Owl Have You Know

A Houston native, Ruy Lozano worked for 25 years in the Houston Fire Department, the third-largest municipal fire department in the country, where he was an assistant fire chief and managed a multi-million dollar budget for transportation, logistics, procurement and infrastructure. After speaking with the Houston Fire Department’s fire chief and realizing the chief’s progressive and innovative min...

At the time of this interview, Raisha Smith was set to graduate from the full-time MBA program in less than a month and was celebrating four years as founder and chief visionary of EveryDopeGirl, a platform that highlights the achievements of everyday women.  She’s passionate about helping women of color reach their full potential professionally. And she’s on the brink of seeing her hard work pay...

A Texas native, Casey Sherrod joined the Army ROTC at the University of Houston, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies. A year after graduating, she deployed to Afghanistan as a platoon leader, later becoming an executive officer, then a commander of the largest U.S. Army recruiting company on the West Coast. But she felt a strong desire to return to Houston...

There was no shortage of challenges for former Rice Business dean Peter Rodriguez in his first six years in the role: Hurricane Harvey, a global pandemic, and a deep freeze. Peter not only led the school through these crises, but managed to foster major growth milestones along the way. He sat down with host Christine Dobbyn to discuss the business school, who his mentors are, and an appointment th...

In this special episode, get to know Christine Dobbyn’s story. She talks with guest host and Rice Business alum Scott Gale '19 about her passion for storytelling, how most of her work today is from the Rice Business network and her advice for prospective students.   A transcript of this episode is available here .

In this special episode, get to know David Droogleever's story and why hosting a podcast is an act of building self-trust. Rice Business alum and guest host Scott Gale '19 finds out why joining the Navy was everything David expected and more, and why he starts every day by asking an important question: “Which frog do I eat first?” Check out the episode to find out what that means.   A transcript o...

Aruna Viswanathan '01 joins host David Droogleever to discuss her pivot from engineering to tech investing and entrepreneurship, provide essential tips for beginner investors and talk about AlphaX Decision Sciences, the energy AI software company she co-founded.   A transcript of this episode is available here .

Lynn Lednicky graduated from Rice twice, getting an undergraduate degree in chemistry and then an MBA. He tells host Christine Dobbyn about the breadth of his career and how transferrable job skills can take you to places you might not expect. He also shares advice for startup founders and growth-stage companies. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Omar Matuk-Villazon, M.D. '18 joins host David Droogleever to discuss the direct primary care model, innovation in healthcare and what it looks like to build a medical school from scratch. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Host Christine Dobbyn is joined by Jen Paquette '19, who discusses how trauma in her life has influenced her career path, her work with nonprofits and the military, and how it's helped prepare her to work with new business owners.  A transcript of this episode is available here .

Host David Droogleever is joined by Alex Porter '18, the managing owner of Southern Yankee Beer Company. He and David discuss what to do (and what not to do) when launching a business. A transcript is available here .

Brad Olsen '06 joins host Christine Dobbyn to talk about how his philosophy background makes him a great investor, how education translates into the real world and where he sees the energy transition fitting into his business. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Sha Hornsby joins host David Droogleever to discuss her work at Rice Business, how to recruit top job candidates and the impact the Great Resignation has had on the working world. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Sean Self (Rice BA '93, EMBA '06) joins host Christine Dobbyn to discuss pivoting from being an employee to an entrepreneur, how Rice Business helped him on that journey and advice for budding entrepreneurs. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Dr. Alan Crane, Associate Professor of Finance at Rice Business, joins host David Droogleever to discuss his teaching experience, how economics and finance go together and the importance of research in the commercial world. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Cameron Simoneau '05 and owner of Tri-State Running Company, speaks to host Christine Dobbyn about his transition from corporate life into entrepreneurship. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Abbey Donnell '17 joins host Christine Dobbyn to discuss how Rice Business empowered her to start her own company and the women entrepreneurship environment in Houston. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Charley Donaldson '09 joins host David Droogleever to discuss how he used his MBA as a springboard into a new career, how important it is to be creative in a job, and how the pandemic has shaped the trajectory of CaringBand. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Patra Brannon-Isaac '11 talks about the process of being admitted to Rice Business, the impact her MBA has had on her career trajectory, and her involvement in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the school. A transcript for this episode is available here .

This episode is part of a set of short interviews which were recorded during Alumni Reunion Week 2021. Be sure to listen to the other two Alumni Reunion Week episodes. Tamara Hughes '16 joins host David Droogleever in the Owl's Nest. A transcript of this episode is available here .

This episode is part of a set of short interviews which were recorded during Alumni Reunion Week 2021. Be sure to listen to the other two Alumni Reunion Week episodes. Ian Hernandez '11 joins host Christine Dobbyn in the Owl's Nest. A transcript of this episode is available here .

This episode is part of a set of short interviews which were recorded during Alumni Reunion Week 2021. Be sure to listen to the other two Alumni Reunion Week episodes. Matthew Marand '20 joins host David Droogleever in the Owl's Nest. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Ritesh Sheth '04 joins host Christine Dobbyn to discuss his journey from management consulting to product management and financial analyst, and finally to becoming a yoga teacher and focusing on serving others. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Scott Gale '19 joins host Christine Dobbyn to discuss how entrepreneurship is becoming a key part of a successful company and the future of Houston as the energy capital of the world. A transcript of this episode is available here .

Dr. Tom Kolditz, founding director of the Ann and John Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, joins host David Droogleever to explain why institutions of higher education don't necessarily deliver on their leadership development promises and what the Doerr Institute is doing to change that. A transcript of this episode is available here .