Joseph Ikueze is the CEO of TJ Capital holdings, a generational financial advisory firm dedicated to helping business owners grow.
He is also the host of Capital and Conviction, a podcast that he created to interview the names that shape the movement of capital and the convictions behind these decisions. These are the biggest names in business; CEO's, financiers, industry leaders, investors with the aim to explore the minds behind the world today.
We hope that by listening to this pod, you can become a dreamer and get up on your feet so see how you can change the world!
Music Credits:
Music licensed through Soundstripe.
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EP 5 - The Impact of AI on the finance profession - Dr. Arjun Chatrath
"It does shape your experience quite a bit and makes you certainly more resilient. Having had that experience, you kind of feel like, look, I went through that, I can go through anything."
That is Dr. Arjun Chatrath from the University of Portland where he has been teaching finance for close to 30 years. He has won numerous awards for his work and his research interests lie mostly in derivatives and commodity finance
In this episode on Capital and Conviction, I had a fantastic and quite humorous conversation with Dr. Arjun Chatrath, where we discussed his academic journey, experiences in boarding school, and the evolving landscape of higher education.
He was also able to share insights on the importance of resilience in students, the impact of technology on education, and the value of pursuing advanced studies in today's world.
In this conversation, we also talked about the implications of current global issues such as university graduation standards, inflation, energy prices, the impact of war on global stability, the rise of AI, corporate debt, and the future of finance and how schools would have to rise to meet the challenge to remain relevant.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:03 Academic Journey and Teaching Philosophy
06:07 Experiences in Boarding School and Its Impact
09:13 Transition to Professorship and Career Reflections
11:53 The Future of Education and Technology's Role
15:11 Challenges in Higher Education and Student Resilience
18:03 The Value of a PhD in Today's World
34:23 Rethinking University Graduations
35:54 Inflation and Its Challenges
36:41 The Global Impact of Energy Prices
38:06 Consequences of War on Global Stability
40:53 The Rise of AI and Its Economic Implications
44:30 Debt Markets and Corporate Failures
49:50 The Future of Finance in a Changing World
56:57 Exploring New Business Opportunities
Follow Arjun Chatrath
Linkedln: linkedin.com/in/arjun-chatrath-62a73315 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjun-chatrath-62a73315/)Webpage: https://www.up.edu/directory/Arjun-Chatrath.html
Thank you so much for listening! I hope that by listening to this episode, you learn a little bit more about the world from the lens of an expert, and get inspired to make a change in your own little way.
9 Sept 2026
EP 4 - A Pioneer in Investment Crowdfunding - David Duccini
Have you ever thought about raising money publicly or privately? This conversation is for you.
In this episode on my Capital and Conviction, I had another eye opening conversation with a pioneer who is supremely focused on making a wildly successful capital markets company that helps founders raise money both privately and publicly.
The interesting thing is how he does it: Through investment crowdfunding!
David unofficially started his entrepreneurship career as a child delivering newspapers, and he learned the fundamentals of business early on, the importance of consistency, marketing, and even the hard lessons of collections.
In his words: The newspapers aren't going to deliver themselves. It taught me about showing up every day.
David is also a great leader that finds a way to motivate his employees in whatever way possible. As he told me, the secret is managing expectations. He also gives his employees freedom to pursue their venture wish even if they currently work for Silicon Prairie.Lastly, he emphasized that crowdfunding is a legitimate way to raise capital, akin to going public. He said that more people have heard of Bitcoin than they've heard of crowdfunding and that just like every other new technology, we're only halfway through the crowdfunding awareness curve.
All I can say is watch him, and watch the space because I genuinely believe he and his company are going to be a big thing in the coming years.
If you want to raise capital at Silicon Prairie, here's the link: sphi.io
For a deeper dive into David's journey and insights, listen to the full episode of Capital and Conviction.
31 Aug 2026
EP 3 - An Unconventional Path to the Top - Cole Kahrilas
If you think you're never going to figure out your career path soon enough or in time enough, think again!
Meet Cole Kahrilas.
Cole is a director of founder origination and buyouts at GrowThink Capital but his journey getting there was nothing pretty.
In this remarkable conversation, we both delve into a world where he shares his unique journey and insights into entrepreneurship, investment banking, and building meaningful relationships within the industry. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned finance professional, Cole’s experiences can provide valuable lessons on navigating your own career path.
Unlike traditional investment bankers who typically follow a well-defined career ladder, Cole’s path began with entrepreneurship. While still in college, he co-founded a company that focused on virtual real estate wholesaling before it became a trend. Through this venture, he learned the ins and outs of buying and selling properties, which laid the foundation for his financial acumen.
After graduating, Cole moved into private equity, where he further honed his skills. He later founded the Kahrilas Group, a consulting firm that provided bridge loans to real estate developers, helping them manage short-term financial needs. This experience not only deepened his understanding of investment strategies but also allowed him to build a robust network in the industry.
Then came GrowThink, the company he currently works at, and he is fully focused on making sure that founders maximize their company’s sale price while deepening relationships with funds and investors.Looking ahead, Cole aims to deepen his impact within GrowthThink by fostering stronger connections with both founders and funds. He believes that understanding the people behind the numbers is integral to facilitating successful financial transactions.
I truly hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you want to connect with him, you can reach out to him via his name on Linkedin - Cole Kahrilas
14 Aug 2026
EP 2 - Private Equity's Impact of Small Businesses
Welcome to the second episode of Capital and Conviction.
In this episode, we explore the evolving landscape of private equity, the impact of AI on small businesses, and the valuation of innovative companies like SpaceX. Our guest shares insights on how private equity firms operate, their influence on business growth, and how small business owners can navigate this dynamic environment.
This is the first time we're introducing a topic that could help business owners and we truly do hope everyone that listens finds something valuable.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest insights
11:56 Explaining private equity to small business owners
13:58 The motivations of private equity and the impact on business culture
15:55 Preparing small businesses for private equity and market hype
17:56 The valuation and hype around SpaceX and Elon Musk
19:52 The role of AI and blue-collar industries in the current market
21:58 The surge in capital flow and market demand for data centers
23:57 The impact of AI on blue-collar jobs and industry shifts
25:46 How major tech companies are managing their cash reserves
28:10 Strategies for small businesses to leverage market opportunities
30:00 The future of data centers, energy grids, and infrastructure
31:54 The hype around AI and space industry investments
34:12 The importance of aligning business goals with market trends
36:02 The valuation of SpaceX and the Elon Musk premium
38:04 Market corrections and the future of tech valuations
40:06 Elon Musk's journey and the value of visionary leadership
42:07 The rise and fall of companies like Bird and market speculation
43:50 How investment bankers can adapt to AI and market changes
46:13 Using AI to enhance efficiency and serve clients better
48:04 Closing thoughts and future outlook for markets and AI
Music licensed through Soundstripe.
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11 Aug 2026
EP 1 - Creating both Capital and Conviction and TJ Capital Holdings
Welcome to this episode of Capital and Conviction! In this episode, I introduce you to myself and why I started this podcast.
Building a business is incredibly difficult today, so I talked about how both my company and my podcast are geared towards giving business owners tools and tips that they can use to grow. The first way would be by interviewing business leaders and finding out how they made it. The second will be me giving tips on how businesses can get to the next level!
My colleague and I also expounded on why many business owners do not have access to information to grow, and how access to information can power a wave of industrialism and strength in years to come.
Ultimately, this was a dream of mine. To create a place where the world's greatest minds can be found in one place. Listen and enjoy!
Music Credits:
Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: 3XQGYJ1YEO7MJGPD
7 Aug 2026
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