Owl Have You Know

The topic of DEI is all over the news lately. But what are we talking about when we say “diversity, equity, and inclusion?” And why has it become such a charged topic? Joining us today to discuss these questions and more are Alex Byrd and Connie Porter. 

Since 2020, Alex Byrd has been the vice provost for diversity, equity and inclusion at Rice University. In that role, Alex provides high-level strategic leadership for diversity initiatives and coordinates offices across campus to help create a hub for all programs and efforts around diversity. Alex is also an associate professor of history. His area of expertise is Afro-America, especially Black life in the Atlantic world and the Jim Crow South. 

Connie Porter is the senior associate dean of the office for diversity, equity and inclusion at Rice Business and an associate clinical professor of marketing. As a member of the dean’s senior leadership team, she strengthens the school’s DEI efforts and broadens its community engagement. Connie joined Rice in 2011, and her research focuses on the value of fostering customer relationships in technology-enabled marketing environments.

Alex and Connie sit down with host Scott Gale ’19 to share what DEI means to them, why they believe DEI efforts are critical for universities and organizations to implement, what impact the 2019 Rice Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice has had on the university, and what kind of misconceptions persist when it comes to understanding this work.

Episode Guide: 

00:20 Defining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

02:46 Alex Byrd’s Perspective on DEI and its Historical Context

05:05 Exploring the Landscape of DEI at Rice University

08:51 Connie Porter on DEI Challenges and Progress at Rice Business

11:47 Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice

15:03 Addressing Misconceptions and the Importance of Allyship

25:34 Collaborative Impact and Future Aspirations for DEI

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On the difference of equity and equality

18:35: [Connie Porter]: This concept of equity is somehow thought to be robbing one group of something and giving it to another, fixing the game, controlling the outcomes, and all of these negative connotations. And as I suggested earlier, there's quite a bit of a difference between the concepts of equity and equality. And if we think about the role of justice in all of this and procedural justice versus distributive justice, if we think about procedural justice and process and due process and fair process and fair access and creating opportunities for every person to thrive, that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone is going to land equally in the same place, but we need an equal opportunity to do that, and I think people don't quite get the concept of equity and what it's trying to accomplish, and that it is not about keeping other people from getting something that they're due.

Understanding difference before addressing it

17:02 [Alex Byrd]: If you believe in universities, you need to pause and be very careful around people who are making arguments about DEI that want to control what people know and learn… [17:69] People want to turn away from understanding what's different about us, thinking that understanding what's different about us keeps us from uniting. You understand the difference so that you can address it, so you can work better together, and so that you can move more forthrightly into justice.

What makes a true DEI ally?

19:40 [Connie Porter]: I've come to realize in this first three years of my position in this role, the word ally is very powerful. It's one that people who are supportive of DEI want to be associated with. We encourage people to be, in fact, great allies. But I hear a lot of people self-anointing as an ally, and I just have to say that I find it really a misconception, a big one, that an ally is simply a morally good person who voices support for DEI or just doesn't stand in the way of it. An ally in a lot of the work that's being done in business around this is around the work of being a change agent within organizations. It's action-oriented. It's someone who is knowledgeable and action-oriented around that knowledge. 

Show Links: 

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Rice Business
• Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice
• Final Report - September 2023 | Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice | Rice University
• W. Caleb McDaniel | Faculty | The People of Rice
• The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee
• Transcript
  
  

Guest Profile:

• Constance Elise Porter | Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University
• Constance "Connie" Porter | LinkedIn
• Alexander Byrd | Faculty | The People of Rice
• Alexander Byrd | LinkedIn

We have plenty of Rice families in our history. But it's rare to see a mother and daughter earn their Professional MBAs at the same time.

Misty and Alexis graduated in May and co-founded La Mer Macaron, offering an assortment of homemade macarons for home delivery.

Misty is the CEO of La Mer Macaron. She spent most of her career as an independent petroleum landman for various companies in Texas, before pivoting to nursing. In 2023, she left nursing and co-founded La Mer Macaron with her family.

After years of working in public and behavioral health, Alexis eventually left those industries to launch La Mer Macaron with her mom, and is the vice president. Our host Maya Pomroy ’22 catches up with this mother-daughter powerhouse to discuss their motivations, the challenges of balancing family life with education, the importance of collaboration and the inception of their macaron business. The conversation highlights the support system within their family, their experience at Rice Business, and their aspirations for the future.

