Looking Beyond With Michael Sikand

#152: Our Future To The Moon: Podcast Status Update From The Founder

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0700

I haven't released a podcast in nearly a month, and in this episode I offer a comprehensive status update, discussing why I paused production on the podcast and why I'm going full-time on TikTok and how I've done 1.7M views in the past 28 days. Get ready for Our Future to become a household name!

#151 The Young NFT Mastermind & Future of The Creator Economy w/ Everett Kohl, Founder of Dbillia

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #151 futurists learn from Everett Kohl, the 22-year-old founder of Dbillia, a platform that provides digital memorabilia & collectables for influencers and the emerging creator economy. The platforms allows artists and influencers to create a limited edition "Dbilia" for their new album, video, merch, project or even one of yourself. Fans can keep Dbilias in their collection, trade them with other users or resell them on our marketplace. Dbillia is like a hybrid between Patreon, Discord, and traditional NFT marketplaces, and sits squarely in the middle of the emerging creator economy and hot trends underlying fandom, blockchain, and alternative investments. In this podcast, Everett discusses the "why" behind NFT's, how he first started thinking about them way back in 2017, the challenges in building his company, and his advice to other aspiring entrepreneurs.

Connect with Everett on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/everett-kohl/

Apply for Michael's upcoming podcast course on July 9-11: https://learntogether.world/how-to-build-podcast/https://learntogether.world/how-to-build-podcast/

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#150 The Billion Dollar Video Game w/ Charles Huang, Co-Creator of Guitar Hero

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0700

In #150, Michael Sikand sits down with Charles Huang, co-founder of Red Octane, the company behind the legendary Guitar Hero franchise. Starting the company alongside his brother Kai in the early 2000’s, the gaming startup began by designing hardware for music and dancing games like “Dance Dance Revolution” and “In The Groove”. Soon however, the brothers realized a massive opportunity in delivering music games to an American audience (they were primarily popular in Asia) that were deeply rooted in culture. Despite having to re-mortgage their houses to make it work, the brothers launched Guitar Hero in November 2005. The game was an instant success and within a year of launching the game, Red Octane was acquired for $100M by Activision. Guitar Hero went on to be the second-ever game to reach $1B in sales, being the world’s best-selling game in both 2007 and 2008. In this episode, Charles shares lessons, stories, and insights from an entrepreneurial journey building a product that rocked the world. He also explains why Guitar Hero faded away from its massive success and provides career advice to young entrepreneurs. This is a must listen!

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#149 Two Edtech Startup Exits at Age 16?! w/ Calix Huang, Founder of Hours, Product Lead at Fiveable, and CEO at Launch Tech

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #149, Michael Sikand interviews Calix Huang, a 16-year-old entrepreneur, high school student, and engineer who has built and sold two startups in the edtech space! His most recent startup, Hours, was a virtual study tool that allowed students to join rooms and do school work together in real-time, setting timers for different work sprints and exchanging messages. Through a crazy user acquisition strategy, Calix grew the platform to over 20k users from high schools and universities around the world, and in 2021, Hours was acquired by venture-backed edtech company Fiveable, where he currently serves as a lead of product. In this podcast, Calix inspires you with his startup story, from idea to sale, and will help you think about building your own exciting product that people will love. No matter what you want to build, this interview will fuel your ambition, so don't miss it.

Connect with Calix on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calix-huang/

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#148 Raising $6M at Age 21 to Revolutionize Personal Finance w/ Sheridan Clayborne, co-founder of Lendtable (YC S20)

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #148, futurists learn from Sheridan Clayborne, a 21-year-old entrepreneurial sensation and the co-founder of Lendtable, a YC backed fintech startup tackling the retirement savings crisis that's raised over $6M from investors like Josh Richards, Bryce Hall, and SoftBank. The mission of Lendtable is simple: make everyone a millionaire, regardless of income level. They do this by giving no-interest loans to employees across America to help them take FULL advantage of their 401(k) match (or ESPP pools). In exchange, they take a small (5-10%) cut of the match. Some background on Sheridan: he was the youngest person to get into Northwestern at age 15, started his first million-dollar company when he was was 17, has worked at Dropbx and Goldman Sachs, and has done over $10mil in sales across his startups. I think Lendtable is the next unicorn and it's obvious that Sheridan is extremely passionate about the massive problem they're solving: people are not taking advantage of free money! Lendtable is a genius idea and an awesome interview, don't miss this crazy Gen Z founder story.

Connect with Sherdian on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheridan-clayborne-77723a119/

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#147 The High School Startup Making $500K!? w/ Sims Wilson and Daniel Greenberg, co-founders of ViralLEDS

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #147 futurists tune into a conversation with high school students and soon to be graduates Sims Wilson and Daniel Greenberg, the co-founders of ViralLEDS, a startup they founded in 2020 which produces and sells an array of in-home lighting products through social media. After Sims posted a TikTok showing how he made LED light strips for his bedroom and it went viral, he and Daniel decided to turn a hobby they learned in their AP Computer Science into a business that to date has cleared more than $500,000 in revenue, with almost 100% of their sales coming through TikTok! It's insane to see entrepreneurs building businesses out of the immense reach afforded by TikTok's platform, and Daniel and Sims share an awesome story about how they scaled and optimized the company, how Addison Rae discovered and reposted their product, how they both got into Ivy league schools (Sims is going to Cornell and Daniel is going to Brown), and their career advice to young entrepreneurs.

Go buy some ViralLEDS: https://viralleds.com/

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#146 The Nike of Skincare!! w/ Matthias Metternich, Co-Founder & CEO of Art of Sport

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 26 May 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #146, futurists learn from Matthias Metternich, Co-Founder & CEO of Art of Sport, a CPG skincare brand he co-founded alongside the late Kobe Bryant and Brian Lee in 2018. Art of Sport produces a range of daily essentials from body wash to deodorant to soap optimized for the lifestyles of athletes and has consistently ranked as the fastest growing men's skincare brand in the country since it was founded. In just three years, Matthias and the team have scaled Art of Sport from 0 to 15,000 retail locations and have partnered with some of the world's biggest and best athletes including: James Harden, Juju Smith-Schuster, Javi Bayez, Sage Erickson, and Ken Roczen. In this podcast, Matthias breaks down the company's vision to be the "Nike of Skincare", his learnings as a business builder (this is his 5th business), how he convinced Kobe Bryant to help start the company, the truth about working with influencers, and his career advice to the young and hungry. Don't miss this one!

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#145 The Student Startup Acquired in 7 Months?! w/ Kenan Saleh, Co-Founder of Halo Cars and Head of Product at Lyft Media

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 20 May 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #145, futurists learn from Kenan Saleh, co-founder of Halo Cars (acq. Lyft) and Head of Product at Lyft Media. As a 19 year-old at UPenn, Kenan and his co-founders set out to create a digitally connected, rooftop display for rideshare drivers to capture a massive outdoor advertising opportunity and provide drivers with supplemental income. Within 7 months of launching the product, the company was acquired by Lyft and became the basis for what is now the rideshare giant's advertising division–which Kenan now leads. Kenan shared some amazing insights about entrepreneurship, his love for "The Social Network" movie, how he found his first supplier in China, the story of the Lyft acquisition, and why we will see more and more of advertising-subsidized-transportation in the future. This one is epic don't miss it!

Follow Kenan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenansaleh/

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#144 Hollywood Legend Takes Us Behind The Scenes?! w/ Jon Glickman, Former President of MGM Studios, Founder & CEO at Glickmania

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 14 May 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #144 futurists tune into an EPIC podcast diving deep into the film industry with Hollywood legend, producer, and entrepreneur Jon Glickman, who is making his second appearance on Our Future since first coming on the show last summer. Glickman is the former President of MGM Studios, where he guided a bankrupt company into a thriving studio amd oversaw production on Eon’s Skyfall and Spectre, the two highest grossing installments of the James Bond franchise, as well as the forthcoming No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s final outing in the series. Other notable highlights of his tenure include overseeing the production of the Rocky spinoff Creed, and the sequel Creed 2, starring Sylvester Stallone and Michael B Jordan, as well as the 2019 animated hit recreation of The Addams Family. Notably, during Glickman’s term at MGM, he was ahead of the industry’s diversity hiring initiatives, with 24% of his slate featuring female filmmakers and 27% featuring directors of color, far exceeding the industry average.

Jon is now the Founder & CEO of Glickmania, where he is on a quest to build out a formidable library of IP in the entertainment world through myriad forms of content. He describes his current company as a next generation incubator focussing on established and emerging storytellers across all platforms – including franchise films, television, music, podcasts, comics and new media – in order to make high quality productions while creating an IP rights library.

DO not miss this episode–it's full of gleaming takeaways like when Jon convinced Joe Roth to give him an internship in an elevator when he was at USC Film School. He talks everything from nearly getting blown up on the set of James Bond to how young people can break into entertainment.

Follow Jon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/glickmania?lang=en

Check out Glickmania: https://glickmania.com/#about

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#143 The $1.6B Dog Subscription Box SPAC?! w/ Henrik Werdelin, Co-Founder of BarkBox (BARK)

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 06 May 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #143, futurists learn from Henrik Werdelin, Co-Founder of BarkBox (now referred to as BARK), the $1.6 billion dog subscription service company that recently announced its plans to go public via SPAC with Northern Star Acquisition (STIC). In the past pandemic year, people have spent over $99B on their pets, a trend that has powered BARK to historic heights, with over 1.7M paying subscribers and FY2020 revenues of nearly $400M. The company maintains several monthly dog product shipments, ranging from toys and treats to food and even health/wellness products, all of which contribute to a 60% gross margin. BARK is a fascinating business and there is so much to learn from Henrik on this podcast–he discusses everything from how breaking the law at MTV resulted in him getting a promotion to how he and his co-founder met on a cruise while sharing the same bed. Henrik dives into why young entrepreneurs should ask for money to test products, how to be confident as a young person in business, why BarkBox was able to succeed, his advice to young entrepreneurs, and so much more.

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#142 SPECIAL: Our Future's One Year Anniversary - Reflecting on The Journey of This Podcast!

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #142 futurists celebrate Our Future's 1 year anniversary and join a group of Michael’s closest friends, family, and team members to reflect on an idea that went from quarantine podcast to a full-scale media brand producing business content for young people.

A huge thanks to all of you who come out and listen to Our Future every week, you mean the world to me and this brand.

Here are the guests on this episode in order that they appear:

Catherine Dunne, Michael’s Mom, reflects on seeing her son find his passion and build something from nothing during COVID-19
Shiv Sikand, Michael’s Dad, reflects on what he enjoys most about Our Future and the second-ever episode of the podcast he recorded with Michael
Jonah Rubin reflects on when Michael first told him about his podcast idea and being the first and only producer of the show.
Matt Kocsis, remembers when Michael first started running with the idea and how he has seen him grow as a person building up Our Future
Peyton Cahn, discusses the inspiration of seeing Michael do something different and how when you find something you love it doesn’t have to feel like work
Sia Anand, Head of Communications at Our Future reflects on sending Michael a DM to join the team in the fall and what she sees for the future of the platform
Jimmy Sikorovsky, Digital Product Manager at Our Future reflects on how his skills have grown working for a startup and why flexibility is key

At the end of this episode, everyone shares their favorite episode of the pod, so stay tuned for those recommendations! Here's to one year everyboy!

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#141 Raising $4 Million and Managing a Team of 30 at Age 23 w/ Swish Goswami, CEO & Co-founder of Trufan

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #141, futurists hear from Swish Goswami, CEO & Co-founder of Trufan, an audience engagement platform that helps brands and influencers generate segmented first and third party data. Basically, it's a social intelligence platform that helps identify one's valuable followers by going through the world's largest database of social profiles: Social Rank. Trufan services businesses of all sizes, many of which you've heard of, such as VaynerMedia, NBA, Sony Music, Now This, FC Dallas, and more! By teaming up with large brands, Trufan offers a value exchange to users for their data, such as the ultimate gaming experience from Bud Light or free G Fuel for a year. Swish believes people should be compensated for their data and that Google, Opera, and Mozilla should take note of the way Trufan's customers are being rewarded.

Check out Trufan: https://www.trufan.io/

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#140 Revolutionizing Search with Privacy ft. Sridhar Ramaswamy, Co-founder of Neeva, Venture Partner at Greylock

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #140, futurists hear from Sridhar Ramaswamy, Co-founder of Neeva and Venture Partner at Greylock. Sridhar unpacks the need for Neeva, a search engine that scrounges through information in personal files and on the web without showing advertisements or compromising (or profiting off of) user data. His ad-free search engine, as he puts it, aims to "do right by the customer" and offer full security through any searches. Ironically, he is the fomer Google Ad Chief, and he discusses his change in mindset that led him to be the 'ads guy creating an ads-free company'. In this podcast, Sridhar also dives into his position at Greylock and plays a quick-fire round of overrated/underrated where he judges avocado toast, Tesla, Amazon and Bitcoin!

