Month: February 2022

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Podcasts

#161: Not Necessarily Unnecessary with Matty Benedetto


Matty Benedetto solves problems that don’t really exist by creating products that no one is asking for.

Benedetto is the inventor, serial entrepreneur and evil genius behind the wildly popular Unnecessary Inventions based right here in Burlington, Vermont. Matty grew up outside New York City, got his marketing degree at St. Michael’s then settled here in the Green Mountains funneling his passions into product development and startup businesses along the way.

Now with over 6 million followers across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, Matty is a full-time content creator making “Unnecessary Inventions” and the satirical product launch videos that have made him an Internet celebrity.

Listen to learn the story behind Vermont’s most notorious inventor and how creativity, passion and a helpful 3D printer have thrust him into the spotlight.

Learn more at https://unnecessaryinventions.com

Check out this episode!

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Podcasts

#160: Planning for Cannabis with Will Read


This week Jon sits down with Will Read, CEO and founder of CannaPlanners, a marketing agency that helps cannabis retailers with their branding, identity, and digital presence.

After graduating college, Will moved to Burlington with his band as a musician before moving down to New York City to work for sales at Apple. As many Vermonters will understand, he felt the Green Mountain State calling him back and he returned a few years later to work in digital marketing.

With Vermont legalizing adult-use cannabis in 2022, many farms and businesses are transitioning from CBD to THC and seeking ways to promote their branding, especially as on-site farm tours and live events are restricted by the ongoing pandemic.

Read decided to hone in on the Cannabis Industry and now seeks to normalize and elevate these new businesses through beautiful branding, thoughtful websites, and data-driven digital marketing strategies.

Learn more at https://cannaplanners.com/

Check out this episode!

Categories
Podcasts

#159: Invest in Vermont with Cairn Cross


This week Jon sits down with Cairn Cross, co-founder of FreshTracks Capital in Shelburne VT.

FreshTracks is a venture capital and private equity firm focused on investments in Vermont-based growth companies. Cross sits on the board of multiple Vermont companies including Native Energy, Faraday, and Vermont Teddy Bear, as well as Mamava (previously on Learning Life,) and a board observer for ThinkMD.

Cross is also a lecturer at UVM, teaching at the cutting-edge Sustainable Innovation MBA program.

Listen to learn about opportunities abound in the Green Mountain State and the capital behind many of the great businesses you see in Vermont every day.

Learn more at https://www.freshtrackscap.com/

Check out this episode!