Elevating Enterprise

Elevating Enterprise

Land bigger contracts and level up your small or medium sized business with Elevating Enterprise—the podcast that gives you a 100K-foot view of success and the elevator access to get there. Each episode gives you insider access to industry gatekeepers, prime contractors, and policymakers who share actionable insights on how to tap into State and Federal SME (small, medium enterprise) funding and contracting opportunities. No fluff, no vague success stories—just real strategies and the critical first moves to help you scale smarter and faster. Unlike other business podcasts, Elevating Enterprise doesn’t just inspire—you’ll walk away with a game plan to make the leap from small business to major player. Ready to make your next move? Follow the podcast and let’s get to work—because success isn’t overnight, it’s strategic. New episodes every other Thursday! About the Hosts: Jazzy T, 25-yr communications expert and founder of JazzCast Pros, a MWBE media publisher in Rochester, NY. Instagram JazzCast Pros (@jazzytonair) LinkedIn Jazz Williams RJ Williams, a 30-yr entrepreneur, business strategist and expert in securing government contracts from Michigan to New York State. Ruben Williams | LinkedIn Want to be a guest on the show? Email us at podcasts@JazzCastPros.com Want to Sponsor a Season or Advertise your support services? Visit www.JazzCastPros.com/Advertise

Episodes

April 15, 2026 17 mins
Ep.20 If your business can’t run without you… it’s not an asset. “As soon as you walk out the door, so does your business intelligence.” Jazzy T sits down with Jennifer Piper of Volare AI to break down an unpopular truth: if you’re building a business that depends on your presence, your decisions, and your constant involvement… you have created a high-paying job—not a transferable asset. You didn’t start your business to work 60-...
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“There’s no transformation without transparency.” That's why I’m pulling back the curtain on my own journey into public speaking. Ep. 19 Elevating Enterprise, I'm flipped from interviewer to student when Candice Kellogg, Master Trainer with Dale Carnegie, turns our interview into a live coaching session at the Women Empowering Women Conference. No notes. No prep. Just my experience. And in that moment, I realized what so many ...
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Ep. 18 Event sponsorship can be transactional or transformational. At the Women Empowering Women Conference, the presenting sponsor the YMCA did more than put their name on the event. They brought their team, created space for growth, and treated this experience as an extension of their leadership development strategy. In this live conversation, Chief People & Culture Officer Taletha Best breaks down how the Y builds culture from...
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You bought the system. You held the meeting with your team. So why isn’t anything changing? Ep. 17 Jazzy T sits down with Jacqueline Phichith to break down the real reason change fails inside organizations, and it has nothing to do with the technology. It’s about where people get stuck. Jacqueline introduces the ADKAR framework, a simple but powerful way to understand how people actually move through change. Awareness – You...
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"Development isn't just about building buildings. It's about shaping how people experience their environments and their communities." — Jenna Tatar In this kickoff episode of our Women’s Empowerment Series, Jazzy T sits down with Jenna Tatar, Operational Excellence Manager at Riedman, to unpack why now is the time for women to step into real estate development. 🔑 Key Takeaways: The pay gap is shrinking in the real estate d...
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Stop Missing Out on Government Contracts. Get in the Room! Ep. 15 Tymothi Howard—the man responsible for overseeing purchasing for the City of Rochester and promoting minority, and women-owned enterprise participation reveals the secret to procurement deals. He’s not just explaining the system—he’s showing you where the opportunities are and how to position your business to access them. Join us at the 4th Annual Upstate NY MWBE...
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Ep. 14 Ever delayed firing someone you knew wasn’t the right fit, or second-guessed a big business decision for weeks? Growth strategist Jill Peterson explains how strengthening your mental fitness can help you make clearer, more profitable decisions. On this episode of Elevating Enterprise with Jazzy T + RJ Williams you’ll learn how to regulate emotional decision-making, document scalable systems, and use data—not fear—to guide ...
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Ep. 13 If you’ve ever hit a wall trying to access capital, this episode of Elevating Enterprise breaks down how SBA loans can help you start, stabilize, or scale your business. Mary Stone, Senior Vice President and SBA Manager at M&T Bank is here to break down what SBA loans really are, why they exist, and how programs like the SBA 7(a) loan help entrepreneurs secure funding when traditional lending may feel out of reach. This co...
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Ep. 12 In government contracting, the biggest deals aren’t won by who submits the longest proposal—they’re won by who built the right relationships long before the RFP ever dropped. In this episode of Elevating Enterprise, Jazzy T and RJ Williams sit down with Nick Lopez, CEO of Prosal, to unpack how AI is changing the game for small and mid-sized enterprises, not by replacing human connection, but by strengthening it. This conve...
