In this episode of Entre News, NFTE President & CEO Dr. J.D. LaRock sits down with Dr. Ande Noktes—entrepreneur, researcher, and Founding Executive Director of the Lucas Center for Entrepreneurship.

Dr. Noktes shares her remarkable journey, from starting her first school with just $9 and a gift card to leading a thriving entrepreneurship center serving rural communities. Along the way, she has challenged the status quo in education and researched how women entrepreneurs navigate barriers in accessing capital.

Tune in for an inspiring discussion on the future of education, innovation, and equity.

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.