Entre News - Powered by NFTE

In this special bonus episode of Entre News, NFTE President & CEO Dr. J.D. LaRock sits down with Aurora Castillo Magner, Executive Director of Digital Innovation and Operational Excellence at Santander Bank and a member of NFTE’s New England Advisory Board.Aurora shares her journey from immigrating to the U.S. as a child to becoming a Latina leader in financial services and technology. She opens up about resilience, community, and leadership—and how her cultural identity continues to shape her work. Aurora also highlights her impact through Santander’s Conexion business resource group, her commitment to organizations like English for New Bostonians, and her advice to the next generation of young Latino and Latina entrepreneurs.Whether you’re a student, educator, or supporter of youth entrepreneurship, this conversation is full of powerful insights on identity, leadership, and the importance of creating space for diverse voices in business and innovation.Don’t forget to subscribe to Entre News and share this episode to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us.Learn more about NFTE: https://www.nfte.com

In this episode of NFTE Entre News, Dr. J.D. LaRock, President & CEO of NFTE, speaks with Sven Ripsas—professor of entrepreneurship at the Berlin School of Economics and Law and founder of NFTE Germany. They discuss how entrepreneurship education differs across cultures, the story of NFTE Germany, and why building an entrepreneurial mindset matters for young people worldwide. Learn more: https://www.nfte.com

NFTE CEO Dr. J.D. LaRock talks with Corey Mohn of the CAPS Network about why entrepreneurship education matters, how real-world learning builds confidence and skills, and why collaboration is key to shaping the future of work.

NFTE CEO Dr. J.D. LaRock talks with Dr. Ande Noktes about reimagining education, tackling barriers to entrepreneurship, and the promise of AI in learning.

From high school entrepreneurship class to the New York Stock Exchange—and now to Wharton.In this episode of NFTE’s Entre News Podcast, NFTE alum Jayden Freeman shares how his journey with NFTE sparked his passion for business, taught him perseverance, and opened doors to incredible opportunities.Listen now to hear Jayden’s story and how NFTE helps young people build the entrepreneurial mindset to succeed.

NFTE President & CEO Dr. J.D. LaRock talks with NFTE Board Co-chair and author Patty Alper about the transformative power of mentorship. Patty shares stories from more than 20 years of mentoring NFTE students, including how a 30-minute conversation helped one student launch his first business. This episode highlights why mentorship matters—for students, professionals, and the future workforce.

The Entre News podcast is back for Season 5! In this episode, NFTE President & CEO Dr. J.D. LaRock sits down with Emilia A. Ottoo, a NFTE alumna whose entrepreneurial journey began in high school selling belts and t-shirts — and grew into a thriving creative career as a hip-hop artist, author, and media professional.
Together, they reflect on ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange with NFTE, the life-changing lessons Emilia gained from starting her first business, and how she has carried those entrepreneurial skills into every part of her life. Emilia also shares insights from her new book Y’all Not Going to Make Me Lose My Mind: Notes from a Hip-Hop Unicorn and Suicide Survivor (available at (https://emiliaottoo.com), and opens up about the intersections of creativity, entrepreneurship, and mental health.
👉 Tune in to hear how a $25 classroom business sparked a lifelong entrepreneurial mindset — and how NFTE continues to shape the futures of young innovators worldwide.
🔗 Learn more about NFTE at www.nfte.com

In this season's final episode of Entre News, NFTE CEO J.D. LaRock sits down with Craig Bushman, General Manager at Certiport, and Nich Haber, Director of STEM and CTE at Certiport. They discuss how education certification has evolved, making the future of work more accessible and equitable.Learn how NFTE has partnered with Certiport to expand access to the NFTE ESB Prep program, which prepares learners for the Certiport Entrepreneurship and Small Business certification. Discover how aspiring entrepreneurs can now gain foundational skills to navigate the challenges of starting and running a business.

In this episode of Entre News, we sat down with two NFTE alumni, Jan Baker, founder of the Innovashion Group, and Nadia Mitchell, founder of Reiki with Nadia, as they share their entrepreneurial journey with NFTE President and CEO J.D. LaRock.Join us as Jan and Nadia reminisce about their experience taking the first NFTE class 20 years ago and how a delayed Amtrak train to New York brought them together, forging a lifelong friendship. They discuss the importance of having supportive friends when pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors and dive into the key differences between entrepreneurs and "wantrepreneurs."As the conversation draws to a close, these NFTE alumni offer valuable words of advice to current NFTE students, providing inspiration and guidance for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

In this episode JD engages in conversation with Sharif El-Mekki, Co-Founder and CEO of The Center for Black Educator Development.