Shows
The ProFiles PodcastThe Rise of 'Our Future'---Lessons from Michael Sikand's SuccessJoin my newsletter! https://charliehubbard.substack.com/
Today, we have Michael Sikand, the visionary behind Our Future. When COVID-19 hit, Michael launched Our Future from his bedroom as a sophomore at the University of Michigan, interviewing top business leaders like the CEOs of Chipotle and Spotify. Recognizing the power of short-form video, Michael pivoted Our Future to platforms like TikTok, amassing over 1 billion views and 1 million subscribers, making it the #1 business content source for Gen Z. In 2023, Morning Brew acquired Our Future, where Michael now leads content production and hosts the new Our Future Podcast. This episode...2024-06-2434 min
Next Big Thing HQBuilding a Media Empire w/ Michael Sikand, Cofounder of Our Future | Ep. 39 [HD]In this conversation, Michael Sikand, discusses his journey from starting a podcast to pivoting to short-form content, building a team, scaling a company, being on Forbes 30 Under 30, and ultimately deciding to pursue an acquisition offer.
Background: Michael Sikand was the cofounder of Our Future, the #1 source of Business for Gen Z. Our Future was acquired by Morning Brew in January of 2023.
Give it a listen and hear Michael Sikand's insights on navigating the startup world, his experiences with growth and acquisition, and his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs!
...2024-05-1642 min
DO AS I SAY13: Does TikTok marketing work?? (with 1B+ view creator/founder Michael Sikand)THE GUEST
Michael Sikand is one of the co-hosts of the Out Future podcast, the entrepreneurship podcast for young people. Before this, and while he was in college, Michael co-founded a TikTok' business media' business aimed at Gen Z also called Our Future, that he sold to Morning Brew this year as a 22-year-old. Michael is obsessed with business and what makes people win, which is where his entire media empire started. Michael is an expert at story-telling and Gen-Z media.
THE QUESTIONS
[6:06] Should we use TikTok for B2B...2023-11-0535 min
The Casey Adams ShowMichael Sikand & Simran Sandhu - Co-Founders of Our Future Speak on Getting Acquired by Morning BrewToday on The Casey Adams Show I sat down with Michael Sikand & Simran Sandhu, the co-founder of Our Future (recently acquired by Morning Brew). They discuss their journey, which began with a mentor's advice to never let a good crisis go to waste. They emphasize the importance of finding content that can be monetized, creating high-quality ads, and growing it as big as possible. They also discuss the importance of having a friendship with ambitious people of the same age, picking the right market, and managing expectations.
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Follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelsikand/
Follow Simran on...2023-05-1952 min
Margin Makers: Practical AI for BusinessHe Sold His TikTok Content Company to MorningBrew & Predicts TikTok Will Get Banned This Year | Michael SikandAttention business enthusiasts and content creators! Do you want to stay updated on making awesome short-form content and crushing it in the media industry? Look no further than the latest episode of Content Funnels, where Michael Sikand, co-founder of Our Future, discusses the latest trends and strategies for short-form content creation. In this podcast episode, Michael shares how his company's recent acquisition by Morning Brew has helped them derisk their business. He also makes bold predictions about the future of TikTok in the US and how a possible ban would affect other short-form vid...2023-03-2220 min
VirtuosityBuilding the #1 Gen Z Business Media Company, Insights into Gen Z psychology, and DIY'ing your own start up with Michael Sikand, CEO of OurFutureTo launch my new business podcast, I interviewed Michael Sikand, founder and CEO of Our Future.
With over 600M+ collective views and 600K+ combined subscribers, Our Future is the #1 source of business for the next generation.
In May 2020, Michael launched Our Future by cold-emailing the world's biggest business leaders and interviewing them during
lockdown, and featured legends like the CMO of Chipotle, CEO of DocuSign, and CFO of Spotify just to name a few.
Eventually, Michael pivoted Our Future to leverage the power of short-form video on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and...2022-08-1014 min
Clock Speed with Shamus MadanHere's How This Company Is Inspiring The Next Gen. of Entrepreneurs w/ Michael SikandIn this episode, Shamus Madan converses with Michael Sikand about the potential of his climate finance app, Climatized. They discuss Sikand's media company, Our Future, and the importance of honesty and audience building. The conversation also explores the future of short-form content and the role of platforms like TikTok. They delve into the power of storytelling in business, user engagement, and expansion strategies for the Our Future brand. The episode concludes with Sikand sharing advice for the next generation in business.
