What does it really take to build companies — and when should you start? 

In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, entrepreneur and Lindner alum Phil Santoro shares his journey from founding his first business at 13 to working at Google — and ultimately building and scaling companies as the co-founder of startup studio Wilbur Labs. 

Phil talks candidly about learning by doing, taking calculated risks, and why real-world experience matters more than waiting for the “perfect moment.” He also reflects on how his Lindner education complemented his entrepreneurial mindset, why he now invests in entrepreneurship education, and how giving back has become a core part of his story. 

This episode is packed with practical insights for students, aspiring founders, and anyone thinking about building a career — or a company — on their own terms.

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Welcome to Bearcats Mean Business, the official podcast of the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business, where inspiring career stories, honest lessons and fresh business perspectives from the people building impact in the real world come together.

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• Follow Phil Santoro on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Wilbur Labs.

Co-produced and hosted by Lindner student Mirsayah Wasnuk, Sustainability in Business: A Bearcats Mean Business Student Series, explores the connection between sustainability and key areas of business, while offering students practical insights on how to integrate sustainable thinking into their career paths. 

In the final episode of this series, Mirsayah sits down with Assistant Professor of Industrial Design Braden Trauth to discuss how sustainable thinking drives innovation, return on investment and long-term value creation.

This episode is a must-listen for students who want to build careers that balance profit, purpose and impact.

In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Liwei Chen, an Amazon best-selling author and Associate Professor of Operations, Business Analytics, and Information Systems, explains what students truly need to know about Generative AI. 

The co-author of “Generative AI for Business: Frameworks, Techniques and Governance” — recently named the No. 1 new release in the “business education and reference category” on Amazon — shares the most common questions she hears from students, the essential GenAI skills every future professional should build, and how to use AI responsibly in the classroom. 

Liwei also discusses how fast-changing AI tools are reshaping coursework, career paths and the future of business. 

Co-produced and hosted by Lindner student Mirsayah Wasnuk, Sustainability in Business: A Bearcats Mean Business Student Series, explores the connection between sustainability and key areas of business, while offering students practical insights on how to integrate sustainable thinking into their career paths. 

In this episode, Mirsayah recounts her voyage to Belém, Brazil, with third-year Lindner student Serenity Pastor and Lindner Community Engagement Assistant Director Brienne Blair, to attend COP30, an international climate summit.

Mirsayah, Serenity and Brienne detail their COP30 takeaways, making impactful professional connections, bringing knowledge back to Lindner and more.

Co-produced and hosted by Lindner student Mirsayah Wasnuk, Sustainability in Business: A Bearcats Mean Business Student Series, explores the connection between sustainability and key areas of business, while offering students practical insights on how to integrate sustainable thinking into their career paths. 

In this episode, Mirsayah sits down with UC Assistant Sustainability Coordinator Jen Vasconcellos to explore how Lindner and UC students are shaping the future of sustainability through hands-on programs, volunteer opportunities, and leadership in student organizations. Discover how getting involved on campus can spark both environmental change and career growth.

In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, we spotlight co-op through an interview with Preston Simon, a second-year finance and business economics student who’s already built an impressive résumé through hands-on roles in finance. 

Preston reflects on his co-op experiences with UBS Financial Services, where he supported client strategy and investment tracking, and RKCA Investment Bank, where he’s sharpening his skills in financial modeling, valuation and deal preparation. Along the way, Preston shares how campus involvement and networking have helped him grow both personally and professionally. 

Whether you’re a student exploring co-op or a professional curious about UC’s next generation of business leaders, this episode shows how Lindner’s co-op model launches careers. 

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Co-op at Lindner 

Cooperative education, or co-op, empowers students to tackle real-world problems, learning-by-doing and putting theory into practice via paid, professional experiences with Lindner’s hundreds of employer partners. Co-ops help students gain the skills, confidence and connections to launch their business careers. Students and employers customize co-op experiences with several options, including full-time, part-time and project-based engagements.

In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Lindner assistant professor-educator Steven Jones and Lindner senior Ryan Baillie explore the world of project management — from classroom lessons to real-world leadership. 

Jones, who enjoyed a successful career in project management before joining Lindner, shares how the college is preparing students to manage complex projects across industries through its operations management program. Baillie, a triple major and president of the UC Project Management Club, offers a student perspective on how experiential learning and involvement at Lindner have shaped his professional goals. 

The conversation also previews “Crafting the Future: Business AI Success Strategies,” a summit hosted by the Southwest Ohio and Dayton/Miami Valley chapters of Project Management Institute at the Lindner College of Business on Nov. 8. Whether you’re a student curious about project management or a professional looking to enhance your skills, this episode offers valuable insights into building a foundation for success.

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About the Carl H. Lindner College of Business

At the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, our mission is to empower business problem solvers to tackle the world’s challenges.

We fuel professional growth through our distinctive combination of academic and hands-on experiences: our problem-solving mindset, cooperative education, flexible pathways, dynamic and supportive community, and vibrant, urban setting.

Begin your business problem-solving journey today.

Co-produced and hosted by Lindner student Mirsayah Wasnuk, Sustainability in Business: A Bearcats Mean Business Student Series, explores the connection between sustainability and key areas of business, while offering students practical insights on how to integrate sustainable thinking into their career paths. 

In the debut episode of this four-part series, Mirsayah sits down with Lindner graduate Ben Booker, co-founder of Net Impact UC and current team member at the 1819 Innovation Hub and the Center for Entrepreneurship.

The entrepreneur and consultant reflects on his journey into sustainability, the role of campus involvement in shaping his career, and why sustainability is a vital component of business learning today.

What can students learn from the real-world use of AI and analytics in business? In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Matt Booher, Vice President of Data Solutions at EW Scripps Company, shares how he built his career in analytics, how Scripps is leveraging AI to shape the future of media, and the challenges that come with innovation.  

Matt also offers advice for Lindner students seeking to enhance their skillset for a data-driven career. Plus, he previews his upcoming talk at the Center for Business Analytics’ Data Science Symposium on Oct. 9, where students, faculty, and industry leaders will explore how analytics and AI are reshaping the future of business. 

Register for the Data Science Symposium today.

Ever wonder what it’s like to co-op at Google? In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Lindner student Bitanya Derese shares how she landed her role at one of the world’s most influential companies and what her day-to-day looked like inside Google. 

The Lindner Business Honors student and marketing major also reflected on the lessons she brought back to Lindner/UC, how her Lindner experiences prepared her for co-op success, and her advice for fellow students dreaming big. 

Bitanya also opened up about her inspiring background, moving from Ethiopia to the U.S. as a child, and her ongoing efforts to give back to her home country. 

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Cooperative education, or co-op, empowers students to tackle real-world problems, learning-by-doing and putting theory into practice via paid, professional experiences with the Lindner College of Business’ hundreds of employer partners. Co-ops help students gain the skills, confidence and connections to launch their business careers. Students and employers customize co-op experiences with several options, including full-time, part-time and project-based engagements.