Our Featured Guest for September 6, 2026 is Judith Sheft and our Entrepreneur Presenters are Gaurav “G” Sharma and Dr. Alberta “Tamika” Quick.
Startup Funding, AI Music Innovation and Empowering Young Women
What does it take to turn an innovative idea into a successful business, use artificial intelligence to transform music creation, or give young women the confidence, resources and opportunities to reach their potential? On this episode of Passage to Profit – The Road to Entrepreneurship, Richard and Elizabeth Gearhart explore entrepreneurship, innovation, AI, intellectual property, startup funding, music technology, education, leadership and community impact with three inspiring guests: Judith Sheft, Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology; Gaurav “G” Sharma, Founder of Hook; and Dr. Alberta “Tamika” Quick, Founder of Leading Young Women, Inc.
Judith Sheft – New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology
New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology
Judith Sheft, Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT), explains how entrepreneurs and early-stage startups can access funding, technical resources, university partnerships and other support to move an invention or business idea toward the marketplace.
Sheft discusses CSIT’s support for early-stage companies in areas including life sciences, clean technology, advanced manufacturing and general technology, including grants and non-dilutive funding. She also explains how entrepreneurs can connect with New Jersey universities, faculty, specialized equipment and intellectual property through the state’s innovation ecosystem.
A major theme of Judith’s conversation is the importance of customer discovery before investing heavily in a business idea. Rather than simply asking friends whether a product is good, entrepreneurs should identify real customer problems and determine whether their proposed solution actually addresses those needs. She discusses the NSF I-Corps program and how customer discovery can help founders test their assumptions, develop a minimum viable product and pivot when necessary.
Judith also explains that money is not the only resource a startup needs. Talent, specialized equipment, research facilities, university partnerships and access to additional federal or private funding can all be critical. She shares examples of companies that leveraged relatively small amounts of state support into substantially larger amounts of follow-on funding.
She discusses New Jersey’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, networking, business incubators, coworking spaces and the importance of becoming part of a community rather than trying to build a company alone.
Gaurav “G” Sharma – Hook
Gaurav “G” Sharma, Founder of Hook, discusses how artificial intelligence can make music creation and musical expression accessible to virtually anyone.
Hook is presented as a social music platform that allows users to create and remix music for social media while working within a licensing framework designed around artists and rights holders. Gaurav explains how Hook uses AI to make music expression easier while giving artists control over how their music can be used.
The conversation explores one of the most important issues at the intersection of AI, music and intellectual property: how can technology make it easier for people to create while still respecting artists’ rights? Gaurav explains Hook’s opt-in approach, licensing relationships and revenue-sharing model, in which more than half of the company’s revenue is placed into a pool for rights holders.
Gaurav also shares the entrepreneurial story behind Hook. He previously helped build a music-streaming company in India that ultimately reached approximately 300 million users, giving him years of experience developing relationships with record labels, artists and other stakeholders. He explains how listening closely to the problems of those stakeholders helped shape Hook’s product.
The episode also covers bootstrapping, venture funding, product-market fit, building a team, marketing through artist partnerships and one particularly unusual startup challenge: app-store search optimization for the word “Hook.”
Gaurav reveals his entrepreneurial philosophy as well: find something you genuinely love, obsess over it, understand how it is evolving, identify the gaps and determine where you can make a difference.
Dr. Alberta “Tamika” Quick – Leading Young Women, Inc.
Dr. Alberta “Tamika” Quick, Founder of Leading Young Women, Inc., shares the deeply personal story behind her mission to help young women develop confidence, leadership skills, self-awareness and a sense of purpose.
Her entrepreneurial journey began with an aspiration to create an all-girls school. Drawing on her extensive experience in higher education, Dr. Quick became increasingly aware of the challenges facing young women and the importance of giving them guidance, mentorship and opportunities to see what is possible for their lives.
When plans for an all-girls school did not initially come together, she adapted the mission rather than abandoning it. Leading Young Women, Inc. evolved into a nonprofit organization focused on community engagement, enrichment, mentoring, leadership and personal development for middle- and high-school girls.
Dr. Quick describes the organization’s Diamonds and GEMS enrichment program, which has worked with girls at the high-school and middle-school levels. Programming addresses topics including emotional management, conflict resolution, mindfulness, self-care, academics, career possibilities, female empowerment and leadership.
She shares examples of young women whose attendance, behavior, academic engagement and ability to manage conflict improved through participation in the program. She also emphasizes the importance of exposing girls to women from many different professional backgrounds so they can understand that there are many possible paths to success.
Dr. Quick discusses the organization’s plans to expand mentoring and programming beyond individual schools and describes its continuing effort to establish an all-girls charter school in New Jersey. She also discusses the importance of STEM and STEAM education, access, equity, sisterhood and helping young women develop their authentic voices.
