge

May 6, 2025

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Dominique Dawes

Founder & Brand Ambassador,

Dominique Dawes Academy

Aug 5, 2025

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Mark Ein

CEO, Venturehouse Group;

Founder & Owner, Washington Kastles

April 1, 2025

This podcast is sponsored by NFP, Shulman Rogers, and Georgetown University, Center for Entrepreneurship.

What Listeners Are Saying

"Incredible guests, authentic conversations, and advice you can actually use."
"A must-listen for anyone building something from the ground up. So many practical takeaways."
“It’s like a behind-the-scenes pass into the minds of DC’s most creative entrepreneurs.”
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Maybe It's Okay to Suck

It sucks when you really suck at something. Or that’s how I used to think. I hated the range of emotions connected to being a beginner: anxiety, self-doubt, and very often avoidance/procrastination. I am sure many of you can relate.

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