Join Neeva here: https://neeva.com/

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#139 Making Millions Selling Sports Cards at Age 21 w/ Luke Breon, Founder of Banger Sports Cards

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0700

in #139, futurists hear from Luke Breon, a 20-year-old Nebraska-based entrepreneur who has built a multi-million dollar business flipping sports card packs through social media. Luke, who's been an entrepreneur since he was 11, previously ran a marketing agency which he started in his junior year of high school, helping local Nebraskan businesses target customers and understand social media. In this podcast, Luke discusses why sports cards have made a massive resurgence, unpacking the alternate investments trend, and explains how he makes money on collectibles. He's also expanding his warehouse and plans to recruit a team. Don't miss this one!

Check out Luke's website: https://bangersportscards.com/

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#138 From Fighter Pilot to Founding JetBlue, Dr. Mike Barger, Co-Founder of JetBlue Airways, Former Chief Instructor at Navy TOPGUN, Professor at Michigan Ross

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #138, futurists tune into an epic conversation with Dr. Mike Barger, a former fighter jet pilot, co-founder of JetBlue Airways, and a professor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Dr. Barger began his career in the military, recieving his commission as an Officer in the United States Navy and serving for thirteen years, completing three, six-month deployments as a pilot and TOPGUN flight instructor flying the F/A-18 Hornet aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Dwight David Eisenhower. Dr. Barger left the US Navy in 1999 to be founding member of JetBlue Airways. He created JetBlue University, the award-winning corporate training function that provides learning and development to all members of the JetBlue workforce. He received his Master’s Degree in Learning Leadership in 2008 and his Doctor of Education degree in 2009. In this conversation, Mike and I discuss his learnings from flying fighter jets and how they apply to business, his experience helping to start JetBlue and explaining why the airline startup was able to succeed in a crowded market, and his career advice to young people. Don't miss this one!

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#137 $5M UCLA Startup is Revolutionizing Delivery w/ Rob Dong, CMO of Duffl

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #137, futurists learn from Rob Dong, a UCLA junior and the CMO of Duffl, a Y Combinator backed e-scooter delivery company that claims to be the world's fastest delivery service. On college campus, e-scooter riding "racers" deliver their fellow college students everything from gatorades to snacks to vapes in less than ten minutes. Since starting in 2019, Duffl now serves two college campuses (UCLA) and is quickly expanding to a third, leveraging a unique model where the company buys wholesale products and owns a warehouse to delivver them around the local area through their network of racers. Rob and the CEO of Duffl, David Lin, have raised over $1.3 million since starting the business and are now gearing up for another round of funding to beat out the competition. Listen to learn about this crazy student startup, don't miss it

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#136 16-year-old Climate Activist w/ Sarah Goody, Founder of Climate Now

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #136 futurists tune into an Our Future social impact episode, co-hosted with Jess Schmitt, featuring Sarah Goody, a 16-year-old climate activist and the founder of Climate Now. Sarah gained national attention from outlets like NBC, LA Times, and Good Morning America when in 8th grade, she protested in front of San Francisco City Hall for 50 consecutive Fridays to raise awareness for climate change. Since her initial campaign, Sarah has founded Climate Now, an organization focused on providing young people an introductory experience into the issue of climate change and the ways in which they can participate in reversing the planet's trajectory toward increased temperatures and natural disasters. Jess and I were blown away by Sarah's poise, professionalism, and incredible confidence as just a 16-year-old, and it's absolutley unreal the work she's doing to raise awareness for an issue she feels endlessly passionate about. Don't miss this powerful and inspirational episode.

Check out Climate Now's website: https://www.climatenow.solutions/

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#135 The Netflix Story w/ Marc Randolph, Co-Founder of Netflix

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700

In #135, futurists tune into an epic conversation with legendary entrepreneur, Marc Randolph, the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix who walks us through the origin story of one of the most legendary startup stories in Silicon Valley history. When Marc and his co-founder, Reed Hastings, wanted to start a business in the late 90's they didn't have a clue where to start, and even thought they might do a shampoo or dog food company! In fact, Netflix's first name was Kibble.com (not kidding) until five months in, the team knew they would need a better name, with Randolph selecting the moniker that now defines modern entertainment. Marc scaled Netflix from a crazy idea into one of the most disruptive businesses in history, being responsible for the company's early user interface, branding, and data analytics system. After guiding the company through its 2002 IPO, Marc left the company, claiming to have been more interested in the startup phase. Since then, he's founded several successful companies, one of which is Looker, a multi-billion dollar data analytics company that was acquired by Google. In this podcast, Marc shares some incredible startup advice, participates in an underrated/overrated segment on hot business topics, and laughs remembering that Blockbuster rejected their offer to merge with the company for a mere $50M. Don't miss this crazy episode.

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#134 Managing Celebrity Startups & Retiring at Age 26 w/ Arvid Ali, Former President of Jordan Belfort, Former Global Managing Director at Shaun White Inc.

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #134, futurists learn from Arvid Ali, a 27-year-old entrepreneur and celebrity startup advisor, who claims to be financially retired at the age of 26. In middle school, Arvid was a coding prodigy, and in high school, he took college classes alongside his schoolwork, graduating at age 17 and going onto UCLA to study math and getting his bachelor's degree at age 19. After college, Arvid worked at several Fortune 500 companies before starting a recruiting consulting firm, helping venture-backed startups hire the right talent to their business, and in his early twenties, he served as Global Head of Talent for unicorn pharmacy startup: Alto. Arvid's next professional adventure was in the celebrity startup management space, and he landed his first role with Olympic gold-medalist Shaun White's portfolio of businesses, and later with Jordan Belfort, the Wolf of Wall Street. In this podcast, Arvid drops some insane networking advice and some fascinating information about trends towards celebrity startups, as well as his financial advice for young professionals.

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#132 Superyachts, Private Jets, and Villas for Billionaires & Bond Villains w/ Andrew Winch, Founder & Creative Director at Winch Design

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #132, futurists learn from world-famous designer Andrew Winch, Founder & Creative Director at Winch Design, one of the world's preeminent design studios based in London, England. Throughout his career, Winch has designed some of the world's finest sailboats, 300 ft+ superyachts, private jet cabins, and luxury residences in the world, running a fantastical design business which he refers to as "delivering dreams". One of Winch's more notable projects included designing Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's private jet, which was expected to cost as much as $300 million USD. In this podcast, Winch discusses how he got his start in one of the world's most niche businesses, and touches on some key lessons all young entrepreneurs should carry forth in the business world, like the art of never saying no. Winch did an incredible job of coloring each of his points with sage wisdom, and this podcast is a must listen for any entrepreneur or young professional looking to uncover their passion and dive headfirst into their vision. Don't miss this one!

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#131 Redefining Student Engagement w/ Rahul Khatti, Co-Founder & CEO of Uniflow

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #131, futurists learn from University of Michigan sophomore, Rahul Khatti, Co-Founder & CEO of Uniflow, a student engagement software seeking to transform the way students find organizations and communities on campus that best fit their personal and professional goals. When club recruiting went fully-virtual at Michigan in the fall, Rahul and the team created a prototpye in less than a month and landed a pilot program with Michigan Ross. Since that time, the company has secured contracts with five businesss schools, including USC Marshall and Penn State Smeal, and is now targeting High Schools to help students find opportunities at not only the local, but also national level to gain access to better co-curricular activities.

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#130 Revolutionizing STEM Education w/ Mary Hadley, CEO at MakerGirl

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0700

NEW SERIES: Our Future in Social Impact. We're launching a new interview vertical focused on young entrepreneurs in the social impact space with guest co-host Jess Schmitt, co-founder of Electric Potential. In #130 and the inaugural episode of this series, listeners learn from 23-year-old CEO Mary Hadley, CEO at MakerGirl, a nonprofit with the mission of educating the next generation of female makers to be unstoppable forces that say “Yes!” to the challenges of tomorrow. MakerGirl does this through STEM education sessions led by University women and men, educating girls on how to 3D print and CAD, focusing on girls aged 7-10. In this interview you'll learn about how Mary went from chemistry major to nonprofit CEO, the importance of STEM education, and why you should consider working at a startup out of school. Don't miss this inspiring episode!

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#129 Growing GrubHub to $3 Billion w/ Mike Evans, Co-Founder of GrubHub, Founder of Fixer.com

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #129, futurists tune into an epic interview with Mike Evans, the co-founder of GrubHub and founder of Fixer.com. A few years after graduating M.I.T., Mike didn’t understand why there wasn't an aggregated list of restaurants nearby that delivered to you. So on a bus ride home from his job as a software developer, he coded up the GrubHub MVP, and went out to sell it, restaurant by restaurant. Mike had a blast scaling GrubHub from an MVP to a $3 billion company and he shares some incredible stories about lean startup methodology, selling your first customers, understanding competititon, and why the Gig economy is severely flawed. Exiting the business after its 2014 IPO, Mike is now the founder of Fixer.com, which trains and employs tradespeople (electricians, plumbers) and hires them out to homeowners. If you like what Mike has to say, check out his new book, “Hangry” which documents his journey building GrubHub and his insights on the Gig Economy. This one was insane, don't miss it.

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#128 16-year-old Hedge Fund Entrepreneur w/ Jack Fox, Founder of Foxy Capital LLC

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #128, futurists get their mind blown by Colorado high-school student and finance wizard, Jack Fox, founder of Foxy Capital LLC. At age 16, Jack has started a hedge fund with an initial raise of $250,000 from some of the most successful investors in the world, which after 6 months is surging over 30% in returns. This young genius started investing when he was 11 years old, and got addicted to the world of finance before he was out of sixth grade, blasting through Benjamin Graham's "The Intelligent Investor" and all of Warren Buffet's writing. While most kids were getting excited about going to see the newest Disney movie, Jack was buying stock in the company because he was optimistic about the company's future. It's absoltuley unreal what Jack is doing at such a young age and he's a decade ahead of his peers, but he needs to get more sleep. On this podcast, Jack discusses managing a fund while in high school, his ethos on investing, some of his favorite stocks, and his advice to anyone that wants to start investing.

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#127 $2 Million in Funding to Build TikTok for Dating w/ 21-year-old Marc Baghadjian, Co-Founder and CEO at Lolly

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #127, futurists learn from Marc Baghadjian, Co-Founder and CEO at Lolly, the new Gen-Z dating app combining TikTok and Tinder. As a cross between those two platforms, Lolly asks users to upload short videos to their profiles for potential matches to scroll through in a vertical feed that feels strongly reminiscent of TikTok. So far, Marc and the team have raised over $2M, from investors like Former Ticketmaster CEO John Pleasants, Former Apple CEO John Sculley, SV Angel, So-Fi cofounder Daniel Macklin, Wired Ventures cofounder Jane Metcalfe, former SV Angel General Partner Kevin Carter, Correlation Ventures and Next Coast Ventures. On this podcast, Marc drops some crazy entrepreneurial wisdom and details his plan to build the next great dating app, covering how he secured investors, why he saw a disconnect with Tinder, his advice to othher young entrepreneurs. Don't miss this wild episode with the next big 21-year-old entrepreneur.

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#126 The Most Insane Garage In The World w/ Pat Meignan, Founder & CEO of TheArsenale

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0700

In #126, futurists learn from Pat Meignan, Founder & CEO of TheArsenale, the world's leading online marketplace for micro industrial and independent builders, as well as a media brand and social medium showcasing the future of mobility. Anything you might see James Bond driving, you can find at TheArsenale–everything from skateboards, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, drones, boats, planes, timepieces and high end art pieces. TheArsenale has offices and showrooms across the world, including in Miami, Macau, and Paris. In this interview, Pat discusses how he built "the most insane garage in the world," his experience flying around China in a classified drone, and his advice to young entrepreneurs.

