WEBVTT
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Welcome.
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Welcome to another great episode of the Beyond Normal Podcast.
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I'm your host, Kenny Groom.
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I'm excited to be bringing to you all an incredible, incredible founder here in my very backyard of Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Uh, our guest today is, uh, Marcus Wade.
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He is the founder at Genesis One Technologies, LLC, which is the parent company for some incredible tech that's being, uh, put into a lot of the venues that you all are Going to today.
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In terms of the Topper Stopper, there's some incredible innovation going on at this company.
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I wanna make sure I'm highlighting this, this fellow founder, business owner in the Charlotte market.
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So without it going, sir?
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Going great.
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I see Charlotte Yes, indeed.
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And you know what?
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Uh, uh.
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I'm glad that you brought that up.
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because when I initially started this journey, uh, for normal media, I did not necessarily connect the founder journey, tech founder, you know, the tech space in general to our, our home market of Charlotte, North Carolina.
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But here we are five, six years later and I know you have some incredible, uh, uh, insights to add when it comes
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Well, let me tell you the reason why years ago was like that because it, it really wasn't, um, tech forward.
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But now, uh, through companies or organizations like Innovate Charlotte, um, there is a really big push in technology and startup culture here in the Charlotte region itself.
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Um, they actually call Charlotte Silicon South.
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So, uh, you got Silicon Valley over there.
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We're Silicon South and it's growing.
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Um, in Charlotte there's a whole technology corridor that goes from, uh, UNC Charlotte all the way through uptown and, um, forward, up to, or down to towards, uh, south
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south Bend.
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now.
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we're, we're in the right spot at the right time.
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Yeah.
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I love that.
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Uh, you, you threw my alma mater out there.
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Um, so I appreciate you, uh, throwing them in there.
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Uh, the, the, the campus and just the, the, the, amount of funding that has gone into the university, um, it, it is really incredible to see and I'm glad that you're tapped in there.
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But I, I wanna make sure that we, we, we set the stage for this conversation.
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I want folks to learn, learn a little bit about before you were at this point, right?
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Where Genesis one, the Topper Stopper,
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So my passion is in, in life is completely different from what we're doing now.
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Um, and you can, you can have a passion and still have a business that's, um, related, but my passion in life is to reach this at-risk generation through radical Christian music.
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Um, I am.
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A, uh, international DJ and music producer based area in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Um, I've been producing music since 2010.
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Um, and my whole purpose is just that what I said, so I, my music style is deep house dance music and you're just like, hold up.
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You say you wanna reach people with.
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Radical Christian music.
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How are you gonna do that with dance music?
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That is the actual reason.
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Now we go and we perform, um, abroad.
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We perform in, uh, venues in Ibiza, in, um, Amsterdam, yearly, um, Switzerland, um, um, Paris, France, uh, London, England.
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Anywhere where the Lord would have me to go to reach a soul, uh, play a, a stage, uh, big venue, small venue, doesn't matter.
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I would say I'll play the same for one person versus if it's a crowd of 10,000, doesn't matter.
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So that's my and the business helps me to
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fund my, my, mission, that's is here.
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Mm.
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I love that.
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That is, Yeah.
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You touching on that.
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It, it makes so much sense to say, you know, the technology can learn a lot from, from faith and the way that it connects.
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Uh, like you mentioned, people really across the world, uh, across different boundaries, a different,
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Yeah.
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whatever, whatever is there to separate us, right, The, the, the aspects of faith really are there to like kind of remove those barriers.
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And so it makes sense for tech to be at this point now where someone such as yourself can really take that experience and you apply it in the tech space.
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I
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Well, background of it.
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Um, so the idea to do and create the topper stopper, uh, really wasn't my idea.
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Let, just, lemme just set that level plane there.
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Um, it wasn't a divine idea.
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Um, the, the short story is that I met with my daughter's, uh, professor, um, her.
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Sixth grade professor, no, I'm sorry, eighth grade professor.
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And we were talking about AI and, and, uh, he asked me to do something for him.
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I did it for him.
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And then it came back with a problem that he was having.
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And, and the problem was that they were helping a, um, large beverage company here in the cities.
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If you know anything about large beverage companies, you know that Coca-Cola's here, they were helping to do things in a stadium and they, uh, wanted to get the recyclables back.
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And the way they were doing it didn't really, um, land with me like, well, and the way you're doing it is it's a lot of manual labor.
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You gotta go and of that.
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I was like, that's gotta be a better way.
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So didn't think anything of it came home and the next morning I was doing my devotional and the devotional was about.
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A, a guy that reinvented or restructured, uh, a bow and arrow and now the way that we see bow and arrows today is his invention years ago.
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Um, so I asked God to give me an idea to help him.
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Then I said, wait a minute, not just help him, not just help Coca-Cola.
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Give me an idea that would change the way people look at recycling worldwide.
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I went to bed, woke up the next morning, the idea was
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head, that's where the top stop
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came from.
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Mm.
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That's dope, man.
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That's this is one of those things where when somebody certain topics, right, they aren't.
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They're not sexy, like you said, like waste management for a big, a big beverage brand is like, there's, that's not, are not clearing to talk
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no.
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no.
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but that is Exactly.
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But can imagine like when you start to uncover, oh, there's this much, like there's this much.
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Involved in it, you start to see some of the opportunities that sexy and they're
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yes, yes, Exactly.
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And you, you're right.
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The, the idea of we, the, here's, the big thing.
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can you impact recycling in the us?
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This is like a daunting task.
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You know, there's, there's there's plastic bottles in streams and oceans all around.
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and and here's a, here's an interesting ta, interesting uh, fact, every 17.9 seconds.
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We, north Carolinians throw away enough plastic reach the height of the Bank of America Tower.
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So think, just think about that every literally every 18 seconds.
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So how do you impact that?
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How do you do that?
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And this is where divine inspiration and divine the idea comes because.
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My, the, what I got was create this device that would eliminate re uh, contamination in the trash streams.
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So when people, so when people are recycling in a recycling bin.
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What do you normally see there?
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You normally see all kind of stuff inside there other than recycling.
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So what the Topper Stopper does, it inhibits that.
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You can't put anything inside the bin unless you scan the items and when you scan the item with the barcode, it opens up.
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You could put it in there.
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It keeps the recycling trash bin clean.
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I was like, God, that is an amazing idea.
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If you look at way it came about, it was a very crew.
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Cardboard box and, uh, uh, a little small little toy motor that would, that would, open and close if I scanned a little basic little QR code thing.
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And it, it, it worked.
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I was like, wow.
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So from there, it came into this right here, and it goes back to this why I called my company Genesis One Technologies, because in the beginning, God did what, first thing he did was he created.
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That's the very first thing we find out about God.
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Not that he's, he loves us, Not that he's a healer, not that he's a provider, that he's a creator.
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So if we are made in the image of God, then we are creators.
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So that's how I say, you know what, I'm gonna lean on that.
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And that, and what you're doing, you're living in your, your, divine, um, um, aspect of being like God by being a creator.
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So that's what it is.
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So this is God's creation.
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Literally, um, brought forth.
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I know, I, I know that's that's not what you normally hear on a type thing and talking business,
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it.
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No, I love it.
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I love it to you real So I'm curious.
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Do you, you still have that cardboard box, I hope.
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Yeah, yeah, I was about to say, like, that sounds, that.
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sounds like, uh, as you were just talking, I.
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I could see like that being like the thing that's like auctioned off.
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Like when this like thing becomes like, what I, I truly believe it's going to become, and then
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Right, exactly.
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amazing.
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I keep it as li and it literally still works too.
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It still works.
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And I, I have every, we're in our sixth version of the Topper Stopper and I have every version of that, of the Topper Stopper from it's most crude.
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I wouldn't even call that MVP, that was like, um, I don't even know what to call that.
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That was a prototype, a rough prototype at that, all the way up
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to the more polished version that we see now.
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That's dope.
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And, and I'll be honest, as you were sitting there telling that story, you actually invoked some stories in my head.
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I grew up in Connecticut to go to the recycling center Yes.
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With my dad.
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Um, Yes.
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And I think, I don't know if he was punishing us, but he was like trying to, I think he was like, here's how much output.
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All have, like, you're gonna understand like each of these bottles, you gonna put in this machine and you gonna get a, a nickel back.
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Or nothing.
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Or nothing, right?
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Because it couldn't scan the code.
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Um, That's just
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to do the same thing.
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My
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so this
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would take
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take
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to a store and with glass bottles, and we would take those glass
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bottles and
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us back the same thing when I was a little kid.
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And, uh, uh, But, you know, but that are, you know, that's in Virginia and Connecticut, which is two of the five states that still do that type of um, uh,
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buyback type
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but the vast majority don't.
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So what happens in
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in North Carolina and South all the other states.
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Mm-hmm.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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So let, let's talk a little bit about going from that, that box, which is the prototype.
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Um, like you said, it worked, proof of concept, check the box, right?
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But let's talk a little bit about, all right, going from that, that, that cardboard box to getting the invention off the ground and then potentially going from like.
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A prototype that looks a
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Yes.
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Yes.
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Yes.
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So process happened.
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Um, a few months prior to, um, let's, let's go back to that story.
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A few months prior to meeting, um, my daughter's professor at that time, years ago, I started, uh, going to a local, um.
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reserve.
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Um.
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Or local park, as you would call it, Saturday mornings.
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Um, and what I call, um, TWG Time of God.
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And Tho that, that t that TWG time is time that I spend with him to get downloads for business only.
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This is literally just business only.
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Um.
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And after meeting with him and, and doing the prototype, I continued that even to this, this, this, every single, this day now, every Saturday.
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Um, and throughout those sessions and times, I am literally getting information on.
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How to do this process from the, in the very beginning, earlier stages, this was all about creating and crafting and designing the item, how to even code the item, how to, uh, bring the item together.
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Um, I have a, a book that I, Or I have books rather, that I have, that I do when I go there.
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I take notes.
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This is my fifth one of these, right?
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And inside of there I'm getting downloads of data and information and structure or, or design, design changes that needs to happen inside of the units or, um, how to strategically, um, um, do certain things in the business structure like that.
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So I am literally getting informational download of what to do.
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Every single week, every single day, and how to maneuver throughout this, this journey, right?
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Because if it's his idea that he gave me, then I'm leaning on him to give me the literal, exact Instructions Instructions on how to do everything.
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I know that sounds kind of different and kind of taboo, Um, but sometimes when we are, when we recognize that we are in a position and in a place for a certain reason.
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Um, and it's beyond us.
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My thought is, okay, an electric vehicle, and if I knew Elon Musk, I would go to Elon the instructions on how to do that vehicle, correct?
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Right.
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So if God gave me the idea to create this business, to create this product and associated services, then I'm gonna lean on.
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That, that source to give me all the instructions.
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So that's what I've done.
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And.
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What we see today, every aspect is literally from the, that those Saturday morning times from 7:00 AM till 11, 12:00 PM of just sitting there in my car, uh, or sitting on the side of the, um, the little lake there, um, uh, at, um, Mount Island Lake and getting information.
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That is literally how we've trans transformed through there.
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it's not only to just recently, within the last, um, eight to eight months or so that I've started to really dive deep into the startup stuff here in Charlotte.
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The, um, the programs like Innovate Charlotte and um, the Boost Pad and really now started digging into, um, um,
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these
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resources
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that didn't even know existed Mm-hmm.
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I, I think appreciate you breaking it down that way.
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I think the, the journey for a founder, you have to have some of those, like you said, you have to sit down with your thoughts and let, like you said, like you have to let these things manifest, a lot of times the, your inner circle, those around you, they're not necessarily equipped to even give you, That direction.
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A lot of times, like a lot of us, we don't know, like you said, mentioned like if we knew Elon Musk, right, I would just say, Hey man, I wanna have a car brand, what do I do?
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But then there's always that, there's that, that gap at times, right?
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Where we don't have that versus in your case, you have that faith from day one, definitely leveraging that through this process.
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yes.
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I.
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Yeah, and you, you, you and and spot on.
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That right there is the key That is the foundation there.
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Regardless if, if, if, um, if we're, if I'm just working a regular job and, and didn't have a startup business in, in place, or if, um, going and creating a new electric vehicle like that, it's that basis of my faith, it's my, that basis of understanding and know, knowing who I am.
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Why I exist and then why it matters that I exist.
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And understanding that where my source comes from as well.
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You know, if I understand and know that my source is God and that he has access to everything, there's no, I mean, there's nothing that he doesn't know.
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So if there is ever a problem that I run into, I ask him for that solution.
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Real world example.
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Um, I used to, when I went to college, I was a, uh, computer science major, and now this is back.
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Okay.
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I'm putting, I'm going back a little bit.
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I went to college in, um, in 1989.
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Right.
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Um, this, it is back a little bit, so back a little bit there, probably before you were born.
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Um, the
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the programming language
00:19:18.558 --> 00:19:21.019
was out then was called Pascal Programming.
00:19:21.963 --> 00:19:23.374
Most people don't even even remember that.
00:19:23.854 --> 00:19:27.124
And Pascal programmer whipped my behind.
00:19:27.693 --> 00:19:33.604
Uh, so I changed from computer science to So I, I'm, I'm an engineer.
00:19:35.044 --> 00:19:39.753
I haven't been coding like that since 1990.
00:19:39.963 --> 00:19:45.814
So um, when I came into this, I knew that I'm gonna have to code in c plus.
00:19:46.413 --> 00:19:50.463
C plus plus or Arduino and then, and, um, and Python.
00:19:50.493 --> 00:19:51.604
This is three years ago.
00:19:51.844 --> 00:19:57.304
So I, I asked God, I was like, literally, Hey, look, I, I'm rusty, beyond Rusty.
00:19:57.483 --> 00:20:00.784
I need you to give me the knowledge so that I can do this.
00:20:01.354 --> 00:20:03.153
And just like that.
00:20:03.933 --> 00:20:05.013
I began to code.
00:20:05.074 --> 00:20:07.923
It just literally is like everything just like made sense.
00:20:08.284 --> 00:20:09.003
I can't explain it.
00:20:09.064 --> 00:20:09.903
It just made sense.
00:20:10.114 --> 00:20:12.634
It was almost like, uh, A plus B equal C.
00:20:12.874 --> 00:20:15.784
I thought, oh, I'll do this right here, YouTube a little bit.
00:20:15.874 --> 00:20:16.114
Okay.
00:20:16.114 --> 00:20:17.223
Boom, boom, boom, and like that.
00:20:17.433 --> 00:20:27.394
And for a year, I coded the first iterations of the Topper Stopper utilizing a micro uh, processor called the SP 32.
00:20:28.644 --> 00:20:29.432
Now since
00:20:30.304 --> 00:20:31.864
AI has been cooking.
00:20:32.433 --> 00:20:37.953
So now as with most developers, we don't code like we used to code back then.
00:20:38.163 --> 00:20:39.394
Now we are prompters.
00:20:39.394 --> 00:20:45.874
We are, we are giving instructions to the LLMs to code force because they're faster, they're more precise, they're quicker.
00:20:46.263 --> 00:20:56.163
And um, so now it's now utilizing the the speed to which I'm able to bring in new features, um.
00:20:57.334 --> 00:20:59.193
Is is literally night and day.
00:20:59.403 --> 00:21:07.894
Um, certain things that took me months, um, uh, literally a year and a half ago now takes me maybe a days to do or sometimes
00:21:07.932 --> 00:21:09.541
sometimes even less than days, times, hours.
00:21:09.903 --> 00:21:12.034
Uh, so, it's
00:21:12.156 --> 00:21:13.172
it's getting scary.
00:21:13.442 --> 00:21:14.672
It's getting scary.
00:21:14.672 --> 00:21:15.332
Marcus.
00:21:15.663 --> 00:21:16.138
it is.
00:21:16.382 --> 00:21:17.071
the robots are.
00:21:17.071 --> 00:21:18.001
doing a lot.
00:21:18.031 --> 00:21:30.122
Um, I'm so glad, uh, so far, um, they don't, uh, they haven't figured out how to do a podcast, uh, podcast here, but.
00:21:31.398 --> 00:21:32.659
have you been looking at Google?
00:21:32.836 --> 00:21:34.457
there's some tools out there.
00:21:34.457 --> 00:21:34.936
Right.
00:21:35.027 --> 00:21:53.207
But I think the challenge is, um, still having your authentic voice through that is where the machines it, but then making it your own Yes, Is still Everybody can't go to Google and say, make my podcast.
00:21:54.001 --> 00:21:54.301
Correct.
00:21:54.332 --> 00:21:54.811
Right.
00:21:54.902 --> 00:21:58.892
Not yet, at least, but it, the, the robots are definitely coming.
00:21:59.281 --> 00:22:11.132
I wanna shift a little bit and, and, and allow you to break down,'cause you talked about the physical aspect of the tool, but then you just dove into you having to reignite the programmer in you.
00:22:12.182 --> 00:22:13.231
Um, right.
00:22:13.261 --> 00:22:14.942
Um, after college, which I, I.
00:22:14.942 --> 00:22:18.061
completely understand, it feels like every five to 10 years, right?
00:22:18.061 --> 00:22:22.142
There's a shift in a new language, a new kind of style of programming.
00:22:22.142 --> 00:22:24.061
Now we're vibe coding, right?
00:22:24.061 --> 00:22:26.521
With the prompting, the prompting and things like that.
00:22:26.942 --> 00:22:38.912
Talk a little bit about, now you have the physical product and you're trying to marry that with the analytics, with and how that differentiates.
00:22:39.467 --> 00:22:43.846
The Topper Stopper from, say, other sustainability tools that are out there?
00:22:43.846 --> 00:22:44.267
Like how are
00:22:46.669 --> 00:22:47.269
Perfect.
00:22:48.469 --> 00:22:48.949
Absolutely.
00:22:48.949 --> 00:22:51.108
So, um, my, um.
00:22:52.564 --> 00:23:01.653
I've been a senior developer for 20 years, uh, specifically focused on business in business insights, utilizing tools like Power bi.
00:23:01.743 --> 00:23:06.903
So the data I, I, I live, eat, sleep data all along, even prior to this.
00:23:07.233 --> 00:23:10.653
So having an understanding of the data was always, has always been there.
00:23:11.314 --> 00:23:11.824
Um.
00:23:12.213 --> 00:23:16.653
Now, what makes the topper stopper different from all the other tools?
00:23:16.653 --> 00:23:20.824
Uh, All the other, uh, uh, recycling units that are out there.
00:23:21.064 --> 00:23:21.753
A couple things.
00:23:21.753 --> 00:23:22.324
Number one size.
00:23:24.138 --> 00:23:25.128
It's compact.
00:23:25.308 --> 00:23:25.699
Okay.
00:23:26.058 --> 00:23:27.709
And number two, it's smart.
00:23:28.068 --> 00:23:32.898
Uh, we utilize, uh, raspberry pi, fives and compute modules in there.
00:23:32.898 --> 00:23:35.778
So the processing is absolutely amazing and fast.
00:23:36.348 --> 00:23:38.568
Here's one of the biggest things, or two things.
00:23:38.568 --> 00:23:46.699
So the biggest things there, um, number three is we utilize barcodes instead of mic, uh, of, um, vision.
00:23:46.999 --> 00:23:47.749
And here's why.
00:23:48.169 --> 00:23:49.699
Most of the other items.
00:23:49.959 --> 00:23:51.548
Um, recycle things.
00:23:51.548 --> 00:23:57.939
We'll use to recognize that this is what, a plastic bottle, But that's all they can tell you.
00:23:58.659 --> 00:24:00.909
They can tell you what plastic bottle is.
00:24:01.088 --> 00:24:03.098
They can't tell you what the size is.
00:24:03.098 --> 00:24:05.259
They can't tell you the manufacturer.
00:24:05.913 --> 00:24:06.693
Because why?
00:24:06.814 --> 00:24:18.574
It just seized the plastic bottle they would have to do so many, um, iterations and building out the model on that to, to train it, to be able to recognize the actual product itself.
00:24:18.903 --> 00:24:28.503
So we utilize the barcode because barcode already resident has 30 or 40 different points of, of data source in the barcode.
00:24:28.534 --> 00:24:29.884
That's universal, right?
00:24:30.243 --> 00:24:31.923
So how do we use that?
00:24:32.013 --> 00:24:32.419
We scan.
00:24:33.409 --> 00:24:49.848
Um, it recognizes it, um, that it's, we, we recognize the barcode and we then, um, use machine learning in the cloud with AWS as one of our partners to then classify that as plastic bottle aluminum, McCann, glass bottle, et cetera.
00:24:50.328 --> 00:25:00.229
Um, when it's classified, we store it in our own repository and send back a message to this specific device saying, Hey, that what you scan is a plastic bottle.
00:25:00.479 --> 00:25:08.159
Open up, allow the user to deposit, and then we take all of that data, store it and visualize it back to our clients.
00:25:08.159 --> 00:25:11.249
Say, um, uh, university for example.
00:25:11.913 --> 00:25:17.523
This, um, this person, or, or, rather a plastic bottle will scan at this unit.
00:25:17.554 --> 00:25:20.584
At this time, it had, it's this size.
00:25:20.884 --> 00:25:23.523
Um, this is how much plastic that you recovered.
00:25:23.763 --> 00:25:26.493
This is how much carbon footprint you just reduced.
00:25:26.493 --> 00:25:27.723
This is how much water you just saved.
00:25:27.723 --> 00:25:29.493
This is how much energy you just saved as well.
00:25:29.703 --> 00:25:39.153
Based upon that, we provide all that data back through the university, and they have a live dashboard they could pull at any given time to meet their sustainability goals.
00:25:39.814 --> 00:25:53.703
What's, What's, different between our units and all the others is that the barcode, the size, and then the fact that it can, it can connect to existing recycling bins, so They don't have to build in, bring in new infrastructure.
00:25:53.943 --> 00:25:55.294
They don't have to go out and buy
00:25:55.305 --> 00:25:55.457
buy new.
00:25:55.683 --> 00:25:56.013
new.
00:25:56.314 --> 00:26:01.088
The Topper Stopper just fits on unique in itself.
00:26:02.116 --> 00:26:02.567
I love it.
00:26:02.567 --> 00:26:03.287
I love that.
00:26:03.346 --> 00:26:03.856
Um.
00:26:05.777 --> 00:26:19.126
And I think it, what's, what's really cool, you're leveraging, like you said, the, uh, I don't think people understand, like there's, there, there's systems, there's some really cool data around, like things in place already.
00:26:19.126 --> 00:26:19.307
Like
00:26:20.554 --> 00:26:20.773
Yep.
00:26:20.777 --> 00:26:27.076
not like just this one, this one number, Right, This one number has different segments, and those segments mean something.
00:26:27.076 --> 00:26:28.787
And so it's a system in and of itself.
00:26:29.811 --> 00:26:35.009
Um, and it's a smart system that that definitely grows with the amount of products that we put out into the world.
00:26:35.632 --> 00:26:43.942
you're leveraging that, like, like you said, versus, uh, the, the approach that a lot of companies use now is I'll take, I'll try to take a million
00:26:45.243 --> 00:26:45.634
Yeah.
00:26:48.304 --> 00:27:13.848
Now, now, kitty, though all of this, even though all, all of, all, of us in space with the Topper Stopper and all of the Even all of that that we're doing, there's still something missing just because it's, we got it there and just because it's uh, the topper stopper keeps it clean and just because the other guys keep their stuff clean, there's still something's missing.
00:27:14.719 --> 00:27:22.878
it's, it's it's the ability to, um, change the way that people, um.
00:27:23.703 --> 00:27:27.993
React and, um, um, think about recycling.
00:27:28.263 --> 00:27:29.493
That's the problem.
00:27:29.973 --> 00:27:31.114
So that's the problem to solve.
00:27:31.114 --> 00:27:34.114
So here's how we're solving that problem, right?
00:27:34.144 --> 00:27:38.794
So let's use the University of South Carolinas, where we have our pilot programs.
00:27:38.794 --> 00:27:42.453
Right now they have five units six one deployed soon.
00:27:43.384 --> 00:27:43.864
Um.
00:27:44.898 --> 00:28:00.229
We started in November of 2025 and all the way up until the January one, the students, uh, recycle 609 items throughout that time, and that's Thanksgiving, holidays, and Christmas holidays and the breaks and all that right there, which is pretty good.
00:28:00.469 --> 00:28:05.098
It's about somewhere 23, 24 items per, uh, per day.
00:28:05.719 --> 00:28:10.969
So of goodwill of students wanting to do the right thing, that's what they accomplish.