Episode Guide: 

01:10 Alexis's Journey from Public Service to getting her MBA

02:46 Misty's Career Pivot: From Oil and Gas to Nursing and Beyond

04:43 The Decision to Pursue MBAs Together

09:55 Launching La Mer Macaron: A Family Business

19:58 The Impact of Rice Business and Future Plans

27:40 Reflections on Family, Support, and Success

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On the intricacies of macaron making

18:49 [Maya Pomroy]: When you're making macarons, take me through the process because I'm curious. They definitely have a shelf life, and they're just like perfection, right? When you get them, they melt in your mouth, and all that, and they seem like it'd be really hard to make.

19:04 [Misty Fehler] They are very difficult to make. It's a lot of fun. So, I think that's the thing about that we like so much: that there's a challenge, and some of us are super challenge-driven, and then some of us are, you know, structure-driven. There's all, all of our personalities mix in, so we work really well together, by the way.

How the Blue Launch program helped scaled their ideas for their business

13:57 [Misty Fehler]: All the things that we learned in the MBA were very helpful to apply, and just backing up to the accelerator, why that was so amazing? Because everything we were learning in school, we were getting more of a specialized educational program catered just for that. So, we were learning a lot that we didn't know, which was the whole reason we wanted to do the MBA in the first place. So, it takes all of your ideas that you have to start a business and just trashes everything because you think that you can just go out and start a business, but it's not exactly like that if you want it to be successful. So, we started revamping. Okay, we've perfected making the macaron, but scaling up is incredibly hard. And we were mastering that when we started the Blue Launch program. It was very challenging, but it pushed us to actually put something into action, which we're so thankful for.

On their plans for the future

23:36 [Maya Pomroy]: So, what are your plans for the future of your business?

23:42 [Alexis Weaver]: We're always looking for what the new innovative thing is. I think we all don't want to get too caught into just being a small business. We'd, like, to find a way to make it more innovative, as my mom was saying. And so, hopefully we can take everything we've learned.

Show Links: 

• Transcript
  
  

Guest Profile:

• Misty Fehler | LinkedIn 
• Alexis Weaver | LinkedIn 
• La Mer Macaron 
• Rice Alliance

Eager to learn how organizations can innovate their way out of a crisis? You may be surprised that the key to this comes from an arts organization.

Tune into a special live recording of our podcast, with John Mangum, the executive director/CEO of the Houston Symphony, and Scott Sonenshein, the Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management – Organizational Behavior at Rice Business. 

During the pandemic, the performing arts faced an especially grave challenge beyond the shared difficulties with other industries: an existential crisis over the relevance of arts in times of extreme hardship. Professor Scott Sonenshein, a New York Times bestselling author and expert on how employees can create organizational, social and personal change, led a multi-year study of two prominent orchestras (including the Houston Symphony), resulting in a surprising insight with far-reaching applications. Resourcefulness is not just helpful for surviving adversity. It’s a strategic framework that enables organizations to become better versions of themselves.

In this conversation, John and Scott reflect on how the Houston Symphony transformed their operations and performance delivery during the pandemic, and how business leaders facing disruptions can benefit from critical changes Scott’s research uncovered.

Following their conversation, musicians from the Houston Symphony perform Fanny Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in E-flat major, illustrating the Symphony's commitment to diversity and exploration in music. 

Musicians:

MuChen Hsieh '17, violin
Amy Semes '19, violin
Wei Jiang, viola
Jeremy Kreutz '20, cello

Episode Guide: 

00:36 Exploring resilience and innovation at the Houston Symphony
05:16 Deep dive into Scott Sonenshein's research on organizational change
10:42 The Houston Symphony's pandemic response and innovation
26:30 Leadership, trust, and the future of the Houston Symphony
37:26 Closing remarks
40:16 Fanny Mendelssohn's String Quartet in E-flat major 

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

What made the Houston Symphony shine during the pandemic?

15:48 [Scott Sonenshein]: When you got to see an organization that was relentless in determining to keep playing and keep the music going no matter what form that looked like, you saw a lot of innovation and creativity in finding ways not to just put online what they were doing before but to really reinvent what they were doing so it would be suitable for the format that they could play in. And that's why you saw a lot of the Zoom symphonies and the little boxes, but what the Houston Symphony did was bring musicians into the homes of their audience. And that created a lot of new experiences for their audience. 

