Owl Have You Know

To Become a CEO, You Need To Take Risks feat. Professor Yan “Anthea” Zhang

Rice Business — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0500

Yan "Anthea" Zhang, the Fayez Sarofim Vanguard Chair of Strategic Management at Rice Business, has spent more than two decades researching the decisions that make or break organizations: CEO succession, corporate governance, and the gender dynamics shaping who rises to the top.

On this special live episode, Zhang joins host Maya Pomroy '22 to share what her research reveals about the leap from functional roles to the C-suite, and why taking risks is non-negotiable for career advancement (especially for women). She also opens up about her origin story — from being part of the first-ever cohort at Nanjing University's business school to building a life and career in Houston — and why, after 25 years, Rice still feels like home.

Plus: her latest research on AI-powered customer service, advice from her "Last Lecture" and how Rice Business Executive Education’s Executive Leadership for Women program is giving women the tools and community to rise.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

03:19 Professor Zhang’s Origin Story

05:09 Hong Kong and USC

07:46 Why Rice Feels Different

12:32 CEO Succession Insights

17:45 Executive Leadership for Women Program

19:04 Challenges Women Still Face

24:54 Teaching Global Strategy

30:06 Managing Uncertainty & Frameworks For Risk

36:25 How AI is Transforming Online Sales

38:47 Advice to Students

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On creating a safe space for women to grow in the workplace

19:58: For people who want to move up the career ladder, we need mentors. But a lot of times, people in more senior positions are still men, right? So, that's why both male and female mentors are all important. Because there are still so few women in senior leadership positions, right? That's why if you only rely on more senior female leaders to champion for you, to mentor you, that's not sufficient. You really need mentoring from both male and female leaders. So, I think that is why one benefit of our program is that we really target women who already have some leadership experiences. We create a safe space for them to share their concerns, challenges, and also allow them to share best practices with each other in a safe space. So, we really needed that.

Why asking is important for women

17:15: [Anthea Zhang] Dare to ask, dare to take risks, dare to get into areas, functions you are not comfortable with, you are not familiar with, which are those factors that are really key. And you have to show your track record instead of saying, "I want to," having a plan or having ambition is not sufficient. You have to show the track record.

Higher leadership role means greater responsibility

14:35: For people who already made it to top management team positions but still focus on more function-based roles, if you want to make it to the overall leadership role like a CEO, you have to take profit and loss responsibility. You have to expand the responsibility of your position. You know, of course, we see some people transition from CFO to CEO, but what is required for a CEO position is way more, it is way broader than, like, the CFO or chief marketing officer.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Training Tomorrow's Founders feat. Professor Yael Hochberg

Rice Business — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0500

When Professor Yael Hochberg made the decision to come to Rice, she had a vision for building an entrepreneurship program like no other — it would be one for the modern era that would set the pace for entrepreneurship education going forward.

Now, more than a decade later, Rice consistently ranks number one in the country for entrepreneurship and is leading the way in world-changing innovation through hubs like the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie), which offers experiential learning opportunities and co-curricular activities.

In this episode, Professor Hochberg, head of the Rice Entrepreneurship Initiative and Lilie, joins co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to discuss how she brought her vision for a modern entrepreneurship program to life at Rice, the incredible innovation that has come from Lilie over the last 10 years and what the future holds for entrepreneurship education in the age of AI.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Professor Yael Hochberg

00:37 Her “Accidental” Entrepreneurship Origins

05:50 Why She Chose Rice & Her Vision for Better Entrepreneurship Education

09:18 Inside the Liu Idea Lab

16:22 Student Startup Wins

19:53 Alumni Network Power

22:59 Research-Driven Teaching

30:32 AI and Entrepreneurship

35:02 What's Next for Lilie

41:47 The Most Rewarding Moments

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On the entrepreneurial spirit at Rice

39:31: [Brian Jackson] When I think about the entrepreneurial spirit that's present at Rice, I think a big driver pulling that in is the recognition we consistently get, be it Princeton Review ranking us as a, you know, the nation's top graduate school for entrepreneurship seven years in a row. When you think about that success, what do you think is the biggest driver behind it? What's making that possible?

39:54: [Yael Hochberg] I think it's a combination of many things. It's our students, our amazing students who come in with the drive to create things. It's our alumni who are willing to stand behind us and support us. It's people like Frank Liu who were willing to see the resources that were necessary here on campus to, to truly support entrepreneurial ventures. It's the amazing staff and faculty at Lilie who, you know, give 90 to a hundred-hour weeks, 365 days a year to make sure that our students have the support that they need, that our faculty have the support that they need.

Entrepreneurship can be taught if there’s a drive

04:43: People always ask me, what do you mean you can teach entrepreneurship? Why do you guys even bother with entrepreneurship programs? People are either born as entrepreneurs or they're not. They either have that entrepreneurial drive or they don't. I think there's something to that, and that it is true that I can't take someone without the drive and turn them into an entrepreneur. But I can take someone who has that latent drive and who is interested, and I can give them tools and frameworks that will help them be successful if they pursue entrepreneurship. I happen to be one of these people who has that drive. I like to build, I don't like sitting still. When I see problems, I don't like to simply say, “Hmm, that's really annoying.” I try to solve them.

AI is changing how fast you can build and test ideas

31:02: The tools that are available today really do change how you think about things, because the tools offer you an opportunity to build things faster than you could ever imagined before, to test things faster than you could ever imagined before. We have classes where nearly all of our classes are experiential. The students are actually building something. They're doing something, they're walking through the process, and they're getting it in the wraps, right? And it may be on something stupid like Uber for cats, I don't care. I want them to learn the process and actually go out and experience it. And when the right idea comes along, they'll already know how to actually do it.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

What People Get Wrong About Measuring Risk feat. Associate Dean Bob Dittmar

Rice Business — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0500

Bob Dittmar has big goals for the Virani Undergraduate School of Business. As the school’s associate dean and Houston Endowment Professor of Finance, he aims to increase Rice Business’ national footprint, making it a household name for top-tier business education from coast to coast.

Dittmar came to Rice in 2022 after teaching for nearly 20 years at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He’s taught finance courses across Rice Business’ degree programs, including in the undergraduate and MBA programs.

On this episode, Dittmar joins co-host Maya Pomroy ’22 to share what sets the Virani Undergraduate School of Business apart from other undergraduate business programs — and his advice for prospective students who are trying to decide if Rice Business is the right fit for them. He also delves into his fascinating research on options and how to assess risk more clearly, especially when the signals aren’t obvious.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Associate Dean Bob Dittmar
01:59 Early Influences and Academic Journey
03:11 Discovering a Passion for Finance
04:59 College Years and Mentorship
08:55 Research on Options and Market Psychology
16:05 Role as Associate Dean for the Virani Undergraduate School of Business
18:05 Teaching Finance and Real-World Applications
23:02 The Psychology of Investment Decisions
25:54 Understanding Risk and Uncertainty
29:35 AI's Role in Education and Work
33:31 The Unique Culture of Rice University
37:17 Future Vision for the Virani Undergraduate School of Business

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Taking the Rice beyond Houston

38:03: My goal at Virani is really largely to try to expand Rice’s national footprint to some extent. So I think, you know, if you grew up in Houston, you know a lot about Rice, and you know, Rice is a great institution. Rice is a great institution and really hard to get into. Yeah, absolutely. You know, I mean, look, you know, our median student is, you know, in the right tail, basically, of most students across the country. But look, when I was growing up in Chicago, Rice really was not on my radar. There were a few liberal arts schools in the Midwest that I kind of thought about, but Rice never kind of came up. But I do think that Rice needs a little bit more visibility on the coasts. And that is especially important in business and finance in particular, where New York is so much the center of activity.

How do you know if Rice is for you?

41:01: If you want to be at a place that is truly collaborative, that has a rigorous education and provides opportunity and really cares about its students, then I think Rice is the right place for you. Think about Rice as a whole institution and how you feel on campus, and compare that to how you feel on the campuses of these other universities. And again, this is a little weird to say, because I am a finance guy. I am supposed to be cold and rational about all these things, but how you feel about these kinds of things, I think, is usually a pretty good indication of what actually is right for you and what is going to suit you.

Why Rice is a special place to get your business degree

34:29: At the business school at Rice, you get a lot of what I think makes Rice as an institution special. Which, you know, our students are a little quirkier maybe, but they are also a little nicer and less, you know, maybe not quite so cutthroat, I guess, maybe is what I would some ways, much more collaborative. And so I think that, combined with the fact that Rice has this STEM focus that it always has, so it is grounded in a really rigorous way of, kind of, approaching things, really combines together to make this a very special place to get your business degree.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Finding and Perfecting Your Customer-Focused Strategy feat. Professor Vikas Mittal

Rice Business — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0500

Most companies think they're customer-focused. Many are wrong.

Vikas Mittal, the J. Hugh Liedtke Professor of Marketing at Rice Business and faculty director of the Center for Customer-Based Execution and Strategy, has spent his career helping CEOs, MBA students and others learn the difference between truly serving customers and simply appeasing them.

In this episode, Vikas joins host Brian Jackson ’21 to explain why so many corporate strategies fail: the buzzwords, shiny-object initiatives, and mission-statement retreats that produce 50 priorities and zero focus. He shows what it looks like when organizations commit to the one or two things that genuinely create customer value — and stay the course.

He also shares how this approach comes to life through his Executive Education course, Strategic Growth Through Customer Focus, and the Center for Customer-Based Execution and Strategy, which produced a landmark report – interviewing over 3,000 customers to reveal what actually drives value across industries and what doesn't.

Plus: his famous sneaker collection and why he thinks everyone should write with fountain pens.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Guest Introduction: Meet Professor Vikas Mittal

01:21 From Family Business to PhD

03:26 Why Most CEOs Don’t Actually Know What Their Customers Want

05:54 Trend Chasing and Misalignment

11:28 The Science of Customer Focus

17:45 Building The Center for Customer-Based Execution and Strategy

21:20 Executives Unlearning Legacy Strategy

32:29 How Colorful Sneakers Changed His Life

40:52 Final Focus Takeaways

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Strategy is an ultimate dark art

26:10: Strategy is the way it is done in companies. And I repeat this all the time, it's the ultimate dark art. Nobody knows why we are doing it, but everybody believes we have to do it just because my predecessor told me this is how we should do it. And you ask the predecessor, why are you doing it? Well, my predecessor told me this is how we do it. Right? And it's the ultimate dark art and people just keep doing it.

Defining customer focus

11:36: Customer focus means using science to figure out what creates value for customers, which is very different than just asking the customer what would you want? And believing that whatever the customer tells you is right and just doing it.

When academic research calls the CEO

01:40: Surprisingly, a lot of the work I ended up doing with CEOs and companies came from CEOs at different companies reading my research, published in academic journals, you know, which is completely the opposite of what a lot of people think, that if you publish in academic journals, people don't read it. I was blown away, how many times I got contacted by companies say, we've got such and such paper of yours, can you come and help us?

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Houston Loves Risk Takers feat. Dean Peter Rodriguez

Rice Business — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 04:55:20 -0600

Over the past decade, Rice Business has scaled with intention.

MBA enrollment has doubled. Faculty ranks have grown. New MBA formats have launched. The Virani Undergraduate School of Business was established. And a new building will open soon, designed to further fuel collaboration, research and innovation.

In this conversation, Dean Peter Rodriguez reflects on the strategy behind that momentum — from championing the Online MBA to building one of the nation’s strongest entrepreneurship ecosystems in the heart of Houston. He discusses AI’s impact on business education, the evolving energy landscape, and the leadership lessons that come with guiding a school through rapid transformation, all while shaping the next chapter for Rice Business.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Meet Dean Peter Rodriguez

01:20 Online MBA Origins and Vision for Growth

07:50 Virtual Campus Advantage

09:41 From Space Crunch to Expansion: Designing the New Building

16:29 Launching the Virani Undergraduate School of Business

21:51 AI and Business Education

28:46 Dean Life and Daily Headwinds

29:23 Why Rice Ranks High & Houston’s Entrepreneurship Advantage

36:32 What Deans Learn on the Job

43:37 Next 50 Years Vision

48:25 Closing

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On Rice MBA’s Growth over the decade

01:37: If there was one overarching theme of the last decade, I think growth is it. The question is always like, well, why growth? Or growth for what? And of course, clearly want growth for the good outcomes, and that good outcomes all start with pursuing the mission.
We have a mission to create and disseminate knowledge at the vanguard of business and the business disciplines. And so that is what we really do. And when I was really looking at the job almost exactly 10 years ago and thinking about where Rice was and where it needed to be, one of the first conclusions that was easy to draw was that it needed to be about twice as big as it was, at least, you know, and, and it is not that growth is all good, but why would I say that? And the thinking was, you know, in order to advance that mission, we needed more tenure track faculty. And there the foundation on which more or less everything else proceeds.

How does the Rice Business navigate AI?

22:19: On the basic part of our mission, which is delivering an education, we have to do two things. We have to prepare people to think really critically and to be able to assess them as individuals without this incredible, unprecedented tool. That is to say, what can Peter do of his own accord? What does he know? And then I have to train him very aggressively to make sure that with the tool, he is also highly capable, far more capable to do some things, and as capable as anybody in any university in the country is using the tool. So there's sort of almost sounds like martial arts mastery. You know, you have to sort of, wax on, wax off, you know, learn these sort of things that are apart from the tool, and then you are sort of empowered. That's where we are, is trying to do that.

Houston loves risk takers

30:59: Houston loves risk takers. It is part of the environment, it is part of a Texas thing too, but, you know, it is going to space, drilling out in the Permian Basin or deep in the ocean, putting in an artificial heart, whatever it is. I think there is a real admiration for trying hard things and picking yourself up if you fail and not being discouraged because things did not go right the first time.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

The Future of Elite Sports Training feat. Scott Deans ’22

Rice Business — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 04:00:00 -0600

Leveling up your game just got so much easier, thanks to the new cutting-edge technology from BeONE Sports — a startup that uses mobile motion-capture and AI to enhance athletic performance, prevent injuries, and support coaches and athletes at every level.

Co-founded by former Division I athlete Scott Deans ’22, the idea for BeONE started right here at Rice Business. Scott has loved sports since his days playing football, and through the EMBA program, he found a way to bring his passion and business acumen together.

He joins co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to discuss his early career journey through architecture, the 12 years he spent at bp and what ultimately led him to Rice Business. They also dive deep into the exciting technology being used at BeONE and how the company’s partnership with Rice Athletics is helping student athletes optimize their performance and prevent injuries.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Scott Deans and BeONE Sports

01:02 Scott's Athletic Journey and Transition to Architecture

05:55 From Architecture to Analytics at BP

12:56 Pursuing an MBA at Rice University

16:36 Founding BeONE Sports and Its Technology

28:23 Partnerships and Applications of BeONE Sports

37:44 Challenges and Advice for Entrepreneurs

42:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On building company your passionate about

19:35: I sometimes imagine if I had chosen the other, one of the other companies, and I was like, there is no way I would be here after four years, grinding through the trenches, as they say, on something that did not matter to me. So, yeah, I think that is a huge, huge point in any entrepreneurial journey, that it has to matter to you; otherwise, you are not willing to compromise and go through all the pain in order to make it successful.

How the Rice program helped Scott build his business

28:30: So another big piece of the program at Rice was really focused on, like, building a team. And I have been a coach for a long time. I have been part of teams and built teams, so teams are, in my opinion, the linchpin, really the basis for product and a business and all those things. But part of that process is everybody's recognizing what they are good at and what they are not good at, and then where you have gaps. You need to find people who are strong in those areas. So, recognize really quickly the areas that I am not strong at and, Jason, basically from a business side and many other sides, filled those perfectly.

The importance of asking better questions

09:55: Always try to ask better questions, and this has been a mantra of mine since I was a little kid. I think. Because, you know, there are always going to be answers. You can always find a solution. But is the solution the right one? And is there a better question we could be asking to, you know, a lot of rework or pivoting and changing. And so it creates a mindset of constant flux, like you are in constant change. And that is not an easy mindset for many people.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Scott Deans | LinkedIn

How An AgTech Investment Banker Found His Focus feat. David Verbitsky ’10

Rice Business — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 04:00:00 -0600

Not every job will feel like the perfect fit, but for David Verbitsky ’10, every new position is an important stepping stone in your career, and an opportunity to learn and grow.

When David wanted to pivot his career from engineering to finance, the path led him straight to an MBA at Rice Business. His experience at Rice spring boarded him into a career in investment banking with a special focus on agriculture and food. Over the past 15 years, he’s worked as the global head of agriculture and nutrition investment banking at Goldman Sachs, as the global head of AgTech and sustainable food investment banking at Nomura Greentech, and as a member of the global chemicals and agriculture investment banking team at Barclays.

Now, David is applying all of his industry expertise to his own investment banking firm, Verbitsky Capital. In this episode, he chats with co-host Maya Pomroy ’22 about how Rice Business prepared him for a successful career in finance, what he learned through every job change and where he thinks innovation in the agriculture sector is heading next.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:59 David’s Early Career in Engineering

03:06 Transition to Business School and Finance

06:09 Investment Banking Journey

08:59 Shift to Agriculture Sector

18:20 Navigating the VC Fund Experience

21:30 Exciting Deals in AgTech

23:24 Challenges and Lessons Learned

29:44 Building and Leading a Team with Verbitsky Capital

31:37 Future of AgTech

34:35 Career Advice and Final Thoughts

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

The importance of judgement in every leader

31:19: [Maya Pomroy]: What do you look for in leaders?

31:26: [David Verbitsky] I do not really know if you can quantify or measure it, but it is judgment. The only way you can really see that is seeing people in action, right? It is seeing, okay, when you are in a difficult situation, or maybe it is not even difficult, but when you have to make decisions. And take responsibility for things. And some of it is, could be very easy, like simple things who just, we are in the middle of a deal and you gotta just decide on what, how you move forward. Right. How do you take decisions? How do you move forward? How do you take accountability? How do you, in certain circumstances, decide not to do something? Which is probably more important in many different ways.

On networking and constant learning

36:16: [Maya Pomroy]:What would you say to someone that is sort of considering maybe an MBA to really pivot their own career.

36:25: [David Verbitsky] So first and foremost, I would say it is all about relationships. And her ability to, to maintain them. Right. That, that is part networking, but it is also just part effort of just people you already do know. Maintaining those relationships. Do you think that is first and foremost is the most important thing? Do not burn any bridges. Right? Keep them, keep them all active and then building off of that just sees opportunities when they present themselves, be open to things. Because they might be the wrong choice, but. You should learn something from every new step you take.

From missteps to momentum

37:04: Going to Goldman Sachs and switching a hundred percent into agriculture was a big opportunity, which I was like, I do not know, but let us try it out. Right? Those things worked out incredibly well. And then I had a bunch of missteps of like trying, trying to go and do startup or VC fund that just was not the right fit, or go into a place that was good for a while, then was not, and then just, it leads you here. So like. Realize when an opportunity presents itself and do not be afraid to take it. Which is the right piece of advice. Just be aware and realize this is an opportunity. Maybe it is not the right one, but be, I think, very mindful.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Learning to Lead Anywhere feat. Chris Stillwell ’24

Rice Business — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0600

When it comes to working in military intelligence, strong leadership skills and the ability to make quick decisions under pressure are key. Just as important to a mission’s success is being a good team player.

Those were the lessons and skills Chris Stillwell ’24 carried into his two career pivots after his time working as a military intelligence officer for the U.S. Army. His first pivot landed him a role at Kearney in Dubai focusing on M&A integration and strategy consulting. Chris then decided to pursue an MBA at Rice Business to sharpen his financial skills and pivot once again into the world of investment banking.

Now an investment banking associate at Bank of America, Chris joins co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to discuss his military experience, why he chose Rice, how the program helped him make a major career transition, and his advice to those considering an MBA to pursue new career opportunities.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Chris Stillwell

01:03 Military Intelligence: Separating Fact From Fiction

02:15 Roles and Responsibilities in the Army

03:08 Leadership and Decision Making in High-Pressure Situations

08:07 From Military to Consulting

09:49 Living Abroad: Challenges and Cultural Insights

15:02 Transitioning to an MBA at Rice University

18:13 Involvement and Networking at Rice

20:56 Entering Investment Banking: Preparation and Challenges

25:37 Day-to-Day in Investment Banking

28:46 Advice for Career Pivoters and Veterans

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

The moment Chris realized that Rice gave him an edge over his peers

[20:48] Brian: Going into investment banking, was there, like, now an elevated sense of confidence of, Okay, I've done this before; I'll do it again?

[20:56] Chris: Maybe some blind confidence sometimes. Yeah, you could even ask my parents. I went home for like four days for the Christmas break the year I was recruiting. And I was studying flashcards with my mom of all the IB 400 questions. And I was like, “I'm not going to get a job. You know, like all these people around me are much smarter than me. There's a really—we've got a really talented pool of candidates that are recruiting this year.” But you know, I felt like at the end of the day, the Finance Association and Rice, just the classes I took, really prepared me to understand the basics of finance, the basics that are expected of the interview process. And then, going forward, I saw when I started as an intern at the bank, I went to New York for a week…We were training with all these people from all these different schools, going to all these different groups in the bank, and some people didn't even know what a DCF was or didn't know how to do it that well, I should say. We were doing some practice problems, and I was like, “Wow, we’re actually far ahead of a lot of these other schools and people.” So that was kind of good to see that Rice really put an effort into training us up.

What Chris learned about leadership through three career pivots

[30:15] There are certain people who can be leaders and are very good at being leaders. But being a good leader in the military might not translate to being a good leader at banking. And a lot of times you actually see that, or you see military officers leave the military and go into the corporate world and not be as successful. Because I really think you do need to tailor your leadership style to the one the industry you're working in, and two, the people you're working with, you know, different ways of operating motivate people differently. Like in the military, you could yell at somebody and hold them to a higher standard and maybe they'll do it. But if you yelled at somebody like, you know, a marketing job, they probably would shut down and that'd be the end of it. It really doesn't work the same. The leadership style is something that you have to adjust to the area you're working in.

On how his military experience strengthened his teamwork skills

[04:03] In the military, you are a leader, but you learn how to be a good follower as well. And I think what you do with that is that you are able to have great teamwork. You're able, like in my current job now, I have an analyst underneath me, but I have people like VPs and MDs above me and I can understand what their intent is and what we need to get accomplished in our day-to-day job, but also articulate to the people below me, Hey, this is the intent and this is how we do it. So it's kind of been very helpful in those soft skills.

On how Rice gave him the academic foundation he needed

[16:49] My reasons for going to Rice were great, but once I got there, I appreciated it a lot more. I really got exposed to, I mean, I was looking for some things like smaller classrooms for example. Like a lot of people we hire from Kearney were from Yale or HBS, and their class size was like a thousand people. And maybe you didn't have a lot of rigor in terms of academics. I think Rice, especially in the first term, really forces you to go to classes to do your homework, to learn the materials. And that was attractive to me as well, because I didn't come from a finance background at all. So I didn't even know what a DCF was before I came to Rice. So I was very grateful at that, you know, getting to Rice and realizing that it was such a good platform to be integrated into.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Chris Stillwell | LinkedIn

Pressure Makes Diamonds feat. Rzan Yunus ’17

Rice Business — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0600

As a first-generation American from Saudi Arabia, Rzan Yunus ’17 learned from an early age what ambition and perseverance can lead to.

She credits her immigrant father’s determination to build a successful career and life for his family in the U.S. as inspiration for her own strong work ethic and drive. It was that drive that led her first to a career in insurance at American International Group (AIG), and eventually all the way to Rice Business. Since pivoting from insurance into consulting, Rzan has put her Rice MBA to use as a senior director at Alvarez & Marsal, where she’s helping companies solve tough problems.

Rzan chats with co-host Brian Jackson ’21 about how her father’s pursuit of the American dream inspired her, the critical skills she picked up at AIG, why she was drawn to the Professional MBA program and how her experience at Rice has left a mark on her forever.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Rzan Yunus

01:00 Early Life and Family Influence

05:39 Career Beginnings at AIG

09:40 Pursuing an MBA at Rice

18:28 Transition to Consulting

23:07 Current Role and Consulting Insights

35:40 Balancing Career and Personal Life

39:46 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Finding community, support, and belonging at Rice

[12:32] When you learn entrepreneurship, you learn to hustle. You learn to think like an owner, or take accountability to be resourceful, to drive results. I really appreciated Rice's pathways with other organizations and other companies, particularly consulting. I knew I wanted to explore that eventually and knew that they recruit based on certain programs. And then my favorite thing about Rice, and when I went and visited, is the team and peer atmosphere. You know, you spend so much time at work, but you also spend so much time in this program. And the people that I met and the camaraderie and the collaboration and the fact that you rarely ever achieve anything alone in life. I really wanted to be surrounded with people that were smart and hardworking and capable and collaborative and supportive. Very similar to the support system that I think everybody needs in life to be successful.

Why the MBA program was an important investment in Rzan’s future.

[16:17] My two years in the program, and I think I said this earlier, it really changed my life. I am becoming and am the person now that I never thought I could have been 10 years ago, 15 years ago. I mean, the program is hard. It's a top MBA program for a reason. Balancing school and your personal life is difficult. Working full-time while earning an MBA is not a casual commitment, but it's the most important step that you can take to invest in yourself. Surround yourself with people that reflect the ambition and the dedication that is contagious.

Why she chose to pivot to consulting

[19:11] I chose consulting because I loved the variety of work that they got to do, you know, in every year, and this was something that really attracted me to it when I was meeting with people from Alvarez & Marsal. You know, you work in different industries and different projects. One year you might be doing a transformation for a media company. The next, working on a financial services operational improvement. The following year on a manufacturing cost reduction. And I think that continuous learning really appealed to me.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Building a Career One Flight at a Time feat. Liam Morris ’23

Rice Business — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Liam Morris ’23 manages one of the most complex corners of United Airlines — airport operations quality control across more than 80 stations spanning Latin America, Central America and the Southwest U.S. In this conversation, he shares how early travel experiences opened the door to a career in aviation, the path that led him from loading bags in El Paso to overseeing global safety audits, and what it takes to lead with precision, clarity and calm under pressure.

Liam also reflects on United’s customer-centric transformation, the moments that shaped his commitment to the industry, and how the Rice Online MBA gave him the flexibility and confidence to grow as a leader while navigating an ever-moving, always-on operational world.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Aviation and Role at United Airlines

00:29 Ensuring Safety and Compliance in Airport Operations

02:56 Passion for Aviation and Early Influences

06:08 Managing Multiple Stations and Time Zones

08:00 Why United Airlines Stands Out

12:16 Best Flight Experience and Customer Insights

13:54 Decision to Pursue an MBA at Rice

19:58 Mutual Learning and Decision Making

22:27 Leadership Growth and Student Association

26:47 Career Journey and Future Goals

30:02 Travel Tips and Flying Etiquette

37:19 Conclusion and Farewell

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes

From cleaning planes to leading global operations

25:34: I never, ever envisioned that I would be where I’m at now, and I can honestly say from when I was a business partner with United — cleaning aircraft and loading bags for another company, right — but working the United product, I never had a plan to get to where I was. My internship with United came up out of nowhere, and I moved to Jersey. Then, midsummer, I got a full-time offer to stay, and I transferred schools. You know, at the very last minute, I went up to Rutgers from UT El Paso. And then, you know, an opportunity came to transfer to Dallas, and there I ended up. You know, our CEO lives there. Ended up meeting him and a lot of executives all the time, and my name got out there really great. And then I came down to Houston to go to Rice as an assistant manager here in the airport. Then I finished my B.A. and went into the current role that I’m at, which is safety and regulatory. I can honestly say I never really had a plan to get where I was, but I’m thankful that I was always willing to walk through the door, because every single opportunity that I’ve had — both promotion and a lateral — was a great move, and it was such an instrumental, pivotal move.

On being part of something bigger than yourself

04:06: I wanted the ability to be in an industry where I am a part of something bigger, right? And being a part of an airline is really cool because even though, you know, my work now may not directly affect a flight leaving on time out of here, it does affect the customer experience some way. So I just wanted to be a part of a really, really big machine that gets people where they need to go.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Liam Morris | LinkedIn

Bringing AI to All feat. Allison Knight ’10

Rice Business — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0600

As the youngest founder in her Rice MBA cohort, Allison Knight ’10 knows a thing or two about blazing a trail.

At just 24 years old, she co-founded Rebellion Photonics, which used cutting-edge technology to identify and quantify gas leaks on oil rigs, preventing catastrophic explosions. Knight went on to sell Rebellion Photonics to Honeywell in 2019, and is now codifying blue collar genius through Alaris AI.

In this episode, Knight joins host Brian Jackson ’21 to discuss how Rebellion Photonics used early AI technology to improve hyperspectral imaging and revolutionize gas leak detection. She also opens up about her experience as a young woman founder in a predominantly male industry, her role as an adjunct professor at Rice Business and why she believes blue collar work is the next frontier for AI exploration.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Allison Knight

01:09 Founding Rebellion Photonics

02:25 Challenges and Innovations in Gas Leak Detection

03:48 The Role of AI in Rebellion Photonics

04:26 Reflections on Being a Young Founder

12:44 Lessons From Startup Life

16:25 Introducing Alaris AI: AI for Blue Collar Workers

23:35 Teaching AI at Rice Business

27:52 The Future of AI in the Workforce

32:44 Final Thoughts and Reflections

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On being a young entrepreneur

12:17: I was 24. I was the youngest student in the Rice MBA program, and I had gotten a prestigious, semi-prestigious investment banking job that I had accepted. And then I did the thing you’re not supposed to do under any circumstances, which is renege on a job. They do not like that. But I am a physicist more than I am an MBA. Science and tech still make me the happiest. So, I ended up, even at Rice, just hanging out with Rice techies, like other applied physicists. Yeah. And it was just too tempting. I knew I should do the investment banking job, but I just could not do it. I had to go for this crazy methane emissions monitoring company. And I loved it.

Allison’s first AI moment

08:31: I think everyone will experience this, and I just happen to experience this 15, 16 years ago. It is your, like, AI moment—that first time where you run some code with AI. We had been trying to do real-time video detecting and imaging gas leaks in real time and kind of making do with it, and they were ugly. But then we brought in AI and started doing very, very, very, very basic machine learning, and it was just like magic, Brian. It was magic.

On AI’s next frontier

17:20: Pretty much across the board, AI really sucks for blue-collar work. With white-collar work, we can just boop, boop, boop—take the generic ChatGPT, and it works beautifully. And that’s because we, white-collar workers, have been typing for a long time. We’ve got all their documents in different folders, new ones, and so it’s all been trained on that for the most part. So it’s really trained on white-collar documentation and meant for it. Blue-collar documentation—basically, manuals and SOPs—has inherently always been stinky. But more importantly, none of the documentation has been done on what’s in their head, what’s in the foreman’s head, the supervisor’s head, or the individual’s head. And so, when you don’t have that data documented, structured, codified, the AI will be useless.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

The Hidden Bias Behind Ratings feat. Professor Sora Jun

Rice Business — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0600

How does something as simple as a five-star rating system reveal subtle biases?

When she’s not teaching MBA and undergraduate students at Rice Business, Sora Jun, Assistant Professor of Management – Organizational Behavior, studies the hidden forces that shape how we see and treat one another. Her work explores how our minds process inequality and how even small design choices, like switching from stars to thumbs-up icons, can make systems fairer.

Host Brian Jackson ’21 sits down with Sora to discuss her research on the hidden bias of gig worker ratings, what she loves most about teaching at Rice, the findings of her latest paper and how her background has shaped her work.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Sora Jun, Ph.D.

00:58 Journey From Finance To Organizational Behavior

02:20 Impact of Diverse Upbringing on Research

05:05 Teaching Experience and Philosophy

08:52 Research on Bias and Inequality

17:50 Framing Inequality: Advantage vs. Disadvantage

24:34 Exploring Anti-Asian Discrimination

29:17 Future Research Directions

30:56 Teaching Across Different Programs

32:20 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How embracing insecurity helped Dr. Sora on her research

23:32: It actually took me a while to really feel like I had enough legitimacy in standing and studying this in some ways, because I felt like I did not really have the real, like, Asian American experience, given that I have been in so many different circles and I'm hearing so many different stories about what it means to be Asian for different people. But I think really embracing that insecurity almost was useful because I think it just made me dig in deeper and realize that might be part of that Asian experience—feeling like there are so many different kinds of Asian experiences. I'm sure this is similar for other groups as well, but I think I've just become more appreciative of just asking people, like, what's this been like for you? I started to do more qualitative-oriented work because of this, and I think that is helping me sort of reaffirm my own, I guess, standing and studying this topic.

