In Episode 21 of Season Two of The Late Start Show, we sit down with Russell Breuer ’98, University School alum and the founder and CEO of Spot & Tango, the fresh pet food company shaking up how we think about pet health. Growing up in Shaker Heights, and later commuting from Aurora after his family moved, Mr. Breuer reflects on his path through US and the teachers, trips, and community that stuck with him. He shares why the “do everything” spirit of US mattered: playing soccer and tennis, becoming editor-in-chief of The Mabian, and learning the kind of structured, first-principles problem solving he still leans on as a CEO.

From there, Mr. Breuer walks us through Emory, studying Spanish and international studies (inspired in part by his family’s Venezuelan roots), and how that global focus turned into a consulting career that started in Washington, DC (Kaiser Associates) and unexpectedly became eight years in London, passport and all. We dive into the origin story of Spot & Tango: his wife cooking fresh meals for their mini goldendoodle, late nights in a Queens incubator kitchen, and the “dark times” grind (apron, hair net, and bike-messenger deliveries) that eventually pushed him to go all-in in April 2018. We unpack what “personalized” pet nutrition really means, the idea behind UnKibble (freeze-dried, shelf-stable, and designed to cut cold-chain cost), and the scaling moments, like selling out in three days after launching in April 2020 and building real-world manufacturing muscle in Allentown. Mr. Breuer also breaks down the rebrand to “Spot & Tango,” the launch of Pup Gum, what’s next (including a Canada move on March 1 and brick-and-mortar on the roadmap), and closes with the legacy he wants to leave, giving back, and his “why”: grit.

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.

In Episode 20 of Season Two of The Late Start Show, we sit down with Tony Peebles ’81, veteran banker and finance leader, longtime civic fundraiser, Baldwin Wallace University’s Alumni Engagement Director, and a current University School board member. Growing up in Cleveland’s Lee-Harvard neighborhood with two educator parents (a PE teacher mom and a shop-teacher dad), Tony reflects on being an introverted kid who found his voice through music (he started guitar at age seven) and the mentors who pushed him to work hard. He shares how CCIS-era recruiting and a “Major Works” cohort from Gracemont brought him to US in seventh grade, and how Western Civ, public speaking, and the jazz band (including a Boston tour by Amtrak) helped shape his confidence, humility, and love of teamwork.

From there, Tony traces his path to Duke, from a Stanford dream vetoed by his mom to a campus visit made powerful by the reality that Duke would’ve been segregated for his father and grandfather. He tells stories of ACC basketball energy (and seeing legends up close) before unpacking the relationship-driven breaks that built his career: an Ameritrust summer internship arranged through US connections that turned into a full-time management trainee role and, eventually, a decades-long run in financial services, including major responsibility at Fifth Third and an MBA earned while working full-time. We dive into what alumni engagement really means, “time, talent, and treasure”, and why Tony believes staying involved is one of the most underrated leadership skills. He closes with the legacy he hopes to leave at US (keeping doors open for talented students from every background) and his “why”: giving back, guided by his father’s rules about faith, family, and leading with integrity.

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.

In Episode 19 of Season Two of The Late Start Show, the second half of their fireside conversation, Charlie Martin and Jack Nelson sit down once again with Mr. Harmon: legendary science teacher, storyteller, and the driving force behind University School’s Outdoor Projects. Mr. Harmon pulls back the curtain on how the “outdoors” at US is really a living science lab, connecting classroom concepts to real-world systems. He breaks down everything from calorimetry and the energy content of different woods to the trout hatchery’s year-round water system and the live plankton it provides for biology labs, to the physics (and chemistry) behind maple sugaring, photosynthesis, sap flow, osmotic pressure, and even freeze-thaw dynamics.

Along the way, he reflects on the origins of Outdoor Projects (and the early Outward Bound–style challenges), why forest health matters more than ever, from invasive pests threatening beech trees to the overlooked importance of soil science, and what it means to protect the campus as a “trust,” not “land waiting for development.” The conversation closes with the show’s signature question, “What is your why?”, as Mr. Harmon shares a simple, powerful philosophy: be human, be charitable, and make decisions that help more than hurt.

Happy Holidays, and have a great winter break. Stay tuned for more episodes as we keep capturing the stories (and wisdom) of the legends who make University School what it is.

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.

