This podcast is about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders, and the stories behind their success.
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.
Ryan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems from Penn State and an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Jason Warner is co-founder and CEO of poolside, a generative AI company building the world’s most capable AI for software development & the applications to unlock the potential of developers. Prior to founding poolside, Jason was the Managing Director at Redpoint Ventures. He also served as the CTO at GitHub, where he was responsible for bringing products like GitHub Actions, Packages, Advanced Security, Connect, and Codespaces to market.
In this episode, Jason discusses the business challenges and successes he experienced as GitHub’s CTO and delves into the unique hurdles faced by a generative AI company. He also shares his philosophy on the future of AI and its potential impact on various aspects of our lives.
Episode Chapters
0:00 – 8:34 Penn State experience, learning coding
8:34 – 16:03 Experience as CTO of GitHub
16:03 – 30:18 poolside, how AI is going to transform the world
30:18 – 42:17 Student section
Inspired by his love of hiring, Mo Bhende built Karat to unlock opportunities and transform the interviewing process by conducting highly predictive technical interviews for clients. In this episode, Bhende talks about his international travels, how he took advantage of Penn State resources, lessons learned while working for Microsoft Xbox, and how all those experiences led him to creating a business that would turn the agonizing interview process into an enjoyable one.
At the end of this episode, Bubune Owusu, a senior in the College of Engineering and founder of Be Your Best Clothing, a clothing brand made to inspire others to look within themselves and to make use of their maximum potential, joins us to talk to Bhende about how to lead with both courage and confidence while also managing your priorities as a founder.
About Mo Bhende
Mo Bhende graduated from Penn State with honors in 2001 with degrees in math and economics.
Haley McClain Hill is the CEO and Founder of TORCH Warriorwear, a subscription, direct to consumer military apparel and lifestyle brand that celebrates, empowers, and serves current and future women warriors. Her passion for dance, travel, and empowering women and teams has allowed her to travel and experience the world, including cheering in front of 107,000 fans at Penn State, as well as professionally dancing in the drop-top stadium for the Atlanta Falcons and the 49ers Gold Rush. She graduated from Penn State in 2018 with a degree in math.
Peter Cocoziello is chairman, founder, and CEO of Advance Realty Investors, a company specializing in real estate development, construction, and property management. Over decades of fluctuating market cycles, Peter led Advance Realty to service major corporations with build-to-suit developments, including G.H. Bass, Phillips Van Heusen, Allied Beverage, FedEx, Bayer, and United National Bank.
In this episode, Peter shares how he launched Advance with only $5,000, and then both entered and eventually dominated various real estate verticals in the northeast. He also discusses how the Penn State Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation is supporting cross-disciplinary collaboration, and what technological innovations mean for the future of the real estate industry.
Episode Chapters
1:53 – 3:32 From humble beginnings in the small town of Fairchance
3:32 – 8:12 The business of a paper route
8:12 – 9:41 From failing exams to becoming an honors finance student
9:41 – 12:37 The banking world as a foray into real estate
12:37 – 17:39 Launching Advance Realty with $5,000
17:39 – 19:42 Entering various real estate verticals
19:42 – 21:27 Taking advantage of the market environment
21:27 – 25:32 Build to suit and buy to suit real estate market
25:32 – 27:25 Launching the Penn State Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation
27:25 – 30:58 Technology’s role in shaping the real estate industry
30:58 – 36:08 Student section
Jess Weiner is a cultural expert and creative who has spent 26 years researching and educating on cultural trends in order to help people feel seen, heard + understood. She is a bestselling author, podcast host and speaker who has connected with audiences from the White House to Wall Street.
In this episode, Jess discusses how she has been a strategic partner in culture-changing moments such as Dove’s campaign for “Real Beauty” and the evolution of Barbie. She also talks about how Penn State helped her bring all of her interests together, giving her the skillsets she’d eventually use to start her brand consultancy Talk to Jess.
At the end of the episode, Carley Furlow, a sophomore at Penn State studying business administration and founder of Sharps and Flats, a startup making assistive devices for people who have disabilities, injuries or limiting circumstances who play instruments, talks to Jess about networking and building a startup brand.
About Jess Weiner
Jess Weiner is a Culture Expert + the CEO of Talk to Jess, LLC. She graduated from Penn State in 1995 with degrees in theater, women’s studies and classics.
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Bill Seibel is a serial entrepreneur, and has played a role in 14 startups: five as founder and CEO, five as CEO, and another four as an operating executive. He is currently the Founder and CEO of Gumball, an advisory firm that has helped more than 80 CEOs scale their company rapidly by ensuring that their strategy, customer value proposition and go-to-market model are aligned to achieve their growth goals. Bill recently published his best-selling book, “Press Go! Lessons Earned by a Serial Entrepreneur” to share both the business and life lessons that he’s earned throughout his career. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in engineering, and received his MBA from Carnegie Mellon.
Deep is the co-founder and CEO of Enact Systems, a leading software platform revolutionizing the solar and energy storage industry. Deep co-founded Enact in 2014, driven by the vision of creating a scalable and impactful solar solution. Deep has led Enact through exponential growth, nearly quadrupling its staff and expanding its reach to over 35 countries.
In this episode, Deep discusses his journey in building a North American subsidiary of CentroSolar, a German solar company, from the ground up. He also explains how Enact serves diverse customer segments by providing innovative software solutions that streamline the solar implementation process. Additionally, Deep shares his predictions for the future of alternative energy sources and how Enact plans to adapt to industry shifts and trends.
Episode Chapters
01:58 – 00:09:44 Growing up in India, Experience at Penn State, Learnings from Automotive Industry
09:48 – 13:23 Transition from Consulting in Munich to Entrepreneurship
13:24 – 00:17:01 Identifying the Need for a Customer-focused Approach in Solar
17:02 – 20:07 Building a Global Business
20:08 – 21:05 A Software-driven Approach to Solar
22:26 – 23:34 Adapting to Global Markets
23:34 – 25:40 The Two-sided Solar Platform
25:40 – 31:388 The Future of Solar in Renewable Energy
31:38 – 35:27 Student Section
