What does it really take to keep a nonprofit financially sustainable for 20 years?

In this episode of YEDI’s Startup Sandwich Podcast, host Ric Phillips speaks with Kathy Laszlo, Co-Founder and Executive Director of DANI (Developing and Nurturing Independence), about the realities of building and growing a nonprofit.

DANI started with seven families, a one-week camp, volunteers, and no funding. Today, it supports adults with developmental disabilities through multiple programs, locations, housing initiatives, and social enterprises.

Kathy shares what she learned along the way — from securing grants and building multiple revenue streams to launching social enterprises, knowing when an idea isn’t working, building financial reserves, and planning for the organization to continue beyond its founder.

She also shares how YEDI’s Not-for-Profit Program helped her move DANI from a grassroots initiative toward a more professional and sustainable organization.

If you’re running a nonprofit and wondering how to fund it, grow it, and build for the long term, this conversation is packed with lessons from someone who has spent 20 years doing exactly that.

In this episode of Startup Sandwich, host Ric Phillips sits down with marketing expert, author, speaker, and lecturer Sanjay Dhebar to unpack what entrepreneurs often misunderstand about marketing.

Sanjay explains why going viral is not a reliable business strategy, why marketing is much more than social media, and why the best organizations are marketing-led and sales-driven. He shares practical advice on building a marketing plan, understanding your value proposition, identifying your target audience, creating consistent branding, measuring success, and knowing when to outsource support.

The conversation also explores Sanjay’s own entrepreneurial journey, from leaving a secure full-time role to building a business around teaching, training, consulting, and strategic planning. He shares honest lessons on partnerships, patience, grit, adapting in a changing economy, and using AI to improve business efficiency.

If you’re a founder, startup owner, side hustler, or entrepreneur trying to grow your business, this episode offers practical insights on marketing, sales, branding, and long-term business growth.

In this episode of the Startup Sandwich Podcast, Ric Phillips, communication specialist at YEDI, sits down with Abimbola Akinnuoye, Founder of Leading Ladies Connect and Co-Founder of Karisverse, to talk about the real challenges women entrepreneurs face when building and growing a business.

From visibility and storytelling to funding, confidence, community, and brand growth, this conversation explores why so many women in business still downplay what they do and why that can hold them back. Abimbola shares her perspective on women entrepreneurship, the importance of showing up and telling your story, and how women founders can build credibility, access opportunities, and grow beyond the “small business” mindset.

Abimbola is the Founder of Leading Ladies Connect https://leadingladiesconnect.com/ , where she builds spaces that help women grow, get visible, and access real opportunities, and Co-Founder of Karisverse, an experiential media and marketing agency focused on storytelling and brand visibility. She works at the intersection of community, entrepreneurship, and media, and has built a global network of over 12,000 women while curating high-impact experiences that connect women directly to funding, partnerships, and visibility.

Startup Sandwich podcast is powered by the York Entrepreneurship Development Institute (YEDI), a designated learning institution that helps aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs build real businesses through practical education, mentorship, expert guidance, and a supportive entrepreneurial community. Learn more at yedi.ca.