Ugly Talk: Small Fish, Big Pond

Ambition is big, resources are tight, and the path rarely looks like a highlight reel. Building in 2026 means shipping through constraints, competing with legacy players, and carrying the emotional load that comes with long runways to traction. The founders who break through turn limits into lenses: they prioritize cleanly, pivot with intention, and cultivate communities that sustain the work between milestones. This conversation centers those in-between moments and turns them into a playbook.

🎯 Why You Should Attend

• Turn limited resources into leverage so you can punch above your weight.
• Use nimbleness as an edge with speed, focus, and tight feedback loops to outmaneuver bigger teams.
• Build a resilient, consistent mindset for entering bigger markets and facing larger competitors.
• Grow an accountability circle: mentors and peers who open doors, give honest feedback, and root for your success.

🙋 Who You’ll Meet

• Founders and creatives with bold visions operating on tight budgets
• Early-stage B2B and consumer builders navigating bootstrapped or underfunded realities
• Operators and C-level pros who know how to stretch scarce resources
• Ecosystem enablers: angels, accelerators, community leaders, service partners, and platform allies

🎤 Who’s on the Panel

Coralie Saint-Louis - Founder & CEO of Enpak

Coralie Saint-Louis is a journalist-turned-tech entrepreneur with over a decade of experience across broadcast, print, and digital media. She founded Enpak, a certified MWBE media and technology company focused on strengthening local communities through strategic communications, digital marketing, and technology-driven engagement. Inspired by her commitment to credible local news and underrepresented voices, Coralie launched the Enpak app, a platform connecting residents to verified local news, events, and small business resources. As CEO, she blends storytelling, data, and software to combat misinformation, boost civic engagement, strengthen local economies, and help organizations build meaningful community connections across New York State.

Kiyeon Nam - CEO of B'ZT, LLC.

Kiyeon Nam is an inventor, entrepreneur, and creative strategist based in New York. She is the founder of MESH, a human-centered technology company dedicated to protecting children, seniors, and vulnerable individuals through soft, wearable safety solutions seamlessly integrated into everyday life.

Dr. Neva Alexander - Leadership Development Consultant at Nevalliance

Dr. Neva Helena Alexander is a TEDx Speaker, leadership development consultant, and international trainer with a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. She is the Founder of Nevalliance, a certified MWBE leadership development company, and leads the Nevalliance Foundation, dedicated to women’s empowerment and community engagement. Since 2017, she has hosted the International Women’s Conference on Long Island, creating global experiences that help leaders and entrepreneurs grow with clarity, confidence, and strategy.

Dawn Kelly - CEO of The Nourish Spot

Dawn Kelly is a visionary entrepreneur, community advocate, and Founder & CEO of The Nourish Spot, a wellness café and juice bar rooted in Jamaica, Queens. A former corporate and nonprofit executive with over 30 years of experience, she transitioned from the C-suite to build a purpose-driven, family-owned business centered on health, culture, and economic empowerment. Dawn is a Howard University alumna, a trained journalist, and a multilingual storyteller. She serves on multiple civic and business boards and is widely recognized for championing small businesses, workforce development, and community-based wellness initiatives.

Moderator:

Miya Jones - Producer & Writer at Shades of Long Island

Miya Jones is an award-winning journalist and media producer with over a decade of experience in storytelling across digital, broadcast, and branded media. She is the senior editor, content producer and executive producer of Shades of Long Island, a production company and media platform that creates high-impact commercials, sizzle reels, and video content for businesses, nonprofits, and organizations. Through Shades of Long Island, she leads creative strategy and production while also overseeing a news platform with 44,000+ monthly views. A Temple University journalism graduate, Miya has worked with News 12, Essence, Newsday, and The Latin Times, blending sharp editorial instincts with modern production storytelling.

💬 What We’ll Talk About

• Building without a safety net
• How resource constraints reshape choices in product, GTM, and hiring, and the tactics that keep you moving.
• Burnout, rejection, and quiet resilience
• Practical ways to handle constant pitching, slow cycles, and delayed traction while staying effective.
• Strategic pivots and survival-mode thinking
• Adapting the vision without abandoning it: trigger signals, decision trees, and post-pivot operating plans.
• Imposter syndrome and internal pressure
• Tools for confidence, boundary setting, and advocating for yourself in rooms built for incumbents.
• Trusting the process when progress is slow
• Redefining milestones, building feedback loops with customers, and using community to lower CAC and R&D costs.
• Capital-efficient growth in 2026
• Scrappy distribution, partner-led plays, mini-MVPs, pricing tests, and the metrics that actually guide your next step.

🤝 Co-Hosted With

 Enpak connects communities to trusted local news, events, civic updates, and small businesses—helping people stay informed and engaged where they live.

GREY Journal – Media partner spotlighting modern entrepreneurs (featured on Apple News + Google News).

🤝 Venue Partner

 Greater Nexus is a community-focused coworking space in downtown Jamaica, Queens offering affordable flexible workspaces, offices, meeting rooms, and creative amenities designed to support entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses in Southeast Queens.

⭐ About Ugly Talk:

Started in 2019, Ugly Talk has been transforming business setbacks into breakthrough “aha!” moments by hosting unfiltered, no-nonsense events where battle-tested entrepreneurs share their raw lessons and insights.

With a growing presence in cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami, we’ve built a vibrant community of thousands of founders and industry leaders making a profound impact on the entrepreneurial landscape.

Official Website: UglyTalk.com

🎥 Get a taste of past Ugly Talk energy: