PODCAST · business
Flinn Talks
by Ajay Karpur
Interviews with Flinn Scholars about their careers and lives.
Episodes
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Shaun Kirkpatrick on Venture Development and the Future of Biotechnology | Alumni Hour Interview
In this Alumni Hour conversation, Sara Zervos Knutson interviews with fellow Class of 1987, Shaun Kirkpatrick, about his journey from a small-town Arizona upbringing to a career at the forefront of biotechnology commercialization and venture development. Shaun combined studies in biology and...
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Alumni Hour Interview: Sarah Parmar on Shifting from Water Conservation to Community Conversation
In this Alumni Hour conversation, Sara Zervos Knutson (’87) speaks with Sarah Parmar (’02) about her journey from growing up on a ranch in southern Arizona to a career shaping water policy and community engagement. Sarah’s path has been defined by a deep connection to place, culture, and...
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Alumni Hour Interview: Alex Lau on Finding Stability in the Volatility of Film and Storytelling
In this Alumni Hour conversation, Flinn Scholars alumna Sara Zervos Knutson (’87) speaks with Alex Lau (’03) about his winding path through filmmaking, storytelling, and creative leadership. Alex’s career spans documentary filmmaking, political campaigns, startups, and large‑scale corporate media...
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Alumni Hour Interview: Sara Castro on Her Journey Through the International Defense Community
In this Alumni Hour conversation, Sara Zervos Knutson (’87) speaks with Sara Castro, Ph.D. (’95), about her path from Flinn Scholar at Arizona State University to a career at the intersection of intelligence, academia, and national security. Sara began her journey with early ambitions in…
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Alumni Hour Interview: Alexis Darby Discusses the Many Pivots to a Career that Truly Fits
In this Alumni Hour conversation, Flinn Scholars alumna Sara Zervos Knutson (’87) speaks with Alexis “Lexi” Darby (’15) about her winding academic and professional path—from switching majors repeatedly at ASU to pursuing and ultimately leaving a PhD program in biomedicine. After stepping away…
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Alumni Hour Interview: Eric Jackson Discusses Life in China and Pivoting to Linguistics
In this conversation between Flinn alumna Sara Zervos Knutson (’87) and Eric Jackson (’93), Eric reflects on how a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut shifted after a memorable NASA launch delay—and how that moment opened the door to an unexpected path in linguistics. His career has taken…
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Alumni Hour Interview: Paul Burkhardt Discusses His Journey to University President
In this engaging Alumni Hour interview, alumna Sara Zervos Knutson (’87) sits down with Paul Burkhardt (’86), the newly appointed president of Naropa University, for a wide‑ranging conversation about leadership, learning, and purposeful work. Paul’s path has taken him from living in the Bahamas…
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Alumni Hour Inteview: Wylie Timmerman on Work-Life "Balance" and Data Science
In this episode of Alumni Hour, alumna Sara Zervos Knutson (’87) sits down with Wylie Timmerman (’06) to explore the many directions his academic and professional journey has taken since graduating. Wylie has worked across policy, data science, and technology, with experiences ranging from...
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Alumni Hour Interview: Ryan Johnson Discusses Venture Capital, Startups, and City Design
In this Alumni Hour episode, alumna Sara Zervos Knutson (’87) interviews Ryan Johnson (’02), co-founder and CEO of Culdesac, a company reimagining how we design cities and live together—without relying on cars. Based in Tempe, Culdesac is the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the...
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Alumni Hour Interview: Nesima Aberra Discusses the Intersection of Media and Social Impact
Anne Lassen, Vice President of the Flinn Scholars Program, interviews Nesima Aberra (’09) in this Alumni Hour conversation on her work at the intersection of media, social impact, and storytelling. Based in the DC-Metro Area, Nesima is a writer and digital strategist who currently serves as vice...
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Alumni Hour Interview: Jake Batsell on Careers in Journalism and Issues Journalists Face Today
Flinn Scholars alumna Sara Zervos Knutson (’87) interviews Jake Batsell (’92) in this Alumni Hour conversation exploring his path from student journalist to reporter, author, and journalism professor. Jake has worked as a reporter for The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times, conducted...
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Alumni Hour Interview: Wendy Cassity on Careers in Law, and Choosing Scary Things
Flinn Scholars alumna Sara Zervos Knutson (’87) interviews Wendy Cassity (’93) in this Alumni Hour conversation on her journey since receiving Arizona’s prestigious merit scholarship. Wendy has served as Chief Legal Officer for global companies, guiding organizations through high-stakes...
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Alumni Hour Interview: Jay Baer on Entrepreneurship, Building a Personal Brand, AI, and Tequila!
I’m excited to share the highlights from our latest podcast session featuring our very own Jay Baer—a candid, fast-paced conversation that blends real-world business insights with personal storytelling. In this episode, Jay dives into: • The Journey of Entrepreneurship: Jay shares how a...
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Kris Mayes on political journalism, renewable energy policy, and taking risks
Class of 1990 Flinn Scholar Kris Mayes is the Co-Director of the Energy Policy Innovation Council and Director of the Utility of the Future Center and is a member of the faculty at Arizona State University’s (ASU) Global Institute of Sustainability and School for the Future of Innovation in...
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Michelle Minitti on two journeys: a mission to Mars, and her own odyssey to become a planetary scientist
Class of 1991 Flinn Scholar Michelle Minitti is the principal of Framework, a consultancy specializing in planetary-science research and Mars mission operations. Michelle is a co-investigator for the Mars Curiosity Rover, working with members of the engineering and operations teams utilizing the...
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Nathan Johnson and Jake Batsell on how the Flinn Scholarship can enhance a focus—or enable extraordinary exploration
A member of the inaugural Class of 1986 Flinn Scholars, Nathan Johnson was elected to the Texas State Senate in November 2018 to represent District 16, comprising all or portions of 10 cities in the northern part of Dallas County. He practices law at Thompson & Knight as counsel in the firm’s…
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Matt Rolland on the road—from stockbroker, to touring musician, to arts leader
Class of 2005 Flinn Scholar Matt Rolland has had a fiddle in his hand since the age of four. Best known as the bandleader and fiddle player for the Tucson-based band, Run Boy Run, Matt has performed at festivals and concert halls across the country, released six studio albums and was twice…
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Shelly Lowe on the higher-education experiences of American Indian students
Class of 1992 Flinn Scholar Shelly Lowe is executive director of the Harvard University Native American Program. An enrolled member of the Navajo nation, she graduated from Ganado High School and studied at the University of Arizona as a Flinn Scholar. Shelly has served on the board of the…
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Flinn Talks have?
Flinn Talks currently has 18 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Flinn Talks about?
Interviews with Flinn Scholars about their careers and lives.
How often does Flinn Talks release new episodes?
Flinn Talks has 18 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Flinn Talks?
You can listen to Flinn Talks on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Flinn Talks?
Flinn Talks is created and hosted by Ajay Karpur.
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