The Importance of Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship in Pro AV

In this episode of Pro AV Today, host Ben Thomas talks with Daniel Anderson, founder of Stratum, about the importance of small and regional businesses in the Pro AV industry.

Summary:

Anderson’s journey into the industry is a complicated, yet familiar one. His interest in AV began in his youth, fostered by a youth pastor who invited him to operate a sound console. Post-high school, he joined the military, serving for thirteen years. A significant personal event, the loss of his second child, led Anderson to reevaluate his life and return to his passion for AV and music.

Starting Stratum without a business degree, Anderson relied on his experiences and YouTube training. Today his company, serving a wide range of clients, has grown significantly over the years. He discusses the challenges and rewards of starting a Pro AV business and the importance of building strong, long-lasting client relationships.

Anderson emphasizes the continued need for regional trade shows and education in the Pro AV industry, especially in areas like the Midwest, where large corporations often overlook opportunities. He advocates for hands-on experiences with new technology and the importance of small businesses in providing advanced AV solutions to communities with limited access.

This episode highlights the significance of entrepreneurship and the impact of personal experiences in shaping business ventures in the Pro AV industry. Anderson’s story is a powerful example of turning adversity into opportunity and the vital role of small businesses in regional and local markets.

Tune in above for the full conversation!

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

human-centered
How Human-Centered Design Led to a Startup Accelerator for Education: A Conversation with Transcend Network’s Co-founder Michael Narea
June 20, 2025

The convergence of human-centered design and education innovation is reshaping how edtech ventures emerge and scale. As AI enables hyper-efficiency and bootstrapped entrepreneurship becomes more viable, the real differentiator is empathy—founders who listen deeply to users before building solutions. A McKinsey study of 300 public companies found that design-led organizations significantly outperformed their peers, with…

Read More
care navigation
AI-Powered Care Navigation Reduces Healthcare Spend and Improves Patient Access
June 20, 2025

The U.S. healthcare system is strained by rising costs, uneven quality, and fragmented care navigation. Employers are bearing the brunt, spending more without always securing better care for their teams. According to the RAND Corporation, one effective strategy is to “change their network and benefit designs to encourage patients to use lower‑priced, higher‑value providers…

Read More
edge computing
Building the Wireless Future: Low-Power IoT, Edge Computing, and the End of the Gs
June 19, 2025

As the global race to 6G heats up, telecom providers, governments, and tech companies are investing billions to advance the next generation of hyperconnected infrastructure. European operators urge regulators to release more spectrum to stay competitive, while U.S. programs like the USDA’s ReConnect have funneled over $1 billion into rural fiber backhaul. Meanwhile, companies like…

Read More
healthcare operations
Healthcare Operations Improve with AI That Unites Data, Automation, and Ethics
June 18, 2025

Generative AI has captured the public imagination, but its most transformative use cases may lie far from flashy consumer tools. In healthcare operations, where complexity, inefficiency, and fragmentation remain persistent challenges, AI is now driving measurable improvements. Research suggests AI-enabled healthcare systems could cut administrative costs by up to $360 billion in the U.S. alone….

Read More