Check out TheArsenale: https://thearsenale.com/pages/shop

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#125 Making Moonshots Author, Rahul Rana, on Writing a Book and Landing his Dream Job at Age 19

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #125, futurists learn from Rahul Rana (@rrana03), is a sophomore at Rutgers University, an associate at Lux Capital (a VC firm specializing in deeptech), and the 20-year-old author extraordinare of new book "Making Moonshots," a deep-dive into the mindsets, philosophies, and strategies that are conducive to building moonshot companies—deeptech + radical solution + solving huge problems. I was lucky enough to speak on a panel with Rahul, and I was struck by something he said: "creating content maximizes serendipity," which I thought was an amazing way to capture the magic of being a content creator and public-facing personality. By writing a book about his passion for deep-tech companies and "moonshot" startups, countless doors opened for Rahul, including countless introductions, meetings, podcast features, and a job offer at his dream company. As a sophomore in college, Rahul is an associate at the venture capital firm that specializes in the very companies he wrote about in his book, and by becoming a creator, Rahul rode straight into his dream position, skipping any kind of traditional application process. This podcast is a fantastic summary of what a "moonshot" company is, features some great conversations about space companies and the cold war, details the process of writing a book + Rahul's new VC gig, and why creating content = the key to exponential growth and opportunity in the business world. You've got to listen.

Check out Rahul's book: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Moonshots-Rahul-Rana/dp/163676620X

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#124 Our Future Careers in Finance: Shruti Venkat, Incoming Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 09:00:00 -0800

In #124 of Our Future Careers, listeners hear from Shruti Venkat, a sophomore at Princeton University and an incoming Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs. Shruti has some incredibly impressive experiences in the world of finance under her belt as just a sophomore, and on this electric episode, she shares her career advice for recruiting banking, the interview process, her mindset going into her internship search, and why it's important to believe in yourself and shoot your shot. This interview was a blast, so tune into hear Shruti's elite mindset as one of the most ambitious young professionals to grace our weekly careers series. Don't miss it!

Connect with Shruti on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrutivenkat17/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#123 Building a Billion Dollar Car-Sharing Marketplace w/ Shelby Clark, Founder of Turo

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #123 listeners hear from Shelby Clark, Founder of Turo, the world's largest peer to peer, car-sharing marketplace where you can book any car you want, wherever you want it, from a vibrant community of trusted hosts across the US, Canada, and the UK. Most recently, the company was valued at over $1 billion, giving it Unicorn status, as it looks to put the world's 1.5 billion vehicles to better use as the "Airbnb" for cars. Shelby founded the company as a student at Harvard Business School, realizing he could decentralize the Zipcar model by making every vehicle accessible to anybody wherever they are. After stepping down as CEO in 2019, Shelby continues to advise the company as it charges on to reinvent the peer-to-peer model. It's an incredible entrepreneurial story, so don't miss this one!

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#122 Revolutionizing Young Entrepreneurship w/ Listener of the Week: Michelangelo Valtancoli, Cass Business School '21, Co-Founder of Almost Founders

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0800

Listener of the Week is a series where we bring a member of the Our Future audience up to the podcast stage to share with the community how they are building their future, in context of our future. In #122, futurists hear from listener of the week, Michelangelo Valtancoli, a graduate of Cass Business School and the Founder of Almost Founders, an ed-tech startup with the goal of revolutionizing how young student founders learn to be founders. Almost Founders consists of a podcast for aspiring founders, with practical 15-minute topic-specific episodes, as well as free networking events to meet other aspiring founders, free chats with successful founders, member-only internships, and access to a strong network of partners and VCs. When Michelangelo and his co-founder Kourosh Ghaffari Ghazi Said first came to me with their plan to build this company, I was floored by their ambition and drive. Since that time, they've built an extremely vibrant community and some awesome media products that add value to the lives of young builders, don't miss this episode!

Check out Almost Founders Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6EMNZGQ0jbyMJdAQRyFn40?si=3n7xEEBcT7WoKcqYrKFL6w

Book your slot to be Listener of the Week: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E42XO3jIQE3_rGuOqtlh7IYuFBTW7v-b0dH6R5QM_iI/edit?usp=sharing

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#121 Raising $500K and Producing 35,000 PPE Products at Age 19 with Krishna Koka, Founder & CEO of PWR4 Inc.

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #121, futurists hear from Krishna Koka, the Founder & CEO of PWR4 (previously PPE4All) and a 19-year-old Biomedical Engineeing Student at the University of Michigan. As COVID began to rear its ugly head on U.S. soil, Krishna couldn't bear to watch the atrocities occurring, so he spun up a non-profit enterprise run by students creating face-shields and other PPE, and routing it to the hospitals that needed it the most. Krishna's organization has delivered over 34,000 PPE products across the country, and now he has a big, bold vision way beyond the current pandemic. He wants to reinvent giving and bring startup culture to the non-profit space, and he tells us all about it on the podcast, don't miss this one!

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#120 Yahoo Message Boards to Worldwide Media Company with Jason Raznick, Founder & CEO of Benzinga + Internship Opportunity

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #120, futurists meet Jason Raznick, the Founder & CEO of Benzinga, a financial news and content ecosystem that serves over 25 million readers a month in 125 countries. Jason has started and run several successful businesses, his first in college, when he launched an online textbook store for University of Michigan students, but behind the scenes of operating startups, Jason has always been excellent at finding high-growth small-cap stocks. He founded Benzinga in 2010 to bring media coverage to an asset class underlooked by more established media outlets, and he's built a thriving media company based on his vision to create content for small-caps. Listen to this interview to learn the full story behind Benzinga and some incredible lessons in entrerpreneurship. Oh and did I mention Jason is looking for college kids obsessed with the stock market to come on board to write about finance and get paid for it? Apply to this Our Future exclusive internship below!

Apply to Benzinga Writer Internship: https://forms.gle/XDpZr3G4TAe9Jf9x9

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#119 Listener of the Week: Aaron Gill, 16-Year-Old Student is Obsessed with Mindset

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

Listener of the Week is a new series where we bring a member of the Our Future audience up to the podcast stage to share with the community how they are building their future, in context of our future. In the fourth-ever episode in this series and #119 listeners hear from Aaron Gill, an Our Future superfan, a high school student from the UK, and a voracious consumer of knowledge. Aaron discussses how he listened to 97 episodes of Our Future in one weekend, why he's addicted to growth and learning, and how he's looking at his future.

Book your slot to be Listener of the Week: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E42XO3jIQE3_rGuOqtlh7IYuFBTW7v-b0dH6R5QM_iI/edit?usp=sharing

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#118 The King of TikTok Selling with Grant Telford, 22-Year-Old Entrepreneur and Founder of The Backyard Athlete

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #118 futurists learn from Grant Telford, the 22-year-old founder of The Backyard Athlete, an outdoor products/sports startup that has gone completely viral on TikTok and generated a die-hard community of customers. When I first discovered Grant a month ago he was at just over 100K followers on TikTok, and now he's at 370K, growing through his hilarious, entertaining videos of his products, and more recently a skit called "The Best Hands on TikTok" where Grant lathers his hands with a slippery lubricant and catches a football with one hand. Grant has created a business out of TikTok, and his sports product, most notably the Backyard Chip has been purchased by over 20,000 people. It's crazy what Grant has built and it's clear how passionate he is about the unique brand he's created! Don't miss this wild interview with a crazy Gen Z founder.

Follow The Backyard Athlete on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebackyardathlete?source=h5_m

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#117 Our Future Careers in Consulting: Pascal Cévaër-Corey, Stanford '18, Ex-McKinsey, Co-Founder of Pave Finance

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #117, futurists learn about a career in consulting (and a founder story) with Pascal Cévaër-Corey, a graduate of Stanford University who spent two years as an analyst at McKinsey & Company's NYC HQ, working on over 16 projects across industries like telecom, banking, airplane manufacturing, and even healthcare. Pascal graduated his senior year of college with offers from BCG, Uber, in addition to McKinsey, and has several impressive internships under his belt which include Tom Ford and Gap Inc., and he shares some powerful career advice and insights from his experiences as a young professional. Now he's founding a fintech company called Pave Finance. Pascal's vision for Pave is delivering hedge fund style wealth management to retail investors through a mobile app, a market experience that has long been reserved for insitutitional invesotrs.

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter to join our community of young entrepreneurs at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-future/id1511226610

#116 Disrupting Beverage Through Brand with Hugh Thomas, CEO & Co-Founder of Ugly Drinks

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #116, futurists learn from Hugh Thomas, CEO & Co-Founder of Ugly Drinks, a CPG drinks startup he founded in London in 2016 after a long stint working at major beverage companies. Hugh was sick of a world where big brands were marketing pure sugar concoctions and telling an aspirational story about consuming unhealthy products. To disrupt the status quo, Hugh launched Ugly Drinks, which aims to bring transparency to the beverage market through zero-sugar, zero-calorie carbonated drinks delivered DTC with buzzy, retro-styled packaging and gorgeous marketing. Since launching the company in the UK, Ugly has expanded into the U.S. and despite having a strong focus on DTC subscriptions, is available in retail locations! In this episode, Hugh discusses why he was crazy enough to launch the company, some of the wacky flavors he's thinking about like Pizza and Rain, and shares powerful lessons on the entrepreneurial journey. Don't miss this bubbly episode.

A lucky Our Future listener is getting one free month of Ugly Drinks delivered to their doorstep. To be considered to win, repost this episode on your Instagram story and tag @ourfuturehq and @uglydrinks! Winners will be announced this week.

Follow Hugh on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uglyhugh/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter to join our community of young entrepreneurs at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#115 Listener of the Week: Rebecca Ma, MSU Student, Former Supply Chain Intern at Kellogg's and Incoming Supply Chain Intern at Microsoft

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

Listener of the Week is a new series where we bring a member of the Our Future audience up to the podcast stage to share with the community how they are building their future, in context of our future. In the third-ever episode in this series and #115 listeners hear from Rebecca Ma, a big fan of Our Future, a student at MSU, a former Supply Chain Intern at Kellogg's, and an incoming Supply Chain Intern at Microsoft. Rebecca discusses why she's passionate about the supply chain industry and how she went about recruiting the awesome internships she has been able to land.

Book your slot to be Listener of the Week: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E42XO3jIQE3_rGuOqtlh7IYuFBTW7v-b0dH6R5QM_iI/edit?usp=sharing

Connect with Rebecca on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marebecc/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#114 10 C's of Leadership w/ Cheri Alexander, Former Executive Director of Global HR at General Motors, Faculty at Michigan Ross

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #114, listeners hear from Cheri Alexander, Former Executive Director of Global HR at General Motors and Faculty at Michigan Ross, about her 10 C's of Leadership framework she has developed as a world-renowned thought leader in the executive education space and how they apply to young professionals as they begin their journeys as global leaders and change-makers. In this episode you'll learn the ingredients for successful leadership, no matter what stage you at in your career or startup, don't miss this one!

Connect with Cheri on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheri-alexander-36859710/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#113 Influencer Marketing Masterclass w/ Ian Borthwick, Senior Director of Influencer Channels at Seatgeek

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #113, listeners hear from Ian Borthwick, Senior Director of Influencer Channels at Seatgeek, the mobile-focused ticketing platform that’s known for helping people find great seats at mega events, but maybe even more so for their strokes in genius in influencer marketing. Ian has propelled Seatgeek to the highest level of the public conscious through some of the most successful influencer marketing campaigns, most famously with superstar David Dobrik (a Ferrari may or may not be included). Enjoy this mini masterclass on influencer marketing.

Follow Ian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ianrborthwick

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#112 Listener of the Week, Milan Ehrhardt, 20-Year-Old Student Entrepreneur and Host of Foundrs House

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

Listener of the Week is a new series where we bring a member of the Our Future audience up to the podcast stage to share with the community how they are building their future, in context of our future. In the second-ever episode in this series and #112 listeners hear from Milan Ehrhardt, a native of South Africa, a second-year student at Westminster Universty in London, and the newly minted podcast host of Foundrs House. Milan and I had a brief conversation a few weeks ago after he discovered Our Future on TikTok, and since then, he's produced over 5 podcast episodes, where he's telling stories from other successful young professionals who have landed into the industry of their choice. He has a killer mindset, don't miss this episode.

Book your slot to be Listener of the Week: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E42XO3jIQE3_rGuOqtlh7IYuFBTW7v-b0dH6R5QM_iI/edit?usp=sharing

Check out Milan's podcast: https://linktr.ee/foundrshouse

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#111 Radical DTC w/ Bennett Byerley & André Monteiro, Co-Founders of Verb Energy

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #111, futurists learn from Bennett Byerley (CFO) and André Monterio (CTO), co-founders of Verb Energy, an innovative CPG startup that produces delicious and nutritious energy bars that combine the substance of real food with the buzz of caffeine. What's most fascinating about Verb is not that it is 100% e-commerce or that the company's products are sold through subscription, but how the founders have built radically human relationships with their customers by managing the business almost entirely through SMS text-messaging. In this episode, Bennett and André discuss how the idea started when they were coffee-addicted students at Yale University, why they thought they could launch into the crowded snack bar market, how tthe chose text-message as a platform to build a business on, and their career advice to other builders.

