Eccles Business Buzz

In this episode of the Eccles Business Buzz podcast, host Francis Johnson welcomes Ruchi Watson, Managing Director of the Goff Strategic Leadership Institute, and Maya Jolley, Director of Student Experience and Marketing and Communications at Goff.

Together they discuss the importance of experiential learning in the student experience at the David Eccles School of Business. They delve into how hands-on learning opportunities set students up for post-graduation success, and how the Goff institute can assist students to land and succeed in their first internships. 

The episode explores diverse examples o...

Season 8 continues with a conversation about the new strategic direction at the David Eccles School of Business with a particular focus on student success. 

Jessica Taverna is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs at the David Eccles School of Business. 

Frances and Jessica explore the department’s comprehensive approach to enhancing the student experience, including new programs, retention strategies, and the importance of developing durable skills such as communication, resilience, and critical thinking. Jessica elaborates on reimagined programs like Business Scholars and Rising Business Leaders, emphasizing the need to crea...

Season 8 of the Eccles Business Buzz podcast kicks off with a conversation about the school's recent strategic planning process, and the newly identified priorities of student success, societal impact, and legacy and reputation.

Allison Boxer is the James Lee Sorenson Presidential Endowed Chair in applied research at the Eccles School, as well as an assistant professor at the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy and the Sorenson Impact Institute. Allison played a key role in guiding the planning process of the new strategic direction of the David Eccles School of Business.

I’m so excited to welcome you back for Season 8 of the Eccles Business Buzz Podcast! In just a few short weeks, we’ll kick things off with fresh conversations about the new strategic priorities for the David Eccles School of Business and how we’re building on our successes to reach ambitious new goals.

This season, I’ll take you behind the scenes of our strategic planning process, explore how our programs and experiential learning are shaping confident leaders, and dive into the cutting-edge research that’s transforming the world of management. Plus, I’ll check in with Dean...

We conclude our series of conversations about Artificial Intelligence and how it's changing the world around us. Today’s episode focuses on the use of AI by businesses, specifically as a sustainable competitive advantage, and why AI may not be the magic pill that it seems like at first.

Here to help untangle the whole issue is Jay Barney. Jay is the Presidential Professor of Strategic Management at the David Eccles School of Business.

Jay addresses common misconceptions about AI's ability to provide a competitive edge, likening its impact to...

We continue our series of conversations about Artificial Intelligence and how it's changing the world around us. In today’s episode, Frances talks to an AI engineer at Google about the ins and outs of the newest crop of AI models and agents.

Joining the show to give an insider’s perspective is Derek Egan. Derek is on the Vertex AI team at Google Cloud where he works on helping developers build generative AI-powered agents for their own applications. Derek is also a graduate of the David Eccles School of Business with a degree in O...

We continue our series of conversations about Artificial Intelligence and how it's changing the world around us. Today’s episode focuses on the use of AI in the financial sector and both it’s potential strengths and weaknesses.

Joining the show to help us start making sense of it all is Jessica Ellett. Jessica is a senior manager and lead modeler at Cambridge Technology, a financial services technology startup. Jessica is also an MSBA graduate from the David Eccles School of Business.

Jessica shares her insights on developing AI-operationalized appl...

Today we are starting our series of conversations about Artificial Intelligence and how it's changing the way we learn, work, and even play. AI is a hot topic with the potential to do a lot of good. But there are also a few pitfalls that we should all be aware of.

Joining the show to help us start making sense of it all is Mark Sunday. Mark spent 20 years as the CIO at Oracle/Siebel, and prior to that role, he spent 10 years at Motorola.

Retirement hasn't slowed him...

We are wrapping up our series of conversations with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute's 2024 Informed Decision Makers. Every year, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the David Eccles School of Business recognizes individuals and entities that contribute to the prosperity of our community here in Utah, often performing important work behind the scenes and without much recognition. 

Joining us today is Ross Van Vranken, the former executive director for the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, which is part of the University of Utah Health System. The Huntsman Mental Health Institute is a multi-million do...

Today we are continuing our series of conversations with the Kempsey Gardner Policy Institute's 2024 Informed Decision Makers. These are individuals and entities that are recognized for their unique contributions to the prosperity of our community here in Utah.

Here today to get a little bit of the fanfare they deserve are Jerika Mays and Dr. Mark Johnson from the Seager Memorial Clinic.  The clinic's mission is to provide underserved populations and individuals with easy-to-access, nonjudgmental, medical, dental, vision, and mental health care. Everything the clinic does is 100 percent free to everyone seeking care. 