Hey everybody, welcome to the MBIT podcast in which we discuss personal finance, tech, and entrepreneurship. Today we...2022-01-0322 min
Take it OnTake 18: Pursuing your Professional Dream (feat Michael Sikand, CEO and cofounder of OurFuture)Take 18 begins with a bang, with Reid and Jonah diving into their post-Thanksgiving transitions back to college and the workplace, respectively, and highlighting how the holiday season has affected their mental health. The boys are joined by Michael Sikand, the CEO and founder of Our Future, the business media platform for young people. Michael walks the audience through his journey creating Our Future, transforming a podcast pet project during COVID into a global media platform with 100K+ followers. Sharing insights from his C-Suite executive guests, Michael divulges essential habits and behaviors that can boost professional performance and mental health. The...2021-12-0255 min
Our Future#151 The Young NFT Mastermind & Future of The Creator Economy w/ Everett Kohl, Founder of DbilliaIn #151 futurists learn from Everett Kohl, the 22-year-old founder of Dbillia, a platform that provides digital memorabilia & collectables for influencers and the emerging creator economy. The platforms allows artists and influencers to create a limited edition "Dbilia" for their new album, video, merch, project or even one of yourself. Fans can keep Dbilias in their collection, trade them with other users or resell them on our marketplace. Dbillia is like a hybrid between Patreon, Discord, and traditional NFT marketplaces, and sits squarely in the middle of the emerging creator economy and hot trends underlying fandom, blockchain, and alternative investments. In...2021-07-0225 minOur Future#150 The Billion Dollar Video Game w/ Charles Huang, Co-Creator of Guitar HeroIn #150, Michael Sikand sits down with Charles Huang, co-founder of Red Octane, the company behind the legendary Guitar Hero franchise. Starting the company alongside his brother Kai in the early 2000’s, the gaming startup began by designing hardware for music and dancing games like “Dance Dance Revolution” and “In The Groove”. Soon however, the brothers realized a massive opportunity in delivering music games to an American audience (they were primarily popular in Asia) that were deeply rooted in culture. Despite having to re-mortgage their houses to make it work, the brothers launched Guitar Hero in November 2005. The game was an instant su...2021-06-2518 minOur Future#149 Two Edtech Startup Exits at Age 16?! w/ Calix Huang, Founder of Hours, Product Lead at Fiveable, and CEO at Launch TechIn #149, Michael Sikand interviews Calix Huang, a 16-year-old entrepreneur, high school student, and engineer who has built and sold two startups in the edtech space! His most recent startup, Hours, was a virtual study tool that allowed students to join rooms and do school work together in real-time, setting timers for different work sprints and exchanging messages. Through a crazy user acquisition strategy, Calix grew the platform to over 20k users from high schools and universities around the world, and in 2021, Hours was acquired by venture-backed edtech company Fiveable, where he currently serves as a lead of product. In this...2021-06-1818 minOur Future#144 Hollywood Legend Takes Us Behind The Scenes?! w/ Jon Glickman, Former President of MGM Studios, Founder & CEO at GlickmaniaIn #144 futurists tune into an EPIC podcast diving deep into the film industry with Hollywood legend, producer, and entrepreneur Jon Glickman, who is making his second appearance on Our Future since first coming on the show last summer. Glickman is the former President of MGM Studios, where he guided a bankrupt company into a thriving studio amd oversaw production on Eon’s Skyfall and Spectre, the two highest grossing installments of the James Bond franchise, as well as the forthcoming No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s final outing in the series. Other notable highlights of his tenure include overseeing the...2021-05-1439 minOur Future#142 SPECIAL: Our Future's One Year Anniversary - Reflecting on The Journey of This Podcast!In #142 futurists celebrate Our Future's 1 year anniversary and join a group of Michael’s closest friends, family, and team members to reflect on an idea that went from quarantine podcast to a full-scale media brand producing business content for young people.
A huge thanks to all of you who come out and listen to Our Future every week, you mean the world to me and this brand.
Here are the guests on this episode in order that they appear:
Catherine Dunne, Michael’s Mom, reflects on seeing her son find his passion and build something from nothing during COVID-19
Shiv Sika...2021-04-3024 min
Dangerously Good with Jay SikandLaunching a Solar Farming Business! Michael O'Connor | Dangerously Good with Jay Sikand #25Michael O'Connor has been an accountant since 1990. He is currently launching a solar farming business in Virginia, M-Solar.In today’s episode, some of the things we talked about were: taxes, selling tax credits for revenue, selling tax credits, and much more!Dangerously Good with Jay Sikand is a long-form podcast where Jay explores dangerously good topics and ideas! This show is about learning new things and sharing that journey with the world! Expanding the minds and imaginations of those who want to partake.Expect new episodes and clips every Tuesday!Wa...2021-04-281h 31
Our Future#133 21-year-old VC & Racial Justice Tech Founder w/ Irene Wu, Founder at The YX Foundation and Investor at Blue CollectiveIn #133, futurists tap into an electric conversation with Irene Wu, a 21-year-old venture capitalist investing with Blue Collective, Harvard student, and Founder at The YX Foundation. Irene trained for half her life being the coxswain for Men's rowing teams, committing to Harvard as a student athlete before suffering a concussion that resulted in her taking a gap year. It was Irene's interest in rowing that led her to become obsessed with a streetwear startup called Rowing Blazers, and she ended up cold-emailing the CEO and moving to NYC before she had completed her first year of college to work full-time...2021-03-3119 min
Almost FoundersMaking Waves: Michael Sikand is building a media empire!Meet and network with Michael Sikand, all the way from the University of Michigan, Michael is the founder of the exciting media brand OurFuture. Check out the OurFuture Podcast and Newsletter!Want to be matched with 15 other student founders? Sign up to Waves here.2021-03-1010 min
Our Future#107 The Social Network for Entrepreneurs w/ Michael Marra, Founder of Entre and Ryan Solomon, Digital Marketing Manager at Entre, on Building the Ultimate Platform for EntrepreneursIn #107, futurists learn from Michael Marra, Founder & CEO of Entre, and Ryan Solomon, Digital Marketing Manager at Entre, about their 20,000+ user strong social networking startup built exclusively for entrepreneurs. Entre helps connect entrepreneurs to each other and the right resources to start and grow their businesses through a web interface, mobile app, and live events. Entre has raised over 60K to date on their crowdfunding campaign, and their scrappy digital marketing presence, most notably on TikTok (25K+ followers) has earned the platform tens of thousands of users. Building community seems to be the trend of this pandemic/remote era, and...2021-02-0518 min
Our Future#104 SPECIAL: Hacking & AI Magic w/ Alex Sikand, Masters in AI at Boston University, Founder of Silk LabsSATURDAY SPECIAL! In #104, listeners learn from Alex Sikand, a Master's in AI Candidate at Boston University, Founder of Photofix.AI and Silk Labs (AI Startup fro Retail & Fashion), who also happens to my brother! This live episode took place in my studio, and Alex and I discuss his young and legendary days as a high school hacker, notoriously breaking through our school's network and getting up to some high-tech tomfoolery, as well as his current projects that revolve around harnessing the power of AI as it relates to image classification and analysis. It's been really exciting to see my brother...2021-01-3011 min
Our Future#103 The Social Investing Revolution w/ Michael Warshowsky, Gav Blaxberg, and Ben Kestenbaum, Co-Founders of Wolf FinancialWall Street is in the midst of revolution. In #103, futurists run the numbers with Drexel University students, Michael Warshowsky, Gav Blaxberg, and Ben Kestenbaum, co-founders of Wolf Financial, a new viral social investing app that's blowing up in the midst of an investment revolution. To give a quick recap, internet cyber bulls have banded together to spite the "man in the suit", making hedge funds bleed on their short positions in companies like GameStop and AMC Theatres, by aggressively buying the stock. All the crazy news you've heard this week comes down to a core fact in that we're seeing...2021-01-2915 min
Our Future#102 Our Future Careers in Entertainment: Matt Ladis, Music Manager & Accountant, Founder of Mad LettuceIn #102, futurists tune into a conversation with Matt Ladis, who's worked in the music industry since cold-emailing a music executive after he graduated from Michigan and landed his dream job in the industry. As a music business manager and accountant, Matt helps some of the most well-known artists and entertainers manage their finances, and he's currently in the process of launching his own business management company - Mad Lettuce (get it, Matt Ladis)! This is a fantastic episode for anyone looking to tap into the mindset necessary to break into your dream job, especially in an industry like music with...2021-01-2717 min
Our Future#101 Paul English, Co-Founder of KAYAK, Lola.com, GetHuman.com, Moonbeam Podcast Player, on Building Product + BrandIn Episode 101, futurists hear from famed internet entrepreneur and philanthropist, Paul English, who has started more companies than he has fingers to count with. He’s known best for co-founding travel site KAYAK in 2004 which was sold for $1.8 billion dollars in 2012, and he’s also the founder of Lola.com, GetHuman.com, Summits Haiti Education, the BostonWinterWalk.org for Homelessness, and now he’s launching what he aims to be the TikTok for podcasts called Moonbeam Podcast Player, which you can check out at the link below. This is an incredible conversation and Paul is a legend in entrepreneurship, advising you to...2021-01-2518 min
Our Future#100 Michael Sikand, Founder of Our Future, on Building the Next Great Brand100 EPISODES!!! In Episode 100, Michael Sikand, Founder & CEO of Our Future, opens up about building the podcast and brand of his dreams, reflects on how he got started, and shares his ambitions to create the next great media brand for his generation. Devanshi Mehta, a sophomore at UCSB and former co-host of Our Future Careers, asks Michael questions about his journey and how Our Future has evolved over the past 8 months into something much larger than a podcast.