00:28:11.058 --> 00:28:13.068
609 items, right?
00:28:13.249 --> 00:28:16.909
It's like something like almost 1400 gallons of water saved there.
00:28:17.209 --> 00:28:25.098
Uh, like, I think it's like 400 kilowatt hours of energy, which could run three houses for like seven days or something like that.
00:28:25.374 --> 00:28:25.578
that.
00:28:27.288 --> 00:28:28.878
That in that, aspect Now.
00:28:30.949 --> 00:28:34.699
That's off of people doing the right thing just because they want to.
00:28:35.209 --> 00:28:36.318
Here's where we change it.
00:28:37.098 --> 00:28:40.009
In the end of this month, we launched our Ts Rewards app.
00:28:40.459 --> 00:28:41.749
So when you recycle.
00:28:42.259 --> 00:28:43.969
You also would get rewarded as well.
00:28:44.088 --> 00:28:47.808
So every time you recycle a a plastic bottle, for example, you get five points.
00:28:48.138 --> 00:28:50.538
If you recycle aluminum, can, you'll get 10 points.
00:28:50.808 --> 00:28:52.128
Now it goes into your app.
00:28:52.519 --> 00:28:55.189
Now those points accumulate in your app.
00:28:55.308 --> 00:29:02.239
If you're on campus, you can then redeem those points on campus for food at the calf, uh, free.
00:29:02.358 --> 00:29:02.868
Um.
00:29:03.648 --> 00:29:24.019
Uh, t-shirts and swag at the bookstore, uh, associated businesses we'll be bringing together in that they can go off campus and say, Hey, I can get a free pizza for 500 points, or I could take 300 points and go get me a, a Starbucks coffee, or I can, um, to use 50 points and use that for my bus pass to go uptown, Spartanburg, whatever.
00:29:24.439 --> 00:29:29.868
The thing that we're changing is now we are making recycling a economy.
00:29:30.679 --> 00:29:38.118
Versus something just to do to save the save, save the environment, which is still good, but now we're trying to making it to an economy as well.
00:29:38.538 --> 00:29:41.749
That is where we are changing the aspect.
00:29:41.749 --> 00:29:46.848
That's what makes our Topper stopper and our Associated Ts rewards application.
00:29:47.358 --> 00:29:49.699
Different'cause we wanted to actually impact that.
00:29:49.699 --> 00:29:54.648
And now we don't have to worry about just being in a deposit state like we were, we were kids.
00:29:55.009 --> 00:30:01.878
Now this is a across every state, everywhere, because now you can take those points and redeem them everywhere.
00:30:01.878 --> 00:30:12.469
So our, our, our goal right now is we're on college campuses, so there'll be closed ecosystems, but in the future, the goal is to be able to have top or stopper units set up around different areas of cities.
00:30:12.469 --> 00:30:15.558
And you're able to go and do that in the city and then in the city.
00:30:15.743 --> 00:30:23.423
We'll have different partners or different, uh, redemption locations at Ulta Beauty or Starbucks or Dunking Donuts,
00:30:23.701 --> 00:30:23.711
or
00:30:23.993 --> 00:30:25.554
even heck, the city of Charlotte.
00:30:25.614 --> 00:30:30.594
Pay your Pay your gas bill with it, you know, whatever like that, whatever way we look in ways.
00:30:30.834 --> 00:30:31.824
And another thing is you.
00:30:32.943 --> 00:30:39.513
Often we'll see, um, the homeless, a homeless population gathering bottles and stuff like that.
00:30:39.513 --> 00:30:49.384
Now imagine if, if they're able to gather bottle stuff and go and then redeem that to get something to eat or go and be able to get some clothing of, of food or something like that.
00:30:49.473 --> 00:30:54.903
Shelter go to um, uh, maybe CBS and buy some toiletries, sink store nature.
00:30:55.263 --> 00:30:58.384
We are looking at every aspect of, okay, let's take.
00:30:59.884 --> 00:31:01.324
take our mind out of it.
00:31:01.443 --> 00:31:19.534
How can we number one, make our, our, state and our city and our our country, um, impact recycling over, um, holistically change people's minds of recycling and incentivize them, and Then also have a great positive social impact as well.
00:31:20.163 --> 00:31:20.554
So we are
00:31:20.686 --> 00:31:20.866
we
00:31:22.503 --> 00:31:23.044
Stopper
00:31:24.467 --> 00:31:25.186
I love that.
00:31:25.186 --> 00:31:25.817
I love that.
00:31:25.817 --> 00:31:32.267
Um, the idea in, in there, that you explained in there.
00:31:33.301 --> 00:31:33.932
One.
00:31:33.932 --> 00:31:44.071
Uh, there was one consistent thread around this idea that certain areas of our, our economy or just our, our normal way of life are They're call centers.
00:31:44.071 --> 00:31:46.021
They're only looked at as call centers.
00:31:46.652 --> 00:31:55.592
And so there's ways now that we have the robots coming, the robots are gonna be doing all the heavy lifting and we see all the, the videos and everything like that.
00:31:55.592 --> 00:31:59.251
Now that of those things that are at least on the horizon.
00:32:00.017 --> 00:32:16.576
There's opportunity in a lot, a lot of these spaces where it was just a call center before, but now once you tap into that data, giving someone such as yourself with a business insight, insight mindset, now there's revenue there, there's opportunities to unlock, and it seems unlimited.
00:32:16.576 --> 00:32:24.017
Like I'm pretty sure you could have went on with just even more ideas just now around this space, cool to see.
00:32:24.047 --> 00:32:25.576
Again, non-sexy.
00:32:26.836 --> 00:32:30.166
Uh, areas of our, of our daily life, there is.
00:32:30.166 --> 00:32:41.717
so much value, uh, to unlock and a big focus for me, the listeners know, has been, uh, B B2B, business to business, business to government.
00:32:42.287 --> 00:32:44.057
Uh, we, we all see the news.
00:32:44.057 --> 00:32:47.297
Uh, it seems like that's where a lot of the funding is going right now.
00:32:47.297 --> 00:32:47.626
Right?
00:32:47.656 --> 00:32:48.946
Um, and so there's a.
00:32:49.382 --> 00:32:53.521
There's a concerted effort away from B2C businesses.
00:32:54.061 --> 00:32:55.682
Um, I'm excited to see it.
00:32:55.892 --> 00:33:06.778
Um, I definitely think it's gonna be some growing pains in terms of the next generation of founders, but B2B is so much, so much, there's just so much opportunity out there and I appreciate you really,
00:33:10.743 --> 00:33:28.983
Yeah, just in the US alone for, um, and, and our, like our, um, initial target market colleges and universities, um, these colleges and universities already have mandates, uh, that they have to meet certain sustainability goals and metrics across their campus.
00:33:29.193 --> 00:33:31.473
And think about it, they're basically small cities.
00:33:31.743 --> 00:33:34.084
You they're Small little ecosystem.
00:33:34.084 --> 00:33:35.223
So, um.
00:33:36.243 --> 00:33:46.023
The, in the us uh, these colleges yearly spend$1.8 billion just on sustainability type of programs.
00:33:46.294 --> 00:33:55.324
And even with that spend, they're not getting any data, know stuff is still going to recycling, um, still going to
00:33:55.654 --> 00:33:56.311
landfills,
00:33:56.493 --> 00:33:56.794
and the
00:33:56.852 --> 00:34:00.182
and the students are still not being engaged at Right?
00:34:00.196 --> 00:34:00.616
And they're
00:34:01.023 --> 00:34:01.294
what.
00:34:03.259 --> 00:34:04.429
Exactly.
00:34:04.429 --> 00:34:05.419
they're getting cut.
00:34:05.568 --> 00:34:18.018
They're getting cut like that throughout and like different, different, um, political, um, um, uh, seasons happen where there's more money, there's less money, there's definitely less money now there's less grants and things of that certain nature.
00:34:18.228 --> 00:34:21.438
So they're looking for ways to be able to meet these goals.
00:34:21.648 --> 00:34:25.159
And that's where we come in to place and say, Hey, look, here's a solution that.
00:34:25.353 --> 00:34:39.034
It's not expensive, it's cheaper than all the other things out there, but you're getting, the value that it brings is beyond, beyond, uh, uh, everything that you can actually, uh, uh, look at on a competitive nature.
00:34:39.034 --> 00:34:42.958
So, uh, it's just, it's just, just, it's just really trying to tap in and,
00:34:43.030 --> 00:34:46.442
and lock in with those universe across the nation.
00:34:46.891 --> 00:34:47.612
I love that.
00:34:47.641 --> 00:34:50.496
Um, and, and I want just circle back to Charlotte.
00:34:50.851 --> 00:34:54.271
I know we, we talked a little bit about the city at the beginning of the call.
00:34:54.722 --> 00:34:57.541
For you specifically, I guess, like what are you seeing.
00:34:57.766 --> 00:34:57.827
Uh.
00:34:58.396 --> 00:35:05.657
like there's, we, we definitely have talked about faith, entrepreneurship like the local impact of a tool like top or stopper.
00:35:06.137 --> 00:35:10.876
Like when you think about all three of those things, like what, what does Charlotte do for you?
00:35:10.907 --> 00:35:12.608
Maybe are there opportunities
00:35:13.208 --> 00:35:13.429
Wow.
00:35:16.458 --> 00:35:25.938
Well, first and foremost, so like I said earlier, I didn't know that we even had a startup, uh, uh, community here in Charlotte years ago.
00:35:26.298 --> 00:35:36.829
It's just honestly been in the last year that I've locked in and the, like, for example, I'm standing right now in the collab space with the UNC Charlottes Collab space.
00:35:37.128 --> 00:35:41.179
Uh, and this is, um, I have access this for a year and.
00:35:41.494 --> 00:35:49.864
Um, in the next few months, I will be building out a, our own, uh, office space here in this, in this building, which is fantastic.
00:35:50.164 --> 00:36:02.884
So the Charlotte region and the resources that we have here are critical and we gotta get, getting locked in and understanding where to look, up the entirety door.
00:36:03.063 --> 00:36:04.414
When I came across.
00:36:05.329 --> 00:36:07.668
Um, the organization called Innovate Charlotte.
00:36:08.208 --> 00:36:23.764
Um, they are literally a, um, their purpose is to grow the startup community here in the Charlotte um, it's run by a gentleman named Juan Garza I think it's his last name and or Garone.
00:36:24.034 --> 00:36:31.623
And they connect any startup in business here in the Charlotte region to a wealth of other things.
00:36:31.623 --> 00:36:37.143
so for like example, one of the things that they connected me to was a cohort called the Boost Pad.
00:36:37.623 --> 00:36:39.483
Um, and a Boost Pad was amazing.
00:36:39.664 --> 00:36:43.534
The Boost Pad helped me to get a good understanding of my business.
00:36:44.289 --> 00:36:50.918
And structure helped me to get it financially in order, and then also prepare for, uh, funding as well.
00:36:51.219 --> 00:37:04.748
So they literally started from the basis of what your idea is and get you all the way up into where you're actually able to go out and do pitches to investors and to get funding for that 14 week process.
00:37:05.108 --> 00:37:06.398
Uh, an amazing thing there.
00:37:06.398 --> 00:37:06.728
So.
00:37:07.054 --> 00:37:28.264
The, the, the region of Charlotte, um, and these Innovate Charlotte and different organizations, startup communities are absolutely a wealth of, um, information and, um, I'm, I'm still reaching out to do more things and even get more in our area and region.
00:37:28.264 --> 00:37:28.384
So,
00:37:28.577 --> 00:37:28.867
yeah.
00:37:29.101 --> 00:37:29.251
Yeah.
00:37:29.251 --> 00:37:29.822
I love that.
00:37:29.851 --> 00:37:30.931
Shout out to the city.
00:37:31.472 --> 00:37:40.592
So, next up, you know, we're, we're, we're definitely wrapping up towards the end, but just give us a glimpse into.
00:37:40.967 --> 00:37:44.416
You know, what, what are you thinking in terms of the vision of the company, the growth?
00:37:44.806 --> 00:37:51.286
Uh, you obviously have Genesis one, which is like the parent company all the way down to waist wise, which is like your distribution arm.
00:37:51.646 --> 00:37:58.726
Talk a little bit about where the company is headed and, you know, maybe five years out, you know, if you think, if you're thinking that far out.
