Voices of Experience

When it comes to running a sports franchise, wins and losses only tell part of the story. The business side has its own scoreboard, and that is where Jen Millet thrives. She's a seasoned sports executive and now the president of the newest National Women’s Soccer League team, Denver Summit FC. Jen arrives in Denver fresh off helping launch another NWSL franchise, Bay FC, and after leading marketing for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. Her next challenge? Bringing professional women’s sports back to the Mile High City for the first time in nearly three decades. On this episode of Voices of Experience podcast, Jen shares her goals for Summit FC both on and off the pitch, her vision for the club’s inaugural match at Mile High Stadium and what she sees on the horizon for women’s professional sports in Denver. Table of Contents • 1:11 Building a franchise from scratch • 3:54 Why community drives early momentum • 5:31 The decision to play at Mile High Stadium • 6:37 What’s next for women’s sports in Denver • 8:53 Don’t underestimate your audience • 10:50 How Jen defines success off the pitch • 14:25 Turning season tickets into real membership • 18:29 Leading through wins, losses, and chaos • 24:10 Supporting working parents at work • 27:05 Show notes and credits

There's what happens on Shark Tank—and what happens after an appearance on Shark Tank. In an episode that aired last March, Chennelle Diong (MBA 2022) pitched her frozen, gluten-free, ready-to-bake biscuits and cinnamon rolls to a group of steely investors. Her savvy netted an investment from Lori Greiner, and an avalanche of orders that felt impossible to dig out from under. On this episode of the Voices of Experience podcast, Chennelle explains the ups and downs that came with her national TV success and how she is rediscovering her identity in the startup space. Table of Contents • 1:44 How did you end up on Shark Tank? • 3:17 Countering the "Queen of QVC" • 5:26 The aftermath • 7:57 A vulnerable social media post • 10:32 Fundamentally changing identity • 12:43 Getting back to her roots • 16:31 "The entrepreneurial road is not for everyone" • 17:36 The benefits of an MBA • 20:53 "Nothing takes the place of experience" • 21:59 Show notes and credits

Depending on who you talk to or what you read, you might think you missed the boat on learning how to use AI. But Nick Machol disagrees. On this episode, he shares his must-have tools, whether the future of AI is boom or doom and how humans fit into that equation. Table of Contents • 2:52 Boom, doom, or somewhere in between? • 4:20 The AI tools Machol uses every day • 6:09 Don’t get married to your tools • 7:23 Inside the Devil’s Advocate GPT • 9:40 Crawling, walking and running with AI • 14:45 Truth, trust and the AI content dilemma • 16:23 Why human speed is strategy • 18:32 The MAFO mindset: Mess Around and Find Out • 22:30 Advice and show notes

In this episode of the Entrepreneurship@DU Podcast, host Joshua Ross sits down with DU professors Michael Myers and Aaron Duncan to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education. Together, they explore how AI is transforming the way students learn, faculty teach, and universities prepare graduates for an evolving workforce.  The conversation dives into creating psychological safety in the classroom, integrating AI, and the importance of collaboration between students and educators. Myers and Duncan share how they are rethinking assignments, assessment, and engagement to help students build curiosity, adaptability, and critical thinking skills in an AI-driven world.

Has there ever been a more chaotic time to be in business? Subjectivity aside, Matthew Pohl says today's companies need a specific mindset and skill set to push past roadblocks and thrive. He founded ReWild Group to help businesses find the roadmap to resilience. On this episode of the Voices of Experience podcast, Pohl recounts his personal transformation and explains how to prosper through chaos and competition. Table of Contents • 1:03 Prospering through chaos and competition • 2:13 Roadblocks businesses face • 4:25 Can a business be recession-proof? • 7:25 The meaning of ReWilding • 8:57 Looking back to look forward? • 10:10 Pushing past plateaus • 14:12 Discovering the stages of growth • 17:06 The last business frontier • 18:04 Show notes and credits

In this episode of the Entrepreneurship@DU Podcast, host Joshua Ross sits down with DU alum Eric Schneider, founder of Futureproof Studios. Eric shares how his background in art and design fueled a career at the intersection of creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship, and why he believes curiosity and user-centered thinking are essential for innovation.

In this episode of the Entrepreneurship@DU Podcast, host Joshua Ross welcomes DU alum Ethan Whitson, founder of The Guide Network, a platform built to help outdoor guides streamline operations and grow their businesses. What started as a marketplace to connect customers with guides quickly evolved—through trial, error, and customer feedback—into a full-service software solution now used by guides from solo operators to high-end lodges.

In this episode of the Entrepreneurship@DU Podcast, host Joshua Ross sits down with DU alums Owen Locke and Rick Talley, co-founders of Lock & Co. Distilling. What started as a garage experiment between two lifelong friends has grown into a gold-medal-winning whiskey brand rooted in Colorado tradition.

In this episode of the Entrepreneurship@DU Podcast, host Joshua Ross sits down with University of Denver students Gina Parker and Charlie Peterson to talk about building community through entrepreneurship on campus. Gina and Charlie share their experiences leading and growing Pop-Up Palooza, a signature event that brings students, alumni, and the Denver community together to showcase student ventures. They discuss how the event has evolved and how it fosters creativity, connection, and an inclusive entrepreneurial culture at DU. The conversation also explores their leadership in Launchpad (formerly the DO U Entrepreneurship Club), lessons learned from starting a business, and how entrepreneurship has shaped their mindset and personal growth. Gina and Charlie reflect on the skills they’ve gained, the importance of getting involved, and their vision for building an even stronger innovation community and ecosystem on the University of Denver campus.

Randy Greenberg can remember his first movie experience like it was yesterday. He watched James Bond’s Goldfinger at a drive-in movie theater from the back of his family’s car, imagining that he too was floating down a canal in Venice. It opened his eyes to the power of film and set him on his own winding journey. But the executive producer is concerned that this in-person experience will disappear with the availability of at-home streaming. Greenberg is a Daniels alumnus and accomplished Hollywood executive, working on films like the Meg and Cowboys and Aliens, among many others. He now runs the Greenberg Group and teaches college courses on the business of film. On this episode, Greenberg shares how he picks the projects he works on, the impact of AI on the film industry and why it’s crucial you get off the couch and go to the movie theater. Table of contents • Falling in love with film • Producer vs. Executive Producer vs. Director • Why business school led to a film career • Why the first 10 pages of a script are everything • Managing creative egos on set • AI as both a threat and opportunity in Hollywood production • The business importance of going to the theater • Try it, fail fast, and pivot