Email Michael if you'd like to have a conversation or get involved with Our Future: michael@ourfuturehq.com
Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter...2021-01-2218 min
Our Future#99 Our Future Careers in Product Management: Phillip Ruffini, Ex-Microsoft PM, Founder of Hacking PM and FluenceIn Episode 99, futurists learn about product management with Phillip Ruffini, whose had an impressive slate of professional experiences in product, beginning in his freshman year when he networked his way into infamous startup Juicero, and later when he became a product management intern at AB inBev's startup accelerator–ZX ventures. After graduating from the University of Michigan, Phillip became a Program Manager at Microsoft, (Microsoft's version of a Product Manager), where he's worked on some awesome projects for the past 1.5 years. Recently leaving Microsoft, Phillip is going his own way with the launch of his newest startup, Fluence, which helps co...2021-01-2115 minDangerously Good with Jay SikandQuestionable, Ethical History & Eureka Effect: Michael Douma | Dangerously Good with Jay Sikand #7Michael Duoma is an Assistant Research Professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University where he is the Director of the Georgetown Institute for the Study of Markets and Ethics. He is an interdisciplinary historian, influenced by scholars in fields as diverse as economics, folklore, and ethics.In today’s episode, some of the things we talked about were: how Michael's passion for history evolved, the process of discovering new ideas, what is ethical history and much more!Dangerously Good with Jay Sikand is a long-form podcast where Jay explores dangerously good topics an...2021-01-122h 06
Our Future#76 Akshaya Dinesh & Andrew Tan, Co-Founders of LadderNothing fuels my fire more than learning from the student founders shaping our future. In Episode 76, listeners hear from Stanford students Akshaya Dinesh & Andrew Tan, Co-Founders of Ladder (formerly Remote Students), a professional community platform for the next generation to find opportunities, get advice, and grow their careers together.
Here's the Link to Join Ladder: https://ladder.to/signup?access_code=rwAKZCvxUbNLGMfT5AMLzkUKWL722020-11-2017 min
Our Future#75 Our Future Careers in Consulting: A.J. Eckstein, Former Intern at Disney, Incoming Strategy Analyst at Accenture, Founder of Career Coaching CompanyOur Future Careers is a mini-series where students who have landed their dream jobs share the tips, tricks, and strategies so you can do the same. In today's episode, listeners hear from A.J. Eckstein, an former intern at Disney's Business Leader Rotational Program, an Incoming Strategy Analyst at Accenture, and Founder/CEO of the Career Coaching Company. You will learn the importance of a powerful leadership experience, the value of indirect networking, how to craft your personal story in recruiting, and why A.J. decided to launch a company teaching these strategies.
Check out The Career Coaching Company: https...2020-11-1813 min
Our Future#74 Dilbagh Gill, CEO of Mahindra Racing Formula-E TeamIn Episode 74, listeners hear from Dilbagh Gill, CEO & Team Principal of Mahindra Racing, a cutting-edge motorsports team that competes in Formula E which is the highest level of competition for electric vehicles and a proving ground for the future of mobility. Gill discusses what it took to launch a race team from scratch, the importance of Formula E from a sustainability and innovation perspective, and why you should celebrate your successes.
Learn more about Mahindra Racing: https://www.mahindraracing.com/2020-11-1716 min
Our Future#73 Saturday Special: Entrepreneurship During COVID-19 with Wade Fletcher, Creator of Covintern.com and Founder of Undercover VCSo much amazing entrepreneurship has come out of COVID-19. Nothing fills me with more passion than learning from people who have built movements and unlocked exponential opportunities during this crazy time. Wade Fletcher is a student at Indiana University, the recipient of the 2019 South Carolina Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and the creator of Covintern.com, a jobs board he started in March for students looking for internships during COVID-19 which was featured in major publications and was visited over 100k times. Now, he's looking to democratize venture funding for student founders through Undercover VC, a social network which...2020-11-1416 min
Our Future#72 Our Future Careers in Fashion: Léa Schmitt, Incoming Buying Intern at BloomingdalesOur Future Careers is a new mini-series where students who have landed their dream jobs share the tips, tricks, and strategies so you can do the same. In Episode 72, listeners hear from Léa Schmitt, an Incoming Buying Intern at Bloomingdales, about recruiting into the fashion industry, what kinds of questions to expect when interviewing with brands, and her networking advice to students interested in the industry.
