UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — "Dare to Disrupt" is a new 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 third episode, Newman interviews Jess Weiner, a 1995 College of Arts and Architecture graduate. She describes how she got into social justice while at Penn State and how she uses her theater training from Penn State to succeed with her clients at her brand consultancy, Talk to Jess. Weiner has been a strategic partner in culture-changing moments such as Dove’s campaign for “Real Beauty” and the evolution of Barbie. She is a bestselling author, podcast host and speaker who has connected with audiences from the White House to Wall Street.
In this episode of "Dare to Disrupt," Weiner talks about how she has successfully built and maintained strong relationships with her Fortune 500 company clients, what inspired her to get into podcasting and her thoughts on the podcasting industry, and how her time at Penn State provided her with the knowledge and experience to get to where she is today.
At the end of each 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/or career goals. In Episode 3, Carley Furlow, a sophomore studying business administration and founder of Sharps and Flats, which makes assistive devices for people who have disabilities, injuries or limiting circumstances who play instruments, joins the episode to talk to Weiner about networking and building a startup brand.
Students can apply or be nominated to be on the show here.
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.