This episode of The O.H.I.O. Fund Report features Michael and Tory Waxman — the founders of Sundays for Dogs, the Cleveland-based company designed to make dog parents’ lives easy.

What began with their own dog, Mabel, and a simple but powerful question — why does feeding dogs well have to be so difficult? — has grown into one of the most exciting consumer companies to emerge from Ohio. Led by loving dog parents Dr. Tory Waxman, a veterinarian, and Michael Waxman, a serial entrepreneur, Sundays pioneered human-grade, air-dried, zero-synthetics dog food designed to be healthier than kibble and easier than refrigerated alternatives.

Since our last recorded conversation in 2023, Sundays has scaled dramatically. Having raised more than $55 million in capital and built out a Cleveland-based R&D Test Kitchen — where our conversation today took place — Sundays has grown from a direct-to-consumer upstart into a nationally recognized brand preparing for omni-channel distribution, creating a product that dogs love while positioning themselves at the forefront of the booming pet food market and the emerging ambient fresh movement.

In our conversation, Michael and Tory share how they’ve navigated multiple chapters of scaling — including customer acquisition and brand evolution, balancing supply and demand, investing deeply in product innovation, and building a senior leadership team — while staying grounded in the mission that inspired Sundays from the start: making it easier to be an awesome dog parent. They also discuss what excites them most about the future and what comes next for Sundays as the company continues to grow.

00:00:00 - "The World's Best Dog Food is Made in Cleveland"
00:00:25 - Introduction: Sundays for Dogs
00:05:20 - Building an In-House R&D Test Kitchen in Cleveland
00:10:06 - Most Dogs Still Eat Kibble (And Why That's Changing)
00:15:09 - Marketing Evolution: How Does Sundays for Dogs Stand Out?
00:20:18 - New Recipe Launch Preview (From the Test Kitchen!)
00:21:33 - Ohio: The Surprising Dog Food Capital of America
00:25:36 - Supply Chain Stories & Lessons Learned
00:30:39 - When Demand Outpaces Supply: A Good Problem?
00:32:59 - Beyond DTC: Omnichannel Distribution Strategy
00:38:21 - How AI Will Transform How People Buy Dog Food
00:41:34 - Dogs as Family: Where Is Society Headed?
00:46:44 - Building Company Culture at Sundays
00:52:13 - The Vision: Making Sundays a Household Name
00:55:18 - Where to Find Sundays for Dogs

———
For more on The O.H.I.O. Fund: check out & subscribe to future content @ www.theohiofund.com
———

LINKS:
https://sundaysfordogs.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelewaxman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tory-waxman-87781b176/

This episode of The O.H.I.O. Fund Report features Brad DeHays — Founder and CEO of Connect Real Estate and Connect Housing Blocks.
Brad’s journey spans from buying small distressed properties while still in college to leading one of the most ambitious housing manufacturing platforms in the country. Through Connect Real Estate, Brad has revitalized some of Ohio’s most overlooked landmarks — transforming abandoned power plants, trolley barns, and historic buildings into vibrant new community anchors.

That same entrepreneurial vision inspired him to launch Connect Housing Blocks (CHB), a 630,000-square-foot modular housing facility anchored in Ohio, now one of the largest modular housing factories in the world. Using state-of-the-art equipment and prefabrication methods, CHB produces high-quality apartments from start to finish, eliminating nearly all measuring, cutting, and heavy lifting—the result: faster, more consistent, and more affordable housing production at scale.

In our conversation, which took place on site at CHB, Brad shares how he’s navigated multiple chapters of starting and scaling Connect, the founding insight that drove him to take on industrial-scale modular housing, how he engages communities and leverages public–private partnerships, his unique approach to talent and culture, and his vision for solving the housing crisis by massively scaling up production capability.

00:00:00 - The Birth of an Innovative Solution
00:03:50 - Understanding the Housing Crisis
00:08:56 - Reinventing Construction Processes
00:14:58 - Scaling Modular Housing Production
00:20:54 - Transforming the Construction Timeline
00:31:45 - Vision for the Future of Housing
00:35:42 - Scaling Modular Construction: A Game Changer
00:41:33 - The Future of Modular Housing: Opportunities and Challenges
00:46:16 - Design and Aesthetics in Modular Construction
00:51:55 - Labor Challenges in the Construction Industry
00:55:15 - Cultural Dynamics and Employee Empowerment
01:00:04 - Looking Ahead: Growth and Future Prospects

———
For more on The O.H.I.O. Fund: check out & subscribe to future content @ www.theohiofund.com
———

Perry Stancato is the founder and CEO of Signature Sauces and a third-generation operator of the beloved Cleveland institution, Stancato’s Italian Restaurant.

This conversation with Perry explores the entrepreneurial journey of someone who grew up in the family restaurant — from standing on a milk crate as a kid making waffles for Sunday brunch to running Stancato’s today while simultaneously building Signature Sauces into a premier national food manufacturing partner.

Signature Sauces began in 2005 with a simple idea: to bottle his family’s legendary red sauce after customers kept asking for it. What started as a way to serve Stancato’s loyal patrons quickly evolved into something much larger. Perry discovered that while retail was cutthroat and unforgiving, his passion and true product-market fit lay in foodservice — helping other restaurants scale their “secret sauces.” Today, Signature Sauces has grown into a company that helps make the products that make others famous, serving clients from local Ohio favorites to national brands like Bob Evans, Momofuku, Benihana, Barrio, and many more.

Alongside that manufacturing growth, Perry continues to steward Stancato’s — the restaurant that has been a Cleveland staple for decades. He reflects on the delicate balance of honoring a community legacy while making small, thoughtful changes to stay relevant across generations.

In our conversation, Perry shares the challenges of taking nearly ten years to get Signature Sauces off the ground, the resilience it took to keep going, the lessons learned from retail versus foodservice, and what he’s most proud of: seeing team members who started as dishwashers grow into leaders, and knowing his work helps thousands of diners enjoy meals every day. We also dive into his Ohio pride, from the region’s food scene to partnerships like the Ohio State Buckeye Tailgate sauces, and his perspective on what it takes to build a legacy business in Cleveland.

00:00:00 - The Legacy of Stancatos: A Family Business Journey
00:09:03 - From Family Recipes to Signature Sauces
00:12:49 - Navigating the Food Industry: Retail vs. Food Service
00:17:15 - Scaling Up: The Art and Science of Sauce Production
00:20:39 - The Future of Signature Sauces: Expanding Partnerships
00:21:55 - The Entrepreneurial Journey Begins
00:23:33 - Vision and Growth of Signature Sauces
00:26:10 - Lessons from the Restaurant Industry
00:29:10 - Balancing Time and Responsibilities
00:31:40 - Building a Legacy in Ohio
00:34:30 - Innovation and Technology in Food Production
00:37:08 - Trends in the Culinary World
00:39:44 - Understanding Risk and Success
00:42:22 - Navigating Customer Relationships
00:45:20 - Insights for Aspiring Food Entrepreneurs
00:45:35 - Reflections on the Journey

———
For more on The O.H.I.O. Fund: check out & subscribe to future content @ www.theohiofund.com
———