00:37:58.786 --> 00:37:59.146
Uh,
00:38:03.903 --> 00:38:18.333
Well, our, our first goal over the next three years is to really, um, uh, reach out to these, colleges first and um, and get the topper stoppers on these college campuses.
00:38:18.454 --> 00:38:19.173
There's 7,200.
00:38:20.103 --> 00:38:32.853
Some changed colleges here in the us Um, we, we, are connected to some that are very eco-friendly, um, that we know that they are looking for ideas and things of, for example, university of South Carolina, upstate.
00:38:33.244 --> 00:38:34.684
They are very forward thinking.
00:38:34.684 --> 00:38:39.753
University of, of, um, North Carolina here in Charlotte is very forward thinking as well.
00:38:40.083 --> 00:38:48.333
So we are looking to connect to those type of universities that are already forward thinking, thinking about ways of how they can, uh, impact.
00:38:48.559 --> 00:38:56.148
Uh, the recycling rates on their camp campuses and how they can also, um, engage with their students.
00:38:56.329 --> 00:38:59.478
Those are the universities that we're looking to, uh, reach out to and help.
00:39:00.048 --> 00:39:06.079
Secondarily, there are a whole nother aspect of business, uh, businesses as well that are eco-friendly.
00:39:06.079 --> 00:39:07.128
They're looking for.
00:39:07.429 --> 00:39:07.938
um.
00:39:08.733 --> 00:39:13.443
Ways of engaging with their employees on their, in, on their campuses as well.
00:39:13.623 --> 00:39:18.123
So we are looking to grow our businesses in those two sectors.
00:39:18.423 --> 00:39:20.344
Um, expand our product line.
00:39:20.344 --> 00:39:22.623
We have the Topper Stopper here.
00:39:22.833 --> 00:39:24.574
Uh, we have TS rewards.
00:39:24.574 --> 00:39:26.673
This is the application that we spoke about before.
00:39:26.884 --> 00:39:30.489
And then we also have TS Media where every single.
00:39:31.184 --> 00:39:38.804
Uh, Topper Stopper is a digital billboard in essence, so we're able to sell advertising to advertising partners there on a quarterly basis.
00:39:39.103 --> 00:39:57.134
So really our goal is to really get our foothold into the higher educational space and then, um, merge off into, uh, the, uh, eco-friendly business space there and get the Topper Stopper into every, every, sector that we possibly can that is looking to do something and, and
00:40:00.606 --> 00:40:01.277
population.
00:40:01.277 --> 00:40:01.922
I love that.
00:40:02.251 --> 00:40:08.581
Um, so I just wanna say thank you so much, Marcus, for sharing your story.
00:40:08.612 --> 00:40:09.782
It's been in Incre.
00:40:10.202 --> 00:40:10.711
Incredible.
00:40:10.711 --> 00:40:11.342
Just to hear it.
00:40:11.342 --> 00:40:17.702
I already did, I did my research obviously before the conversation, but to hear you really articulate how you've gone from.
00:40:18.692 --> 00:40:25.231
Your, your, your, your journey in faith to now you're taking that faith with you and becoming a tech founder.
00:40:25.681 --> 00:40:34.052
Amazing to hear this, like, I'm going to be telling everybody once this episode comes out, but even before then, that they definitely need to be tapping in with you.
00:40:34.411 --> 00:40:35.748
What's the easiest way for folks
00:40:40.099 --> 00:40:40.518
Sure.
00:40:40.548 --> 00:40:47.989
Um, you can always reach out to us, to me, on my website, uh, at Genesis, the number one tech, or LinkedIn.
00:40:48.108 --> 00:40:53.298
LinkedIn is the platform that, uh, I am, um, trying to engage more.
00:40:54.398 --> 00:40:55.719
On these, this upcoming years.
00:40:55.719 --> 00:41:12.998
So always reach out to me on LinkedIn or UH, or dm and then also say as well, thank you as well for how you are focusing on businesses and focusing on the journeys of solopreneurs and startups and how you're exposing that to the market as a whole.
00:41:13.148 --> 00:41:13.989
You know, so.
00:41:14.164 --> 00:41:22.143
I want to thank you for you and your network and the podcast and pray that you could continue to get blessings and that your expand explode.
00:41:22.353 --> 00:41:29.853
And I want to see, oh, this is at, um, this is, uh, on the, uh, the Apple Top or Spotify's Top five business podcast.
00:41:30.123 --> 00:41:30.543
There we go.
00:41:30.543 --> 00:41:31.204
I said, I, I I
00:41:31.452 --> 00:41:32.199
I remember back in
00:41:32.313 --> 00:41:42.514
when Kenny did this and that, I said, yeah, so, so continue to continue to do what you're doing because you have a voice and you're giving voice to other startup and, uh, other businesses that
00:41:42.617 --> 00:41:42.887
that don't
00:41:42.994 --> 00:41:43.744
necessarily have.
00:41:44.880 --> 00:41:45.766
voice in connection.
00:41:46.172 --> 00:41:47.001
Appreciate that.
00:41:48.661 --> 00:41:49.891
Appreciate that so much.
00:41:49.891 --> 00:41:52.681
I'm gonna keep doing this for as long as I can.
00:41:52.711 --> 00:41:56.192
Lord willing, I want to, I want to pass it to you.
00:41:56.192 --> 00:41:58.621
One last, last time for the final word.
00:41:58.621 --> 00:41:59.972
I wanna phrase it this way though.
00:41:59.972 --> 00:42:06.661
You've built an incredible movement from an idea that nobody else really spent the time on.
00:42:06.811 --> 00:42:07.081
Right.
00:42:07.501 --> 00:42:15.452
What's a hard truth that you think folks need to hear about innovation, innovative businesses, right.
00:42:16.777 --> 00:42:17.521
This, like, they may
00:42:22.277 --> 00:42:29.568
So here's, here's, what I say, that each of us are placed here.
00:42:29.568 --> 00:42:31.489
on this earth to do something.
00:42:32.329 --> 00:42:33.739
We all have our own mission.
00:42:33.739 --> 00:42:39.679
We all have a, a certain path that is already pre-designed and predestined for us.
00:42:40.193 --> 00:42:53.224
Okay, so what my, my suggestion, my my prayer is that you, each person would get an It's not even about business.
00:42:55.324 --> 00:43:07.264
Get an understanding of who you are and of God in your life and allow him to first, first thing he'll do once you, you make one step to God who'll make two steps to you.
00:43:07.864 --> 00:43:15.393
And when you ask him about giving you your understanding of who you are, he will display that and give you that information freely.
00:43:15.784 --> 00:43:17.853
And then once you know that, then help me.
00:43:18.123 --> 00:43:20.119
It can now help you to get to where you need to go.
00:43:21.153 --> 00:43:24.454
He will guide you and direct you, uh, along the path.
00:43:24.724 --> 00:43:27.634
And if he's guiding you, then you're not gonna sway off the path.
00:43:27.634 --> 00:43:30.873
You're not gonna fall off the cliff because he's giving you that direction.
00:43:31.054 --> 00:43:39.539
My, my suggestion, my prayer is that everyone gets an understanding of the creator in their life and then the
00:43:43.681 --> 00:43:43.952
Hmm.
00:43:44.402 --> 00:43:48.242
Thank you so much, Marcus, and for everyone tuning in, Thank you.
00:43:48.242 --> 00:43:48.811
for
00:00:50.042 --> 00:00:50.371
Welcome.
00:00:50.371 --> 00:00:53.462
Welcome to another great episode of the Beyond Normal Podcast.
00:00:53.462 --> 00:00:54.991
I'm your host, Kenny Groom.
00:00:55.021 --> 00:01:02.131
I'm excited to be bringing to you all an incredible, incredible founder here in my very backyard of Charlotte, North Carolina.
00:01:03.057 --> 00:01:05.576
Uh, our guest today is, uh, Marcus Wade.
00:01:05.576 --> 00:01:18.447
He is the founder at Genesis One Technologies, LLC, which is the parent company for some incredible tech that's being, uh, put into a lot of the venues that you all are Going to today.
00:01:18.447 --> 00:01:23.186
In terms of the Topper Stopper, there's some incredible innovation going on at this company.
00:01:23.507 --> 00:01:28.037
I wanna make sure I'm highlighting this, this fellow founder, business owner in the Charlotte market.
00:01:28.246 --> 00:01:32.507
So without it going, sir?
00:01:33.346 --> 00:01:34.007
Going great.
00:01:34.007 --> 00:01:36.856
I see Charlotte Yes, indeed.
00:01:36.856 --> 00:01:37.486
And you know what?
00:01:37.546 --> 00:01:37.706
Uh, uh.
00:01:38.356 --> 00:01:39.796
I'm glad that you brought that up.
00:01:39.796 --> 00:01:54.796
because when I initially started this journey, uh, for normal media, I did not necessarily connect the founder journey, tech founder, you know, the tech space in general to our, our home market of Charlotte, North Carolina.
00:01:55.186 --> 00:02:01.981
But here we are five, six years later and I know you have some incredible, uh, uh, insights to add when it comes
00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:13.128
Well, let me tell you the reason why years ago was like that because it, it really wasn't, um, tech forward.
00:02:13.368 --> 00:02:26.688
But now, uh, through companies or organizations like Innovate Charlotte, um, there is a really big push in technology and startup culture here in the Charlotte region itself.
00:02:26.959 --> 00:02:30.378
Um, they actually call Charlotte Silicon South.
00:02:31.433 --> 00:02:33.864
So, uh, you got Silicon Valley over there.
00:02:33.864 --> 00:02:35.843
We're Silicon South and it's growing.
00:02:35.843 --> 00:02:49.104
Um, in Charlotte there's a whole technology corridor that goes from, uh, UNC Charlotte all the way through uptown and, um, forward, up to, or down to towards, uh, south
00:02:49.155 --> 00:02:49.516
south Bend.
00:02:49.516 --> 00:02:49.727
now.
00:02:50.717 --> 00:02:52.516
we're, we're in the right spot at the right time.
00:02:52.997 --> 00:02:53.176
Yeah.
00:02:53.176 --> 00:02:53.866
I love that.
00:02:53.866 --> 00:02:56.447
Uh, you, you threw my alma mater out there.
00:02:56.597 --> 00:02:59.717
Um, so I appreciate you, uh, throwing them in there.
00:03:00.076 --> 00:03:11.382
Uh, the, the, the campus and just the, the, the, amount of funding that has gone into the university, um, it, it is really incredible to see and I'm glad that you're tapped in there.
00:03:11.901 --> 00:03:17.122
But I, I wanna make sure that we, we, we set the stage for this conversation.
00:03:17.122 --> 00:03:22.431
I want folks to learn, learn a little bit about before you were at this point, right?
00:03:22.431 --> 00:03:25.401
Where Genesis one, the Topper Stopper,
00:03:29.808 --> 00:03:34.549
So my passion is in, in life is completely different from what we're doing now.
00:03:34.848 --> 00:03:43.609
Um, and you can, you can have a passion and still have a business that's, um, related, but my passion in life is to reach this at-risk generation through radical Christian music.
00:03:43.938 --> 00:03:45.199
Um, I am.
00:03:45.524 --> 00:03:50.413
A, uh, international DJ and music producer based area in Charlotte, North Carolina.
00:03:50.804 --> 00:03:53.713
Um, I've been producing music since 2010.
00:03:54.074 --> 00:04:04.123
Um, and my whole purpose is just that what I said, so I, my music style is deep house dance music and you're just like, hold up.
00:04:04.484 --> 00:04:05.758
You say you wanna reach people with.
00:04:06.514 --> 00:04:07.623
Radical Christian music.
00:04:07.623 --> 00:04:09.003
How are you gonna do that with dance music?
00:04:09.123 --> 00:04:10.653
That is the actual reason.
00:04:10.653 --> 00:04:14.403
Now we go and we perform, um, abroad.
00:04:14.403 --> 00:04:26.343
We perform in, uh, venues in Ibiza, in, um, Amsterdam, yearly, um, Switzerland, um, um, Paris, France, uh, London, England.
00:04:26.863 --> 00:04:35.384
Anywhere where the Lord would have me to go to reach a soul, uh, play a, a stage, uh, big venue, small venue, doesn't matter.
00:04:35.684 --> 00:04:41.024
I would say I'll play the same for one person versus if it's a crowd of 10,000, doesn't matter.
00:04:41.204 --> 00:04:48.223
So that's my and the business helps me to
00:04:48.901 --> 00:04:51.706
fund my, my, mission, that's is here.
