In the small town of Sparta, North Carolina, Jennifer Swank, the founder of Sparta Candle Company, defied all odds to create a thriving global business. Born and raised in Sparta, Jennifer was told that success meant leaving her hometown. And that's exactly what she did after graduating high school. However, the city life didn't suit her, and she longed for the familiarity and connection of a small town. Determined to make a living in Sparta, Jennifer took on various jobs but struggled to make ends meet.

Driven by the need to support herself, Jennifer became an entrepreneur. She started her own marketing company and ventured into real estate, all while making candles on the side. Little did she know that this small side hustle would turn into something much bigger. Sparta Candle Company blossomed into a thriving empire, on track to earn over 1.5 million dollars annually and reaching customers worldwide.

What sets Sparta Candle Company apart is not only the quality of their products but also their impact on the town. Jennifer is committed to paying living wages to her employees, making her company one of the top-paying employers in Sparta. Additionally, she established the town's first LGBTQ+ support charity, despite facing pushback. The company's success and contributions have brought new life and opportunities to the small community.

Sparta Candle Company is not just a candle and soap company. It's a symbol of resilience, community impact, and honoring loved ones. Jennifer's dedication to her mother's memory, commitment to her hometown, and the pursuit of excellence have propelled her small-town business to remarkable heights.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join the HiveTracks Crowd Equity Campaign

Today on our show, learn the story of how one man, who was born in Germany, has traveled to over 45 countries, and speaks 6 languages, wound up living in, of all places, Boone, NC, and dedicated himself to helping solve one of the largest threats our world is facing today…biodiversity decline.  

Max Rünzel, is the CEO and co-founder of Hivetracks, a SaaS Company that’s Creating a planet-positive impact –– one healthy bee at a time. 

Over the past decade, Hivetracks has grown into a full-blown Venture Startup, raising over $1MM in investment capital and securing Government Funding worth over half a million dollars. Its software has globally significant potential around topics of colony collapse, food security, climate change, and biodiversity decline.

Using bees at biosensors, Hivetracks is unlocking an urgently needed source of environmental intelligence and data that’s natural, scalable, and available.

Today, we take a look at the positive impacts Hivetracks is having on ecosystems and farmers around the world, ranging from Uzbekistan and Ethiopia, to right here in the High Country, as well as peek behind the scenes at Hivetracks' entrepreneurial journey from start to present.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join our newsletter: www.startuphc.com

Today we are preaching the gospel of entrepreneurship with President and CEO of NC IDEA, Thom Ruhe.

If you’ve ever battled with the question “is entrepreneurship really THAT important?” stay tuned to hear the mind-blowing facts that will have you proselytizing the world of entrepreneurism right along with us.

Thom Ruhe grew up in Northeast Ohio, but came to North Carolina when he was offered the position of second CEO of NC IDEA, who's mission is to foster entrepreneurism for the entire state. He has been working fiercely ever since to make North Carolina the best state in the nation for people of all backgrounds to start and grow companies.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.