Learning Out Loud

Andrew E. is the founder of RoundlyX, a platform that allows users to round up spare change on purchases and invest in the cryptocurrency space, as well as donate to charitable causes. Andrew previously served in the U.S. Military and attended the University of Virginia. We spoke with Andrew about: ◽Grit as your biggest resource ◽Learning by doing ◽Finding comfort in discomfort ◽Making faster, better decisions https://lnkd.in/eZ9HCZM2

Neal Hoffman is the founder of Mensch on a Bench, the most publicized brand to come out of Shark Tank. Neal made a deal with Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec. In addition to the continued success of Mensch on a Bench, Neal is the CEO of FanRoll by Metallic Dice Games, a high-end accessories company for the gaming market. He is a 1999 graduate of the University of Michigan and earned an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in 2005. We spoke with Neal about: ◽His experience on Shark Tank ◽Running Mensch on a Bench solo ◽Marketing ◽Thinking long-term ◽Negotiation https://lnkd.in/eG4AfCi8

Minnie L. is the founder of ML STEM Prep, an online tutoring company focused on serving college undergraduates in courses such as organic chemistry, physics, and calculus. Minnie also serves as a Technical Program Manager at Microsoft, and has a rich background as an organic chemist, consultant, and data scientist. She is a 2014 graduate of The University of Alabama and earned an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in 2023. We spoke with Minnie about: ◽Balancing a startup with a full-time job ◽Taking a company’s culture into account ◽Profiting off of an existing idea ◽Playing into your strengths ◽Network effects and 2 sided marketplaces https://lnkd.in/e43BptqH

Joshua Anton is the founder of X-Mode Social, a location services company that started as Drunk Mode, a mobile app allowing college students to track their friends’ whereabouts during a night out. Josh parlayed that location technology into an industry leader in X-mode, and recently sold to Digital Envoy for an undisclosed amount. Josh now serves as Chief Strategy Officer with Digital Envoy. He is a 2014 UVA McIntire School of Commerce graduate. We spoke with Josh about: ◽Minimizing risk ◽Lessons on intellectual property ◽Listening to your customers ◽Learning vs. earning ◽Learning by doing ◽Knowing yourself ◽Setting quantitative goals ◽Mergers/acquisitions ◽Aligning incentives ◽Finding co-founders ◽Selling million-dollar contracts https://lnkd.in/e7BmcPST

Joshua Cohen is a co-founder of Elevate Meal Plan, a dining hall alternative found at 5 different colleges and universities (UVA, UNC, Rutgers, VCU, St. Clair). Josh is also an engineering manager at Torch and a 2013 graduate of UVA. We spoke with Josh about: ◽Managing a side hustle ◽Scaling a college-focused business ◽Changing your business idea over time ◽Symbiotic relationship between a full-time job and an entrepreneurial venture https://lnkd.in/egKHu5s4

Victor Schaff owned and operated several Papa Johns locations throughout the central Virginia area. We spoke with Vic about how he managed an entrepreneurial venture underneath a corporate umbrella, and his tactics for hiring the right talent and managing his team. Check out the episode below! We spoke with Vic about: ◽Pursuing business without a college degree ◽Creating motivation for teams ◽Calculated risks ◽Hiring the right team https://lnkd.in/eC5HyRtr #business #leadership #success #management #people #restaurants

Bryan Pollard is a co-founder of Ask Alex along with Jordon Durst (Learning Out Loud Episode 6). Ask Alex is a platform focused on AI-powered data and marketing for restaurants. We spoke with Bryan about: ◽His time at Bird - benefits of working at a startup ◽His first entrepreneurial ventures ◽Studying sociology ◽Surrounding yourself with interesting people ◽You don’t need to study business in college ◽Just trying stuff out https://lnkd.in/eeewVAxs #entrepreneurship #business #leadership #founder #startup #data #artificialintelligence #marketing #restaurants

Shannon Nash, Esq., CPA is currently the CFO of Wing, an Alphabet subsidiary developing drone delivery services. She is also a lawyer, certified public accountant, investor, and documentary filmmaker. Shannon is a 1992 graduate of the UVA McIntire School of Commerce and a 1995 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law We spoke with Shannon about: ◽The benefits of both accounting and law as a CFO ◽Wing’s drone delivery ◽Being open to pivots in your career ◽Taking lessons from a small company to a larger venture ◽Mentorship ◽Taking advantage of opportunities in front of you https://lnkd.in/eDVB6_nS #leadership #cfo #entrepreneurship #mentorship #college #law #accounting

L. David Marquet is a retired US Navy Captain and author of the bestselling book Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders, published in 2013, where he discusses his unique approach to leadership. David’s blend of pushing for leadership at every level of the ship and the careful use of language with his crew resulted in the USS Santa Fe's “worst to first” turnaround, becoming the Navy’s top ship by retention and operational standings. We spoke with David about: ◽Linguistic hacks in leadership ◽Taking abstract ideas down to a concrete level ◽His book recommendations  ◽Speaking in probabilities ◽Psychological separation https://lnkd.in/dNvB4uA8 #business #leadership #development #usnavy #author #collegestudents

Listen to our most recent episode with Joseph L. about starting Roots Natural Kitchen while an undergraduate, the three skills he sees as most important to business, and his passion for solving problems. #business #leadership #entrepreneurship #startup #health #wellness https://lnkd.in/e59yG43c