Add Léa on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/l%C3%A9a-schmitt/
Subscrib to Our Future Newsletter for more resources and advice: https://www.ourfuturehq.com/newsletter2020-11-1209 min
Our Future#71 Nadia Masri, Founder & CEO of PerksyIn Episode 71, listeners hear from Nadia Masri, Founder & CEO of Perksy and a Forbes 30 under 30 recipient, about how she revolutionized consumer insights by building a mobile first platform young people actually wanted to use, the long and calculated process of making her idea into a reality, and her career advice to young people–which is that entrepreneurship isn't the only path.
Check out Perksy: https://www.getperksy.com/
Nadia's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiagenevievemasri/2020-11-1016 min
Our Future#70 Greg Schwartz, COO & Co-Founder of StockXIn Episode 70, listeners hear from Greg Schwartz, COO and Co-Founder of StockX, the billion dollar startup unicorn that revolutionized e-commerce by bringing stock market mechanics to sneaker resale market. Greg explains the company's inception and early pivot from his future-focused social media platform (UpTwo), the mechanics that make the company the "stock market of things," and shares exciting and valuable insights on entrepreneurship and building a billion dollar business.
Check out StockX: https://stockx.com/
Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter: https://www.ourfuturehq.com/2020-11-0619 min
Our Future#69 Our Future Careers in Finance: Kaitlyn Karban, Incoming Institutional Equity Summer Analyst at Morgan StanleyIn Episode 69, listeners hear from Kaitlyn Karban, a student at University of Michigan Ross School of Business and Incoming Institutional Equity Summer Analyst at Morgan Stanley, about her recruiting journey into finance, the unique nature and challenges of working in sales and trading (S&T), and her advice to students interested in recruiting Wall Street.
Connect with Kaitie on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kkarban/
Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter: https://www.ourfuturehq.com/2020-11-0510 min
Our Future#68 Dave Habiger, CEO of J.D. Power, Director at GrubHub & Chicago Federal Reserve, 2011 EY Entrepreneur of the YearIn Episode 68, listeners hear from Dave Habiger, President & CEO of JD Power, the multi-billion dollar consumer insights machine for the auto industry. Dave has led an incredible adventure in business, leading entertainment tech company Sonic Solutions from 1993 until its IPO and its subsequent ~$1B sale in 2011, and he also serves as a Director on several boards, including GrubHub and the Chicago Federal Reserve. In this episode, Dave discusses his time at Sonic Solutions facilitating "Hollywood to Home" as the entertainment industry became more technologically advanced, as well as his insights on food delivery, the future of the automotive industry, and...2020-11-0417 min
Our Future#67 Our Future Careers in Consulting: Emily Inestroza, Analyst at Deloitte ConsultingOur Future Careers is a new mini-series where co-hosts Michael Sikand and Devanshi Mehta interview up-and-coming young professionals who have landed their dream jobs to share the tips, strategies, and resources that made them successful. In today's episode you hear from Emily Inestroza, a graduate of USC Marshall and an Analyst at Deloitte Consulting, about her recruiting journey into the big four, why she realized accounting wasn't the right path, her experience at both a non-target and target school, how she crushed her consulting interview, and her networking advice to young professionals.
Connect with Emily on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin...2020-10-2909 min
Our Future#65 David Brandon, Former CEO of Domino's Pizza & Toys R UsIn Episode 65, listeners hear from David Brandon, Chairman of the Board at Domino's Pizza and Former CEO of Valassis Communications, Domino's Pizza, and Toys R Us, as well as former Athletic Director at the University of Michigan. David serves on the board of several companies including PetSmart, DTE Energy, Herman Miller.
Subscribe to Our Future Newsletter: www.ourfuturehq.com2020-10-2718 min
Our FutureSaturday Special: Why Quibi FailedAs a short-form content creator and a media entrepreneur, I was fascinated and excited by Quibi founders Jeff Katzenberg and Meg Whitman's concept of bite-sized, TV-quality content delivered to your smartphone and nowhere else. Unless you live under a rock, you probably heard that Quibi is shutting down after failing to sell itself to another streaming service, and I saw this as the perfect opportunity to do a saturday special breaking down a major news story. So I called up my fellow wannabe media mogul Simran Sandhu, Host of the Five Minute Drill, to talk about it. Simmy's podcast is...2020-10-2410 min
Our Future#64 Patrick Lahey, Co-Founder of Triton SubmarinesIn Episode 64, listeners hear from Patrick Lahey, Co-Founder and President of Triton Submarines, the company behind the world's finest, safest, and most luxurious submersibles, which have recorded the deepest oceanic dives in history as well as the stunning footage you have seen in nature documentaries, such as the first ever live sighting of a Giant Squid in its natural habitat. Patrick shares incredible career advice, business wisdom, and the amazing story of starting a submarine startup that ended up selling its vehicles to the likes of Ray Dalio.
Learn more about Triton Subs: https://tritonsubs.com
Subscribe to Our Future...2020-10-2319 min
Our FutureEpisode 63: #63 Our Future Careers in Finance: Allie Reyes, Incoming Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Goldman SachsOur Future Careers is a new mini-series where co-hosts Michael Sikand and Devanshi Mehta interview up-and-coming young professionals who have landed their dream jobs to share the tips, strategies, and resources that made them successful. In today's episode you hear from Allie Reyes, a sophomore at University of New Hampshire and an incoming investment banking summer analyst at Goldman Sachs, about the importance of a strong personal story, ways to build relationships without the commonality of target school alumni networks, and her advice to students interested in recruiting finance.
Connect with Allie on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alliereyes/
...2020-10-2213 min
Our Future#62 Max Tendero, Founder of Civil MediaIn Episode 62, futurists hear from Max Tendero, Founder of Civil Media, a media startup committed to bridging the divide in mainstream political media by delivering headlines from both sides of the political spectrum and weabing together a common narrative. Every Wednesday, Civil delivers you a beautiful and balanced newsletter to give you the big picture at play in a major political topic so you can be more civil.
Subscribe to Civil Newsletter: https://civilmedia.io?rh_ref=2a9b8645
Check them out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/civilmedia.io/?hl=en2020-10-2015 min
Our Future#61 Xiao Guo, Director of Engineering at InstacartIn Episode 61, listeners hear from Xiao Guo, Director of Engineering at Instacart, about the company's declaration of "wartime" and heroic efforts when the pandemic hit, the future of curation and personalization when it comes to digital groceries, and the company's partnerships with new companies like Macy's and Staples.
