What happens when you lose a job with one minute's notice — and use that moment to build something entirely new?

In part two of our conversation with Dr. Emmett Gill, founder of Athlete Talks and pioneer in sports social work, we go deep on the entrepreneurial grind of building a mental health app from the ground up during Covid, the brutal reality that only 15–20% of athletes who need mental health services actually seek them, and how Dr. Gill is thinking about reaching the other 80%.

We also get into the seismic shifts reshaping college athletics — rev share, NIL, conference realignment, the shrinking of non-revenue sports — and what student athletes need to understand right now to position themselves for what's coming. Dr. Gill doesn't hold back on the hard truths: which sports he believes won't survive, why the dream of Black athletes returning to HBCUs may have passed, and why youth sports is where the real opportunity lies for the next generation of sports professionals.

Plus, Dr. Gill shares his plans for growing Athlete Talks in 2026, his push to trademark the credential "Sports SW," and why relationships — not just hustle — are the foundation of sustainable entrepreneurship.
This one is layered. Tune in.

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Can capitalism be a tool for collective black liberation? In this powerful episode of Entrepreneurial Appetite, host Langston Clark and special guest host Lloyd Kuykendoll (founder of Black Cabinet Education) sit down with Dr. Rachel Laryea, author of "Black Capitalists: A Blueprint for What's Possible," to explore one of the most urgent questions facing black communities today.

Dr. Laryea, a former Goldman Sachs professional turned entrepreneur and thought leader, challenges us to rethink our relationship with capitalism. Drawing on Pan-African principles and her Ghanaian immigrant mother's hustle, she reveals how we can strategically engage with economic systems—not from a place of oppression, but from a position of power and collective uplift.
This conversation goes deep into the distinction between being a black participant in capitalism versus being a true "black capitalist"—someone who repositions themselves within the economic system to achieve social good. Learn about innovative tools like Esusu's rent-to-credit reporting that's unlocking millions in capital access, traditional sou-sou money pooling practices, and the power of organized economic boycotts.

Dr. Laryea shares hard-earned wisdom from Wall Street, addresses the "tax" of being black in corporate America, and explains why she wrote a book with such a polarizing title. From discussing the dangers of individualism and crabs-in-a-barrel mentality to exploring what it means to "lift as we climb," this episode offers a blueprint for economic empowerment rooted in community, not competition.
Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, or simply seeking to understand how to build black wealth without compromising black values, this conversation delivers actionable insights for our in-between moment—the space between where we are and where we're trying to go.

Featured Guest: Dr. Rachel Laryea, Author of "Black Capitalists: A Blueprint for What's Possible"
Special Guest Host: Lloyd Kuykendoll, Founder of Black Cabinet Education

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In this powerful first episode of a two-part conversation, we sit down with Dr. Emmett Gill, founder of Athlete Talk and Director of Mental Health and Wellness at the University of Houston. Dr. Gill shares his remarkable journey from being a walk-on baseball player at UNC Charlotte who graduated third from last in his high school class to becoming one of the leading voices in sports social work and athlete mental health.

Discover how a coach's ultimatum transformed Dr. Gill from a struggling student into an honor roll scholar-athlete, and how that experience shaped his life's mission to support the mental wellness of student athletes. Dr. Gill opens up about his academic journey—from earning his Master's in Social Work at Howard University with support from the Bill and Camille Cosby Fellowship, to navigating PhD programs at Penn and University of Maryland, to pioneering the field of sports social work when skeptics questioned its legitimacy.

This episode explores critical topics including:

• The evolution of sports social work and why it's essential for today's student athletes
• Mental health challenges facing college athletes across all sports—not just football and basketball
• How Dr. Gill created the Athlete Talk app during COVID to reach the 80% of athletes who don't seek traditional mental health services
• The connection between mental health and winning championships (UH football went from picked last to 10-3)
• Why only 15-20% of athletes who need mental health services actually seek them
• The future of college athletics, NIL, revenue sharing, and transfer portal impacts
• Why non-revenue sports may face elimination and what that means for student athletes

Dr. Gill doesn't hold back on the state of college athletics, offering provocative insights about private equity in sports, the death of the HBCU athlete pipeline, and why he's trademarking "Sports SW" to protect the integrity of sports social work practice.

Whether you're a student athlete, coach, athletic administrator, sports entrepreneur, or mental health professional, this conversation provides essential insights into the intersection of sports, mental wellness, and the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics.

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