UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — "Dare to Disrupt" is a podcast from Invent Penn State about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, and the stories behind their success.
The podcast is hosted by alumnus Ryan Newman, a graduate of the Smeal College of Business and a Schreyer Scholar alumnus who is now a managing director at Goldman Sachs.
In the seventh episode, Newman interviews Sean Black, who graduated from Penn State in 1996 with a degree in international business management. Black talks about how his entrepreneurial career took off at an early age with a painting business in high school, followed by a nutrition supplement business in college. He talks about how "Shark Tank" star Barbara Corcoran became his mentor, showing him the ropes of the New York real- estate market and helping him build the foundation for what would become online real-estate marketplace Trulia.
Black also shares how his latest, seller-focused, real-estate tech startup Knock.com is working towards getting the home purchase and selling transaction process entirely online.
Listen to this interview to learn more about Sean Black’s journey.
At the end of each Dare to Disrupt episode, a current Penn State student is given the opportunity to speak with the successful Penn State alum and ask questions specific to the student’s startup and career goals. In Episode 7, Nish Barat, a second-year student at Penn State studying human-centered design and development, joins the conversation. Barat is the founder of WeAreLiving, an all-in-one online marketplace for tenants to find roommates, resolve tenant disputes, exchange leases and learn important information about the housing process. Barat asks Black about trends in the real estate market with relation to tech, as well as how his startup can provide a positive experience for both renters and property owners.
Students can apply or be nominated to be on the show here.
Past episodes of Dare to Disrupt include interviews with Matt Brezina, David Rusenko and Jess Weiner.
New episodes of Dare to Disrupt release monthly. Learn more at invent.psu.edu/dare-to-disrupt and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play.
Invent Penn State is a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success.