The second episode of Season 4 of The SIP - How To Start a Business
with J.J., Erica, and Nathan - is out now!

The SIP

THE COKE SCHOLARS IGNITE PODCAST

How to Start a Business with J.J., Erica, & Nathan

In this latest episode of The SIP, Coke Scholars J.J., Erica, and Nathan share their wealth of knowledge and experiences as entrepreneurs.

The SIP | 12/19/2024

The SIP_Shaan Patel Albert Lawrence_Screen Grab 1

The SIP, short for The Coke Scholars Ignite Podcast, shares a taste of the Coke Scholars around the world who are igniting positive change.

Coca-Cola Scholars uplift others. The SIP shares the stories of Coke Scholars who are solving real-world problems and making the world a better place to energize, inspire, and connect listeners.

Season Features Coke Scholar Experts

Bryan Rodriguez (2014) - Senior Product Manager, Nubank

Kristina Ellis (2005) - Creator of College Ninja

Heather White (1991) - Author & Founder, OneGreenThing

JJ Jaxon (1994) - Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Mission MightyMe

Justin Elliott (2011) - Sales and Finances Leader

Visionary Leaders Innovating in Their Fields

Dr. Derrick Standifer (2009) - Founder, Life is Like A Rubik's Cube

Sudha Meghan (2006) - President and Co-Founder, RozieAI

Hope Arcuri Armanus (2014) - Senior Communications Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility, Verizon, and Founder, Conscious Comms Collective

Bonnie Lei (2011) - Principal, Climate Intelligence, Rocky Mountain Institute

Nathan Sharp (2004) - Co-Founder & CEO, Retro

Igniting Positive Change, Uplifting Communities

Wu Zhou (1993) - Director of Product, Microsoft

Hunter Snowden (2015) - Associate Attorney of Intellectual Property, Technology, and Commercial Transactions at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

Santoria Sawyer (2010) - Storyteller and Author of The Broken Crayon that Colored Still

Kacie Darden (2001) - Owner, Blue Pineapple Travel

Jason Shanker (1991) - President, Clear Tech Advice

And Sharing Their Learnings With You

Josh Tolkin (2004) - Vice President of Supplier Relations, World Travel Holdings

Erica Tuggle (2001) - Founder & CEO, Cookonnect

Megan Partridge (2010) - Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, HVN Travel Group

Bret Bechis (2001) - Adventure Traveler & Sales at Amazon

Episodes

How to Start a Business with J.J., Erica, & Nathan

In this latest episode of The SIP, Coke Scholars J.J., Erica, and Nathan share their wealth of knowledge and experiences as entrepreneurs.

The SIP | 12/19/2024

How to Manage Your Finances with Kristina, Bryan, & Justin

The first episode of Season 4 dives into how to manage your finances with Coke Scholar experts Kristina, Bryan, & Justin.

The SIP | 09/27/2024

Improving Healthcare with Heart and Intention with Joel, Anthoney, Athena, and Kaitlyn

How can we make healthcare better for everyone? In this final episode of season 3 of The SIP, Coke Scholars from different parts of the healthcare industry come together to discuss how they are tackling challenges they’ve encountered within the field. Meet our brilliant panel of Coke Scholars: They discuss how healthcare has evolved during…

The SIP | 12/09/2022

The Power of Building Your Brand with Safiya, Tiffany, Kaiti, and Ben

What makes a truly great brand? How can you build a personal brand to amplify your impact? If it sounds intimidating, you’re not alone. But it doesn’t have to be! Learn from branding experts, innovative content creators, and Coke Scholars Safiya, Tiffany, Kaiti, and Ben: Safiya Jihan Miller (2005) – Founder & Fashion Designer, SAFIYA…

The SIP | 11/02/2022

The Evolution of Education with Pegah, Star, and Brandon

It’s a complex time in education. Politicized school boards, intense debates surrounding curriculum, a massive teacher shortage, piling compensatory services for students with disabilities, chronic absenteeism, a mental health crisis, and unfinished learning are just a handful of challenges for educators right now. But, as Brandon says in the episode, it’s not all doom and…

The SIP | 10/05/2022

Caring for Our Mental Health with Robert, Diana, Chris, and Nina

The fourth episode of Season 3 features 4 Coke Scholar mental health advocates.

The SIP | 09/14/2022

From Covid Challenges to Cell Phones: Parenting Wisdom with Samuel, Nelda, and Dr. Laura

The third episode of Season 3 features 3 Coke Scholar parents who discuss the twists and turns of raising children and teenagers.

The SIP | 08/30/2022

Seeing the World Through the Lens of Storytelling with Nicole, Adam, and Jared

The second episode of Season 3 features 3 Coke Scholars who are incredibly talented artists, storytellers, and creative entrepreneurs.

The SIP | 08/10/2022

Just Do It: How Jorge, Jarvis, and Rosalyn are Leading with Purpose

The first episode of Season 3 brings together 3 Coke Scholars expanding diversity and social impact at NIKE, Inc.

