Podcast: Dare to Disrupt

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

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. 




Rapidly Failing, Scaling, and Succeeding with Serial Entrepreneur Bill Seibel



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
Rapidly Failing, Scaling, and Succeeding with Serial Entrepreneur Bill Seibel
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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. 




Simplifying Solar Investments with Enact Co-Founder Deep Chakraborty



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
Simplifying Solar Investments with Enact Co-Founder Deep Chakraborty
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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




Connecting Consumers and Local Businesses with Bruce Aronow



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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. 




Diving into Fintech with Denim Social CEO Doug Wilber



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Dare to Disrupt
Diving into Fintech with Denim Social CEO Doug Wilber
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Doug Wilber is the CEO of Denim Social, a leading provider of social media management software that empowers marketers in regulated industries to manage organic social media content and paid social media advertising on one platform. A financial services veteran, Doug served in leadership roles with Assembly Payments, PYMNTS.com, Discover Financial Services and Market Platform Dynamics. He graduated from Penn State with both a bachelor’s degree in marketing and international business, and an MBA with a focus on product development and brand strategy. 

In this episode, Doug talks about his experiences on the varsity cross country and track & field teams at Penn State, traveling the country in the Boca Burger-mobile, being intrapreneurial developing new products within Discover Financial Services, all leading up to becoming CEO of Denim Social.

At the end of the episode, Penn State senior Mary Richardson joins the conversation. She is the CEO and co-founder of Bindr, which is providing a mainstream dating experience dedicated to the bisexual community. Mary talks to Doug about finding the right timing to bring on investors, and how he defines success in a startup.




Delivering Empathy at Scale Using AI and Data with Mario Ciabarra



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Dare to Disrupt
Delivering Empathy at Scale Using AI and Data with Mario Ciabarra
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Mario Ciabarra is the CEO and founder of Quantum Metric, a customer-centered digital analytics platform for today’s leading enterprise organizations. Since its founding in 2015, Quantum Metric’s approach to in-depth customer understanding has seen rapid adoption from Fortune 500 companies. The world’s largest airline, telco, retailer, healthcare, bank, and more have adopted the Quantum Metric platform.

In this episode, Mario shares valuable lessons on integrity and communication learned during his college years. He discusses launching and exiting his first startup in just 11 months, a success that allowed him to briefly retire and travel the world. Mario also explains how Quantum Metric enhances visibility into customer friction points for major industry leaders and how the company integrates generative AI into its solutions. Finally, he reflects on how he approaches building his legacy.

Episode Chapters

0:00 – 3:14
Family Roots and Immigrant Influence

3:14 – 7:14
Switching to Science and Founding YourNotes at Penn State

7:14 – 12:23
Lessons in Integrity, Coding, and Startup Life

12:23 – 14:46
Selling a Startup and Searching for Purpose

14:46 – 19:16
Finding Meaning: From Photography to App Innovation

19:16 – 21:25
Enterprise vs. Consumer Companies

21:25 – 26:28
Quantum Metric: Improving Digital Experiences

26:28 – 29:40
Funding Growth and Capital Decisions

29:40 – 32:48
Generative AI Driving Business Success

32:48 – 36:29
Legacy, Focus, and Advice for Students




Building Weebly with Founder David Rusenko



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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. 




Making a Deal on Shark Tank with FlexScreen Inventor Joe Altieri



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Dare to Disrupt
Making a Deal on Shark Tank with FlexScreen Inventor Joe Altieri
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Joe Altieri is the president, CEO, and inventor of FlexScreen, the world’s first and only flexible window screen, as seen on season 11 episode 10 of ABC’s Shark Tank.

In this episode, Joe talks about how he started his career as an independent sales representative in the window industry and quickly became frustrated with the flimsy aluminum frames found in traditional screens. He shares his experience pitching FlexScreen on ABC’s Shark Tank, and how he walked away with a deal with American television personality, inventor, and entrepreneur, Lori Greiner, “Queen of QVC”.

At the end of the episode, recent Summer Founders Program participant Kevin Harris joins the conversation. Kevin is the founder and CEO of WaveBreaker Technologies, a veteran owned and operated business making kayaking more accessible with its top-mounted storage well. Kevin talks to Joe about the challenges of manufacturing physical products and how to make tough decisions about your business as an entrepreneur.




LIVE from The Nittany Lion Inn: Scholar Hotels Founder Gary Brandeis



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
LIVE from The Nittany Lion Inn: Scholar Hotels Founder Gary Brandeis
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Gary Brandeis is the CEO and Co-Founder of Scholar Hotels, a hotel ownership and management group with a focus on properties close to major college and university campuses. Gary acquired his first hotel in 2006 and has since been directly involved in the hospitality business as an investor, developer, and manager. Scholar Hotels made its State College debut in March 2017, when it opened the 165-room Hyatt Place State College. Since then, the group has expanded its State College properties to include the Scholar Hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott, the Residence Inn by Marriott, The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center, and, of course, The Nittany Lion Inn. Gary graduated from the Penn State Smeal College of Business with a degree in accounting. 

In this live episode recorded in the 1855 Lounge at The Nittany Lion Inn, Gary shares how his background in accounting prepared him for the real estate industry, the details of the Inn’s renovation, as well as how he thinks about and manages risk.

*Please excuse some of the lower quality audio present in this episode – live events can be unpredictable!

Episode Chapters

0:00 – 3:52

Early life, working first jobs in restaurant industry

3:52 – 8:44

Studying accounting, finding love for real estate at Pricewaterhouse

8:44 – 13:44

Gaining experience, building a network, and forming a track record

13:44 – 17:16

Finding a business partner, developing first property

17:16 – 19:57

The draw of the hotel sector

19:57 – 24:14

Developing the Fraser Center in downtown State College

24:14 – 27:43

Developing the Scholar Hotel

27:43 – 38:10

The Nittany Lion Inn purchase and remodel process

38:10 – 45:30

Audience questions