The Business RoundUp with Melissa Bill

Inside "The Big Beautiful Bill" with Tax Expert Ryan Otto of Accent Financial

Taxes affect everyone from small businesses to the average taxpayers. In this episode, Ryan Otto, President and Owner of Accent Financial Services, walks us through "The Big Beautiful Bill" which recently passed in July of 2025.
Otto breaks down parts of this bill and who will see the greatest effects from changes including:
Permanent QBI deduction for small businesses
Bonus depreciation
Research and Development, how is this opening up doors
QSBS and changes within the stock market
Discuss this year's tax filing, filing changes, and how this may affect tax withholdings
Accent's expanding Tax Smithing services
Join us for this in-depth look into changes we're likely to see when it comes to filing our taxes next year and find out why early preparation is key to a successful tax strategy.
 
 

Cem Zorlular, CEO of Er-Kim on the Global Challenge of Drug Inequity

This week on the Business RoundUp we catch up with Cem Zorlular, CEO of Er-Kim to discuss the global challenge of drug inequity. During this conversation, Cem breaks down the vast challenges of access to life saving pharmaceuticals especially in underserved areas of the world, plus:
His own family experience with drug inequity and how it shaped his perspective on global drug access.
How Er-Kim is a direct continuation of his family's legacy.
Er-Kim's focus on rare disease treatments and why it's so crucial for low- and middle-income countries.
How Western markets rarely see dramatic shifts, but such changes are commonplace globally. (natural disasters, economic volatility, war, etc.) 
Given these significant challenges, what unique strategies/business models has Er-Kim developed to navigate these volatile environments and ensure a more consistent supply of medications.
Don't miss this information packed episode!

Re:Public is Redefining Media: Former Fox Broadcaster Eric Bolling on Latest Venture

In this episode of The Business RoundUp, former Fox News Broadcaster Eric Bolling, joins us to discuss his latest venture as the Senior Communications Manager and Partner at Re:Public 
The new, independent journalism platform is redefining media relations and public engagement. Bolling shares plans for the newly released site that will cater to those looking for news without censorship.
The goals of Re:Public include: 
The pursuit to focus on causes, not profiles. Re:Public is dedicated to spotlighting the issues and topics that drive the community forward, rather than focusing on individual profiles and social metrics.
How the platform welcomes voices from all walks of life and encourages respectful dialogue and aims to foster unity by celebrating diverse perspectives and shared values.
How it places privacy and independence before advertising: The platform will not track personal data, and plans to ensure a pure, unfiltered experience.
Don't miss this episode as we explore the next chapter in America's evolving media landscape. 
Listen, subscribe and share!

Paying Forward Through Innovation and Education: Interview with Pedro Espinoza

In this episode of The Business RoundUp, we are joined by Pedro David Espinoza a TED speaker, entrepreneur, AI investor, and author. Pedro shares how he is invested in the future by empowering underserved communities through technology and entrepreneurship. 
In this episode, he shares insight into:
What prompted him to start Pan Peru USA, a nonprofit organization that trains Andean women in rural Peru to become entrepreneurs by marketing and selling handmade alpaca garments.
How Pan Peru USA has scaled under his leadership, from empowering one woman to over 100, with support from Fortune 500 companies such as KPMG, Bristol Myers Squibb, MSCI, and Western Union.
Discuss SmileyGo, a platform that has helped companies invest smarter by connecting them with nonprofits. The platform indexed the data of 1.5 million NGOs.
His journey as the founder & CEO of SmileyGo, an app that indexed the data of 1.5 million NGOs in addition to having users in 30 countries. 
His book – Differences That Make A Difference, which attracted 100 CEOs as contributors such as Pat Gelsinger who wrote the foreword. 

Illuminate XR: Redefining the Future of Learning Through Virtual Reality

Join us as we explore the world of virtual reality and AI with Colin Cooper and Meghan Freeman, Co-Founders & Co-CEOs of Illuminate XR. In this interview, Cooper and Freeman discuss the future of XR as it relates to school education and how it's now assisting numerous companies in their training processes. In this episode we dive into:
The great advancements in AI and how it's making an impact in various industries and in education.
How immersive learning is changing the way we take in information.
A recent TEDx talk where they discuss the need for schools to prepare students for our changing world.
New projects on the horizon and insight into advancements we'll likely see in 2026 and beyond.
Don't miss this episode as we take a journey into the future of learning!

Rethinking America's Education System: Interview with Justin MacDonald

Join us for an insightful look into reshaping the education system with Justin MacDonald, Head of The Academy at District Church. In this episode we dive into how The Academy at District Church is leading a bold, new movement to reimagine K–12 education through a Christian, purpose-driven lens.
Justin shares the idea behind their concept of running a school similar to a successful company and teaching students to do the same, plus the following: 
How this approach can foster a better school environment.
Steps to producing a higher number of graduates and more young entrepreneurs.
How The Academy is run like a business, and they teach students to do the same.
Their 6-week sprints and agile design methodology. 
If you want a new outlook on our resolving America's education dilemma, then don't miss this episode!

Essay Grader AI: A Beacon of Relief for Overloaded Teachers

In this episode, we speak with Chan Yerneni, Founder of EssayGrader.ai - the leading AI-powered grading platform for teachers across the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. 
Yerneni shares background on company and how its grown to over 100,000 registered teachers on the platform after only 18 months. Plus:
How EssayGrader.ai supports teachers and schools in almost 30 U.S. states, as well as school districts including Texas.
Ways the platform actively supports the Texas Education Agency’s STAAR readiness standards.
How AI is transforming the way teachers approach grading and feedback.
How EssayGrader.ai is building a fast-growing multi-million-dollar business.
Discover how AI is helping to streamline the workflow of teachers worldwide!

Rayburn Electric on Keeping Up with Texas's Growing Power Demand

Energy and the power grid continue to be at the forefront of discussions across the United States. Join us in this episode as we catch up with Chris Anderson, General Counsel at Rayburn Electric Cooperative to discuss how this electric energy solutions provider is redefining Texas's evolving energy sector, plus:
How Anderson is leading Rayburn through a period of incredible change, growing assets from $300M to more than $1B.
The Impact of Winter Storm Uri and how it was a wake-up call for a lot of Texas utilities.
What steps Rayburn has taken to strengthen the grid and better prepare for extreme weather.
Rayburn's acquisition of a new generation facility after Winter Storm Uri and plans to build a second one.
How do these facilities help you manage risk and keep power prices more affordable?
North Texas is one of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S.
New types of demand—like large-scale commercial and industrial users.
The future of energy mixing including natural gas, hydro and nuclear.
Join us for this inside look into the energy sector and be sure to subscribe to get notified on newly released episodes!