What has the pandemic taught the the Houston Symphony are taking forward for the years to come?

36:51 [John Mangum]:  [Music] It's one of the few spaces where you can go and really unplug and just be alone, and that is rare these days. And I think that the symphony is going to continue to scale great artistic heights and commission new works and support young composers and reflect the diversity and energy of our community.

How did the pandemic pushed for the Houston symphony to think outside the box

21:30 [John Mangum] Even when we had our largest possible audience during that pandemic season, there were only about 400 or 450 people in Jones Hall, which at the time sat 2,900. That was because households had to sit together and then be a certain distance from anyone who wasn't in their household—back to this bubble idea. We weren't under pressure to sell tickets, so that gave us the ability to program whatever we wanted. You didn't have to do a certain number of Beethoven symphonies, or Star Wars in concert, or the kind of things that sell tickets. So we could really explore all kinds of repertoire.

Show Links: 

• To Adapt During Crisis, Take a Lesson From Jazz
• Houston Symphony
• Transcript

Guest Profiles:

• John Mangum | LinkedIn
• Scott Sonenshein | LinkedIn
• Scott Sonenshein | Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University
• Scott Sonenshein

For Adrian and Klaus Trömel, getting an MBA from Rice Business was a family affair. 

Klaus Trömel served as the secretary general of the European Investment Bank (EIB) until his retirement in March 2018. He began his career as an analyst at Hewlett-Packard’s European headquarters in Geneva before working as a trade and pre-export finance officer.

Adrian was named the assistant vice president for strategy and investments for Rice University’s Office of Innovation in August 2023. In this role, Adrian supports the design and integration of commercialization structures, resources and initiatives across the university to support early-stage inventors and entrepreneurs. 

The father and son duo join host Scott Gale ’19 to delve into their careers rooted in problem-solving, their decades-spanning relationship with Rice Business, personal anecdotes, and how an entrepreneurial mindset propelled them both forward. 

Episode Guide: 

00:42 Klaus’ Journey to Rice Business and Early Career

04:17 Klaus's Career at the European Investment Bank

12:28 Adrian’s Path to Rice Business

17:53 Adrian's Perspective on Entrepreneurship

25:00 Adrian's Role at Rice's Office of Innovation

29:46 Reflections on Adrian's Upbringing and Career Path

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Entrepreneurship as a key to success

42:34 [Adrian Trömel]: Without having an understanding of entrepreneurship, I don't think you can necessarily be at the top of your game in that role, either. And so, finding a place where you can understand—in my case, at the time I thought I wanted to do commercialization—and whether that was big or small, I realize that field of study is entrepreneurship. Finding a place to study that entrepreneurship, to be able to decide whether you want to run an individual initiative, run multiple initiatives, or be able to evaluate those to be able to finance them is where I think finding a place to properly study entrepreneurship makes sense because you can apply those principles anywhere in life.

Entrepreneurship is the discipline of being taught

23:00: [Adrian Trömel] Entrepreneurship is being taught the discipline of evaluating risks, and it's the discipline of being taught to make holistic considerations

What challenges does the Office of Innovation face?

27:32: [Adrian Trömel] [In] starting a company, you don't just need classes, and you don't just need a lab. You need a bunch of other things: spaces to work, money to do things with, and the ability to find talent. These are the challenges we're working through at the Office of Innovation—figuring out how to fill those resource gaps, how to provide assets to our community. So, when the next PhD student comes up with a new way to generate green hydrogen, a new method to remove PFAS from water efficiently, a new approach to produce carbon nanotubes and turn them into a valuable product, or a new medical device, they're not going out and trying to figure everything out themselves again. They have everything in a centralized location; they know where to work, find mentorship, seek advice, and secure funding.

Show Links: 

• Transcript

Guest Profile:

• Adrian Trömel | Staff | The People of Rice
• Adrian Trömel - Rice Business - Jones Graduate School of Business - Austin, Texas, United States | LinkedIn
• Adrian Trömel joins Rice Office of Innovation as assistant vice president for strategy, investments 
• Financing Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: The Role of the European Investment Bank 

From an early age, Ashley Henry was interested in beauty. Despite getting her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and working for the CDC in epidemiology, her childhood dreams never faded.

After her stint in public health, Ashley went on to work as a hairstylist before getting her MBA and fully committing to beauty and luxury goods. 