Our Future is a next-gen media startup creating aspirational content for young professionals. Every Sunday, we deliver exclusive insights and career advice from top business leaders to your inbox, so sign up at ourfuturehq.com.2020-10-1618 min
Our Future#60 Our Future Careers in Consulting: Michael Riley, Incoming Business Analyst at McKinsey & CompanyOur Future Careers is a new mini-series where co-hosts Michael Sikand and Devanshi Mehta interview up-and-coming young professionals who have landed their dream jobs to share the tips, strategies, and resources that made them successful. Our first season focuses on the consulting industry, one of the premier career paths for college graduates, and today we sit down with Michael Riley, an incoming business analyst at McKinsey & Company, and former summer intern at Bain & Company and PWC. He started off college as a recruited baseball player and pivoted to pursue a career in consulting, and he's crushed it. On this episode...2020-10-1513 min
Our Future#59 Joe Moore, CMO & Co-Founder of Xtreme XperienceIn Episode 59, listeners hear from automotive entrepreneur Joe Moore, CMO & Co-Founder of Xtreme Xperience, about building the nation's premier supercar experience with a fleet of over 50 vehicles, starting off with literally the most basic of MVPs, and his advice to entrepreneurs which includes figuring out what you don't like first and not backing down in the face of competition.2020-10-1320 min
Our Future#58 Dr. Cliff Megerian, President & Incoming CEO at University HospitalsIn Episode 58, listeners hear from Dr. Cliff Megerian, President & Incoming CEO at University Hospitals, about how hospitals are billion dollar businesses, leadership in a crisis during the onset of the pandemic, and his views on the forthcoming COVID-19 vaccine.
About Our Future: Our Future is a next-gen media startup creating aspirational content for young professionals. Subscribe to our fun and digestible weekly newsletter which shares exclusive insights and career advice from top business leaders at ourfuturehq.com.2020-10-0919 min
Our Future#57 Our Future Careers: Gregory Cervenak, Incoming Associate Consultant at Bain & CompanyToday we are launching Our Future Careers, a new mini-series where co-hosts Michael Sikand and Devanshi Mehta interview up-and-coming young professionals who have landed their dream jobs to share the tips, strategies, and resources that made them successful. Our first season focuses on the consulting industry, one of the premier career paths for college graduates, and today we sit down with Gregory Cervenak, an incoming Associate Consultant at Bain & Company and the founder of cultural fashion company: Staple Clothing. He discusses breaking down big problems into little pieces, shares some insider info on the case interview process, and of course...2020-10-0811 min
Our Future#56 Anastacia Maggioncalda, Head of Production at Linkedin Creative StudioIn Episode 56, futurists hear from Anastacia Maggioncalda, Head of Production at Linkedin Creative Studio, about the unique and evolving nature of Linkedin as a social media platform, what it's like behind the scenes in creative production for big brands, and why it's important to champion and stand-by your vision.
Subscribe to the Our Future Newsletter to receive exclusive industry insights and career advice from top business leaders, as well as resources and knowledge from other young professionals and live event invitations at ourfuturehq.com (https://www.ourfuturehq.com/).
Stay posted for our upcoming career series dropping this week!2020-10-0617 min
Our Future#55 Steve Hoffman, Partner at McKinsey & Company and Leader of Global Procurement PracticeIn Episode 55, listeners hear from Steve Hoffman, a Partner of 14+ years at Mckinsey & Company, about the magic at McKinsey and the future of the consulting industry, his work with clients focusing on supply chain and procurement, and his recruiting advice to professionals considering consulting.
Subscribe to our newsletter at ourfuturehq.com to get incredible content and get invited to future live events.2020-10-0217 min
Our Future#54 Marcus Collins, Award-Winning Advertiser and Professor of Marketing at University of MichiganIn Episode 54, listeners hear from Marcus Collins, about his perspective as both a practitioner and a professor in marketing, the dynamics of influencer marketing and his learnings from the famous "Cliff Paul" Campaign for State Farm, and his advice to young professionals.2020-09-3000 min
Our Future#53 Paul Vogel, CFO of SpotifyIn Episode 53, listeners hear from Paul Vogel, CFO of Spotify, about the company's ludicrous subscriber growth and the battle its winning against the biggest tech companies, the strategy behind blockbuster creator deals like Joe Rogan, its groundbreaking direct listing IPO, and his career advice to young professionals.2020-09-2500 min
Our Future#52 Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur MagazineIn Episode 52 listeners hear from Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, about why the "why" matters so much more than the "what" in times of disruption and change, the new tack Entrepreneur is taking with its content, and his advice to young entrepreneurs.2020-09-2200 min
Our Future#51 Doug Palladini, Global Brand President of VansIn Episode 51, listeners hear from Doug Palladini, Global Brand President of Vans, about scaling the world's top action sports fashion company from sales of $300M to $4B, building an iconic brand through storytelling that's more documentary than drama, and his advice to young professionals.2020-09-1800 min
Our Future#50 Cary Tilds, Chief Strategy & Operations Officer at FrameplayIn Episode 50, listeners hear from Cary Tilds, about how Frameplay is unlocking the $1B advertising opportunity for video games, the ways in which ads will integrate into digital universes, and her advice to young professionals beginning their journey.2020-09-1500 min
Our Future#49 Adam Greenberg, General Counsel at RoIn Episode 49, listeners hear from Adam Greenberg, General Counsel at Ro, about how Ro is redefining healthcare through its digital clinics and cloud pharmacies, the regulatory challenges in telemedicine, and his advice to young people considering a career in law.2020-09-1100 min
Our Future#48 Chris Ruder, CEO of SpikeballIn Episode 48, listeners hear from Chris Ruder, Founder & CEO of Spikeball, about the game's rise, fall, and revival; landing a deal on Shark Tank; and the future of the sport! C'mon text me 408-507-2749!2020-09-0800 min