Why the way we talk about inequality matters

14:52 [Brian Jackson]: Why does framing matter so much when talking about pay gaps or wealth disparities?

16:08 [Sora Jun]: So, framing of inequality matters because even though what is being talked about is logically equivalent for an advantage or disadvantage frame, people understand it to be very different. And then they focus on different, I guess, objects.

On balancing the fairness of the gains of a binary system with the loss of nuance

13:36 [Sora Jun]: I think that's a really tricky part. I do think it is a challenge if we were to imagine changing all these numerical rating scales to dichotomy scales. We would lose a lot of the fine-grained information. So it probably depends a lot on the context. I think from our study, what we were finding was that the ratings using a five-point scale were already quite inflated, so there was not actually a ton of fine-grained information to be had from even the five-point scale information.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Sora Jun | Rice Business

Stay Humble, Hungry and Scrappy feat. Farid Virani

Rice Business — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0500

One year ago, the Virani family made a historic gift to Rice Business, establishing the Virani Undergraduate School of Business. To mark the occasion, Owl Have You Know welcomes Farid Virani — entrepreneur, philanthropist and proud Rice University parent.

In 1999, Farid founded Prime Communications with a single storefront in Houston’s Baybrook Mall. Today, Prime Communications is the largest AT&T authorized retailer in North America, with more than 2,500 locations across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Along the way, Farid has relied on three guiding principles — "stay humble, hungry and scrappy" — which continue to shape his approach to business and life.

He joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to share his entrepreneurial journey, the Virani family’s commitment to education and community, and the vision behind the Virani Undergraduate School of Business — a school designed to empower the next generation of ethical, curious, and compassionate business leaders.

Episode Guide:

00:15 Meet Farid Virani: Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

04:26 Building a Business Empire

05:58 Philanthropy and Community Investment

07:39 The Virani Undergraduate School of Business

11:24 Leadership and Business Education

17:32 The Faris Foundation: A Legacy of Giving

20:25 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How being agile can separate you from other business leaders

14:13: So, everything is moving very fast. For the next generation of entrepreneurs, the business leaders not only have to build businesses and solve problems in society, but they have to be agile. They have to be fast. They have to embrace technology. That’s a lot of stuff that is coming their way. They have to find their own North Star as to what they’re going to do, and how you do it, I think, will depend on individuals—on their passion, on what they find exciting, what excites them. But more than that, to me, it will require a mixture of basic business fundamentals—doing the right things, building things, having great teams around—but embracing technology, not running away from it. Embracing change, not running away from it. I think that will separate successful entrepreneurs and businesses.

What Farid hopes for the Virani School

15:48: So, my hope is that the Virani School at Rice becomes a top 10 school in the country. Top 5. You said it. That is what we strive—I think Peter and the leadership will strive to do that. But more than that, for me, is that it becomes an institution—the Virani School—that develops the future leaders for the country. Now, whether they are in business, in entrepreneurship, whether it is in the political arena, or whether it is in any industry, so long as it develops leaders that give back to the community and give back to society, and give back to the country, then we will all benefit.

Stay humble, hungry and scrappy

21:02: Be curious, because you just do not know what life has in store for you. I mean, I think for me, being curious and asking questions about things has served me well, and obviously, be grateful that you are part of an amazing institution like Rice—even more special, the Virani School. But then, you know, stay humble, stay scrappy, and stay hungry, and that pretty much has served me well. And it is simple, you can remember it, and it is nothing fancy.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Farid Virani | Rice Business

Finding Art in Everything feat. Marian Villegas ’23

Rice Business — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0500

For Marian Villegas ’23, art can be found in everything — even petroleum engineering.

Raised in Tabasco, Mexico, Marian grew up inspired by her father’s work in oil and gas and her own lifelong love of painting. That dual passion led her to a career in petroleum engineering — and eventually to Rice Business, where her MBA helped her grow in both her role as a senior asset manager at EDP Renewables North America and as the founder of her art studio, Mablueart.

In this episode, Marian joins co-host Maya Pomroy ’22 to share how she’s built a career that bridges energy and art, the lessons she’s carried from Tabasco to Houston, and why creativity continues to guide everything she does.

Episode Guide:

01:38 Growing up in Tabasco

04:37 Pursuing a Career in Petroleum Engineering

09:51 Transition to the United States and Career Growth

14:05 Discovering and Nurturing a Passion for Art

18:57 Exploring Graduate School and MBA Programs

23:43 Starting Mablueart

26:15 Incorporating Unique Elements Into Art

33:12 Future Goals and Teaching at Rice

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Seeing petroleum engineering as an art

[6:13]: So I wanted to have a good understanding of that [petroleum engineering] from a guy who was leading an entire organization. So I went there. He was extremely nice. He saw me, he’s a very sharp guy. And then the minute he saw me, he was like, “Okay, Marian, I guess those are all your questions. I’m going to just talk about petroleum engineering. You don’t need to tell me questions. I will just tell you my story.” And after an hour and a half — not 15 minutes — an hour and a half, of this amazing story, I fell in love with that, the idea of being a petroleum engineer. He’d talk about, “This is art.” You know, the words, the way he was explaining that to me, like a story… for me that was a: Yes, I want something that I can feel that passionate about. For me, it’s also art in a way.

From oil and gas roots to pursuing art

[3:59]: I grew up in this beautiful town. It’s a very small town, Tabasco (Villahermosa), but it is all about oil and gas. Everybody, every single thing, is about oil and gas. So I always loved art in a way — always reading art, always painting. I have been painting my whole life in different aspects, but I never thought about that as another source of income, in a way, as a business.

When art as therapy becomes a business

[17:06]: Until today, it [creating art] used to be my therapy, in a way. I would work the entire week, and during the weekends I would paint full-time. And for me, that was my escape. Today it’s also business. I have deliverables, I have people waiting. And my biggest fear was that, at some point, I would just stop enjoying this part of the art world because I needed to deliver. So that’s why I guess it took me so long to decide to make it big, as I did not want to see this as another job. I wanted to keep painting and seeing this as my therapy, and art is always, for me, the answer. But, I didn't want that to take away that creativity from me.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Marian Villegas | LinkedIn

Entrepreneurship is in the Rice DNA feat. Al Danto ’00

Rice Business — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Al Danto, senior lecturer in entrepreneurship, has been a trusted mentor and beloved member of the Rice Business community for more than two decades. A serial entrepreneur, he launched his first company at the age of 23, growing it through multiple acquisitions before selling to a private equity-backed group. After earning his MBA at Rice Business, he returned to teach New Enterprise, Enterprise Acquisition and their corresponding E-labs – guiding students as they build and acquire businesses of their own. He is also a driving force behind the Veterans Business Battle.

Beyond his professional success, Al has had a personal journey few could imagine. In May 2022, Al experienced two life-threatening medical crises and was placed on advanced life support. Sixty-five days later, he walked out of the hospital determined to return to the classroom, and by October, he was back.

In this episode of Owl Have You Know, Al shares his extraordinary career journey, his story of recovery and why he urges everyone to “grab life” and make a difference.

Episode Guide:

00:22 Meet Al Danto: The Entrepreneurial Legend

01:01 Al Danto’s Early Ventures and Successes

07:56 Scaling the Business and Strategic Exits

12:32 The Rice MBA Experience

16:55 Launching Universal Worker

20:31 Rice Alliance and the Rice Business Plan Competition

25:52 Teaching and Mentoring at Rice

29:22 Identifying the Secret Sauce of Successful Entrepreneurs

33:42 Personal Health Challenges and Overcoming Adversity

43:38 The Role of Mentorship and Support in Success

49:00 The Veterans Business Battle: Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurs

51:24 Vision for the Future of Rice University

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On the tough realities of entrepreneurship and success

[26:44] Maya Pomroy: For people to sign up to really take these risks, what do you think that it is that you bring? That people are so excited about.

[26:53] Al Danto: First thing I try to do is talk you out of it. It’s not easy. I mean, it’s tough. You have — it’s really hard. I mean, you see a lot about the glamour, and you see all this stuff. You know, 80% of business startups — fail. I think at Rice, what we do is we have a fertile ground, right? To plant these seeds in. You have support. You have nurturing, and you have everything, but it’s a tough road. To me, a lot of it is you make the decisions. I personally think, for most cases, if you start a business, the success or failure comes to you. You know, 86% of plane crashes are pilot or human error. Which we talk about in class. And I think entrepreneurship is pretty similar.

On making ideas real and sustaining Rice’s entrepreneurial legacy

[28:50] The reality is you have to get out there and you have to do it, and you have to make these things real. And I think, you know, we’ve done that. It’s kind of in our DNA. And so now, five years, six years in a row now, the No. 1 Graduate Entrepreneurship Program — it’s not because of me, it’s because of what was started long ago, and it’s because of support. And now our alumni come back in, and they say what they’ve done — the good and the bad — that we bring back in.

Believing in something bigger and rowing together at Rice

[50:30] I think it’s important to have something that you believe in. I think if you can’t believe in, and anytime you see a military veteran, they put their life to go give us freedom. And a couple years ago, one of the veterans told me the best way that you can show our support is not to thank us, but to go out there and take advantage of the freedoms that we have. I think entrepreneurship is one of them as well. So it’s really been great, and every year these guys have not wanted to let the next person down, and they’ve stepped up and stepped into it. And I think that’s just not letting the next person down. And I think everyone that goes through Rice is going to experience that. It’s tough, but you’re in the rowboat mentality. We’re in this together, and we have to get through it, and y’all will. And that’s part of it.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Al Danto | Rice Business

Coaching the Leaders of Tomorrow feat. Sujeev Chittipolu ’21

Rice Business — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0500

After many successful years as a mechanical engineer for Baker Hughes, Sujeev Chittipolu ’21 thought it was time to invest in his leadership potential. That led him to Rice Business.

As part of Rice’s Professional MBA program, Sujeev formed invaluable connections through programs like CoachRICE and even joined the board of one of his classmate’s nonprofits — Amel Association Houston. Through Amel, Sujeev is taking what he learned at Rice Business and building leadership coaching programs for underserved youth in Houston, particularly in refugee communities.

In this episode, Sujeev chats with co-host Maya Pomroy ’22 about his 16 years at Baker Hughes, how playing with machines in his father's small business shaped his interest in engineering, his work with Amel to give back to the community, and how the Rice MBA helped him put the final pieces together in his career.

Episode Guide:

01:30 Early Career and Education

02:14 Journey at Baker Hughes

05:37 Pursuing an MBA at Rice

09:51 Giving Back Through AMEL

15:19 Balancing Career and Personal Life

16:00 Advice for Aspiring MBA Students

16:43 Impact of Rice MBA on Career

22:23 Staying Connected with Rice

24:53 Future Aspirations and Final Thoughts

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How coaching transforms a student’s confidence and future

12:36: I would say one student named Musafa. He was initially not a student. He was active doing his things, but he was not very verbal in the class, right? [13:41] So as he worked with a coach, what we’ve seen was he could explore his inhibitions, he could set his goals, understand what were some of the drivers that were inhibiting his potential. And we’ve seen a clear change. He was about to quit high school. Yes, and working with the coach, it changed. He was over the process of a year, right? Two semesters, he became more verbal. He was confident in himself. He could understand what he wanted in life. He could realize, okay, I have a goal in career, and then okay, I can work towards it. So I think that one story kind of inspired more of us to come back and give. And it’s just like we’ve seen many of those, Maya, over the last three-plus years working with HISD.

Shaping mindset and leadership through the Rice MBA

16:19: [Maya]: So thinking back on before Rice and after Rice, what were some of the ways that your mindset has really changed because of the MBA that you worked for?

16:32: [Sujeev Chittipolu]: So many ways. I think the way I look at problems and the way I look at challenges is very different now. I'm kind of more holistic in approach. I challenge myself much more based on the lessons I’ve learned during Rice, and even the leadership piece, right? Leadership not just at work, but I think leadership goes all the way — starts from home, through the community, at work. So you set an example for yourself. You set an example for your family members, so you’re learning always, trying to grow. So I think Rice has influenced me personally, professionally, and I think I keep continuing to reap rewards as I grow personally as well as professionally.

On the hard work of growth and the rewards of giving back

15:38: There is no easy way or there’s no shotguns in growth or in career. You have to differentiate yourself. You have to work hard to one, grow yourself and be able to give back. I think both of these. If you are passionate, if you want to grow, it’s not easy, but the journey might be tough, but the efforts are always rewarding, right? Giving back, you can see one story that is shared. It changes your perspective on life. It gives you things that show how grateful you are to be able to give back. So, take the leap forward. I think you always find time. There are weekends that you can stretch. There are days you know you need like one or two hours a day that you can stretch and always be able to give back. So yeah, I think take the leap forward, and it will be worthwhile.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Making Venture Capital More Accessible feat. Emmanuel Yimfor '20

Rice Business — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0500

At a time when startups are primarily funded by private market investors, who you know has become a critical factor in gaining access to that venture capital. But how does the reliance on alumni and professional networks create barriers for startups from historically disadvantaged groups?

Emmanuel Yimfor ’20 is a finance professor at Columbia Business School and holds a Ph.D. from Rice University. His research focuses on entrepreneurial finance, diversity and private capital markets, with insights into gender and racial disparities in venture capital funding, board representation and how resources could be more equitably allocated.

Emmanuel joins co-host Maya Pomroy ’22 to discuss his career journey from working at a Cameroonian telecommunications company to teaching at some of the top U.S. business schools, as well as his research on the influence of alumni networks in venture capital funding, how AI tools can address biases in lending, and finally how he’s teaming up with his son to bring AI tools to young innovators and entrepreneurs in Cameroon.

Episode Guide:

01:00 Exploring Entrepreneurial Finance

03:36 The Role of Networks in VC Funding

08:10 Emmanuel's Journey From Cameroon to the U.S.

12:34 The Rice University Experience

15:43 Research on Alumni Networks and Funding

21:49 Algorithmic Bias in Lending

33:17 Empowering Future Innovators in Cameroon

38:42 Final Thoughts and Future Outlook

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Rethinking who gets funded in venture capital

31:07: What does good networks mean exactly? If you look at venture capital partners, for example, right? They have worked at McKinsey before they became venture capital partners. So they have worked at certain companies, they have done certain jobs that then led them to become VCs. And so to the extent that we have a lack of representation in this pipeline of jobs that is leading to VC, then the founders that do not come from these same backgrounds do not have as equal access to the partners. And so what that suggests is something very basic, which is like, just rethink the set of deals that you are considering. That might expand the pool of deals that you consider, because, you know, there might be a smart person out there that is maybe not the same race as you, but that has an idea that you really, really want to fund. And that is something that I think, like, everybody would agree with. You know, we want to allocate capital to its most productive uses.

From hard data to meaningful change

29:13: So I have a belief in America, at least based on my life journey, which is: if you work hard for long enough, somebody is going to recognize you and you will be rewarded for it. And so I really believe that America takes in data, thinks about that data for a while to think about whether the research is credible enough, and then, using that data, they are a good Bayesian, so they get a new posterior. They act in a new way that is consistent with what the new before and the new data. And so I think about my role as a researcher as just like, you know, providing that data. Here is the data, and here is what is consistent with what we are doing right now. Now, you know, what you do with that information now is like, you know, update what you are doing in a way that is most consistent with efficient capital allocation—is my hope.

Why Emmanuel finds empirical work so exciting

21:34: Empirical work is so exciting to me because then you are like, "I am a little bit of a police detective." So you take a little bit of this thing that feels hard to measure, and then you can create hypotheses to link it to the eventual outcomes, to the extent that that thing that is hard to measure is something that is leading to efficient capital allocation. Then, on average, you know, this feeling that you get about founders that are from the same alma mater should lead to good things as opposed to leading to bad things. And so, you know, that is exactly the right spirit of how to think about the work.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Bringing Clarity to Women’s Healthcare feat. Monique Pourkarimi ’25

Rice Business — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0500

After navigating a challenging endometriosis diagnosis, multiple surgeries, and a complex healthcare system, Andria “Monique” Pourkarimi ’25 decided to tackle a gap she experienced firsthand. While pursuing an online MBA at Rice, an idea born in the classroom grew into Dr. Clara, LLC — a women’s health startup focused on closing the communication gap between patients and providers.

Just a year earlier, Monique founded Pourkarimi & Associates, LLC, a financial consulting and independent insurance brokerage firm that helps clients navigate complex financial decisions and insurance needs.

In this episode, Monique joins co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to share how her health journey inspires her work with Dr. Clara, why financial and insurance literacy are so important, and what led her career from the aisles of Costco to entrepreneurship and a Rice MBA.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Monique Pourkarimi

01:23 Balancing Business and MBA

09:08 The Inspiration Behind Dr. Clara

10:46 Challenges and Advocacy in Women's Health

19:19 Future Plans and Reflections

22:29 The Importance of Financial Education

27:43 Pursuing Public Policy for Healthcare Reform

30:51 Concluding Thoughts

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Where did Monique get her entrepreneurship spirit?

07:45: I think entrepreneurship runs in my blood. So my uncle has a logistics company that is here in the US and transports in Mexico as well. My grandmother, she works with him and his business, and, my mom has her own insurance brokerage as well, specializing in Medicare. So independent of my pursuits, my grandmother and my mom are the ones who raised me. So here it was three generations of strong Mexican women who were, you know, just under one roof. And I think that is kind of what shaped me in terms of the woman that I am today and that entrepreneurial spirit.

Success is about impact, not numbers

27:25: I think for me, success is counting how many people am I able to help at the end of the day, right? And it's not a number of just benchmarks of, oh, okay, I have a quota of helping 500,000 people. No, it's not about that at the end of the day. And do I confidently know that I have been able to help make a positive impact in this world? I do not want to leave it as I am starting these businesses because I am doing them for myself, or even with awards that I received through Rice. I think success is: what is my legacy? And if I were to die today, you know, what would people think about me? I think success is: what is my legacy? And if I were to die today, what would people think about me? Did I make a positive impact in people's life? That, to me, is success.

The moment Monique said yes to Rice

05:21: For me, I was thinking, wow, there is so much potential—especially with an MBA. There is so much potential I have in growing my businesses. And, as you said, Brian, being connected with the other students—I joke that Rice did all the background checks for us because I love my cohort. The people at Rice, the alumni—we are one big Happy Owl family. I had a lot of people who believed in me and were willing to help and point me in the right direction.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Connecting Investors and Veteran Entrepreneurs feat. Mike Tatz ’14 and Corban Bates ’15

Rice Business — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0500

During their time at Rice Business, Mike Tatz ’14 and Corban Bates ’15 saw an opportunity to connect veterans with capital and the network needed to start a business. As veterans themselves, they understood how important it is to have the right connections and platform to pitch an idea. With that, the Veterans Business Battle was born.

But Mike and Corban’s story starts long before Rice. The two first met as students at West Point and followed similar paths — from Division I athletics to Army service to financial services, and eventually entrepreneurship. After launching the Veterans Business Battle and earning their MBAs at Rice, Mike went on to found a CBD company for athletes, and Corban began overseeing direct investments into private companies — now serving as the chief financial officer for one of those investments.

Mike and Corban join co-host Maya Pomroy ’22 to chat about how their time at West Point shaped them, what brought them to Rice Business and the impact the Veterans Business Battle has had over the past decade.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Meet Mike and Corban

03:01 Life at West Point: Challenges and Lessons

08:38 Transitioning From Military to Business School

12:57 Creating the Veterans Business Battle

20:18 The First Prize and Investor Opportunities

22:15 The Journey and Impact of the Competition

24:01 Career Transitions and Personal Growth

25:29 Mike’s Venture Into the Sports Industry

27:57 Corban's Path to Artisan Bakery

33:43 Final Thoughts and Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

The conversation that led Corban from Army to business school

09:55: [Corban Bates] Mike’s been a huge blessing in my life, ’cause business school wasn’t really even on my radar. It’s just kind of going up and down the aisles of the career conference, and there were probably 20 schools there, but I didn’t talk to any of ’em. It wasn’t on my radar, and I talked to Mike. I just ran into him and it’s like, “Hey, how have you been?” Like, you know, all for Rice. He was there recruiting for Rice — Rice had a booth — and he starts telling me about it. And he was just about to start this internship at Goldman Sachs, and he had this amazing first year at Rice, and it just sets you up…[10:24] Yeah, I just ran towards it and was extremely fortunate to get in, and Mike completely changed the course of my career. If I hadn’t run into him, then things would be very different.

On unapologetically pursuing what lights you up

34:29: [Mike Tatz] I think a lot of people, even at business school, they get very pigeonholed into thinking that they have to be a consultant or an investment banker because they think about the financial support that it is going to give them or the safety net. There is a gazillion ways to make money out there. I think you have got to be happy. You have got to be happy. And you can be, but you have got to take that leap. You have got to have a plan. And then once you figure out what it is, you go, baby. You go as hard as you can, and you make everybody else think that you are crazy for how hard you are working at whatever you are doing. If you do that, I think good things are going to happen.

Why veterans and business school are a perfect match

17:09: [Corban Bates] Rice came up with this concept of really bringing on more veterans to their business school. I think it’s a great match of veterans being very far along in their leadership development and people management development by the time they’re in their late twenties, but being behind on the business concepts. And then you pair, you know, the rest of the civilians who are advanced in their business concepts but are probably lacking on the leadership front — probably haven’t led that much in their twenties. And so it’s this great pairing where both sides can learn from each other.

The business network gap veterans face

13:35: [Mike Tatz] I don’t think veterans need any special treatment, nor should they expect — or do we expect — any special treatment. But what I do think is the case is that, going back to that last example — let’s say I do want to start a business. I'm starting a business. There are a lot of steps to it, but one of those steps that is crucial is capital. And so my network, being in the military, is Army sergeants, Army majors, privates — whatever it may be, right? They're not the Goldman Sachs folks. They’re not the people looking to make investments into companies. They’re not the people with the means to not only provide financial capital, but mentorship capital and experience capital that you would need as somebody being in the military, coming out and trying — and wanting — to start your own business.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Lab-Grown Organs and a $900k Win feat. Charlie Childs and Madeline Eiken

Rice Business — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Like the discovery of penicillin, it started with an unexpected moment in the lab.

Charlie Childs and Madeline Eiken didn’t set out to revolutionize drug testing — but a surprise breakthrough led them to create the world’s first lab-grown human intestine and win the 2025 Rice Business Plan Competition's grand prize. Their startup, Intero Biosystems, could dramatically reduce clinical trial costs, improve drug safety and advance personalized medicine.

Host Maya Pomroy ’22 talks with Charlie and Madeline about the moment that sparked it all, their experience winning the 2025 Rice Business Plan Competition, and what’s next for their fast-growing startup.

Episode Guide:

00:59 Meet the Founders: Madeline and Charlie

01:49 Their Groundbreaking Innovation of a Lab-Grown Human Intestine

03:24 The Journey From Lab to Startup

07:06 The Accidental Discovery

11:49 Competing in the Rice Business Plan Competition

15:52 The Pitch and the Competition Experience

19:14 Support and Success at Rice

23:37 Future Plans and Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Charlie on the lab-grown intestines breakthrough

04:43 [Charlie Childs]: I think, every day, like, as we develop this model, we are just more and more amazed how amazing, like, nature is and how smart science is. So, what we can do is we take these stem cells, which, like you said, can turn to anything in the body, and then we simulate human development. So, every day we give them… we literally call it Gatorade. Like, the cells live in this red liquid, and it truly is Gatorade. It has, like, glucose and proteins and other things that the cells need to live just like our bodies do. And each day, we give them different proteins that leads them down human developmental time until they turn into the miniature intestines. So, it's actually a lot more simple than you would think. And our breakthrough figured out that a single protein that we switched in this process caused this beautiful thing to form. So, the cells, we joke about this every day, like, the cells just know what to do and we just need to, like, push them in the right direction and they will figure out what to do.

From lab partners to startup co-founders

04:06 [Madeline Eiken]: We just know that we work really well together. We know that we have really complementary skill sets. So my background is in engineering, and, while Charlie is a biologist, and so the way that we approach problems is quite different from each other, but we have this, like, really shared interest in commercializing that technology.

How does the Rice Business Plan competition stand out in comparison to some others?

18:12 [Charlie Childs]: It was like a whole other beast, and people kept warning us, like, leading up to it. They were like, “This is fun, but wait till you get to Rice.” It was just like the breadth of not only the startups, but also the judges and all the people from Rice. It was the investors — like, we were just blown away at how much support and interest there was. And I mean, our first pitch was crazy. Like, people were audibly like gasping and cheering, and it was just such a fun group to pitch to. And we just made so many wonderful connections, and I truly, truly, like, this is like launching us into another realm that we didn’t even think we were gonna be able to be in. Both from, like, connections and investors, and just support — we're so thankful.

What’s next for Intero Biosystems?

24:05 [Madeline Eiken]: We're really excited to be really laser-focused on de-risking the company and meeting our milestones with this fundraise. We were really lucky to basically double what we were hoping to raise. So that was really awesome and exciting for us. And because of that extra cushion that we have, we think we can push a lot faster on some of our milestones that we had been thinking about for seed rounds and even Series A. So, right now we're really focusing on onlining our manufacturing and figuring out how we're gonna make the organoids really reproducibly so we can get them into the hands of customers as quickly as we can. So, now the fun part of running the company is what we get to do.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

How a Disney Skater Became a Startup Founder feat. Becky Jackson ’25

Rice Business — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0500

As the first figure skater to play Elsa in Disney On Ice’s Frozen and now a pioneer in the private security industry, Becky Jackson knows a thing or two about creating something from scratch.

Before earning an MBA at Rice and becoming an entrepreneur, Becky had an illustrious figure skating career with Team USA and Disney. Now, she’s revolutionizing the way private security contractors reach clients with her company ONGUARD.

Becky joins co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to chat about her journey — from discovering her passion for skating at age 7 and traveling the world with Disney on Ice to founding a business that works with local law enforcement and veterans to make private security more accessible.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Becky Jackson

02:05 Early Life and Figure Skating Journey

04:03 Professional Career With Disney on Ice

08:56 Transition to Business and Consulting

11:57 Pursuing an MBA at Rice University

14:07 Founding ONGUARD

16:34 ONGUARD’s Mission and Future

22:35 Connection With Veterans and Pitch Competitions

23:54 Reflections on Entrepreneurship and Teamwork

30:10 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Lessons from being a solo founder

24:49: Being a solo founder, I've learned the importance of a team, and how essential it is to have a really strong team with you. And so I think, in that respect, the experience with Disney always was—so incredibly grateful to be surrounded by artists and engineers who really love and, you know, are really committed to their work. And so that's been an important lesson for me: that you can't just go it alone. You can't just brute-force your way into starting a company. You really need to listen to experts. You need to know when to bring in the right people. And so, I think it's been a tougher journey for that, just kind of starting this off solo. But I quickly learned—and, you know, being at Rice helped me learn that too—is that, no, you need to learn to delegate, and you need to really tap into the network and the world around you.

You’re never too old to go chase a dream

27:32: You can really use the skills, but more importantly, the network to do anything that you, you know, really want to do. And something that I'm passionate about is that during my time at Rice, we had the slogan, “Rice Business, You Belong Here.” And that means, you know, can mean so much to everyone. It can mean something different. But for me, I always took the chance to think about it in terms of age, and that you're never too old to go chase a dream, or you're not too advanced in your career to start something new. And I think that's an important message that I always tell prospective students.

How Becky found consulting after skating

09:19: One thing I knew for sure is I wanted to work in some kind of, you know, dynamic environment. I had come from tour that was one city after the next, and it was traveling and meeting new people and new challenges every week. And so that's—that's where I landed in the world of consulting. I thought, oh, great—like traveling every week, new challenges, a lot of ambiguity. And so I thought that—that that's the thing for me.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Shaping The Future of Retail feat. Ramon Marquez ’25 and Taylin Luzcando

Rice Business — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Retail executive Ramon Marquez can point to virtually every store in a shopping mall and explain how he helped that brand grow.

With a passion for retail dating back to his childhood, he’s built a career as a leader in merchandising, product management and retail operations for major retailers like JCPenney, Abercrombie & Fitch, Old Navy, and is now shaping the future of Kmart and Sears.

As a newly minted MBA graduate, Ramon gained not only a degree from Rice, but also a meaningful board appointment with Panama-based company, Effluz. After working with Effluz on his Global Field Experience, Ramon remained close with the company, which was founded by Taylin Luzcando and specializes in premature baby clothing and accessories.

Ramon and Taylin join co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to chat about Ramon’s career journey from his grandfather’s general store in Mexico to the C-suite of some of the biggest global retailers, as well as why he decided to pursue an MBA at Rice and how he’s made an impact at Effluz. Founder Taylin also shares the personal origins of Effluz and why entrepreneurs should jump at the chance to partner with Rice’s Global Field Experience program.

Episode Guide:

01:41 Ramon's Early Career and Rise in Retail

06:05 Leadership and Adaptability in Retail

07:41 Pursuing an MBA at Rice Business

10:52 Joining the Board of a Panamanian Startup

13:34 Insights on Retail and Future Plans

21:03 Personal Life and Community Involvement

26:10 Meet Taylin Luzcando, founder of Effluz

31:11 Taylin’s Experience with Rice’s Global Field Experience Program

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How one class changed Ramon’s path

19:14: [Ramon Marquez] Towards the end of the MBA... and one of the very last classes I took was Life of Meaning. It’s an entrepreneurship lab. And what that class does is that it takes a look at where you want to be and how you fill the gap. And we did a lot of frameworks that helped me map out what is next. So, there were a lot of great things that came out of it. One was that I really didn’t have a plan in writing or a roadmap to where I want to land. In the class, part of the frameworks will get you back to, like, what are you passionate about? What is it that you wanted to do when you were a kid? What are the things that you don’t want to be left undone? And it helped me realize that, you know, there’s an entrepreneurial side of me that I have never explored.

Why Ramon says passion for your job matter

14:37: [Ramon Marquez] I encourage everyone, whatever you do, position yourself in a place where you love it, that you’re so intrigued and so inquisitive and so passionate. And a lot of people come to me and say, you know, “How do you get your job?” And I say, “Well, you have to be interested and passionate about retail. If you’re not, don’t get my job, because then it’s too much pressure. It’s too hectic. It’s too fast. It’s too vulnerable. It’s too difficult right now. Retail is really difficult.” But if you think about the fact that, you know, merchants have been around for thousands of years and commerce has existed from the beginning of time, retail’s not going to go away. It’s just the way that we will get to know what it’s like. And for that, I don’t have the answer, in case you were wondering.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Transforming AI Literacy in the Classroom feat. Corey Layne Crouch ’13

Rice Business — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Despite entering college as a pre-med major, Corey Layne Crouch ’13 found her calling in the classroom after working as a teacher’s aide for a kindergarten class. Switching majors, she set out on a path to transform the education system from within.

Corey’s entrepreneurial mindset in her work as a high school English teacher and school principal led her to Rice’s Professional MBA program. Now, she’s the chief program officer for AI for Education — an organization providing AI literacy training to educators and championing responsible use of AI in the education ecosystem.

In this episode, Corey joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to chat about her pivots from pre-med to English to her current role as an educational tech executive — as well as her time at Rice Business, the importance of supporting AI literacy and the innovative ways she’s influenced the education system.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Corey Layne Crouch

02:15 From Pre-Med to Kindergarten Teacher

05:21 Teach for America and Moving to Houston

08:23 Becoming a Principal and Pursuing an MBA

17:04 Transition to EdTech and AI in Education

25:07 Challenges and Misconceptions of AI in Schools

30:26 Future of Education with AI

38:22 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On building AI literacy through tool-agnostic workshops

[30:26] Maya Pomroy: So, tell me some of the work that you do — because AI for Education is really tackling one of the, I mean, this is one of the biggest shifts in modern learning.

[31:41] Corey Layne Crouch: So we provide workshops and thing that we do, as well as that we're tool agnostic. We do have opinions about tools and where, you know, what's safe and what's fit for purpose, and what we think isn't quite yet, and how to integrate it in that way. ’Cause the technology is going to continue to evolve, but we really believe a foundation of which is rooted in durable skills, right, of critical thinking, and evaluation and understanding the best tool for a job and how to be community oriented. That is the work that we do. And, of course, we teach people how to use the tools and drive towards outcomes with them while we're laying that foundation as well.

