Darden Businesscasts

In advance of Darden hosting ClimateCAP: The Global MBA Summit on Climate, Capital and Business, keynote speaker Scott Price discusses the challenges and opportunities for a global logistics company to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while cutting costs and improving its competitive position. He discusses commercialization of new technologies, including robotics, autonomous vehicles and drones, changing the way UPS conducts business in an increasingly urbanized and resource-constrained world. He shares the importance of pursuing mission alignment across the organization, and the necessary partnerships for progress. Hosted by Erika Herz from Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

In this episode, Save the Children CEO Carolyn Miles (MBA'88) discusses the role of women in the developing world and the ability of women and girls to change the trajectory of a country's development towards a more equal and democratic society.  Leadership Unscripted is a Darden speaker series hosted at UVA Darden DC Metro in Arlington, Virginia. To learn more, visit us at: www.darden.virginia.edu.  Recorded 6 November 2019.

Ayush Bharti (MBA '14) graduated with an ambitious goal. Having lost family to medical negligence, he wanted to improve the healthcare system in his native India. Now with his health tech startup OurHealthMate, a technology platform that connects patients providers and payers in developing economies, he's doing just that all across India and beyond. In this episode of the Darden Founders Project, Ayuish reflects on The Darden experience, Darden faculty, his stint in Darden's i.Lab and the vital importance of a good laugh.

In this episode of Leadership Unscripted, Case Foundation CEO and National Geographic Society Chairman Jean Case discusses the importance of taking risks, being fearless, and leveraging difference in order to change the world.  Leadership Unscripted is a Darden speaker series hosted at UVA Darden DC Metro in Arlington, Virginia. To learn more, visit us at: www.darden.virginia.edu.  Recorded 10 October 2019

In this episode, UPS Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer Scott Price (MBA/MA ’90) discusses how to influence and create transformation from within a global corporation.  The Darden Leadership Speaker Series is held on Darden Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and events are open to the public. To learn more, visit us at: www.darden.virginia.edu Recorded 31 October 2019

In this episode of Darden Leadership Speaker Series, Richmond Federal Reserve President and CEO Tom Barkin shares 10 life tips he has learned during his career and offers his thoughts on economic issues, from global trade wars to potential recession.  The Darden Leadership Speaker Series is held on Darden Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and events are open to the public. To learn more, vist us at: www.darden.virginia.edu.  Recorded 3 October 2019

In this episode of the Darden Leadership Speaker Series, Indonesian Ambassador to the United States of America Mahendra Siregar shares the story of Indonesia's recovery from near collapse and discusses the impact of global trade skirmishes.  The Darden Leadership Speaker Series is held on Darden Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and events are open to the public. To learn more, visit us at: www.darden.virginia.edu Recorded on 16 September 2019

As accelerator programs proliferate, entrepreneurship scholars like Batten Research Fellow Siobhan O’Mahony are attempting to understand the role they play in new ventures’ success. Dr. O’Mahony and her colleagues found great differences in the degree to which entrepreneurs take advantage of an accelerator’s resources and connections. Entrepreneurs also varied in their openness to integrating critical market feedback, which offers important lessons for directors of accelerators seeking the best model for supporting a cohort of founders. Dr. O’Mahony is the Feld Family Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Department of Strategy and Innovation at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.  Hosted by Erika Herz, Director of Research and Intellectual Capital at Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

When Scott Kim (MBA ’11) was undergoing grueling and lengthy rehabilitation after childhood surgery for spina bifida, little did he know that years later he’d be heading Neofect, a med-tech startup that brings game-based physiotherapy to millions of patients worldwide. What launched Kim on an entrepreneurial career path was a class taught by Darden Professor Saras Sarasvathy and a serendipitous encounter with a fellow Korean-born Darden student Hoyoung Ban, whose family members had struggled with stroke recovery. Inspired by Sarasvathy, Kim and Ban set out to revolutionize what they saw as an archaic approach to physiotherapy. In 2010, they launched Neofect, which has since raised $17 million in a Korean IPO. Hear how Neofect built a global market for engaging computer games, which combine artificial intelligence and virtual reality to help stroke survivors and people with spinal cord injuries recover.

After three years in a corporate finance leadership program at Johnson & Johnson, Erik Breuhaus (MBA '14) knew that he wanted to work at a startup. He joined one while he was a second-year student at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and he never looked back. Hear how his experience at multiple startups in a variety of industries, where he handled finance, operations, business development, recruiting and marketing, prepared Breuhaus for his role as co-founder and CFO of cybersecurity company CounterFlow AI.

Nick Moran (MBA ’08) cut his teeth sourcing and vetting promising technologies while working on mergers and acquisitions at Danaher Corporation. He also developed one of the most successful products in Danaher’s history—an IoT solution with an innovative method for testing compounds in drinking water. Hear how Moran became a successful angel investor and venture capitalist, with a little help from a popular VC podcast The Full Ratchet, which he launched in 2014.