In Episode 18 of Season 2 of The Late Start Show (and the next year of The Harmon Holiday Special), Charlie Martin and Jack Nelson sit down by the fire with Mr. Terry Harmon, legendary science teacher and Outdoor Projects advisor at University School, to talk all things winter on campus.

From the first real signs of the season to the magic of a frozen Lake Kilroy, Mr. Harmon breaks down how the school measures ice safety (and where not to step), then goes deep on what’s happening beneath the ice, why water behaves so strangely, why ice floats, and how big bodies of water shape weather (and even agriculture) around Lake Erie. Along the way, he revisits the unforgettable winter of 1977–78, connects the brook trout to the bigger story of wilderness and conservation, and shares the personal moments that sparked his love of trout, from childhood canoe trips in Canada to hatching eggs at home and helping launch the school’s trout hatchery decades ago.

This episode is equal parts a science lesson, winter story time, and a love letter to the outdoors, perfect to listen to while it’s cold outside. Stay tuned for Part 2 as we rebuild the fire and keep the conversation going.

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.

In Episode 17 of Season Two of The Late Start Show, we sit down with Mr. Dan Swander ’61, University School lifer, veteran consumer products executive, and co-founder of consulting firm Swander Pace & Company and private equity firm Swander Pace Capital. Growing up in the backyard of the Shaker Campus, Dan shares memories of walking across the fields to kindergarten, remembering every teacher from first grade through senior year, and having US at the center of his life. He reflects on the mentors who shaped him such as his coaches and teachers, the early days of sixth-grade football and undefeated varsity soccer, and what’s changed (and what hasn’t) as US evolved into a two-campus, more diverse, greater-Cleveland school community. He traces an “unplanned” career from Trinity College and Wharton to McKinsey, built around curiosity, a love of consumer products, and the occasional unconventional answer, like telling a McKinsey psychologist he’d come back as an otter.

From turning around a struggling food company by taking office doors off their hinges to helping build large brands, Dan unpacks the leadership principles that have guided him: flipping the leadership chart upside down, betting on teams instead of lone geniuses, and focusing on real dollar margins instead of just percentages. He talks candidly about short attention span in modern entrepreneurship, how AI and automation will reshape work while opening doors in skilled trades, and what it was like to balance six kids with a demanding career. Now deeply involved in his church and Winter Nights Family Shelter, Dan reflects on legacy, service, and staying engaged, and shares his “why”: to stay curious, work hard, make mistakes, give back to his community, and wake up each day asking, “What can I do that matters today?”

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.

In Episode 16 of Season Two of The Late Start Show, we sit down with Carter Loeser, senior football linebacker, Jarvis Scholar, and student entrepreneur. Carter walks us through arriving at US as a freshman, what the Jarvis Scholarship has meant for his sense of purpose, and how stepping into a bigger academic and social world pushed him to grow in confidence and ambition. Along the way, he reflects on the importance of community, strong teacher support, and the people who helped turn a potentially overwhelming transition into a place that feels like home.

From the toughness of football to the unexpected pivot of coaching JV basketball with his dad after a sophomore-year ACL injury, Carter shares how setbacks taught him resilience and how leadership can be earned through consistency and care. He also dives into theater, and the origin story of Good For You Smoothies and Not So Good For You Milkshakes, an Anderson Scholars business that became a school staple (and even landed a Cleveland Magazine feature). Looking ahead, Carter talks business, economics, and finance aspirations, potential college fits, and his hope to pass the smoothie torch to younger students. His “why” comes back to the same core theme: the people around him, family, teammates, friends, and a community worth giving his best to.

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.

In Episode 15 of Season Two of The Late Start Show, we sit down with Mr. Bill Conway ’45, University School alum, Yale football captain, mining entrepreneur, golf-course founder, and cornerstone of Cleveland philanthropy. He takes us back to a Cleveland childhood as the seventh of thirteen children, growing up in the shadow of the Great Depression and World War II while his father rose through Fisher Foods and moved the family to a house just behind US so “all those boys” could attend. We trace his days sprinting across the Shaker campus fields to chapel, marching in wartime drills under Teacher Major Gunn, and learning from demanding, formative teachers and coaches, all while absorbing family mottos like “be a giver, not a taker.” From there, Mr. Conway walks us through Yale in the final days of WWII, a pivot from chemical to industrial engineering, and a hard-hitting Ivy League football career that led to a brief stint as an assistant coach before he headed north to the iron-ore pits of Minnesota and then halfway across the world to open a mine in Australia.