Ashley is now the global product development manager at Fresh (an LVMH brand) in New York City. She accomplished her goal post-graduation from Rice in 2022, becoming one of the first alums to enter the luxury goods space.

Ashley joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to share her journey from a science-focused career path to the beauty industry. She talks about pursuing an MBA to pivot careers, encourages others to pursue unconventional paths with their MBAs, and imparts an important lesson: closed mouths don’t get fed.

Episode Guide: 

00:41 Ashley's Unique Background and Pivot Story

01:55 Family Background and Early Interest in Beauty and Fashion

04:40 The Journey to Medical School and a Shift in Direction

06:27 Career Options with a Chemistry Major and a Passion for Beauty

07:49 A Career in Public Health: From CDC to Quarantine Officer

12:31 The Pivot to Beauty Industry: A Journey of Entrepreneurship

14:49 The Decision to Pursue an MBA at Rice Business

18:04 Reflecting on the Impact of Rice Business School

18:31 Finding Her Role in the Beauty Industry

19:57 The Journey to LVMH and Fresh Beauty

27:16 The Power of Storytelling and Networking

31:49 Future Aspirations and Advice for Aspiring Professionals

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

The power of storytelling in business school and beyond

27:27: The number one thing that business school taught me was the power and importance of telling your story in a way that resonates with people. Pay attention in Janet's classes, pay attention in comms, pay attention and leverage those things, and think about your story. Think about the transferable skills. Think about how you can connect the dots in a way that resonates with your audience. So, I went into those interviews with these beauty brands knowing how I was able to transition from pre-med, chemistry, public health, hair care entrepreneur into where I was going, and I was able to draw that through line for them and paint that picture for them. So the power of storytelling and your pitch is a story, right? It's a short story, but it's a story. And when you're in an interview, it's a story. It's your opportunity to tell about yourself and your journey and to connect with the person across from you. This was an important skill that I learned in business school that I still leverage every single day.

20:52: Business school is a time for you to explore and figure out what you want to do, especially if you want to transition and if you're a career switcher.

Closed mouth don’t get fed

29:52: You have to ask for what you want in this life. No one's going to know what you want if you don't speak up for yourself, and you're going to suffer if you just swallow all of those things and take what you're given in life.The clarity is the work that you have to do within yourself to understand, “What exactly do I want?”

How Rice helped Ashley in embracing authentic networking

04:19:  Business school gave me the opportunity to get my reps in on talking to people. Because I used to think networking was such a superficial, artificial thing. I'm like, "Oh, you're only talking to someone because you want something from them." But in business school, you have to break out of that quickly. And you had to be able to see someone, go, talk to them, and tell your story in a way that would grab their attention and be able to add value to them.

Show Links: 

• Transcript

Guest Profile:

• Ashley Henry | LinkedIn 
• LVMH
• Fresh
• Rice Business - Meet Ashley Henry, MBA '22 

Brian Jackson is an expert when it comes to challenging himself in unchartered waters.

Brian is the manager of renewables origination at TransAlta Corporation, where he oversees the company's renewable energy power purchase agreement origination activities in the United States. Brian has a well-rounded roster of degrees from Texas institutions, beginning with a  BS in political science from Texas A&M University, a JD from South Texas College of Law Houston, and an MBA from Rice University.

But before transitioning to the renewable energy industry, Brian worked in the oil and gas sector as both a landman and a lawyer. Additionally, he has taken on entrepreneurial roles in business investing and prospecting, utilizing his diverse skill set and experience to identify new opportunities in the market.

The new Rice Business alumni board president joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to tell us about the importance of finding a job that fits your values, figuring out one’s identity, and how the adversity he has faced was a blessing in disguise, serving as a gateway for his personal and professional growth.

Episode Guide: 

00:05 Brian's Early Life and Career Journey

01:56 Experience in the Online MBA Program

03:09 Global Upbringing and Cultural Experiences

11:22 Brian's Transition from Law to Renewable Energy

13:42 Challenges and Growth in the Legal Profession

17:42 Brian's Reflections on Diversity and Inclusion

25:24 Role as President of the Rice Business Alumni Board

25:24 Future Goals and Aspirations

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

What did Brian learn throughout his job-searching experience?