How Houston’s education scene inspired Corey's bold, equitable innovation

07:16: Houston is such a great city, as you know, to be a young professional in and, and to start your career, let alone having the opportunity to be a part of the thriving, innovative education landscape there. I really think that it helped me think much bigger about what it meant to be an education and what was possible with innovation, and really moving the needle toward equity and supporting communities that historically, you know, weren't being serviced in the way that they deserved.

Why entrepreneurship skills is essential for an AI-driven world

32:46: I really believe that students need entrepreneurial skills, and not necessarily because every student is going to go off and start their own business per se, but at the root of it, entrepreneurial skills is about, you know, understanding what you're trying to drive to, or what's the job to be done, seeing what's the diagnosis, what are the challenges, or, you know, opportunities to do better, and then understanding the resources that you have, and moving forward with strategy, as if it's a puzzle piece and, you know, it's strategy, but it's also about just seeing that opportunity and having the confidence and the belief in your own critical thinking, your own resourcefulness, and your ability to collaborate and build relationship with others in order to solve a problem or drive something forward.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Investing in Ideas You Believe in feat. Ben Mayberry ’76

Rice Business — Wed, 21 May 2025 09:21:41 -0500

As a seasoned entrepreneur, investor and mentor, Ben Mayberry ’76 has seen a lot of change in the Houston business sector over the last 50 years.

Beginning his career in the technology sector, Ben went on to co-found companies like BSG and Winston Sage, and has been deeply involved in the Rice Business community through mentorship and recruiting. Ben has also served as the president of the Rice Alumni Association and has been a judge in the Rice Business Plan Competition for two decades.

Ben joins Owl Have You Know co-host Brian Jackson ‘21 to discuss his incredible career journey, commitment to Rice, involvement in the Houston Angel Network, approach to mentoring entrepreneurs, and the many lessons he’s learned over the course of his 50-year career.

Episode Guide:

00:00 Introduction to Ben Mayberry

01:07 Early Career and Entrepreneurial Spirit

02:42 Building and Managing Teams

05:46 Mentorship and Advice

07:36 Winston Sage Partners and Business Ethics

09:43 Houston Angel Network

14:33 Rice Business School Involvement

22:32 Life Lessons and Final Thoughts

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Why Ben thinks Houston is the easiest place to do business

26:29: There's not one pivot point in my career I can point to, other than deciding to work for myself at some point. Then the decision points along the way that I've made. And, fortunately, I never made a decision that was so devastating that it, you know, shut me down. The most fun job I think I had of all was when we decided to open our other offices at BSG, and I was in charge of opening our remote offices. I just learned a lot about how you do business around the country. I learned how to negotiate with New Yorkers, people in Atlanta, Dallas, et cetera. The most important thing I've found is Houston is the easiest place to do business.
28:08: In Houston, people are generally welcoming to people that come from somewhere else because it's been a melting pot for so long.

Why meeting in person matters for entrepreneurs

28:52: If you want to get together with other entrepreneurs and bounce ideas off of them, or even build teamwork within your group, I think two things. Number one, within a company, it's important to have functions where you get together occasionally. We used to have quarterly meetings where we'd bring everybody into a central location, and it's not inexpensive. And once a quarter, we're also bringing the leadership from various places and having a strategy session all together. And certainly, you can do it by Zoom, but there's nothing like getting together, going out, and having a few drinks that night or dinner or whatever. Now, for someone like you, who—you're in Houston and nobody else is—you need to make a list of people you're going to have lunch with every day. Don't have lunch in your office. Go out three or four times a week and have lunch with somebody that's different and new.

Why listening matters for entrepreneurs seeking success

07:23: Each entrepreneur is, especially if they're in a startup, unique. They have some traits in common. They're generally stubborn. They don't listen as well as they should, and so you have to figure out if they're willing to listen at all. If not, you move on. If they're willing to listen, then you're able to give them advice, and it's based on—do they like—and a CEO doesn't have it all. They may be technical, they may be good at sales, they may be good at marketing, but they're rarely good at all of those. So you've got to figure out where their weakness is and attack that, and help them understand that's really where they need help.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Ben Mayberry | Rice Business

Work Smarter With AI feat. Summer Husband ’02

Rice Business — Wed, 07 May 2025 04:00:00 -0500

With a Ph.D. in computational and applied mathematics from Rice, Summer Husband ’02 has been at the forefront of AI and data innovation for years. From transforming how the U.S. Navy uses machine learning to now leading data products and applied intelligence at Worley, her career bridges complex tech and real-world impact.

Following her workshop, Unleashing Your Inner Cyborg, at this year’s Women in Leadership Conference, Summer joined Owl Have You Know co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to discuss the evolution of AI, the power of pairing machine learning with human judgment, and the ethical guardrails she believes are essential in today’s data-driven world.

Episode Guide:

00:12 Meet Summer Husband: AI and Data Expert

01:00 Women in Leadership Conference Insights

01:52 Ethics and Rapid Advancements in AI

04:01 Upskilling and AI Deployment in Business

04:53 AI as a Sales Response Generator

06:47 Summer's Career Journey and AI Evolution

13:05 AI's Impact on Human Roles and Ethics

16:20 Future of AI and Human Intuition

22:59 Empowering Women in Tech and Leadership

26:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

The power of being surrounded by empowered women

22:32: It's really powerful for women to be around other very capable and talented women. I didn't realize what an impact that had. I've loved all the organizations that I've worked for. My first job, there was only one other woman on the technical side. I didn't think that impacted me. But my next organization had a lot of women in executive leadership, and I suddenly started to feel like taking a more senior role was a possibility.

23:04: I never would've connected those dots, but I really appreciate Rice opening up the opportunity for women to hear from other women.

23:26: It's just a little different when it's mostly women in the room, and you feel safe to ask some questions that you just don't feel safe to ask in some other spaces. That's just kind of the way that goes. So, I appreciate the opportunity.

On navigating AI ethics without a roadmap

The technology is just changing really quickly, which makes this a very exciting space to be in, but it makes it really challenging around ethics. One of the other, I think, challenges in this space is, because it's fairly new, it's changing rapidly, so the technology is changing rapidly. The legal landscape is changing really rapidly, also. So, some of the partners that we tend to go to for playbooks in these spaces don't have a fully baked playbook in this space. A lot of organizations are needing to define and figure out their approach to ethics and AI together. So, at Worley, we're approaching that with a pretty comprehensive approach that includes our AI experts, of course, our legal experts. We want to ensure that we've got our operations involved in that. They're the ones that are, boots on the ground and are going to be using these tools. We've had to cast a pretty wide net, but we've had to do a lot of discovering and shaping for ourselves.

The challenge of deploying AI thoughtfully

03:05: There definitely are some roadblocks in keeping pace. And the risk and the ethical concerns is one of those. But I would say, also, having the right skill set in your workforce and upskilling your workforce — that's a challenge. There's a real opportunity for people who know their business very well and do the work to learn how to deploy AI in their field, in their area. It's that combination of skills. I think there are a lot of very smart people doing very smart things to build really amazing technology. What I think a lot of businesses have challenges with and where we face a bit of a roadblock is, how do you deploy those tools well in a breadth of different businesses?

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Summer Husband | Rice University

Why Smart Failure Wins feat. Michelle Lewis '05

Rice Business — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0500

What’s worse than failing in your career? For Michelle Lewis ’05, it’s not trying at all.

That fearless mindset propelled her from a fine arts degree to a global career as a C-suite leader, board director, and private equity principal. Over the years, Michelle has helped drive $10 billion in acquisitions across 30 countries and guided companies through complex strategic transitions in the energy and industrial sectors.

At the Women in Leadership Conference, she sat down with Owl Have You Know co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to talk about her journey — from the arts to executive leadership, why soft skills matter more than you think, and how failing fast and smart can shape a resilient career.

Michelle also shares one of her favorite tips as a self-proclaimed uber-organizer, and what it’s like balancing board service, entrepreneurship and motherhood.

Episode Guide:

00:10 Meet Michelle Lewis

00:55 Insights from the Women in Leadership Conference

01:42 The Role of Luck and Hard Work in Career Success

05:15 Mentorship and Leadership

06:42 Pathway to Board Membership

11:23 From Fine Arts to Private Equity

22:06 The Importance of Soft Skills

26:07 Tips for Balancing Career and Family

28:25 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Failing is learning not losing

17:25: I've never been afraid to just try something new. I mean, because what can happen, right? You can fail. And what happens when you fail? You learn. You learn more than when you're successful. You know, I sell all the veggies, and great, I got, you know, some points in my pocket, but if I don't sell them, I have to try a new way the next day. Right? Yeah. So, I mean, there are a lot of my mentors who I attribute that to, like there's another woman. Same thing in executive recruiting. All you do is just, like, pick up the phone and ask someone—it's an opportunity. Maybe they're interested, maybe they're not. Like, worst case, they say, "No thanks," right? But a lot of people are afraid to pick up the phone. I mean, you can meet some fascinating people. So, I've just always thought, like, there's no downside to trying. The downside is if I don't try. Not if I fail.

What led Michelle to where she is today

02:05: I think I've been in a fortunate position to, wherever I am, to be working really hard and trying to do a good job and be a good person, and, and then, through that, have found that other people have come to me and said, "I see something in you that maybe you don't even see in yourself, and we think you can do X," which might be completely different to what I was doing at the time. And, and that's typically been the case throughout my entire career. So, the majority of my career, I was just going along to get along, and then someone else came along and said, "We're going to move you over here"—either a different industry, a different city, a different function. All really through someone else's vision.

How mentorship shaped Michelle's approach to leadership

06:00: One of the things I think that I learned, and that I do as well, is just conversations where I'm asking a lot of questions, not necessarily telling them what the answers are, and it's the same thing in a board and advisory role, right? I'm not there to tell the CEO what to do. I mean, if I'm telling the CEO what to do, we don't need that CEO. I'm there to ask questions. So, it's the same thing that my mentors did for me: asking questions that may highlight there are different ways, different paths, different answers for me to consider. That's the same thing that I'm doing when I'm in an advisory role or a board role.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Michelle Lewis on LinkedIn

Professor, Ex-Bar Owner and Snoop Dogg’s Business Partner feat. Senior Associate Dean James Weston

Rice Business — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0500

In this special live episode of Owl Have You Know, James Weston, the senior associate dean for degree programs and Harmon Whittington Professor of Finance, reflects on his 25 years at Rice Business.

Join James and host Maya Pomroy ’22 as they explore his journey from the Federal Reserve to Rice Business, the evolution of the school over the past two and a half decades, and his vision for the future of the university. They also dive deep into his groundbreaking research on racial disparities in auto loan pricing — a study that uncovered significant biases against minority borrowers.

Plus, get the inside scoop on his experience running a bar in Rice Village.

Episode Guide:

01:20 James Weston's Career Journey

04:25 Early Career and Mentorship

08:56 Teaching Philosophy and Student Relationships

13:52 Research on Auto Loans and Discrimination

18:58 Linking Mortgage and Experian Data

20:14 Evidence of Discrimination in Auto Lending

22:48 Challenges in Passing Auto Lending Regulations

24:00 The Realities of Owning and Operating a Bar

30:24 Transition to Administration at Rice Business

33:47 Reflections on a Diverse Career

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How James pursues scientific rigor

34:50: [James Weston] I sort of view the thing that ties together all my papers as a foundational social scientist trying to measure things that are hard to measure. And so when I see things that I think have a lot of social import or a research question that I think has either a practical application or some large social question that I think needs answering, the fun for me is trying to figure out how to measure it and trying to come up with a clever way of identifying the research question in a way that's unambiguous and in a way that we can solidify and say, like, that's the answer. And I know it with as near scientific certainty as I can — you know, the existence of the Higgs boson particle.

35:19: [Maya Pomroy] We can't get into that right now. Yeah.

35:33: [James Weston] But, but you know, but I'm saying, like, to treat it like a scientist.

35:36: [Maya Pomroy] Yes.

35:37: [James Weston] And study it like it's a real causal question. Yeah. And you attack it with the scientific method, and you attack it with the scrutiny and the scientific rigor that they use across campus.

On pushing for transparency in auto lending

23:20: My hope is that the Senate Banking Committee continues to take action on it, and we see more—just something similar to the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, where auto dealers just have to report. They have a spreadsheet, and you just have to send it to the Fed the way every bank does with every mortgage application. And hopefully that transparency attenuates the discrimination the way it largely did in home mortgages. It took time. It was a 10-year process. It'll probably take that long on auto lending. And we're not the only voice in this choir. There's lots of other people now that are sort of jumping on the bandwagon.

How James views his new job role

30:48: Moving into administration means, in my mind at least, it means I'm not working anymore. In the sense that I'm not executing the primary missions of the school, which are teaching and scholarship. And so I'm not teaching as much anymore, and I'm not doing as much scholarship anymore, which means I'd better be doing something to collect the paycheck. And the way I genuinely view it is that now I'm trying to enable the rest of my faculty to do better teaching and better scholarship. My role is as a service leader, which is how I view this job—as a tour of service, not a career pivot. I didn't take this job to then become dean someplace, to then become provost someplace, to then become Supreme Commander of University somewhere. But, like, it was someone else's turn to do this very important role, which is to coordinate all the programs, get the teaching schedules done, make sure I'm protecting junior faculty and their teaching loads, make sure I'm putting the right people into the right classes, making sure we're keeping track of it.

Show Links:

Guest Profiles:

James Weston | Rice University

Striking the Right Chord feat. Shai Littlejohn '26

Rice Business — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Rice Executive MBA student Shai Littlejohn is no stranger to reinvention. From law to music — and now, corporate counsel for one of the world’s most recognizable brands — she has built a career on embracing challenges and following her passions.

As director and corporate counsel for global supply chain & innovation at Starbucks, Shai recently spoke at Rice Business' annual Women in Leadership Conference about the evolving legal landscape in Texas.

After the panel, she sat down with Owl Have You Know co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to talk about her dynamic career path, the lessons she’s learned across industries, why she chose to pursue an Executive MBA at Rice and how she’s already applying insights from the program in her career.

Episode Guide:

00:51 Shai Littlejohn's Career Journey

03:14 Navigating Law and Music

04:38 Pursuing Music and Personal Fulfillment

09:36 Transition to Starbucks

11:30 Balancing an Executive MBA

15:09 Empowering Women in Business

16:35 Conclusion and Favorite Starbucks Order

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On deciding what you want and going for it

[16:05] Brian Jackson: If you had a hope for one thing that the attendees today would take with them, what would that be?

[16:12] Shai Littlejohn: That they have to decide what they want and just go for it. You know, it's like—if the law doesn't... You can't look for laws necessarily to help you all the time or wait for the environment or timing to be right. We have talent that we can bring to the table. We have ideas, and nothing can stop that. We just have to keep putting them out there. You're not always going to get the reception you want, but that can't stop you from trying and going for it.

What Rice’s Women in Leadership Conference means to a woman in business

15:43: Being a woman in business is exciting, and attending this conference is truly invigorating because opportunities are all around us. No matter what’s happening in the world, we as women have immense potential and endless opportunities to pursue. This group is ready to seize them, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

What’s the biggest difference in working between oil and gas and coffee?

11:17: Corporate culture. Starbucks has a unique corporate culture, which I hope remains distinct because balancing culture with productivity is crucial. Many companies struggle to get that right, and striking that balance—work-life harmony alongside productivity—is very challenging.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Shai Littlejohn’s website

Where Big Ideas Take Flight feat. Dr. Paul Cherukuri

Rice Business — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0500

A great idea is just the beginning. How do you turn it into something bigger?

Dr. Paul Cherukuri, Rice University's first vice president for innovation and chief innovation officer, works with academics and industry titans to remove roadblocks for budding entrepreneurs and help cement Houston and Rice as top hubs for innovation. Paul joins Owl Have You Know host Maya Pomroy ’22 to chat about how the Office of Innovation is paving the way for cutting-edge, world-changing ideas.

They also discuss The Ion, Rice’s Midtown hub for entrepreneurship, why Paul chose to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry at Rice, and his path to leading innovation at the university.

Episode Guide:

01:10 Dr. Cherukuri’s Journey to Rice

04:47 The Impact of Rice University

06:03 Building the Office of Innovation

08:33 Challenges and Opportunities in Innovation

12:52 Fostering Entrepreneurship at Rice

16:05 Exciting Student Projects

17:59 Small Business Innovation and Nexus Launch

18:50 The Ion: Houston's Innovation Hub

19:43 Building an Innovation Ecosystem

23:45 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

28:42 The Exciting and Future Prospects on Rice’s Horizon

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On empowering the entrepreneurial spirit and taking calculated risks

14:20: [Maya Pomroy] You've taken a lot of calculated risks in your life for things that you've done, and to translate that to others, how do you do that?

14:55:[Dr. Paul Cherukuri] There are some people who just naturally resonate with the idea of doing it, right? The entrepreneurial spirit is within them and it's active, right? Then there are some people who are sort of suppressed, repressed, who have always wanted to do it and weren't sure if that was allowed, right? Or if that was fostered for their career. And what we provide is the capability and also the inspiration that this is not only possible, it's welcomed. It's something that we actually want to promote, right?

The Ion represents Rice's ability to create a community for innovators

23:11: When you find your tribe, it's very, very different, and I think that The Ion represents that ability for us to concentrate people so they can meet each other. But then also provide resources, both with the corporates and the venture capitalists that are in the building.
And then we're bringing in government and others to really kind of subsidize things and help us grow these companies, and then not only the companies, but grow the community. And that's what The Ion represents, right? So it is, I think, a magical place in many ways. If you go in there, there is an energy. There's a buzz that has happened now.

How Houston's lack of zoning laws fuels growth and connection

21:41: One of the beautiful things I think about Houston is we get dinged for not having zoning laws, but I actually think it's a great thing. And it has allowed us to economically grow, thrive, and expand the city. The problem with the expansion of the city is people density, right? So how do you get people to be right next to each other? Because that's when things start to magically happen, right? You got to get close to others.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Paul Cherukuri | Rice Business

Fixing Healthcare, One Bottleneck at a Time feat. Professor Tolga Tezcan

Rice Business — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Have you ever wondered why the wait times in emergency rooms are so long? Or what dictates the cost of healthcare and it seems so high?

Professor Tolga Tezcan has studied healthcare systems around the globe, collaborating with hospitals and researching questions involving access and business operations. He has continued that work at Rice University and teaches courses on operations management, business analytics, and data mining.

Owl Have You Know host Maya Pomroy ’22 sits down with Tolga to chat about his course on operations management, the inefficiencies and bottlenecks healthcare systems face, and his research on innovations in healthcare delivery.

Episode Guide:

00:22 Meet Professor Tolga Tezcan

01:36 Understanding Operations Management

05:00 Journey into Healthcare Operations

08:13 Challenges in Healthcare Systems

11:43 Innovative Research and Solutions

21:28 Future of Healthcare and AI

34:24 Teaching and Student Engagement

35:46 Life at Rice University

38:03 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How Professor Tolga’s research is using financial incentives to improve healthcare

11:44 [Maya Pomroy]: So tell me about your research. What were the bigger questions? This is exciting because I want to know how it's all going to be fixed and magnificent and, you know, like, this is really—no, I mean, it's because healthcare is just crucial, and it's really integral for all parts of our society—not only the economy but for a healthy society and for everything else.
And in order to be the leader of the free world, you need a healthy society. So yes, I'm very excited to hear about your research.

15:46 [Professor Tolga Tezcan]: So, my research in general—what I try to answer is, okay, we have this best system. How do we coordinate it better? How do we make sure they're connected better? And usually, you do that, at least—I mean, from a business point of view, looking at it as a business—it's with financial incentives. So I try to figure out the best incentives to give so that everybody acts like they're doing the best for the patient.

What are the biggest opportunities for AI in healthcare innovation?

22:12: When you talk about healthcare, there are many different aspects to discuss. And when I talk about AI, it's not the business side that's going to change first; it's going to change the medical delivery side of it, just like any other business. And for us, for example, it makes a lot of things a lot easier to do: writing an email, sometimes checking or editing a document, and so on and so forth. And just like that, I think the first step would be when you're making medical decisions; it will increase the—I shouldn't say accuracy—but it will increase at least the efficiency of doctors making that decision because now you have a second opinion right there at your fingertips. I think that's what's going to change first.

What Professor Tolga Enjoys most about teaching in the Rice community

34:45: I want to believe that my course is an eye-opening experience for everybody, seeing the strategic role operations play. And I love the conversations I have. I mean, multiple times I have conversations with people who come from operations and tell me, "Oh, I've never thought about these issues this way," or people come in with no background and say, "Oh, you know, I've never thought this was something that plays such an important role." It's a challenge because a lot of things in operations change, just like anything else.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Tolga Tezcan | Rice Business

Transforming Everyday Products feat. Tanu Grewal ’05

Rice Business — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Tanu Grewal ’05 knows that you can learn a lot about a person’s buying habits based on what brands are in their cabinets at home.

Tanu is a global marketing leader. In her roles at Coca-Cola, Whirlpool, and Kohler, she helped revolutionize iconic products used by millions of consumers in their homes everyday. She has continued this work as the Vice President of Marketing at AlEn, a Proctor & Gamble-like company with products in 95% of households in Mexico.

In his debut episode as the new co-host of Owl Have You Know, Brian Jackson ’21 sits down with Tanu to chat about her early marketing days at Coca-Cola in India, the strategies she gained from Whirlpool for understanding consumer behavior, and how she’s innovating at AlEn for different markets in the U.S. and Mexico.

Episode Guide:

01:02 Early Career and First Internship at Coca-Cola

02:23 Cultural Insights and Marketing Challenges in India

05:00 Navigating Global Markets: Europe, Middle East, and Africa

07:14 Understanding the American Consumer

09:36 Revitalizing Iconic Brands: Whirlpool and Maytag

13:14 Innovative Strategies in a Crowded Market

16:26 Adapting Products for the U.S. Market

18:58 Agile Innovation at AlEn USA

20:46 The Journey of ‘Art of Green'

23:21 Navigating COVID Challenges

26:03 The Rice MBA Experience

29:30 Commitment to Community and Diversity

37:40 Future Aspirations at AlEn

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How lived experiences shape true diversity

32:18: I think true diversity is from your lived experiences. You can be, you know, whatever demographic, but even within that, your lived experiences can really make you a very diverse person because you have a certain way of looking at the world that your neighbor doesn't, right?
And so, that to me is diversity, because you can then look at the same problem and think about solving it very differently. And I have seen it in action, Brian, in every continent. And it always, always amazes me how five people looking at the same slide can interpret it so differently because how they've grown up, what they've, you know, what experiences have shaped their lives.

Tanu’s approach to navigating multi-cultural markets

06:30: Back in India, my dad was in the army. We moved around a lot, so I had the opportunity to really immerse myself in different cultures and have the ability to talk to different people, so I think that's what it is. And even when I went for my expat assignment, I was managing 33 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. And the first thing I said was, I need to understand people. So we went out and did focus groups in different cities to really understand what the brand means to someone in France, or somebody in Germany, or in Israel. And really, you know, I would recommend every marketer to really study. And once you get an understanding, don't just stop there. Keep doing this, right? Because people change, people evolve, and things around the people evolve. And I think the pace of change, if anything, has just kind of 10xed, right? So, that's kind of my secret sauce.

On gratitude, growth and giving back

35:27: I really do think I've been extremely fortunate in a lot of things. You know, I grew up in India as a girl. My dad was like a feminist, way ahead of his time. I mean, just a man... I mean, we lost him a couple of years ago, but I mean, I always think about, am I going to be able to do that for my child, right? Be that progressive and all of that. And then, you know, getting the opportunity to come here, go to Rice, work in all the fabulous companies I have, lived in all these different countries. Sometimes, when I sit and think about it, I'm like, man, yeah. I have got to be thankful for all this, and then I have to give back, right? I have to help other people because that's just what you do. And I derive a lot of joy from giving back and from helping other people.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Tanu Grewal | Rice Business

Remembering Scott Gale '19

Rice Business — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this episode, we pay tribute to our dear friend, colleague and co-host of the Owl Have You Know podcast, Scott Gale '19.

Join us as we revisit some of Scott’s favorite episodes and hear from the Rice community about Scott’s lasting impact.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Show Links:

Transcript

Episodes mentioned in the show:

Guest Profiles:

Shaping The Future of Energy Infrastructure feat. Andrea Edmundson Bryan ’20

Rice Business — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Andrea Edmundson Bryan wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to do with her liberal arts undergrad degree. But one thing she did know? She had a strong curiosity to learn more about the business world.

To Andrea's surprise, this curiosity led her to a career in oil and gas and an MBA at Rice University. Andrea is now the Chief Administrative Officer at Race Rock, a Houston-based manufacturer of critical infrastructure products for the energy sector with a mission to provide safe passage for people and power.

Andrea joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to chat about Race Rock's diverse work that’s shaping the future of energy infrastructure, her journey from a liberal arts degree from TCU to an MBA at Rice, her family’s deep Texas roots, and the lasting impact her MBA has had on her career and life.

Episode Guide:

00:43 Career Journey: From Oil and Gas to Infrastructure

02:07 Houston Roots and Educational Background

05:06 The Bryan Museum and Texas History

06:46 Teaching English in Malaysia

12:23 Starting Race Rock and Business Insights

15:57 The Exponential Growth of Racerock

17:22 Navigating the Pandemic and Wedding Plans

18:28 The Rice MBA Experience

21:06 Board Fellows Program and Nonprofit Involvement

24:01 Innovations in Highway Infrastructure

27:11 Advice for Aspiring MBA Students and Final Thoughts

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Andrea's vision for safe passage in highway infrastructure

24:06 [Maya Pomroy]: There's definitely big shifts in energy and technology right now. And you're, sort of, at the forefront of that with Race Rock. So, tell me about the kind of work that you're doing now, and what you're the most looking forward to, and how your company is going to continue to grow.

24:25 [Andrea Edmundson Bryan]: I mean, there's so many, you know, big and exciting things going on. I think in, you know, in the highway infrastructure space and the arena that we play in, you know, steel manufacturing and galvanizing, there's just, there's always room for improvement, right? Everyone drives down the street, everyone drives on highways, and you see the structures that hold the signs on freeways, and they're just there until—and they're there until you need them, right? And the guardrails along the highway that protect you if you get into an accident. We really pride ourselves on, you know, providing safe passage for people in power. That's our, kind of, motto and what we hold on to.

Why Andrea sees an MBA as a lifelong tool for growth

27:51: People ask me, why go get an MBA? There's a lot of argument of, like, is that necessary? And to me, I think it's multifaceted, but going through something hard and challenging like that, it's always a good thing to learn something new, challenge yourself, do something difficult, and come out at the other end of that. I think that's important on a human level, on giving yourself purpose, challenging yourself, and constantly learning. I fully believe in doing that and cultivating yourself as an individual at all times. And then also, for me, the big factor is, I always wanted that tool in my toolkit. So, I can't tell you what's going to happen tomorrow. I can't tell you what's going to happen next year, what my life's going to look like, what pivots or tracks will happen, but I will always have this in my toolkit. An MBA from Rice will always be mine.

On why Andrea always recommends the Rice MBA

19:43: Just like my TCU experience, I wish that on everyone else—that when they think about doing an MBA program, they have the experience I had at Rice, which was phenomenal. It was great. Everything about it—professors, faculty, atmosphere, culture, social—everything about it was awesome. And I continue to show that to people in my kind of involvement with Rice since graduation that I feel really passionate and strongly about, and giving back. I'm always the first person if someone reaches out and says, "Hey, I have somebody that's thinking about an MBA." I'm like, "Let me talk to him. I'll talk to him. Let me talk to him."

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

AI Is Making Us Better Problem Solvers feat. Professor Jaeyeon Chung

Rice Business — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 04:00:00 -0600

How is AI enhancing our creativity and problem solving and how does that compare to other digital tools we use everyday, like search engines?

Through controlled lab experiments and field studies, William S. Mackey Jr. Distinguished Assistant Professor Jaeyeon (Jae) Chung spends her time at Rice Business researching questions just like that. Her recent work focuses on the groundbreaking innovations and psychological implications of AI’s growing role in our lives.

Jae joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to chat about her journey from psychology to AI, her recent study on generative AI’s effectiveness in assisting human creativity, and her research that delves into how misinformation is spread through platforms like YouTube.

Episode Guide:

01:35 Journey from Psychology to AI

04:20 Academic and Professional Achievements

06:44 Why Rice University?

08:40 Teaching and Research at Rice

12:47 Exploring ChatGPT's Creativity

17:43 AI's Role in Empathy and Innovation

21:42 Concerns and Regulations Around AI

27:50 YouTube and Misinformation

34:05 Future Research and Projects

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Exploring Jaeyeon's recent study on AI and creativity

13:21: [Maya] You did a recent study about ChatGPT as a powerful tool for enhancing everyday creativity and problem-solving. So can you walk me through that experiment that you ran and through your study and your findings on that?

13:59: [Jaeyeon Chung] So, my curiosity stemmed from the fact that GPT may perform better than Google or human in subjective tasks. It seemed quite obvious that it does a great role, a great, great job in solving math problems or writing code, but would it be superior when it does a very subjective test, which is perceived as completely human? And that was the creativity test that a lot of people have been saying is a unique territory of humans that no machines can replace.

14:17: [Maya] With empathy. Empathy was one of the emotions that you studied, yes?

14:21: [Jaeyeon Chung] Right, right. And I was trying to challenge that assumption, and that's how I started to run a different set of experiments.

How Rice supports junior faculty with research funding

07:06: Rice has a great opportunity that the school is providing to junior faculty members for sure. I mean, as a person who has always been looking for, like, the best, Rice offers one of the best packages that all the scholars prefer to get in terms of the research funding. It's the research budget that they're really fully supportive of. So, for me, I'm running a lot of experiments; let's say that I pay $2 for a 10-minute survey. It's a very small amount of money, but if you are getting 2,000 participants to write a paper, that becomes a whole lot of money that I can't just like get from my own pocket. And the school needs to support that, but a lot of other schools required for a high-standard research without providing the adequate support, and Rice is the school that really provides all these detailed steps, and they really protect the junior faculty members to focus on what they're interested in.

Why mastering AI tools matters more than fearing replacement

27:06: I think understanding a broader aspect of how the industry works is critical for humans to fully have control over GPT and to use it as a tool to develop their careers further rather than replacing it here or there. So you shouldn't be worried about yourself being replaced by AI, but you should be worried about losing a job because of a person who better uses AI.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Jaeyeon Chung | Rice Business

Three Lessons to Live By feat. Mindy Smith ’13

Rice Business — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 04:00:00 -0600

It takes grit for a history major to walk into a job fair for business students and convince the rep from Kraft Foods that she’s the right person for the position. But that’s exactly what our guest, Mindy Smith '13 did.

Landing that job with Kraft spring-boarded Mindy into a marketing and sales career where she held positions with companies like Coke and now Shell. Currently, Mindy is a global strategy leader for Shell’s Mobility business, and is responsible for brand standards at more than 47,000 retail sites worldwide.

Mindy joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to chat about her career-defining pivots, the importance of being bold, critical insights she’s learned at Shell and why she decided to get her MBA after an already successful career journey.

Episode Guide:

02:00 Career Beginnings and Early Jobs

03:22 Landing a Job at Kraft Foods

06:19 Insights from Working at Kraft

15:11 Transition to Coke

19:33 Joining Shell and Pursuing an MBA

23:57 The Steamroller Persona

24:54 Navigating Organizational Changes

27:58 New Role at Shell

29:00 Managing Global Insights

31:09 Customer Experience and Competition

35:45 Rice University’s Lasting Impact

41:58 Final Thoughts and Lessons

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Networking is about learning, not just opportunities

35:31: Rice was such an important part of my life. And as I mentioned earlier, I still take a lot of the learnings and use them daily in my work. And one of the things that I really appreciated about Rice was going back to network, going back to hearing others’ perspectives and how they handle things. And when I was there, I loved hearing from people who had already graduated…[38:07] One of the things I did throughout was connect with alumni whenever I had the opportunity at different events. And even now, I love to hear people's stories, and I like to hear what people do, and I like to hear, you know, quite honestly, they’ll ask me questions sometimes that then get me thinking about things. And it's great to have that interaction. And, you know, people talk about network all the time in the sense of using your network if you're looking for a job or things like that. For me, it's really—it's the learning.