...

The mission at Circles Salt Lake is “building community to end poverty in Salt Lake County.” They do this by building bridges of friendship and community that support individuals and families on their journey from surviving to thriving, ensuring that everyone they work with has enough money, meaning, and friends to thrive.

Leading this critical mission is Executive Director Michelle Crawford. Starting out as a volunteer in 2017 and working her way up to run the organization, Michelle is a passionate and kind member of our community, working fiercely to help those with less.

So much of our lives are spent in a car. Whether it’s driving to work, scooting around kids to friends houses and other activities, or running to the post office, we really are stuck in a car-centric culture. But today’s guest is trying to get us out of that rut, one bicycle at a time.

Donna Matturro McAleer is the Executive Director of Bicycle Collective, a group of non-profit bike shops refurbishing donated bicycles and putting them into the hands of those in need, focusing on children, Newly resettled refugees, immigrants, individuals expe...

Our guest today calls herself an “unabashed promoter of Utah,” and has the resume to back it up.

Theresa Foxley is a Utah native, and has spent her career championing economic growth in Utah and serves her community through numerous boards and initiatives. For example, Teresa's commitment to business recruitment as the President and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah brought numerous corporations to the state, with an eye on the distribution of economic impact for the entire state, especially rural Utah.

Theresa is currently Chief of Staf...

Welcome back to our 7th season of the Eccles Business Buzz! And what better way to kick it off than with our new Dean Kurt Dirks.

Dean Dirks started his role just a few months ago, on July 1st, 2024. Prior to joining us here at the Eccles School, Dean Dirks was the Bank of America Professor of Leadership at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. In addition to serving as a faculty member, Dean Dirks served in multiple senior leadership roles at WashU, including as Acting Provost, Senior Advisor to t...

Season 7 of the Eccles Business Buzz Podcast is just around the corner, and we are so excited to welcome you back. I'm your host, Frances Johnson. Join me this season for an introduction to the new Dean of the David Eccles School of Business and a series of conversations with the Kempsey Gardner Policy Institute's informed decision-makers of the year. 

We'll hear about how renewable energy and free bicycles are contributing to Utah's economic recovery and vitality, why accessible medical and mental health care is more important than ever, and how building community can h...

While waiting for the newest season launching this fall, we have something special planned for your listening enjoyment. Get ready to revisit some of your favorite Eccles Business Buzz episodes with our timeless reruns.

In one of these standout episodes, we delve into the ongoing debate about the value of a bachelor's degree. Despite the rise in scrutiny of bachelor’s degrees, research shows that having access to college is a key indicator of future economic and financial success as well as physical and emotional well-being. 

Studies show that people with bachelor's degrees have 57% more job...

While waiting for the newest season launching this fall, we have something special planned for your listening enjoyment. Get ready to revisit some of your favorite Eccles Business Buzz episodes with our timeless reruns.

In this episode from Season 5, we will talk about some solutions, and how the Eccles School is working to prepare women – and all students – for a more successful and equitable workplace experience.

With us in this episode is Katie Abby, Special Advisor to the President of the University of Utah and Assistant Dean of Business Career Success and Corporate Outreach at the...

While waiting for the newest season launching this fall, we have something special planned for your listening enjoyment. Get ready to revisit some of your favorite Eccles Business Buzz episodes with our timeless reruns.

In this episode from Season 4, Simone Lawrence, manager of the IMPACT program at the David Eccles School of Business, discusses impact and inclusion. IMPACT is a partnership between the Eccles School and Historically Black Colleges and Universities to bring these students to the U for the summer. The goal of the program is to expose participants to new experiences and show them the...

While waiting for the newest season launching this fall, we have something special planned for your listening enjoyment. Get ready to revisit some of your favorite Eccles Business Buzz episodes with our timeless reruns.

In this episode from Season 3, we'll be talking not just about curiosity but also about how pursuing our curiosity can help prepare us to make a positive and lasting impact on the people and the communities around us.

That’s just what Sadie Bowler has been doing. As a sophomore at the David Eccles School of...

While waiting for the newest season launching this fall, we have something special planned for your listening enjoyment. Get ready to revisit some of your favorite Eccles Business Buzz episodes with our timeless reruns.

