PODCAST · education
Proof of Concept
by Isar Saxena and Austin Kennedy
Revealing this generation’s hidden success stories - Use them to write yours
Episodes
-
Ep. 40 How to Actually Reach your Goals
On Episode 40 of Proof of Concept, we sat down and recorded our thoughts about why we have a podcast. We spent most of our time talking about where our motivation for the podcast comes from and why do it. We also reflected a little bit on ourselves and why we continue with Proof of Concept. We…
more -
Ep. 39 From Reselling Birds in Ghana to Making Millions by 23 (w/ Sharif Caesar)
On Episode 39 of Proof of Concept, we had Sharif Caesar. A current 23-year-old Sharif was raised in Ghana and came over to the States with his dad when he was a child. After being bullied for not wearing name brand (when he came over he didn't even know what a name brand was), he decided to make...
-
Ep. 38 How Noticing a Netflix Lip-Sync Problem Led to Thousands in Revenue (w/ Shrikar Lekkala)
On episode 38 of Proof of Concept, we had Shrikar Lekkala, an incoming junior at UIUC and Co-Founder of Metafrazo, which provides an AI Dubbing and Translation solution for educators. Since their founding, they’ve secured 5,000 MRR and have worked with content creators like Mr. Beast and Mr....
-
Ep. 37 Behind the Scenes of Growing Chicago's Largest Highschool-Sports Page (w/ Derrick "Sloche" Echols)
On this week of Proof of Concept we had Derrick Echols, founder of Sloche. Beginning with just his camera and him at a highschool basketball game, Sloche has since scaled to a 136K follower community. "Community" is used intentionally; Derrick has not only scaled followers, but true relationships...
-
Ep. 36 How a Former UIUC Student Signed 34,000 Artists and Raised 390K in Funding (w/ Avi Patel)
This week on Proof Of Concept, we welcomed back Avi Patel, founder of Nitrility. The solution artists and creators have been waiting for. We talked about his recent experiences with VCs, how he’s been able to raise hundreds of thousands in funding, signed over 34,000 artists, and even how he met...
-
Ep. 35 Creating AI Generated Podcasts as a UMICH CS Student (w/ Miles Low)
Hello everybody on this episode 35 of Proof of Concept we had Miles Low. Miles, a junior at the University of Michigan, explained to us what exactly is an LLM, how to build an AI that sounds just like Thomas Jefferson, why computer science can be an inside-the-box career but also an…
more -
Ep. 34 How to Actually Get The Job You Want (w/ Roshen Karavattuveetil)
To Subscribe To Roshen's Newsletter: https://thepartner-newsletter.beehiiv.com/p/partner-newsletter?utm_source=thepartner-newsletter.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=the-partner-newsletter To Reach Out Directly To Roshen: [email protected] This week on Proof of Concept, we…
more -
Ep. 33 Why You Aren't Growing on Social Media (LIVE TALK) w/ Casper Capital
Hello everyone, this audio is from a recent presentation given by Casper Capital. He has scaled this brand to over 3 Milliion Followers and has been in the content creation game since he was 12. Here, he lays out the tactics and strategies you can use to accomplish that same feat.
-
Ep. 32 Why College Is the Best Time to Start a Business (w/ Jake Sadow)
This week we had Jake Sadow. Jake is a Senior at the University of Michigan and Founder of Current2. Current2 is an innovative platform aimed at making it easy for anyone to stay informed on current events. They provide a free text message service to users enabling easy access to concise audio...
-
Ep. 31 Entrepreneurship Isn't What You Think It Is (w/ Suyash Agrawal)
This week on Proof of Concept we had startup co-founder, Disruption lab executive director, and entrepreneur Suyash Agrawal on the show. We started by exploring his journey of how he began his marketing startup as a high school student and where the motive for that came from. We also dove into…
more -
Ep. 30 How to Reach 3 Million Followers Recording on an iPhone (w/ Casper Capital)
This week on Proof of Concept we had social media content creator, lifelong entrepreneur, and previous guest Casper Opala make a return to the show. You might know him better as Casper Capital, but in this episode we talked about his journey to becoming a content creator with over 3M followers....
-
Ep. 29 College is a Game; Here's How to Win (w/ Luke Clancy) PART 2
This week on Proof of Concept we have a continuation of the episode from last week. We continued our conversation to talk about how to channel your competitiveness, the importance of keeping open time on your schedule to think, and how everyone is interesting, you just have to be interested. Luke...
-
Ep. 28 College is a Game; Here's How to Win (w/ Luke Clancy) PART 1
This week on Proof of Concept we had college builder, professional people connector, and certified game player of college Luke Clancy. We talked to Luke about how to make the most out of your time in college and some of the strategies that you can use to actually win at college. Luke mentioned…
more -
Ep. 27 5 Years of Investing Experience in 1 Hour (w/ Jacob Swiney)
This week on Proof of Concept we had seasoned real estate investor, fellow podcast host, UIUC alum, and previous guest Jacob Swiney make a return to the show. Last time Jacob was on, we explored unique ways to break out of the mold. While in college Jacob lived for free and made $60K so in this...