Life isn’t a straight line—embrace the curveballs

41:44: Whether it’s your life or your career, it’s not a straight line, and you can’t plan it out. I was just saying this to my sister-in-law: You can be the best planner. You can have every little detail planned out. Life is always going to throw you curveballs, and how you react to those curveballs—have the courage and overcome the fear—because some of those curveballs end up being amazing opportunities. Even though they might not have been in your original plans, that’s definitely one. Number two would be to always be curious. One of the things that I think I have benefited from is that I’m not afraid to ask a lot of questions. Sometimes that can annoy people, or sometimes I do worry that if—especially if it’s someone senior—they might see it as, you know, just, “Why is she asking so many questions?” But you know what? That’s how you learn. Be curious, though, and learn new things.

On the formula of success in a big company

26:29: I've always had a formula. Even 20 years ago, when I had an actual office, I had on my board the formula for success in a big company: 60 percent your network, 20 percent actual work, and 20 percent perception. And I’ll tell you, one of the things with what’s been going on lately, I've been telling people I might change my formula to 50 percent network and 50 percent perception because, absolutely, in a time like this—where people who might not know you are making decisions about your future with the company—not only the network, but the perception, is big. So, more important than ever in times like this, it pays off.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Mindy Smith | Rice Business

Pivoting with Purpose feat. Will Eldridge '17

Rice Business — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Owl Have You Know is pleased to welcome Twice-Rice grad Will Eldridge – a consultant at Bain & Company and the president-elect of the Rice Business Alumni Association Board.

Will earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil & Environmental Engineering at Rice in 2017. But after an unforgettable experience in MAcc program director Ben Lansford’s class, he decided to pivot to accounting. Will went on to work at Deloitte as a senior auditor for oil and gas clients, before deciding to go back to school again for his MBA at Chicago Booth.

Will chats with Owl Have You Know guest host Brian Jackson '21 about his path from accounting to strategy consulting, the importance of mentorship, and why board service has given him a way to give back to his community in fulfilling ways.

Episode Guide:

00:53 Will's Favorite Career Pivot

02:00 Impact of Ben Lansford

03:22 Choosing Rice and Career Path

05:05 Experience at Deloitte

08:11 Transition to Consulting

09:46 Volunteering and Alumni Networks

15:30 Consulting Challenges and Skills

18:10 Personal Background and French Heritage

20:39 Commitment to Rice Business

23:33 Advice for Future Business Students

25:01 Classic Cocktails and Conclusion

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Ben Lansford and MAcc program’s impact in Will’s journey from engineering to accounting

01:48: [Brian Jackson]: Tell me about Ben Lansford. What type of impact did he have on you? Are there any memories from your time in the program that really stick out?

01:56: [Will Eldridge]: Yeah, of course. Ben is this amazing dad figure for a lot of us who found our way to the MAcc. I say that because he has these great dad jokes, but he also helps a lot of people find their way and is someone who has made accounting, which gets a bad rap in a lot of circles, you know, the favorite class that some people take. [02:26] And, you know, when they announced bringing this program back to Rice, there were no current or former students to speak to, but Ben Lansford had been hired. And I got coffee with him, I remember, and started talking about the program, the opportunities. And it was just a great connection that I know he's made with a lot of the students going through the program, and he really helped me understand how I could marry my current background with a master's degree in accounting and make that transition despite having not lot of accounting experience yet and gave me that confidence to make the transition.

After realizing that accounting wasn't his long-term goal, Will pivoted to strategy consulting.

I figured that I loved the client service aspect of the job I was in. I, at some point, figured out the accounting and financial reporting path wasn't what I wanted to do long term, but I wanted to stay in client service. Did some exploring, I actually circled back to the Center for Career Development at Rice, reaching out to them to talk about different paths to explore and spoke to some other alums. Figured out I wanted to go into strategy consulting, so, a bit more of results-oriented work in some ways but keeping that analysis piece that I had learned as an auditor when we're looking at trends. And with that, I figured out the best way to do that would be to go to business school to set myself up for that recruiting process and eventuality.

The power of empathy in consulting

19:10: [Brian Jackson]: What skills do you really draw upon to buy that credibility with your clients?

19:16: [Will Eldridge]: For one, approaching whatever you're presenting to them with a mindset of context reset, you're deep in the details, and it's hard to sometimes pull up and look at the work that you're presenting and remember the limited context that your client might have and how much else they have going on. So, there's definitely a level of empathizing that is really critical. And so, to put yourself in their shoes and think, you know, what are they coming at this from? What do they care about? What do they need to get out of this? And what is the one or two things they should take away from this conversation is a good frame of mind to take.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Keep a Founder’s Mentality feat. Dan Tinker ’04

Rice Business — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:55:09 -0600

How do you take a business from bankruptcy to an $18 billion acquisition?

Today’s guest is Dan Tinker, CEO and President of SRS Distribution and Rice Business alum. When Dan took over SRS, the company was bankrupt. But under his steadfast and visionary leadership, SRS profits grew rapidly over 16 years, culminating in an acquisition deal with Home Depot for $18.25 billion – the largest acquisition in Home Depot’s history.

Dan joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to chat about the major deal and how it’s turned many of his frontline employees into millionaires. The pair also discuss Dan’s decision to pursue a Rice MBA at 26, his philosophy around leadership, and his passion for philanthropy and supporting veterans.

Episode Guide:

01:24 Journey to SRS Distribution

04:02 Early Career Challenges and Successes

07:04 Leadership Philosophy and Team Building

10:14 Pursuing an MBA at Rice

13:37 Building SRS and Private Equity Insights

16:08 Acquisition by Home Depot

19:52 Navigating Culture Integration

23:23 Crucial Leadership Skills

30:09 Philanthropy and Giving Back

34:52 Future Plans and Aspirations

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How redefining risk helped Dan make better business decisions

28:21: I had a great professor at Rice tell me the definition of profit is the reward a company deserves for taking risks. That’s the best definition of profit I’ve ever heard, and that stuck with me. And so, risk doesn’t mean risk in the sense of, like, I’m doing something risky. It just means doing new things, trying different things to find different ways to accelerate the growth of the company. But it’s a bias to action is what, really, it means. Let’s move forward, and let’s not get stuck in Groundhog Day and monotonous work. [28:59]: Let’s try to push and expand in different ways all the time. Growth fuels promotions and internal growth, and it has a way of building on itself and building snowballing momentum that people just get caught up with the energy, and it’s contagious, which is super powerful.

On having the ability to ignore things that don’t move the needle

24:07: The skill that I wouldn't have guessed coming out of business school, that I think I've gotten honed in, and it served me very, very well, is I think I have a really good ability to ignore the things that don't move the needle. I mean, being a CEO and being in charge of everything, the whole enterprise, you have to know what's your highest and best use of your time. And I've always been able to really stick to the strong points, that I had a good understanding of what's going to drive shareholder value creation, what's going to drive customer wins, what's going to drive supplier partnerships, what's going to drive growth.

How private equity fueled SRS's remarkable growth

12:49: Private equity gets a bad rap in a lot of worlds, and it's so unwarranted, in my opinion. Where else in the world can you just dream up an idea, build a team, go to a private equity partner if you don't have capital or come from a rich family, and go borrow the money or have them infuse your capital in your business to sell part of the company, and then they provide you enough capital to get as big as you could possibly be successfully? And we've done that. We started SRS with only 12 million dollars and bought the company SRS out of bankruptcy for 12 million dollars. The company we just sold to for $ 18.25 billion, we paid only 12 million dollars for just 16 years ago. And then made that much wealth creation because we had different great private equity sponsors for about five-year runs in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd phases. So, I'm a big proponent of private equity.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Dan Tinker | SRS Distribution

Professors by Day, Partners for Life feat. Professor Lee Ann Butler & Professor Alex Butler

Rice Business — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Today’s guests bring a unique blend of expertise and personal connection to the show. Lee Ann Butler and Alex Butler are not only esteemed faculty at Rice Business, but also a married couple!

Lee Ann Butler, a senior lecturer in management, has been teaching business law and related courses since 2001, joining Rice in 2010. She also served as the former academic director for the Online MBA program, MBA@Rice.

Alex Butler, the Jesse H. Jones Professor of Finance, specializes in empirical corporate finance, financial institutions and markets. His research dives deep into how firms, governments and individuals navigate external financing, with recent work examining racial disparities in the auto loan market. He was instrumental in launching Rice Business's undergraduate business major and previously served as the director of undergraduate programs.

Together, with host Maya Pomroy ’22, the Butlers share insights from their nearly three-decades-long academic journeys and personal lives. Lee Ann reflects on her passion for business law and the ethical challenges facing today's business leaders, while Alex highlights his findings in consumer finance. They also discuss the undergraduate business major at Rice, offer perspectives on teaching during uncertain times and explore how their partnership shapes their professional lives.

Episode Guide:
00:57 How The Butler’s Met: A Love Story in a Bar

01:38 Lee Ann's Journey from Litigator to Lecturer

04:19 Alex's Path to Finance and Academia

09:13 Launching the Undergraduate Business Program at Rice

12:36 Teaching Experiences and Student Interactions

15:20 Working Together as a Married Couple

18:56 Alex's Research on Racial Disparities in Auto Loans

23:32 Higher Interest Rates for Minorities

26:20 Impact of Anti-Discrimination Policies

28:39 Legal and Ethical Challenges in Business

33:22 Teaching in Uncertain Times

36:19 Future of Rice’s Undergraduate Business Major & Rice Business

42:46 Reflections and Words of Wisdom

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On the ethical challenges that business leaders face today

30:30: [Maya Pomroy]: What are some of the most critical legal or ethical challenges that business leaders face today? Because that's something that you're preparing this generation of leaders to tackle.

30:41: [Lee Ann Butler]: Well, I think the ethical challenges come every day, and probably the most difficult bit is when we just don't realize it's an ethical dilemma that's in front of us, right? And we tend to think of ourselves—everyone thinks of themselves as an ethical person: I don't need to worry about this because I'm a good person, and I will do the right thing. But when we take the time to actually systematically go through it in a logical way, I think not only what does my ethical framework tell me is right and wrong in the situation, but how might others view it? 'Cause not everyone—not everyone has the same framework as me or anyone else.

Surprising lessons learned from being educators at Rice

13:38 [Alex Butler] Several years ago, we ran an experimental course where faculty from four different functional areas got together, all of whom were going to teach their discipline, but along the theme of decision-making. And so we had someone from one group who's going to think about decision-making in teams, one-person decision-making, as students as far as how personal-psychological biases affect your decisions. One person doing game theory and I doing decision-making with data, so I learned a few things in that, one of which was. What a great place to work where someone can have this bonkers idea of let's come at decision-making from four different ways, all of us with our own strange perspectives, and deliver that as a course to the students and have the administration be like, yeah, man, let's do that. That sounds awesome.

What makes Rice special from an educator's perspective

08:35: It comes down to A: the students, right? That is my interaction. Most of the time, they are phenomenal. They are here to learn, and they have that kind of hunger that's amazing. I really enjoy teaching in the MBA program because they come with so much work experience, and I learn something every single class that I teach. Hopefully, they learn a lot from me, but I am absolutely learning a lot from them each time, too. But we also have wonderful support and administration here, which is not always the case at every school. But we have the whole package, which is just a joy to work here.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

Engineering the Future through Synthetic Biology feat. Shalini Yadav ’24

Rice Business — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Shalini Yadav, a 2024 Executive MBA graduate and visionary leader in the field of synthetic biology. With over 22 years of research experience, including a decade in leadership, Shalini has a deep expertise in synthetic biology, immuno-oncology, and therapeutics. She now serves as the Executive Director of Rice's Synthetic Biology Institute, where she spearheads cutting-edge research, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and drives the institute’s mission to unlock synthetic biology’s transformative potential.

Host Maya Pomroy ’22 speaks with Shalini about her inspiring journey from growing up in Allahabad, India, to leading translational cancer research at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Shalini reflects on how her early experiences with infectious diseases and her education, from New Delhi to Stony Brook University, shaped her passion for synthetic biology. She also shares her thoughts on the field’s potential to revolutionize science and the critical role of integrating business strategy into scientific innovation.

Episode Guide:

02:39 Early Life and Education

04:13 Challenges and Adventures in the US

07:08 Groundbreaking Research and Discoveries

10:00 Transition to Translational Research

14:23 Journey to MD Anderson and Houston

17:17 Why Pursue an MBA Now?

27:16 Synthetic Biology: The Next Scientific Revolution

37:48 Future Aspirations and Conclusion

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How a serendipitous opportunity brought Shalini to Houston

14:09: [Maya Pomroy] So what brought you to Houston? Was it MD Anderson that brought you to Houston?

14:35: [Shalini Yadav] When I got an opportunity, again grateful to the PCF Young Investigator Award that I got, this network of people that I met, and through that, I was able to connect with Dr. Allison, and it, again, serendipitously, happened that he, looking at my expertise and things that I had done, said, “Would you like to do this work, which is a lot of scientific management and administrative?” [15:06] I thought, okay, as long as I found it interesting and exciting, because, again, I was handling multiple stakeholders and trying to work with multiple pharmaceutical companies, different departments, different kinds of experts, working together with all of them to handle a scientific problem, which will actually help to learn something new. So that was very satisfying to do that.

How an MBA gave Shalini a new perspective on impact

32:42: I would like to say that scientists in general are passionate about what they do. It's the leap that you have to take that overcome, and your perspective changes after MBA. I never had this perspective. The way I understand things now are completely different than I would have done two years back.

33:18: So if community matters to you and if you're bothered by things around you, which you want to change and you think with this you cannot. I think taking that leap where you will learn things, which I think basically as a scientist, our training as graduate students, or even medical studies, we are taught to be very focused. So having to come out of that shell and embrace this bigger picture and having the strength to think about what impact I can have because if you understand both sides of it, what you can think of achieving, you won't get it if you are just on one side of things.

The effect of bridging the gap between clinical and translational research and basic research

11:35: When you bring diverse expertise together, the solutions that come out have way more value and are more impactful than what you can achieve alone. So bridging this gap was not something that I was looking for, but I serendipitously got into a position where I just did what was needed, which gave me a very different perspective of what scientific research can achieve in terms of, if you understand the problems which people are actually facing, then your solutions can be tailored, or you can design proposals to address those problems.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

The Flexible Morals of American Voters feat. Professor Minjae Kim & Professor Ezra Zuckerman Sivan

Rice Business — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Why do American voters support divisive misinformation? That’s the question driving our guests' latest research, and the focus of today's episode.

Minjae Kim and Ezra Zuckerman Sivan are experts in sociology, and organizational behavior. In this episode, they dive into their latest collaboration, exploring moral flexibility and why some voters are drawn to divisive misinformation. Their new study, When Truth Trumps Facts: Studies on Partisan Moral Flexibility in American Politics, will be published in the American Journal of Sociology.

Minjae is an Assistant Professor of Management at Rice Business and Ezra is the Alvin J. Siteman Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan. Together, they sit down with host Maya Pomroy ’22 to unpack their findings. Listen as they discuss how personal truths can override objective facts and why misinformation often resonates so strongly with voters.

Episode Guide:

01:40 Motivation to Pursue this Study on Moral Flexibility

02:30 The Puzzle of Authenticity

05:36 Insights From Their First Study Together

11:43 Current Study Overview

16:06 Truth vs. Fact

34:30 Historical Context and Examples

39:31 Minjae’s Future Research

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

A hope for more reflective politics

38:42 [Maya]: What are your hopes of what your study... how it will help our society?

38:49 [Ezra Zuckerman Sivan]: I hope it gets at least some self-reflection, that people are realizing that they're using different standards for themselves and for others. And actually, one of the things I hope is, like, this is just the beginning research for us. We hopefully have a lot of people build on our research. I see a lot of areas of application where people are using different standards in different ways. You can see it, I would say, in a lot of the tumult since October 7th on our campuses. People are using very different standards on each side of the divide, again holding the other side to much higher standards than they're holding themselves to in the statements that they're making. And so, my hope is that, somehow, we get to be a little more reflective about these things and apply those lessons and maybe take the temperature down in our politics because of that.

On The Authentic Appeal of the Lying Demagogue

06:37 [Minjae Kim]: I think one of the key things that we really wanted to focus on was that we started with a premise that not only do politicians spread misinformation on all sides of the spectrum, but also, people often, you know, recognize the possibility, very salient possibility, that politicians lie very often.
So, there is literature in the political science talking about how it is actually very hard for politicians to appear authentic. So, one of the key things that we try to get at in that paper with the authentic appeal of the lying demagogue was essentially to identify a specific type of misinformation or specific type of lies that, you know, we label as lying demagoguery that would help that politician appear more authentic versus not under certain kinds of conditions.

Economics is always shared goal

06:37 [Minjae Kim]: Even if there is some kind of separation between the facts and truth that people recognize as, that if they can agree what, kind of, the goal that they should seek out for, then, you know, there might be... this divide might not necessarily be a hurdle. That said, we don't know if it is easier to arrive in the same goal or if it is easier to arrive at the same facts. We don't really know which one is easier. So, the prescription would have to depend a little bit on that. But, you know, the economic goal might be, kind of, one of them, so it could be, but yeah.

33:16 [Maya]: Economics is always a shared goal, you know. Like, let's bring it back to business. And that's true. It's the quality of life. It's the quality of life that you have.

Despite divisions, American economy shows potential for growth

30:15 [Ezra Zuckerman Sivan]: The American economy, is a place where Americans of all types meet each other, and do business with each other, do all kinds of creative, exciting things together. And it is quite robust. Now, it has challenges. But if you look at the state of the American economy, especially compared to, to the rest of the world, American economy is doing fantastically well. Now, that doesn't mean it doesn't have troubles. And now, I'm going to get into trouble a little bit because, [30:44] I think both on right and left, people are complaining about the economy. You ask most economists, you ask most business school professors, people seem to be complaining about the economy more than they should. So, we're back to a little bit of the, you know, gap between some kind of sense of truth and facts. And also, there are people who are really clearly suffering in this economy. But the American economy, and there was a great jobs report that came out just now, like, shows you that Americans, even despite our divide and our different narratives, at least about politics, can do great things together. And so, maybe that's a source of hope.

Show Links:

Guest Profiles:

Change Is The Only Constant feat. Pooja Talreja ’08

Rice Business — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

From Dubai to Houston, Pooja Talreja’s journey is one of resilience, growth, and discovery. Her story is about more than just crossing continents—it's about breaking through personal and professional barriers to find her true passion.

After a pivot from accounting to HR, Pooja is now the senior vice president of people at Ironclad Environmental Solutions, with 15 years of experience leading global teams in the oil and gas industry.

In this episode, Pooja joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to share her experiences, from growing up in Dubai to navigating life in the U.S. and making bold career moves. She offers invaluable insights on the importance of lifelong learning and how to lead through corporate transformation.

Episode Guide:

00:39 Growing Up in Dubai

01:40 Moving to the United States for College

03:25 College Life and Career Beginnings

05:30 Discovering a Passion for HR

08:28 MBA Journey at Rice University

17:56 Current Role and Leadership Insights

27:51 Advice and Reflections

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How did Pooja landed in HR

12:58 [Maya Pomroy]: So, was it while you were at Rice that HR spoke to you? Or people, the idea of inspiring and leading people?

13:08 [Pooja Talreja]: 100%. It was one of the early classes, Organizational Behavior with Professor Brent Smith. I went to him and I said, "How do I do this? I need to do these things we're learning in these case studies with Southwest and everything that you talk about—motivating people, leading people—but impacting the business through that." And it was very simple what he said: "Have you considered HR?" And I said, "No, I always thought my next move would be adjacent to accounting, right, finance, or maybe something in operations. HR was not even on my radar." And that's why Brent and Rice overall was such a big part of where I landed with my career because it taught me that you can be good at something and still find your calling.

Balancing compassion and compliance in HR

21:29 [Maya Pomroy]: Maya: Do you feel that, that learning and growing is one of the most important things in terms of being a strong leader?

21:35 [Pooja Talreja]: One off. Yes, absolutely. But I'll, I'll give you my favorites. For me, it's compassion. The way that I define HR is not your textbook HR. Really, I think of it as a Venn diagram. You've got your policies and compliance and legal things, but then you've got the other side, which is doing what's right for the people.And when you can find what can work for both, that's where HR comes in. That's where the magic happens. That's how you build the right level of engagement and loyalty and motivate people, is when you find doing what's right for the people, but doing it in a way that's still ethical within your policy, within the laws and regulations. So that's what I love about my job, is figuring out that sweet spot.

The value of cohort experiences in the classroom

17:05: I think that's why cohorts tend to become so close, right? The professor is teaching you so many different things, but to your point, there's an equal amount of learning from the people that are sitting in that class and their experiences and failures and all of that. It's just an overall fantastic experience. And I miss it. I love being in a classroom.

Show Links:

Guest Profiles:

Fail Fast, Learn and Innovate feat. Tim Okabayashi ’05

Rice Business — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

When it comes to alumni engagement, few Owls are as deeply connected as Tim Okabayashi. A proud Rice Business alum, Tim not only earned his MBA here but also served as president of the Rice Business Student Association, volunteered with the admissions office, and played a key role in the consulting club. In October 2020, Tim and fellow alum Karen Crofton ’10 launched the Owl Have You Know podcast, bringing the vibrant stories of Rice alumni to life.

Today, Tim is a consulting manager for SLB’s end-to-end emissions solutions. His career has taken him from Kuala Lumpur, where he supported operations across Asia, to his current home in London, where he lives with his wife Casey and their two children.

In this episode, host Maya Pomroy ’22 — who shares not just a Rice connection but also a high school alma mater with Tim — catches up with him on his dynamic career, the power of the Rice alumni network, and his ongoing dedication to the school that shaped his journey. Tune in to hear about Tim's international experiences, his insights on the evolving energy sector, and how embracing failure is key to driving innovation.

Episode Guide:

00:55 High School Reunion and Rice Connection

02:07 Choosing Rice for his MBA

04:31 Engagement with the extensive Rice Alumni Network

09:53 Launching this Podcast!

16:27 Tim’s Career Journey Post-Graduation

18:32 International Assignments and Family Support

20:26 The Future of Energy and SLB

31:11 Personal Reflections and Advice

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On the future of energy

21:36: [Maya] What do you see for the future? You know, because we have energy transition, we've got so many exciting things on the horizon, also with AI and drilling technology, and clean energy. What are you the most excited about, of what's coming up in the next, I mean, five to seven years?

21:55: [Tim Okabayashi] I'm most excited about the continuation of that, of just the advancement of technology throughout the oil field and new energy, and alternative energy, and transition energy. Like at the heart of it, the research and development; technology development is really the key enabler. And it takes time to develop this technology, commercialize it, and then have adoption, right? And this process requires people. And yes, big data and AI can certainly assist, but at the heart of it, there's still this need for people and researchers and ideas and science.

On the growing impact of Owl Have You Know podcast

15:21: The opportunities to expand your reach virtually are pretty phenomenal these days. And, I think the Owl Have You Know platform is a great one that continues to grow and expand with the different programs and subject themes, and the interviews with the staff and academics and highlighting the research, I think it's incredible. I think there's a lot of room for how I'll have, you know, to become a really central part of Rice business as well as the business community.

Tim’s global perspectives in oil and gas

19:59: [Maya] You've worked a lot in Asia and in the Asian market. What were some of the surprises and some of those aha moments while you were in Asia?

20:07: [Tim Okabayashi] One of my biggest learnings was actually passed to me from a colleague. And at the time, I kind of brushed it off, but he said, like, "You know, Tim, the world is such a small term for such a large place." And I think often in times in oil and gas, we think of the natural resources, you know, crude or natural gas, as really being just commodities, and it's the same anywhere. But that's really not true. I mean, to a certain degree, it is by the chemistry, but then again, the methods and the people and the culture around the activities in different parts of the world can be uniquely different. And that is something that I had grown to have a great appreciation of when I moved abroad.

Show Links:

Guest Profiles:

Healing Veterans Through Beekeeping feat. Steve Jimenez ’22

Rice Business — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Interested in learning the key to a peaceful transition from military to civilian life? For many veterans, it's found in an unexpected place: beekeeping.

Meet Steve Jimenez '22, a veteran and Rice Business alum, who discovered an unexpected passion when a friend introduced him to beekeeping. In 2018, this passion became a mission when he founded Hives for Heroes, a nonprofit that empowers veterans, active-duty military members, and first responders, by teaching them the art of beekeeping. This skill not only helps them adjust to civilian life but also provides a powerful way to manage post-traumatic stress.

Today, Hives for Heroes has grown beyond Steve's wildest dreams, spanning all 50 states, with over 31,000 hives under their care. The best part? They're just getting started, with exciting plans for a new headquarters in Houston on the horizon.

Join us as we dive into Steve's remarkable journey, and the rapid rise of Hives for Heroes.

Episode Guide:

01:17 Steve's Educational Background and Joining the Marine Corps

03:16 Marine Corps Training and Deployment Experiences

05:54 Transitioning to Civilian Life and Career Challenges

09:40 Discovering Beekeeping and Founding Hives for Heroes

15:08 Impact and Growth of Hives for Heroes

20:57 The Hive Mentality

21:10 A Life-Saving Connection: Derek's Story

22:17 Joining Hives for Heroes: The Process

22:42 Mentorship and Community Building

25:13 Awards and Recognition: A Humble Perspective

27:47 Scaling Up: The Need for Support

32:14 Heroes Honey: The Sweet Taste of Freedom

34:46 Future Vision: Connecting People, Nature, and Technology

38:46 A Call for Support

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On redefining his identity

23:50: I used to call myself Steve the Marine. Now I'm Steve. That was in the Marines. There's a very different shift there that I love, like, I am now more so a father than a Marine. That's who I am, right? I care about my kids more than the Marine Corps at this point in my life. Doesn't mean I don't honor that service. It just means that I've moved forward. And that's a lot of growth for me personally. And I know we tend to put our identities into things. You get to choose that, so I choose to put that into my fatherhood or being a public servant that we're able to serve the general public in really amazing ways, leading what I consider one of the best organizations on the planet. Those are the types of things that when you take your identity and allow yourself to create your identity, your path, and your journey. It's a super-powerful experience.

On Hives for Heroes’ impact

We never thought that the organization would have the reach and impact that it does today. I think our most important number has always been one. One meaning to serve one person in a capacity that changes their life. And we can do that whether that's a beekeeping experience or even a conversation. When you are around people that genuinely care about you and your successes but want nothing from you, it's a pretty powerful position to be in, especially when you feel alone. So, what our organization has been able to do is connect individuals to individuals in their local areas. So, we call it hyperlocal global impact because that's what we do.

From chaos to calmness

13:31: When I started focusing into the beehive, this experience caused me to really remove every external thing that I was thinking about, anything that was going on at the house, anything with my kids, anything that was going on externally was gone. [13:58] You have this, what we now call chaos to calmness. So, this was the first time in almost 10 years that I actually felt peace. I felt calm in my spirit, in my soul, in my brain, however you want to describe it.

Show Links:

Guest Profiles:

A Recipe for Success feat. Krissy White ’23

Rice Business — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Krissy White '23 caught the hospitality bug after graduating from Northeastern University in 2006. She put her undergraduate degree in public & organizational communications to work immediately by joining the front office team of the St. Regis Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Krissy spent the next eight years living and breathing the luxury hospitality life, working at Forbes 5 Star and AAA 5 Diamond distinguished properties. Later, she was promoted to progressively more challenging front-office leadership roles in Charlotte, NC, and Half Moon Bay, CA and Dubai.

Since returning to Houston in 2014, Krissy has worked in operational and human resources at LegalEASE, where she has advanced to executive vice president of operations. In 2019, after realizing the market was missing a true French bakery, she and her husband, pastry chef Otto Sanchez, opened Magnol French Baking in Spring Branch, Houston.

Krissy joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to talk about her singular career journey, from cutting her teeth in Dubai's hospitality industry to returning to Houston and pursuing her passion for pastries with her husband.

Episode Guide:

00:39 Life After the Executive MBA

02:06 Early Career in Hospitality

04:10 Rising Through the Ranks

08:54 A New Adventure in California

11:15 International Experience in Dubai

14:48 Returning Home and New Beginnings

17:43 Starting Magnol French Baking

27:10 Pursuing an MBA at Rice University

33:16 Reflections and Advice for Future Rice students

41:27 Future Plans

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On making the world a better place on a daily basis through Krissy’s work

16:51: I really wanted to like the common thread with the hospitality and Magnol, and all of the insurance company I've been working for since then. And to this day, I'm still working for now has been, I just, in my own way, want to help make the world a better place. And I would love to be able to feel like I'm doing that on a daily basis. Now, I'm in senior leadership, and so there's a little bit less connection with the actual member that we're helping, but it's still there. I'm able to make bigger differences on a larger scale and work with a pretty large team here—about a little over 100 team members. And then, of course, when I'm over at Magnol, being able to speak with the guests is, I mean, the best part.

Krissy reflects on the most fulfilling part of the Rice Program

[34:53]: Maya: In terms of the Rice program, what have been the most fulfilling parts of it for you?

[35:01] Krissy: I mean, definitely the friendships that were formed with those that you really pour into and that others are willing and ready to pour into as well, from areas of the world that I never would have met otherwise. But also for me, the end of the program international trip, our class went to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. That was a profound experience for me.

On the pitfalls of perfectionism and taking risks

[32:19] Krissy: I think for those who have a high performing or high potential or whatever term you want to use for people that like to try hard and accomplish things.

[32:28]: Maya: Perfectionist?

[32:31]: Krissy: Yeah. That there's this kind of—it's not a dark side, but it's not the most maybe healthier, positive thing that you start to think, well, maybe I just won't start something that I'm not totally guaranteed will be successful to the level of success that I hold dear. And so I just won't even start because I don't want to take that chance. And that's not the life worth living.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

From Boxing to Business School feat. DeRae Crane ’22

Rice Business — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 08:06:59 -0500

Our guest is an Army veteran, a world-class boxer, a father, a strategic credit advisor at BP, and on top of all that, a Rice Business alum.

DeRae Crane '22 was raised in Davenport, Iowa by a single father, and began boxing at the age of 9. He was awarded the Bart Stupak Scholarship to attend Northern Michigan University (NMU) for boxing, which is also home to the United States Olympic Education Center.

DeRae and host Maya Pomroy ’22 discuss DeRae’s life story, including competing as an elite boxer for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, serving in the Army, winning numerous national boxing titles, and coming out of retirement from boxing for another Olympic run.

Episode Guide:

01:55 Growing Up in Davenport, Iowa: A Boxer's Journey Begins

04:49 The Science of Boxing: More Than Just a Sport

08:05 College Years: From Walk-On to Team Captain

17:11 The Olympic Dream: Trials and Triumphs

22:09 Joining the Military: A New Chapter

28:04 Reflecting on Mentorship and Lessons Learned

28:29 Military Service and Boxing Ambitions

29:52 Returning Home and Reconnecting with Family

31:39 Adjusting to Civilian Life

35:12 Pursuing an MBA and New Adventures

37:43 Moving to Houston and Career Shifts

39:25 Balancing Work, School, and Boxing

45:16 Training for the 2024 Olympic Trials

49:56 Words of Wisdom and Future Aspirations

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On DeRae's transition back from service

31:41: [Maya]: How was it adjusting back to civilian life? Was there, you know, sort of this process, or were you like, you know what, I'm back, I'm not going to think about it like the way that you've been, you know, up until this point of like, leaving that there, and I'm moving on over here, and this is now my focus. Or was there a time of transition for you?

32:03: [DeRae Crane]: I was aware. I became more aware that I am different now. There is no way to go downrange and come back the same. So I was aware of it, and I would catch myself getting upset about certain things that are, that's bothering someone else. But it wouldn't bother me because the way I see the world and how broad my purview is now. So yeah, that was. That's a journey, and I'm still on that journey today. You know, as I try to give people grace, so yeah, I mean, you know, you just become more aware.

Why DeRae held on to boxing

Why I was so ambitious is just because I grew up so poor. I don't want to be poor anymore. And boxing was my way out. It exposed me to different things in the world. So, for the first year, we travel around Iowa and then you start getting better, you're qualifying for regionals and you're moving on to nationals. I won my first national title at 11 years old and I was hooked. Mike Tyson says success begets success. Absolutely. Because once you experience that, you're, like, okay, I want to do this again.