00:04:52.367 --> 00:04:52.757
Mm.
00:04:52.817 --> 00:04:53.507
I love that.
00:04:53.507 --> 00:04:55.637
That is, Yeah.
00:04:55.757 --> 00:04:57.197
You touching on that.
00:04:57.197 --> 00:05:07.127
It, it makes so much sense to say, you know, the technology can learn a lot from, from faith and the way that it connects.
00:05:07.697 --> 00:05:13.757
Uh, like you mentioned, people really across the world, uh, across different boundaries, a different,
00:05:13.774 --> 00:05:14.064
Yeah.
00:05:14.266 --> 00:05:23.357
whatever, whatever is there to separate us, right, The, the, the aspects of faith really are there to like kind of remove those barriers.
00:05:23.581 --> 00:05:33.451
And so it makes sense for tech to be at this point now where someone such as yourself can really take that experience and you apply it in the tech space.
00:05:33.451 --> 00:05:33.632
I
00:05:36.858 --> 00:05:39.574
Well, background of it.
00:05:39.814 --> 00:05:50.103
Um, so the idea to do and create the topper stopper, uh, really wasn't my idea.
00:05:50.944 --> 00:05:53.733
Let, just, lemme just set that level plane there.
00:05:54.153 --> 00:05:56.553
Um, it wasn't a divine idea.
00:05:56.824 --> 00:06:04.264
Um, the, the short story is that I met with my daughter's, uh, professor, um, her.
00:06:04.788 --> 00:06:07.639
Sixth grade professor, no, I'm sorry, eighth grade professor.
00:06:08.028 --> 00:06:12.769
And we were talking about AI and, and, uh, he asked me to do something for him.
00:06:12.769 --> 00:06:13.459
I did it for him.
00:06:13.459 --> 00:06:16.428
And then it came back with a problem that he was having.
00:06:16.428 --> 00:06:22.459
And, and the problem was that they were helping a, um, large beverage company here in the cities.
00:06:22.548 --> 00:06:33.319
If you know anything about large beverage companies, you know that Coca-Cola's here, they were helping to do things in a stadium and they, uh, wanted to get the recyclables back.
00:06:34.173 --> 00:06:41.343
And the way they were doing it didn't really, um, land with me like, well, and the way you're doing it is it's a lot of manual labor.
00:06:41.343 --> 00:06:43.444
You gotta go and of that.
00:06:43.684 --> 00:06:45.064
I was like, that's gotta be a better way.
00:06:45.064 --> 00:06:52.983
So didn't think anything of it came home and the next morning I was doing my devotional and the devotional was about.
00:06:53.689 --> 00:07:03.738
A, a guy that reinvented or restructured, uh, a bow and arrow and now the way that we see bow and arrows today is his invention years ago.
00:07:04.129 --> 00:07:07.189
Um, so I asked God to give me an idea to help him.
00:07:07.488 --> 00:07:10.278
Then I said, wait a minute, not just help him, not just help Coca-Cola.
00:07:10.488 --> 00:07:15.858
Give me an idea that would change the way people look at recycling worldwide.
00:07:16.278 --> 00:07:18.439
I went to bed, woke up the next morning, the idea was
00:07:18.992 --> 00:07:21.252
head, that's where the top stop
00:07:21.319 --> 00:07:21.769
came from.
00:07:22.747 --> 00:07:22.966
Mm.
00:07:23.987 --> 00:07:25.247
That's dope, man.
00:07:25.666 --> 00:07:34.531
That's this is one of those things where when somebody certain topics, right, they aren't.
00:07:36.601 --> 00:07:46.487
They're not sexy, like you said, like waste management for a big, a big beverage brand is like, there's, that's not, are not clearing to talk
00:07:47.553 --> 00:07:47.913
no.
00:07:48.004 --> 00:07:48.410
no.
00:07:49.052 --> 00:07:52.682
but that is Exactly.
00:07:52.682 --> 00:08:00.901
But can imagine like when you start to uncover, oh, there's this much, like there's this much.
00:08:02.057 --> 00:08:08.956
Involved in it, you start to see some of the opportunities that sexy and they're
00:08:11.254 --> 00:08:13.968
yes, yes, Exactly.
00:08:14.149 --> 00:08:14.928
And you, you're right.
00:08:14.928 --> 00:08:19.309
The, the idea of we, the, here's, the big thing.
00:08:19.908 --> 00:08:24.288
can you impact recycling in the us?
00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:25.968
This is like a daunting task.
00:08:26.209 --> 00:08:31.428
You know, there's, there's there's plastic bottles in streams and oceans all around.
00:08:31.428 --> 00:08:38.749
and and here's a, here's an interesting ta, interesting uh, fact, every 17.9 seconds.
00:08:40.144 --> 00:08:46.533
We, north Carolinians throw away enough plastic reach the height of the Bank of America Tower.
00:08:48.244 --> 00:08:51.484
So think, just think about that every literally every 18 seconds.
00:08:51.693 --> 00:08:54.394
So how do you impact that?
00:08:54.394 --> 00:08:55.504
How do you do that?
00:08:55.894 --> 00:08:59.563
And this is where divine inspiration and divine the idea comes because.
00:09:01.099 --> 00:09:09.109
My, the, what I got was create this device that would eliminate re uh, contamination in the trash streams.
00:09:09.229 --> 00:09:13.234
So when people, so when people are recycling in a recycling bin.
00:09:13.864 --> 00:09:15.153
What do you normally see there?
00:09:15.153 --> 00:09:18.573
You normally see all kind of stuff inside there other than recycling.
00:09:18.813 --> 00:09:21.903
So what the Topper Stopper does, it inhibits that.
00:09:21.903 --> 00:09:27.964
You can't put anything inside the bin unless you scan the items and when you scan the item with the barcode, it opens up.
00:09:28.323 --> 00:09:29.134
You could put it in there.
00:09:29.134 --> 00:09:32.494
It keeps the recycling trash bin clean.
00:09:32.553 --> 00:09:35.283
I was like, God, that is an amazing idea.
00:09:35.494 --> 00:09:40.114
If you look at way it came about, it was a very crew.
00:09:41.073 --> 00:09:51.844
Cardboard box and, uh, uh, a little small little toy motor that would, that would, open and close if I scanned a little basic little QR code thing.
00:09:51.844 --> 00:09:52.774
And it, it, it worked.
00:09:52.774 --> 00:09:53.403
I was like, wow.
00:09:53.524 --> 00:10:07.114
So from there, it came into this right here, and it goes back to this why I called my company Genesis One Technologies, because in the beginning, God did what, first thing he did was he created.
00:10:07.653 --> 00:10:09.903
That's the very first thing we find out about God.
00:10:10.264 --> 00:10:16.024
Not that he's, he loves us, Not that he's a healer, not that he's a provider, that he's a creator.
00:10:16.293 --> 00:10:20.254
So if we are made in the image of God, then we are creators.
00:10:20.793 --> 00:10:23.494
So that's how I say, you know what, I'm gonna lean on that.
00:10:23.854 --> 00:10:33.303
And that, and what you're doing, you're living in your, your, divine, um, um, aspect of being like God by being a creator.
00:10:33.453 --> 00:10:34.384
So that's what it is.
00:10:34.384 --> 00:10:36.961
So this is God's creation.
00:10:37.413 --> 00:10:39.303
Literally, um, brought forth.
00:10:40.594 --> 00:10:45.364
I know, I, I know that's that's not what you normally hear on a type thing and talking business,
00:10:45.451 --> 00:10:45.662
it.
00:10:45.662 --> 00:10:46.471
No, I love it.
00:10:46.471 --> 00:10:50.277
I love it to you real So I'm curious.
00:10:51.947 --> 00:10:54.256
Do you, you still have that cardboard box, I hope.
00:10:54.552 --> 00:10:57.706
Yeah, yeah, I was about to say, like, that sounds, that.
00:10:57.706 --> 00:11:00.841
sounds like, uh, as you were just talking, I.
00:11:00.947 --> 00:11:05.836
I could see like that being like the thing that's like auctioned off.
00:11:05.836 --> 00:11:10.397
Like when this like thing becomes like, what I, I truly believe it's going to become, and then
00:11:14.764 --> 00:11:15.903
Right, exactly.
00:11:16.072 --> 00:11:16.476
amazing.
00:11:16.514 --> 00:11:19.323
I keep it as li and it literally still works too.
00:11:19.504 --> 00:11:20.283
It still works.
00:11:20.464 --> 00:11:29.943
And I, I have every, we're in our sixth version of the Topper Stopper and I have every version of that, of the Topper Stopper from it's most crude.
00:11:30.333 --> 00:11:35.224
I wouldn't even call that MVP, that was like, um, I don't even know what to call that.
00:11:35.254 --> 00:11:38.553
That was a prototype, a rough prototype at that, all the way up
00:11:38.881 --> 00:11:41.731
to the more polished version that we see now.
00:11:42.331 --> 00:11:43.292
That's dope.
00:11:43.861 --> 00:11:50.402
And, and I'll be honest, as you were sitting there telling that story, you actually invoked some stories in my head.
00:11:50.402 --> 00:11:56.731
I grew up in Connecticut to go to the recycling center Yes.
00:11:56.942 --> 00:11:57.902
With my dad.
00:11:58.471 --> 00:11:59.552
Um, Yes.
00:11:59.672 --> 00:12:05.312
And I think, I don't know if he was punishing us, but he was like trying to, I think he was like, here's how much output.
00:12:06.017 --> 00:12:12.917
All have, like, you're gonna understand like each of these bottles, you gonna put in this machine and you gonna get a, a nickel back.
00:12:13.277 --> 00:12:13.966
Or nothing.
00:12:13.966 --> 00:12:14.897
Or nothing, right?
00:12:14.897 --> 00:12:16.546
Because it couldn't scan the code.
00:12:17.356 --> 00:12:19.532
Um, That's just
00:12:19.563 --> 00:12:20.644
to do the same thing.
00:12:22.354 --> 00:12:22.533
My
00:12:22.671 --> 00:12:23.072
so this
00:12:23.073 --> 00:12:23.464
would take
00:12:23.522 --> 00:12:23.701
take
00:12:23.974 --> 00:12:27.453
to a store and with glass bottles, and we would take those glass
00:12:27.751 --> 00:12:28.172
bottles and
00:12:28.173 --> 00:12:30.333
us back the same thing when I was a little kid.
00:12:30.754 --> 00:12:40.234
And, uh, uh, But, you know, but that are, you know, that's in Virginia and Connecticut, which is two of the five states that still do that type of um, uh,
00:12:40.532 --> 00:12:41.491
buyback type
00:12:42.124 --> 00:12:43.984
but the vast majority don't.
00:12:44.163 --> 00:12:45.386
So what happens in
00:12:45.392 --> 00:12:48.917
in North Carolina and South all the other states.
00:12:49.216 --> 00:12:50.264
Mm-hmm.
00:12:51.767 --> 00:12:52.456
Yeah.
00:12:52.576 --> 00:12:52.966
Okay.
00:12:52.966 --> 00:13:00.557
So let, let's talk a little bit about going from that, that box, which is the prototype.
00:13:00.706 --> 00:13:05.147
Um, like you said, it worked, proof of concept, check the box, right?
00:13:05.147 --> 00:13:14.177
But let's talk a little bit about, all right, going from that, that, that cardboard box to getting the invention off the ground and then potentially going from like.
00:13:14.581 --> 00:13:16.532
A prototype that looks a
00:13:17.453 --> 00:13:17.673
Yes.
00:13:20.749 --> 00:13:21.259
Yes.
00:13:21.259 --> 00:13:21.889
Yes.
00:13:21.948 --> 00:13:24.589
So process happened.
00:13:25.009 --> 00:13:31.278
Um, a few months prior to, um, let's, let's go back to that story.
00:13:31.489 --> 00:13:43.818
A few months prior to meeting, um, my daughter's professor at that time, years ago, I started, uh, going to a local, um.
00:13:44.058 --> 00:13:44.778
reserve.
00:13:44.839 --> 00:13:45.408
Um.
00:13:45.903 --> 00:13:48.994
Or local park, as you would call it, Saturday mornings.
00:13:49.384 --> 00:13:52.533
Um, and what I call, um, TWG Time of God.
00:13:53.134 --> 00:14:01.203
And Tho that, that t that TWG time is time that I spend with him to get downloads for business only.
