Nonprofits are being asked to do more than ever with teams that are already stretched thin. But what happens when AI gives mission-driven organizations the capacity to move faster, understand donors better, and spend more time on the relationships that actually drive impact?

Jim Funari, CEO of StratusLIVE, joins The Fervent Four to talk about how AI, software, and digital engagement are reshaping the nonprofit world. From donor relationships and fundraising to team capacity and national reach, this conversation explores why technology is no longer just back-office support. It is becoming central to how mission-driven organizations grow, serve, and survive. https://stratuslive.com/

The conversation also highlights a Hampton Roads company making serious waves well beyond the region. StratusLIVE was named to the initial tranche of the IHR200, Innovate Hampton Roads' list of the 200 most promising and important privately owned businesses in Hampton Roads — a reminder that major technology companies are being built right here in the 757. https://www.innovate757.org/ihr200/

00:00 Mistakes Teach More Than Wins
02:11 Why Nonprofits Struggle to Market Themselves
04:20 What StratusLIVE Actually Does
05:36 Building a Nonprofit Tech Company
08:05 Staying Current in a Fast-Moving Tech World
11:13 How AI Can Help Nonprofits Do More With Less
13:02 Is There a First-Mover Advantage in Nonprofit AI?
14:01 Why Focus on Nonprofits?
15:51 The Next Generation of Nonprofit Fundraising Tools
17:29 Using AI Agents to Reduce Back-Office Work
18:53 Will AI Replace Jobs or Create More Capacity?
21:47 Bringing National Customers to Virginia Beach
24:21 Building a Business With Family
27:48 Local vs. Remote Talent in Hampton Roads
30:15 Hiring for Curiosity and Team Fit
34:03 Why Curiosity Matters in Leadership
36:02 Raising Capital in Hampton Roads
40:44 Why the Team Matters More Than the Idea
41:57 What Founders Overlook About Execution
43:43 Finding Your First Customers
46:15 Why Mistakes Are Better Teachers Than Wins
47:34 Adjusting Strategy as the Market Changes
51:17 National Impact Through Corporate Giving
53:44 A Hampton Roads Company Creating Big Impact
54:11 Why Nonprofits Need Technology at the Table
55:41 Where to Eat in Virginia Beach

What does it really take to build a business that lasts for decades?

Building an agency or service-based business is not just about landing the first client. It is about hiring the right people, delivering consistently, earning trust, surviving hard seasons, and making decisions that protect the company long after the excitement of launch wears off.

In this episode of the Fervent Four Show, Tony Cortinas, president and cofounder of Marathon Consulting, shares what he has learned from building a Hampton Roads technology consulting company that has lasted 20 years.

The conversation covers Marathon's early leap of faith, the story behind the company's name, the discipline it took to grow without sacrificing quality, and why people, culture, and client relationships have remained central to the company's success.

Marathon Consulting was also named to the first group of 20 companies selected for the IHR200, Innovate Hampton Roads' curated list of the 200 most important privately owned, growth-scalable businesses in the region. https://marathonus.com/

Watch the full conversation to hear what building a lasting business really looks like, and why endurance may be one of the most underrated forms of business success.

Learn more about the Fervent Four Show:
https://www.innovate757.org/ferventfour/

(0:00) Building relationships, starting the business, and launching before the Great Recession
(2:04) Managing time between company building and client work
(2:43) History and background of Metro Information Services and Keene
(4:52) Phased approach to launching the company
(7:04) Initial funding and relationship with Town Bank
(7:29) Company growth and employee numbers
(10:17) Origin of the Marathon name and logo
(13:49) Community involvement and support
(18:06) Influence of Metro and Keene on company culture
(19:26) Multi-step interview process and hiring standards
(22:13) Key qualities sought in potential hires
(23:48) Transitioning from client-facing roles and rewriting old systems
(25:32) The impact of AI and automation on consulting
(29:57) Predictions on AI's effect on jobs and consulting
(32:50) Evolution of Marathon Consulting's partnership structure
(38:28) Opening an office in Richmond: Challenges and strategies
(44:47) Future plans for geographic expansion and service offerings
(46:37) Overcoming growth plateaus and breaking through employee milestones
(48:27) Scaling challenges with growing teams
(49:35) Transition from small to large team dynamics
(50:10) The importance of food in company culture
(51:34) Returning to the office post-pandemic
(52:10) Reflecting on two decades of business growth
(53:18) Employee retention and long-term staff
(54:16) Future branding and company milestones
(55:16) Episode wrap-up and final thoughts

Something in the Water was never just about music. In this conversation, Robby Wells breaks down the bigger strategy behind cultural moments, regional storytelling, and building events that make people feel ownership in where they live.

Wells is a branding and cultural strategy leader who has worked behind the scenes on major Virginia moments like Something in the Water and Mighty Dream. His work sits at the intersection of storytelling, events, culture, commerce, and community impact, helping turn big ideas into experiences that make people think differently about their cities.

From Pharrell's influence, Something in the Water, Mighty Dream, and Atlantic Park to Noodle, Newport News, skateboarding, city branding, and the next generation of builders, this conversation explores why culture can change how a city sees itself, and why emerging leaders need access, belief, and a real chance to take the ball and run with it.

0:00 Thinking bigger and being free to dream
0:17 Robby Wells joins the conversation
0:45 Moving from Los Angeles to Virginia
1:14 The assumption that Robby and Pharrell grew up together
1:59 How skateboarding shaped Robby's view of creativity
4:00 Skateboarding, hustle, and innovation
7:17 Atlantic Park and the skater mindset
9:10 Culture, commerce, and modern city-building
10:30 Why festivals can be bigger than ticket sales
11:33 Why some people only see the surface
13:01 Understanding the festival experience
14:00 Applying big-brand strategy to the 757
16:14 Why others have to take the ball and run with it
17:01 Elephant in the Room and what happened next
21:12 The gap between emerging builders and the establishment
24:32 Lionel Sapp, AI, and giving builders a real shot
25:56 Everybody wants to be invited
28:25 Bringing the future into the room
29:46 Thinking small, systemic doubt, and taking chances
32:28 How to give more people a shot
33:32 Risk-taking, doubt, and learning to move anyway
34:12 Free to Dream and why big ideas matter
36:01 What "Something in the Water" really means
37:54 Creating emotional ownership around an event
39:35 Could Something in the Water come back?
40:52 Why Newport News needed more than another music festival
41:49 Building the pitch for Noodle
42:55 Collective illusion and changing a city's story
45:05 Culture, science, music, and Newport News' opportunity
47:05 Handling negativity while building something new
49:45 How negative narratives become accepted
51:22 Using AI to imagine the future of Newport News
53:42 Why Noodle's programming came together so easily
54:49 Robby's first impressions of Virginia
57:15 The people who changed how Robby saw the region
59:34 Favorite food in town and closing thoughts

Watch more episodes of The Fervent Four Show:
https://www.innovate757.org/ferventfour/

Learn more about NOODLE:
https://www.noodlecon.com/

Follow Something in the Water:
https://www.instagram.com/somethinginthewater/

Learn more about Mighty Dream:
https://eitr.com/

Follow Innovate Hampton Roads:
https://www.innovate757.org/