The Commute To Class
By Blackstone LaunchPad
The Commute to Class is a podcast brought to you by the Blackstone Launchpad at Syracuse University Libraries. The series sits down with Launchpad Alumni and current students who have created successful ventures. From Forbes 30 under 30 recipients to CEOs getting multi-million dollar investments, the guest list is quite expansive. Hosts Patrick Linehan(Season 1) and Jack Lyons(Season 2 & 3) sit down with them to discuss a wide variety of topics. As you listen, you might just become more motivated to follow your passions.
Write It Out
Write It Out
The Commute To ClassApr 10, 2022
00:00
25:30
Jack of All Trades
Jack of All Trades
For the final episode this season, I sit down with Jack Ramza, a Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar, Remembrance Scholar, and former executive board member of Orange Seeds, a first-year leadership empowerment program. We discuss combining entrepreneurship and impact and how to integrate volunteering into your life.
Apr 25, 202218:54
Service with a Smile
Service with a Smile
This week I sit down with Justin Monaco, founder of Illumenar, a company reimagining preventative dental care to ensure happy and healthy smiles. We discuss the similarities between dentistry and entrepreneurship as well as the massive issue of dental inaccessability.
Apr 18, 202216:58
Write It Out
Write It Out
This week I sit down with Emma Rothman, author of “Things My Therapist Doesn’t Want me to Say: 10 Years Post Heart Transplant.” We discuss the therapeutic nature of writing, starting her non-profit Hearts for Emma, and the scariness of post-grad life.
Apr 10, 202225:30
Writing for Impact
Writing for Impact
This week I sit down with Randy Ginsburg, a freelance content writer and author of the book Adversity to Advantage: How to Overcome Bullying and Find Entrepreneurial Success. We discuss building your side hustle, making an impact through writing, and working for mission-driven companies.
Apr 03, 202218:41
The Volunteer Spirit
The Volunteer Spirit
This week I sit down with Matt Keenan, a senior from Boulder, Colorado and the project lead for Light the Way. Light the Way takes recycled glass bottles from restaurants in the Syracuse community and employs new Americans through the two refugee organizations to up-cycle them into candles.
Mar 28, 202217:41
A Never Ending Exile
A Never Ending Exile
Today I sit down with @themortazaismailzada founder of Eagle Life Program an initiative with the goal to teach and inspire Afghan high school students to learn life-changing academic and leadership skills that are never taught in their classrooms.
To learn more about the Eagle Life Program click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6zvaYfGwTw
Mar 06, 202221:33
Sustainability Generation
Sustainability Generation
Today I sit down with Mark Coleman, an adjunct professor at Syracuse University as well as an award-winning author and a recognized voice, strategist, business advisor, entrepreneur, and consultant on sustainable enterprise and the convergence of energy, technology, environmental stewardship, and innovation.
Feb 27, 202223:56
A Breakable Habit
A Breakable Habit
Today I’m sitting down with Sajjad Alhashami and Sajjad Albadri, founders of QPuff, a company looking to address the widespread issue of e-cigarrette addiction by making users more aware of their vaping habits.
Feb 20, 202219:53
An Issue Close to Home
An Issue Close to Home
My first guest is Nikita Chatterjee, a recent graduate of SU and founder of Paani Solutions, a company with the mission of promoting the accessibility of clean water in low-income communities through safe and hygienic practices of water filtration. We discuss how she combined her two loves of medicine and business development and how that’s led her to the path she’s on currently.
Feb 13, 202219:05
Dynamic Duo
Dynamic Duo
This week I sit down with Jack Adler and Sam Holland, founders of Out2Win Sports, a service partnering collegiate athletes and brands through an effortless and personalized process. We discuss the new NIL agreements and how that impacts student-athletes, how to find the right co-founder, and how to make sponsorships more personalized.
Nov 21, 202126:20
Taking the Leap
Taking the Leap
This week I sit down with Matt Shumer, founder of Otherside AI, a company creating technology to help the world communicate more effectively. We discuss how Matt discovered the entrepreneurial process, how to take the leap to fully pursue your company, and how to remain even-keeled through the ups and downs of starting a venture.
Nov 14, 202124:08
Re-finding Your Passion
Re-finding Your Passion
This week I sit down with Selim Dangoor, Founder of Munch Jerky, a company selling Tender beef jerky made from flank steak that is All-natural and gluten-free. We sit down to discuss how to re-calibrate after your passion is taken away from you, the power of food, and how Selim remains motivated.
Nov 07, 202123:29
Challenging the Status Quo
Challenging the Status Quo
This week I sit down with Patrick Prioletti, CTO of Your Perfect Dose, The first-ever smartphone app to deliver personalized dose suggestions for your medical marijuana use. and Founder of Psily, a company that monitors dosage of psilocybin. We discuss entering a market surrounded by skepticism and the challenges associated with that. We also discuss how to not care about what other people think about your business.
Oct 31, 202126:08
Burnout and Investing in Yourself
Burnout and Investing in Yourself
This week I’m sitting down with Sam Hollander, founder, and CEO of FSCL, a company pioneering alternative ways to finance higher education. He also is the program manager for the Blackstone LaunchPad. We sit down to discuss balancing entrepreneurship with a job, burnout, and how to make time for yourself.
Oct 24, 202124:10
Intrapreneurship
Intrapreneurship
We are sitting down with Dylan Gans, VP of Revenue at Good Uncle. We discuss joining versus building a movement, how your definition of success can change, and how Dylan's background made him into the person he is today.
Oct 17, 202124:57
Losing Distance, Not Speed
Losing Distance, Not Speed
We are sitting down with Jackson Enseley and Paul Hultgren, founders of PopCycle and ModoSuite, and overall awesome, passionate people. We discuss how to know when an idea is dead, remaining passionate through failure, and how ideas can turn into action. They also talk about their upcoming project, Patchwork, an extension that allows you to have conversations based around internet content.
Oct 10, 202121:12
Finding Focus
Finding Focus
We are sitting down with Co-founder and CEO of PowerSpike, Angelo Damiano, to discuss finding focus, developing a personal mission, and turning a college startup into a full-time job.
Apr 12, 202114:03
Failing Up
Failing Up
We are sitting down with Co-Founder of Density, Steve VonDeak, to discuss bouncing back from failure, balancing family responsibilities, and saying no.
Apr 05, 202114:20
Defeating Gremlins
Defeating Gremlins
We are sitting down with Integration Engineer at Relativity Space, Kayla Simon, to talk overcoming obstacles, learning new things, and beating fear.
Mar 29, 202114:14
Jumping Out
Jumping Out
We’re sitting down with the founders of Gamercraft, Jose Javier Garcia-Rovira and Quentin Rosso, to talk taking risks, working with friends, and self-doubt.
Mar 21, 202114:56
Burning Out
Burning Out
We are sitting down with the founder of CLLCTVE, Kelsey Davis, to talk about burning out, mitigating risk, and defining success.
Mar 14, 202114:50
Stepping Out
Stepping Out
We’re sitting down with founder of Home From College, Julia Haber, to talk quarantine fatigue, stepping out of your comfort zone, and dealing with self-doubt.
Mar 07, 202114:12
Building Community
Building Community
We’re sitting down with the Founder of Brevité, Dylan Kim, to talk about creating community, dealing with brothers, and setting boundaries.
Feb 28, 202115:12
Starting up
Starting up
We're sitting down with the Executive Director of the LaunchPad, Linda Dickerson-Hartsock. Leaning on decades of experience, Dickerson-Hartsock offers advice on how to pursue your next big idea.
Feb 18, 202114:31