Dare to Disrupt Episode 16: From Wall Street Trader to Facial Authentication Innovator with Ryan Owen

Ryan Owen is the co-founder and president of Wicket, as well as the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Cast Iron Media.

In this episode, Ryan shares his experiences as a Wall Street trader, the unique internship opportunities Penn State connected him to as a student, as well as his experience being in the World Trade Center on 9/11. He then shares the twists and turns that led him to founding his two current startups: Wicket, a software company that specializes in facial authentication solutions for venue operators and facility managers, and Cast Iron Media, a premier sports and entertainment streaming solutions company.

At the end of the episode, Aamani Sharma, a a first-year student studying enterprise technology integration at Penn State, joins the conversation. She is an officer in the Nittany AI Student Society and in the Women in IST group at Penn State. Her startup “Raamani Apparels,” is working towards building a chain of Indian wear in the United States. Ryan talks to Aamani about having a balance of soft skills and hard skills on a startup’s founding team.

About Ryan Owen

Ryan Owen is the co-founder and president of Wicket, as well as the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Cast Iron Media. He graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems. He also has an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. 

Episode Chapters

0:00 – 6:26 Studying Management, Science, and Information Systems at Penn State

6:26 – 9:09 Becoming an Olympic-caliber dishwasher

9:09 – 13:15 Math exam to work stock exchange

13:15 – 19:55 Experiencing 9/11 from World Trade Center

19:55 – 24:50 Advancing career as a trader

24:50 – 27:56 Launching digital coupon app

27:56 – 31:46 Developing facial authentication technology

31:46 – 32:44 Seeking product market fit

32:44 – 35:46 Looking forward for Wicket

35:46 – 42:58 Student section

Download full episode transcript

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Dare to Disrupt is a podcast about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, and the stories behind their success. Learn more.