Knoodle Founders Hour

About Knoodle Founders Hour

Welcome to Knoodle Founders Hour, the ultimate destination for deep-dive interviews with company founders. Every week, we pull back the curtain on the startup journey, exploring the raw stories behind innovative brands. From the "lightbulb moment" to scaling through the struggle, we talk entrepreneurship, leadership, and the grit required to build something from nothing. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur looking for a business roadmap or a seasoned leader seeking inspiration, join us for tactical advice and powerful founder stories. Watch and listen as we build the future.

Publisher

Knoodle

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Jan 2026

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

36 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Oak Rose Group Founder Katherine Haley

   Human Flourishing, Bipartisan Policy, and the Future of Education (with Katherine Haley of Oak Rose Group) In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Katherine Haley, president of the Arizona State Board of Education and founder of Oak Rose Group, to explore how strategic policy, educational accountability, and purpose-driven leadership can transform civil society. An Arizona native with deep roots in public service, Katherine spent over a decade in Washington, D.C., including seven years as chief policy advisor to former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner. After navigating high-stakes bipartisan negotiations on Capitol Hill—ranging from D.C. school choice to global health initiatives—she returned home to Arizona in 2021. Today, she balances her appointed role leading the State Board of Education with running Oak Rose Group, a strategic consulting firm dedicated to advising donors, incubating high-impact nonprofits, and championing initiatives that foster human flourishing. In this episode, you’ll discover: Navigating the Pillars of K-12 Governance: How the Arizona State Board of Education serves as the regulatory backbone for state academic standards, accountability letter grades, and oversight of the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program serving over 100,000 students. Championing the Science of Reading: Why mastering literacy by third grade is a critical predictor of high school graduation, and how Katherine helped lead the effort to mandate K-5 literacy endorsements grounded in phonics and word formation for Arizona educators. Tackling Chronic Absenteeism Post-Pandemic: The lingering impacts of COVID-19 on family trust and school attendance, and how proactive principals and educators across the state are building community connections to bring students back into the classroom. Incubating Ideas for Human Flourishing: How Oak Rose Group operates as a convener, connector, and builder—incubating stackable credential workforce programs at Arizona Western College, expanding private school options, and supporting democracy-building philanthropy through Spirit of America. The Power of Bipartisan Coalition Building: Lessons from Katherine’s Capitol Hill career on why meaningful, lasting policy progress relies on building authentic cross-aisle relationships rather than engaging in performative politics. Faith, Family, and Finding Grounding: A candid look at Katherine’s multi-generational family legacy of entrepreneurship, her recent run for statewide office, and how her faith, tennis matches, and listening to literary classics keep her grounded. Policy advocates, education leaders, and purpose-driven entrepreneurs will find immense inspiration in Katherine’s thoughtful approach to civil society, leadership, and systemic change.

2. 

   12 Oct 2026

   PADT Inc. Founder Eric Miller

   Virtual Simulations, Engineering Innovation, and the Power of People (with Eric Miller of PADT) In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Eric Miller, founder, principal, and co-owner of PADT Inc., one of Arizona's most prominent technology leaders and engineering visionaries. Starting PADT 32 years ago in Tempe after taking a layoff from a corporate aerospace job where engineers were infamously labeled "fungible assets," Eric set out to build a business around a simple guiding principle: creating a workplace where founders and employees genuinely want to come to work every morning. Today, PADT has grown into an 86-person operation with offices in Tempe, Denver, and Albuquerque, serving as the Southwest's largest provider of engineering simulation software, 3D printing technology, and specialized consulting for physical products ranging from dog toys to space satellites. In this episode, you’ll discover: The Power of Virtual Simulation: How computer-based simulation allows companies—from electric vehicle manufacturers conducting $2 million crash tests to aerospace firms launching rockets—to virtually model physical stress and physics, saving immense time and capital before final physical certification. Navigating Market Chaos and Risk Aversion: Why current market unpredictability is causing corporations and startups alike to delay decision-making, extending average sales cycles by two to three times even when capital is readily available. AI as an Engineering Force Multiplier: How artificial intelligence is streamlining workflow processing and model verification without replacing fundamental physics, making engineers far more efficient and capable. A Candid Look at Arizona's Innovation Ecosystem: Eric's perspective as head of a Tech Council leadership roundtable on why Arizona needs greater investor risk-taking and university spin-outs, alongside the region's rich, under-appreciated legacy in semiconductors and aerospace. Rethinking Water and Sustainability in the Desert: Why 70% of Arizona's water supply goes toward traditional agriculture like alfalfa and cotton rather than data centers or tech facilities, and how consumer choices and indoor farming can drive real environmental change. From Disdaining Sales to Building a 16-Person Team: The crucial lessons PADT learned while transitioning from technical engineers who disdained sales into developing a consultative sales team that engineering clients actually trust and rely upon. High School Cheerleading and Family Influences: Eric’s surprising background as a high school cheerleader in Sacramento to skip PE class, and how his fighter pilot father and pathologist-inventor grandfather shaped his unique, consultative leadership style. Tech executives, entrepreneurs navigating uncertain market conditions, and anyone interested in the intersection of advanced engineering, artificial intelligence, and workplace culture will gain immense value from Eric’s four decades of industry experience.

3. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Radio Entrepreneur and Visionary Jeff Trumper

   Rebuilding Media Operations and the Art of Maverick Leadership (with Jeff Trumper) In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Jeff Trumper, a veteran radio entrepreneur and media executive renowned for turning around struggling broadcast operations across the country. Jeff fell in love with radio as a 12-year-old kid listening to transistor radio signals under his pillow at night. Beginning his career pulling records for nighttime DJs and eventually taking the mic under the air name "Jumping Jeff Edwards," he quickly pivoted to sales after catching a glimpse of a salesman's paycheck. Over his career, Jeff rose through corporate ranks at ABC Radio, built and operated Trumper Communications—owning 28 radio stations across 10 markets—and earned a reputation as a bold, calculated risk-taker who brought failing stations from "worst to first." In this episode, you’ll discover: The Bold Houston Rock Gamble: How Jeff turned an ABC station losing $4 million annually into a $6 million profit engine by taking a calculated $1 million risk to buy every ticket to The Who's farewell concert at the Houston Dome, outpositioning market leader KLOL and going from worst to first in two ratings books. Building Trumper Communications and 12x Investor Returns: The strategy behind acquiring underperforming stations at low valuations, investing heavily in marketing and format development, and eventually delivering a 12x return for investors—including selling a single station purchased for $7 million for $60 million during deregulation. The Shifting Radio Landscape: How broadcasting has evolved from its golden era—when artists like the Jackson 5 and Kenny Loggins walked station halls—to competing against tech giants like Google, Meta, Spotify, and TikTok, alongside thin margins that constrain off-air marketing budgets. AI and the Future of Media: Jeff's candid perspective on how artificial intelligence is reshaping music rotations and talent lines, and why streaming may allow future radio stations to operate without traditional FCC broadcast infrastructure. The Lost Art of Face-to-Face Sales: Why emailing proposals and avoiding direct contact hurts sales performance, and how answering the prospect's fundamental question—"What's in it for me?"—remains the key to closing deals. Resilience Born from Adversity: A deeply personal look at Jeff's childhood after losing his father at age six, navigating adolescent mistakes at Boys Totem Town after his mother pressed charges when he took her car, and how surviving those dark moments fueled his fearless entrepreneurial grit. Radio professionals, sales leaders, and entrepreneurs navigating industry disruption will find timeless lessons in risk-taking, brand positioning, and resilient leadership throughout this conversation.

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