In this episode from season 2, we have Jolly Karungi, a graduate of the David Eccles School of Business and Eccles student of the year in 2020.

During her time at the Eccles school, she participated in the Business Scholars and First Ascent programs in addition to a variety of other student organizations on campus. She graduated with a major in Information Systems.<...

While waiting for the newest season launching this fall, we have something special planned for your listening enjoyment. Get ready to revisit some of your favorite Eccles Business Buzz episodes with our timeless reruns.

In this episode from season 2, we have the honor of chatting with Gail Miller, President and Immediate Past Chair of the Larry H. Miller Company. Gail also oversees the Larry H.Miller Education Foundation and the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation. 

Gail shares with us details about her upbringing and what it was like to grow up in a l...

While waiting for the newest season launching this fall, we have something special planned for your listening enjoyment. Get ready to revisit some of your favorite Eccles Business Buzz episodes with our timeless reruns.

In this episode from season 1, we hear from Greg Kennedy who graduated from the Eccles School in 1987 and is one of our most dedicated Eccles advisory board members. Greg recently retired as Senior Vice President of Airport Operations at Delta Airlines where he was responsible for some of the busiest airports in the world including our very own Salt Lake International.

...

Despite the rise in scrutiny of bachelor’s degrees, research shows that having access to college is a key indicator of future economic and financial success as well as physical and emotional well-being. 

Studies show that people with bachelor's degrees have 57% more job opportunities than people with high school diplomas, and 60% of workers with bachelor’s degrees reported being highly satisfied at work, while only 38% of workers without college degrees reported being highly satisfied. 

If a degree can play such a pivotal role in someone’s overall future success, how can...

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, small businesses employ nearly half of the American workforce and represent 43.5% of the country's GDP. However, not everyone in the American economy has the same access to the tools and resources needed to launch and sustain a new business successfully. 

The Master of Business Creation (MBC) program at the David Eccles School of Business is working to address some of these gaps by offering a degree program committed to helping entrepreneurs grow their startup companies. 

Paul Brown and Rena Vanzo will jo...

In today's episode, we're focusing on the role of higher education in creating lifelong economic opportunities. Research shows that the average college graduate is 24% more likely to be employed than their peers who have only completed a high school degree. 

At the same time, college is not accessible to everyone. According to the National Center for Education statistics, over 85% of college students receive some form of financial aid. Here to talk about the role of scholarships in increasing college access and lifetime economic opportunity is Mbe Agbor.

Mbe spent h...

As we continue exploring the topic of economic equality and the different factors that influence a fair and equitable economic experience, today we are tackling the topic of student loan debt. 

Americans owe $1.77 trillion in federal and private student loan debt as of the second quarter of 2023, and questions about whether and how borrowers should be required to repay that debt have become part of an ongoing national conversation.  

Here to help us unpack all of this is Adam Looney. Adam is a professor and executive director of the Mar...

When it comes to creating more equitable access to economic opportunities, like buying a house or getting a loan to start a small business, financial technology innovations are moving the needle faster than almost anything else. 

Joining us today to talk about FinTech and the role it plays in economic equality are Ryan Christiansen and Steve Smith. Ryan Christiansen is the Executive Director of the Stena Center for Financial Technology at the University of Utah. In this role, Ryan directs and coordinates the labs, venture fund, incubator, and student programs at the center.

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We are exploring economic inclusion this season, and today we are diving into the history of banking and financial structures in the United States and how they have often excluded minority groups.

Ashley Bell is the co-founder and general counsel of the National Black Bank Foundation, which provides nonprofit expert legal, regulatory, and operational support to Black-owned banks. And Sui Ling Panoke currently serves as Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Zions Bank.

In this episode, Ashley and Sui Lang sit down with host Frances Johnson...

We are exploring economic inclusion this season, and today we are focusing on the intersections of gender inequality and finances. 

Here to talk a little bit more about this is Jacki Zehner. Jacki refers to herself as an enthusiastic and dedicated financial feminist. In 1996, she became the youngest woman and first female trader to be made partner of Goldman Sachs. 

Today, she works to provide women with the tools to grow social capital and achieve financial freedom through her companies ShePlace and SheMoney. 

She cha...

Welcome to Season Six of the Eccles Business Buzz podcast. We are so glad to have you back as we kick off another series of great conversations with our Eccles Community. This season, we are continuing our discussion of equity, diversity, inclusion, and empathy by focusing on economic inclusion. 