[07:19] Maya: Yeah, it's a fire. It's a fire that lights you up, right?

Fire was lit. I held on to boxing and I did not let go, held onto it tight - tighter than a lot of my relationships, my friendships, as it was the thing that was the most rewarding, the most fulfilling. I could go put the work in and, you know, get the results back, get the benefits back. And it kept me out of trouble. So, that's always good. Kept me focused and disciplined.

The importance of investing in a good business school

52:37: I think folks, if they do, have the opportunity to go to business school. You know, go to the best business school that you can go to—the one where you feel like you'll grow there. Now, those are the ones where you're a little, you know, a little nervous, a little anxious being around those folks because you're on the other side, just like the depression in 2008, like on the other side. You're gonna be so much better. You have to stretch.

What’s next for DeRae?

50:37: I do have other interests, and if you look at my resume for the last 15 years, like every two to three years, I'm in a different role. I'm doing something. So even in the military, like every two or three years, you're doing something different, something new. And that's continued on in my corporate career. And, you know, I'm actually in, like, that window where I'm looking for something new to do. And I want to pivot into something else. I currently, you know, I work in credit. It's been awesome. It was like a continuation of business school. But I may want to shift into something else, you know, here soon, you know, within the next probably three to six months. I'll be doing something different, something new, something I haven't done before.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profiles:

What Practicing DEI in the Workplace Really Means feat. Professor Mikki Hebl

Rice Business — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Mikki Hebl, an industrial organizational psychologist and the Martha and Henry Malcolm Lovett Chair of Psychology – Professor of Management at Rice University, has been studying workplace discrimination and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for 30 years, well before DEI became the widely discussed topic it is today.

In March of this year, Mikki and Eden King, the Lynette S. Autrey Professor of Psychological Science at Rice, released a new book (Working Together: Practicing the Science of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). In it, they outline the state-of-the-art science that makes the case for DEI and delve into effective strategies for individuals and organizations to foster more inclusive environments.

Mikki chats with host Maya Pomroy ‘22 about her book, the subtleties of biases, and the importance of staying informed and aware of biases to make the world and workplaces fairer and more equitable for everyone.

Episode Guide:

00:17 From Pardeeville to Rice University: Dr. Hebl's Academic Path

03:17 The Evolution of DEI

05:03 Unveiling Subtle Discrimination

08:32 Strategies Against Discrimination: Individual and Organizational Approaches

13:07 Her new book Working Together

16:37 How Current Political Climates Are Impacting DEI

20:11 Understanding The Psychological Resistance to DEI

25:44 College Admissions & DEI

29:53 Exploring the Impact of Quotas: How Much Do They Really Do?

37:19 The Importance of Tailoring DEI Initiatives to Organizational Needs

42:15 The Science and Impact of Diversity Training

50:41 Future Hopes for DEI Work and the Role of Science

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

DEI spans beyond one group or issue; it's about shifting demographics

18:18: The book [Working Together] is to get people to think about what DEI really is. It's about protection in the workplace for people who are 40 and older. Well, it turns out the realistic, like, imperative of our world is that it's very much changing. We're getting older. Women are entering the workforce. Women should be entering the workforce more, in my opinion, but the reason they don't is because we don't have family-friendly policies that allow them to have paid childcare, have paid family leave. We're not enabling our families.

17:11: DEI is not going away. Whatever conversation, whatever words we want to use, DEI is here to stay, and it's here to stay because it is not this weaponized definition of just blacks or women who are getting rights that they shouldn't get.

Why is diversity training important?

43:13: Why do we want diversity training? Because diversity training is teaching us: What are the norms in this organization? How should we be treating people? What I like to say is, it's very similar to safety training. So, if you wanted to go to an organization and you said, I don't want to do safety training," I don't want to learn how to wear my hard hat. We would laugh at you. We would say you have to know the rules. You gotta, like, tie off. You gotta do these things. We don't want you to lose your hand in the wood chipper, okay? And so, the same thing is true of diversity training. It's trying to protect people.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

From Nepal to Nanotech feat. Suman Khatiwada ’13

Rice Business — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this episode of Owl Have You Know, we explore the journey of Suman Khatiwada, from his roots in Nepal to becoming a trailblazing force in the chemical manufacturing industry.

Suman is the co-founder, chief technology officer (CTO), and board director at Syzygy Plasmonics, focusing on using light-driven chemistry instead of combustion to power a cleaner, safer world.

As CTO, he leads the technology team in developing, scaling up, and integrating the company’s core technologies: photocatalysts and fully electrified chemical reactors. Suman earned his Ph.D. in materials science and nanoengineering from Rice University and his bachelor’s degree in physics from Morgan State University.

Suman joins host Scott Gale ’19 to discuss his early interest in physics and how his passion evolved at Rice University. He highlights pivotal moments, like his transition from academia to entrepreneurship, forming his first company Big Delta Systems, and eventually starting Syzygy Plasmonics.

Suman shares the challenges and rewards of scaling a startup, the importance of balancing personal and professional life, and his efforts to give back to his native Nepal through mentorship and support for local entrepreneurs.

Episode Guide:

00:39 From Nepal to Nanotechnology: Suman's Educational Journey

05:00 The Spark of Entrepreneurship at Rice University

10:13 The Birth of Syzygy Plasmonics: A Revolutionary Tech Venture

22:12 Navigating the Challenges of Commercializing University Technology

29:34 Balancing Entrepreneurship with Personal Life

36:25 Giving Back: Suman's Commitment to Nepal and Beyond

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Building a sustainable future with Syzygy Plasmonics

09:38: Our aim with the company is to provide this technology and deploy it for many different market verticals, from production of hydrogen to production of sustainable aviation fuel, e-diesel, making butadiene for rubbers, making ethylene—all of those verticals—and start decarbonizing the way those chemicals, fuels, and fertilizers work. And it goes with the ethos that we cannot change the way we live anymore in this world; right, our way of life is now our way of life. So our technology, we believe, has a very sustainable pathway to still enjoy modern life that has been built with conventional petroleum products, these chemicals, fuels, and fertilizers. But in a more sustainable way, we don't have to lose our modern way of life.

Building a sustainable future with Syzygy Plasmonics

09:38: A lot of things that I find myself drawing on are the same things that are key to who I think I am as a person. Always being good with people, being eager about other people, learning from their experiences, relating to everyone equally—you never know who is going to help you in what way, whenever in life—so, being people-centric in my outlook on life. I learned from that early engagement during my graduate school, I think, still holds to this day, as we've now built a 120-person company.

The impact of environment and opportunity in Suman’s entrepreneurship journey

15:32: So, I think your surroundings and the environment that you are in play a large role. You might want to do something, but being nudged and having access to certain things, I think, plays a big part. And Rice obviously does a really good job, and now, with the Ion and Liu Idea Lab, it's, I think, even better for someone within the Rice ecosystem wanting to be an entrepreneur and start companies.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Suman Khatiwada | LinkedIn

A Mother-Daughter MBA Journey feat. Misty Fehler ’24 & Alexis Weaver ’24

Rice Business — Wed, 29 May 2024 04:00:00 -0500

We have plenty of Rice families in our history. But it's rare to see a mother and daughter earn their Professional MBAs at the same time.

Misty and Alexis graduated in May and co-founded La Mer Macaron, offering an assortment of homemade macarons for home delivery.

Misty is the CEO of La Mer Macaron. She spent most of her career as an independent petroleum landman for various companies in Texas, before pivoting to nursing. In 2023, she left nursing and co-founded La Mer Macaron with her family.

After years of working in public and behavioral health, Alexis eventually left those industries to launch La Mer Macaron with her mom, and is the vice president. Our host Maya Pomroy ’22 catches up with this mother-daughter powerhouse to discuss their motivations, the challenges of balancing family life with education, the importance of collaboration and the inception of their macaron business. The conversation highlights the support system within their family, their experience at Rice Business, and their aspirations for the future.

Episode Guide:

01:10 Alexis's Journey from Public Service to getting her MBA

02:46 Misty's Career Pivot: From Oil and Gas to Nursing and Beyond

04:43 The Decision to Pursue MBAs Together

09:55 Launching La Mer Macaron: A Family Business

19:58 The Impact of Rice Business and Future Plans

27:40 Reflections on Family, Support, and Success

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On the intricacies of macaron making

18:49 [Maya Pomroy]: When you're making macarons, take me through the process because I'm curious. They definitely have a shelf life, and they're just like perfection, right? When you get them, they melt in your mouth, and all that, and they seem like it'd be really hard to make.

19:04 [Misty Fehler] They are very difficult to make. It's a lot of fun. So, I think that's the thing about that we like so much: that there's a challenge, and some of us are super challenge-driven, and then some of us are, you know, structure-driven. There's all, all of our personalities mix in, so we work really well together, by the way.

How the Blue Launch program helped scaled their ideas for their business

13:57 [Misty Fehler]: All the things that we learned in the MBA were very helpful to apply, and just backing up to the accelerator, why that was so amazing? Because everything we were learning in school, we were getting more of a specialized educational program catered just for that. So, we were learning a lot that we didn't know, which was the whole reason we wanted to do the MBA in the first place. So, it takes all of your ideas that you have to start a business and just trashes everything because you think that you can just go out and start a business, but it's not exactly like that if you want it to be successful. So, we started revamping. Okay, we've perfected making the macaron, but scaling up is incredibly hard. And we were mastering that when we started the Blue Launch program. It was very challenging, but it pushed us to actually put something into action, which we're so thankful for.

On their plans for the future

23:36 [Maya Pomroy]: So, what are your plans for the future of your business?

23:42 [Alexis Weaver]: We're always looking for what the new innovative thing is. I think we all don't want to get too caught into just being a small business. We'd, like, to find a way to make it more innovative, as my mom was saying. And so, hopefully we can take everything we've learned.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Innovating Out of a Crisis feat. Professor Scott Sonenshein & John Mangum

Rice Business — Wed, 15 May 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Eager to learn how organizations can innovate their way out of a crisis? You may be surprised that the key to this comes from an arts organization.

Tune into a special live recording of our podcast, with John Mangum, the executive director/CEO of the Houston Symphony, and Scott Sonenshein, the Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management – Organizational Behavior at Rice Business.

During the pandemic, the performing arts faced an especially grave challenge beyond the shared difficulties with other industries: an existential crisis over the relevance of arts in times of extreme hardship. Professor Scott Sonenshein, a New York Times bestselling author and expert on how employees can create organizational, social and personal change, led a multi-year study of two prominent orchestras (including the Houston Symphony), resulting in a surprising insight with far-reaching applications. Resourcefulness is not just helpful for surviving adversity. It’s a strategic framework that enables organizations to become better versions of themselves.

In this conversation, John and Scott reflect on how the Houston Symphony transformed their operations and performance delivery during the pandemic, and how business leaders facing disruptions can benefit from critical changes Scott’s research uncovered.

Following their conversation, musicians from the Houston Symphony perform Fanny Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in E-flat major, illustrating the Symphony's commitment to diversity and exploration in music.

Musicians:

MuChen Hsieh '17, violin
Amy Semes '19, violin
Wei Jiang, viola
Jeremy Kreutz '20, cello

Episode Guide:

00:36 Exploring resilience and innovation at the Houston Symphony
05:16 Deep dive into Scott Sonenshein's research on organizational change
10:42 The Houston Symphony's pandemic response and innovation
26:30 Leadership, trust, and the future of the Houston Symphony
37:26 Closing remarks
40:16 Fanny Mendelssohn's String Quartet in E-flat major

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

What made the Houston Symphony shine during the pandemic?

15:48 [Scott Sonenshein]: When you got to see an organization that was relentless in determining to keep playing and keep the music going no matter what form that looked like, you saw a lot of innovation and creativity in finding ways not to just put online what they were doing before but to really reinvent what they were doing so it would be suitable for the format that they could play in. And that's why you saw a lot of the Zoom symphonies and the little boxes, but what the Houston Symphony did was bring musicians into the homes of their audience. And that created a lot of new experiences for their audience.

What has the pandemic taught the the Houston Symphony are taking forward for the years to come?

36:51 [John Mangum]: [Music] It's one of the few spaces where you can go and really unplug and just be alone, and that is rare these days. And I think that the symphony is going to continue to scale great artistic heights and commission new works and support young composers and reflect the diversity and energy of our community.

How did the pandemic pushed for the Houston symphony to think outside the box

21:30 [John Mangum] Even when we had our largest possible audience during that pandemic season, there were only about 400 or 450 people in Jones Hall, which at the time sat 2,900. That was because households had to sit together and then be a certain distance from anyone who wasn't in their household—back to this bubble idea. We weren't under pressure to sell tickets, so that gave us the ability to program whatever we wanted. You didn't have to do a certain number of Beethoven symphonies, or Star Wars in concert, or the kind of things that sell tickets. So we could really explore all kinds of repertoire.

Show Links:

Guest Profiles:

Innovation Across Generations feat. Adrian Trömel ’18 & Klaus Trömel ’85

Rice Business — Wed, 01 May 2024 04:00:00 -0500

For Adrian and Klaus Trömel, getting an MBA from Rice Business was a family affair.

Klaus Trömel served as the secretary general of the European Investment Bank (EIB) until his retirement in March 2018. He began his career as an analyst at Hewlett-Packard’s European headquarters in Geneva before working as a trade and pre-export finance officer.

Adrian was named the assistant vice president for strategy and investments for Rice University’s Office of Innovation in August 2023. In this role, Adrian supports the design and integration of commercialization structures, resources and initiatives across the university to support early-stage inventors and entrepreneurs.

The father and son duo join host Scott Gale ’19 to delve into their careers rooted in problem-solving, their decades-spanning relationship with Rice Business, personal anecdotes, and how an entrepreneurial mindset propelled them both forward.

Episode Guide:

00:42 Klaus’ Journey to Rice Business and Early Career

04:17 Klaus's Career at the European Investment Bank

12:28 Adrian’s Path to Rice Business

17:53 Adrian's Perspective on Entrepreneurship

25:00 Adrian's Role at Rice's Office of Innovation

29:46 Reflections on Adrian's Upbringing and Career Path

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Entrepreneurship as a key to success

42:34 [Adrian Trömel]: Without having an understanding of entrepreneurship, I don't think you can necessarily be at the top of your game in that role, either. And so, finding a place where you can understand—in my case, at the time I thought I wanted to do commercialization—and whether that was big or small, I realize that field of study is entrepreneurship. Finding a place to study that entrepreneurship, to be able to decide whether you want to run an individual initiative, run multiple initiatives, or be able to evaluate those to be able to finance them is where I think finding a place to properly study entrepreneurship makes sense because you can apply those principles anywhere in life.

Entrepreneurship is the discipline of being taught

23:00: [Adrian Trömel] Entrepreneurship is being taught the discipline of evaluating risks, and it's the discipline of being taught to make holistic considerations

What challenges does the Office of Innovation face?

27:32: [Adrian Trömel] [In] starting a company, you don't just need classes, and you don't just need a lab. You need a bunch of other things: spaces to work, money to do things with, and the ability to find talent. These are the challenges we're working through at the Office of Innovation—figuring out how to fill those resource gaps, how to provide assets to our community. So, when the next PhD student comes up with a new way to generate green hydrogen, a new method to remove PFAS from water efficiently, a new approach to produce carbon nanotubes and turn them into a valuable product, or a new medical device, they're not going out and trying to figure everything out themselves again. They have everything in a centralized location; they know where to work, find mentorship, seek advice, and secure funding.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Swapping Lab Coats for Lip Gloss feat. Ashley Henry ’22

Rice Business — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 09:05:25 -0500

From an early age, Ashley Henry was interested in beauty. Despite getting her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and working for the CDC in epidemiology, her childhood dreams never faded.

After her stint in public health, Ashley went on to work as a hairstylist before getting her MBA and fully committing to beauty and luxury goods.

Ashley is now the global product development manager at Fresh (an LVMH brand) in New York City. She accomplished her goal post-graduation from Rice in 2022, becoming one of the first alums to enter the luxury goods space.

Ashley joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to share her journey from a science-focused career path to the beauty industry. She talks about pursuing an MBA to pivot careers, encourages others to pursue unconventional paths with their MBAs, and imparts an important lesson: closed mouths don’t get fed.

Episode Guide:

00:41 Ashley's Unique Background and Pivot Story

01:55 Family Background and Early Interest in Beauty and Fashion

04:40 The Journey to Medical School and a Shift in Direction

06:27 Career Options with a Chemistry Major and a Passion for Beauty

07:49 A Career in Public Health: From CDC to Quarantine Officer

12:31 The Pivot to Beauty Industry: A Journey of Entrepreneurship

14:49 The Decision to Pursue an MBA at Rice Business

18:04 Reflecting on the Impact of Rice Business School

18:31 Finding Her Role in the Beauty Industry

19:57 The Journey to LVMH and Fresh Beauty

27:16 The Power of Storytelling and Networking

31:49 Future Aspirations and Advice for Aspiring Professionals

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

The power of storytelling in business school and beyond

27:27: The number one thing that business school taught me was the power and importance of telling your story in a way that resonates with people. Pay attention in Janet's classes, pay attention in comms, pay attention and leverage those things, and think about your story. Think about the transferable skills. Think about how you can connect the dots in a way that resonates with your audience. So, I went into those interviews with these beauty brands knowing how I was able to transition from pre-med, chemistry, public health, hair care entrepreneur into where I was going, and I was able to draw that through line for them and paint that picture for them. So the power of storytelling and your pitch is a story, right? It's a short story, but it's a story. And when you're in an interview, it's a story. It's your opportunity to tell about yourself and your journey and to connect with the person across from you. This was an important skill that I learned in business school that I still leverage every single day.

20:52: Business school is a time for you to explore and figure out what you want to do, especially if you want to transition and if you're a career switcher.

Closed mouth don’t get fed

29:52: You have to ask for what you want in this life. No one's going to know what you want if you don't speak up for yourself, and you're going to suffer if you just swallow all of those things and take what you're given in life.The clarity is the work that you have to do within yourself to understand, “What exactly do I want?”

How Rice helped Ashley in embracing authentic networking

04:19: Business school gave me the opportunity to get my reps in on talking to people. Because I used to think networking was such a superficial, artificial thing. I'm like, "Oh, you're only talking to someone because you want something from them." But in business school, you have to break out of that quickly. And you had to be able to see someone, go, talk to them, and tell your story in a way that would grab their attention and be able to add value to them.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

I Learned the Most at My Lowest feat. Brian Jackson ’21

Rice Business — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Brian Jackson is an expert when it comes to challenging himself in unchartered waters.

Brian is the manager of renewables origination at TransAlta Corporation, where he oversees the company's renewable energy power purchase agreement origination activities in the United States. Brian has a well-rounded roster of degrees from Texas institutions, beginning with a BS in political science from Texas A&M University, a JD from South Texas College of Law Houston, and an MBA from Rice University.

But before transitioning to the renewable energy industry, Brian worked in the oil and gas sector as both a landman and a lawyer. Additionally, he has taken on entrepreneurial roles in business investing and prospecting, utilizing his diverse skill set and experience to identify new opportunities in the market.

The new Rice Business alumni board president joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to tell us about the importance of finding a job that fits your values, figuring out one’s identity, and how the adversity he has faced was a blessing in disguise, serving as a gateway for his personal and professional growth.

Episode Guide:

00:05 Brian's Early Life and Career Journey

01:56 Experience in the Online MBA Program

03:09 Global Upbringing and Cultural Experiences

11:22 Brian's Transition from Law to Renewable Energy

13:42 Challenges and Growth in the Legal Profession

17:42 Brian's Reflections on Diversity and Inclusion

25:24 Role as President of the Rice Business Alumni Board

25:24 Future Goals and Aspirations

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

What did Brian learn throughout his job-searching experience?

13:42: When you're searching for a job from a position of just necessity, it's so different. The questions you ask, the values you're looking for — kind of this idea of mentorship and growth — maybe are kind of all put on the back burner because you're just looking for a paycheck. And so that's where I ended up, kind of in a safe harbor. Maybe not the best fit, and having had that experience, now when I look at a role or, let's say, recently when joining TransAlta, it changed the questions I asked in the interview. It changed really what I was focusing on and the indications I was looking for because of that experience, right? But you don't know to look for those things or to ask those questions, I think, unless you've had that exposure.

Speaking from experience is bridge to understanding

19:30: The best thing I can do is be vocal and wear my heart on my sleeve and say, "Hey, this is what happened to me. I'm sitting at this table and here to work with you because I'm coming from this place of experience."

What drove Brian to be part of an online program even after post-MBA?

24:35: I think the online program, what's so cool about it, is that everyone's still typically working. So, they all come from this different background where you're hearing not only about what's going on personally but in their careers at the same time. Everyone's backgrounds were so diverse professionally. And now, seeing where they've all filtered off and where they've gone is just even more fun."

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

The Fundamental Principles of Disruption feat. T. Canady Barton ’10

Rice Business — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Looking at T. Canady Barton’s resume, she has some of the biggest company names on the list. After a few years doing chemical engineering, oil and gas, T. pivoted to consulting, tech and entrepreneurship for the bulk of her career.

In 2014, she moved to the U.K., where she was the vice president of portfolio management, digital strategy and transformation for Garner. From 2006-2018, she was a founding member and CEO of ThinkPower, Inc., a boutique consultancy focused on driving positive disruption and game-changing results via strategic execution and operational excellence.

She joined Google in 2020 as the customer experience and innovation leader for Google Cloud Consulting and was previously head of strategy and operations for YouTube marketing. Now, she’s following her own entrepreneurial path with BlackBoxx, redefining care packages and gift-giving!

Host Scott Gale sits down with T. to chat all about prioritizing joy and passion in her career, the satisfaction of entrepreneurship, and shifting focus to what her personal and professional legacies will be.

Episode Guide:

00:28 Journey from Engineer to Entrepreneur

01:07 Choosing Chemical Engineering

02:40 First Job and Early Career

03:58 Transition to ExxonMobil

05:33 Exploring Entrepreneurship

10:33 Fundamental Principles of Disruption

12:46 Rice MBA Experience

15:04 Entrepreneurial Journey

27:56 Building a Legacy

29:07 Final Thoughts and Advice

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

It's all about the people, not the formula

10:31: [Scott Gale] What are some of the fundamental principles of disruption, in your view, from your learnings? Just curious around the commonalities in that—things to look out for when you're trying to disrupt a big incumbent.

10:43: [T. Canady Braton] Well, I'll say loud and clear that nobody has it figured out. Nobody has to figure that there's not some magic wand. There's not some special formula. Everybody's trying to figure it out in their own way. And the common thread that people get to or should get to is that we're still in the people business, no matter what business you're in—the people business. And if it doesn't matter how great your idea is, it doesn't matter how much money you're going to make. If people can't understand it, and people don't buy into it, and they don't understand how to use it, it doesn't matter. So our job as technologists, our job as business leaders, is to make it easy to understand, to simplify the process, to make it easy for them to explain to their team so it trickles down. If we don't do that, it really doesn't matter. It's not going to go very far.

11:48: Your idea can be brilliant, but implementation matters. Adoption matters. And how do you get that, right? It's not just talking to the C-suite. Of course, you need their buy-in. You need them to validate and adopt it themselves. But you have to get to the heart of the people in any organization. You got to go to every single level of that organization and make sure people are clear that they're bought in. They understand it. And you're moving whatever roadblocks you have to do it. You have to stay scrappy. You have to have grit; if you really want to make it happen, you have to show passion.

T's view of entrepreneurship shaped her as an entrepreneur

15:14: I saw entrepreneurship around me. It wasn't necessarily successful entrepreneurship, but I did see entrepreneurship, and I saw the reward of building something your own, even if it didn't always net the result you were hoping for, even if it didn't lead to insane riches. I saw the satisfaction of building something with your own hands, right? Whether it was a lawn service, a dealership, or a retail store. And that fire is just something special.

Why T is driven by significance in doing something big

08:09: I think my biggest driver was just to do something big. Like, you need to do something. And I've said before that my only fear in life has ever been really mediocrity. And I just knew that whatever I did, it needed to be significant. I don't show up to hold space and just take up space and not do anything with it. And so that was my motivator.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

The Pancake Princess Talks Building Authenticity Online feat. Erika Kwee ’16

Rice Business — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Rice Business is known for producing top industry leaders and 2016 full-time MBA graduate, Erika Kwee is no exception. Erika Kwee is the creator, photographer and writer behind The Pancake Princess, where her colorful, mouthwatering “bake-off” blog compares popular baking recipes side-by-side to help readers and aspiring bakers find recipes that are just right for their tastes and skill levels.

Erika spent years building her blog at night while working a tech job by day. As a self-taught baker, Erika has staged under Michelin Pastry Chef of the Year winner, Kelly Nam, at the Michelin-starred Joomak Banjum. In 2019, the blog won Reader's Choice for Best Baking and Sweets from Saveur Magazine and in 2021, Erika was selected as one of Southern Living's Cooks of the Year.

She sits down with host Maya Pomroy ’22, and shares her journey from English major to baker, her favorite bakes, and how Rice Business was a key ingredient for her career in entrepreneurship.

Episode Guide:

00:19 The Birth of The Pancake Princess

01:28 Erica's Early Interest in Baking

02:52 The Evolution of The Pancake Princess Blog

07:18 Erica's Journey to Houston & Rice

09:58 The Impact of her MBA on Erica's Career

12:01 Transition to New York

12:13 Erica's Experience with Michelin Pastry Chef

15:53 The Art of Baking and Blogging

24:42 Erica's Future Goals and Aspirations

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

In an era where everyone shares content, how can you make yours stand out?

15:42: So if somebody's thinking about starting a blog, how do you start? And how do you generate that buzz and that following and that energy, and how would you start doing that?

15:57: I think starting a blog today would sound very intimidating to me because the environment just seems so saturated. People are starting blogs, Instagram accounts, and TikTok accounts every day, and lots of people are having great success. So I think it's really about thinking about what you're super passionate about, like what is going to keep driving you to, like, do it consistently, really light that fire, because it's easy to write a few posts and then fall off because, like, maybe you're not that excited about the topic. But then, thinking about the unique value or point of view that you're bringing to the table, what sets you apart? Why would someone want to follow you versus any of the other millions of bloggers out there?

An advice on branding

19:43: Branding is thinking about what you stand for, what you're interested in, and what you hope that people will take away from it, and just letting that kind of shine through in everything that you do.

How did Erika's MBA experience influence her approach to blogging?

10:25: MBA programs is all about networking, and so that has carried over into the food blogging space as well, because New York is a hub for tons of food bloggers, restaurant bloggers, content creators, and people in all types of food. I think that being able to build a network here has helped for my own mental health as well as building these connections for this very diverse career that I now have of all these different income streams that are coming in. And everyone is always giving me, like, new ideas on what to try. So that's one of the marketing courses that I took in the MBA also helped. When I think about how I'm trying to deliver value to my blog readers and the people who are consuming my content, I'm thinking about how to target, like who am I trying to serve, what their needs are, and how I can best serve them. So a lot of that, the marketing frameworks that I learned in the MBA have helped.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Navigating the Energy Transition feat. Diana Khandilyan ’20

Rice Business — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Diana Khandilyan is an energy industry expert who dedicated more than 20 years to the international oil and gas exploration industry, focusing on emerging technologies, process optimization and corporate sustainability.

The energy transition motivated her to pursue an MBA degree from Rice Business to explore the business viability of emerging trends, followed by immersion in clean-energy technologies.

The geophysicist and energy transition advocate joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to discuss her 20+ years in the international oil and gas industry and her transition to the renewable energy space.

The 2023 Rising Star Award winner talks about growing up in Armenia and Russia. She also dives into her newest position and the integral role Rice Business has played, and continues to play, in her life and career.

Episode Guide:

01:01 Discussing the Impact of COVID-19 on Graduation

02:05 Diana’s Background and Career

06:25 Understanding the Role of Women in STEM

09:10 Diana’s Journey in Energy Transition

10:45 The Decision to Pursue an MBA at Rice

14:23 The Impact of the MBA on Diana’s Career

20:04 Discussing the Current Landscape of Energy Transition

22:09 The Role of AI in Energy Transition

25:38 The Goal of Net Zero Emissions by 2050

27:23 Future Career Goals

28:20 Advice for Prospective MBA Students

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Time is an investment in the energy industry

[09:59]: Several interesting conversations we had during the class with our guest speakers, with our overall, the macroeconomic overviews, that made me understand the trend towards energy source diversification. And if that is happening, then inevitably there will be new opportunities where investment will be going instead of coming to oil and gas.

So, it was driven by old follow the money situation. And if the investors are thinking and investing in sustainable projects, in green energy, or any other options rather than oil and gas, then probably this is where I need to be.

Excellence in expertise requires industry and world awareness

09:39: It doesn't matter how good you are at what you do. You need to understand what is happening across the industry and what is happening in the world, as well.

Geoscience is not limited

13:28: Geoscience is not limited. It's not just we are so technical we can do one thing. We can actually do many, many things. This would be probably if any other prospective student’s thinking about changing their profession, thinking that they are very technical, as I was thinking before. You are not. Please don't be discouraged. You will learn ninety-nine percent of things you will learn is new, but the application of the things that you will learn, you are doing today. So, this will just help you and expand your horizons, but it will not be completely pushing you towards the unknown. So, don't be discouraged.

On being a woman in the STEM industry

16:32: I never felt like, because of the woman, I could not do something. It's never, never on my radar. And maybe because I didn't think that the people around me who I work with didn't think that either. I was just able to filter out whatever would be offensive or sensible for other people. You just learn to do that, and push forward.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Diana Khandilyan | Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University

Diana Khandilyan LinkedIn

The Misconception of Constructive Conflict feat. Professor Daan van Knippenberg

Rice Business — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Conventional wisdom says that conflict and dissent among an organization’s top leaders can improve strategy and performance. But new research indicates the opposite is true. In fact, dissent at the top often damages working relationships, communication and decision quality.

In this episode of Owl Have You Know, Daan van Knippenberg joins host Scott Gale ’19 to talk about his research on conflict in leadership. It turns out there is little evidence to support the idea that outcomes improve when leaders disagree on strategy. He explains what CEOs and leaders can do to foster open and constructive dialogue on strategy, even when viewpoints differ.

He discusses his transition from the Netherlands to the U.S. and the cultural differences he's noticed between the two countries. He also shares his research on the value of diversity in team decision-making and his passion for developing equity and inclusion practices.

Episode Guide:

00:33 Journey into Organizational Behavior

03:04 Transition from the Netherlands to the U.S.

04:18 Comparing Student Bodies: Rotterdam vs. Pennsylvania

10:59 The Decision to Move to Rice University

16:53 Deep Dive into Strategic Conflict Research

30:30 Recognizing and Engaging with Diversity Perspectives

31:41 The Role of Conflict in Team Dynamics

32:13 The Subjective Experience of Conflict

33:46 The Misconception of Constructive Conflict

36:10 The Impact of Conflict on Team Performance

44:15 Strategies for Avoiding Oppositional Stances

46:06 The Importance of Shared Mental Models

52:45 The Impact of Remote Work on Team Dynamics

56:22 The Disconnect Between DEI Practices and Team Diversity Research

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

You cannot make conflict go away by denying it

23:58: There is conflict when you experience that somebody else is getting in the way of what you're trying to achieve. One of the things it means is that you feel that we have a conflict. I cannot make the conflict go away by denying it.

On the value of diversity

09:43: The notion that there is value in diversity is based on the idea that if people have different perspectives, you can benefit from the diversity of perspectives. It makes you understand things better. It can make you more creative and can make you make better decisions. It can prevent you from blind spots in your decision-making, et cetera.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Half of the World Population Does Not Have Access to Clean Cooking feat. Dymphna van der Lans ’02

Rice Business — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Rice grads end up all over the world, and Dymphna van der Lans is no exception. Dymphna has worked and lived in China, India, and Kenya and engaged with island nations in the Caribbean and the Indian and Pacific Oceans to support their transition away from polluting diesel fuels to renewable sources of energy.

Dymphna brings more than 25 years of experience managing and leading global development, energy, and climate initiatives in the nonprofit and private sectors. She is currently the chief executive officer of the Clean Cooking Alliance, and recently led international corporate engagement with the World Wildlife Fund’s Climate & Energy team.

She sits down with host Scott Gale ’19 to unpack her impressive career, her experience working internationally, developing an early appreciation for the Chinese language and culture, and her passion for the energy transition and climate initiatives.