00:14:01.413 --> 00:14:03.333
This is literally just business only.
00:14:03.693 --> 00:14:04.234
Um.
00:14:05.073 --> 00:14:14.703
And after meeting with him and, and doing the prototype, I continued that even to this, this, this, every single, this day now, every Saturday.
00:14:14.943 --> 00:14:21.573
Um, and throughout those sessions and times, I am literally getting information on.
00:14:22.384 --> 00:14:37.384
How to do this process from the, in the very beginning, earlier stages, this was all about creating and crafting and designing the item, how to even code the item, how to, uh, bring the item together.
00:14:37.624 --> 00:14:47.134
Um, I have a, a book that I, Or I have books rather, that I have, that I do when I go there.
00:14:47.374 --> 00:14:48.214
I take notes.
00:14:48.754 --> 00:14:50.823
This is my fifth one of these, right?
00:14:51.153 --> 00:15:11.644
And inside of there I'm getting downloads of data and information and structure or, or design, design changes that needs to happen inside of the units or, um, how to strategically, um, um, do certain things in the business structure like that.
00:15:11.764 --> 00:15:17.193
So I am literally getting informational download of what to do.
00:15:17.583 --> 00:15:23.553
Every single week, every single day, and how to maneuver throughout this, this journey, right?
00:15:23.553 --> 00:15:33.634
Because if it's his idea that he gave me, then I'm leaning on him to give me the literal, exact Instructions Instructions on how to do everything.
00:15:34.114 --> 00:15:46.744
I know that sounds kind of different and kind of taboo, Um, but sometimes when we are, when we recognize that we are in a position and in a place for a certain reason.
00:15:47.344 --> 00:15:49.173
Um, and it's beyond us.
00:15:49.774 --> 00:16:03.844
My thought is, okay, an electric vehicle, and if I knew Elon Musk, I would go to Elon the instructions on how to do that vehicle, correct?
00:16:05.104 --> 00:16:05.283
Right.
00:16:05.403 --> 00:16:14.644
So if God gave me the idea to create this business, to create this product and associated services, then I'm gonna lean on.
00:16:15.229 --> 00:16:18.528
That, that source to give me all the instructions.
00:16:18.708 --> 00:16:20.028
So that's what I've done.
00:16:20.484 --> 00:16:20.703
And.
00:16:21.844 --> 00:16:42.274
What we see today, every aspect is literally from the, that those Saturday morning times from 7:00 AM till 11, 12:00 PM of just sitting there in my car, uh, or sitting on the side of the, um, the little lake there, um, uh, at, um, Mount Island Lake and getting information.
00:16:42.604 --> 00:16:46.354
That is literally how we've trans transformed through there.
00:16:46.474 --> 00:16:57.094
it's not only to just recently, within the last, um, eight to eight months or so that I've started to really dive deep into the startup stuff here in Charlotte.
00:16:57.333 --> 00:17:05.554
The, um, the programs like Innovate Charlotte and um, the Boost Pad and really now started digging into, um, um,
00:17:05.926 --> 00:17:06.159
these
00:17:06.453 --> 00:17:06.828
resources
00:17:07.307 --> 00:17:09.467
that didn't even know existed Mm-hmm.
00:17:10.666 --> 00:17:14.771
I, I think appreciate you breaking it down that way.
00:17:16.682 --> 00:17:43.727
I think the, the journey for a founder, you have to have some of those, like you said, you have to sit down with your thoughts and let, like you said, like you have to let these things manifest, a lot of times the, your inner circle, those around you, they're not necessarily equipped to even give you, That direction.
00:17:43.727 --> 00:17:51.166
A lot of times, like a lot of us, we don't know, like you said, mentioned like if we knew Elon Musk, right, I would just say, Hey man, I wanna have a car brand, what do I do?
00:17:51.586 --> 00:17:54.676
But then there's always that, there's that, that gap at times, right?
00:17:54.676 --> 00:18:03.047
Where we don't have that versus in your case, you have that faith from day one, definitely leveraging that through this process.
00:18:03.528 --> 00:18:04.068
yes.
00:18:04.068 --> 00:18:04.128
I.
00:18:07.098 --> 00:18:09.888
Yeah, and you, you, you and and spot on.
00:18:09.979 --> 00:18:13.278
That right there is the key That is the foundation there.
00:18:13.278 --> 00:18:34.009
Regardless if, if, if, um, if we're, if I'm just working a regular job and, and didn't have a startup business in, in place, or if, um, going and creating a new electric vehicle like that, it's that basis of my faith, it's my, that basis of understanding and know, knowing who I am.
00:18:35.419 --> 00:18:38.628
Why I exist and then why it matters that I exist.
00:18:38.868 --> 00:18:41.989
And understanding that where my source comes from as well.
00:18:42.108 --> 00:18:50.328
You know, if I understand and know that my source is God and that he has access to everything, there's no, I mean, there's nothing that he doesn't know.
00:18:50.659 --> 00:18:57.679
So if there is ever a problem that I run into, I ask him for that solution.
00:18:58.068 --> 00:18:59.239
Real world example.
00:18:59.868 --> 00:19:05.659
Um, I used to, when I went to college, I was a, uh, computer science major, and now this is back.
00:19:05.719 --> 00:19:05.898
Okay.
00:19:05.898 --> 00:19:07.638
I'm putting, I'm going back a little bit.
00:19:07.638 --> 00:19:10.669
I went to college in, um, in 1989.
00:19:10.669 --> 00:19:11.028
Right.
00:19:11.449 --> 00:19:15.048
Um, this, it is back a little bit, so back a little bit there, probably before you were born.
00:19:15.679 --> 00:19:17.328
Um, the
00:19:17.522 --> 00:19:18.449
the programming language
00:19:18.558 --> 00:19:21.019
was out then was called Pascal Programming.
00:19:21.963 --> 00:19:23.374
Most people don't even even remember that.
00:19:23.854 --> 00:19:27.124
And Pascal programmer whipped my behind.
00:19:27.693 --> 00:19:33.604
Uh, so I changed from computer science to So I, I'm, I'm an engineer.
00:19:35.044 --> 00:19:39.753
I haven't been coding like that since 1990.
00:19:39.963 --> 00:19:45.814
So um, when I came into this, I knew that I'm gonna have to code in c plus.
00:19:46.413 --> 00:19:50.463
C plus plus or Arduino and then, and, um, and Python.
00:19:50.493 --> 00:19:51.604
This is three years ago.
00:19:51.844 --> 00:19:57.304
So I, I asked God, I was like, literally, Hey, look, I, I'm rusty, beyond Rusty.
00:19:57.483 --> 00:20:00.784
I need you to give me the knowledge so that I can do this.
00:20:01.354 --> 00:20:03.153
And just like that.
00:20:03.933 --> 00:20:05.013
I began to code.
00:20:05.074 --> 00:20:07.923
It just literally is like everything just like made sense.
00:20:08.284 --> 00:20:09.003
I can't explain it.
00:20:09.064 --> 00:20:09.903
It just made sense.
00:20:10.114 --> 00:20:12.634
It was almost like, uh, A plus B equal C.
00:20:12.874 --> 00:20:15.784
I thought, oh, I'll do this right here, YouTube a little bit.
00:20:15.874 --> 00:20:16.114
Okay.
00:20:16.114 --> 00:20:17.223
Boom, boom, boom, and like that.
00:20:17.433 --> 00:20:27.394
And for a year, I coded the first iterations of the Topper Stopper utilizing a micro uh, processor called the SP 32.
00:20:28.644 --> 00:20:29.432
Now since
00:20:30.304 --> 00:20:31.864
AI has been cooking.
00:20:32.433 --> 00:20:37.953
So now as with most developers, we don't code like we used to code back then.
00:20:38.163 --> 00:20:39.394
Now we are prompters.
00:20:39.394 --> 00:20:45.874
We are, we are giving instructions to the LLMs to code force because they're faster, they're more precise, they're quicker.
00:20:46.263 --> 00:20:56.163
And um, so now it's now utilizing the the speed to which I'm able to bring in new features, um.
00:20:57.334 --> 00:20:59.193
Is is literally night and day.
00:20:59.403 --> 00:21:07.894
Um, certain things that took me months, um, uh, literally a year and a half ago now takes me maybe a days to do or sometimes
00:21:07.932 --> 00:21:09.541
sometimes even less than days, times, hours.
00:21:09.903 --> 00:21:12.034
Uh, so, it's
00:21:12.156 --> 00:21:13.172
it's getting scary.
00:21:13.442 --> 00:21:14.672
It's getting scary.
00:21:14.672 --> 00:21:15.332
Marcus.
00:21:15.663 --> 00:21:16.138
it is.
00:21:16.382 --> 00:21:17.071
the robots are.
00:21:17.071 --> 00:21:18.001
doing a lot.
00:21:18.031 --> 00:21:30.122
Um, I'm so glad, uh, so far, um, they don't, uh, they haven't figured out how to do a podcast, uh, podcast here, but.
00:21:31.398 --> 00:21:32.659
have you been looking at Google?
00:21:32.836 --> 00:21:34.457
there's some tools out there.
00:21:34.457 --> 00:21:34.936
Right.
00:21:35.027 --> 00:21:53.207
But I think the challenge is, um, still having your authentic voice through that is where the machines it, but then making it your own Yes, Is still Everybody can't go to Google and say, make my podcast.
00:21:54.001 --> 00:21:54.301
Correct.
00:21:54.332 --> 00:21:54.811
Right.
00:21:54.902 --> 00:21:58.892
Not yet, at least, but it, the, the robots are definitely coming.
00:21:59.281 --> 00:22:11.132
I wanna shift a little bit and, and, and allow you to break down,'cause you talked about the physical aspect of the tool, but then you just dove into you having to reignite the programmer in you.
00:22:12.182 --> 00:22:13.231
Um, right.
00:22:13.261 --> 00:22:14.942
Um, after college, which I, I.
00:22:14.942 --> 00:22:18.061
completely understand, it feels like every five to 10 years, right?
00:22:18.061 --> 00:22:22.142
There's a shift in a new language, a new kind of style of programming.
00:22:22.142 --> 00:22:24.061
Now we're vibe coding, right?
00:22:24.061 --> 00:22:26.521
With the prompting, the prompting and things like that.
00:22:26.942 --> 00:22:38.912
Talk a little bit about, now you have the physical product and you're trying to marry that with the analytics, with and how that differentiates.
00:22:39.467 --> 00:22:43.846
The Topper Stopper from, say, other sustainability tools that are out there?
00:22:43.846 --> 00:22:44.267
Like how are
00:22:46.669 --> 00:22:47.269
Perfect.
00:22:48.469 --> 00:22:48.949
Absolutely.
00:22:48.949 --> 00:22:51.108
So, um, my, um.
00:22:52.564 --> 00:23:01.653
I've been a senior developer for 20 years, uh, specifically focused on business in business insights, utilizing tools like Power bi.
00:23:01.743 --> 00:23:06.903
So the data I, I, I live, eat, sleep data all along, even prior to this.
00:23:07.233 --> 00:23:10.653
So having an understanding of the data was always, has always been there.
00:23:11.314 --> 00:23:11.824
Um.
00:23:12.213 --> 00:23:16.653
Now, what makes the topper stopper different from all the other tools?
00:23:16.653 --> 00:23:20.824
Uh, All the other, uh, uh, recycling units that are out there.
00:23:21.064 --> 00:23:21.753
A couple things.
00:23:21.753 --> 00:23:22.324
Number one size.
00:23:24.138 --> 00:23:25.128
It's compact.
00:23:25.308 --> 00:23:25.699
Okay.
00:23:26.058 --> 00:23:27.709
And number two, it's smart.
00:23:28.068 --> 00:23:32.898
Uh, we utilize, uh, raspberry pi, fives and compute modules in there.
00:23:32.898 --> 00:23:35.778
So the processing is absolutely amazing and fast.
00:23:36.348 --> 00:23:38.568
Here's one of the biggest things, or two things.
00:23:38.568 --> 00:23:46.699
So the biggest things there, um, number three is we utilize barcodes instead of mic, uh, of, um, vision.
00:23:46.999 --> 00:23:47.749
And here's why.
00:23:48.169 --> 00:23:49.699
Most of the other items.
00:23:49.959 --> 00:23:51.548
Um, recycle things.
00:23:51.548 --> 00:23:57.939
We'll use to recognize that this is what, a plastic bottle, But that's all they can tell you.
