Revisiting the Legacy of Ron Morris, And Tracking Down One Of His Signature Companies
Regular, longtime listeners to Your American Story Radio….namely, folks who have been with us since we started in February, 2013, no doubt are aware of the impact that the lateRon Morris, a.k.a “The American Entrepreneur”, has had on the show. Ron’s and Raja’s paths have crossed numerous times through the years, from their days in the computer/software industry with their respective companies, all the way through Ron’s support of Raja’s political endeavors, and Raja’s frequent appearances on Ron’s business radio show, “The American Entrepreneur”. And when the time was right in early 2013, Raja, with the support of Ron’s wife, Karen Morris, threw his own hat into the radio airwaves by starting Your American Story Radio, in part to continue the legacy that Ron developed over 13 years of hosting TAE.
Ever since Ron’s passing in June of 2012, Karen’s mission has been to preserve the legacy that Ron had worked so tirelessly to carve in the Western Pennsylvania business community, a legacy of support and mentorship for fellow entrepreneurs looking to carve their own niche, in order to enjoy the freedom and opportunity that Ron himself had enjoyed for decades. And be it through the establishment of the “Morris E-Ward”, presented annually by Entrepreneuring Youth, the donation of Ron’s personal media collection to a startup library in Millvale, PA,, the release of Code 2600, a fascinating documentary of which Ron was Executive Producer, and many other avenues, Ron’s legacy is still being felt throughout Western Pennsylvania.
From time to time, we like to check in with Karen about what is being done to honor Ron’s legacy, and here, we welcome her to the studio to discuss the many projects, initiatives, and endeavors throughout the region which honor Ron’s business legacy.
-And she’s not coming alone….
Your American Story listeners who were also regular listeners to The American Entrepreneur will, or who are at least familiar with Ron’s story know the role that JD Warren played in that story.
JD Warren, a company that Ron started in 1994 (and named after his dog and his father), was a company that specialized in optimizing the financial performance of the property and casualty insurance industry. For Ron, the company was a smash success, one which enabled him to “cash out” in 1999, en route to what he called “semi-retirement”, including starting “The American Entrepreneur” Radio show, and founding the Entrepreneurial Studies Program at Duquesne University.
But whatever happened to that company?
Here, Raja talks with Joe Warnagiris, the CEO of Paragon Asset Recovery Services, a.k.a. the former JD Warren. They discuss the history of the company, how the company and industry have evolved in the 15 years since Ron left, and what lies ahead for the business, and the industry.