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#110 Our Future Careers in Entertainment: Haley Kellogg, Casting Associate Producer for Reality TV Shows

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #110 futurists learn about a career in entertainment with Haley Kellogg, whose job is to cast reality TV shows! Haley is currently a casting associate producer at Fremantle working to cast ABC's "To Tell The Truth," and in the past she's helped cast and produce shows like Mission Unstoppable with Miranda Cosgrove on CBS, Quibi's "Sexology with Shan Boodram", HBO Max's "Karma", and more. In this episode, Haley discusss how she has began her career in entertainment, what it means to be in casting, and her career advice to young people looking to break into entertainment.

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#109 Future of Streaming w/ Dan Robbins, VP of Ad Marketing & Partner Solutions at Roku

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #109, listeners hear from media executive Dan Robbins, VP of Ad Marketing & Partner Solutions at Roku, whose job sits squarely in the future of media and advertising as Roku becomes the operating system for modern-day TV. Roku began as the "dongle" you plugged into your TV to make it "smart," getting access to a wide variety of streaming services, and it also integrates with various TV manafacturers and is now producing audio products to enhance your pandemic-friendly home viewing experience. What fascinates me about Roku and Dan's job specifically, is how the $50B streaming company is transitioning from a hardware/software business and becoming a services business, selling ads to the closest thing to a cable audience in 2021 (and with way more data). The company is now developing its own content since the Roku channel, which is a mainstay on all connected-TVs, is being watched by tens of millions of people a month. This is explains why the company acquired the content of now defunct media startup, Quibi, to provide free, ad-supported content, the rationale of which Dan touches on in this episode. The interesting part to me is how brands that live and breathe TV ads that go out to massive, undefined audiences are now turning to Roku to acheieve the same messaging. The genius at Roku is how consumers pay for the product twice, and the company has been extremely intelligent as it thrives in a hyper-competitive and ever-evolving media landscape, seizing upon multiple lines of revenue to become the future of TV.

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#108 Listener of the Week: Peter Aldapa, 19-Year-Old Student Entrepreneur, Wants to Be Unmatched

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Sat, 06 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

NEW SERIES! Listener of the Week is a new series where we bring a member of the Our Future audience up to the podcast stage to share with the community how they are building their future, in context of our future. In the inaugual episode in this series and #108, listeners hear from Peter Aldapa, a college student from Santa Barbara and 19-year-old entrepreneur, about how he's building a brand called Unmatched, which is fueled by his desire to be the hardest worker in the room...to be truly unmatched as a young leader.

Book a your slot to be Listener of the Week: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E42XO3jIQE3_rGuOqtlh7IYuFBTW7v-b0dH6R5QM_iI/edit?usp=sharing

Check out Peter's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1516530243

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#107 The Social Network for Entrepreneurs w/ Michael Marra, Founder of Entre and Ryan Solomon, Digital Marketing Manager at Entre

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #107, futurists learn from Michael Marra, Founder & CEO of Entre, and Ryan Solomon, Digital Marketing Manager at Entre, about their 20,000+ user strong social networking startup built exclusively for entrepreneurs. Entre helps connect entrepreneurs to each other and the right resources to start and grow their businesses through a web interface, mobile app, and live events. Entre has raised over 60K to date on their crowdfunding campaign, and their scrappy digital marketing presence, most notably on TikTok (25K+ followers) has earned the platform tens of thousands of users. Building community seems to be the trend of this pandemic/remote era, and it's extremely difficult. I'm excited for you to listen in and learn about how Michael and Ryan have built a destination for the modern entrepreneur, integrating so many moving parts into a hollisitc movement that sits dead center in the future of work. I would highly recommend the Entre platform to any builder who seeks a supportive community and a hub of content + opportunity.

Join Entre: https://joinentre.com/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#106 Our Future Careers in Marketing: Alexander Ferenczi, Ex-VaynerMedia Analyst + Buyer, Ex-JetFuel Studio Digital Director, Founder of Advocaczi

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #106, futurists learn about careers in marketing with Alexander Ferenczi, a 25-year-old marketing whiz, who has been deeply immersed in the world of agencies, media buying, and digital advertising since graduating from Babson College in 2018. His first gig out of college was at Gary Vee's legendary marketing agency, VaynerMedia, where he was trained in the art of modern media buying and modern-day advertising, and claims he learned more in three months there than during four years of business school. After leaving VaynerMedia, Alex led social strategy at JetFuel Studio, and he just made the decison to pursue entrepreneurship by launching his own agency, Advocaczi. In this interview, Alex provides kickass insights and perspective on any young person looking to be successful in a marketing career, or any industry for that matter. This interview took place live on Clubhouse, so follow me @michaelsikand to tune into upcoming Our Future recordings on the platform, with the ability to ask questions to me or my audience members after the episode wraps up.

Connect with Alex on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-ferenczi/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#105 Matt Goodman, Chief Commercial Officer & COO of New York City Football Club (MLS), on Sports Business and Chaos + JERSEY GIVEAWAY!

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #105, futurists learn about the business of sports with pro soccer exec Matt Goodman, Chief Commercial Officer & COO of New York City Football Club: the big apple's high-caliber MLS team. Matt is a true sports veteran, and prior to signing on with the NYCFC, he was Senior Vice President at the NBA, and before that VP of Corporate Partnerships at the Cleveland Browns. When COVID-19 shocked the sporrts world, Matt and the team were forced to innovate, and the result has been creative campaigns devoted to virtual fan experience and small business, and of course increased attention to the soccer team's e-sports division. On this episode, Matt brings us years of wisdom, working across baseball, basketball, football, and now soccer, and shares winning career advice for anyone that wants to work in sports. GIVEAWAY INSTRUCTIONS: To be entered to win an NYCFC jersey and hat, all you have to do is subscribe to Our Future Newsletter by entering your email at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/, and winners will be announced on 2/3 across all our channels.

ENTER GIVEAWAY by subscribing to our email newsletter: https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

Book a Time to Get Interviewed as Listener of the Week: calendly.com/michaelsikand

#104 SPECIAL: Hacking & AI Magic w/ Alex Sikand, Masters in AI at Boston University, Founder of Silk Labs

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

SATURDAY SPECIAL! In #104, listeners learn from Alex Sikand, a Master's in AI Candidate at Boston University, Founder of Photofix.AI and Silk Labs (AI Startup for Retail & Fashion), who also happens to my brother! This live episode took place in my studio, and Alex and I discuss his young and legendary days as a high school hacker, notoriously breaking through our school's network and getting up to some high-tech tomfoolery, as well as his current projects that revolve around harnessing the power of AI as it relates to image classification and analysis. It's been really exciting to see my brother lock in on some amazing projects, and I couldn't let him go back to Boston without bringing him on the podcast to share his knowledge in one of the hottest and least-understood fields in the business world. If you're interested in careers in AI and ML, reach out to Alex at Alex@Sikand.org.

Check out Alex's photo restoration site to reimagine an old photo of a loved one for $1: https://www.photofix.ai/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#103 The Social Investing Revolution w/ Michael Warshowsky, Gav Blaxberg, and Ben Kestenbaum, Co-Founders of Wolf Financial

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

Wall Street is in the midst of revolution. In #103, futurists run the numbers with Drexel University students, Michael Warshowsky, Gav Blaxberg, and Ben Kestenbaum, co-founders of Wolf Financial, a new viral social investing app that's blowing up in the midst of an investment revolution. To give a quick recap, internet cyber bulls have banded together to spite the "man in the suit", making hedge funds bleed on their short positions in companies like GameStop and AMC Theatres, by aggressively buying the stock. All the crazy news you've heard this week comes down to a core fact in that we're seeing millions of everyday investors enter the stock market, and the founders of Wolf are building the one stop shop app for these newly-minted investors to network with eachother and research the best investments. Their core focus is making investment research more digestible, and their app, which you can download now, is an incredible mixture of Twitter and SeekingAlpha! This was a crazy conversation with the founders of what I beleive to be the next big social network. Don't miss out.

Join Wolf Financial: https://apps.apple.com/bz/app/wolf-financial/id1518313068 and follow me @ourfuture_ceo

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#102 Our Future Careers in Entertainment: Matt Ladis, Music Manager & Accountant, Founder of Mad Lettuce

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In #102, futurists tune into a conversation with Matt Ladis, who's worked in the music industry since cold-emailing a music executive after he graduated from Michigan and landed his dream job in the industry. As a music business manager and accountant, Matt helps some of the most well-known artists and entertainers manage their finances, and he's currently in the process of launching his own business management company - Mad Lettuce (get it, Matt Ladis)! This is a fantastic episode for anyone looking to tap into the mindset necessary to break into your dream job, especially in an industry like music with notoriously high barriers to entry.

Get in contact with Matt: Matt@MadLettuce.co

Book a Meeting with Michael to Get Featured as Listener of the Week: calendly.com/michaelsikand

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#101 Paul English, Co-Founder of KAYAK, Lola.com, GetHuman.com, Moonbeam Podcast Player, on Building Product + Brand

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 101, futurists hear from famed internet entrepreneur and philanthropist, Paul English, who has started more companies than he has fingers to count with. He’s known best for co-founding travel site KAYAK in 2004 which was sold for $1.8 billion dollars in 2012, and he’s also the founder of Lola.com, GetHuman.com, Summits Haiti Education, the BostonWinterWalk.org for Homelessness, and now he’s launching what he aims to be the TikTok for podcasts called Moonbeam Podcast Player, which you can check out at the link below. This is an incredible conversation and Paul is a legend in entrepreneurship, advising you to hone the craft of storytelling in your early venture! I love how he's product and brand focused, a rare species to come by for sure!

Book a Meeting with Michael to Give Podcast Feedback: calendly.com/michaelsikand

Check Out Moonbeam Podcast Player: https://apps.apple.com/pk/app/moonbeam-podcast-player/id1531348470

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#100 Michael Sikand, Founder of Our Future, on Building the Next Great Brand

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

100 EPISODES!!! In Episode 100, Michael Sikand, Founder & CEO of Our Future, opens up about building the podcast and brand of his dreams, reflects on how he got started, and shares his ambitions to create the next great media brand for his generation. Devanshi Mehta, a sophomore at UCSB and former co-host of Our Future Careers, asks Michael questions about his journey and how Our Future has evolved over the past 8 months into something much larger than a podcast.

Email Michael if you'd like to have a conversation or get involved with Our Future: michael@ourfuturehq.com

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#99 Our Future Careers in Product Management: Phillip Ruffini, Ex-Microsoft PM, Founder of Hacking PM and Fluence

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 99, futurists learn about product management with Phillip Ruffini, whose had an impressive slate of professional experiences in product, beginning in his freshman year when he networked his way into infamous startup Juicero, and later when he became a product management intern at AB inBev's startup accelerator–ZX ventures. After graduating from the University of Michigan, Phillip became a Program Manager at Microsoft, (Microsoft's version of a Product Manager), where he's worked on some awesome projects for the past 1.5 years. Recently leaving Microsoft, Phillip is going his own way with the launch of his newest startup, Fluence, which helps consumer brands turn their loyalists into sales machines. This was an awesome conversation and Phillip shared some powerful insights and advice.

Email me michael@ourfuturehq.com with a resume if interested in today's internship opportunity.

Connect with Phillip on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipruffini/

Check out his new company: https://tryfluence.com/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#98 Marcy Daniel, Chief Product Officer at PowerSchool, on Seamless Integration

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 98, futurists are joined by guest co-host Sia Anand, Head of Communications for Our Future, to learn from Marcy Daniel, Chief Product Officer at multi-billion dollar education tech company, PowerSchool, which serves over 45 million students across a powerful suite of services, one of which you might have used in grade school: Schoology. In this episode, you'll learn what it means to be a Chief Product Officer and the lens on business you need to take to be a fantastic product manager, as well as how seamless integration is key to facilitating successful learning experiences and education management. Further, we touch on the future of education, breaking down the silver lining of the remote paradigm, in addition to the challenges that remain for remote learning.