The SIP | 07/26/2022

Going Pro in Basketball and Business with Junior Bridgeman, CEO of Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

Junior Bridgeman barely made his high school basketball team. He played 12 years in the NBA. Junior’s first restaurant was robbed and set on fire. He became the owner of over 450 restaurants in 20 states. His secret for growth? “I think I was never afraid of failure. Put it that way.” In this special bonus episode, Status Quo Ninja Daron K. Roberts (1997)…

The SIP | 07/06/2021

Cultivating Empathy and Delivering Hope for LGBTQ Students with Joe English (2013)

“I grew up in a 1900-person farm town… I never saw or watched or read anything that I felt really spoke to me as a gay person. It would have meant the world to me to have read even one book with one gay character in school, or one unit in history class talk about…

The SIP | 01/08/2021

When Spit Saves the World (and Builds a Business) with Jason Feldman (1990)

From The Home Depot to The Body Shop to Amazon to Vault Health, Jason Feldman (1990) describes his career as a game and chutes and ladders. His navigating force: using business to do good in the world. In this episode of The SIP, Sue Suh (1992), the first Chief People Officer for TIME, interviews fellow…

The SIP | 12/17/2020

Helping Millions Find Their Purpose by Pursuing Her Own with Kathryn Minshew (2004)

Investors initially called The Muse a “cute project.” Kathryn Minshew (2004) built it into the go-to destination for more than 75 million people each year to research companies and careers. In this episode of The SIP, Chantelle George (2006), founder of her own higher ed consulting business, interviews fellow entrepreneur and Coke Scholar Kathryn Minshew…

The SIP | 12/03/2020

Building Bridges for Communities of Color with Lillian Singh (2000)

Actor, singer, and entertainer Kevin Shen interviews fellow 2000 Scholar Lillian Singh this episode, who is the Vice President of Programs and Racial Wealth Equity at Prosperity Now, an organization that works to ensure a clear path to financial stability, wealth, and prosperity for all. From growing up in south central Los Angeles to getting…

The SIP | 11/11/2020

A Quest to Rehumanize Politics with Steven Olikara (2008)

In this episode, Sue Suh (1992), Chief People Officer for TIME, joins as host to talk with Steven Olikara (2008), Founder and CEO of the Millennial Action Project (MAP). The Millennial Action Project has an audacious mission: activate young leaders to bridge the partisan divide and transform American politics. “Bridge building isn’t rocket science, it’s…

The SIP | 10/28/2020

Financially Empowering Black Communities with Entrepreneur, Investor, and Million Dollar Scholar Derrius Quarles (2009)

The SIP is back for Season 2! Chantelle George (2006), founder and CEO of her own higher education consulting company, starts us off with a bang, interviewing Derrius Quarles (2009), author of Million Dollar Scholar and Co-Founder & Co-CEO of BREAUX Capital. From growing up in foster care to winning over a million dollars in…

The SIP | 10/16/2020

How Educated Risks Led to an Unorthodox Career Path with Bea Perez of The Coca-Cola Company

The SIP usually features incredible Coca-Cola Scholars, and today we’re honored to have an incredible leader from The Coca-Cola Company join us as well. In this bonus episode, 2003 Scholar Albert Lawrence rejoins The SIP to interview Beatriz “Bea” Perez, the Senior Vice President and Chief Communications, Public Affairs, Sustainability, and Marketing Assets Officer for…

The SIP | 09/24/2020

Going All In: Activating Global Dreams with Developer-Entrepreneur David Akinin (2008)

Capping the first season of The SIP is developer-entrepreneur David Akinin (2008) all the way from Windhoek, Namibia, who joins returning host and bestselling author Daron K. Roberts (1997). David, originally from Venezuela, tells his incredible story full of pivots and transitions – from being kidnapped with his family at just 11 years old, to…

The SIP | 07/15/2020

Coding and Community Building with Madi Pfaff Edgar (2013)

Daron K. Roberts (1997), bestselling author and founding director of the Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation at the University of Texas at Austin, joins The SIP to host the fifth episode. He interviews Madi Pfaff Edgar (2013), the founder and CEO of two companies – Legesher, her open source project that connects the language…

The SIP | 07/02/2020

Reclaiming the Indigenous Narrative with Playwright and Actress Isabella Madrigal (2020)

In the fourth episode of The SIP, Jolene Loetscher (1997) talks with Isabella Madrigal, a brand new Coke Scholar from the 2020 class! An avid writer and storyteller, Isabella discusses her play, Menil and Her Heart, which gives a voice to the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women, how it intersects with her own…

The SIP | 06/09/2020

Becoming an Advocate for Children with Rare Diseases with Sarah Turnbull (1996)

A new host, Jolene Loetscher (1997), joins us for the third episode of The SIP, interviewing Sarah Turnbull (1996), a photographer, EMT, and rare disease advocate. In this episode of The SIP, Sarah shares her journey from being selected as a Coke Scholar from a small town in Iowa to becoming a mom of three…

The SIP | 05/20/2020

Building a Shark Tank Side Hustle with Dr. Shaan Patel (2007)

In the second episode of The SIP, Albert Lawrence (2003) interviews Dr. Shaan Patel (2007), a Shark Tank entrepreneur who built a hugely successful side hustle without quitting his day job. After raising his SAT score from average to perfect, Shaan created a company called Prep Expert to help high school students achieve their own…

The SIP | 05/06/2020

Vulnerability and the Art of Listening with Juliana Tafur (2003)

In this first episode of The SIP, Albert Lawrence (2003) interviews Juliana Tafur (2003) about her life as a filmmaker. From evading gangs while documenting trash divers in Guatemala City with National Geographic to her newest documentary, LIST(e)N, which challenges people with differing viewpoints on hot-button issues to talk to each other, Juliana is dedicated…

The SIP | 04/02/2020

INTERVIEWs from AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY OF LEADERS

200+

C-Level Executives

Elected Government Officials

175+

Business Entrepreneurs

Broadway Actors & Playwrights

300+

Nonprofit Founders, Board Members & Presidents

100+

Rhodes, Marshall & Fulbright Scholars

College Administrators

700+

National, State and Local Government Staff

Scholar Features

Read more about Coca-Cola Scholars who are leading positive change in their communities and around the world.

Meet Them

want to join the network?

Become a Coca-Cola Scholar

A new class of 150 Coca-Cola Scholars is selected from high school seniors across the country each year. These students are driving positive change in their communities and are celebrated and empowered by a $20,000 college scholarship and a lifelong family of fellow change-makers.

Learn How to Apply