Shows
Varsity VenturesEpisode 8: Michelle Stephens on What It Takes to Build Health TechFormer pediatric nurse and Oath Care co-founder Michelle Stephens Ph.D. joins Varsity Ventures for an unfiltered breakdown of what it actually takes to build in health tech.Michelle talks about her academic past, how she jumped from nursing to a startup, and what she learned the hard way about venture capital, product timing, and selling a healthcare vision in a world that moves faster than medicine can.Now the Chief Revenue Officer at Felt, Michelle explains why the next wave of care won’t happen in clinics at all - it’ll happen inside the apps people already use every day. She pulls back the curtain on what’s broken, what found...
2025-11-2030 minVarsity VenturesEpisode 7: How Eat Offbeat Turned Refugee Talent into an NYC Food Movement with co-founder Wissam KahiWhat started with a craving for grandma's hummus became a movement reshaping New York’s food scene.In this episode, I talk with Wissam Kahi, co-founder of Eat Offbeat, a social venture that hires and celebrates refugee chefs bringing authentic dishes from around the world to NYC tables.Wissam shares how his sister's school project turned into a business, the hard realities of running a food venture, and the lessons he learned about trust, family, and staying financially grounded while building something meaningful.If you’ve ever thought about starting something that matters — this e...
2025-10-2929 minVarsity VenturesEpisode 6: Brewing Resilience and Building Wealth - Entrepreneurship Lessons with Vicki DavitashviliIn this episode of Varsity Ventures, I sit down with Vicki Davitashvili—a leader with 20+ years in financial services and two-time founder of Still Essence Tea and Wealthy and Unstoppable.After a life-altering event in 2022, Vicki turned to tea as both a healing ritual and the spark for her first business. She later discovered a deeper gap around women’s financial confidence, leading her to launch a second venture. In this episode, she shares how resilience, customer obsession, and scrappy MVPs helped her bring both ideas to life.You’ll hear:How to move from i...
2025-10-0330 minVarsity VenturesEpisode 5: Behind the Music: Bringing Order to Live Events with Ben IkwuagwuFrom the stage to the startup world — today’s guest is Ben Ikwuagwu, founder of Soundcheck Live. After a decade as a performer in the music industry, Ben saw the chaos behind live events firsthand: spreadsheets, endless texts, disorganized planning. Instead of putting up with it, he built a platform to fix it. In this episode, Ben shares what it’s like going from musician to founder, why his lived experience gives him an edge, and how Soundcheck Live is changing the way artists, venues, and entertainment companies connect.If you want to learn more about Soundcheck Live o...
2025-09-1633 minVarsity VenturesIdeas That Matter: How Liesl Leach Turns Problems into PlatformsWelcome back to Varsity Ventures. I’m your host, Hendrick McConnell.Today, we’re talking with Liesl Leach — a builder who’s never been afraid to take the hard road. She’s worked in global finance, launched startups, and led teams through digital transformation. But more importantly, she’s turned real-world problems — from supporting aging parents to helping underrepresented founders raise capital — into platforms that make a difference.In this episode, Liesl shares how she went from teaching in rural Thailand with the Peace Corps, to raising money for her own ventures, to creating Backable, a company that’s c...
2025-09-0334 minVarsity VenturesEpisode 3: From Students to Climate Leaders: Jacob & Ari Bushler on Powering TomorrowIn this episode, I interview Jacob and Ari, students and founders of Powering Tomorrow, a non-profit focused on climate education. In this conversation we talk about outreach strategies, finding that first client and persevering through the growing pains. To learn more you can contact them at: jjbushler@gmail.com or on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-bushler-9b94062a3/)
2025-08-0625 minVarsity VenturesEpisode 2: Interview with James Pereira-Stubbs on Building a Fintech Startup in Behavioral FinanceIn this episode, I talk with James Pereria-Stubbs, the Chief Client Officer at Oxford Risk, a fintech startup focused on behavioral finance. He gives career advice on the skills needed for working in small and big companies, and for building a start-up including finding market fit.You can learn more about James on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-pereira-stubbs-bab6632/) and Oxford Risk here (https://www.oxfordrisk.com/).
2025-07-2030 minVarsity VenturesEpisode 1: Adrien Treuille, Co-founder of Streamlit, Shares his Journey Building and Selling an AI BusinessIn this episode of Varsity Ventures, I talk with Adrien Treuille, co-founder of Streamlit — a platform that lets developers turn data into powerful web apps, no web dev experience required. In 2022, Streamlit was acquired by Snowflake, one of the world’s biggest data companies.Adrien shares what it really takes to go from idea to product, and what he’s learned about building something people actually use. If you’re a teen thinking about launching something of your own, this conversation might be the spark you need to get started.
2025-07-1423 minVarsity VenturesEpisode 0: Welcome to Varsity VenturesIntro of Varsity Ventures Podcast for teens interested in entrepreneurship! Stay posted for more episodes.
2025-07-1401 min
FysioformidlingenPatellofemoral Pain Syndrome with Michael Skovdal RathleffIn this episode I talk to researcher and professor at the University of Aalborg, Michael Skovdal Rathleff. We talk about how to communicate the PFP diagnosis to patients, whether exercise therapy is effective for patellofemoral pain, principles of rehabilitation, and prognosis.Sources:Johansen SK, Holden S, Pourbordbari N, Jensen MB, Thomsen JL, Rathleff MS. PAINSTORIES - Exploring the Temporal Developments in the Challenges, Barriers, and Self-Management Needs of Adolescents with Longstanding Knee Pain: A Qualitative, Retrospective Interview Study with Young Adults Experiencing Knee Pain Since Adolescence. J Pain. 2021 Oct 28:S1526-5900(21)00355-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.10.006. E...
2022-02-0359 min
FysioformidlingenPatellofemoralt smertesyndrom med Michael Skovdal RathleffI denne episoden snakker jeg med forsker og professor ved Universitetet i Aalborg, Michael Skovdal Rathleff, som er kjent for sin forskning på patellofemorale smerter. Vi snakker om hvordan vi skal kommunisere diagnosen til pasientene, om treningsterapi er effektivt for patellofemorale smerter, prinsipper for rehabilitering, og prognose.NB: samtalen er på engelsk. Kilder:Johansen SK, Holden S, Pourbordbari N, Jensen MB, Thomsen JL, Rathleff MS. PAINSTORIES - Exploring the Temporal Developments in the Challenges, Barriers, and Self-Management Needs of Adolescents with Longstanding Knee Pain: A Qualitative, Retrospective Interview Study with Young Adults Exp...
2022-02-0359 min