Episode Guide:

00:56 Dymphna's Early Life and Education

04:55 Dymphna's Journey to China

14:24 Career Path and Mentorship

16:38 Focus on Renewables and Alternative Energy

18:42 Dymphna's Role in the Clinton Climate Initiative

20:24 Journey to Working with a Former U.S. President

20:49 The Future of Energy: Opportunities and Challenges

20:49 The Importance of Diverse Energy Solutions

22:01 The Role of Renewable Energy in Corporate Operations

23:28 Addressing Energy Challenges in Island Nations

25:08 The Mission of the Clean Cooking Alliance

27:53 The Future of Clean Cooking and Energy Systems

29:31 Predictions for China's Role in Global Energy

31:12 Advice for Prospective Rice Business Students

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

26:01: My organization [Clean Cooking Alliance], we're about 50 people. We work with a whole bunch of different partners to make sure that countries in the Global South are thinking about how they're transitioning to access to clean cooking. We're already providing these solutions to help them continue to grow. We work with the governments directly. We work with, sort of, adjacent ecosystems to help them think about what it means to have access to clean cooking and how you think about clean cooking projects. It's fantastic work. It gets ignored all too often because for people, it doesn't feel like an energy issue. It's a household issue. It mostly impacts women. So, it often gets overlooked. And my job is to make sure it doesn't and it gets funding.

On being comfortable with different cultures and working in different countries

10:02: I've just realized that I enjoy figuring stuff out and finding myself in new places, just like trying to really quickly understand how the system works, how people work, and how I operate most effectively and efficiently in a different context that is not my own. And I'm very comfortable doing that.

Finding power in peer mentoring conversations

15:43: I found the real true power and honesty to be in those peer mentoring conversations. And when you do those, be explicit about it; this is not just like a friend or friends talking about something over a coffee. It is actually a fundamental question that you're wanting other people to filter back to you or mirror back to you that maybe hindering you in your projection or your ability to execute or balancing your life as a mother has always been a big question for me as well. And for a long time, I was raising my daughter by myself. So those conversations are so important. And I would encourage anybody to seek those out and be really thoughtful about them, ask good questions, and really listen and reflect back on what that means for you and in a position of leadership.

On Dymphna’s Rice experience

13:24: There's a thing about trusting your instincts and your gut, and my ability to sense what's happening in a room and in the system. Like I had the language to apply that to different situations that I didn't have before. I always had the feeling that I was understanding it, but I never had the language to actually articulate what I was seeing or even articulate a vision for how to work through things.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Understanding Healthcare Through a Different Lens feat. Keri Sprung ’22

Rice Business — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Keri Sprung ’22 is the vice president for education and director of the Women’s Center at the Texas Heart Institute. She provides strategic direction to the physicians and scientists leading innovative research, education, and clinical programs at the Institute in partnership with regional, national, and international collaborators.

During her studies at Rice, she served as the class representative, co-chair of the Rice Business Association for Executives, and a Rice Business Board Fellow for Children At Risk, a non-profit that serves as a catalyst for change to improve the quality of life for children through strategic research, and advocacy. Upon graduating from Rice Business, she was honored with the M.A. “Mike” Wright Award, the top leadership award.

Host Maya Pomroy catches up with her friend and fellow ’22 alum in this episode. Listen as they chat about their unforgettable Executive MBA cohort days, Keri’s passion for healthcare and innovation, and the importance of finding good mentors.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Cultivating growth with the Rice executive program

19:25 - One of the shining parts of the Rice Program executive program is the leadership component, the leadership track. And I didn't even realize how committed Rice was to making sure this leadership and personal growth component was interlaced into really the entire journey of the 22 months. And so I grew as a leader. Not just from the material we were learning, but I think the interactions with our cohort and with our deans and professors. For me, I work in a medical community, and most of the leaders I'm around are doctors and scientists. So, it was really helpful for me to step out of the healthcare setting and to be around everybody who was a leader going into this program already but working on the different areas of their leadership. And it was really nice to learn from one another.

What’s next for Keri?

29:38 - I wanted to make sure that I didn't just graduate and go back to my old ways. And so I've been mindful that I didn't expect to do this, but I started to engage with a startup nonprofit. One of the things I wanted to do was work with startups because I have a 360-degree view of innovation in medicine.

The need for trust in Cohorts

24:11 - The reality of business is that you're not doing this alone. Once you get to this level, you're not going to be a good leader if you can't motivate and work with different teams and disciplines.

Embracing pivoting

5:28 - I realized that I embraced pivoting before pivoting was a trend post-COVID. So I decided to pivot, take my one exit from medicine, and go try to do some work in the real estate industry.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

I Started My Business Because I Made a Huge Mistake feat. Wendy Fong EMBA ’13

Rice Business — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 04:00:00 -0600

Many of us have probably had that moment – where you quit one job because you found your “dream” job. But that second place wasn’t everything you thought it would be. So what comes after that? Wendy Fong decided to start her own company to fulfill her search, and to help others with theirs.

Wendy is a business coach and talent optimizer, with a passion for building dream teams and developing their leaders. She is the founder and principal of Chief Gigs, which offers leadership and team development, organizational consulting, and search. Chief Gigs helps businesses and the people within them achieve optimum performance and thrive in a dynamic and diverse world.

She chats with host Maya Pomroy ’22 about her pivot from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, the ongoing strength of the Rice network, building great teams, her passion for fighting human trafficking and her dream of one day opening a nonprofit in Cambodia.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Embracing diversity and self-awareness for optimal performance

[10:27] Maya: What's something that often goes overlooked when it comes to optimizing team performance that you have found?

[10:34] Wendy: Interestingly enough, people's biases are so strong even though they don't know it. People tend to hire others who are like them. And so, sometimes I found entire teams all centered around one quadrant. So, you can plot people based on your answers into the world of work. And everybody is in the same quadrant with the same strength, but also the same, you know-

[11:04] Maya: Weaknesses. Yeah.

[11:04] Wendy: ...caution areas, right? And so, I think the most important thing is for people to be self-aware, so they can say, "Okay, I know this other person might not be the person when I interviewed them we just are BFFs right away, and we hit it off, and maybe the conversation was a little awkward. But the reason that is, is because they are the opposite for me." And...

[11:31] Maya: Different perspectives.

[11:32] Wendy: Exactly, and I need that. And for leaders to understand, if you need that, you have to be able to work with different people with different work styles.

When Wendy realized that her true passion is helping people
02:27 - After having been in operations for so long, I learned that my true passion was people instead of operations. But it was all so intertwined when you have a big job that you don't realize. And so after that, I tried to make my way to helping people as much as I could.

How do you know if it's the right time to do leadership development?

15:46 - Before you start seeing performance issues, right before you start seeing the cracks, is when you should really be engaging and building. Unfortunately, the issue with a lot of organizations is that they don't invest enough money into training and development. They don't invest enough money into HR departments.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Wendy Fong LinkedIn

A Commitment to Community Brought Our Provost to Rice feat. Amy Dittmar

Rice Business — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 04:00:00 -0600

From the president to the provost, a lot of people are working behind the scenes to make sure our university runs smoothly. As the Howard R. Hughes Provost of Rice University, Amy Dittmar oversees Rice’s academic enterprise, including direct reporting relationships for the deans of eight schools, the dean of undergraduates, the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies and other key leaders.

With a focus on expanding opportunities for a growing student body and increasing faculty, Amy runs several capital projects to support the university’s research and educational mission. She is also a professor of finance at Rice Business and a professor of economics at the School of Social Sciences.

Amy joined host Scott Gale ’19 for a live event in McNair Hall to discuss her path to the higher ranks of academia, her vision for Rice’s future, continuing to foster the community Rice is known for, and how we can adapt and embrace new technologies.

Owl Have You Know is a production of REpisode Quotes:ice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Advice for prospective students looking into a career in research

25:14: [Scott] What kind of advice do you give to a prospective student that's thinking about kind of a research career? What does one look for as they sort of self-select into that kind of experience?

25:28: [Amy] I think you have to be pretty independently motivated. It is one of these things that you have to kind of have that self-drive. Though there's a lot of team science out there, it is often something you're doing harshly on your own. So, I think you have to kind of think about that, but I think that if you're someone who likes to deeply think about a problem for long periods of time, it's incredibly rewarding. There's other ways you can do it and have a more applied aspect to it as well. So, I think that's one piece, and it's a long road.

How Amy’s perspective and experience shape her views on key issues circling around academia?

13:28: To me, it's really important that I'm at a place that has excellence across the board. That it's not one school that's really wonderful, and then everybody else is kind of living in the shadow. Rice has a commitment to excellence across all the disciplines and that was important to me.

On planning for Rice’s future

21:15: Rice is just an amazing institution. So, I think being able to educate and impact more individuals is part of the mission. But to continue to do that, how Rice is. So, we're not looking to be thousands and thousands and thousands more. So, that's one piece. And the other is around excellence across the board. But I think there's some pockets that are just amazing excellence when it comes to especially research. And so, thinking about how we can enhance that even further. So, how we can take and build connections between schools.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

The Intersection of Art and Business feat. Alison Weaver and Dean Peter Rodriguez

Rice Business — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 04:00:00 -0600

McNair Hall is home to an impressive collection of public art. With 19 installations that have been an intentional element of the building renovations since 2018, Rice is proud of the diverse permanent collection, which represents artists of a number of different ages, countries, genders and backgrounds.

The new art helps communicate our philosophy that a good piece of art forces you to think, engage and have an opinion. So today, we sit down with Alison Weaver and Dean Peter Rodriguez to discuss this exciting and important collection.

Alison Weaver was named founding executive director of Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts in July 2015. Prior to her appointment, she was the director of affiliates for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. At the Guggenheim, Weaver led its programs and operations in Berlin, Bilbao, Venice, and Las Vegas, while managing its departments of exhibition management, registration, art services, and library/archives in New York.

Peter Rodriguez has been the dean of Rice Business since 2016. Since then, he has doubled MBA enrollment, grown the tenure-track faculty by more than 35%, introduced the first online graduate degree at Rice, launched the undergraduate business major, renovated McNair Hall and helped the Rice Business community survive Hurricane Harvey and grow stronger during COVID.

Alison and Peter discuss how the initiative started, the overarching theme for the collection, dive into the significance of the pieces you see in the halls and outside the building, and the symbiotic relationship between business and art.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

We are living in a world without boundaries

17:38 [Alison Weaver] This idea, that instead of thinking about things as siloed and maybe individually—let's say, fields of expertise staying in their lane—I think the real question is: What can we learn from each other, and what exciting sparks are generated when those fields collide? So when you think about artists and the creative problem-solving that they do, and many are research-driven in their practice, they are looking deeply into questions that concern them. And those could be questions of the environment. They could be questions of, in the case of the artist Beverly Pepper, she's interested in big pharma. How is the pharmaceutical industry affecting our culture and our public health? These are questions that aren't just purely aesthetics. And I think that what I hope putting art into spaces can do is really open up those fields of inquiry for unexpected exploration.

Art is beyond museums

23:43 [Alison Weaver] The artwork that meets people where they are—where they're studying, living, and working—is quite different. We do exhibitions at the Moody, and of course, I love it when people come to see them, but they come and go, so you have a snapshot in time, but not that durational relationship, and that's special.

On creating a platform for the intersection of art and ideas

06:55 [Peter Rodriguez] If you think about where organizations create value, it's through the creative process. You have to find solutions to complex problems to create value in the world. And that's less about being cloistered away and, you know, sharpening your pencil and green eyeshade on doing work than it is about trying to work together. And opening your mind to things that haven't been done before and ways of proceeding. And so that's what we want our students to think about: how do they open their minds and use their very best of all that they know to make change happen and to make progress in the directions we want? So whether it's medicine, the energy transition, or tech, creativity is at the heart of everything businesses need to do. And we needed a way to live that a bit more than we were living it at the time.

On making art accessible

30:55 [Alison Weaver] One of the interesting things about public art is that there is no barrier if it's in your everyday world. And so, the work behind us is here all the time. Whether people are taking classes or studying in the building, they will pass by it. They might spend time looking at it and might not. I think the best way to—I wouldn't say explain, but to make accessible—any art, but certainly contemporary art, is to make it familiar and accessible, like public art. So we start there by just putting it where people already are.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

You Get Out What You Put In feat. Jan Goetgeluk ‘10 and Jesús Patiño ‘10

Rice Business — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 04:00:00 -0600

The Rice Energy Finance Summit (REFS) is an annual student-led conference promoting forward-looking discussions on the most relevant energy finance, investment and strategy topics affecting the global energy industry. And founders Jan Goetgeluk and Jesús Patiño say it's just another example of what you can do with the support and resources found within the Rice community & network.

Jan is originally from Belgium, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s in mechanical engineering from Ghent University, and came to Houston in 2007 as a project engineer for Katoen Natie, a Belgian petrochemical logistics conglomerate. Jan is the founder and CEO of Virtuix and the developer of the Virtuix Omni, the first virtual reality interface to move freely and naturally in video games and virtual worlds.

Jesús has over 15 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He began his career in the oil field with M-I SWACO in his home country of Mexico before expanding into deepwater drilling assignments in the US Gulf of Mexico, Equatorial Guinea, and Ghana. Jesús is a strategy and business development consultant at AerMill Solutions. He previously worked at Oceaneering International as a commercial manager for intervention services.

They join host Scott Gale ‘19 to discuss how they first met at Rice international student orientation many years ago, how Hurricane Ike affected the first year of the conference (as well as their friendship), and the importance of swinging big.

Episode Quotes:

A reflection on rich experiences during and after Rice

16:40 [Jan] It's such an incredible rich experience being at Rice Business School. It's a unique time in your life, and for me, it's still today the best time of my life. [Jesus] And that goes definitely to the program and also for the alumni life, right? Once you're an alum, there's always something interesting going on. And being outside Houston, it's harder to remain involved, but attending the events outside Houston and trying to be part of it. You always get more than what you put in.

Ideas are like buses

18:39 [Jan] If you want to organize a conference and make it a big success, it's just a matter of doing it. A lot of people have a lot of ideas in life. And I always say that ideas are like buses. There's another one every five minutes. You have to do it, and you have to execute and make it happen.

The Rice Business School advantage

13:05 [Jesus] Every time I speak with a student, nowadays, I always tell them that there's only two years in their lives where they are going to be able to start an email saying, "I am a Rice MBA student that wants to speak with you." And that line is powerful because it really resonates with people; you get their attention, and that's a door opener that you shouldn't let go.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Jan Goetgeluk LinkedIn Profile
Jesús Patiño’s Professional Profile on Rice University

Other links:

Wealth Management Is All About Relationships feat. Crystal Maxwell '03

Rice Business — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Crystal Maxwell was born in Texas but raised in Saudi Arabia as an "oil brat." Both her parents worked for Aramco. Exploring different cultures developed her global perspective that helps shape her investment recommendations even today.

She moved back to the U.S. for college and earned her bachelor’s degree in hotel restaurant management from the University of Houston but pivoted to wealth management with the help of an MBA from Rice.

Crystal sits down with host Scott Gale ’19, and shares her journey: growing up amongst the expat community in Saudi Arabia, an early career in hospitality and a Rice MBA that led to a 20-year career as a wealth advisor with UBS financial services. We’ll hear her advice for aspiring wealth managers and her passion for the Houston Rodeo.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Why is wealth management all about relationships?

14:42 - Wealth management is all about the relationships and you're building relationships with your clients. You're trying to make their lives better. You're helping them in all aspects of anything that has to do with money, and you're not going to be able to do that alone. You need the relationships. I've relied on people from my Rice network, but also within my firm, to bring the right expertise, synthesize the right information, and be able to deliver that to my clients.

A characteristic you need for a career in financial services

17:53 - You have to have empathy [in financial services]. This job is about helping people reach their goals, helping people be able to pay for college for their kids, retire, and go on vacation all at the same time. And then, on the flip side, or further down the road, it's people wanting to make an impact with their assets.

Learning more through business school

13:30 - I know in lots of industries, the amount of information that comes out is quite a bit, but in finance in particular, You've got so much information that comes out every single day, and if you want to be an expert in any one sector, not even stock, but a sector, you could read an analysis all day long. You could really spend all of your time doing that, which nobody can do. As a financial advisor, I can't spend my entire day just reading about different companies. As much as I enjoy that, I've got to synthesize all that information and then know how to apply it and how it's going to affect my clients.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

The Sky Is Not the Limit feat. Rawand Rasheed

Rice Business — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Rawand grew up watching his father's passion for engineering. Despite avoiding the field at first, Rawand developed a similar passion for the craft.

Rawand is a Ph.D. candidate at the Rice University George R. Brown School of Engineering and has more than five years of experience at NASA, first as a graduate research fellow, then as a life support systems engineer. He shares his journey and the technology he helped create that puts fires out in space and will reduce air conditioning costs on Earth.

He sits down with host Maya Pomroy to talk about his experience of transitioning from engineer to entrepreneur, his company, Helix Earth Technologies, and how the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Napier Rice Launch Challenge ignited a new fire within him.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Solving problems not only in space but also on earth

12:17 - I found out there's a whole bunch of different problems that we could solve on Earth. And one of them being that we could help solve air conditioning energy use problems. So, in human environments, especially in a place like Houston, 70% of the energy used in the air conditioning cycle is devoted to just pulling the humidity out of the air, not cooling the temperature. And so we found out that we could actually solve this problem with our filters and reduce the energy cost by more than 50%. I started pursuing this research and eventually was able to get involved with the innovation fellowship program at Liu Idea Lab for Entrepreneurship.

How Rice helped Rawand pursue entrepreneurship

15:08 - I've always been interested in entrepreneurship, so I've always had that vision to go and spin out and do my own thing, but it never became real until maybe a year and a half ago. A lot of it is because of Rice.

What’s the most essential part of a pitch?

20:43 - The most essential piece of a pitch there's a couple things. So the first thing is that you want to be very clear. You know, what is the problem that you're trying to tackle, and why does it matter? So for us, it's air conditioning; we want to save the planet, and that's a great thing to do, but also have to make it clear: why does it matter? And so, when you look at the amount of money that people spend on companies and just individuals or corporations, how much they spend on air conditioning energy costs, it's enormous. And so, when you put a $200 billion price tag in front of people's faces, that catches attention.The emissions that come with that are also enormous. So, you want to be very clear as to why the problem is big, why it needs to be solved, and why should people care? That's the biggest part of the pitch for me.

On what he learned from his start-up competition experience

15:52 - I was used to presenting things from a scientific perspective, where it's like, Okay, here are all the things we've done. (16:04) In the business planning competition, you have to throw all that out. You have to tell people a good story. You don't have to necessarily have all of the answers, which is one thing that was a little bit difficult for me. You have to have a good plan for how you're going to actually achieve the things that you set out to achieve.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Rawand Rasheed | LinkedIn

How Two Years at Rice Alliance Became 22 feat. Brad Burke

Rice Business — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 04:00:00 -0500

For our final episode of season 3, we wanted to bring you one last conversation from this year’s Alumni Reunion.

Brad Burke is the managing director of Rice Alliance, Rice Business’ flagship entrepreneurship initiative launched in 2000. Brad has led Rice Alliance since 2001, helping the Rice Business Plan Competition become the world’s largest and richest student startup competition. Since Rice Alliance’s inception, more than 2,950 tech startups have participated in its programs.

In the Rice Alliance space in McNair Hall, host Maya Pomroy ’22 chats with Brad about his journey to Houston, his illustrious career spanning 22 years at Rice, and some of the most memorable competition winners that have stuck with him over all these years.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On Houston's Energy transition

28:00 - So, we launched a Clean Energy Accelerator two years ago, and we're about to start evaluating the applicants for the third cohort of the Clean Energy Accelerator. And part of the reason is we're attracting startups from all over the U.S. and outside the U.S. to come through the accelerator. We want to help them be more successful, but we also want to show them what's going on in Houston…[28:36] We also want to show the investors in Houston really promising clean energy technologies. And so, it gives investors in Houston an early look at some of these promising technologies. So, Houston has the ability, and we've been the energy capital of the world. We have the ability to be the energy transition capital of the world because we have the knowledge, the expertise, the resources and almost every major energy investor.

How the Rice Business Plan Competition sparks new angel investments in Houston

24:53 - This competition has mobilized a number of individuals who weren't doing angel investments before. And now they're doing not just investment in the business plan competition; they're investing in companies from Houston as well.

On the impact of the Rice Alliance and Rice Business Plan Competition

16:25 - It's amazing, you have the opportunity to mentor these amazing, bright, enthusiastic young founders, who are generally first-time founders. And then you have the opportunity to see this innovation benefit society, come to the world. And so, you can see a real impact in what you do.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Cooperation in the U.S. - Mexico Border Region feat. Daniel Gutierrez ‘14

Rice Business — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Born and raised in Mexico, Daniel Gutierrez knew from an early age he wanted to build a career in economics.

In 2009, Daniel and his wife moved to San Antonio to join the North American Development Bank as a senior analysis and structuring specialist. North American Development Bank is a binational financial institution, established by the governments of the U.S. and Mexico, that supports the development of infrastructure in the areas of potable water, wastewater treatment and solid waste, as well as projects aimed at improving air quality, conserving water, reducing energy consumption and developing renewable energy sources for communities located in the U.S.- Mexico border region.

While in this role, Daniel decided to pursue his MBA and joined the Professional MBA program at Rice Business in 2012. Since graduating, Daniel has remained with North American Development Bank, and is currently the associate director of asset management.

He joins host Maya Pomroy this episode to discuss growing up in Mexico in the 80s during inflation, NAFTA, how going to Rice Business’ Diversity Preview Weekend changes his life's path, receiving an Owl Award for best Capstone project for Ovarcome, a Houston-based ovarian cancer nonprofit founded by another Rice Business alum, and the lessons he learned during his time at Rice.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How Mexican leaders can prepare for the future

13:16 - To build the next generation of leaders in Mexico, they have to think about where they want to develop their MBA studies or studies of where they can learn leadership, all the skills the MBA program grants, and critical thinking ability. All those skills will be needed in the next years—in the next 20, 30 years, the border region between Mexico and the US is going to become very dynamic. It's probably going to be one of the greatest times to be involved in an MBA program and to use those knowledge to make great things happen in Mexican businesses.

15:40 - The importance of teamwork definitely was something that I recognized from what was taught to me at Rice. And I still consider teamwork as one of the important elements of my daily working life.

On his evolving interest on artificial intelligence

21:41 - I'm excited about all that kind of wave of artificial intelligence coming up and bringing every debate.
Copyright issues, schools that are worried that students will use that technology to present their essays, stuff like that. But the real discussion is how are we going to train the next generation to use or leverage this technology. For the betterment of human beings, for the betterment of humanity.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Daniel’s LinkedIn

Clean Tech, Climate Change, and the Future of Energy feat. Phoebe Wang ’13

Rice Business — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Climate change is on the news and in our faces every day, from wildfires to record-breaking heat waves. And today, we are talking to a Rice grad who’s working to combat these developments, through clean energy, carbon management and venture capital investments.

Phoebe Wang is a cleantech venture capitalist who serves as an investment partner at the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund. Previously, she was an investment director at Shell Ventures where she led investments in early- and late-stage startups working on technologies to accelerate the energy transition, including in the areas of hydrogen, carbon management, energy storage, mobility, and power.

During her 10-year tenure as a venture capital investor, Phoebe has invested more than $150 million in frontier technology startups such as Antora, Celadyne, ZeroAvia, and many, many more.

In another episode from our 2023 Alumni Reunion series, host Maya Pomroy ’22 and Phoebe chat about her passion for fighting climate change for the future generations, her work with Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, and winning a C3E business award.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Paving the way for a sustainable future in clean energy and climate control

11:33 [Maya]: So you were very optimistic about clean energy and climate control, so we can shift it back to having clean air for everyone. So, what progress do you hope to see over the next few years? What are you most excited about?

11:49 [Phoebe Wang]: So right now, whenever we are looking at technology, we have a lens of whether, when at the mature stage, the technology can sequest or can abate gigaton equivalent of CO2 because we need to have that level, so that we can move towards, a future that is livable for our next generations. So that's something not very easy to do. But fortunately, we have a ton of innovation, a ton of entrepreneurs, and a ton of venture capital coming into this industry.

Nurturing unicorns, jobs, and sustainability through strategic investments

04:13 - So far, I’ve invested in over 30 companies out of those, three are unicorns and have created tremendous job opportunities in local markets. And then also have had a big impact on the carbon markets. We're now looking at a lot of different areas with the CO2 lens. And, in addition to that, we’re looking at how to preserve biodiversity because we don't want to have unintended consequences if we only apply the carbon lens when we make investments.

On the roots of her interest in clean tech

01:35 - My interest in cleantech, or what we call climate tech, stems early on – like when I was very little. I grew up in Asia, and then, if you see over there, pollution is such an important issue. And it is actually a global issue now. So, back then, I almost did environmental engineering, but the job market was not very good that decade ago. So, I actually switched over to material science engineering. Now, it's kind of coming full circle that I'm looking at investments in climate tech.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Everything Is a Business, Including Journalism feat. Kalyn Norwood '22

Rice Business — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 04:00:00 -0500

It’s not everyday you talk to a reporter with an MBA.

Kalyn Norwood is Hearst Television’s White House Correspondent. She joined the company’s Washington Bureau in July 2022, right after earning her MBA at Rice Business. An Emmy award-winning journalist, Kalyn landed in Washington D.C. after a stint in Albuquerque, where she worked as an anchor/reporter at KOAT, covering the state of New Mexico. She helped lead the station’s election coverage, as well as President Biden’s visit to the state.

Host Maya Pomroy turns the tables on Kalyn and asks her a few questions about her unique and unconventional flight path from being in front of the camera to hitting the books at Rice. Kalyn shares a day in the life of a Washington D.C. correspondent and how her Rice education has strengthened her ability and understanding of her craft.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Despite being different, you must pursue your goals

23:32 - Don't be intimidated by how things are right now and close yourself off to a certain career path or position because you haven't seen anyone that looks like you doing the job. You could be that first. So prepare as if you're able to do the job, and hopefully, by the time you get there, you can be someone that other young girls look up to.

Navigating the role of journalism with the rise of social media

26:09 - The role of local journalists and those that air on local TV stations, like the work we do here at Hearst TV, is to provide that value and background. So we did the digging, we did the research. We talked to both sides, Republicans and Democrats, on this issue. You saw the headline, but here's the full story, as much as we can give. Like, here's the rest of the story. Here's what both of your interested lawmakers are saying on this. And if you continue to do a great job to provide value to people, they'll watch your stuff.

Diversity is an asset

22:22 - To me, diversity is only an asset. Not a liability because you're representing a community that's part of America's society. It should only be seen as an asset because there's more that connects us all.

Why do we have different views genetically modified food

27:50 - I'm so grateful that I decided to go back and get my MBA because I feel I have a better understanding of how the world works. I said at the beginning that everything's a business, but it is true. I think you'll understand your bosses better and the decisions that they make, and hopefully, you can provide value to whatever organization you're in a better way.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

I See The Benefits of my MBA in Everything I Do feat. Tracy and John Dennis, FTMBA ’00 and ’93

Rice Business — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 04:00:00 -0500

We’re so excited to bring you another conversation from this year’s alumni reunion!

Tracy Dennis `00 and John Dennis `93 met the first week of freshman year as undergrads at Harvard and have been together ever since, even both eventually coming to Rice Business for their MBAs!

Tracy is a lecturer of management at Rice Business, teaching Principles of Survey Design. She started two research and insight agencies and is currently a lead UX researcher for Globalization Partners. John has been a principal, managing director, and managing partner of WoodRock & Co. since he founded the firm in 1998.

Tracy and John join host Maya Pomroy '22 to talk about their lives together, what brought them to Houston and to Rice, post-Partio Lamaze classes, and why they continue to give back to the Rice community.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

How an MBA transforms lives and inspires people to give back

8:54: [Tracy Dennis] I see the benefits of my MBA in everything that I do every single day. I see it at work, I see it at home, I see it with our daughters, who are in their early careers. You know, I feel like I have benefited immensely from my MBA, and I'm grateful. I really want to give back because of it, and I want to just continue to be a part of it just because it played such a big role in my life, and it's an exciting place to be right now. There's lots of great things going on.

On giving back to the Rice community

14:00: [Tracy Dennis] I don't think of what I do with Rice Business as volunteering. I do it because I feel strongly about Rice Business, and I personally get so much out of it, and I want to give back to the school because it's given me so much.

On what made John choose Houston

04:47: [John Dennis] While I enjoyed growing up here, I never thought I would come back. But I think seeing Houston through Tracy's eyes gave me the opportunity to kind of look at it with an open mind, and it's been very, very good to us.

Learning more through business school

02:13: [Tracy Dennis] I had a short career as a bond trader but had always wanted to go to business school to connect a bunch of dots. You know, there were a lot of things that I was exposed to that I wanted to learn more about but just never had the time to do. And so, for me, business school was the opportunity to do that.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Everybody’s Got To Eat feat. Turner Hoff ‘13

Rice Business — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Turner Hoff grew up in a family of real estate entrepreneurs. When he was young, his goal was to work in construction like his father. After undergrad, he spent two years working with his father, redeveloping and flipping single-family homes in Houston, and joined Rice Business’ Full-Time MBA program in 2011, seeking a deeper understanding of real estate finance and professional experience in the field.

Shortly after leaving Rice and moving to D.C., Turner met Ariane Valle – his girlfriend and the co-founder of their food delivery service Vegetable and Butcher. They shared an interest in health and wellness, and a “food as medicine” philosophy. Vegetable and Butcher is celebrating their sixth year anniversary this year.

Turner joins host Maya Pomroy to talk about creating a company to solve his own frustrations in the food delivery space, vertical integration, and how the food tech space has developed over the years and through the pandemic.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Connecting and immersing yourself in community

25:32 - If you have some idea for the industry you want to be involved in, do everything you can to immerse yourself in that community. I've found that people are generally open to and genuinely enjoy being helpful to others. So just finding opportunities to connect and immerse yourself in a particular community. Rice and the business school do a great job teaching you what it means to network and different ways to go about it.

Being able to grow efficiently as a company

16:33 - The efficiency component came from raising very little capital, and it's forced us to be a very resourceful, scrappy team. And there are advantages and disadvantages to that. But it put us in a position of strength ultimately in the end because we've had to be exceptionally resourceful to get to where we are today.

Putting heavy emphasis on the product and experience

05:55 - In this market, it's not about being first to market but about getting the product and experience right, which is why we've placed such a heavy emphasis on it.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

His Passion for ALS Research Starts at Home feat. Daniel Barvin '18

Rice Business — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 04:00:00 -0500

During this year's alumni reunion Partio, we caught up with some alums right on campus. One of those alumni was Daniel Barvin ‘18.

Daniel has held many different roles, in both financial advising and oil and gas sectors, and eventually earned an MBA from Rice Business in 2018. But in December of that same year that he tested positive for the C9orf72 gene expansion, which means may develop ALS later in life. Daniel’s father, aunt, and uncle all have ALS.

In 2020, he began volunteering at I AM ALS, and also joined Coya Therapeutics, a clinical-stage cell therapy platform company developing first-in-class therapeutics for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases, where he is currently VP of operations and patient advocacy.

In this episode recorded in the Rice Alliance space in McNair Hall, Daniel chats with host Maya Pomroy '22 about his journey, his passion for ALS research, and building community and support online with others affected by this disease.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Changing the future of what it means to have ALS through Coya

27:20 - We are in this age where we all know someone who's dealt with a neurodegenerative disease… [27:32] And Coya is looking to change what that experience is, change what it means to be diagnosed with these diseases, and show that through Houston's effort, through Rice's effort, through all of our efforts, we can change the future of what it means to have this disease and have it not be a death sentence.

How I AM ALS helped launch the movement

18:01 - I AM ALS has the beauty of being patient-led, letting anyone who comes say, "We'll let you start a team. We'll provide resources in terms of team management." And that was just the perfect place for us to start this ferocious movement.

Empowering ALS patients with his story

11:34 - The silver lining was after we came back from vacation, I was asked to do a talk for a high school, helping explain my story after an ALS documentary was shown. And I went and spoke at Carnegie Vanguard High School in front of the entire student body—800 students—and told them the story of my life. And the connection was palpable. And I said, "This is it. This is what I need to be doing."