Our Future#47: Seth Goldman, Founder of Honest Tea & Chairman of Beyond MeatIn Episode 47, listeners hear from Seth Goldman, founder of Honest Tea and Executive Chairman of Beyond Meat, about the origins of an iconic beverage, his new vision for a plant-eating society at Beyond Meat, and his advice to the next generation of entrepreneurs.2020-09-0200 min
Our Future#46 Founders of SeedstagesIn Episode 46, listeners hear from Ian Hafkenschiel and Boris Gorshteyn, co-founders of Seedstages, a new app that connects students and startups to unlock value in the post-pandemic job market. They outline the big pivot that brought them to their vision, discuss how their app is the first of its kind to connect startups with entry-level talent, and reflect on the launch of the company!2020-08-3100 min
Our Future#45 Kevin O'Connor, Founder of DoubleClick & GraphiqIn Episode 45, listeners hear from Kevin O'Connor co-founder of DoubleClick (sold to Google for $3.1B) and Graphiq which became the brain of Amazon Alexa (sold to Amazon). Kevin discusses becoming an entrepreneur out of college, how companies can survive crises, and his advice to young people.2020-08-2700 min
Our FutureEpisode 44: Cracking Cannabis Beverage 🍹🌿In Episode 44, listeners hear from Luke Anderson, Co-Founder of Cann, about leaving Bain to launch a cannabis beverage startup, Cann's mission to reinvent the way people socialize, and his advice to young people. Link in description to purchase an Our Future Hoodie!2020-08-2400 min
Our FutureEpisode 43: Money & Media 🎙💰In Episode 43, listeners hear from Jill Schlesinger, the award-winning CBS business analyst and talk show host, about her job taking complicated financial topics and making them digestible, the disconnect between reality and the stock market, and her advice to young people.2020-08-1900 min
Our FutureEpisode 42: Victories in Venture Capital 💸 📈In Episode 42, listeners hear from Jake Cohen, a VC at Detroit Venture Partners, about selling his first company at 24, serving on the boards of 6 companies including StockX + Genius.com + 100 Thieves, and his career advice to young people interested in venture capital and beyond.2020-08-1700 min
Our FutureEpisode 41: Future of Education 🍎📚In Episode 41, listeners hear from Chris Caren, CEO of Turnitin, about leading a multi-billion dollar education company, how Turnitin's tech platform combats plagiarism, and his advice to young people entering the remote learning environment.2020-08-1400 min
Our FutureEpisode 40: Ant Colonies & Reinventing Supply Chains 🐜📦In Episode 40, listeners hear from Scott Gravelle, CEO/CTO of Attabotics, a robotics company reinventing supply chains through high density storage, an idea Scott came up with when watching a nature documentary about Leaf-Cutter Ants. Scott discusses how he started a robotics company with zero experience, how his mini-fulfillment centers work and his vision for distributed supply chain, and his advice to young people going about the world with fresh perspectives.2020-08-1200 min
Our FutureEpisode 39: Financing the Future of Food 🍔📊In Episode 39, listeners hear from David J. Lee, CFO of Impossible Foods, about the role of finance in corporate strategy, the mind-boggling growth of Impossible Foods since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his advice to young people launching into their careers. Check out the Our Future Newsletter - https://bit.ly/ourfuture12020-08-1000 min
Our FutureEpisode 38: The Vision at Warby Parker 🤓😎In Episode 38, listeners hear from Steve Miller, CFO of Warby Parker, about balancing growth and profitability from the perspective of a CFO, the beauty of the direct-to-consumer business model, and his advice to young people launching their careers.2020-08-0500 min
Our FutureEpisode 37: Elevating ESPN 🏔⛹🏾♂️In Episode 37, listeners hear from Kevin Merida, SVP and Editor-in-Chief at ESPN, about interviewing President Bush on morning jogs while at the Washington Post, getting the opportunity to launch a brand-new media enterprise out of ESPN, and his advice to young people as they embark upon their careers.2020-08-0300 min
Our FutureEpisode 36: Future of Real Estate 🏢 🏗In Episode 36, listeners hear from Ian Shapiro, VP of Valuation and Strategy at IPG360, where he architects multi-million dollar real estate deals in the sports and entertainment industry and beyond. He discusses the rise of mixed-use developments, the downfall of WeWork, and why he loves working in real estate.2020-07-3100 min
Our FutureEpisode 35: Hollywood in the 2020s Pt. 2 🍿🎥In Episode 35, listeners hear from Jon Glickman, former President of MGM Studios and Founder of Glickmania, about how he got his first big movie internship in an elevator pitch, how he turned around one of the most iconic film studios in Hollywood, and his advice to young people going out into the world in these unprecedented times.2020-07-2900 min
Our FutureEpisode 34: Art of the Start 🎨📈In Episode 34, listeners hear from Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva and legendary author, investor, advisor, speaker, and marketing guru. He talks about his two biggest wins in the business world with Canva and Apple, his famous 10/20/30 rule for slide decks, and his advice for young people about to dive head first into their career.2020-07-2700 min
Our FutureEpisode 33: Opening Doors with Consulting Pt. 2 👔🚪In Episode 33, listeners hear from Bain & Company Partner Lori Sherer, who leads Bain’s Advanced Analytics practice, helping companies in verticals like banking, telecom, and healthcare capture more value in their businesses. She discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the consulting industry, the ways in which she makes persuasive recommendations to clients, and her advice to young people interested in recruiting consulting this fall.2020-07-2400 min
Our FutureEpisode 32: Future of Advertising 👨🏽💻📲In Episode 32, listeners hear from Todd Parsons, Chief Product Officer at OpenX, a leading online advertising exchange. He discusses the rise of first party ad-exchanges on digital platforms, the current dilemma in advertising with negative news content, and his advice to young people interested in advertising and marketing.2020-07-2200 min
Our FutureEpisode 31: Blitzscaling Beyond Meat 🍔⏩In Episode 31, listeners hear from Chuck Muth, Chief Growth Officer at Beyond Meat, about the early pitch that sold him on the company’s mission, the bold move to put plant-based meat alongside animal meat in supermarkets, and his advice for young people who want to excel professionally.2020-07-2000 min