A key part of building an economically inclusive experience for ourselves and others is understanding what is actually happening in the economy. We all hear economic terms and forecasts in the news, but do we really know what they mean and how they should impact o...

The countdown is on to season six of the Eccles Business Buzz podcast. In this new season, we are focused on economic and financial inclusion and how economic and financial empowerment contribute to opportunity in our personal, professional, and academic lives. I'm your host, Frances Johnson. Join me to get an Economy 101 crash course and learn what all those terms you hear on the news really mean for your economic future and decision-making.

We'll hear from one of the nation's foremost experts on student loan debt and from a self-proclaimed financial feminist. We'll learn a...

We’ve been talking this season about the challenges women face in the workplace, especially here in Utah. But today, we are going to pivot to talk about some solutions, and how the Eccles School is working to prepare women – and all students – for a more successful and equitable workplace experience.

With us today is Katie Abby, Special Advisor to the President of the University of Utah and Assistant Dean of Business Career Success and Corporate Outreach at the David Eccles School of Business. An experienced staffing executive, Katie graduated from the U in 1984 and, i...

This season, we are focused on the experience of women in the workplace, and, as we’ve heard, women are facing a lot of challenges when it comes to professional opportunities, balancing family and work obligations, advancing to executive leadership, and more. 

But we’ve also heard some great advice and some solutions for the unique challenges women face in the workplace, and that is what we are going to talk about today.

Here with us today is Kate Cañas, a professor in the management department at the David...

This season, we are exploring the experience of women in the workplace, especially here in Utah. In a recent study published by Wallet Hub, Utah ranked as the worst state for women’s equality. The study put Utah last for women in education and health and 49th in both political empowerment and workplace environment for women. The study also found that the income gap between men and women was worse in Utah than in any other state and that Utah is seriously lacking when it comes to women in executive leadership positions. 

Here to hel...

This season, we are focusing on the experience of women in the workplace – especially here in Utah. And today, we are exploring the experience of women in leadership positions in particular. Why is this so important? According to a recent study published by Wallet Hub, Utah ranks 48th in the nation when it comes to women’s representation in executive leadership positions. 

Here to talk about her experience as a woman in the C-suite is Amy Frampton. Amy is the Chief Marketing Officer at NoFraud, the leader in eCommerce Fraud Prevention and Revenue Protection. She a...

As we continue our season focusing on women in the workplace, today we want to examine some of the cultural and policy frameworks at play that put Utah so far down the national rankings when it comes to women’s equality and workplace experience. In a recent study published by Wallet Hub, Utah ranked as the worst state for women’s equality and was ranked 49th in workplace environment for women. So, what is going on, and how can we all work to make it better? 

Here to help us understand the landscape for profe...

This season, we are focusing on the experience of women in the workplace – particularly here in Utah. A recent study published by Wallet Hub ranked Utah last in the nation when it comes to income equality for women, 48th in women’s representation in executive leadership positions, and among the lowest when it comes to women’s educational attainment. 

Female entrepreneurs face additional challenges, both in Utah and nationally. For example, nationwide, only 2% of venture capital goes to women-founded firms.

Here to talk about the challenges and experiences of female...

This season, we are focusing on the experience of women in the workplace – particularly here in Utah. A recent study published by Wallet Hub ranked Utah last in the nation when it comes to income equality for women, 48th in women’s representation in executive leadership positions, and among the lowest when it comes to women’s educational attainment. 

For example, women hold less than a third of tech positions, and of the 50 largest tech companies in the world, only 2 have female CEOs. 

Here to share her own experiences as a wom...

This season, we are exploring the experience of women in the workplace. We are going to hear from a lot of powerhouse women in a lot of different industries, sharing their own challenges and their tips and advice for overcoming the roadblocks women often face in the workplace. 

But today, we are going to zoom out a bit and talk about the workplace more generally. Joining Host Frances Johnson today is Amelia Stillwell, assistant professor of management at the David Eccles School of Business. Her research focuses on the norms and stereotypes that maintain g...

Season 5 of the Eccles Business Buzz podcast is just around the corner. This season, we are exploring the experiences of women in the workplace and how empathy is a key ingredient for creating companies and communities that are welcoming and inclusive to everyone. I'm your host, Frances Johnson.

Join me to hear from women in the Eccles community about the challenges they have faced in their careers and what advice they have for women who are going through the same thing. We'll learn about how government and higher ed are teaming up to address...