On being intentional about relationships

16:33 - What I said when I was doing the advocacy part, I said I'm going to make less ALS patients. I'm going to make better ALS patients because I think that if I eventually get this disease, The fact that I'm able to plan, prepare, connect, comprehend, you know, this entire life of advocacy, and then I eventually get it, my mindset will most likely be far different than someone who just has to live with it.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Giving Entrepreneurs the Tools to Change the World feat. Hesam Panahi, Taylor Anne Adams ‘23, and Delaney Berman ‘22

Rice Business — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 04:41:57 -0500

In another installment of Owl Have You Know’s Flight Path Series, where guests share their career journeys and Rice insights, we speak to three innovators connected to the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The Liu Idea Lab is a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation at Rice University. Its director of strategic innovations is Hesam Panahi, who has a Ph.D. in management information systems but found a passion for startups and making entrepreneurship more accessible to people.

Hesam is joined by two of his former students, who are running their own business ventures now. Taylor Anne Adams ‘23 got her B.A. in communications and film studies but soon realized her passion for venture capital. She ended up at Rice Business and took Hesam’s course, New Enterprise, which she says was the most valuable class she took because of his hands-on teaching approach. Taylor recently co-founded a venture capital fund that invests in sports tech and entertainment, with a focus on female founders.

Delaney Berman ‘22, CEO and co-founder of Berman Foods, left her job as a paralegal to pursue her passion for plant-based food, specifically cheese. At Rice, she was able to hone her idea and get the skills she needed to launch her company.

Host Maya Pomroy talks to the trio about their career journeys, how ideas get shaped at the Liu Idea Lab Lab, and what makes Houston’s startup culture unique.

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

The Lilie Lab is not just a hub it’s a space for entrepreneurs

[Hesam Panahi] 8:21 - I always say, especially to the undergrads, that when you walk down these sidewalks, someone might be wearing a Brown College shirt, or a Wiess College shirt, or whatever sort of residential college they're a part of, or you might recognize them from one of your classes, but it's really hard to know who is an entrepreneur, who's interested in entrepreneurship. And so, what this physical space is designed to do is be that hub for that as well, right? So, it's not just the class; it's not just the co-curricular; it's all of that infrastructure that gives people the time and space to explore this.

An important lesson from Hesam

[Taylor Anne Adams] 42:08 - The biggest lesson I've learned and what I continue to use every day, and what I say to founders all the time, is to just test it. Test it and see what happens. And you aren't going to know unless you do that. So not letting perfect be the enemy of good.

On being a tool to help entrepreneurs

[Taylor Anne Adams] 11:45 - I'm very bullish about entrepreneurship and about entrepreneurs in general. I believe they have the capacity to change the world, given the right tools and resources. They can and will. So I want to be one of those tools and resources.

Show Links:

Guests Profiles:

Failing Forward feat. Ben Clemenceau '21

Rice Business — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 04:00:00 -0500

In another installment of our live Owl Have You Know recording series, we invited Ben Clemenceau ‘21 back to McNair Hall to discuss his career in market research, and how earning his MBA at Rice catapulted his pivot into consulting.

In December of 2022, Ben received an accelerated promotion from senior strategy consultant to business strategy manager at Accenture.

When he reflects on his time at Rice, the standout classes for him were Professor Haiyang Li’s strategy courses. Those courses inspired him to join Accenture post-MBA and prepared him to make an impact. Since joining Accenture, he has worked on several projects, including digital transformation, growth strategy, commercial strategy, and mergers and acquisitions projects. He also mentors Rice MBAs and students from his high school and alma mater, Millsaps College.

Ben joins host Maya Pomroy to discuss their shared love of racing cars, what makes Rice different from other MBA programs, his family connection to France (he's a dual citizen), why giving back to Houston is so important to him and the work of finding and being a mentor.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On the importance of mentorship

26:18 - I find mentors everywhere. I look for mentors everywhere, and I think that, in the pursuit of a well-rounded life, you have to find mentors to help you in each of those different areas. And sometimes you find mentors that are so impressive and incredible that they will impact multiple areas of your life. And in other cases, they really do specialize, and they show you the path to walk for some specific thing.

The value of community

16:33 - Community is everything, and the community is only as strong as the effort that its members put into it. And so it's very valuable to get involved in those organizations in whatever capacity you can.

On pivoting career path and going to Rice for MBA

18:39 - It was great to be able to join the program and think to myself. I'm free to make mistakes. This is a space in which I can experiment with new career paths and new curricula.

When is the right time to go to Rice?

39:53 - Are you seeking meaningful, disruptive change to where you are? Whether that's a measurable jump in, the subject area knowledge that you've got to be better at what you're doing, or whether you're looking at recruiting into something completely new, whatever that is, it's a very positive shock to whatever you've got going on. The status quo does not survive the MBA. And if that resonates with you, then you're at that spot. You're at that right moment where it's right.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Other Links:

When War Broke Out, This Alum Flew Straight to Ukraine feat. Radu Filip ‘08

Rice Business — Wed, 24 May 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Many of us watch developments in the war in Ukraine on TV, and we get updates on Twitter. But for Radu Filip, who grew up behind the iron curtain in Romania, the conflict resonates deeper. So much so that he boarded a plane in late December 2022 to head into the war zone and help with relief efforts near Kharkiv with the nonprofit Elevate Ukraine.

Radu immigrated to the U.S. in 2005, and soon after attended Rice Business for his MBA, graduating in 2008. During his time at Rice, he was awarded the Jones Citizen Award for excellence and co-founded the Houston chapter of the Women’s Masters Network.

Radu sits down with host Maya Pomroy to talk about what draws him to his boots-on-the-ground efforts in Ukraine, the culture shock and challenges of being an international student, pivoting his career from IT to corporate finance and his goals for the year ahead.

Episode Quotes:

On choosing to help even if there’s risk

12:34: Yes, there is a risk. There is a possibility that fate may be not good for us today, but we're not afraid. And that kind of bravery and defiance. And the result, again, motivated me to say, "Look, if they're not afraid, you should not be afraid, either. Be among them." I'm experiencing what they're experiencing. And communication back home every day was a key. My family, my friends, knew that I wanted to help, knew about my desire, and they all supported me. I could not have done this all without the support of my family and close friends.

How MBA allowed pivot in Radu’s career

29:51: Everybody's career is different. In my case, the MBA was the hinge; it was the people that allowed me to move from a pure IT field to the world of corporate finance.

On his personal goals

36:17: My primary goal is to continue to grow and acquire experience at SLB. With the work I'm doing, taking up more responsibilities, and working on significant projects and programs that advance the company's performance, that advance the company on this road towards energy innovation. So career-wise, obviously, the second objective I have is to continue to help and find more ways to help the people of Ukraine through Elevated Ukraine, a nonprofit I serve. And third, is also manage to have time for my family, be around my family, my kids, and help them grow.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Other Links

Women’s Masters Network

A Former Fourth-Grade Teacher Is Working To Ease Your Migraines feat. Jillian Levovitz Fink ‘17

Rice Business — Wed, 10 May 2023 04:00:00 -0500

When she joined Rice Business in 2017, Jillian Fink was in the process of founding OcciGuide, the first device used in the emergency care setting to treat migraines, a neurological condition that disproportionately impacts women.

In her role as CEO, Jillian navigated the complexities of the healthcare system to get her medical device approved by the FDA, including designing clinical trials using real-world data, navigating U.S. healthcare treatment paradigms, and developing creative strategies to commercialize the device during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this episode, the healthcare entrepreneur joins host Maya Pomroy to share her story of pivoting from elementary education to co-founding and leading a medical device startup company. She talks about her unconventional path, her advice to those considering a pivot in entrepreneurship, and how she invests her time in giving back to the community.

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On understanding the value of listening

08:40: [Maya] Was OcciGuide something that was already on the horizon for you? Or, is this something that developed while you were in school? [Jillian] It was very, very, very early; we'd been talking about the potential for it. And then there were actually some of our professors at Rice, or my professors at Rice, who thought it was interesting. And there's a tech entrepreneurship class, or was when I was there, that we got to run it through the class and do some of that really early market research, Lean Canvas development, or whatnot. I got to work with my classmates on it, which was great because I had so many smart classmates, and all of their contributions were just so fun and helpful to be able to partner with them. And then it grew from there.

An advice for women entrepreneurs

17:08: With everything in business or life, finding mentors and people who can be a resource to help you answer questions and also have already identified pathways is so important. There are amazing women out there to find that can provide that support, but there are also men who can also provide that support, and that shouldn't be overlooked.

On understanding the value of listening

17:08: It's so important to listen and not get caught up in getting your message out there, regardless of what other people are saying, but actually to hear what people are saying and respond accordingly, in that non-emotional, non-angry way, but just to have that dialogue, and people will respond to that.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Jillian LinkedIn

Other Links:

The Tools For Strong Leadership Are Right In Front of You. feat. Ruth Oh Reitmeier and Brent Smith

Rice Business — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 04:00:00 -0500

We’re back with another live edition of Owl Have You Know! And this time, we welcomed two leadership experts to the show, Ruth Reitmeier, director of coaching at Rice Business, and Brent Smith, the senior associate dean for executive education and associate professor of management and psychology at Rice Business.

Certain topics, like cryptocurrency, AI, political polarization, and Jennifer Coolidge's comeback, speak to the cultural zeitgeist. They characterize moments in time. But the topic of leadership, and what it takes to be an impactful leader, is endlessly relevant and fascinating. We all have the potential to be trailblazers in our lives and careers.

Listen as host Scott Gale sits down with Ruth & Brent to discuss their cutting-edge insights on the science of leader development, managing zillennials, and what we’ve learned post COVID-19.

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

What are millennials looking for in a leader?

31:51 [Ruth] Leadership coaching is built on several things, like empathy, human connection, authenticity, vulnerability, and intellectual humility. If you can embody a coach-like approach as a leader and bring those things to work, you're going to inspire people. You're going to connect with people. That is what zillennials are looking for.

Coaching helps you unlock your potential

02:49 [Ruth] Coaching is one of those evidence-based practices. We know that it's effective. We know that it helps build your leader identity and that a personalized approach can help unlock your potential as leaders.

A leader should be a doer

6:14 [Brent] Leaders need to be very thoughtful about the context that they're in and let that be the guide to what kind of leader they should be, rather than trying to look for a magic answer that might be out there.

The positive effect of pandemic on workplace

33:56 [Brent] If there's been a positive outcome in the world of work for the pandemic, I think what maybe it has been is creating an environment where there's less stigma attached to work, workplace well-being issues, where there's a forum now where people can have a conversation that's meaningful about the amount of stress that they're experiencing, how job demands can be extraordinarily excessive, the compromises that job demands create, you know, and all of those kinds of things.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Human Moments Are Not Always Pretty feat. Dan Purvis ‘05

Rice Business — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Dan Purvis says his passion for working for himself started in junior high when he began selling pieces of gum to classmates. Six companies later, it is safe to say Dan is a certified serial entrepreneur.

Dan graduated with honors in electrical engineering and an undergraduate fellowship from Texas A&M and was a Jones Scholar at Rice Business, where he earned an EMBA in 2005. His career began at National Instruments in the upper Midwest. After returning to his hometown Houston, he began building a division for his new employer. After his third successful sale, he co-founded Velentium in 2012, which took over as his full-time job.

Velentium is a professional engineering firm specializing in end-to-end support for designing and producing therapeutic and diagnostic active medical devices, intelligent products, and automated test systems for the medical, energy, and manufacturing industries. And in 2020, Velentium faced an unprecedented ask: partner with a small medical device company and a very large vehicle manufacturer to increase emergency ventilator production from hundreds per month to thousands per week—in just 28 days.

Dan shares with host Scott Gale ‘19 the risks he took early in his career to get him to the level of success he is at now, the importance of “work/life fit” and the incredible story of how Velentium became a major player in ventilator production in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more about Rice Business’ #1 entrepreneurship ranking four years in a row in Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine.

Episode Quotes:

At the end of the day we are all just humans

30:11 - In competitive environments, somebody wins the bid, and somebody loses the bid. But then, when we get back to our humanity, we are all equal. We share this ball we live on. Right? And so, remembering to be empathetic, remembering to celebrate life events, remembering to look people in the eyes and remember things about them, remembering to be human, and not allowing even the busyness of a pandemic response, the ventilator project, to get in the way of that, I believe is really important.

Getting people involved in volunteering

03:34 - If you're thinking about going to Rice or just on your way towards graduation, you're going to have many moments in your career where you have the opportunity to step in, raise your hand, volunteer, and say, "That's me."

The origin story of Velentium

16:22 - The origin story of Velentium was not about running from something; it was about pursuing something. I had a dream of something greater, just something great. And so the idea that I could be at the helm of a culture-forward, family-first, unbelievably fast, highly technical organization. That was my dream.

On having valuable connections at Rice

09:33 - There's just an esprit de corps. There's a level of excellence. There's a level of connection within this town to the extent that you want to be a Houston business person. If you have a Rice MBA, you are connected to a very elite group of people that you can call colleagues and classmates. Certainly, fellow alum. And so, there's just a camaraderie at Rice that I enjoyed. But, deeper than that, there was a connection with the people of Rice that was really valuable for me.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Taking DEI Into the Future feat. Amanda Stewart ‘08

Rice Business — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0500

These days, you don't often find someone who's been with their job for maybe 5 or 10 years. Well, Amanda Stewart has been at Constellation for 15 years now and is still committed to helping the company grow.

Amanda earned a BBA from UT Austin in 2002, with a concentration in marketing, and an MBA from Rice Business in 2008. She is the vice president of retail operations for Constellation, the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free energy and a leading competitive retail supplier of power and energy products and services for homes and businesses across the U.S.

She sits down with host Scott Gale ‘19 to chat about the benefits of getting an MBA at a smaller school, what has kept her working with passion at Constellation for 15 years, and how her Japanese-American background and the internment camps of WWII are a central part of her family’s history and her commitment to DEI work.

Episode Quotes:

The value of working together

18:19 - If we understand how to work together better, we will deliver better results for the organization. We can become a high-performing team that delivers for the organization because we've created an environment where everybody's voice matters. You have a totally different experience than mine. If I learn from your experiences and then use that when we sit around a table to solve a problem, we'll come up with a better answer.

How her grandparents played an essential role in her passion for DEI

16:16 - The real story behind my passion for DEI comes right back to my grandparents. They had very high and very hopeful expectations. They believe that freedom, basic human rights, happiness, and a little success for our families was not only possible but probable for generations to come. And so, really, when I think about my DEI work and the work we still have left to do, I'm really motivated to do right by them and everything that they did for us.

What does inclusion look like

23:46 - That's what inclusion looks like. We hear different perspectives, and we understand them. We might not agree with them, but we embrace them, and we listen.

Leading an organization by embracing DEI

13:41 - As a leader in a huge organization, I feel a strong sense of accountability for creating a culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion.

It’s impossible to not fall in love with the Rice community

03:12 - It's impossible not to fall in love with the Rice campus, the Rice community, and the business school. And that was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made in my career: to come back to Houston to do the full-time program at Rice. It was exactly what I needed at that point in my career. Where I wasn't really very specific about what I needed. I just knew it was something different, something original and unique, and I needed a little refresh at that point.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Amanda Stewart on LinkedIn

Encore Episode of The Index - Unmarketing: A Guide To Not Buying Anything

Rice Business — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 05:54:59 -0500

Every March, South By Southwest brings together innovators, changemakers, and leaders from all over the world to Texas.

To celebrate, this month we are revisiting episodes from The Index, a podcast collaboration between Texas Monthly and Rice Business at the 2019 South by Southwest festival, where the two entities co-hosted a pop-up experience in an Austin storefront.

We sat down with Professor Utpal Dholakia in episode 5 of our series. He is a marketing expert who encourages people to buy and consume prudently to maximize pleasure.

You can find more episodes of The Index coming up in this feed opposite weeks of our regular episodes of Owl Have You Know, or find them on our website.

The Value of a Kind and Collaborative Community feat. Joanna Nathan ‘19

Rice Business — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Joanna Nathan has been pretty busy since earning her MBA 2019. A biomedical engineer by trade, visionary, and serial entrepreneur, Joanna most recently became the CEO of Prana Thoracic, a Houston-based medical device startup dedicated to developing solutions for the detection and intervention of early-stage lung cancer.

She was formerly the manager of new ventures at the Johnson & Johnson Center for Device Innovation at Texas Medical Center (CDI @ TMC). And before joining J&J, Joanna was a venture fellow at Mercury Fund, a $300M venture capital fund focused on early-stage enterprise software.

Joanna joins with host Maya Pomroy '22 to share her career journey, passion for healthcare, deep connection to Rice, and how the heartbreaking loss of her young son serves as inspiration to continue her work in finding groundbreaking medical technologies to help others.

Episode Quotes:

Building the right skill set through Rice

07:25 - Innovation is very complex because the body is extremely complex. And biology is extremely complex. And taking the scientists and engineers and working with them on their incredible innovation, and then translating that into the business world, both in terms of telling the story of those technologies but also building the strategy around actually getting those technologies to the market and the patient. So that's why I wanted to find that skill set, and I thought Rice would be a great place to do that, particularly because of its entrepreneurial focus. And I came back specifically to build out all of those pieces. So storytelling, strategy, learning the investor mindset because I'd mostly been on the entrepreneur side of the table at that time.

On her transition from biomedical engineering to entrepreneurship

08:08 - I realized that I had an interest in developing this very particular skill set, which is building and telling the stories of technologies that could save lives.

On finding friends & community at Rice

08:08 - When I started at Rice Business, I'd already been in Houston for about a decade and I thought all of my friend slots were full, and I didn't need any new friends or community. But I ended up finding this incredible community of leaders that really served as a sounding board, and continue to serve as a sounding board for me, both for work and work issues and life.

Advice to new entrepreneurs:

15:04 - Of course there's a balance there, but you don't have to have everything neatly tied up in a little bow at every board meeting.

On preserving her son’s memory through her work:

22:17 - I think that whole experience, it's pushed me. Losing Lionel has pushed me to love harder, to lean into joy, to experience life to its fullest just like my kid, and to be a little wild like my kid as well.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Joanna Nathan on LinkedIn

Encore Episode of The Index - The Strangely Immovable Economics Of Live Performance

Rice Business — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0600

Every March, South By Southwest brings together innovators, changemakers, and leaders from all over the world to Texas.

In the first episode of this series, we’ll hear a conversation with Dean Peter Rodriguez on his research into what live performance reveals about our economic future.

You can find more episodes of The Index coming up in this feed opposite weeks of our regular episodes of Owl Have You Know, or find them on our website.

Your Biggest Competitive Advantage Is Your Authentic Self feat. Takeya Green ‘22

Rice Business — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0600

From the moment Takeya Green stepped off the plane to visit Rice, she knew Houston was the city for her. The Chicago native earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. After getting her undergraduate degree in 2014, she joined Dow, in Freeport, TX, as a lead production engineer. She then joined Olin as a site logistics engineer in 2017, where she led an operations team of 40+ people.

After graduating in 2022, Takeya joined Citi as an investment banking associate in Houston, Texas. She works for the oil and gas and clean energy sectors.

With our host Scott Gale ‘19, Takeya shares her incredible journey from the chemical engineering lecture halls of a top-ranked program to the control rooms of world-scale chemical manufacturing facilities and from NRG Stadium cheering for the Houston Texans to now an investment banking career focused on clean energy.

She also reflects on being a Black woman in the STEM fields and overcoming the challenges placed in front of her, to being honored this year by the Texas Business Hall of Fame as a local leader.

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On being your authentic self

23:55 - I really firmly believe your biggest competitive advantage is your authentic self because people are not okay with being themselves...it's such a freeing experience, and not everyone gets to experience it because people are really scared to be themselves. They are afraid of whatever consequences they've built up in their head. And so that is my motto, like, just be yourself. You're enough.

Your authentic self is your superpower

21:45 - Your biggest competitive advantage is your authentic self. Nobody can be you. That is your superpower.

On winning an award from the Texas Business Hall of Fame

37:34 - Going there to be around a caliber of people that I never thought I would ever, I wouldn't say I never thought I'd be around, but to actually be 31 years of age and have that much access to millionaires and billionaires of Texas? And be able to have that opportunity is phenomenal. This is why I say I, I feel like I was supposed to be living here in Houston.

On living in Houston

03:47 - I ended up doing Dow because I wanted to live in Houston. Houston has always been a city that, out of all the cities I ever went to, I just felt like I was supposed to be here.

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

Takeya Green on LinkedIn

A Scholar of Scandal feat. Professor Anastasiya Zavyalova

Rice Business — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0600

They say all you have in business is your reputation. But in today's rapidly evolving world with social media lending everyone a microphone, who truly controls it?

On Monday, October 24th, 2022, we hosted our first live podcast taping at Rice Business with host Maya Pomroy ‘22, and Rice Business Associate Professor of Strategic Management, Anastasiya Zavyalova.

Anastasiya is an associate professor of strategic management at Rice Business and an International Research Fellow at the Oxford University Center for Corporate Reputation. Anastasiya’s research focuses on socially responsible and irresponsible organizational actions that build, damage, and restore social approval assets, like reputation and celebrity.

During this conversation, we dive into Anastasiya’s research on reputation management, how social media changed the landscape of the field, how that relates to the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as her hopes for the future.

Episode Quotes:

How long is a person's social memory in a crisis?

24:00: With social media, there are two dynamics going in different directions. So, on one hand, our attention span becomes shorter. Like, what happened yesterday? We forget because there's so many more shiny and bright things happening right now. Like you want to be constantly on point, you have to do so much more just to catch up. So that's one thing: attention span may be shorter, but on the other hand, with social media, everything you've posted stays with you forever on the web.

The difference between identity and reputation

39:38: Identity is what internal stakeholders think about who we are as an organization. Reputation is what external stakeholders think about the company. And if there is a mismatch, that's a good recipe for disaster.

On cultural level approach

06:17: So the US seems a much more positive country and culture. So when I teach certain concepts in my class, I come from a positive angle, like look at the success stories. This is what you should do, how they tackled it, and how they came out of a crisis. I think if I were, for instance, teaching this in Russia or another less positive culture, so to speak, things would be like, "Well, what did they do wrong?" Tell me what I should not do. And part of it is that there are certain cultural differences.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Professional Profile at Rice University
Anastasiya Zavyalova on LinkedIn

Banking in the Bay Area feat. Danielle Conkling ‘09

Rice Business — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0600

While most high school graduates spend the summer hanging out with friends or working at local amusement parks, Danielle Conkling was interning in downtown San Francisco with the PR and events team at Robertson Stephens. And she’s been working in the banking industry ever since.

Danielle is the director of corporate social responsibility and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and serves as the ESG program lead for Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). Her unique role at SVB combines her passion for giving back to the community with her extensive experience in advising entrepreneurs and leaders in the innovation economy. Based in Menlo Park, California, her leadership of ESG efforts advances the sustainability and ethical impact of the company’s investments and operations.

Giving back both on and off the job, Danielle is a regional board advisory member of BUILD, which provides entrepreneurial experience to young people in under-resourced communities, and of Girls Leadership, a nonprofit organization whose workshops and training programs equip young girls to develop the power of their voices.

She chats with host Scott Gale ‘19 discuss her start in the world of finance and banking, getting acclimated to Houston and its weather as an out-of-towner, the future of ESG, and her travels with her family.

Episode Quotes:

Reducing costs and creating efficiencies through ESG investments

31:21 - The investments in ESG actually allow companies to also reduce costs and create efficiencies over time. But again, that takes time. And a lot of it's new. So, there's that time that you need to kind of build it and then roll out and implement a lot of this work. And then, to realize the benefits also takes time. You know, I think most companies are just beginning that work right now.

On what she really learned at Rice

15:37 - I learned a lot about how to think and how to develop leadership skills and strategies in business beyond the more tactical work that you do. I realized that so much of the MBA program for me was really learning from my friends and my professors.

Maintaining friendships with cohort for years after leaving

14:56 - When we graduated, having those relationships where we all went off and reconnecting, how many years later and still having that commonality and that relationship to one another, and really those memories is, I think it's really special. For me, that's really what I got out of it.

On being pregnant in the final months of her program

18:58 - I was able to graduate. And my son, who's now 13 and a half, was able to be there for my Rice graduation. I don't know if that makes him like an honorary owl or something, but he was in my belly and my classmates and my professors were so amazing about the whole thing.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Danielle Conkling on LinkedIn

Taking Classes in 12 Different Cities feat. Mike Narvaez ‘20

Rice Business — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 04:00:00 -0600

Mike Narvaez describes himself as a “husband, father, manager, student and volunteer trying to make more right decisions than wrong.”

Right out of undergrad, Mike was a system safety engineer at the GHG Corporation, identifying hazards affecting the International Space Station (ISS) and astronauts by providing real-time support at Mission Control. He spent time as a manager of safety and risk at Sysco in 1999 after that, and eventually joined BP where he is currently a workplace services manager for the U.S. and Canada, driving the implementation, execution and monitoring of bp workplace operations.

This Houston native sits down with host Maya Pomroy ’22 to talk about how his son pushed him to get his MBA, maintaining connections with his cohort even though he did the online MBA program, and being a lifelong learner.

Episode Quotes:

What Mike wanted from an MBA program

22:21 - I really wanted to learn from the other people in the program. And so the more diverse that is, whether that's something as simple as geography, it certainly makes the program more enriching for me because I learned just as much from my fellow students, as I did from my professors.

The soft side of time management

31:25 - Understanding who you are, your values, and what you prioritize. That's the soft side of time management that most people don't think about, but it plays a huge part.

With online MBA, cohort was all over the world

21:40 - We had a Naval officer that was stationed in San Diego at the time that was on my cohort. We had people that were on the East Coast, the West Coast, people like me that went to Texas A and M that were in a whole other state. And so it was fun to have that connection of somebody that went to school, but was often another part of the world or another part of the industry.

33:23 - I wouldn't say there's a job in particular that I'm really after, I'm just kind of after the challenge.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

Mike Narvaez on LinkedIn

Generations of Rice Grads feat. Chuck Yates ‘94

Rice Business — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 04:00:00 -0600

From grandparents to parents, brothers and uncles, it seems like almost everyone in the Yates family has attended Rice, some even multiple times! That includes our guest today Chuck Yates, who earned a B.A. in political science from Rice in 1991, graduating magna cum laude, and later returned to earn his MBA from Rice in 1994.

Chuck Yates is an investor and former managing partner at Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, as well as the host of the Chuck Yates Needs a Job podcast.

He is a self-proclaimed “dysfunctional life coach who’s had enough therapy to quote Brene Brown chapter and verse,” pivoting to creating and hosting a podcast after being publicly fired from Kayne Anderson, when the firm consolidated its energy teams.

Chuck sits down with host Scott Gale at the Digital Wildcatters Podcasting Studio right here in Houston to talk about his long-standing ties to Rice, pursuing a career in investment banking, his connections to Nashville and the music industry, and his hopes for rebranding the energy industry.

Episode Quotes:

Advice from Dr. Zeff in Accounting at Rice

33:11 - Zeff would do this thing where you'd sit and talk and it would be, “What do you want to do in your career?” Oh, I want to be an investment banker, management consultant, whatever. And Zeff would go, “Oh, that's great.” And kind of bait you into some conversation.

Then Zeff would go, “Hey, If you won the lottery tomorrow and you had $200 million, what would you go do then?” And just kind of bait you along on your story. And inevitably your story was not, I want to be a banker, you know, or I want to be a management consultant. It was, I'd go join the Peace Corps, I'd do all that, and Zeff would get you all you jazzed up about whatever you're saying when you have all the money in the world and then Zeff would go, “Why do you need money to do that? I've never seen you that excited in your life.”

The Rice student body

04:30 - The collection of intelligence that I was surrounded with at Rice, far and away, the greatest amount of intelligence I've ever been surrounded by.

Changing the narratives about the energy industry

39:23 - 75% of that in terms of just getting the narrative back is convincing people we're human, so don't print up the “Freeze a Yankee” bumper sticker when they have high energy prices. And it's okay to have an Instagram page where you go out to the oil field and just say, man, here's a drill bed, and isint it kind of cool? It's amazing how close we actually are to being able to change the narrative.

Life after getting fired

31:28 - I've read all of Brene Brown's stuff, but I think the key thing she finds in her research is, do we feel worthy? And when we don't feel worthy, that's ultimately our bad behavior. We drink too much, we do this, we do that. We yell, scream, all that good stuff. And so, figuring out why you should feel worthy is something I think individuals just have to do. Mine kind of came with a reconnection back with God.

Breaking into investment banking:

23:26 - So convince 'em that you're ready to work. Convince 'em that it's okay that half your work gets thrown in the garbage can. Just the nature of the beast. And third, go find yourself an advocate who can really pound the table for you in there.

Show Links:

Transcript

Guest Profile:

What Is My Purpose Here? feat. Mike Dey ‘20

Rice Business — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 04:00:00 -0600

Growing up, Mike Dey had a passion for planes. So it was only fitting that when he got older, he would pursue a career doing what he was good at (mechanics) in the field he loved (aerospace engineering).

Mike is a Houston native and Rice Business Class of 2020 online MBA graduate. He received a BS in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder and began his career as an engineer for flight crew operations integration at Boeing in 1996.

Mike initially wanted to get an MBA to advance his existing corporate career by adding business tools and knowledge to his engineering background, but Rice Business exposed him to the concept of entrepreneurship through acquisition, inspiring him to pivot to business ownership. He is now based in Seattle and is the president and owner of American Spray Technologies, a manufacturing company that invents and manufactures drywall texture spraying technology.

He talks with host Maya Pomroy about building a cohort community in the online MBA program, how flight communications have changed during his career in the industry, and the importance of networking and connections.

Episode Quotes:

How the Rice MBA program prompted Mike to make a big change

14:20 - I kind of felt like my skillset was locking me into my career in some ways. I knew I was good at a lot of things. I liked coaching and mentoring, you know, I'm good at problem solving. But I wasn't sure that I could pivot out of that industry into something totally different. And so, a number of the classes in the MBA program were expanding my thinking there, but then when I got to Enterprise Acquisition, it was – a light bulb went off.

On pivoting to a new career path

21:08 - How do you do something you've never done before? Well, you just do it. You just start. You get advice. You follow people, find people you admire who have done things like that, and learn what they did.

What Mike liked about the online MBA option

07:43 - What most impressed me was how well, even over Zoom, those connections were formed among my cohort. Working on group projects remotely and spending the time together in class, it really was amazing how well everybody was connected.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Mike Dey on LinkedIn

Hard Work and Flexibility Lead To Success feat. Natalie Smith ‘17

Rice Business — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 04:00:00 -0600

When Natalie Smith first came to Rice as a full-time MBA student, she was under the impression that she would end up being an investment banker. But through her time in the program, and learning from different perspectives, she found a new calling in mergers & acquisitions.

After graduating in 2017, Natalie joined EY as a senior consultant for transaction advisory services, progressing to director, before becoming the senior director of mergers and acquisitions strategy and operations for EY-Parthenon.

She sits down with host Scott Gale ‘19 to discuss her early years working offshore with bp, her dreams of reaching the C-suite in the oil industry, working and living in China, and starting her own clothing business, Sisterly Village.

Episode Quotes:

Why she chose Rice

07:50 - In order to study for my MBA, I knew that it would need to be local. And so, Rice, to me, is the top school here. It was a no brainer for me. They're phenomenal when it comes to finance and entrepreneurship. They have a wonderful department. They have a strong network not only here in Texas, but nationally. And, that's what I wanted to be able to walk away with.

Favorite things about Houston

26:24 - Houston is a very busy place. I like the Southern hospitality aspect, the ability to meet so many different people.

The pivot from investment banking to consultant

10:42 - I didn't foresee myself ever becoming a consultant. And it's amazing that I've pivoted to consulting and made a full career out of it.

Challenges working in M&A

17:55 - I'd say the critical challenge is the fact that this is a people business. And so there are multiple personalities, and there are multiple agendas when it comes to transactions and ensuring that our clients win You want your client to win. You want them to know that the advice that we're providing them is trustworthy as well as credible.

More great things about Rice

27:55 - We're known for small cohorts. So the relationships that you build are a lot stronger. You know everybody and everybody knows you very well, and you’re family. Many of my classmates, they've looked after my children and we still hang out to this very day, and help each other with our careers as well.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Natalie Smith on LinkedIn

Transforming Tragedy Into Something Remarkable feat. Jackie Pham ‘21

Rice Business — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 04:00:00 -0600

It was Jackie’s kids who finally got her to pursue her MBA. She realized she was at a loss for how to explain what she did for a living to her kids, when their friends could easily describe how their parents were teachers, or worked at Target. It was time for her to pursue something different in her career.