Our FutureEpisode 30: Business of Basketball 🏀💸In Episode 30, listeners hear from Chris Murphy, President of the Santa Cruz Warriors, about the relationship between the GSW and the SCW, the evolution of the NBA G-League in recruiting young talent, and his career advice to students who want to work in sports and beyond.2020-07-1700 min
Our FutureEpisode 29: DocuSign Domination ✍️📈In Episode 29, listeners hear from Dan Springer, CEO of DocuSign, the e-signature pioneer that has become one of the most successful companies in the post-pandemic economy. He talks about his vision for DocuSign's future with new “agreement cloud” services, the way DocuSign verifies signor identity and looks to contend with its growth, and his advice to future business leaders.2020-07-1400 min
Our FutureEpisode 28: Gaming Financial Literacy 🕹💰In Episode 28, listeners hear from Angel Rich, Founder & CEO of Wealthy Life, a Financial Education Technology Company that designs games to increase financial literacy. Angel made waves around the world when she invented CreditStacker, a game resembling Candy Crush that allows users to learn about credit types and improve their credit scores. It was coined the best financial literacy product in the country by The White House, Department of Education, and JP Morgan Chase, and Google named it one of the Top 10 Apps in the world of 2017.2020-07-1000 min
Our FutureEpisode 27: Storytelling in Hollywood 🍿📖In Episode 27, listeners hear from Scott Alexander, an acclaimed Hollywood screenwriter who has penned works like "The People vs. Larry Flynt", "Ed Wood", "Man on the Moon", "Dolemite is my Name", and his first TV series, "American Crime Story - The People vs. OJ Simpson" won four Primetime Emmys after airing on FX in 2016. He discusses getting hired by 21st Century Fox as a professional screenwriter at age 22, his upcoming movie with Netflix about Nike founder Phil Knight based on his memoir "Shoe Dog", and his advice to young people who want to notch a career in entertainment.2020-07-0800 min
Our FutureEpisode 26: Heading HBR ✒️ 📈In Episode 26, listeners hear from Adi Ignatius, Editor-in-Chief of Harvard Business Review, about his time as a WSJ Bureau Chief overseas, how HBR has evolved as an idea exchange in the business world, and his advice to young people interested in media and journalism.2020-07-0600 min
Our FutureEpisode 25: Engineering Instagram 🛠📱In Episode 25, listeners hear from Samir Patel, Director of Engineering at Instagram, about his experience launching the Google Play Store, the complex challenges in building user trust on social media platforms, and his advice to students who to work in Big Tech. Join Our Future on Instagram @ourfuturerpodcast and Twitter @ourfuturepod.2020-07-0300 min
Our FutureEpisode 24: Pepsi to Plant-Based Proteins 🥤🌱In Episode 24, listeners hear from Brian Swette, President of Sweet Earth Natural Foods, former CMO of PepsiCo from 1990-1997 and COO of Ebay from 1997-2002, and former board director of iconic companies like Burger King, Jamba Juice, Shutterfly, and Care.com. He discusses accidentally creating the Starbucks Frappuccino, how he missed a flight to be the first COO of Ebay, and why a culture that embraces failure is key.2020-07-0100 min
Our FutureEpisode 23: Social Network for Sports Cars 🚘📲In Episode 23, listeners hear from Ed Bolian, Founder and CEO of VINwiki Inc., former Cannonball Run record holder, and ex-Sales Director of Lamborghini Atlanta. He discusses why he started an exotic rental car company in college, how his VINwiki youtube channel went viral overnight, and his advice to young people who aspire to be shrewd negotiators.2020-06-2900 min
Our FutureEpisode 22: Simplifying Healthcare 🏥 🔎In Episode 22, listeners hear from Stephanie St. Thomas, Head of Marketing for Ribbon Health, an a16z-backed startup determined to simplify healthcare. She discusses the companies pivot from a B2C to B2B model, the keys to marketing healthcare products, and her advice to students excited about the business of healthcare.2020-06-2600 min
Our FutureEpisode 21: Future of Fantasy Sports 📱🏆In Episode 21, listeners hear from Sandy Plashkes, Co-Founder at Owners Box, a sports tech startup determined to disrupt the multi-billion dollar fantasy sports industry through a key advantage: social engagement. Sandy discusses how Owners Box's game plan for taking on giants like Draft Kings, the need for a comprehensive fantasy sports experience, and how he loves the sports tech space.2020-06-2400 min
Our FutureEpisode 20: Driverless Cars 🚙🤗In Episode 20, listeners hear from Kristy Rasbach, Chief Engineer of Autonomous Vehicles at GM, about her focus on integrating AV technology with vehicle hardware, the competitive and cultural advantages of the Cruise acquisition, the future business models of self-driving cars, and her advice to college students who want to build the self-driving future.2020-06-2200 min
Our FutureEpisode 19: Business of Music 🎧📊In Episode 19, listeners hear from David Dann, Founder & CEO at Mind of a Genius Records, an independent label home to artists like ZHU, THEY., Gallant, and Klangstof. Dann discusses the importance of creative freedom, how artists get paid through streaming, working with mega-labels, and his advice to students interested in music business.2020-06-1700 min
Our FutureEpisode 18: Talent Agents for CEOs 👔🤩In Episode 18, listeners hear from Matt Seiler, a three-time CEO of multi-billion dollar ad agencies, who’s now looking to reinvent the executive search industry as Managing Director and Executive-in-Residence of Raines International. We discuss the evolution of advertising agencies, the flawed status quo in executive search, and how he loves helping people wield the power of their personal brand.2020-06-1500 min
Our FutureEpisode 17: Diversity in Cosmetics 🙋🏾♀️💄In Episode 17, listeners hear from Eunice Cofie-Obeng, CEO and Chief Chemist of Nuekie, a DTC beauty company with skincare products designed for dark skin tones. She discusses why she launched her game-changing beauty brand, the strengths of the DTC business model, and how she believes empowering entrepreneurs of color can change the world.2020-06-1100 min
Our FutureEpisode 16: Buzzing Alcohol Startups 📲🍸In Episode 16, listeners hear from Carlton Fowler, Managing Partner of Goat Rodeo Capital, a venture firm founding a venture capital firm focused on making investments in the alcoholic beverage space. He notes the emergent success of DTC alcohol brands, the surge in acquistions by big suppliers, and his advice to students who want to start their own fund one day.2020-06-0900 min
