Ted Listens: Stories Behind the Businesses of Chicago

What happens when the technology you built your career around starts changing underneath you?

Ramon Tramontini has faced that question more than once.

In this episode of Ted Listens, Ted Novak sits down with Ramon, President of International Operations at OGI, to talk about his path from writing software as a teenager in Brazil to building technology companies, navigating failure, moving to Chicago, and leading international growth.

R...

What does success actually look like when you stop living by someone else’s definition?

In this episode of Ted Listens, I sit down with coach Kyle Mercer for a conversation about entrepreneurship, executive coaching, personal growth, leadership, relationships, career fulfillment, and the beliefs that shape the way we live and work.

Kyle has spent more than 30 years coaching entrepreneurs, business leaders, and people navigating...

Fred Hoch has spent more than two decades helping shape Chicago’s technology and innovation ecosystem, and much of his work comes down to one thing: connecting the right people and ideas.

In this episode of Ted Listens, Fred, co-founder of TechNexus Venture Collaborative, joins Ted Novak to talk about why Chicago shouldn’t try to become Silicon Valley, how corporations can work with startups to create new products and bu...

In this episode of Ted Listens, Ted Novak sits down with Munzoor Shaikh, Founder & CEO of Long Game Health, for a conversation about what it takes to create meaningful, durable change in healthcare.

Munzoor shares his perspective on the intersection of strategy, operations, data, and leadership, and why real transformation requires more than a new initiative or short-term answer. Together, they explore the long game: creating cl...

In this episode of Ted Listens, I sit down with Justin Kaufmann of Axios for a conversation about Chicago, journalism, storytelling, and the future of media.

Justin shares his journey from interning at WBEZ in the 1990s to hosting at WGN Radio and eventually helping launch Axios Chicago.

The conversation explores:

• How Smart Brevity changed modern journalism
• Why Chicago still feels like a “small town in a big city”
• The re...

In this episode of Ted Listens, I sit down with Mitul Patel, founder of MP Consulting, for one of the most fascinating business conversations I’ve had.

What started after four former Motorola Mobility colleagues left stable jobs and landed on their faces in a failed startup became a thriving engineering company with 130 employees, global talent, manufacturing operations, and multiple business ventures.

We talk about:

• How des...

Nicole spent years building a successful career in finance and leadership at a fast-growing consulting firm, then walked away from the comfort (and the title) to bet on herself.

In this episode, we talk about what inspired her to make that leap, how she chose coaching as her next chapter, and what she learned while making that decision. Nicole shares what it’s like to start from scratch, build a business through relationships,...

Chicago isn’t a single industry city, and that’s exactly its advantage.

In this episode of Ted Listens, I sit down with Abin Kuriakose, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at World Business Chicago, to unpack how Chicago really works as a place to build and scale a business.

From why global companies are placing innovation hubs in Chicago, to how talent, climate resilience, and cross-industry collaboration are shaping...

In this episode of Ted Listens, I sit down with Brynn Michelich, Chief Operating Officer at Jellyvision, the Chicago tech company behind the wildly successful benefits-education platform ALEX. Brynn shares the fascinating evolution of Jellyvision, starting with educational films in the late ’80s, moving through the CD-ROM gaming era (yes, including You Don’t Know Jack), and ultimately becoming a leading HR-tech company ...

Peter Wilt has built more professional soccer teams than anyone in the Midwest, including the Chicago Fire, Chicago Red Stars, and now the Chicago House Athletic Club, where he serves as President and CEO.

In this episode of Ted Listens, Peter and I talk about what it takes to start a professional sports franchise from scratch, and the surprising similarities between launching a team and launching a startup.

From community-driven gro...

Brian shares his journey from banking and real estate to launching a company that combines software, strategy, and social entrepreneurship to transform distressed properties into thriving assets.

We discuss:

• What land banks are and why they matter for entrepreneurs

• How land banks serve as innovation labs for housing and technology

• The intersection of public sector rules and private sector opportunity

• Why social entrepreneurship is k...

Have you ever thought, “I think I’ve got a book in me someday”?

Bestselling author Adrienne Gunn joins Ted Novak on the Ted Listens Podcast to talk about how she turned that thought into reality, while continuing to thrive in her career.

This episode covers the discipline of writing, the behind the scenes reality of publishing, and why community matters more than “networking.”

Listen in and get inspired t...

My guest today is Camilo Escalante, the Executive Director of Diverse Segments for Rate, and we’re really going to cover some ground. The episode was recorded live in the Ramova Theatre, so you’ll need to pardon some of the echoes, but what an amazing venue, we even had the energy of that nights performance soundchecking towards the end of the interview.Camilo is an accomplished Chicagoan making a real impact both for h...

Today's interview is a bit different. It's not often I get to interview both owners of a business at the same time. Today I was fortunate enough get an audience with both Adam Ratner & Wendy Hayum-Gross, the Co-Owners of Grow Wellness Group. The Grow Wellness Group is a premiere provider of therapy, counseling, neuropsychological testing, psychiatry, sports psychology & performance improvement, yoga therapy and employer men...

My guest today is Kasey Foster, Artistic Director for Chicago’s Lookingglass theater.

Founded in 1988 by graduates of Northwestern University and located in a functioning pumping station that still supplies water to Chicago fire Departments, Lookingglass Theatre Company is a tony award winning nationwide leader in the creation and presentation of new cutting-edge theatrical works. Not only that, the theater contributes to Chic...

My guest today is Evan Shy, CEO of Coding Temple.  

Coding Temple, is a top-ranked tech training provider based in Chicago that’s helping people launch new careers in Software Engineering, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, and Quality Assurance, and they’re doing this in just six months. 

In our conversation, Evan not only shares insights on their blended learning model that produces an average $20 thousand do...

***If you were inspired by this episode, please head to https://www.btschicago.org and make a donation***

My guest today is Coach Mike Powell, Executive Director of Beat The Streets Chicago.  

For those who don’t know, Beat the Streets Chicago is a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to empowering Chicago youth through wrestling.  

With the vision that all Chicago youth can be life champions, Beat the...

My guest today is Elizabeth Arnott, Director of Marketing & Publicity at Music Box Films.  

Music Box Films is dedicated to curating a diverse repertoire of films and television from around the world, and bring them to theaters and into our homes through streaming services. In partnership with the iconic Music Box Theatre, considered Chicago’s premier independent cinema, and their mission is to engage audiences w...

My guest today is Tommy Richards. Tommy is the National Entertainment Director for Howl2Go, which delivers the Howl at the Moon experience at events across the world. For those that don’t know, Howl at the Moon is famous for their dueling pianos, and is considered a top nightlife destination for live music with 15 locations nationwide… they even take up residence on 3 Norwegian Cruise Line ships.  If you’ve ...