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Ep. 11 Your small business can’t grow into an enterprise if you're personally involved in every decision, every sale, and every delivery. Our expert guest Ryan Wimpey demonstrates why documented SOPs and training systems for people — not just services — are the foundation of sustainable growth. Real scale requires teaching others to deliver value consistently. Ryan is the founder of Tip Top K-9, built a national franchise by obses...
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Ep. 10 Learn how to do business with Monroe County as a M/WBE or Veteran-owned business from Supplier Diversity Manager Matthew Burrell, Supplier Diversity Manager. Under his leadership, the county has certified 855 MWBE firms and set a concrete goal to award 21% of contract dollars to minority, women, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. You’ll learn: ✅ Why relationship-building matters just as much as paperwork ✅ W...
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Ep. 9 If your bank only knows you as an account number, you’re running your business with one hand tied behind your back. Your banker should be doing more than holding your money — they should be helping you lower fees, protect your cash flow, and connect you to resources that move your business forward. In this episode of Elevating Enterprise, Jazzy T + RJ sit down with Melissa Jordan, Senior Business Banking Relationship Manage...
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Ep. 8 You’ve got the MWBE or DBE. Now what? This week on Elevating Enterprise, we’re cutting through the confusion. Join me, Jazzy T, as I sit down with someone I trust both in business and in life — my husband and co-host, RJ Williams, a seasoned expert in government contracting and procurement. While I bring the solopreneur POV, RJ breaks down what it really takes to scale into enterprise-level opportunities. 💡 Whether you're ...
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Ep. 7 🎬 Hollywood’s calling — will your business pick up? Filmmaker Kendrick Foxx moved to Rochester, NY, to build more than movies — he’s building momentum for local businesses. In this episode of Elevating Enterprise, Kendrick shares how small businesses — from caterers and cleaners to stylists and shuttle drivers — can plug directly into the multi-billion dollar film industry. With New York’s new tax incentives and the launch ...
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Ep. 6 In a time when diversity programs are under fire and economic equity feels out of reach, Maurice Barrett is doing the work where it matters most — in housing policy and human resources. Named the Top Diversity Officer in America (2025), Maurice is the Chief Diversity Officer at New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). In this episode, he shares how inclusive hiring practices, strategic HR systems, and equitable ho...
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Ep. 5 Fresh off the IBM Think 2025 Global Conference, RJ Williams sits down with Cody Henehan, CEO of ROC AI and Silveray.AI for a rapid-fire recap of the future of artificial intelligence. 🚀 Cody shares what it was like networking with the best minds in tech, learning about the next wave of AI innovation—from agentic AI and small language models to quantum computing and photonics. Discover how IBM and its global partners are pri...
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Ep. 4 Are you unknowingly setting your business up for costly mistakes?From missing tax deadlines to compliance failures, many small business owners don’t realize what they don’t know until it’s too late. In this episode of Elevating Enterprise, Jazzy T + RJ WIlliams sit down with Albert Rivera, a seasoned Business Consultant at Paychex, to uncover how entrepreneurs can build a strong, compliant, and scalable foundation from day o...
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Ep. 3 💳 Thinking about taking out a business loan? Hit pause—because this episode might save you from making an expensive mistake. In this episode of Elevating Enterprise Jazzy T + RJ catch up with Yahaira Zapata, Deputy Director of Economic Development at the Enterprise Center at Pathstone in Rochester, NY, who shares insider tips every MWBE and small business owner should know before signing on the dotted line. From accessing y...
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Ep. 2 🍕Create A Pizza is the last fast-casual pizza shop still standing in Rochester. So what did they do right that others didn’t—and how can you follow their lead? This episode of Elevating Enterprise is your behind-the-counter blueprint for navigating the real world of food service entrepreneurship. We sat down on location with owners Katelyn and John to unpack how they launched their pizza shop without startup capital, survi...
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Ep. 1 What if Rochester is on the brink of another tech revolution—and your business could be part of it? In this premiere episode of Elevating Enterprise, hosts Jazzy T and RJ Williams sit down with ROC AI co-founders Cody Henehan and Brendon Frazer, two Rochester natives building powerful AI solutions for businesses like yours. With support from Microsoft and a mission rooted in community and innovation, ROC AI is helping busin...
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