13:42: When you're searching for a job from a position of just necessity, it's so different. The questions you ask, the values you're looking for — kind of this idea of mentorship and growth — maybe are kind of all put on the back burner because you're just looking for a paycheck. And so that's where I ended up, kind of in a safe harbor. Maybe not the best fit, and having had that experience, now when I look at a role or, let's say, recently when joining TransAlta, it changed the questions I asked in the interview. It changed really what I was focusing on and the indications I was looking for because of that experience, right? But you don't know to look for those things or to ask those questions, I think, unless you've had that exposure.

Speaking from experience is bridge to understanding

19:30: The best thing I can do is be vocal and wear my heart on my sleeve and say, "Hey, this is what happened to me. I'm sitting at this table and here to work with you because I'm coming from this place of experience."

What drove Brian to be part of an online program even after post-MBA?

24:35: I think the online program, what's so cool about it, is that everyone's still typically working. So, they all come from this different background where you're hearing not only about what's going on personally but in their careers at the same time. Everyone's backgrounds were so diverse professionally. And now, seeing where they've all filtered off and where they've gone is just even more fun."

Show Links: 

• Transcript
  
  

Guest Profile:

• Brian Jackson - Rice Business
• Rice Business Alumni Association Board
• Brian Jackson - LinkedIn 
• TransAlta 

Looking at T. Canady Barton’s resume, she has some of the biggest company names on the list. After a few years doing chemical engineering, oil and gas, T. pivoted to consulting, tech and entrepreneurship for the bulk of her career. 

In 2014, she moved to the U.K., where she was the vice president of portfolio management, digital strategy and transformation for Garner. From 2006-2018, she was a founding member and CEO of ThinkPower, Inc., a boutique consultancy focused on driving positive disruption and game-changing results via strategic execution and operational excellence. 

She joined Google in 2020 as the customer experience and innovation leader for Google Cloud Consulting and was previously head of strategy and operations for YouTube marketing. Now, she’s following her own entrepreneurial path with BlackBoxx, redefining care packages and gift-giving!

Host Scott Gale sits down with T. to chat all about prioritizing joy and passion in her career, the satisfaction of entrepreneurship, and shifting focus to what her personal and professional legacies will be.

Episode Guide:

00:28 Journey from Engineer to Entrepreneur

01:07 Choosing Chemical Engineering

02:40 First Job and Early Career

03:58 Transition to ExxonMobil

05:33 Exploring Entrepreneurship

10:33 Fundamental Principles of Disruption

12:46 Rice MBA Experience

15:04 Entrepreneurial Journey

27:56 Building a Legacy

29:07 Final Thoughts and Advice

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

It's all about the people, not the formula

10:31: [Scott Gale] What are some of the fundamental principles of disruption, in your view, from your learnings? Just curious around the commonalities in that—things to look out for when you're trying to disrupt a big incumbent. 

10:43: [T. Canady Braton] Well, I'll say loud and clear that nobody has it figured out. Nobody has to figure that there's not some magic wand. There's not some special formula. Everybody's trying to figure it out in their own way. And the common thread that people get to or should get to is that we're still in the people business, no matter what business you're in—the people business. And if it doesn't matter how great your idea is, it doesn't matter how much money you're going to make. If people can't understand it, and people don't buy into it, and they don't understand how to use it, it doesn't matter. So our job as technologists, our job as business leaders, is to make it easy to understand, to simplify the process, to make it easy for them to explain to their team so it trickles down. If we don't do that, it really doesn't matter. It's not going to go very far.

 

11:48: Your idea can be brilliant, but implementation matters. Adoption matters. And how do you get that, right? It's not just talking to the C-suite. Of course, you need their buy-in. You need them to validate and adopt it themselves. But you have to get to the heart of the people in any organization. You got to go to every single level of that organization and make sure people are clear that they're bought in. They understand it. And you're moving whatever roadblocks you have to do it. You have to stay scrappy. You have to have grit; if you really want to make it happen, you have to show passion.

T's view of entrepreneurship shaped her as an entrepreneur

15:14: I saw entrepreneurship around me. It wasn't necessarily successful entrepreneurship, but I did see entrepreneurship, and I saw the reward of building something your own, even if it didn't always net the result you were hoping for, even if it didn't lead to insane riches. I saw the satisfaction of building something with your own hands, right? Whether it was a lawn service, a dealership, or a retail store. And that fire is just something special.

