1863 Ventures founder Melissa Bradley is dropping a podcast

Local entrepreneur Melissa Bradley has just joined the likes of Modev’s “VOICE Talks” and Fifth Tribe’s “Campfire” by launching a new podcast.

Bradley, a well-known face in the local startup scene, is the host of “Founder Hustle,” a podcast for founders and entrepreneurs at various stages. The podcast, which is produced by Kinetic Energy Entertainment and Sermons Beyond Sunday, is designed for what a statement described as the “new majority,” which includes founders who are BIPOC, women, immigrants, LGBTQ, veterans and with disabilities.

According to Bradley and the “Founder Hustle” team, new majority founders are becoming entrepreneurs at a rate faster than white men but lack sufficient capital and resources. With the podcast, they hope to help founders prepare for the journey ahead.

Bradley, who is a managing partner at venture firm 1863 Ventures and cofounder of growth engine Ureeka, said it costs at least $250,000 more for Black and Brown entrepreneurs to start the same startup as their white peers.

“We need to spend time listening to and learning from the trials and tribulations of Black and Brown entrepreneurs,” said Bradley in a statement, adding: “It’s not that I believe Black businesses are riskier, but based on the historical, structural racism, with all the challenges we continue to endure, it is unrealistic to expect a New Majority company to have the same trajectory and growth as their white counterparts.”

Each episode focuses on a founder and their journey, with topics including imposter syndrome, sector nuance, burnout and founder’s syndrome. The first episode features Chris Denson, an entertainer and podcaster, interviewing Bradley. Future episodes will feature founders like Roz Brooks, founder of Vegas Roots Community Garden and Kalilah Wright of Mess in a Bottle. “Founder Hustle’s” statement said that the season will include leaders in food and agriculture, apparel and manufacturing, consumer products and banking. The show will further tackle how these founders dealt with business and strategic challenges.

The podcast team intends to release seven full-length episodes for the first season. It will also feature mini-episodes, called The Deep Cut, where Bradley will discuss current events and entrepreneurship themes. In total, the podcast will release 13 episodes (or one every week) until July 26.