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#97 SPECIAL: Our Future in Aviation with Chad Sparks, Director of Strategic Campaigns & Business Development at Bell Helicopter

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 97, listeners learn about the future of aviation and vertical lift mobility with Chad Sparks, Director of Strategic Campaigns & Business Development at Bell Helicopter. Bell is the world's leading manafacturer of military and civilian rotorcraft, and the company rose to prominence when the Bell X-1 fighter jet was the first plane to break the sound barrier, and again when the company's famous "Huey" helicopter changed the nature of battle forever during the Vietnam War. In this fascinating episode, you'll learn about how Bell is developing cutting-edge vehicles that stand to change both the military and the business world, through novel designs and autonomous technology, including the V-280, which is a hybrid between an airplane and a helicopter (pictured on the cover). You will also learn how flight will make its way into mainstream mobility, and the challenges holding us back from hailing a helicopter air taxi on our phone. This conversation was incredibly intellectually stimulating, and Chad also provided some world-class career advice that was some of the best I've heard on the podcast.

Check out Bell's insane roster of aircraft: https://www.bellflight.com/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#96 Our Future Careers in Finance: Landon Klausing, Former Private Equity Analyst at Blackford Capital and Incoming Equity Research Analyst Intern at Manning and Napier

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 96, futurists run up the numbers with Landon Klausing, a junior at Grand Valley State University in Michigan and an Incoming Equity Research Analyst Intern at Manning and Napier. In addition to being the President of GVSU's premier investment club, Seidman IPO (150K AUM), he has landed several impressive internships including one at boutique investing firm Blackford Capital (full-year internship) and Plante Moran (Summer 2020), which is one of the largest financial services firms in the country. Landon is driven, sharp as hell, and leads a team of absolute stock sharks at GVSU, and I really enjoyed tapping into his perspective as a finance recruit from a non-target school, since many of the students we've featured on the careers series attend "target schools". It was fun creating a few TikToks too with Landon, where he provides his book recommendations and pitches me a stock (Allibaba), so check us out on TikTok and tap us out a follow. In this short, sweet, and entertaining conversation, Landon gives us an update on the markets, runs us through Seidman's investment portfolio, provides his advice for aspiring financial professionals, and defines what the heck "equity research" is.

Connect with Landon on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/landon-klausing/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#95 David Rubin, CMO of The New York Times, on Marketing the Truth

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 01:00:00 -0800

In Episode 95, futurists hear from David Rubin, CMO of The New York Times, about how he went from history major at Yale to working on Unilever's Axe brand to leading the marketing machine at one of the media industry's most respected and prestigious brands. He discusses the evolution of the journalism business, why he views his job as creating a new category, lays out a vision for the NYT being the "Netflix of Truth", and his career advice to young professionals who are plotting their mark on the business world. It's never been more important to invest in quality journalism that exposes the truth, especially as we see our democracy threatened by the outgoing administration. I view David's job as not only exciting and fascinating, but extremely important. If you're a young person, there's a high chance your college or university provides you a free subscription to The New York Times, and if not you can get a digital subscription for as little as $2 a week.

Get a student subscription to the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/subscription/education/student?campaignId=6WYWY

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#94 Jordan Friedman, Fintech Entrepreneur, Founder of Zodaka, Youngest Member of Forbes Finance Council, on Jumping into the Fire

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 09:00:00 -0800

In Episode 94, futurists hear from 24-year-old entrepreneur Jordan Friedman, who dropped out of UCSB after two quarters to start an innovative fintech company called Zodaka to serve the wild west of the cannabis industry. Jordan invented a payment process that brought a greater degree of credibility to e-commerce cannabis transactions, and his contributions for high-risk banking earned him the accolade of being the youngest member on the Forbes Finance Council. Since licensing Zodaka's tech out to another company, Jordan is plotting his next disruption of the financial system, and he's officially launching a B2B payments software company in the coming weeks. I can't voice how much I've enjoyed getting to know Jordan, and his advice has been invaluable as I ramp up operations at Our Future to go from podcast to media brand. He's truly a friend, an ally, and a mentor for life, and this in-person episode was a blast.

Connect with Jordy on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-friedman-237980139/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for internship recruiting resources and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

No way you're not following us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ourfuturehq/

#93 Our Future Careers in Real Estate: Will Conway, Former Intern at GLP, Northwind Group, and Incoming Real Estate Capital Advisory Summer Analyst at Evercore

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 93, futurists lock in with Will Conway, a student at the University of Michigan, a 2x intern in Real Estate Private Equity, and an Incoming Summer Analyst on Evercore's Real Estate team. Will has always been extremely passionate about the real estate industry, growing up in Brazil from age 12 and watching how developments transformed communities in tangible ways. I've always been blown away by Will's ambition, drive, and wildly cool personality, and he's invested himself deeply in the real estate industry for the past several years, recently securing his dream internship at Evercore this summer on their RE team. In this interview, Will dives into cold-emailing executives and best practices for networking as a young person, the difference between the banking side of Real Estate versus the Private Equity side, and how he landed his top choice of internship.

Connect with Will on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-conway-626900174/ or email him wtconway@umich.edu!

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for internship recruiting resources and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

No way you're not following us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ourfuturehq/

#92 Andrew Sutherland, Founder & CTO of Quizlet, on Building for the User

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 92, futurists get access to the mind of education technology entrepreneur, Andrew Sutherland, the Founder & CTO of Quizlet, the free online study platform that revolutionized the way students prepare for exams. Andrew started the company at age 15, when his French teacher made him memorize the names of over a hundred animals, and he still runs the business today! The startup story of Quizlet is one of building something great that people love to use, and then iterating and expanding over time, which was a guiding principle when tech companies were popping up in the mid-2000's. As a long-time user of Quizlet, it was a real honor to chat with Andrew, and I had a blast running through the narrative of a great company and an awesome founder.

#91 Jackson Riegler, Founder of Oshki, on Environmental Entrepreneurship

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 91, futurists learn from Jackson Riegler, a fellow student at the University of Michigan and 20-year old founder of sustainable clothing brand Oshki (meaning "fresh" in Native American Ojibwe). Jackson has always been passionate about protecting the Great Lakes, and when he realized how environmentally destructive the fashion industry was, he endeavored to create a business turning plastic waste from U.S. waterways into stylish, durable apparel. I was lucky enough to meet Jackson in my freshman orientation at UMich and it's been inspiring to watch him scale his vision for sustainability and business.

Check out Oshki's website: https://oshki.us/?variant=31257798148229

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for more career advice and industry insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

No way you're not following us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ourfuturehq/

#90 Our Future Careers in Finance: Dylan Hopen, Incoming Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Cowen

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 90, futurists hear from Dylan Hopen, a student at the University of Michigan and an Incoming Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Cowen, a leading Investment Bank that is known for its disruptive outlook, having invested early on in Amazon.com, pushing some of the first financial research on the Cannabis industry, and leading Nikola's SPAC merger. Dylan tells us why he's excited to be working in IB, how he began the networking process, the resources and strategies he used to prepare for technical interviews, the importance of a personal story, and his advice to other students considering a career in banking.

Connect with Dylan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-hopen-22752a134/ or email him at dyhopen@umich.edu.

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter for more career advice and insights at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

No way you're not following us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ourfuturehq/

#89 Ari Elkins, TikTok Star & Gen Z Music Curator on the Future of Music Journalism

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 89, listeners hear from Ari Elkins, TikTok Star, Gen Z Music Curator, and one of my first friends at the University of Michigan. When his music internship got cancelled in the wake of COVID-19, Ari dropped a TikTok video highlighting the "songs you miss most from your frat basement" which instantly went viral. Since that first clip, Ari has grown his TikTok audience to over 500K and has collaborated with brands like GrubHub, Uber, and Tilly's. He was also recently featured in a Rolling Stone piece highlighting the future of music journalism, and he's committed to providing a new way for both young people to discover new music, and for new artists to get discovered.

Follow Ari on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arijelkins/?hl=en

Follow his TikTok @arijelkins

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#88 Greg Sullivan, Director of Microsoft Mixed Reality on the Intersection of Physical and Digital

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 88 and the official YouTube launch of Our Future, I sit down with Greg Sullivan, Director of Mixed Reality at Microsoft, who throws on the HoloLens 2 to show off Microsoft's cutting edge virtual reality tech as he analyzes a wind farm and interacts with various objects so be sure to check out the YouTube below. In addition to the live demo, we discuss how Microsoft sees AR/VR as part of the same continuum, choosing to term their tech under "mixed reality", when VR will become mainstream at the consumer level, and Greg's career advice to young people looking to make an impact on Our Future.

WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shzbC6o7Q18&feature=youtu.be

Please provide me feedback about Our Future: https://forms.gle/jm24Bq1u5HnvcfSv9

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#87 Our Future Careers in Consulting: Marcos Aull, Incoming Associate at BCG on Dream Job Mindset

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 87 on the Our Future Careers series, I chat with Marcos Aull, the first student at University of Cincinnati to land into Boston Consulting Group (BCG) one of the world's top consulting firms. He discusses trading dining halls for networking talks as a scrappy young networker, how you can prepare for case interviews to crush them, and the mindset necessary to land your dream job. This was an inspiring conversation with a smart, focused, and victorious young leader who overcame the odds to plant his stake in the consulting industry.

Connect with Marcos on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcosaulluc/

Please provide me feedback about Our Future: https://forms.gle/jm24Bq1u5HnvcfSv9

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

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#86 Shamin Abas, President & CEO of Shamin Abas Communications on Ultra-Luxury Marketing

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 86, listeners hear from Shamin Abas, President & CEO of Shamin Abas Communications, one of the world's leading marketing agencies for ultra-luxury brands and high net worth clientele. Her company collaborates with clients who manufacture "big toys" like helicopters, sports cars, and yachts, to deliver exclusive experiences.

Connect with Shamin on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shamin-abas-08a8031/

Please provide me feedback about Our Future: https://forms.gle/jm24Bq1u5HnvcfSv9

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

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#85 Alex Lieberman, CEO & Co-Founder of Morning Brew on the Importance of Making Big Asks

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 08:00:00 -0800

It happened! In Episode 85, I'm honored to be joined by one my greatest role models, fellow Michigan Wolverine, and business barista, Alex Lieberman, CEO & Co-Founder of Morning Brew, the famed business newsletter that educates over 2.5 million young professionals every day. Alex recently made history when he and his co-founder, Austin Rief (also a Michigan man), sold a majority stake in the Morning Brew to Business Insider in October, valuing the business at $75 million dollars and setting the company up for its ambitions to transition from a newsletter company to a media company. The origin of the Morning Brew lied within Alex's realization that young people didn't enjoy reading the Wall Street Journal when he was a senior at Michigan Ross, so he decided to build a better news product for an audience of college students (I like to think of Our Future the same way for podcasting). Alex is a huge inspiration to me as I look to build my own business media brand delivering value to young people, and this podcast was made possible by a big ask I made when publicly auditioning for the Morning Brew Talk Show in August, which is one of the core themes of this episode. The business barista himself also discusses his new life of podcasting through the Founder's Journal and the future of the Morning Brew in this new post-acquisition phase.

Subscribe to the Morning Brew: morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=4a151e27

Alex's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-lieberman/

Alex's Twitter: https://twitter.com/businessbarista?s=20

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#84 LIVE SPECIAL: Dan Kellogg, Hotelier / Inventor / Game Show Winner / and Family Man on Serendipity and Self-Belief

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0800

LIVE FROM PALM SPRINGS! In the second-ever live episode of Our Future, I talk to world-class entrepreneur, business builder, and family man Dan Kellogg, who I was lucky to randomly meet by the pool during my recent vacation to palm springs. When he was 19-years-old, in a stroke of luck + fate, Dan won the "Price is Right" Game Show in 1985, netting over $30,000 in earnings (more like $70K today), which served as the impetus for his career in building hotels. My friends and I were lucky enough to meet the entire Kellogg crew (awesome family), and in my own weird stroke of luck, I decided to pack my laptop and microphone to the poolside that day, and the result was an amazing in-person podcast conversation! This awesome episode is a testament to the fact that crazy stuff happens, you just have to be open to new opportunities and position yourself to get lucky.

Follow Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priceisright85/?hl=en

Connect with Dan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-kellogg-ab9289b/

Please provide me feedback about Our Future: https://forms.gle/jm24Bq1u5HnvcfSv9

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#83 Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, Former Head of Global Marketing at Peloton on Creating a Cult-Following

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 83, futurists learn from Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, Former Head of Global Marketing at Peloton, the $40B fitness startup that revolutionized at-home exercise. Carolyn brings us back to 2016 when Peloton had almost no brand awareness and the founders were still struggling to convince the world of their vision to combine fitness hardware, software, and content into one company. She dives into the differences of her marketing roles, starting at an agency and then moving to Pepsico's Mountain Dew division before joining a small, unknown fitness upstart, and reflects on the successes in marketing Peloton, how it rode into the mainstream, and how other companies can apply those lessons. Further, she dropped some awesome career advice throughout the podcast, emphasizing the circuitousness nature of one's career and the perks of starting out at a big company.