Jackie earned her MBA from Rice Business, graduating in 2021. But tragically, during her time in the program, she lost her three children and mother in a house fire during the Houston freeze in February of 2021.

But resilience is deep in Jackie’s bones, having been raised by Vietnamese immigrants who fled Vietnam in 1979. Jackie was born in a refugee camp in Malaysia, where her parents were rescued after being found adrift in the South China Sea.

In this episode, Jackie dives deep with host Maya Pomroy (‘21) talking about her career path, carrying on the memory of her 3 children Colette, Edison and Olivia, and transforming the lowest points of her story into hope and action through the CEO Foundation, which supports initiatives that closely align with her core values of education, arts, health, wellness, and environmental and social impact for the children of Sugar Land, TX and beyond.

Episode Quotes:

Promoting positive environmental & social impact through the CEO Foundation

20:41: I came to the realization that why not continue to double down on things like education, right? And why not promote positive environmental and social impacts, especially among kids? Certainly, in my upbringing, I didn't learn enough about that kind of stuff. And so, I think the more we're able to expose kids to some of these things at a younger age, it'll help shape them as tomorrow's leaders, innovators, and change-makers.

The MBA program as a shared experience

25:53 - The MBA experience was as much mine as it was my kids because I needed them to be flexible about certain things. When it came to every other weekend when I had to be in class, they were genuinely excited for me. And that fueled me as well.

Inspiration for pursuing MBA

07:48 - At one point I realized, I was kind of at a loss for words when it came to telling my kids what I did for a living. The concept of payments and financial services is just way too abstract and really lame to kids. And I envied, honestly, the parents who could easily convey the value of their contribution as like police officers or teachers, or even like, so-and-so's mom, who's a director at Target.

Why she started the CEO Foundation

22:57 - Is it really, am I really being responsible with those funds? And, I kind of just wanted to do right by everyone's kindness. But eventually I think I realized, I came to the realization that, why not continue to double down on things like education.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Pushing Boundaries feat. Jeffrey Moseley ‘21

Rice Business — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 04:00:00 -0500

During the pandemic, the hybrid MBA model wasn’t considered hybrid anymore, it became the normal way to work and learn. While Jeffrey Moseley ‘21 was in Rice Business’ online MBA program, he was also living in Santiago, Chile, balancing a full-time job, two kids with cabin fever and coursework.

Jeff took on his current role of strategy and operations manager for the U.S. Department of Defense in Santiago, Chile in March of 2020.

Jeffrey obtained his MBA from Rice Business in 2021 through the online MBA program, with a focus on corporate strategy, marketing and brand strategy. He is a Young Alumni Ambassador and is helping design a Global Field Experience (GFE) for Rice Business.

He chats with host Scott Gale ‘19 about joining the Army, what he gained there that he couldn’t find from the traditional undergrad experience, being stationed in Russia and his passion for international work and travel.

Episode Quotes:

On being in the military

05:19 - That's kind of the goal is to break you down and build you back up and make you comfortable being uncomfortable and comfortable with those things that you never would've considered yourself capable of doing in a previous life.

On living abroad

12:13 - There's only so much of a culture that you can really understand through tourism. You can spend a week or two, you can see some things and it's eye opening and everyone should travel. Everyone should travel the world, but living there takes it to a different level. You see more of the underbelly, you see more of the good and the bad. You start to see the people for who they really are.

The beauty of the Rice program

30:53 - The beauty of the Rice program is that it's intentionally small. And I love that about it. You can't have a cohort of 200 people or 300 people and develop those relationships in an online format that you can get at Rice.

Building community through cohorts

38:37 - That's kind of one of the things that I think Rice carries forward is when that Rice alumni or that Rice student calls, you answer. And you don't get that in other programs, those relationships are built, that network transcends your cohort in your class, into cohorts past and present.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Jeffrey Moseley on LinkedIn

A Self-Proclaimed Sustainability Nerd feat. Lauren Miller ‘14

Rice Business — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Lauren Miller started her first business as a student at Rice, and she hasn't slown down since! While getting her MBA at Rice Business, Lauren started and led a venture-funded company named A-76 Technologies (later relaunched as Aidant Brands) with a teammate (Tim Aramil) from a Technology Entrepreneurship course. After developing a business and commercialization plan for A-76, the company came in second at the Rice Business Plan Competition in 2014 and traveled to top competitions around the world.

Lauren was also listed on the 2015 Forbes “30 Under 30” in the energy category and has been featured in numerous local, national and international media.

She talks in this episode with host Maya Pomroy about growing up in a family of entrepreneurs & Texas ranchers, sustaining long term Rice connections, her latest venture as a new mom, and some of the roughest lessons she learn in her early days of starting a company.

Episode Quotes:

There is a lot of power in crazy ideas

17:34 - Everybody is looking at climate solutions at these huge technology-based solutions. And here we are, going, "You know what? Let's just give cows grass. Let's just move them the way they should be moved." And it's so funny because it sounds insane when you're telling people in the industry, but it's so effective. It improves profitability. It improves biodiversity. It improves the water systems, as I mentioned. And then they can make money off it, too.

On being a female entrepreneur

25:50 - There are so many investors now who recognize the benefits of women entrepreneurs because of how hard working we are and we can really get things done.

How growing up on a ranch influenced her career choices

13:23 - You really see the impacts of the environmental changes and what that means. And when those occur, you see what that impact is on the towns nearby too. So when there are huge droughts, heat waves, et cetera, you're seeing that first hand because you're actually looking at the land every day.

The importance of having a support system as an entrepreneur

20:01- It's so important not to get completely lost in your business and to have people who are still supporting you, so that when you are in a tough time like that, there are others you can rely on. You're not just sitting there, stressed, alone, crying out by yourself, going, you know, what's going on? You have folks you can lean on.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Professional Profile at Sharks In Heels
Lauren Miller on LinkedIn

At the Forefront of Female Health feat. Caroline Goodner ’92

Rice Business — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Caroline Goodner is truly the intersection of her parents. Growing up, her father was a geneticist and her mother was an entrepreneur. Now, Caroline is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and led multiple companies in the healthcare space.

She is the co-founder and CEO of OrganiCare, a startup company that provides highly effective, all-natural, over-the-counter healthcare products to consumers, including a range of first aid, oral care and feminine care products.

Before founding OrganiCare, she was the CEO of UpSpring Baby, a growth-stage consumer products company that focuses on the health, safety and wellness of mothers and babies. In 2005, Caroline also founded MendelWorks, a mouse genotyping laboratory that served the scientific research community.

Caroline joins one of our new Owl Have You Know hosts Maya Pomroy in this episode, and takes us through the genesis of her companies, the importance of a network when launching your business, pivoting to women centric products, and their shared appreciation for Rice Business professor & mentor Al Danto.

Episode Quotes:

Advice for early entrepreneurs

18:13 - Get a peer group. Find some other entrepreneurs, women or men, to surround yourself with, to share stories, to talk through problems.

How modern women's healthcare has grown

21:02 - There's amazing statistics out there on how clinical studies didn't include women until the seventies. All the kind of studies that were ever done were, were really male focused. And so now we're hopefully getting more and more attention on women's health. And so companies like ours that are trying to help women in that way, it feels good.

On working in women & vaginal centered products

24:17 - I would say, if you can find a technology that you think can make a real difference, not just like a tweak of a difference, but a real fundamental difference in the way a consumer handles their healthcare, that’s something to really pay attention to.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Professional Profile at Beyond Batten Disease Foundation
Caroline Goodner on LinkedIn
Caroline Goodner on Twitter
OrganiCare

Creating Resources for Resiliency feat. Pierre Aristide ‘22

Rice Business — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 09:00:00 -0500

Starting an MBA program in the middle of a global pandemic is difficult already. But when Pierre Aristide was diagnosed with cancer during his program, the flexibility and remote options offered to him made it possible to graduate on time with the rest of his cohort and beat the disease. In fact, Pierre says if it weren't for his cohort, he may have had a totally different health outcome.

Pierre earned his Executive MBA from Rice Business in 2022, concentrating in entrepreneurship and healthcare. He is the co-founder and CEO of Impireum Psychiatric Group, an adult, child and adolescent psychiatric practice with locations in Katy, Spring, Richmond and Sugar Land. He is also the co-founder of Index Medical Billing Solutions.

Fresh off of graduation, Pierre joins host Christine Dobbyn to discuss resiliency, his path before Rice including almost 30 years as a U.S. Air Force Reserve officer, coping with PTSD and making improvements to mental health treatment centers.

Episode Quotes:

Advice for future EMBA students

23:12 - My advice to anybody going to business school, go in there with a purpose. Don't go in there and try to follow what everybody else is doing. Don’t go in there to fit in. Don't go in there to be known because you went to Rice, as a Rice alumni, do it because you have a purpose. And that purpose will be your guiding light.

Before and after Rice

04:27 - If you ask me who I was prior to Rice, I would describe to you a whole different person.

On finding his purpose at Rice

22:36 - My purpose was to be able to do the same thing that I was doing in the military, in the business world. And Rice has taught me that. It made me a little bit more dedicated to what I'm doing now, because now I feel like I know what I'm doing, and there's no room for failure because I have all the tools.

Going to Rice saved Pierre’s life, he says

03:30 - I tell my family, if it wasn't for Rice, I wouldn't be here today. Rice actually saved my life. Accepting me into the program and the support that I got. It looks like it was meant to happen the way it did, but it was all a coincidence.

What he's most proud of in his current work in mental health

15:08 - When I talk to patients, one of the things they tell me that sticks with me is that I don't have to worry about the stigma anymore. I'm very comfortable coming here and talking my issues out and I don't feel judged.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Seizing the Opportunity feat. Brandy Hays Morrison ‘05

Rice Business — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Growing up in New York City, Brandy Hays Morrison (‘05) had never heard of Rice Business School. But in the mid 90s, when there was a push for more women and minorities to enter the field of engineering, someone told Brandy she should check it out, and it was off to Houston she went. In her words, Brandy says she “took a leap of faith, and it all worked out.”

Brandy is actually a two-time Owl, earning her undergraduate degree from Rice in 2000, double majoring in computer engineering and managerial studies, and returning to earn her MBA from Rice Business in 2005. She has since served on the Board of Directors for multiple entities, including the Association of Rice University Black Alumni (ARUBA) and the Posse Foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to bring more diversity and leadership to college campuses.

In her professional role, Brandy is currently the Vice President of Strategic Growth for Pluribus Digital, a technology firm based in Washington, D.C., where she leads business development efforts in the federal government contracting space.

Brandy sits down with host Christine Dobbyn to chat about her years at Rice, learning to advocate for herself, starting the Black Business Student Assocation at the Jones School, and the importance of being knowledgeable in global customs.

Episode Quotes:

Changes Brandy has seen in engineering over the course of her career

13:52 - So I've gone from being the only minority female in a room to now coming across other minority females. I say for women, there have been a lot more strides in terms of making sure that the pipeline is strengthened. And what I mean by that, is that there are more little girls who can see themselves as engineers. There are more little girls who can see themselves as software developers.

How The Jones School got Brandy out of her shell

03:25 - [Rice MBA] really transformed me from someone who was very much an introverted technical software engineer to someone who was more comfortable speaking in public and taking a leadership role and not being afraid to speak up.

How the Rice Alumni network kept Brandy going

19:43 - So I came from a New York city public school. And while I had phenomenal grades, I was very involved in school, it did not prepare me for the rigors of Rice undergrad. And so I struggled a bit. And so the biggest push that I needed was to keep going. And I mentioned the rice alum by the name of Russell Ross. He was absolutely someone who had a similar path as me as a student. And so being able to meet with an alum who had a similar story, I'm thinking, okay, I can do this too.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Doing Business in 70+ Countries feat. Robert Lesnick ‘00

Rice Business — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Robert Lesnick got his MBA from Rice Business in 2000, where he was part of the school’s first Executive MBA cohort and was honored as a Jones Scholar. At this point in time, the program was mostly from the energy sector but from roles all over the industry.

Robert is now an executive advisor to the highest levels of governments and businesses seeking to develop policy and projects in the energy sector. His resume also includes a successful 30-year career in the private sector before leading the World Bank’s Petroleum Advisory Services Practice until 2013.

In his assignment at the World Bank, he managed the development of the business strategy and allocation of resources of the institution’s Petroleum Policy Advisory Services Unit and provided advice on a variety of energy policy topics to strategic government clients.

Robert joins host Christine to look at the state of energy and oil today, his career path from philosophy to the energy sector, roaming the globe working in international business development, and how Rice prepared him for it all.

Episode Quotes:
How energy affects every aspect of life

2:47 - Energy is built into everything we do. From the moment we wake up, turn on the light, to the stalk of broccoli that has to be shipped. And commercially throughout the world, it's just built into the price of everything.

Advice to future MBA students

23:50 - If someone says should I pursue an MBA, I would say absolutely. And in any way that it would allow you to become more of an international citizen of the world. I would certainly try to leverage that because I really think business success is on the long term, a function of, how you can leverage global markets to your success.

What advice would you give a young person considering oil and gas?

21:37 – The media and the political systems have kind of created a false sense of, not only what the energy companies do, but how badly fossil fuels are needed to meet growing energy needs of the world. And so, it's possible for recent graduates to think that the role and the work of energy companies is short-lived, or at least oil and gas companies are short-lived. You know, that's just not true.

What Robert took from Rice

30:26 - I would just say that the homework never stops. Keep on learning and keep on using what you learned to develop your own success.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Professional Profile at The World Bank
Robert Lesnick on LinkedIn

Whatever You’re Doing, Do It For The Right Reasons feat. Ruy Lozano '20

Rice Business — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 04:00:00 -0500

A Houston native, Ruy Lozano worked for 25 years in the Houston Fire Department, the third-largest municipal fire department in the country, where he was an assistant fire chief and managed a multi-million dollar budget for transportation, logistics, procurement and infrastructure.

After speaking with the Houston Fire Department’s fire chief and realizing the chief’s progressive and innovative mindset was a result of his MBA journey, Ruy decided to pursue an MBA himself. In March of this year, after a nationwide search, he was appointed as the fire chief for the New Braunfels Fire Department.

Ruy joins host Christine to look back at their time in the MBA program together, the diversity of their class, the business element of public service and some of the toughest times Ruy experienced during his work with the Houston Fire Department.

Episode Quotes:

On balancing school and being an assistant fire chief:

19:33 - Was it tough? Absolutely. But there was also so many, there was so much cross-pollination. There would be times that I'm working and things that we were talking about in class were kind of coming into my workplace. So it was a huge advantage to be able to grow together, you know, I was growing as an assistant chief, I had only been an assistant chief for less than a year when I joined the program. And then growing as an EMBA, you got an opportunity to kind of see the theories being applied in practical use, but then you had that amazing cohort that you could bounce ideas off of.

Reflecting on his time at Rice:

01:28 - That's one of the greatest experiences of my life, attending Rice. Not just learning from the instructors, but learning from the conversations where professionals were debating, dialoguing and just having an exchange of ideas.

What makes Rice different:

05:05 - You were allowed to be vulnerable. You were allowed to make a mistake. And no one was going to judge you for it because we were all there to learn. I truly attribute my progressing into the position of fire chief to Rice and the amazing cohort we had.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Ruy Lozano on LinkedIn

A Dope Platform for Everyday Women feat. Raisha Smith ‘22

Rice Business — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 04:00:00 -0500

At the time of this interview, Raisha Smith was set to graduate from the full-time MBA program in less than a month and was celebrating four years as founder and chief visionary of EveryDopeGirl, a platform that highlights the achievements of everyday women.

She’s passionate about helping women of color reach their full potential professionally. And she’s on the brink of seeing her hard work pay off.

Raisha joins host David Droogleever to talk about life in the corporate space, how she shifted her career path, starting and building EveryDopeGirl, and why it's so important to cultivate support and mentorship between women in business.

Episode Quotes:
How attending Rice has grown EveryDopeGirl:

17:51 - Rice is no joke. I'm not going to lie, the entrepreneurship classes –when you are applying something from class to, like, your baby and you're getting graded on it?! Man, like, I mean, goodness gracious. You go in thinking, “Oh yeah, I just got this proclamation from the mayor.” And your professor's like, “Hey, you need a little bit more work on that pitch. You know, you're not pitch-ready.” You know? So having those difficult conversations, getting legitimate feedback from, like, the amazing professors, like, it has really made EveryDopeGirl pivot in a way that – I would've probably still just been posting on social media.

The mission of EveryDopeGirl:

11:53 - If EveryDopeGirl can ensure the success of female entrepreneurs, and then be kind of that catalyst and that incubator to get them in front of those corporations and those brands and those businesses, it creates a win-win for everyone. EveryDopeGirl is just literally here to be the cheerleader on the side.

On the future of EveryDopeGirl:

23:32 - There are so many budding businesses out in the world that could be successful, they just lack the proper guidance. And so I want to be that brand that is literally linking women entrepreneurs in the pre-seed and ideation phase to VCs and angel investors. I want to get them pitch-ready. I want them to have funding.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Family, Commitment and Fosters feat. Casey Sherrod ‘21

Rice Business — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0500

A Texas native, Casey Sherrod joined the Army ROTC at the University of Houston, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies. A year after graduating, she deployed to Afghanistan as a platoon leader, later becoming an executive officer, then a commander of the largest U.S. Army recruiting company on the West Coast. But she felt a strong desire to return to Houston and decided to pursue her MBA at Rice Business while on active duty.

During the pandemic, Casey and her wife, Amanda, began partnering with animal rescues in Houston and elsewhere to foster animals in need, including dogs, cats, goats, pigs and calves. Casey started a TikTok account (@caseyriveter) to document their animal rescue journey and she now has 1.9 million followers.

Casey and David talk about what drew her to serve in the military, her impressive career with the Army, the parallels between business school and the Army, and how she got into the world of TikTok.

Episode Quotes:
Parallels between business school and the Army

12:54 - Consulting is a huge thing in business school. We constantly are reading case studies. We're constantly saying like, hey, there's this problem, how do we fix it? Or how do we come up with some type of solution to help? And I think as leaders in the military we're constantly faced with problems, we're constantly going into new organizations and trying to fix what might be broken or just to make things better than they were when you got there.

One thing you learned at Rice that has helped you become a leader

14:51 - One thing that I learned in business school that has helped me as a leader is having this climate that enforces innovation. And I think that if people that worked for you are afraid to make mistakes and take risks, then you're never going to move forward. And that's something that a lot of startup companies and a lot of just businesses period have to understand as leaders, like there are certain risks that are ok. Because yes, it might set us back, but if you take this risk, you might also get five steps ahead of where you were before.

On her new viral TikTok fame

22:24 - I think it's important to use your platform to try to spread awareness and to just share with the world like, hey, this is how great it can be to foster or to volunteer at shelters or to consider adopting a dog from a shelter or a rescue before maybe buying one.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Attentive, Responsive and Kind feat. Dean Peter Rodriguez

Rice Business — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0500

There has been no shortage of challenges for Rice Business Dean Peter Rodriguez in his six years in the role: Hurricane Harvey, a global pandemic, and a deep freeze. Peter not only led the school through these crises, but managed to foster major growth milestones along the way. He sits down with host Christine Dobbyn to reflect on the last few tumultuous years and discuss the future of the business school, who his mentors are, and a new appointment that will give him a front-row seat to what’s happening in the economy.

In addition to being the dean of the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, Peter is also an economist and professor of strategic management. He teaches classes on global macroeconomics and economic growth and development.

Episode Quotes:

How COVID affected business school education:

06:41 - I think sometimes when looking at education or thinking about business school, people think, “Well, I'm going to get the formula to solve every problem,” or, “There's a script and somewhere I can go and find out, well, this is what you do in the event X, Y, or Z happens.” It doesn't work that way.

In large part, what you're training to do is to be prepared for things that you weren't prepared for, to be ready for things that were unforeseeable, and to have that ability to think clearly, mobilize a team, stick true to a mission or some objectives, and hold to some values while you do the very best. And it's a challenge to do.

On decision-making:

25:58 - If you’re frustrated or if you feel like you don’t know exactly which path to take, it usually goes back to reflecting on what you really intend, what is most important, and having the courage to make some choices that may be uncomfortable.

On mentorship:

26:15 - It's important to have relationships because without a relationship it's hard to have a mentor. It's not just someone who's an expert giving you advice. It's someone you trust and someone who has an interest in you and vice versa. So, spending time with people, getting to know them, offering it back. I think the whole idea of great mentorship is that you don't just have a one-way conversation, they’re two-way.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Behind the Mic With Host Christine Dobbyn '20

Rice Business — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0500

In this special episode, get to know Christine Dobbyn’s story. She talks with guest host and Rice Business alum Scott Gale '19 about her passion for storytelling, how most of her work today is from the Rice Business network and her advice for prospective students.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Behind the Mic With Host David Droogleever '12

Rice Business — Wed, 18 May 2022 04:00:00 -0500

In this special episode, get to know David Droogleever's story and why hosting a podcast is an act of building self-trust. Rice Business alum and guest host Scott Gale '19 finds out why joining the Navy was everything David expected and more, and why he starts every day by asking an important question: “Which frog do I eat first?” Check out the episode to find out what that means.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

The Entrepreneur Whose Intelligence is Anything But Artificial feat. Aruna Viswanathan '01

Rice Business — Wed, 04 May 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Aruna Viswanathan '01 joins host David Droogleever to discuss her pivot from engineering to tech investing and entrepreneurship, provide essential tips for beginner investors and talk about AlphaX Decision Sciences, the energy AI software company she co-founded.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Why Startup Founders Should Be a Bit Crazy feat. Lynn Lednicky '91

Rice Business — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Lynn Lednicky graduated from Rice twice, getting an undergraduate degree in chemistry and then an MBA. He tells host Christine Dobbyn about the breadth of his career and how transferrable job skills can take you to places you might not expect. He also shares advice for startup founders and growth-stage companies.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Building a Medical School From Scratch feat. Dr. Omar Matuk-Villazon '18

Rice Business — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 11:40:08 -0500

Omar Matuk-Villazon, M.D. '18 joins host David Droogleever to discuss the direct primary care model, innovation in healthcare and what it looks like to build a medical school from scratch.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

How Trauma Led to Triumph feat. Jen Paquette '19

Rice Business — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0500

Host Christine Dobbyn is joined by Jen Paquette '19, who discusses how trauma in her life has influenced her career path, her work with nonprofits and the military, and how it's helped prepare her to work with new business owners.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

The Dos and Don'ts of Launching a Business feat. Alex Porter '18

Rice Business — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0600

Host David Droogleever is joined by Alex Porter '18, the managing owner of Southern Yankee Beer Company. He and David discuss what to do (and what not to do) when launching a business.

A transcript is available here.

From Philosopher to Financier feat. Brad Olsen '06

Rice Business — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 04:00:00 -0600

Brad Olsen '06 joins host Christine Dobbyn to talk about how his philosophy background makes him a great investor, how education translates into the real world and where he sees the energy transition fitting into his business.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Recruiting During the Great Resignation feat. Sha Lee Hornsby

Rice Business — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 04:00:00 -0600

Sha Hornsby joins host David Droogleever to discuss her work at Rice Business, how to recruit top job candidates and the impact the Great Resignation has had on the working world.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs feat. Sean Self '06

Rice Business — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 04:00:00 -0600

Sean Self (Rice BA '93, EMBA '06) joins host Christine Dobbyn to discuss pivoting from being an employee to an entrepreneur, how Rice Business helped him on that journey and advice for budding entrepreneurs.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

The Reciprocity Between Research and Real-World Experience feat. Dr. Alan Crane

Rice Business — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 04:00:00 -0600

Dr. Alan Crane, Associate Professor of Finance at Rice Business, joins host David Droogleever to discuss his teaching experience, how economics and finance go together and the importance of research in the commercial world.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

An Entrepreneur Who's On the Right Track feat. Cameron Simoneau '05

Rice Business — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 04:00:00 -0600

Cameron Simoneau '05 and owner of Tri-State Running Company, speaks to host Christine Dobbyn about his transition from corporate life into entrepreneurship.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

The Alum Keeping Moms in the Workforce feat. Abbey Donnell '17

Rice Business — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Abbey Donnell '17 joins host Christine Dobbyn to discuss how Rice Business empowered her to start her own company and the women entrepreneurship environment in Houston.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

The Importance of Creativity for a Career Switcher feat. Charley Donaldson '09

Rice Business — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Charley Donaldson '09 joins host David Droogleever to discuss how he used his MBA as a springboard into a new career, how important it is to be creative in a job, and how the pandemic has shaped the trajectory of CaringBand.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

The Leader in Education Who Never Stops Learning feat. Patra Brannon-Isaac '11

Rice Business — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Patra Brannon-Isaac '11 talks about the process of being admitted to Rice Business, the impact her MBA has had on her career trajectory, and her involvement in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the school.

A transcript for this episode is available here.

This Energy Leader Knows Soft Skills Lead to Hard Results feat. Ian Hernandez '11

Rice Business — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0500

This episode is part of a set of short interviews which were recorded during Alumni Reunion Week 2021. Be sure to listen to the other two Alumni Reunion Week episodes. Ian Hernandez '11 joins host Christine Dobbyn in the Owl's Nest.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

The Explorations of an Industry-Agnostic Alum feat. Matthew Marand '20

Rice Business — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0500

This episode is part of a set of short interviews which were recorded during Alumni Reunion Week 2021. Be sure to listen to the other two Alumni Reunion Week episodes. Matthew Marand '20 joins host David Droogleever in the Owl's Nest.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Talking Technology in the Energy Industry feat. Tamara Hughes '16

Rice Business — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0500

This episode is part of a set of short interviews which were recorded during Alumni Reunion Week 2021. Be sure to listen to the other two Alumni Reunion Week episodes. Tamara Hughes '16 joins host David Droogleever in the Owl's Nest.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Choosing Mindfulness Over Milestones feat. Ritesh Sheth '04

Rice Business — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Ritesh Sheth '04 joins host Christine Dobbyn to discuss his journey from management consulting to product management and financial analyst, and finally to becoming a yoga teacher and focusing on serving others.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

A Clean Energy Exec Contributing to Corporate Innovation feat. Scott Gale '19

Rice Business — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Scott Gale '19 joins host Christine Dobbyn to discuss how entrepreneurship is becoming a key part of a successful company and the future of Houston as the energy capital of the world.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Defying Limits in Leadership Development feat. Dr. Tom Kolditz

Rice Business — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Dr. Tom Kolditz, founding director of the Ann and John Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, joins host David Droogleever to explain why institutions of higher education don't necessarily deliver on their leadership development promises and what the Doerr Institute is doing to change that.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

An Alum's Search for a Reason to Stop Hitting the Snooze Button feat. Pranika Sinha '04

Rice Business — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0500

Pranika Sinha '04, managing director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Organizational Development at Greystone, joins host David Droogleever. She talks about what stops her from hitting the snooze button in the morning, how a sense of belonging factors into diversity and inclusion, and what unconscious bias is and how to recognize it.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Entrepreneurial Ambitions in Houston's Strong Startup Ecosystem feat. Kyle Judah and Sophie Randolph '22

Rice Business — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 07:17:37 -0600

Kyle Judah, Executive Director of the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) at Rice University, and Sophie Randolph '22, join host Christine Dobbyn. They discuss programming at Lilie during the pandemic, Houston's startup ecosystem and resources for alumni entrepreneurs.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Apple Podcasts review drawing rules:

Only one entry per person
Alumni of the Jones Graduate School of Business only
US residents only
Must leave a review on Apple Podcasts listing for Owl Have You Know between March 1 and March 15, 2021, inclusive

The Purpose in Problem-Solving feat. Joan Dunlap '02

Rice Business — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 12:00:00 -0600

Joan Dunlap '02 joins host David Droogleever to discuss her experience as an engineer, the role of team chemistry in entrepreneurship and how problem solving plays a role in career satisfaction.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Insights from a Transportation Infrastructure Investment Banker feat. Mark Morehouse '01

Rice Business — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0600

Mark Morehouse '01 joins Christine Dobbyn to explain how a chemical engineer ends up in business school, the role that private-public partnerships play in public projects and the effect that COVID has had on the sales practice.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Finance Leader and Father of Seven on Investor Bias and Work-Life Balance feat. Jonathan McAdams '01

Rice Business — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0600

Jonathan McAdams '01 joins Christine Dobbyn to talk about his career journey and working in finance. Along the way, Jonathan describes his experience in high-net worth and hedge funds and comments on the stock market during the pandemic.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

For This Infrastructure Investor, If You're Not Moving You're Killing Grass feat. Will Robertson '05

Rice Business — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0600

Will Robertson '05, Managing Member of Quintana Infrastructure and Development LLC, talks about investments ranging from energy and natural resources to data and infrastructure industries. Along the way, Will talks about philanthropy and why “if you’re not moving, you’re killing grass.”

A transcript of this episode is available here.

How Inspiration Led to Investment for a Two-Time Rice Alum feat. Scott Noel '04

Rice Business — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 04:00:00 -0600

Scott Noel, BS '02 and MBA/MEE '04, Director of Enterprise Solutions at One Acre Fund, talks about how a single donation to a Sudanese refugee inspired him to move to Nairobi. He also discusses his current work, supplying smallholder farmers with the financing and training they need to grow their way out of hunger and poverty.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Veteran and Senior VP at NRG Knows Successful Leaders Eat Last feat. Rob Gaudette '01

Rice Business — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 04:00:00 -0600

Rob Gaudette '01, senior vice president of Business Solutions with NRG Energy digs into what it was like transition to the corporate world from the military and what he’s learned about leadership. He ends with what he what he sees for Houston’s future as the energy capital of the world.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

A Tech Innovator Ignites Children's Imaginations feat. Devina Bhojwani '06

Rice Business — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 04:00:00 -0600

Devina Bhojwani '06, president and co-owner of IDEA Lab Kids International, talks about her pivot from working at an international offshore drilling contractor to entrepreneurship within the education space.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

A Culinary Creative in the Houston Community feat. Ope Amosu '14

Rice Business — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 10:10:10 -0600

Ope Amosu '14, talks to host Christine Dobbyn, about his passion for representing West African culinary cuisine and culture in Houston through his restaurant, ChopnBlok.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

For a Visionary Nonprofit Leader, Business Is Personal feat. Runsi Sen '04

Rice Business — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 04:00:00 -0600

Runsi Sen '04 talks about her transition out of the corporate world and the life circumstances that led her to found an ovarian cancer non-profit foundation, Ovarcome.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Transforming a Top Business School in Asia feat. Sean Ferguson '01

Rice Business — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 04:00:00 -0600

Sean O. Ferguson '01, former associate dean of Rice Business, catches up with host David Droogleever. Sean covers his career path from electrical engineering to pursuing a doctorate in global education and his current work as the associate dean of the Asia School of Business in Kuala Lumpur.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

The Leap From Broadway to Business School feat. Julianne Katz '21

Rice Business — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 04:00:00 -0600

Julianne Katz '21 talks about her decision to switch from a career in fine arts in NYC to a graduate degree in business. She also discusses what it was like to have to shift from in-person classes to virtual learning during a global pandemic.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

The Journey From Engineer to Entrepreneur feat. Karen Crofton '10

Rice Business — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 04:00:00 -0600

Karen Crofton '10 talks about her journey from engineering school to Rice Business to teaching entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado, as well as her role as an investor in data and financial technology startups.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Hungry for Innovation feat. Aaron Knape '08

Rice Business — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 14:08:31 -0500

Host Christine Dobbyn talks with Aaron Knape '08, cofounder of sEATz, an in-seat food delivery app for live sports and entertainment events. Aaron discusses the height of the pandemic in the U.S. when most sporting events were cancelled and fans were not allowed in stadiums, as well as developments with sEATz as venues reopen to the public.

A transcription of this episode is available here.

How to Break Beyond the Bottom Line feat. Bethany Andell '01

Rice Business — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 13:54:56 -0500

Host David Droogleever speaks with Bethany Andell '01 president of Savage Brands and current president of the Rice Business Alumni Board about her passion for helping the corporate world get back to a place where people trust, respect and love business.

A transcription of this episode is available here.