In this special episode, Tim Connors, founder of PivotNorth Capital, a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley, discusses what startups can do to survive the current recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, what mistakes they should avoid, and how to prepare their businesses for future growth.

This episode is moderated by Bryan Ritchie, Cathy and John Martin associate provost for innovation at the University of Notre Dame.

Tyler Hulett graduated from Notre Dame in 2010  and majored in Biochemistry and Anthropology. During his time at ND, Tyler competed in the McCloskey New Venture Competition and later served as a McCloskey judge. Tyler currently works for a startup called CDI Laboratories where he focuses on Immuno-Oncology and Biomarker Development. 

This episode features guest host Bryan Ritchie, vice president and Cathy and John Martin associate provost for innovation at the University of Notre Dame, interviewing Matt Leevy, Director of the IDEA Center Innovation Lab. 

Matt Leevy previously appeared on IDEAs at ND on November 14, 2019. 

Ashley Kalinauskas is the Founder and CEO of Torigen Inc, a company focused on veterinary cancer care. 

To learn more about Torigen or to reach out to Ashley, visit https://www.torigen.com/

Reilly Lanigan is a senior Finance and ACMS major from Lake Forest, Illinois. Reilly is also a member of the Notre Dame Varsity Women's Swim Team. 

Brendan Gallagher received his MBA from Notre Dame in 2012 and is now the Director of Business Development at Sentieon. 

This podcast was recorded on March 18th, 2020 as part of the McCloskey 20th Anniversary Series. 

Hey everyone! Just a quick intro here on a new series I'll be running on this podcast. April 2020 is the 20th Anniversary of the McCloskey New Venture Competition. In honor of McCloskey, I'll be having on a bunch of ND alumni who participated in McCloskey to talk about what the competition meant to them and what they're doing now. Thanks so much for listening!

Joe Witt is a senior International Economics major from St. Louis, MO. Joe is also the Senior Class President.