I used an audio clip in this interview from an Superbowl ad Carolyn worked on for Mountain Dew Kickstart, and I do not own it.

Please provide me feedback about this podcast: https://forms.gle/jm24Bq1u5HnvcfSv9

Connect with CTB on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-tisch-blodgett-661a615/

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#82 Our Future Careers in Accounting: Matt Kocsis, Incoming Audit Intern at PWC, Former Corporate Finance Intern at Kellogg's, Supply Chain Intern at Steelcase

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0800

LIVE EPISODE! In Episode 83, futurists hear from Matt Kocsis, an incoming Audit Intern at PwC, the world's most prestigious accounting firm. Matt shares key insights on why you should consider accounting as a career path, and how it's so much more than number-crunching and a story above all-else. He dives into his journey recruiting the big four and emphasizes the importance of showing up to networking events and coming armed with a personal story to define yourself and stand out.

Matt is one of my best friends and we recorded the FIRST EVER in-person Our Future episode from our vacation villa in Palm Desert, where I was lucky enough to take a week off to hang out in the sun with Matt and our two friends Peyton and Lea.

Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattkocsis/

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#81 Dr. Rao Mulpuri, Chairman & CEO of View Inc., on the Future of Smart Glass

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 81, listeners hear from Dr. Rao Mulpuri, the CEO & Chairman of View Inc., the world’s leading smart glass manafacturer and a company I was lucky enough to intern at in high school. The company has raised over a billion dollars to date, and Rao explains why the company is going public via the Cantor Fitzgerald SPAC to unlock a trillion dollar market, mitigate climate change, and create new human experiences.

Check out View's amazing website: https://view.com/

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#80 Our Future Careers in Business of Tech: Joseph Choi, former Business Operations Intern, Incoming Technical Writer at Salesforce and Co-Founder of Tech Pod

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 80, listeners hear from Joseph Choi, an incoming Technical Writer at Salesforce and the co-founder of Tech Pod, a media platform designed for young people interested in careers in tech that don't have a CS degree or coding knowledge. Joseph and I had an awesome conversation about how over 4/10 roles at the biggest tech companies are non-technical positions and why if you're an economics, business, or comms student you should know working in the tech industry is an option for you. I have a great deal of admiration for the platform Joseph has created through Tech Pod, sharing resources and his passion for career education at scale.

Join Tech Pod to learn how to recruit tech without tech skills: https://techpod.substack.com/

Connect with Joseph on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/choi-joseph/

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#79 Kayla Dixon, Brand Marketing Manager at TikTok, on Authenticity and Activating Advocates

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 79, listeners hear from Kayla Dixon, Brand Marketing Manager at TikTok, about the platform's evolution from lip syncing to becoming the epicenter of culture, the winning strategy behind the company's college ambassador program (+ how you can join), what the "ocean spray guy" video meant to the platform, and her career advice to young people looking to launch their careers.

GIVEAWAY: Subscribe to our newsletter so you can solve the hidden puzzle this Sunday to get some sweet TikTok merch. Email us back or DM us on social to redeem your prize! Subscribe at https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

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#78 Our Future Careers in Tech: Shekar Ramaswamy, Machine Learning Intern at Nuro, SWE Intern at Instagram, and Co-Founder of Orbyt

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 03:00:00 -0800

Our Future Careers is a series where students who have landed the coolest jobs and internships share the tips, tricks, and strategies so you can do the same. In today's episode, listeners hear from Shekar Ramaswamy, a CS student at Brown University, a former Machine Learning Intern at Nuro and SWE Intern at Instagram, and the Co-Founder of networking startup Orbyt.

Join Orbyt's Waitlist: https://alpha.orbyt.cc/

Connect with Shekar on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shekar-ramaswamy/

#77 (Pt. 2) Chris Brandt, CMO of Chipotle on Thinking Bigger

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 77 (Cont.), listeners hear Pt. 2 of my conversation with Chris Brandt, Chief Marketing Officer of Chipotle, about the company's adaptation to crises, the importance of thinking bigger and borrowing from other industries, and why you need to find what you're good at to thrive in your career.

#77 (Pt. 1) Chris Brandt, CMO of Chipotle on Social Marketing

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 77, listeners hear Pt. 1 of my conversation with Chris Brandt, Chief Marketing Officer of Chipotle, about the company's massive victories in digital marketing to unlock young audiences, the keys for brands to excel on social channels , and how Chipotle's loyalty program grew to 17M members in less than two years.

#76 Akshaya Dinesh & Andrew Tan, Co-Founders of Ladder on Building Community

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 03:00:00 -0800

Nothing fuels my fire more than learning from the student founders shaping our future. In Episode 76, listeners hear from Stanford students Akshaya Dinesh & Andrew Tan, Co-Founders of Ladder (formerly Remote Students), a professional community platform for the next generation to find opportunities, get advice, and grow their careers together.

Here's the Link to Join Ladder: https://ladder.to/signup?access_code=rwAKZCvxUbNLGMfT5AMLzkUKWL72

#75 Our Future Careers in Consulting: A.J. Eckstein, Former Intern at Disney, Incoming Strategy Analyst at Accenture, Founder of Career Coaching Company

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 03:00:00 -0800

Our Future Careers is a mini-series where students who have landed their dream jobs share the tips, tricks, and strategies so you can do the same. In today's episode, listeners hear from A.J. Eckstein, an former intern at Disney's Business Leader Rotational Program, an Incoming Strategy Analyst at Accenture, and Founder/CEO of the Career Coaching Company. You will learn the importance of a powerful leadership experience, the value of indirect networking, how to craft your personal story in recruiting, and why A.J. decided to launch a company teaching these strategies.

Check out The Career Coaching Company: https://www.careercoachingcompany.com/

Check out A.J.'s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/

#74 Dilbagh Gill, CEO of Mahindra Racing Formula-E Team on the Future of Motorsports

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 74, listeners hear from Dilbagh Gill, CEO & Team Principal of Mahindra Racing, a cutting-edge motorsports team that competes in Formula E which is the highest level of competition for electric vehicles and a proving ground for the future of mobility. Gill discusses what it took to launch a race team from scratch, the importance of Formula E from a sustainability and innovation perspective, and why you should celebrate your successes.

Learn more about Mahindra Racing: https://www.mahindraracing.com/

#73 Saturday Special: Entrepreneurship During COVID-19 with Wade Fletcher, Creator of Covintern.com and Founder of UndercoverVC

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Sat, 14 Nov 2020 08:00:00 -0800

So much amazing entrepreneurship has come out of COVID-19. Nothing fills me with more passion than learning from people who have built movements and unlocked exponential opportunities during this crazy time. Wade Fletcher is a student at Indiana University, the recipient of the 2019 South Carolina Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and the creator of Covintern.com, a jobs board he started in March for students looking for internships during COVID-19 which was featured in major publications and was visited over 100k times. Now, he's looking to democratize venture funding for student founders through Undercover VC, a social network which aims to connect college entrepreneurs with funding outside of the top five campuses.

If you're a student looking to raise money or want to become a venture fellow on your campus, email Wade at team@undercover.vc !

Check out their website too: https://undercover.vc/

Learn more about Wade on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wadefletch/

#72 Our Future Careers in Fashion: Léa Schmitt, Incoming Buying Intern at Bloomingdale's

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 03:00:00 -0800

Our Future Careers is a new mini-series where students who have landed their dream jobs share the tips, tricks, and strategies so you can do the same. In Episode 72, listeners hear from Léa Schmitt, an Incoming Buying Intern at Bloomingdales, about recruiting into the fashion industry, what kinds of questions to expect when interviewing with brands, and her networking advice to students interested in the industry.

Add Léa on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/l%C3%A9a-schmitt/

Subscrib to Our Future Newsletter for more resources and advice: https://www.ourfuturehq.com/newsletter

#71 Nadia Masri, Founder & CEO of Perksy on the Future of Consumer Insights

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 71, listeners hear from Nadia Masri, Founder & CEO of Perksy and a Forbes 30 under 30 recipient, about how she revolutionized consumer insights by building a mobile first platform young people actually wanted to use, the long and calculated process of making her idea into a reality, and her career advice to young people–which is that entrepreneurship isn't the only path.

Check out Perksy: https://www.getperksy.com/

Nadia's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiagenevievemasri/

#70 Greg Schwartz, COO & Co-Founder of StockX on Building a Billion Dollar Business

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 70, listeners hear from Greg Schwartz, COO and Co-Founder of StockX, the billion dollar startup unicorn that revolutionized e-commerce by bringing stock market mechanics to sneaker resale market. Greg explains the company's inception and early pivot from his future-focused social media platform (UpTwo), the mechanics that make the company the "stock market of things," and shares exciting and valuable insights on entrepreneurship and building a billion dollar business.

Check out StockX: https://stockx.com/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter: https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#69 Our Future Careers in Finance: Kaitlyn Karban, Incoming Institutional Equity Summer Analyst at Morgan Stanley

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 69, listeners hear from Kaitlyn Karban, a student at University of Michigan Ross School of Business and Incoming Institutional Equity Summer Analyst at Morgan Stanley, about her recruiting journey into finance, the unique nature and challenges of working in sales and trading (S&T), and her advice to students interested in recruiting Wall Street.

Connect with Kaitie on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kkarban/

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter: https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#68 Dave Habiger, CEO of J.D. Power, Director at GrubHub & Chicago Federal Reserve, 2011 EY Entrepreneur of the Year

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 03:00:00 -0800

In Episode 68, listeners hear from Dave Habiger, President & CEO of JD Power, the multi-billion dollar consumer insights machine for the auto industry. Dave has led an incredible adventure in business, leading entertainment tech company Sonic Solutions from 1993 until its IPO and its subsequent ~$1B sale in 2011, and he also serves as a Director on several boards, including GrubHub and the Chicago Federal Reserve. In this episode, Dave discusses his time at Sonic Solutions facilitating "Hollywood to Home" as the entertainment industry became more technologically advanced, as well as his insights on food delivery, the future of the automotive industry, and his advice to young leaders.

Learn more about Dave Habiger on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Habiger

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter: https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#67 Our Future Careers in Consulting: Emily Inestroza, Analyst at Deloitte Consulting

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

Our Future Careers is a new mini-series where students who have landed their dream jobs share the tips, tricks, and strategies so you can do the same. In today's episode you hear from Emily Inestroza, a graduate of USC Marshall and an Analyst at Deloitte Consulting, about her recruiting journey into the big four, why she realized accounting wasn't the right path, her experience at both a non-target and target school, how she crushed her consulting interview, and her networking advice to young professionals.

Connect with Emily on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyinestroza/

Subscribe to Our Future newsletter to get exclusive industry insights and career advice from the brightest minds in business at www.ourfuturehq.com!

#66 David Brandon, Former CEO of Domino's Pizza & Toys R Us

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 65, listeners hear from David Brandon, Chairman of the Board at Domino's Pizza and Former CEO of Valassis Communications, Domino's Pizza, and Toys R Us, as well as former Athletic Director at the University of Michigan. David serves on the board of several companies including PetSmart, DTE Energy, Herman Miller.

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter: www.ourfuturehq.com

#65 Saturday Special: Why Quibi Failed

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

As a short-form content creator and a media entrepreneur, I was fascinated and excited by Quibi founders Jeff Katzenberg and Meg Whitman's concept of bite-sized, TV-quality content delivered to your smartphone and nowhere else. Unless you live under a rock, you probably heard that Quibi is shutting down after failing to sell itself to another streaming service, and I saw this as the perfect opportunity to do a saturday special breaking down a major news story. So I called up my fellow wannabe media mogul Simran Sandhu, Host of the Five Minute Drill, to talk about it. Simmy's podcast is daily news show delivering you the day's major stories, ad-free in a concise, energetic style perfect for young people.

Go and listen to Simmy's podcast! The Five Minute Drill - https://open.spotify.com/show/3d2nwbwDqNPdXrldf2WOuW?si=yOVWXZ-9QDCNo7PMuJ6WuA

#64 Patrick Lahey, Co-Founder of Triton Submarines

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 64, listeners hear from Patrick Lahey, Co-Founder and President of Triton Submarines, the company behind the world's finest, safest, and most luxurious submersibles, which have recorded the deepest oceanic dives in history as well as the stunning footage you have seen in nature documentaries, such as the first ever live sighting of a Giant Squid in its natural habitat. Patrick shares incredible career advice, business wisdom, and the amazing story of starting a submarine startup that ended up selling its vehicles to the likes of Ray Dalio.