Intellectual Property News: AI and Global Patent Competition
The episode also features Intellectual Property News, examining the growing global competition surrounding artificial intelligence patents. Richard and Elizabeth discuss figures cited in a study concerning AI patent applications in China and the United States, along with questions about the purpose, geographic scope and strategic value of large numbers of patent filings.
The discussion highlights why AI, patents and intellectual property strategy are becoming increasingly important for entrepreneurs and technology companies operating in a global market. The guests also consider how AI innovation and intellectual property education can affect entrepreneurs.
More Entrepreneurial Insights
The episode includes Elizabeth’s Spotlight, a discussion of Gear Media Studios and the growing importance of video and content creation; a Medical AI Minute exploring the potential of AI-assisted analysis of brain scans in stroke care; Noah’s Retrospective, focusing on communication and the power of spoken words; and Secrets of the Entrepreneurial Mind, where each guest shares a personal entrepreneurial lesson.
Judith Sheft’s secret is to create a recognizable personal brand and identity. Gaurav Sharma’s advice is to love something deeply, understand how it is changing and look for the gaps where innovation is needed. Dr. Alberta “Tamika” Quick emphasizes that entrepreneurs and changemakers do not have to make the journey alone—collaboration, relationships, resources and support can help people move forward.
Whether you are an entrepreneur looking for startup funding, an innovator developing an AI or technology company, a creator interested in AI-powered music, an artist concerned about music rights, or someone passionate about education and developing the next generation of leaders, this episode offers practical insights and inspiring entrepreneurial stories.
FAQs
1. What resources are available for early-stage startups in New Jersey?
The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology supports early-stage companies with grants and non-dilutive funding, and it can also connect entrepreneurs with university research, specialized equipment, talent and other resources. Judith Sheft explains how startups can use the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to move their ideas toward the marketplace.
2. How can entrepreneurs determine whether customers actually want their product?
Judith Sheft recommends conducting customer discovery before investing heavily in a product or service. Entrepreneurs should talk to potential customers, identify their problems and determine whether the proposed solution addresses a genuine need. Testing a minimum viable product can then help founders refine or pivot their idea.
3. What is Hook Music and how does it use AI?
Hook is a social music app founded by Gaurav “G” Sharma that uses AI to make music creation and expression easier. Users can create and remix music for social media while Hook works with artists and rights holders to establish how their music can be used.
4. How does Hook address music copyright and licensing?
Hook uses an opt-in licensing approach in which artists can determine how fans engage with their music. The platform is designed around licensed 30- and 60-second social-media clips, and Hook says its licensing structure is intended to ensure that creations made on the platform can legally be shared.
5. How did Gaurav Sharma build his music technology experience?
Before founding Hook, Gaurav Sharma helped launch a music-streaming company in India that ultimately became the country’s largest music-streaming service and reached approximately 300 million users. He says those experiences helped him build relationships with artists, labels and other stakeholders that later proved valuable when developing Hook.
6. What does Leading Young Women, Inc. do?
Leading Young Women, Inc. is a nonprofit founded by Dr. Alberta “Tamika” Quick that supports young women through enrichment, mentoring, leadership development, personal development and community engagement. Its programming works with middle- and high-school girls and addresses issues including confidence, emotional management, academics, career exploration and female empowerment.
7. What is the Diamonds and GEMS program?
Diamonds and GEMS is an enrichment program developed through Leading Young Women, Inc. for young women in school. The program addresses challenges girls face at school and at home while fostering female empowerment, leadership, emotional awareness and personal development. The program has been associated with improvements in behavior, academics and engagement among participating students.
8. Why does Dr. Tamika Quick want to create an all-girls school?
Dr. Quick believes an all-girls educational environment can provide young women with opportunities to participate, speak up, develop confidence and build a sense of sisterhood without some of the peer pressures they may experience in coeducational environments. She also wants to address access and equity and create opportunities for girls to explore STEM and STEAM education.
9. What are the biggest entrepreneurial lessons from this episode?
The guests emphasize several complementary lessons: be open to opportunities and willing to pivot; validate customer demand before investing heavily; build relationships and understand people’s real problems; find something you genuinely care about; collaborate rather than trying to do everything alone; and develop a recognizable personal brand.
10. What does this episode of Passage to Profit cover?
This episode covers entrepreneurship, startup funding, New Jersey’s innovation ecosystem, customer discovery, AI, music technology, copyright and licensing, intellectual property, venture funding, education, mentoring, women’s leadership, STEM and STEAM education, personal branding and entrepreneurial mindset. It features Judith Sheft, Gaurav “G” Sharma and Dr. Alberta “Tamika” Quick.