The entrepreneurial pivot is a term popularized by entrepreneurs Steve Blank and Eric Ries, particularly through Ries’ well-known book The Lean Startup, and represents a company’s re-orientation of strategic direction. Batten Research Fellow Siobhan O’Mahony discusses her study of early-stage energy and cleantech hardware firms in the Boston area to better understand their pivots. Dr. O’Mahony unexpectedly found that a pivot is not just a one-time occurrence but a cumulative set of decisions made over time, based on critical information drawn from customers and other stakeholders. The research has important lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs who need to engage with their potential markets early, adapt to new information, or even exit. Dr. O’Mahony is the Feld Family Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Department of Strategy and Innovation at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. Hosted by Erika Herz, Director of Research and Intellectual Capital at Darden’s Batten Institute for Ent

Scientists assert that global warming must be kept below two degrees Celsius to avoid insurmountable global disruption. Getting there will require near total decarbonization of economic activity by 2060. Agriculture accounts for a significant amount of GHG emissions worldwide but is also the one sector being hit the hardest by a changing climate. As the global population continues to grow – an additional 2 billion people predicted by 2050  – industry stakeholders are working diligently on technology solutions that will increase productivity while reducing carbon footprint. We take a closer look at the two largest sources of GHG emissions – livestock farming and soil management – and explore the best practices and technologies that support carbon-smart farming.  We'll then discuss the levers and opportunities in more detail with Darden Professor Mike Lenox, who is a co-author on the forthcoming report titled Path to 2060: Decarbonizing the Agriculture Industry. We would like to thank Dominion Energy’s Ryan C

Scientists assert that global warming must be kept below two degrees Celsius to avoid insurmountable global disruption. Getting there will require near total decarbonization of economic activity by 2060. Industrial manufacturing accounts for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and worldwide.  Efforts to reduce energy consumption through more efficient operations have greatly reduced emissions but more innovation and investment is needed to decarbonize this critical sector.  What levers could be pulled to facilitate a more rapid transition to low-carbon manufacturing?   We focus on the three largest emitters of CO2 – steel, cement, and petrochemicals – and explore some of the ideas and technologies best positioned to decarbonize these industries, and the challenges faced for broader adoption. We then discuss the levers and opportunities in the industrial sector with Darden Professor Mike Lenox, who is a co-author on the report titled Path to 2060: Decarbonizing the Industrial Sector.  

In our discussion with economists Pedro Matos and Jan Bena we explore their research on the impact of foreign investment on corporate innovation, as measured by number of patents. They describe the global corporate patent dataset they created, which is hosted by the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and available for use by any scholars around the world who seek to better understand innovation outcomes. Matos and Bena share why this resource is novel and useful for researchers who have experienced limitations with earlier patent datasets. Hosted by Erika Herz from the Batten Institute.

As the world economy has become increasingly globalized and complex, it's not obvious what effects foreign investors have on the companies whose stock they hold. Is it possible that these foreign investors provide pools of capital that firms can access in order to produce stronger companies, or do global institutional investors behave more like a swarm of locusts, resulting in short-term corporate policy making such as reduction in capital expenditures?  We discuss these questions and implications for corporate leaders with Pedro Matos, Darden finance professor and faculty director of the Mayo Center for Asset Management, and Jan Bena, professor at the University of British Colombia Sauder School of Business and a Batten Research Fellow. Matos and Bena are co-authors of the briefing,Testing "The Locust Hypothesis": The Impact of Global Investors on Long-Term Investment & Innovation. Hosted by Erika Herz from Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Family owned and controlled businesses, which account for 90 percent of all U.S. companies, rarely outlive their founders to survive the next generation. Only one in three defies the odds, but that requires a well-thought-out transition plan and, in some cases, even a non-family member to step in and lead, according to a new white paper by the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. All growing businesses face challenges as they build from their entrepreneurial beginnings — whether they are global conglomerates or successful local companies. Family business owners who wish to retain control through the generations face a distinct set of challenges and opportunities. The paper drills into the issues of intergenerational transfer and offers insights into what family business owners should consider as they work to create sustainable businesses and plan for the future. A series of original case studies also demonstrates hardwon lessons learned from

Preparing for the next leadership transfer, from third to fourth generation, Jim and Joe Bright are solidifying a healthy future for their 91-year old family business. Through hard work, discipline and a lot of heart, the Bright family continues to shine and credits success to their desire to stay nimble. The world continues to change and how a company reacts, or fails to react, may have a lasting impact for future generations.

An award-winning landscaping company embraces stewardship governance by creating a unique culture of employee ownership and responsibility, inspiring staff to work toward common goals of outstanding customer service, teamwork and growth.

GrayCo began as a lumber company and pivoted to become a commercial real estate venture when the moment was right. While for years the leadership was comprised only of non-family members, Lawrence Gray brought just the experience the business needed in investment strategy and general management and was able to boost not only family engagement but also maintain its tradition of philanthropy.