Our FutureEpisode 15: Companies & Social Missions 👊🏾⚖️In Episode 15, hear from Rob Chesnut, Advisor and former General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer at Airbnb, about his company’s 500k donation to Black Lives Matter + NAACP, the importance of companies aligning with social missions, and his advice to students about how to affect change in the new war on racism and inequality2020-06-0800 min
Our FutureEpisode 14: The NBA Returns 🏀🔙In Episode 14, listeners hear from Eric Hutcherson, Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at the NBA, about when the NBA will resume play, the growing role of technology in fan experience, and his advice to students who want to work in the business of sports.2020-06-0500 min
Our FutureEpisode 13: Streaming Wars ⚔️ 🍿In Episode 13, listeners hear from Michael Corcoran, Head of New Initiatves for Amazon Prime Video Channels, about battling for the best content, how streaming platforms measure ROI on individual shows and movies, and advice for students interested in the entertainment space.2020-06-0300 min
Our FutureEpisode 12: Wall Street vs. Coronavirus 📉📈In Episode 12, listeners hear from Alicia Levine, Chief Strategist at BNY Mellon, about the state of financial markets, the. role of monetary policy in a crisis, and career advice for young professionals interested in finance.2020-06-0100 min
Our FutureEpisode 11: Pharmacies for the Future 🏥💊In Episode 11, listeners hear from Karina Cabanillas, Senior Advisor of Retail Pharmacy Product Development & Innovation at CVS Health, about the changing role of drug stores, the emergence of the CVS Health Hubs and Minute Clinics, and her advice for students who want to affect impact impact in the healthcare space.2020-05-2900 min
Our FutureEpisode 10: Revitalizing the Rebrand 🌎 🎨In today's episode, listeners hear from media executive Derek Koenig, Chief Content and Creative Officer at the Buffalo Groupe and former SVP of Global Creative at Discovery Channel and CMO at Vail Resorts. He discusses leading Discovery through a major rebrand, producing an Emmy winning commercial with Steve Irwin and Lance Armstrong, and working with mega-brands like Nike and McDonald's.2020-05-2700 min
Our FutureEpisode 9: Weed Goes Digital 🌿📲In Episode 9, listeners hear from Socrates Rosenfeld, Founder and CEO of IHeartJane.com, the world's first and largest e-commerce marketplace for cannabis products, about his local-first model, hot trends in wellness products, and how his previous career flying Apache Helicopters for the U.S. Army shaped his business savvy.2020-05-2500 min
Our FutureEpisode 8: Are Robots the Next Nurses? 🤖👩🏻⚕️Will hospitals soon be run by robots? In Episode 8, listeners hear from Shadi Mere, Founder & CEO of Bedestrian, a startup building robots for hospitals to improve efficiencies in patient care.2020-05-2200 min
Our FutureEpisode 7: The NFL during COVID-19 🏈🔜What's it like to be an executive in the NFL? In today’s episode, listeners learn from Josh Dzurlikowski, controller of the Buffalo Bills, about the NFL during COVID-19, the Josh Allen draft pick, the infectious energy at a winning sports team, and advice to students who want to get into sports business.2020-05-2000 min
Our FutureEpisode 6: Opening Doors with Consulting 📊🚪How will you land a consulting internship this fall?
On this episode, listeners get insider advice from Bain Partner, Chris Bierly, about business strategy during COVID-19 and tips on landing a prestigious consulting internship.2020-05-1800 min
Our FutureEpisode 5: Venture Capital & Data Privacy 💸 🔒International Espionage. Data Privacy. How about Venture Capital during COVID-19? In today's episode, Michael Sikand talks business with G. Craig Vachon, Founder at Chowdahead Growth Fund, Head of U.S. Operations at NextStage, and Author of Best-Selling Spy Thriller “The Knucklehead of Silicon Valley”. We discuss Vachon’s hilarious take on Silicon Valley culture, the five core areas he uses to evaluate startup ideas, and his famous Ted Talk that pissed off Google. Vachon lives in Santa Cruz, CA with his wife and two big dogs.2020-05-1500 min
Our FutureEpisode 4: Future of Retail & E-Commerce 🛍 📦In Episode 4: The Future of Retail & E-Commerce , Michael Sikand and guest co-host Matt Kocsis pick the brain of Ben Hassing, former SVP of Cross Border Trade at Walmart and Chief Executive of E-Commerce at Coles, Australia's largest retail and grocery chain. Hassing grew Walmart's presence in China from $30 million to $1.3 billion dollars, and we discuss the velocity of Chinese retail, the power of global partnerships, and the trends powering the future of e-commerce and delivery. Hassing has a B.A. from Temple University and an M.B.A from the University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business.2020-05-1300 min
Our FutureEpisode 3: Hollywood in the 2020's 🍿🎥In Episode 3: Hollywood in the 2020s, Michael Sikand talks Movies & TV with Peter Jaysen, producer of American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story (2017), Fahrenheit 451 (2018) with Michael B. Jordan, Dublin Murders (2019) and much more. We discuss Jaysen's incredible career in entertainment, the streaming wars, and his memories at the Playboy mansion. Peter Jaysen has a B.A. from the University of Michigan and lives in Los Angeles with his family.2020-05-1000 min
Our FutureEpisode 2: The Silicon Valley Supercar 🏎 ⚡️On today's episode Michael Sikand talks shop with Shiv Sikand, co-founder of Drako Motors, to discuss why he launched a supercar startup, the ludicrous specs of the 2020 Drako GTE, and the importance of electric cars in society. Before building an electric supercar, Shiv co-founded IC Manage, an enterprise software company that works with the largest technology companies in the world. He has a B.S. in Physics and a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manchester in England.2020-05-0600 min
Our FutureEpisode 1: The Future of I.D. 💳✋On today's episode, Michael Sikand chats with Susan Dworak, Founder and CEO of Real Identities LLC, a disruptive Silicon Valley startup that uses technology to help businesses and government agencies verify identity. They discuss Susan's product and the biometric technologies that are changing the way we prove who people are. Before starting her own company, Susan worked for some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the country including Cooley, Fenwick, and Pillsbury. She has a B.A. from the University of California–Los Angeles and a J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law.2020-05-0100 min