Learn more about Triton Subs: https://tritonsubs.com

Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter: https://www.ourfuturehq.com/

#63 Our Future Careers in Finance: Allie Reyes, Incoming Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

Our Future Careers is a new mini-series where students who have landed their dream jobs share the tips, tricks, and strategies so you can do the same. In today's episode you hear from Allie Reyes, a sophomore at University of New Hampshire and an incoming investment banking summer analyst at Goldman Sachs, about the importance of a strong personal story, ways to build relationships without the commonality of target school alumni networks, and her advice to students interested in recruiting finance.

Connect with Allie on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alliereyes/

Subscribe to Our Future newsletter to get exclusive industry insights and career advice from the brightest minds in business at www.ourfuturehq.com!

#62 Max Tendero, Founder of Civil Media

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 62, futurists hear from Max Tendero, Founder of Civil Media, a media startup committed to bridging the divide in mainstream political media by delivering headlines from both sides of the political spectrum and weaving together a common narrative. Every Wednesday, Civil delivers you a beautiful and balanced newsletter to gives you the ingredients for civiliity.

Subscribe to Civil Newsletter: https://civilmedia.io?rh_ref=2a9b8645

Check them out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/civilmedia.io/?hl=en

#61 Xiao Guo, Director of Engineering at Instacart

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 61, listeners hear from Xiao Guo, Director of Engineering at Instacart, about the company's declaration of "wartime" and heroic efforts when the pandemic hit, the future of curation and personalization when it comes to digital groceries, and the company's partnerships with new companies like Macy's and Staples.

Our Future is a next-gen media startup creating aspirational content for young professionals. Every Sunday, we deliver exclusive insights and career advice from top business leaders to your inbox, so sign up at ourfuturehq.com.

#60 Our Future Careers in Consulting: Michael Riley, Incoming Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

Our Future Careers is a new mini-series where students who have landed their dream jobs share the tips, tricks, and strategies so you can do the same. Our first season focuses on the consulting industry, one of the premier career paths for college graduates, and today we sit down with Michael Riley, an incoming business analyst at McKinsey & Company, and former summer intern at Bain & Company and PWC. He started off college as a recruited baseball player and pivoted to pursue a career in consulting, and he's crushed it. On this episode, he shares his keys to success in launching your career, networking, and business.

About: Our Future is a next-gen media startup creating aspirational content for young professionals. To get our weekly newsletter delivering exciting business intelligence and career advice to your inbox every morning, sign up at ourfuturehq.com.

#59 Joe Moore, CMO & Co-Founder of Xtreme Xperience

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 59, listeners hear from automotive entrepreneur Joe Moore, CMO & Co-Founder of Xtreme Xperience, about building the nation's premier supercar experience with a fleet of over 50 vehicles, starting off with literally the most basic of MVPs, and his advice to entrepreneurs which includes figuring out what you don't like first and not backing down in the face of competition.

#58 Dr. Cliff Megerian, President & Incoming CEO at University Hospitals

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 58, listeners hear from Dr. Cliff Megerian, President & Incoming CEO at University Hospitals, about how hospitals are billion dollar businesses, leadership in a crisis during the onset of the pandemic, and his views on the forthcoming COVID-19 vaccine.

About Our Future: Our Future is a next-gen media startup creating aspirational content for young professionals. Subscribe to our fun and digestible weekly newsletter which shares exclusive insights and career advice from top business leaders at ourfuturehq.com.

#57 Our Future Careers in Consulting: Gregory Cervenak, Incoming Associate Consultant at Bain & Company

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

Today we are launching Our Future Careers is a new mini-series where students who have landed their dream jobs share the tips, tricks, and strategies so you can do the same. Today we sit down with Gregory Cervenak, an incoming Associate Consultant at Bain & Company and the founder of cultural fashion company: Staple Clothing. He discusses breaking down big problems into little pieces, shares some insider info on the case interview process, and of course voices his favorite industry jargon.

About Our Future: Our Future is a next-gen media startup creating aspirational content for young professionals. Become a futurist by subscribing on our website, ourfuturehq.com, to get access to exclusive content and resources.

#56 Anastacia Maggioncalda, Head of Production at Linkedin Creative Studio

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 56, futurists hear from Anastacia Maggioncalda, Head of Production at Linkedin Creative Studio, about the unique and evolving nature of Linkedin as a social media platform, what it's like behind the scenes in creative production for big brands, and why it's important to champion and stand-by your vision.

Subscribe to the Our Future Newsletter to receive exclusive industry insights and career advice from top business leaders, as well as resources and knowledge from other young professionals and live event invitations at ourfuturehq.com.

Stay posted for our upcoming career series dropping this week!

#55 Steve Hoffman, Partner at McKinsey & Company and Leader of Global Procurement Practice

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 55, listeners hear from Steve Hoffman, a Partner of 14+ years at Mckinsey & Company, about the magic at McKinsey and the future of the consulting industry, his work with clients focusing on supply chain and procurement, and his recruiting advice to professionals considering consulting.

Subscribe to our newsletter at ourfuturehq.com to get incredible content and get invited to future live events.

#54 Marcus Collins, Award-Winning Advertiser and Professor of Marketing at University of Michigan

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 54, listeners hear from Marcus Collins, about his perspective as both a practitioner and a professor in marketing, the dynamics of influencer marketing and his learnings from the famous "Cliff Paul" Campaign for State Farm, and his advice to young professionals.

#53 Paul Vogel, CFO of Spotify

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 53, listeners hear from Paul Vogel, CFO of Spotify, about the company's ludicrous subscriber growth and the battle its winning against the biggest tech companies, the strategy behind blockbuster creator deals like Joe Rogan, its groundbreaking direct listing IPO, and his career advice to young professionals.

#52 Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 52 listeners hear from Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, about why the "why" matters so much more than the "what" in times of disruption and change, the new tack Entrepreneur is taking with its content, and his advice to young entrepreneurs.

#51 Doug Palladini, Global Brand President of Vans

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 51, listeners hear from Doug Palladini, Global Brand President of Vans, about scaling the world's top action sports fashion company from sales of $300M to $4B, building an iconic brand through storytelling that's more documentary than drama, and his advice to young professionals.

#50 Cary Tilds, Chief Strategy & Operations Officer at Frameplay

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 50, listeners hear from Cary Tilds, about how Frameplay is unlocking the $1B advertising opportunity for video games, the ways in which ads will integrate into digital universes, and her advice to young professionals beginning their journey.

#49 Adam Greenberg, General Counsel at Ro

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 49, listeners hear from Adam Greenberg, General Counsel at Ro, about how Ro is redefining healthcare through its digital clinics and cloud pharmacies, the regulatory challenges in telemedicine, and his advice to young people considering a career in law.

#48 Chris Ruder, CEO of Spikeball

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 48, listeners hear from Chris Ruder, Founder & CEO of Spikeball, about the game's rise, fall, and revival; landing a deal on Shark Tank; and the future of the sport! C'mon text me 408-507-2749!

#47: Seth Goldman, Founder of Honest Tea & Chairman of Beyond Meat

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 09:00:00 -0700

In Episode 47, listeners hear from Seth Goldman, founder of Honest Tea and Executive Chairman of Beyond Meat, about the origins of an iconic beverage, his new vision for a plant-eating society at Beyond Meat, and his advice to the next generation of entrepreneurs.

#46 Boris & Ian Discuss Seedstages

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 46, listeners hear from Ian Hafkenschiel and Boris Gorshteyn, co-founders of Seedstages, a new app that connects students and startups to unlock value in the post-pandemic job market. They outline the big pivot that brought them to their vision, discuss how their app is the first of its kind to connect startups with entry-level talent, and reflect on the launch of the company!

#45 Kevin O'Connor, Founder of DoubleClick & Graphiq

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 03:15:00 -0700

In Episode 45, listeners hear from Kevin O'Connor co-founder of DoubleClick (sold to Google for $3.1B) and Graphiq which became the brain of Amazon Alexa (sold to Amazon). Kevin discusses becoming an entrepreneur out of college, how companies can survive crises, and his advice to young people.

#44 Luke Anderson, Co-Founder of Cann

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 44, listeners hear from Luke Anderson, Co-Founder of Cann, about leaving Bain to launch a cannabis beverage startup, Cann's mission to reinvent the way people socialize, and his advice to young people. Link in description to purchase an Our Future Hoodie!

#43 Jill Schlesinger, CBS News

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 43, listeners hear from Jill Schlesinger, the award-winning CBS business analyst and talk show host, about her job taking complicated financial topics and making them digestible, the disconnect between reality and the stock market, and her advice to young people.

#42 Jake Cohen, Partner at Detroit Venture Partners and Board Member at StockX and Genius

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 08:15:00 -0700

In Episode 42, listeners hear from Jake Cohen, a VC at Detroit Venture Partners, about selling his first company at 24, serving on the boards of 6 companies including StockX + Genius.com + 100 Thieves, and his career advice to young people interested in venture capital and beyond.

#41 Chris Caren, CEO of Turnitin

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 41, listeners hear from Chris Caren, CEO of Turnitin, about leading a multi-billion dollar education company, how Turnitin's tech platform combats plagiarism, and his advice to young people entering the remote learning environment.

#40 Scott Gravelle, CEO of Attabotics

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 40, listeners hear from Scott Gravelle, CEO/CTO of Attabotics, a robotics company reinventing supply chains through high density storage, an idea Scott came up with when watching a nature documentary about Leaf-Cutter Ants. Scott discusses how he started a robotics company with zero experience, how his mini-fulfillment centers work and his vision for distributed supply chain, and his advice to young people going about the world with fresh perspectives.

#39 David Lee, CFO of Impossible Foods

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 39, listeners hear from David J. Lee, CFO of Impossible Foods, about the role of finance in corporate strategy, the mind-boggling growth of Impossible Foods since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his advice to young people launching into their careers. Check out the Our Future Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ourfuture1

#38 Steve Miller, CFO of Warby Parker

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 38, listeners hear from Steve Miller, CFO of Warby Parker, about balancing growth and profitability from the perspective of a CFO, the beauty of the direct-to-consumer business model, and his advice to young people launching their careers.

#37 Kevin Merida, EIC at ESPN's "The Undefeated"

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 37, listeners hear from Kevin Merida, SVP and Editor-in-Chief at ESPN, about interviewing President Bush on morning jogs while at the Washington Post, getting the opportunity to launch a brand-new media enterprise out of ESPN, and his advice to young people as they embark upon their careers.

#36 Ian Shapiro, SVP at IPG360

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 36, listeners hear from Ian Shapiro, VP of Valuation and Strategy at IPG360, where he architects multi-million dollar real estate deals in the sports and entertainment industry and beyond. He discusses the rise of mixed-use developments, the downfall of WeWork, and why he loves working in real estate.

#35 Jon Glickman, Former President of MGM Studios

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 04:00:00 -0700

In Episode 35, listeners hear from Jon Glickman, former President of MGM Studios and Founder of Glickmania, about how he got his first big movie internship in an elevator pitch, how he turned around one of the most iconic film studios in Hollywood, and his advice to young people going out into the world in these unprecedented times.

#34 Guy Kawasaki, Startup Guru

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 08:00:00 -0700

In Episode 34, listeners hear from Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva and legendary author, investor, advisor, speaker, and marketing guru. He talks about his two biggest wins in the business world with Canva and Apple, his famous 10/20/30 rule for slide decks, and his advice for young people about to dive head first into their career.

#33 Lori Sherer, Partner at Bain & Company

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 12:00:00 -0700

In Episode 33, listeners hear from Bain & Company Partner Lori Sherer, who leads Bain’s Advanced Analytics practice, helping companies in verticals like banking, telecom, and healthcare capture more value in their businesses. She discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the consulting industry, the ways in which she makes persuasive recommendations to clients, and her advice to young people interested in recruiting consulting this fall.

#32 Todd Parsons, Chief Product Officer at OpenX

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 09:15:00 -0700

In Episode 32, listeners hear from Todd Parsons, Chief Product Officer at OpenX, a leading online advertising exchange. He discusses the rise of first party ad-exchanges on digital platforms, the current dilemma in advertising with negative news content, and his advice to young people interested in advertising and marketing.

#31 Chuck Muth, Chief Growth Officer at Beyond Meat

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 04:00:00 -0700

In Episode 31, listeners hear from Chuck Muth, Chief Growth Officer at Beyond Meat, about the early pitch that sold him on the company’s mission, the bold move to put plant-based meat alongside animal meat in supermarkets, and his advice for young people who want to excel professionally.