Mr. Conway reflects on five decades of building people-centered companies, from buying a sand quarry in Chardon and treating miners as true partners, to joining forces with Chuck Fowler to create Fairmount Minerals, an industrial sand powerhouse grounded in the mantra “do good, do well.” Along the way, we talk about what it meant to see Fairmount listed on the New York Stock Exchange, him making a golf course, and his deep support for institutions like University School. At 98, his advice is simple: listen more than you talk, look for the positive, be grateful, and use each day to make things a little better for your family, your community, and the wider world, because his “why” is, and always has been, to honor the gifts he was given by giving generously in return.

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.

In Episode 14 of Season Two of The Late Start Show, we sit down with Z Cimoroni, senior, hockey and lacrosse player, award-winning percussionist, and Sherman Price Speaking Contest finalist. He takes us back to growing up in Shaker Heights, finding his way to US when Shaker dropped its honors classes, and walking the track during ILT with the friends who became his core group. Z opens up about what it was like to start here in the middle of COVID, how the brotherhood and incredible teachers pulled him into the community, and why having his younger brother John at US has made his own experience feel even more meaningful.

From packed student sections at “the Bart” to the noise of the locker room, Z reflects on the culture behind US hockey’s success, navigating injury and time away from the game, and how sports have sharpened his leadership and mental approach. In the classroom and beyond, he shares how Anderson Scholars in Entrepreneurship, Spanish Honor Society, and jazz ensemble helped him find a passion for business and economics, and what it took to deliver his Sherman “Demons in Our Pockets” speech on phones and social media without freezing on stage. Looking ahead to a high-spirit, high-academic college where he can study business or economics, Z talks about family-led college tours, being remembered as someone who worked hard and was kind, and his “why”: a genuine love for hockey, drums, and lacrosse, a willingness to “embrace the suck” in the hard moments, and a daily drive to make “tomorrow you better than today.”

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.

In Episode 13 of Season Two of The Late Start Show, we sit down with Mr. Kevin O’Brien, English teacher, coach, and mindfulness advocate at University School. He takes us from a Cleveland childhood fueled by library stacks and elementary-school talent shows to a life-changing scholarship at Phillips Academy Andover, where mentors and coaches sharpened his love of literature, leadership, and team culture. We trace his journey from multi-sport athlete to Division I lacrosse at Penn (and a position switch that taught him humility), and the winding early-career path through New York film sets, the wake of 9/11, and head-coaching stints that ultimately led him home to US after impactful chapters in Potomac, Western Reserve Academy, Episcopal Academy, and The Hill School.

Mr. O’Brien reflects on building classroom and team trust, why boys thrive when they can be their full selves, and how journaling, breath, and “discernment” turn hot takes into thoughtful choices. We get into attention in the age of AI, the battle for focus in an attention economy, and why he has students write to “figure it out”, because, as he reminds them, “paper is more patient than people.” He unpacks what real preparation looks like at US, the mentors who shaped him, and the quote he keeps close about our finite time, attention, and energy. His “why”? Simple: to be kind, to help students do hard things, and to honor the teachers, coaches, and family who made that possible.

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.

In Episode 12 of Season Two of The Late Start Show, we sit down with Will Allen, senior, head varsity debate captain, and US baseball player. He takes us from transferring in from Chagrin Falls and finding his footing to the upperclassman mentors who brought him in and why microeconomics with Mr. Heath became a turning point. On the baseball field, Will relives last year’s historic run to the state finals and relentless summer work that forged US Baseball’s culture. In the classroom and beyond, he shares why he jumped into orchestra and how he manages a schedule that swings from practice to tournaments to late-night homework.

From captaining one of Ohio’s top Public Forum squads to serving as treasurer on the Student Investment, Will opens up about leadership, goal setting, and what’s next, an economics track in college, a possible finance or data angle, and a dream of bringing home a debate state title while chasing another deep baseball playoff run. What does US mean to him now? Waking up excited to come to school, and to the work after the bell. His “why”? To be “a little bit better at everything you do every day”, to keep showing up, keep improving, and keep building something bigger with the people around him.

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.