Podcast: Dare to Disrupt

This podcast is about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders, and the stories behind their success.

Empowering Underserved Communities with Former NFL Player Garry Gilliam



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
Empowering Underserved Communities with Former NFL Player Garry Gilliam
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Garry Gilliam is the Founder and CEO of The Bridge Eco-Village, a sustainable, mixed-use community ecosystem in Harrisburg, PA. The Bridge Eco-Village will feature solutions to many of the problems facing underserved communities: housing, retail, co-working spaces, education opportunities, entrepreneurship incubators, urban agriculture, sports, and entertainment. Prior to launching the Bridge, Garry played in the NFL for five seasons for the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. He graduated from Penn State in 2013 with degrees in business development, psychology, and advertising. 




Riding the Founder’s Wave with Matt Brezina



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
Riding the Founder's Wave with Matt Brezina
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Matt Brezina, a 2003 Schreyer and College of Engineering grad, shares the stories behind starting software company Xobni and greeting card company Sincerely.




A Pioneer in Tech: Building the Interviewing Cloud with Mo Bhende



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
A Pioneer in Tech: Building the Interviewing Cloud with Mo Bhende
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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.




Shaping Cultural Change with Jess Weiner



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
Shaping Cultural Change with Jess Weiner
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 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. 




Connecting Consumers and Local Businesses with Bruce Aronow



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
Connecting Consumers and Local Businesses with Bruce Aronow
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Bruce Aronow is the Executive Chairman of eLocal, a performance-based advertising company whose mission is to connect consumers with local businesses, specializing in the Home Services, Legal, Medical, Financial, and Insurance verticals. He graduated from the Penn State Smeal College of Business in 1987 with a degree in accounting. 




Building Weebly with Founder David Rusenko



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
Building Weebly with Founder David Rusenko
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David is the Head of eCommerce at Square and founder of Weebly, which was acquired by Square in 2018 for $365M. He graduated from Penn State in 2007 with a degree in Information Sciences & Technology. 




Disrupting the Mattress Industry with JT Marino



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
Disrupting the Mattress Industry with JT Marino
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JT Marino is the Chief Disruption Officer at Serta Simmons Bedding and the co-founder of Tuft & Needle, which merged with Serta Simmons in 2018. He studied math and computer science at Penn State. 




Revolutionizing the Real Estate Industry with Sean Black



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
Revolutionizing the Real Estate Industry with Sean Black
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Sean Black is the Co-founder & CEO of Knock.com, and he was part of the founding team for the online real estate marketplace site Trulia. He graduated from Penn State in 1996 with a degree in international business management.