Learning Out Loud

In a NEW episode, we caught up with Chat at a recent McIntire event this spring. Chat was also a guest on Learning Out Loud Episode #9 last July. Chaitenya Razdan⁠ (UVA McIntire '05, UChicago Booth '11) is the Founder and CEO of ⁠Care+Wear⁠ .

Ashley Young is the co-founder of Bridal Babes, the first size-inclusive bridesmaid gown line. Bridal Babes was featured on the 14th Season of Shark Tank, where Ashley and her husband Charles received a $250k investment from Emma Grede. Ashley is a 2009 graduate of the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce.

Griffin Spolansky graduated from UVA in 2019 and was part of the NCAA National Championship men's lacrosse team. After being frustrated with the protein bars available after practice, and meeting his co-founder outside his social entrepreneurship class, he started working on his company Mezcla, which is a plant-based snack brand that has started in the protein bar aisle. They have a puff-crispy te...

Hunter Stoler is the founder of Health With Hunter- a social media platform and website to have “Health Made Simple.” Hunter is a certified nutrition and health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. He coaches clients 1-1 and 1-2 and has helped over 150 people lose body fat in a simple and sustainable way. He has also created guides for food swaps, and is a full-time Business Anal...

Katlin Smith is the founder and CEO of Simple Mills , a leader in the natural foods movement. Their products include gluten free, paleo-friendly almond flours, crackers, cookies and baking mixes, and can be found in over 28,000 stores worldwide in locations like Whole Foods, Costco, Walmart and others. Katlin is a 2010 graduate of UNC and attended the University of Chicago Booth School of Business...

Evan Nied is a second year undergraduate at the University of Virginia, and founder of OK Energy , a beverage start-up which launched in January 2024.

Andrew Elliot is the founder of RoundlyX , a platform which allows users to round up spare change on purchases and invest in the cryptocurrency space, as well as donate to charitable causes. Andrew previously served in the U.S. Military and attended the University of Virginia. We spoke with Andrew about: Grit as your biggest resource Learning by doing Finding comfort in discomfort Making faster, b...

Mark Galant is the CEO of Tydall Investment Partners, an angel investing and real estate lending/development firm, as well as the founder of the Galant Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Mark is a 1980 graduate of the UVA McIntire School of Commerce and a 1982 graduate of Harvard Business School. Prior to Tydall, Mark served as Founder and CEO of GAIN Capital.  We spoke with Mark Galant a...

Neal Hoffman is the founder of Mensch on a Bench, the most publicized brand to come out of Shark Tank. Neal made a deal with Lori Griener and Robert Herjavec. In addition to the continued success of Mensch on a Bench, Neal is the CEO of FanRoll, a board a high-end accessories company for the gaming market. He is a 1999 graduate of the University of Michigan and earned an MBA from the UVA Darden Sc...

Minnie Lahoti is the founder of ML STEM Prep , an online tutoring company focused on serving college undergraduates in courses such as organic chemistry, physics, and calculus. Minnie also serves as a Technical Program Manager at Microsoft, and has a rich background as an organic chemist, consultant and data scientist. She is a 2014 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned an MBA from the...

Josh Anton is the founder of X-mode , a location services company that started out as Drunk Mode, a mobile app allowing college students to track their friends’ whereabouts during a night out. Josh parlayed that location technology into an industry leader in X-mode, and recently sold to Digital Envoy for an undisclosed amount. Josh now serves as Chief Strategy Officer with Digital Envoy. He is a 2...

Josh Cohen is a co-founder of Elevate meal plan , a dining hall alternative found at 5 different colleges and universities (UVA, UNC, Rutgers, VCU, St. Clair). Josh is also an engineering manager at Torch, and a 2013 graduate of UVA. We spoke with Josh about: Managing a side hustle Scaling a college-focused business Changing your business idea over time Symbiotic relationship between a full-time j...