-
Ep. 26 Our 6 Rules to Live By in 2024
Hello, everyone! This week on Overdue Austin and I sat down to record an episode with just the two of us. We talked about 3-4 themes or quotes that we live by and how they have influenced us in the past year and shaped our visions for the upcoming year.
-
Ep. 25 How to Find True Success as a Young Realtor (w/ Fernando Arreguin)
Hello, everyone! This week on 'Overdue,' we were joined by Fernando Arreguin , an up-and-coming realtor from Chicago. We dive into Fernando's journey into real estate, discussing the challenges and successes he's encountered. Fernando also shares how mentorship has been crucial in his…
more -
Ep. 24 How Sneaker Reselling Lead to 800K in Revenue (w/ Grayson Adelstein)
Hello everyone, on this episode of Proof of Concept we had Grayson Adelstein. Grayson is a freshman at UIUC currently in the Gies college of business. We got to sit down with him and talk about where his entrepreneurial journey really began and some of the things he is currently working on. We...
-
Ep. 23 What a Chicago DJ Learned from 17 Years in Venezuela (w/ DJ Mantra) (Español)
¡Hola todos! En este segmento de Proof of Concept, entrevistamos a Jose, un DJ profesional de 21 años que ha trabajado en la mayoría de los night clubs populares de Chicago. El nació en Venezuela y se vino a los Estados Unidos cuando tenía 17 años para tener la oportunidad de cumplir sus sueños....
-
Ep. 22 Solving the Problem of Stolen Crypto (w/ Will Lawson)
Hello everyone! On this episode of Proof of Concept, we had Will Lawson. Will is the co-founder of Resolv, a startup helping crypto businesses recover their stolen assets. Hear about how Will himself got thousands stolen in crypto and how Resolv was initially just an idea in his TE250 class, and...
-
Ep. 21 Scaling a Landscaping Business to 250k/Year (w/ Aidan Murphy)
Hello everyone, on this episode of Proof of Concept we sat down for a conversation with Aidan Murphy. Aidan got his entrepreneurial kick in his sophomore year of highschool, where he did the classic door-to-door lawn mowing business. After making 30,000 his senior year of highschool, he partnered...
-
Ep. 20 What 6 Months of Post-College Life Teaches You (w/ Rohan Hirani)
On this week of Proof of Concept, Rohan Hirani returned to the podcast. We discussed his recent ventures, Skybolt and Beam, as well as his travels throughout Europe. All of this excess time has allowed for much reflection on his college experience.
-
Ep. 19 Pitching Whole Foods as a 19 Year Old Founder (w/ Austin Majors)
Austin explains how he founded BrothersNuts in 2017 with his brother, struggles they've encountered along the way and experiences throughout; Whether that be talks with Shark Tank's producer, pitching whole foods, or flying to LA for the artist he is currently managing, Austin is an all-around...
-
Ep. 18 Why You Should Step Outside Your Cultural Comfort Zone
On this episode of Proof of Concept, Isar and myself sat down for a conversation reflecting on my past weekend. Last Saturday I attended a Latin-hip hop concert by Eladio Carrión with my close friend Jose. We talked about I stumbled into Spanish and Latin culture, how I met Jose, and our thoughts...
-
Ep. 17 Why You Should Give Back in Your 20s (w/ M'laah Singh)
On this week of Proof of Concept we had M'laah Singh. M'laah is a junior prelaw student at UIUC who grew up with some crazy experiences. From growing up in Hollywood as an actress in the Avengers to starting a nonprofit to help those in need across 7 states. During our talk with Mlaah we also…
more -
Ep. 16 How to Bring Energy Into Every Room (w/ Chik Egbuna)
Hello everyone, during this week of Proof of Concept we had Chik Egbuna. A sophomore at UIUC, he has grown his fitness account “kvngchikfitness” to 26 thousand followers. He is a personal trainer at the ARC and a truly radiant personality. We talked about what it means to bring energy to a room…
more -
Ep. 15 Talk to People for Who They Are, Not the Roles They Play
On this episode of Proof of Concept, we recorded an episode with just the two of us. Our motivation for this episode came from an event the two of us had come from right before and we had some thoughts on our mind we wanted to share. We talked about the importance of talking to people for who…
more -
Ep. 14 Why Every Entrepreneur Needs an Ego (w/ Avi Patel)
On this episode of Proof of Concept, we had Avi Patel. He is the founder of Nitrility, “the world’s first intellectual property marketplace.” Nitrility has just reached a 10 million dollar valuation, and just a year ago, he was a sophomore studying Computer Science at the University of Illinois.…
more -
Ep. 13 How to Actually Find Balance in College (w/ Nikunj Tyagi)
On this episode of Proof of Concept, we sat down for a conversation with Nikunj Tyagi. Nikunj has recently launched an app, called "What's the Move?" On top of this, he also balances a job at an AI Startup, a business frat, as well as the CS Major Curriculum. On top of all this, he is also...