#30 Chris Murphy, President of the Santa Cruz Warriors

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 30, listeners hear from Chris Murphy, President of the Santa Cruz Warriors, about the relationship between the GSW and the SCW, the evolution of the NBA G-League in recruiting young talent, and his career advice to students who want to work in sports and beyond.

#29 Dan Springer, CEO of DocuSign

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 09:30:00 -0700

In Episode 29, listeners hear from Dan Springer, CEO of DocuSign, the e-signature pioneer that has become one of the most successful companies in the post-pandemic economy. He talks about his vision for DocuSign's future with new “agreement cloud” services, the way DocuSign verifies signor identity and looks to contend with its growth, and his advice to future business leaders.

#28 Angel Rich, Founder of WealthyLife

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 03:00:00 -0700

In Episode 28, listeners hear from Angel Rich, Founder & CEO of Wealthy Life, a Financial Education Technology Company that designs games to increase financial literacy. Angel made waves around the world when she invented CreditStacker, a game resembling Candy Crush that allows users to learn about credit types and improve their credit scores. It was coined the best financial literacy product in the country by The White House, Department of Education, and JP Morgan Chase, and Google named it one of the Top 10 Apps in the world of 2017.

#27 Scott Alexander, Award-Winning Screenwriter

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 08:00:00 -0700

In Episode 27, listeners hear from Scott Alexander, an acclaimed Hollywood screenwriter who has penned works like "The People vs. Larry Flynt", "Ed Wood", "Man on the Moon", "Dolemite is my Name", and his first TV series, "American Crime Story - The People vs. OJ Simpson" won four Primetime Emmys after airing on FX in 2016. He discusses getting hired by 21st Century Fox as a professional screenwriter at age 22, his upcoming movie with Netflix about Nike founder Phil Knight based on his memoir "Shoe Dog", and his advice to young people who want to notch a career in entertainment.

#26 Adi Ignatius, EIC of Harvard Business Review

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -0700

In Episode 26, listeners hear from Adi Ignatius, Editor-in-Chief of Harvard Business Review, about his time as a WSJ Bureau Chief overseas, how HBR has evolved as an idea exchange in the business world, and his advice to young people interested in media and journalism.

#25 Samir Patel, Director of Engineering at Instagram

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 09:00:00 -0700

In Episode 25, listeners hear from Samir Patel, Director of Engineering at Instagram, about his experience launching the Google Play Store, the complex challenges in building user trust on social media platforms, and his advice to students who to work in Big Tech. Join Our Future on Instagram @ourfuturerpodcast and Twitter @ourfuturepod.

#24 Brian Swette, President of Sweet Earth Natural Foods

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 09:15:00 -0700

In Episode 24, listeners hear from Brian Swette, President of Sweet Earth Natural Foods, former CMO of PepsiCo from 1990-1997 and COO of Ebay from 1997-2002, and former board director of iconic companies like Burger King, Jamba Juice, Shutterfly, and Care.com. He discusses accidentally creating the Starbucks Frappuccino, how he missed a flight to be the first COO of Ebay, and why a culture that embraces failure is key.

#23 Ed Bolian, Founder of VinWiki

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0700

In Episode 23, listeners hear from Ed Bolian, Founder and CEO of VINwiki Inc., former Cannonball Run record holder, and ex-Sales Director of Lamborghini Atlanta. He discusses why he started an exotic rental car company in college, how his VINwiki youtube channel went viral overnight, and his advice to young people who aspire to be shrewd negotiators.

#22 Stephanie St. Thomas, Head of Marketing at Ribbon Health

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0700

In Episode 22, listeners hear from Stephanie St. Thomas, Head of Marketing for Ribbon Health, an a16z-backed startup determined to simplify healthcare. She discusses the companies pivot from a B2C to B2B model, the keys to marketing healthcare products, and her advice to students excited about the business of healthcare.

#21 Sandy Plashkes, Co-Founder at OwnersBox

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0700

In Episode 21, listeners hear from Sandy Plashkes, Co-Founder at Owners Box, a sports tech startup determined to disrupt the multi-billion dollar fantasy sports industry through a key advantage: social engagement. Sandy discusses how Owners Box's game plan for taking on giants like Draft Kings, the need for a comprehensive fantasy sports experience, and how he loves the sports tech space.

#20 Kristy Rasbach, Chief Engineer of AVs at GM

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0700

In Episode 20, listeners hear from Kristy Rasbach, Chief Engineer of Autonomous Vehicles at GM, about her focus on integrating AV technology with vehicle hardware, the competitive and cultural advantages of the Cruise acquisition, the future business models of self-driving cars, and her advice to college students who want to build the self-driving future.

#19 David Dann, CEO of MOAG Records

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 08:00:00 -0700

In Episode 19, listeners hear from David Dann, Founder & CEO at Mind of a Genius Records, an independent label home to artists like ZHU, THEY., Gallant, and Klangstof. Dann discusses the importance of creative freedom, how artists get paid through streaming, working with mega-labels, and his advice to students interested in music business.

#18 Matt Seiler, Managing Partner at Raines Intl.

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 06:45:00 -0700

In Episode 18, listeners hear from Matt Seiler, a three-time CEO of multi-billion dollar ad agencies, who’s now looking to reinvent the executive search industry as Managing Director and Executive-in-Residence of Raines International. We discuss the evolution of advertising agencies, the flawed status quo in executive search, and how he loves helping people wield the power of their personal brand.

#17 Eunice Cofie-Obeng, CEO of Nuekie

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 08:30:00 -0700

In Episode 17, listeners hear from Eunice Cofie-Obeng, CEO and Chief Chemist of Nuekie, a DTC beauty company with skincare products designed for dark skin tones. She discusses why she launched her game-changing beauty brand, the strengths of the DTC business model, and how she believes empowering entrepreneurs of color can change the world.

#16 Carlton Fowler, Founder of Goat Rodeo Capital

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 08:45:00 -0700

In Episode 16, listeners hear from Carlton Fowler, Managing Partner of Goat Rodeo Capital, a venture firm founding a venture capital firm focused on making investments in the alcoholic beverage space. He notes the emergent success of DTC alcohol brands, the surge in acquistions by big suppliers, and his advice to students who want to start their own fund one day.

#15 Rob Chesnut, Former Chief Ethics Officer at Airbnb

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 08:15:00 -0700

In Episode 15, hear from Rob Chesnut, Advisor and former General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer at Airbnb, about his company’s 500k donation to Black Lives Matter + NAACP, the importance of companies aligning with social missions, and his advice to students about how to affect change in the new war on racism and inequality

#14 Eric Hutcherson, EVP of the NBA

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 09:15:00 -0700

In Episode 14, listeners hear from Eric Hutcherson, Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at the NBA, about when the NBA will resume play, the growing role of technology in fan experience, and his advice to students who want to work in the business of sports.

#13 Michael Corcoran, Head of New Initiatives at Amazon Prime Video

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 12:00:00 -0700

In Episode 13, listeners hear from Michael Corcoran, Head of New Initiatves for Amazon Prime Video Channels, about battling for the best content, how streaming platforms measure ROI on individual shows and movies, and advice for students interested in the entertainment space.

#12 Alicia Levine, Chief Strategist at BNY Mellon

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 08:00:00 -0700

In Episode 12, listeners hear from Alicia Levine, Chief Strategist at BNY Mellon, about the state of financial markets, the. role of monetary policy in a crisis, and career advice for young professionals interested in finance.

#11 Karina Cabanillas, Senior Advisor of Retail Innovation at CVS Health

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 29 May 2020 13:00:00 -0700

In Episode 11, listeners hear from Karina Cabanillas, Senior Advisor of Retail Pharmacy Product Development & Innovation at CVS Health, about the changing role of drug stores, the emergence of the CVS Health Hubs and Minute Clinics, and her advice for students who want to affect impact impact in the healthcare space.

#10 Derek Koenig, CMO at Buffalo Groupe

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 27 May 2020 09:00:00 -0700

In today's episode, listeners hear from media executive Derek Koenig, Chief Content and Creative Officer at the Buffalo Groupe and former SVP of Global Creative at Discovery Channel and CMO at Vail Resorts. He discusses leading Discovery through a major rebrand, producing an Emmy winning commercial with Steve Irwin and Lance Armstrong, and working with mega-brands like Nike and McDonald's.

#9 Socrates Rosenfeld, CEO of IHeartJane.com

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 25 May 2020 08:30:00 -0700

In Episode 9, listeners hear from Socrates Rosenfeld, Founder and CEO of IHeartJane.com, the world's first and largest e-commerce marketplace for cannabis products, about his local-first model, hot trends in wellness products, and how his previous career flying Apache Helicopters for the U.S. Army shaped his business savvy.

#8 Shadi Mere Founder of Bedestrian

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 22 May 2020 07:00:00 -0700

Will hospitals soon be run by robots? In Episode 8, listeners hear from Shadi Mere, Founder & CEO of Bedestrian, a startup building robots for hospitals to improve efficiencies in patient care.

#7 Josh Dzurlikowski, Controller of the NFL Buffalo Bills

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 20 May 2020 09:30:00 -0700

What's it like to be an executive in the NFL? In today’s episode, listeners learn from Josh Dzurlikowski, controller of the Buffalo Bills, about the NFL during COVID-19, the Josh Allen draft pick, the infectious energy at a winning sports team, and advice to students who want to get into sports business.

#6 Chris Bierly, Senior Partner at Bain & Company

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Mon, 18 May 2020 07:45:00 -0700

How will you land a consulting internship this fall?

On this episode, listeners get insider advice from Bain Partner, Chris Bierly, about business strategy during COVID-19 and tips on landing a prestigious consulting internship.

#5 G. Craig Vachon, Founder of Chowdahead Growth Fund

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Fri, 15 May 2020 09:15:00 -0700

International Espionage. Data Privacy. How about Venture Capital during COVID-19? In today's episode, Michael Sikand talks business with G. Craig Vachon, Founder at Chowdahead Growth Fund, Head of U.S. Operations at NextStage, and Author of Best-Selling Spy Thriller “The Knucklehead of Silicon Valley”. We discuss Vachon’s hilarious take on Silicon Valley culture, the five core areas he uses to evaluate startup ideas, and his famous Ted Talk that pissed off Google. Vachon lives in Santa Cruz, CA with his wife and two big dogs.

#4 Ben Hassing, Chief of E-Commerce at Coles

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 13 May 2020 06:30:00 -0700

In Episode 4: The Future of Retail & E-Commerce , Michael Sikand and guest co-host Matt Kocsis pick the brain of Ben Hassing, former SVP of Cross Border Trade at Walmart and Chief Executive of E-Commerce at Coles, Australia's largest retail and grocery chain. Hassing grew Walmart's presence in China from $30 million to $1.3 billion dollars, and we discuss the velocity of Chinese retail, the power of global partnerships, and the trends powering the future of e-commerce and delivery. Hassing has a B.A. from Temple University and an M.B.A from the University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

#3 Peter Jaysen, Hollywood Producer

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Sun, 10 May 2020 06:00:00 -0700

In Episode 3: Hollywood in the 2020s, Michael Sikand talks Movies & TV with Peter Jaysen, producer of American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story (2017), Fahrenheit 451 (2018) with Michael B. Jordan, Dublin Murders (2019) and much more. We discuss Jaysen's incredible career in entertainment, the streaming wars, and his memories at the Playboy mansion. Peter Jaysen has a B.A. from the University of Michigan and lives in Los Angeles with his family.

#2 Shiv Sikand, Founder of Drako Motors

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Wed, 06 May 2020 11:00:00 -0700

On today's episode Michael Sikand talks shop with Shiv Sikand, co-founder of Drako Motors, to discuss why he launched a supercar startup, the ludicrous specs of the 2020 Drako GTE, and the importance of electric cars in society. Before building an electric supercar, Shiv co-founded IC Manage, an enterprise software company that works with the largest technology companies in the world. He has a B.S. in Physics and a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manchester in England.

#1 Susan Dworak, CEO of Real I.D.

michael@sikand.org (Michael Sikand) — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 23:00:00 -0700

On today's episode, Michael Sikand chats with Susan Dworak, Founder and CEO of Real Identities LLC, a disruptive Silicon Valley startup that uses technology to help businesses and government agencies verify identity. They discuss Susan's product and the biometric technologies that are changing the way we prove who people are. Before starting her own company, Susan worked for some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the country including Cooley, Fenwick, and Pillsbury. She has a B.A. from the University of California–Los Angeles and a J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law.