Why T is driven by significance in doing something big

08:09: I think my biggest driver was just to do something big. Like, you need to do something. And I've said before that my only fear in life has ever been really mediocrity. And I just knew that whatever I did, it needed to be significant. I don't show up to hold space and just take up space and not do anything with it. And so that was my motivator.

Show Links:

• Transcript

Guest Profile:

• T. Canady Barton - LinkedIn
• BlackBoxx Unlimited, Inc.
• TD Jakes Foundation

Rice Business is known for producing top industry leaders and 2016 full-time MBA graduate, Erika Kwee is no exception. Erika Kwee is the creator, photographer and writer behind The Pancake Princess, where her colorful, mouthwatering “bake-off” blog compares popular baking recipes side-by-side to help readers and aspiring bakers find recipes that are just right for their tastes and skill levels. 

Erika spent years building her blog at night while working a tech job by day. As a self-taught baker, Erika has staged under Michelin Pastry Chef of the Year winner, Kelly Nam, at the Michelin-starred Joomak Banjum. In 2019, the blog won Reader's Choice for Best Baking and Sweets from Saveur Magazine and in 2021, Erika was selected as one of Southern Living's Cooks of the Year.

She sits down with host Maya Pomroy ’22, and shares her journey from English major to baker, her favorite bakes, and how Rice Business was a key ingredient for her career in entrepreneurship.

Episode Guide:

00:19 The Birth of The Pancake Princess

01:28 Erica's Early Interest in Baking

02:52 The Evolution of The Pancake Princess Blog

07:18 Erica's Journey to Houston & Rice

09:58 The Impact of her MBA on Erica's Career

12:01 Transition to New York

12:13 Erica's Experience with Michelin Pastry Chef

15:53 The Art of Baking and Blogging

24:42 Erica's Future Goals and Aspirations

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

In an era where everyone shares content, how can you make yours stand out?

15:42: So if somebody's thinking about starting a blog, how do you start? And how do you generate that buzz and that following and that energy, and how would you start doing that?

15:57: I think starting a blog today would sound very intimidating to me because the environment just seems so saturated. People are starting blogs, Instagram accounts, and TikTok accounts every day, and lots of people are having great success. So I think it's really about thinking about what you're super passionate about, like what is going to keep driving you to, like, do it consistently, really light that fire, because it's easy to write a few posts and then fall off because, like, maybe you're not that excited about the topic. But then, thinking about the unique value or point of view that you're bringing to the table, what sets you apart? Why would someone want to follow you versus any of the other millions of bloggers out there?

An advice on branding

19:43: Branding is thinking about what you stand for, what you're interested in, and what you hope that people will take away from it, and just letting that kind of shine through in everything that you do.

How did Erika's MBA experience influence her approach to blogging?

10:25: MBA programs is all about networking, and so that has carried over into the food blogging space as well, because New York is a hub for tons of food bloggers, restaurant bloggers, content creators, and people in all types of food. I think that being able to build a network here has helped for my own mental health as well as building these connections for this very diverse career that I now have of all these different income streams that are coming in. And everyone is always giving me, like, new ideas on what to try. So that's one of the marketing courses that I took in the MBA also helped. When I think about how I'm trying to deliver value to my blog readers and the people who are consuming my content, I'm thinking about how to target, like who am I trying to serve, what their needs are, and how I can best serve them. So a lot of that, the marketing frameworks that I learned in the MBA have helped.

Show Links: 

• Transcript
• Food Blogger Pro
• @joannebchang • Instagram photos and videos
• Smitten Kitchen
• https://cravecupcakes.com/
• Recipe for Success Foundation
  
  

Guest Profile:

• Erika Kwee LinkedIn
• Erika | NYC content creator (@thepancakeprincess) • Instagram photos and videos 
• About - The Pancake Princess 

Diana Khandilyan is an energy industry expert who dedicated more than 20 years to the international oil and gas exploration industry, focusing on emerging technologies, process optimization and corporate sustainability. 

The energy transition motivated her to pursue an MBA degree from Rice Business to explore the business viability of emerging trends, followed by immersion in clean-energy technologies.

The geophysicist and energy transition advocate joins host Maya Pomroy ’22 to discuss her 20+ years in the international oil and gas industry and her transition to the renewable energy space.