00:23:58.659 --> 00:24:00.909
They can tell you what plastic bottle is.
00:24:01.088 --> 00:24:03.098
They can't tell you what the size is.
00:24:03.098 --> 00:24:05.259
They can't tell you the manufacturer.
00:24:05.913 --> 00:24:06.693
Because why?
00:24:06.814 --> 00:24:18.574
It just seized the plastic bottle they would have to do so many, um, iterations and building out the model on that to, to train it, to be able to recognize the actual product itself.
00:24:18.903 --> 00:24:28.503
So we utilize the barcode because barcode already resident has 30 or 40 different points of, of data source in the barcode.
00:24:28.534 --> 00:24:29.884
That's universal, right?
00:24:30.243 --> 00:24:31.923
So how do we use that?
00:24:32.013 --> 00:24:32.419
We scan.
00:24:33.409 --> 00:24:49.848
Um, it recognizes it, um, that it's, we, we recognize the barcode and we then, um, use machine learning in the cloud with AWS as one of our partners to then classify that as plastic bottle aluminum, McCann, glass bottle, et cetera.
00:24:50.328 --> 00:25:00.229
Um, when it's classified, we store it in our own repository and send back a message to this specific device saying, Hey, that what you scan is a plastic bottle.
00:25:00.479 --> 00:25:08.159
Open up, allow the user to deposit, and then we take all of that data, store it and visualize it back to our clients.
00:25:08.159 --> 00:25:11.249
Say, um, uh, university for example.
00:25:11.913 --> 00:25:17.523
This, um, this person, or, or, rather a plastic bottle will scan at this unit.
00:25:17.554 --> 00:25:20.584
At this time, it had, it's this size.
00:25:20.884 --> 00:25:23.523
Um, this is how much plastic that you recovered.
00:25:23.763 --> 00:25:26.493
This is how much carbon footprint you just reduced.
00:25:26.493 --> 00:25:27.723
This is how much water you just saved.
00:25:27.723 --> 00:25:29.493
This is how much energy you just saved as well.
00:25:29.703 --> 00:25:39.153
Based upon that, we provide all that data back through the university, and they have a live dashboard they could pull at any given time to meet their sustainability goals.
00:25:39.814 --> 00:25:53.703
What's, What's, different between our units and all the others is that the barcode, the size, and then the fact that it can, it can connect to existing recycling bins, so They don't have to build in, bring in new infrastructure.
00:25:53.943 --> 00:25:55.294
They don't have to go out and buy
00:25:55.305 --> 00:25:55.457
buy new.
00:25:55.683 --> 00:25:56.013
new.
00:25:56.314 --> 00:26:01.088
The Topper Stopper just fits on unique in itself.
00:26:02.116 --> 00:26:02.567
I love it.
00:26:02.567 --> 00:26:03.287
I love that.
00:26:03.346 --> 00:26:03.856
Um.
00:26:05.777 --> 00:26:19.126
And I think it, what's, what's really cool, you're leveraging, like you said, the, uh, I don't think people understand, like there's, there, there's systems, there's some really cool data around, like things in place already.
00:26:19.126 --> 00:26:19.307
Like
00:26:20.554 --> 00:26:20.773
Yep.
00:26:20.777 --> 00:26:27.076
not like just this one, this one number, Right, This one number has different segments, and those segments mean something.
00:26:27.076 --> 00:26:28.787
And so it's a system in and of itself.
00:26:29.811 --> 00:26:35.009
Um, and it's a smart system that that definitely grows with the amount of products that we put out into the world.
00:26:35.632 --> 00:26:43.942
you're leveraging that, like, like you said, versus, uh, the, the approach that a lot of companies use now is I'll take, I'll try to take a million
00:26:45.243 --> 00:26:45.634
Yeah.
00:26:48.304 --> 00:27:13.848
Now, now, kitty, though all of this, even though all, all of, all, of us in space with the Topper Stopper and all of the Even all of that that we're doing, there's still something missing just because it's, we got it there and just because it's uh, the topper stopper keeps it clean and just because the other guys keep their stuff clean, there's still something's missing.
00:27:14.719 --> 00:27:22.878
it's, it's it's the ability to, um, change the way that people, um.
00:27:23.703 --> 00:27:27.993
React and, um, um, think about recycling.
00:27:28.263 --> 00:27:29.493
That's the problem.
00:27:29.973 --> 00:27:31.114
So that's the problem to solve.
00:27:31.114 --> 00:27:34.114
So here's how we're solving that problem, right?
00:27:34.144 --> 00:27:38.794
So let's use the University of South Carolinas, where we have our pilot programs.
00:27:38.794 --> 00:27:42.453
Right now they have five units six one deployed soon.
00:27:43.384 --> 00:27:43.864
Um.
00:27:44.898 --> 00:28:00.229
We started in November of 2025 and all the way up until the January one, the students, uh, recycle 609 items throughout that time, and that's Thanksgiving, holidays, and Christmas holidays and the breaks and all that right there, which is pretty good.
00:28:00.469 --> 00:28:05.098
It's about somewhere 23, 24 items per, uh, per day.
00:28:05.719 --> 00:28:10.969
So of goodwill of students wanting to do the right thing, that's what they accomplish.
00:28:11.058 --> 00:28:13.068
609 items, right?
00:28:13.249 --> 00:28:16.909
It's like something like almost 1400 gallons of water saved there.
00:28:17.209 --> 00:28:25.098
Uh, like, I think it's like 400 kilowatt hours of energy, which could run three houses for like seven days or something like that.
00:28:25.374 --> 00:28:25.578
that.
00:28:27.288 --> 00:28:28.878
That in that, aspect Now.
00:28:30.949 --> 00:28:34.699
That's off of people doing the right thing just because they want to.
00:28:35.209 --> 00:28:36.318
Here's where we change it.
00:28:37.098 --> 00:28:40.009
In the end of this month, we launched our Ts Rewards app.
00:28:40.459 --> 00:28:41.749
So when you recycle.
00:28:42.259 --> 00:28:43.969
You also would get rewarded as well.
00:28:44.088 --> 00:28:47.808
So every time you recycle a a plastic bottle, for example, you get five points.
00:28:48.138 --> 00:28:50.538
If you recycle aluminum, can, you'll get 10 points.
00:28:50.808 --> 00:28:52.128
Now it goes into your app.
00:28:52.519 --> 00:28:55.189
Now those points accumulate in your app.
00:28:55.308 --> 00:29:02.239
If you're on campus, you can then redeem those points on campus for food at the calf, uh, free.
00:29:02.358 --> 00:29:02.868
Um.
00:29:03.648 --> 00:29:24.019
Uh, t-shirts and swag at the bookstore, uh, associated businesses we'll be bringing together in that they can go off campus and say, Hey, I can get a free pizza for 500 points, or I could take 300 points and go get me a, a Starbucks coffee, or I can, um, to use 50 points and use that for my bus pass to go uptown, Spartanburg, whatever.
00:29:24.439 --> 00:29:29.868
The thing that we're changing is now we are making recycling a economy.
00:29:30.679 --> 00:29:38.118
Versus something just to do to save the save, save the environment, which is still good, but now we're trying to making it to an economy as well.
00:29:38.538 --> 00:29:41.749
That is where we are changing the aspect.
00:29:41.749 --> 00:29:46.848
That's what makes our Topper stopper and our Associated Ts rewards application.
00:29:47.358 --> 00:29:49.699
Different'cause we wanted to actually impact that.
00:29:49.699 --> 00:29:54.648
And now we don't have to worry about just being in a deposit state like we were, we were kids.
00:29:55.009 --> 00:30:01.878
Now this is a across every state, everywhere, because now you can take those points and redeem them everywhere.
00:30:01.878 --> 00:30:12.469
So our, our, our goal right now is we're on college campuses, so there'll be closed ecosystems, but in the future, the goal is to be able to have top or stopper units set up around different areas of cities.
00:30:12.469 --> 00:30:15.558
And you're able to go and do that in the city and then in the city.
00:30:15.743 --> 00:30:23.423
We'll have different partners or different, uh, redemption locations at Ulta Beauty or Starbucks or Dunking Donuts,
00:30:23.701 --> 00:30:23.711
or
00:30:23.993 --> 00:30:25.554
even heck, the city of Charlotte.
00:30:25.614 --> 00:30:30.594
Pay your Pay your gas bill with it, you know, whatever like that, whatever way we look in ways.
00:30:30.834 --> 00:30:31.824
And another thing is you.
00:30:32.943 --> 00:30:39.513
Often we'll see, um, the homeless, a homeless population gathering bottles and stuff like that.
00:30:39.513 --> 00:30:49.384
Now imagine if, if they're able to gather bottle stuff and go and then redeem that to get something to eat or go and be able to get some clothing of, of food or something like that.
00:30:49.473 --> 00:30:54.903
Shelter go to um, uh, maybe CBS and buy some toiletries, sink store nature.
00:30:55.263 --> 00:30:58.384
We are looking at every aspect of, okay, let's take.
00:30:59.884 --> 00:31:01.324
take our mind out of it.
00:31:01.443 --> 00:31:19.534
How can we number one, make our, our, state and our city and our our country, um, impact recycling over, um, holistically change people's minds of recycling and incentivize them, and Then also have a great positive social impact as well.
00:31:20.163 --> 00:31:20.554
So we are
00:31:20.686 --> 00:31:20.866
we
00:31:22.503 --> 00:31:23.044
Stopper
00:31:24.467 --> 00:31:25.186
I love that.
00:31:25.186 --> 00:31:25.817
I love that.
00:31:25.817 --> 00:31:32.267
Um, the idea in, in there, that you explained in there.
00:31:33.301 --> 00:31:33.932
One.
00:31:33.932 --> 00:31:44.071
Uh, there was one consistent thread around this idea that certain areas of our, our economy or just our, our normal way of life are They're call centers.
00:31:44.071 --> 00:31:46.021
They're only looked at as call centers.
00:31:46.652 --> 00:31:55.592
And so there's ways now that we have the robots coming, the robots are gonna be doing all the heavy lifting and we see all the, the videos and everything like that.
00:31:55.592 --> 00:31:59.251
Now that of those things that are at least on the horizon.
00:32:00.017 --> 00:32:16.576
There's opportunity in a lot, a lot of these spaces where it was just a call center before, but now once you tap into that data, giving someone such as yourself with a business insight, insight mindset, now there's revenue there, there's opportunities to unlock, and it seems unlimited.
00:32:16.576 --> 00:32:24.017
Like I'm pretty sure you could have went on with just even more ideas just now around this space, cool to see.
00:32:24.047 --> 00:32:25.576
Again, non-sexy.
00:32:26.836 --> 00:32:30.166
Uh, areas of our, of our daily life, there is.
00:32:30.166 --> 00:32:41.717
so much value, uh, to unlock and a big focus for me, the listeners know, has been, uh, B B2B, business to business, business to government.
00:32:42.287 --> 00:32:44.057
Uh, we, we all see the news.
00:32:44.057 --> 00:32:47.297
Uh, it seems like that's where a lot of the funding is going right now.
00:32:47.297 --> 00:32:47.626
Right?
00:32:47.656 --> 00:32:48.946
Um, and so there's a.
00:32:49.382 --> 00:32:53.521
There's a concerted effort away from B2C businesses.
00:32:54.061 --> 00:32:55.682
Um, I'm excited to see it.
00:32:55.892 --> 00:33:06.778
Um, I definitely think it's gonna be some growing pains in terms of the next generation of founders, but B2B is so much, so much, there's just so much opportunity out there and I appreciate you really,
00:33:10.743 --> 00:33:28.983
Yeah, just in the US alone for, um, and, and our, like our, um, initial target market colleges and universities, um, these colleges and universities already have mandates, uh, that they have to meet certain sustainability goals and metrics across their campus.
00:33:29.193 --> 00:33:31.473
And think about it, they're basically small cities.
00:33:31.743 --> 00:33:34.084
You they're Small little ecosystem.
00:33:34.084 --> 00:33:35.223
So, um.
00:33:36.243 --> 00:33:46.023
The, in the us uh, these colleges yearly spend$1.8 billion just on sustainability type of programs.
00:33:46.294 --> 00:33:55.324
And even with that spend, they're not getting any data, know stuff is still going to recycling, um, still going to
00:33:55.654 --> 00:33:56.311
landfills,
00:33:56.493 --> 00:33:56.794
and the
00:33:56.852 --> 00:34:00.182
and the students are still not being engaged at Right?
