Hello Alice president launches podcast for small business owners

The president and co-founder of local financial technology platform Hello Alice launched a podcast Thursday in partnership with Yahoo Finance to inspire budding entrepreneurs with advice from industry giants.

Hello Alice CEO Elizabeth Gore launched “The Big Idea with Elizabeth Gore,” a weekly video podcast to provide insights to small business owners on how to kick start their business.

“Entrepreneurs and small business owners drive our country’s economy forward. With a record number of small businesses launching in our communities, my goal is to help every citizen live the American Dream,” Gore said in a statement. “On the Big Idea, we will break down barriers for entrepreneurs and lift up opportunities for every person wanting to be their own boss.”

Gore, who is married to Sonoma County District 4 Supervisor James Gore, launched Hello Alice with Carolyn Rodz in 2017.

The two had the goal of providing equitable opportunities for small businesses in marginalized communities. Since then, Hello Alice has helped provide more than $57 million in grants to more than 1.5 million small business owners, according to a news release.

The platform faced controversy in 2023 after it was hit with a racial discrimination lawsuit over a partnership grant with Progressive Insurance. The lawsuit was later dismissed.

For the podcast, Gore plans to talk with entrepreneurs such as Neil Blumenthal, the CEO of Warby Parker, and Lisa Price, the founder of haircare company Carol’s Daughter.

In addition to nationally recognized companies, Gore plans on interviewing business people from Sonoma County including , and the owners of Valette, Russian River Brewing Co., The Garden Society and Trattoria Olive Oil. Gore said that at the end of each episode she will feature a local small business.

“Small businesses in our county lift up our local economy, and those effects can be felt as they ripple throughout the region,” Gore said in an email. “It’s always been my mission to support small businesses and help them access affordable capital and credit while scaling efficiently,”

Yahoo Finance’s head of content, Anthony Galloway, said their company is excited to bring “The Big Idea” podcast to its content collection.

“Small business owners are a vital part of our audience, so we’re excited to welcome Elizabeth Gore from Hello Alice, whose insights and expertise will help us serve and connect with this important cohort in meaningful ways,” Galloway said in a statement.

New episodes are released every Thursday at 9 a.m. It can be viewed on streaming platforms including yahoofinance.com, Amazon Prime Video, Samsung TV, Fire TV, Vizio, Haystack and DirectTV.

The podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart and Amazon Music.

You can reach Staff Writer Melanie Nguyen at 707-521-5457 or melanie.nguyen@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @mellybelly119