The 2023 Rising Star Award winner talks about growing up in Armenia and Russia. She also dives into her newest position and the integral role Rice Business has played, and continues to play, in her life and career.

Episode Guide: 

01:01 Discussing the Impact of COVID-19 on Graduation

02:05 Diana’s Background and Career

06:25 Understanding the Role of Women in STEM

09:10 Diana’s Journey in Energy Transition

10:45 The Decision to Pursue an MBA at Rice

14:23 The Impact of the MBA on Diana’s Career

20:04 Discussing the Current Landscape of Energy Transition

22:09 The Role of AI in Energy Transition

25:38 The Goal of Net Zero Emissions by 2050

27:23 Future Career Goals

28:20 Advice for Prospective MBA Students

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Time is an investment in the energy industry

[09:59]: Several interesting conversations we had during the class with our guest speakers, with our overall, the macroeconomic overviews, that made me understand the trend towards energy source diversification. And if that is happening, then inevitably there will be new opportunities where investment will be going instead of coming to oil and gas.

So, it was driven by old follow the money situation. And if the investors are thinking and investing in sustainable projects, in green energy, or any other options rather than oil and gas, then probably this is where I need to be.

Excellence in expertise requires industry and world awareness

09:39: It doesn't matter how good you are at what you do. You need to understand what is happening across the industry and what is happening in the world, as well. 

Geoscience is not limited

13:28: Geoscience is not limited. It's not just we are so technical we can do one thing. We can actually do many, many things. This would be probably if any other prospective student’s thinking about changing their profession, thinking that they are very technical, as I was thinking before. You are not. Please don't be discouraged. You will learn ninety-nine percent of things you will learn is new, but the application of the things that you will learn, you are doing today. So, this will just help you and expand your horizons, but it will not be completely pushing you towards the unknown. So, don't be discouraged.

On being a woman in the STEM industry

16:32: I never felt like, because of the woman, I could not do something. It's never, never on my radar. And maybe because I didn't think that the people around me who I work with didn't think that either. I was just able to filter out whatever would be offensive or sensible for other people. You just learn to do that, and push forward.

Show Links: 

• Transcript
  
  

Guest Profile:

• Diana Khandilyan | Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University 

Diana Khandilyan LinkedIn 

Conventional wisdom says that conflict and dissent among an organization’s top leaders can improve strategy and performance. But new research indicates the opposite is true. In fact, dissent at the top often damages working relationships, communication and decision quality. 

In this episode of Owl Have You Know, Daan van Knippenberg joins host Scott Gale ’19 to talk about his research on conflict in leadership. It turns out there is little evidence to support the idea that outcomes improve when leaders disagree on strategy. He explains what CEOs and leaders can do to foster open and constructive dialogue on strategy, even when viewpoints differ. 

He discusses his transition from the Netherlands to the U.S. and the cultural differences he's noticed between the two countries. He also shares his research on the value of diversity in team decision-making and his passion for developing equity and inclusion practices.

Episode Guide: 

00:33 Journey into Organizational Behavior

03:04 Transition from the Netherlands to the U.S.

04:18 Comparing Student Bodies: Rotterdam vs. Pennsylvania

10:59 The Decision to Move to Rice University

16:53 Deep Dive into Strategic Conflict Research

30:30 Recognizing and Engaging with Diversity Perspectives

31:41 The Role of Conflict in Team Dynamics

32:13 The Subjective Experience of Conflict

33:46 The Misconception of Constructive Conflict

36:10 The Impact of Conflict on Team Performance

44:15 Strategies for Avoiding Oppositional Stances

46:06 The Importance of Shared Mental Models

52:45 The Impact of Remote Work on Team Dynamics

56:22 The Disconnect Between DEI Practices and Team Diversity Research

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

You cannot make conflict go away by denying it

23:58: There is conflict when you experience that somebody else is getting in the way of what you're trying to achieve. One of the things it means is that you feel that we have a conflict. I cannot make the conflict go away by denying it.

On the value of diversity

09:43: The notion that there is value in diversity is based on the idea that if people have different perspectives, you can benefit from the diversity of perspectives. It makes you understand things better. It can make you more creative and can make you make better decisions. It can prevent you from blind spots in your decision-making, et cetera.

Show Links: 

• Transcript
  
  

Guest Profile:

• Daan van Knippenberg | LinkedIn
• Daan van Knippenberg | Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University
• Daan van Knippenberg - Google Scholar