00:34:00.196 --> 00:34:00.616
And they're
00:34:01.023 --> 00:34:01.294
what.
00:34:03.259 --> 00:34:04.429
Exactly.
00:34:04.429 --> 00:34:05.419
they're getting cut.
00:34:05.568 --> 00:34:18.018
They're getting cut like that throughout and like different, different, um, political, um, um, uh, seasons happen where there's more money, there's less money, there's definitely less money now there's less grants and things of that certain nature.
00:34:18.228 --> 00:34:21.438
So they're looking for ways to be able to meet these goals.
00:34:21.648 --> 00:34:25.159
And that's where we come in to place and say, Hey, look, here's a solution that.
00:34:25.353 --> 00:34:39.034
It's not expensive, it's cheaper than all the other things out there, but you're getting, the value that it brings is beyond, beyond, uh, uh, everything that you can actually, uh, uh, look at on a competitive nature.
00:34:39.034 --> 00:34:42.958
So, uh, it's just, it's just, just, it's just really trying to tap in and,
00:34:43.030 --> 00:34:46.442
and lock in with those universe across the nation.
00:34:46.891 --> 00:34:47.612
I love that.
00:34:47.641 --> 00:34:50.496
Um, and, and I want just circle back to Charlotte.
00:34:50.851 --> 00:34:54.271
I know we, we talked a little bit about the city at the beginning of the call.
00:34:54.722 --> 00:34:57.541
For you specifically, I guess, like what are you seeing.
00:34:57.766 --> 00:34:57.827
Uh.
00:34:58.396 --> 00:35:05.657
like there's, we, we definitely have talked about faith, entrepreneurship like the local impact of a tool like top or stopper.
00:35:06.137 --> 00:35:10.876
Like when you think about all three of those things, like what, what does Charlotte do for you?
00:35:10.907 --> 00:35:12.608
Maybe are there opportunities
00:35:13.208 --> 00:35:13.429
Wow.
00:35:16.458 --> 00:35:25.938
Well, first and foremost, so like I said earlier, I didn't know that we even had a startup, uh, uh, community here in Charlotte years ago.
00:35:26.298 --> 00:35:36.829
It's just honestly been in the last year that I've locked in and the, like, for example, I'm standing right now in the collab space with the UNC Charlottes Collab space.
00:35:37.128 --> 00:35:41.179
Uh, and this is, um, I have access this for a year and.
00:35:41.494 --> 00:35:49.864
Um, in the next few months, I will be building out a, our own, uh, office space here in this, in this building, which is fantastic.
00:35:50.164 --> 00:36:02.884
So the Charlotte region and the resources that we have here are critical and we gotta get, getting locked in and understanding where to look, up the entirety door.
00:36:03.063 --> 00:36:04.414
When I came across.
00:36:05.329 --> 00:36:07.668
Um, the organization called Innovate Charlotte.
00:36:08.208 --> 00:36:23.764
Um, they are literally a, um, their purpose is to grow the startup community here in the Charlotte um, it's run by a gentleman named Juan Garza I think it's his last name and or Garone.
00:36:24.034 --> 00:36:31.623
And they connect any startup in business here in the Charlotte region to a wealth of other things.
00:36:31.623 --> 00:36:37.143
so for like example, one of the things that they connected me to was a cohort called the Boost Pad.
00:36:37.623 --> 00:36:39.483
Um, and a Boost Pad was amazing.
00:36:39.664 --> 00:36:43.534
The Boost Pad helped me to get a good understanding of my business.
00:36:44.289 --> 00:36:50.918
And structure helped me to get it financially in order, and then also prepare for, uh, funding as well.
00:36:51.219 --> 00:37:04.748
So they literally started from the basis of what your idea is and get you all the way up into where you're actually able to go out and do pitches to investors and to get funding for that 14 week process.
00:37:05.108 --> 00:37:06.398
Uh, an amazing thing there.
00:37:06.398 --> 00:37:06.728
So.
00:37:07.054 --> 00:37:28.264
The, the, the region of Charlotte, um, and these Innovate Charlotte and different organizations, startup communities are absolutely a wealth of, um, information and, um, I'm, I'm still reaching out to do more things and even get more in our area and region.
00:37:28.264 --> 00:37:28.384
So,
00:37:28.577 --> 00:37:28.867
yeah.
00:37:29.101 --> 00:37:29.251
Yeah.
00:37:29.251 --> 00:37:29.822
I love that.
00:37:29.851 --> 00:37:30.931
Shout out to the city.
00:37:31.472 --> 00:37:40.592
So, next up, you know, we're, we're, we're definitely wrapping up towards the end, but just give us a glimpse into.
00:37:40.967 --> 00:37:44.416
You know, what, what are you thinking in terms of the vision of the company, the growth?
00:37:44.806 --> 00:37:51.286
Uh, you obviously have Genesis one, which is like the parent company all the way down to waist wise, which is like your distribution arm.
00:37:51.646 --> 00:37:58.726
Talk a little bit about where the company is headed and, you know, maybe five years out, you know, if you think, if you're thinking that far out.
00:37:58.786 --> 00:37:59.146
Uh,
00:38:03.903 --> 00:38:18.333
Well, our, our first goal over the next three years is to really, um, uh, reach out to these, colleges first and um, and get the topper stoppers on these college campuses.
00:38:18.454 --> 00:38:19.173
There's 7,200.
00:38:20.103 --> 00:38:32.853
Some changed colleges here in the us Um, we, we, are connected to some that are very eco-friendly, um, that we know that they are looking for ideas and things of, for example, university of South Carolina, upstate.
00:38:33.244 --> 00:38:34.684
They are very forward thinking.
00:38:34.684 --> 00:38:39.753
University of, of, um, North Carolina here in Charlotte is very forward thinking as well.
00:38:40.083 --> 00:38:48.333
So we are looking to connect to those type of universities that are already forward thinking, thinking about ways of how they can, uh, impact.
00:38:48.559 --> 00:38:56.148
Uh, the recycling rates on their camp campuses and how they can also, um, engage with their students.
00:38:56.329 --> 00:38:59.478
Those are the universities that we're looking to, uh, reach out to and help.
00:39:00.048 --> 00:39:06.079
Secondarily, there are a whole nother aspect of business, uh, businesses as well that are eco-friendly.
00:39:06.079 --> 00:39:07.128
They're looking for.
00:39:07.429 --> 00:39:07.938
um.
00:39:08.733 --> 00:39:13.443
Ways of engaging with their employees on their, in, on their campuses as well.
00:39:13.623 --> 00:39:18.123
So we are looking to grow our businesses in those two sectors.
00:39:18.423 --> 00:39:20.344
Um, expand our product line.
00:39:20.344 --> 00:39:22.623
We have the Topper Stopper here.
00:39:22.833 --> 00:39:24.574
Uh, we have TS rewards.
00:39:24.574 --> 00:39:26.673
This is the application that we spoke about before.
00:39:26.884 --> 00:39:30.489
And then we also have TS Media where every single.
00:39:31.184 --> 00:39:38.804
Uh, Topper Stopper is a digital billboard in essence, so we're able to sell advertising to advertising partners there on a quarterly basis.
00:39:39.103 --> 00:39:57.134
So really our goal is to really get our foothold into the higher educational space and then, um, merge off into, uh, the, uh, eco-friendly business space there and get the Topper Stopper into every, every, sector that we possibly can that is looking to do something and, and
00:40:00.606 --> 00:40:01.277
population.
00:40:01.277 --> 00:40:01.922
I love that.
00:40:02.251 --> 00:40:08.581
Um, so I just wanna say thank you so much, Marcus, for sharing your story.
00:40:08.612 --> 00:40:09.782
It's been in Incre.
00:40:10.202 --> 00:40:10.711
Incredible.
00:40:10.711 --> 00:40:11.342
Just to hear it.
00:40:11.342 --> 00:40:17.702
I already did, I did my research obviously before the conversation, but to hear you really articulate how you've gone from.
00:40:18.692 --> 00:40:25.231
Your, your, your, your journey in faith to now you're taking that faith with you and becoming a tech founder.
00:40:25.681 --> 00:40:34.052
Amazing to hear this, like, I'm going to be telling everybody once this episode comes out, but even before then, that they definitely need to be tapping in with you.
00:40:34.411 --> 00:40:35.748
What's the easiest way for folks
00:40:40.099 --> 00:40:40.518
Sure.
00:40:40.548 --> 00:40:47.989
Um, you can always reach out to us, to me, on my website, uh, at Genesis, the number one tech, or LinkedIn.
00:40:48.108 --> 00:40:53.298
LinkedIn is the platform that, uh, I am, um, trying to engage more.
00:40:54.398 --> 00:40:55.719
On these, this upcoming years.
00:40:55.719 --> 00:41:12.998
So always reach out to me on LinkedIn or UH, or dm and then also say as well, thank you as well for how you are focusing on businesses and focusing on the journeys of solopreneurs and startups and how you're exposing that to the market as a whole.
00:41:13.148 --> 00:41:13.989
You know, so.
00:41:14.164 --> 00:41:22.143
I want to thank you for you and your network and the podcast and pray that you could continue to get blessings and that your expand explode.
00:41:22.353 --> 00:41:29.853
And I want to see, oh, this is at, um, this is, uh, on the, uh, the Apple Top or Spotify's Top five business podcast.
00:41:30.123 --> 00:41:30.543
There we go.
00:41:30.543 --> 00:41:31.204
I said, I, I I
00:41:31.452 --> 00:41:32.199
I remember back in
00:41:32.313 --> 00:41:42.514
when Kenny did this and that, I said, yeah, so, so continue to continue to do what you're doing because you have a voice and you're giving voice to other startup and, uh, other businesses that
00:41:42.617 --> 00:41:42.887
that don't
00:41:42.994 --> 00:41:43.744
necessarily have.
00:41:44.880 --> 00:41:45.766
voice in connection.
00:41:46.172 --> 00:41:47.001
Appreciate that.
00:41:48.661 --> 00:41:49.891
Appreciate that so much.
00:41:49.891 --> 00:41:52.681
I'm gonna keep doing this for as long as I can.
00:41:52.711 --> 00:41:56.192
Lord willing, I want to, I want to pass it to you.
00:41:56.192 --> 00:41:58.621
One last, last time for the final word.
00:41:58.621 --> 00:41:59.972
I wanna phrase it this way though.
00:41:59.972 --> 00:42:06.661
You've built an incredible movement from an idea that nobody else really spent the time on.
00:42:06.811 --> 00:42:07.081
Right.
00:42:07.501 --> 00:42:15.452
What's a hard truth that you think folks need to hear about innovation, innovative businesses, right.
00:42:16.777 --> 00:42:17.521
This, like, they may
00:42:22.277 --> 00:42:29.568
So here's, here's, what I say, that each of us are placed here.
00:42:29.568 --> 00:42:31.489
on this earth to do something.
00:42:32.329 --> 00:42:33.739
We all have our own mission.
00:42:33.739 --> 00:42:39.679
We all have a, a certain path that is already pre-designed and predestined for us.
00:42:40.193 --> 00:42:53.224
Okay, so what my, my suggestion, my my prayer is that you, each person would get an It's not even about business.
00:42:55.324 --> 00:43:07.264
Get an understanding of who you are and of God in your life and allow him to first, first thing he'll do once you, you make one step to God who'll make two steps to you.
00:43:07.864 --> 00:43:15.393
And when you ask him about giving you your understanding of who you are, he will display that and give you that information freely.
00:43:15.784 --> 00:43:17.853
And then once you know that, then help me.
00:43:18.123 --> 00:43:20.119
It can now help you to get to where you need to go.
00:43:21.153 --> 00:43:24.454
He will guide you and direct you, uh, along the path.
00:43:24.724 --> 00:43:27.634
And if he's guiding you, then you're not gonna sway off the path.
00:43:27.634 --> 00:43:30.873
You're not gonna fall off the cliff because he's giving you that direction.
00:43:31.054 --> 00:43:39.539
My, my suggestion, my prayer is that everyone gets an understanding of the creator in their life and then the
00:43:43.681 --> 00:43:43.952
Hmm.
00:43:44.402 --> 00:43:48.242
Thank you so much, Marcus, and for everyone tuning in, Thank you.
00:43:48.242 --> 00:43:48.811
for