Vic Schaff owned and operated several Papa John’s locations throughout the central Virginia area. We spoke with Vic about how he managed an entrepreneurial venture underneath a corporate umbrella, and his tactics for hiring the right talent and managing his team. We spoke with Vic about: Pursuing business without a college degree Creating motivation for teams Calculated risks Hiring the right Much...

Bryan Pollard is a co-founder of Ask Alex along with Jordon Durst ( Learning Out Loud Episode 6 ). Ask Alex is a platform focused on AI-powered data and marketing for restaurants.  We spoke with Bryan about: His time at Bird - benefits of working at a startup His first entrepreneurial ventures Studying sociology Surrounding yourself with interesting people You don’t need to study business in colle...

Shannon Nash is a multi-hyphenate. Shannon is currently the CFO of Wing , an Alphabet subsidiary developing drone delivery services. She is also a lawyer, certified public accountant, investor and documentary filmmaker. Shannon is a 1992 graduate of the UVA McIntire School of Commerce and a 1995 graduate of the UVA School of Law. We spoke with Shannon about: The benefits of both accounting and law...

L. David Marquet is a retired U.S. Navy Captain and author of the bestselling book Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders , published in 2013, where he discusses his unique approach to leadership. David’s blend of pushing for leadership at every level of the ship and the careful use of language with his crew resulted in the USS Santa Fe “worst to first” turnaround, b...

Joe Linzon speaks with Justin, Marlee, and Chapin about starting Roots while an undergraduate, the three skills he sees as most important to business, and his passion for solving problems.

Justin, Marlee, and Chapin discuss the lessons they learned from each of the guests in Season 3 (episodes 23 - 32) in this quick season recap.

Alex Berentzen is the COO of Thompson Hospitality one of the largest retail food and facilities management companies, in the country. The company serves diverse clients, including Fortune 100 companies, universities, medical centers, and school districts, with a portfolio of well-known brands. Alex is a Dutch native and began his career in Amsterdam before moving to the US and holding Director of...

Michael Brown is the CEO of Travel+Leisure Co. (NYSE: TNL),  the world’s leading membership and leisure travel company, with nearly 20 travel brands across its resort, travel club, and lifestyle portfolio. The company provides outstanding vacation experiences and travel inspiration to millions of owners, members, and subscribers every year through its products and services: Wyndham Destinations, t...

Aakash Shah is the founder and CEO of Wyndly , a company focused on fixing allergies with personalized oral drops that train your immune system to beat your allergy triggers. Wyndly is a Y Combinator Winter 2021 company. Aakash is a 2016 UVA graduate. We spoke with Aakash about: Being a good learner How to be a good mentee Failing fast Cutting the bullshit Avoiding lying to yourself Doing as the b...

Merritt Lane III is the CEO of Canal Barge Company ,  Founded in 1933, Canal Barge Company, Inc. is a family-owned, independent marine transportation company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. Today we are one of the most diverse marine transportation companies in the country, moving highly valuable cargo to virtually every part of the world. Enjoys relationships with several Fortune 500 che...

Meg Pryde is the founder of Brandefy , a beauty product discovery platform using data & insights to launch our own line of affordable quality skincare. She started Brandefy to bring manufacturer products directly to the consumer, after spending 4 years working for a consumer packaging company. Meg is a 2012 University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce graduate, and a 2018 UVA Darden Scho...

Chase Minnifield is the founder and CEO of EZOS , a revolutionary property management software designed to simplify and streamline operations across a diverse range of property types. Chase is a 2011 UVA graduate and played football both at UVA and in the NFL for the Washington Commanders, and was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2019.  We spoke with Chase about: The difference between ignorance deb...

Maxine Clifford is the owner of two Purvelo indoor cycle locations - one in Charlottesville, Virginia, and one in Athens, Georgia.  Maxine began working for Purvelo as a second year undergraduate, and after graduating UVA in 2019 managed the Athens location before buying it and the Charlottesville studio.  Use our code: LEARNING20 for 20% off your first month on ALL Purvelo memberships (pur &...