-
Ep. 12 Isar's Internship Bootcamp and Podcast Plans for Year 2
Welcome to Season 2 of Proof of Concept! In the first episode of Overdue for Season 2, we discussed our summers and how they have impacted us and set us up for the future. Tune in to hear about how Isar went to a competitive internship bootcamp and got an internship from it. Also, listen to us as...
-
Ep. 11 Making the Most of Every College Opportunity (w/ Eileen Drew)
On this episode of Proof of Concept, we had UIUC graduate Eileen Drew. We talked about how Eileen's experience in college and some of the lessons she learned. She spoke about how she is a massive advocate for studying abroad, some of her experiences in student groups, and why taking advantage of...
-
Ep. 10 Becoming a Relatable Leader (w/ Rudra Patel)
On this episode of Proof of Concept, we had recent UIUC graduate Rudra Patel. Rudra is now working as a consultant at Bain and Company. We talked with Rudra about finding role models in high school, what his business fraternity gave to him, and how to become someone people genuinely look up to....
-
Ep. 9 Finding Ways to Break Your Frame (w/ Jacob Swiney)
Tune into this episode of Proof of Concept to hear UIUC senior Jacob Swiney connect his dots. At UIUC, Jacob studied finance, and while finance majors tend to be associated with drab stereotypes, Jacob has endless stories. He constantly reiterates, “Whatever you do, don’t be a bot,” and discusses...
-
Ep. 8 From Startups to Nonprofits, A Busy 4 Years (w/ Rohan Hirani)
Tune in to this episode to hear UIUC senior Rohan Hirani connect the dots of his college career. Rohan is a Finance major who will be working as a consultant at Bain next year and has had a busy college career. Listen to how Rohan started a non-profit after staying in India for a couple of weeks,...
-
Ep. 7 Take Advantage of Every Opportunity (w/ Evan Waller)
In the first episode of our Connecting the Dots series, we had Evan Waller. Evan is a senior at UIUC who is a Finance major and will be working at KPMG. Our Connecting the Dots series is a set of episodes dedicated to seniors at UIUC who can look back on their college careers, talk about all they...
-
Ep. 6 Capturing Scenes from NAV to the NFL (w/ Deep Doshi)
This week we had Deep Doshi, a senior at UIUC studying Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Deep shares his journey as a freelancer, starting from his early days creating videos to working for NAV and major brands such as the NFL. He also mentions some goals he wants to accomplish in the next…
more -
Ep. 5 From 0 to 1.5 Million Followers Sharing Quick Finance Tips (w/ Casper Capital)
This week we had Casper Capital. Casper is a freshman at UIUC in the Gies College of Business. He runs a social media page called Casper Capital, where he posts finance TikToks. We talked with Casper about what content creation means and how he grew his profile from 0 to 1.3 million followers....
-
Ep. 4 An 18, 19, and 24 year-old's Persepctive on Finding Meaning in College (w/ Jake Weisz)
On this week's episode of Proof of Concept, we had Jake Weisz. Jake is a senior at UIUC studying Psychology and Sociology with a Behavioral Neuroscience concentration. We talked about how we view life and the lessons that college has taught us. Isar and Austin, who are 18 and 19, give their...
-
Ep. 3 Neel Khare: College Experience and Quality of Life
On this episode of Overdue, we had Neel Khare. Neel is a Computer Science + Economics major involved on the UIUC campus. We talked about his experience at UIUC and how he got more involved outside of class. Additionally, we talk about the quality of life and the sciences behind a proper lifestyle.
-
Ep. 2 Rishi "Reesh" Atreya: Genesis, Production, and Growth
On the second episode of Overdue, we had UIUC rapper Reesh with us. Reesh discussed where his interest in music stemmed from and what it takes to produce songs and music videos. Reesh also talked about the personal benefits of making music and the growth he wants to see as a rapper and a...
-
Ep. 1 Atharv Vasisht: Backgrounds, Start-Ups, and Why?
In this introductory episode, we have Defined Trajectory co-founders Atharv Vasisht and Austin Kennedy. We talk about our backgrounds, our motives, and future goals.
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Revealing this generation’s hidden success stories
-
Use them to write yours
HOSTED BY
Isar Saxena and Austin Kennedy
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Proof of Concept have?
Proof of Concept currently has 40 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Proof of Concept about?
Revealing this generation’s hidden success stories - Use them to write yours
How often does Proof of Concept release new episodes?
Proof of Concept has 40 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Proof of Concept?
You can listen to Proof of Concept 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 Proof of Concept?
Proof of Concept is created and hosted by Isar Saxena and Austin Kennedy.
URL copied to clipboard!