In this episode of Building A Better Brand®, host Tony Triumph sits down with Angel Gregorio, the visionary entrepreneur and community builder behind The Spice Suite and Black and Forth—DC’s first Black-owned strip mall. Recorded live during Congressional Black Caucus Week, this conversation traces Angel’s intentional journey from the classroom to multimillion-dollar real estate development. Angel pulls back the curtain on her "rule-breaking" philosophy, sharing how she transformed a single vacant storefront into a national movement for collective ownership and economic empowerment.

The conversation reveals Angel’s unfiltered approach to scaling, from using a 9-to-5 as a "dream investor" to navigating a $2.3M renovation and securing emergency city legislation to complete her mission. Together, they explore the importance of discernment, the power of peer-led mentorship, and why moving beyond the "struggle narrative" is essential for building sustainable community systems. Whether you are a brick-and-mortar founder or a digital operator, this episode offers a masterclass in purpose-driven entrepreneurship and what it truly looks like to build a better brand through service, distinction, and disruption.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Momentum for the "Big Leap": The real story behind leaving a career in education to bet fully on a single storefront and the mindset required to scale.
• Building Big in DC: How The Spice Suite evolved into Black and Forth—DC’s first Black-owned strip mall—and the shift from shop owner to real estate developer.
• The Math of Scaling: A transparent breakdown of a $2.3M renovation, including city infrastructure requirements and the hidden costs of scaling brick-and-mortar.
• Partnership Over Hustle: How to leverage civic engagement and emergency legislation to secure high-level funding, including a $1M grant.
• The Hybrid Model: Why every for-profit needs a nonprofit arm and how Dream Incubator was built on service before structure.
• Systems Over Struggle: A vital conversation on moving beyond the “struggle narrative” to focus on operational outcomes and sustainable business solutions.
• Brand Authority & Data: How to use relevant insights and performance data to communicate brand value to funders, government entities, and customers.

In this episode of Building A Better Brand®, host Tony Triumph sits down with Mariam Asmar, a global brand and marketing leader whose career spans advertising, tech, and creative innovation. From her early PR days at Time Warner to shaping campaigns for legacy giants like Coca-Cola and L'Oréal, to now driving creative strategy at Braze, Mariam brings a rare vantage point on the intersection of creativity, community, and technology. Together, they unpack the hype and reality of Cannes Lions, which they call “the Oscars of advertising,” and explore how tech has redefined brand building, customer engagement, and creative accountability.

The conversation reveals how Mariam is bridging the gap between traditional brand playbooks and performance-driven tech, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and storytelling. You'll get an inside look at Braze's Creative Innovation Lab and its role in helping brands merge creative strategy with data to build genuine, lasting relationships with their customers. Whether you’re a founder, operator, or modern marketer, this is a must-listen for anyone curious about the future of brand building and the evolving role of brand marketing in 2025.

• Cannes Lions: An Insider's Look: A deep dive into the "Oscars of advertising" and a juror's unique perspective on judging the world's most innovative brand campaigns.
• Bridging the Brand-Tech Gap: Insights on how to connect traditional brand playbooks with data-driven tech strategies to drive real growth and creative effectiveness.
• Braze's Creative Innovation Lab: A look inside the team's mission to help Fortune 500 brands and startups alike stay ahead of the curve by pushing the boundaries of creativity.
• Timeless Principles for Early-Stage Brands: Mariam’s actionable advice for founders building from scratch and why brand differentiation is your biggest advantage when budgets are small.
• Brand in the Age of AI: Mariam’s take on how new technology and shifting consumer expectations are forcing brand marketing to evolve from a separate department to a core, integrated strategic function.
• A Colorful Career: From McCann to Braze: A look at Mariam's diverse and storied career path and how she connected her past experiences to her current role in tech.
• Top 3-5 tips to build a better brand?: Mariam's actionable insights on what it takes to create a successful, enduring brand.

Connect with Braze on their Instagram, LinkedIn, and website here.

Connect with Tony Triumph: @tonytriumphofficial (IG), LinkedIn

In this episode, we dive into the remarkable journey of Samyr Laine, an investor, Olympian, and brand-builder who’s mastered the art of navigating both the sports and entertainment industries. Currently the Managing Partner and GP of Freedom Trail Capital, Samyr has held key leadership roles such as the SVP of Operations & Strategy at Westbrook Entertainment and Senior Director of Operations at Roc Nation. He’s worked on major celebrity-backed ventures, collaborating with industry giants like Will & Jada Pinkett Smith and Jay-Z, shaping the future of iconic brands while overseeing deal flow and driving portfolio growth.

Prior to his entertainment career, Samyr gained invaluable experience in sports with Major League Soccer and Monumental Sports & Entertainment, and even represented Haiti in the 2012 London Olympics, finishing 10th in the triple jump. With degrees from Georgetown Law, The University of Texas, and Harvard University (where he was roommates with Mark Zuckerberg), Samyr’s brand-building journey stands as a powerful testament to passion, perseverance, and seizing the opportunities that come your way.

• (2:55) Lawyer Turned Operator Turned Investor: Samyr shares his unique career evolution, starting from law school and transitioning into operations and venture capital.
• (8:45) Bold Moves: From Law to Leadership: Reflections on how his legal background at Georgetown Law equipped him with the skills to navigate the worlds of entertainment and venture capital.
• (11:15) Olympic Athlete: Insights into his journey representing Haiti in the 2012 London Olympics and how sports taught him resilience and discipline.
• (15:00) Early Days at Harvard University w/ Zuck: A look at his time at Harvard, including his experience rooming with Mark Zuckerberg and how it shaped his entrepreneurial mindset.
• (17:52) Elevating Entertainment Brands at Roc Nation: Behind the scenes of leading operations for JAY-Z’s entertainment empire and the impact of his work on their publishing blueprint.
• (25:47) Collaborating with Will & Jada Pinkett Smith at Westbrook Entertainment: How Samyr’s role in celebrity ventures expanded his expertise in entertainment branding, including managing the entire consumer goods IP of Westbrook.
• (28:24) Building Celebrity-Backed Brands: Using the power of celebrity influence to propel brands to new heights and what it’s like to manage celebrity relationships.
• (39:00) What Inspires His Investment Choices: Learn how Samyr invests in and advises ventures like Issa Rae’s Sienna Naturals and Ciara’s Ten to One Rum.
• (52:07) What It Means to be a Brand Builder: A look at his core philosophy behind building and scaling impactful brands.
• (56:57) Top 3-5 tips to build a better brand?: Samyr’s actionable insights on what it takes to create a successful, enduring brand.

Connect with Samyr Laine on Instagram and LinkedIn here.

Samyr's investment firm, Freedom Trail Capital: https://www.freedomtrail.capital/

Connect with Tony Triumph: @tonytriumphofficial (IG), Tonytriumph10 (Twitter), LinkedIn