Dr. John Behrens is the Director of the Technology and Digital Studies Program as well as the Idzik Computing and Digital Technologies Program at the University of Notre Dame. Prior to joining Notre Dame, Dr. Behrens spent 20 years in industry where he held several executive positions at large tech firms like Cisco and Pearson, where he was most recently the Vice President of AI Product Development. Before working at these firms, John was a tenured professor at Arizona State where he taught educational data science. Dr. Behren now focuses on preparing current and future leaders to successfully transition through the technology, AI, and data revolutions. In this podcast, we discuss the ethical implications of the AI revolution and anticipated impacts of AI on society, as well as some suggestions for prompt engineering.

Henry Kittle is the COO and Co-Founder of Tiger Tracks, a digital advertising agency focused on helping companies build effective and tailored marketing strategies centered around the top ad platforms. Prior to founding Tiger Tracks, Henry spent over 8 years at Google as a shopping lead, helping companies strategize and deploy their digital marketing budgets. In this episode, we discuss Henry’s career path and some of the lessons he has learned along the way, specifically focusing on how to make the most of opportunities that present themselves to you. Next, we dive into the digital advertising industry and Henry’s motivation for starting his own agency. Finally, Henry offers insights into the role of an entrepreneur and designing the proper organizational structure for a firm.

Michelle Seitz is the Founder and CEO of MeydenVest Partners, an investment and strategic advisory firm that partners with businesses within the technology, healthcare, and financial services sectors who are aiming to solve important problems. Prior to founding MeydenVest, Michelle was the Chair and CEO of Russell Investments and CEO of William Blair Investment Management. First, we explore the mission and strategy of MeydenVest by looking at how Michelle aims to create value and impact in her investments. Next, we dive deeper into the role that investment firms should play in providing a social impact through their investments. After this, Michelle shares some of the advice that she gives to CEOs as a CEO mentor and explains some of the skills and qualities that make not only a good investor but also a good leader and manager. Finally, Michelle provides guidance to young professionals on balancing career success with making an impact through your work and prioritizing personal values, such as family and community involvement.

Mike Mauzé is a Founder and Partner at VMG Partners, a leading investment firm that backs visionary consumer products and technologies. First, we discuss some of the most important considerations before starting your own private equity fund and explore the sacrifices and benefits involved. Next, Mike elaborates on the art and science of consumer investing, offering insights for aspiring investors to master both aspects. Following this, he outlines the consumer trends VMG is monitoring and how the firm aims to capitalize on these opportunities. Lastly, Mike shares his perspective on the qualities of an ideal private equity professional and offers advice to students and young professionals embarking on a career in this field.

Andy Will is a Partner at Zeal Capital Partners, an early-stage VC fund pioneering an investment thesis focused on inclusive investing. Prior to joining Zeal, Andy worked as a Consumer Fintech investor at Listen Ventures, Head of Trading at TOMS Capital Investment Management, and an associate at JP Morgan in the Equities Derivatives group. He also holds an MBA from the Chicago Booth School of Business. In this podcast, we discuss Andy’s path into the VC realm and go over some suggestions he has for breaking into these roles and maximizing your potential as a young investor. Andy also covers the importance of inclusive investing, which he explains is an idea that incorporates diverse perspectives into the investment process as well as the creating a portfolio that reaches beyond typical due diligence and sourcing processes. Finally, we open the floor to members of the Notre Dame VC club to ask their insightful questions.

Mary Miller is the Head of Business Development within Growth Equity Investing at Norwest Venture Partners. Prior to joining Norwest in 2023, Mary was a Director at SoftBank’s Vision Fund and has held a number of other positions focused on investments in consumer technology companies. First, we explore some of the administrative and investing roles that Mary has worked in as she explains how she ended up in her current role. Next, we talk about some of the advantages and opportunities that working for SoftBank’s Vision Fund gave Mary as well as some of the lessons learned while working at such a large fund during the downturn of the market in 2022. After that, Mary explains a case study of the company Fanatics and explains the tremendous growth and evolution of the company over the past few years, focusing on her role in creating value for the company. Then, Mary breaks down what consumer technology is and how the industry has evolved over the recent past. Finally, we open the floor to members of the Notre Dame Venture Capital club (students who are actively trying to or already have broken into venture capital careers) to ask their insightful questions.

Professor Raymond Mooney is the Director of the Artificial Intelligence Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. Having written his first paper on AI as a 17 year-old and spending his entire academic and professional career as an AI researcher, Prof. Mooney has become one of the most respected and distinguished thought leaders in the world on artificial intelligence and natural language processing. First, we talk about what the blanket term “artificial intelligence” really encompasses and dig into some of the groundbreaking research that Prof. Mooney has conducted in the recent past. Next, we take a look into how AI has evolved over the past 70 years and point out some important historical landmarks for the technology. We then take a look into how AI differs in academia and enterprise and end off the episode with a discussion of some of the potential negative ethical implications that AI can bring about as well as some of the tremendous upsides that the technology can have in the near future.

Sara McLay is a Director at UTA Ventures, the growth arm of the United Talent Agency. First, Sara talks about her career journey through the entertainment industry and delves deeper into what UTA is, specifically highlighting the unique role she has on the Ventures team. Next, Sara explains what the Creator Economy is and how celebrities like Mr. Beast have been able to leverage their talent and platforms in this new economy to create business empires. Afterward, Sara discusses how UTA aims to capture value in this type of economy by investing in and partnering with celebrities who have followings that aspire to consume like and emulate their celebrity icons. Finally, Sara explains how to break into the entertainment and venture industries, and she also provides examples of notable brands and celebrities she collaborates with through UTA.

Konrad Billetz has built and led several startup companies over the past decade, including his current company Outliant, and has received many distinctions for his entrepreneurial work, including an appearance on Shark Tank, being listed on Forbes 30 under 30 list, and being featured in numerous media outlets including Forbes and Entrepreneur. First, we talk about Konrad’s unique career journey and what a typical day in the life of a busy startup founder like Konrad looks like. Next, we break down the different stages of a typical business life cycle: from formulating an idea, to creating a business model, to looking for funding and scaling, to finally finding an exit opportunity. Finally, Konrad shares his unique perspective on failure and how it is necessary to succeed when starting a company, and he also provides fun insight into what it is like to pitch on the reality TV show Shark Tank.

Cody Kittle is a Portfolio Manager at Elliot Management. Prior to joining Elliot, he worked as a private equity associate at Wind Point Partners and an Investment Banking Analyst at JP Morgan. First, we talk about the typical finance career path and the discernment process of finding the right role within the industry. Next, we discuss interview and networking tips for progressing through careers in finance. Specifically, Cody gives advice on how to craft your story and stand out in an interview. Finally, Cody speaks about what makes a good investment and how an activist investor can serve as a catalyst to drive an increase in value for an investment.