Podcast · Business

Here at Haas

by Haas Podcasts (Produced by University FM) · English · Business

Here@Haas is a student-run podcast for the Berkeley Haas Community. We are supported by student donations, Haas Culture Champions, and other sponsors. Our mission is to promote inter-program connectivity of the Haas family, between the different MBA cohorts, years, and programs (FT, EW, and Exec.).

Typical length: 36 min
Language: English

Latest episode

34 min

Building with AI: Colton Hess on Agency, Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Work

New Here@Haas hosts Rehan Panjwani and Sreya Ravi kick off their first episode with Colton Hess, founder of Activation Playbook. Colton shares how building a sleep-tech startup at Haas unexpectedly led him to AI, vibe coding, and eventually helping others turn their ideas into working products. He talks about why learning to build with AI is less about becoming a technical expert and more about developing confidence, curiosity, and a greater sense of agency. The conversation explores Colton’s entrepreneurial journey, his approach to using AI thoughtfully, the value of experimentation and…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

36 min
Leading People Series: Growing Food, Growing Community: ab banks on Leadership, Listening, and Food Justice
In this episode, we speak with ab banks, a leader at Oxford Tract Farms. ab works with the Berkeley Food Institute and on the ground with Berkeley Student Farms. An Oakland native, ab banks serves as garden lead for People’s Programs in West Oakland, grows food and ensures produce goes from the urban garden into the hands of under-resourced community members. ab was the first member to join People’s Programs. The People’s Garden was created to advance food autonomy for Black people in ab’s hometown and increase access to healthy food – including hot-meal deliveries for unhoused neighbors…
30 min
Leading People Series: Investing in Leadership: Lessons from Ana Carolina Mexia, Co-Founder of Nido Ventures
On this episode of the Here@Haas podcast, we sit down with Ana Carolina “Caro” Mexia, Co-Founding Partner at Nido Ventures and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree. Born and raised in Mexico City, Caro blends her roots in computer science and product leadership with an MBA from Stanford to spot and support the next generation of transformative B2B technologies. Nido Ventures was founded to bridge the technology gap between Silicon Valley and Mexico's foundational industries. What began as an angel syndicate has evolved into a pre-seed fund backing B2B startups at the intersection of U.S. technical…
1 hr
Leading People Series: People First, Growth Always: Leadership Lessons on Culture, Feedback, and Scaling Organizations
On this episode of the Here@Haas podcast, meet Dave Alberga, a former Army officer and successful founder, CEO, and investor who sits on several boards. Dave has assisted in the launch of numerous start-up organizations and in their growth into large companies, including leading The Active Network from pre-revenue to $480M in annual sales, and a $1B exit for investors. Prior to Active, Dave served as the COO of the CitySearch cityguide business from just after startup to a successful IPO and investor exit. Dave currently serves as a Board Director of GovX, Firestorm Labs, and Trimark…
1 min
Leading People Series: Trailer
In the Leading People class at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, students step beyond the classroom to interview leaders who inspire them. Working in teams, they record in-depth conversations and transform them into compelling podcast episodes. Each episode features a different leader, sharing real stories, challenges, and insights on what leadership truly means—guided by the fresh perspectives and thoughtful questions of Haas students. Real leaders. Real stories. A new generation asking the questions. Listen to the Leading People series on the Here@Haas Podcast. Subscribe and don’t…
31 min
"Professor Series" Part 2: Interdisciplinary Thinking, Innovation, and the Future of AI — A Conversation with Professor Greg LaBlanc
In this episode of Here@Haas, Michele and Vance kick off a new faculty series with one of Haas’ most celebrated educators: Distinguished Teaching Fellow Greg LaBlanc. Known for his dynamic classes on strategy, game theory, and behavioral finance, and for his influential podcast, unSILOed, Greg shares how an early Montessori education shaped his interdisciplinary curiosity, the unconventional academic path that led him to Berkeley, and why he believes the future belongs to those who can integrate ideas across fields. Together, they explore innovation, entrepreneurship, competitive moats in…
38 min
"Professor Series" Part 1: The Long Game of Impact: Jeep Kline on Purpose, Resilience, and Building an Inclusive Tech Future
In this episode of Here@Haas , we sit down with the remarkable Jeep Kline — Haas lecturer, founder and managing partner of Raise Well Ventures , and former World Bank economist whose career spans deep-tech venture capital, global economic development, and transformative leadership. Jeep shares her journey from growing up in Bangkok during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, to advising ministers of finance in emerging markets, to becoming a Silicon Valley VC and founder of multiple funds. She also discusses the origins of the Haas Impact Fund , the rapidly changing job market shaped by AI, and…
37 min
“Student Leaders” Series Part 4: Ravi Malhotra – Leading with Purpose in Finance and Beyond
In this inspiring episode, Vance and Michele sit down with Ravi Malhotra , a second-year MBA student in the EW program at Haas and Corporate Controller at HeartBeam. From his humble beginnings in India to leading finance operations in Silicon Valley, Ravi shares his remarkable journey of grit, purpose, and continuous learning. Ravi dives deep into what sparked his passion for accounting, why he pursued a Chartered Accountancy path before joining EY, and how his decision to prioritize family led him to make a courageous leap from Big Four to industry. Now at the helm of financial operations…
31 min
“Student Leaders” Series Part 3: Paramee Intarachumnum, Building, Leading, and Dreaming Big
In this episode of Here@Haas, we sit down with the multi-talented and dynamic Paramee Intarachumnum —Executive MBA student, Vice President of Social for her cohort, and co-founder of Invex, an investment platform bridging high-quality tech deals with Asian investors. From launching a mentoring startup to building a chicken farm school for underprivileged youth in Thailand, Paramee shares her remarkable journey from advertising to innovation, from boardrooms to bars (yes, she owns four in Bangkok!). We talk about her bold approach to leadership, her mission to democratize tech investment, and…
20 min
“Student Leaders” Series Part 2: Lucia Casella on Navigating Haas, Leadership & Career Growth
In this episode, hosts Vance and Michele welcome Lucia Casella , an engineer turned MBA student at Berkeley Haas, to discuss her experiences in the Evening Weekend MBA (EWMBA) program. As a member of the LUX 2026 cohort and the VP of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Belonging (DEIJB), and Mental Health Awareness (MHA), Lucia shares insights into balancing a career, academics, and leadership roles. She dives into what drew her to Haas, her experience in the Flex program, and how she stays organized amid the challenges of an MBA. Lucia also reflects on the importance of community, mental…
26 min
"Student Leaders" Series Part 1: Claudia Vina Vazquez's Journey from Full-Time President to Finding Purpose at Haas
In this episode of Here at Haas , hosts Vance and Michele welcome Claudia Viña Vazquez, a second-year full-time MBA student at Berkeley Haas and the former president of the MBA Association. Originally from Spain, Claudia shares her journey from studying in Europe to pursuing an MBA in the U.S., how she adapted to life in the Bay Area, and why she ultimately chose Haas—even though it wasn’t her first choice. As a leader, Claudia reflects on her time as MBA Association president, emphasizing the importance of team collaboration, fostering a strong student community, and the behind-the-scenes…
28 min
Xan Wood: General partner at Courtyard Ventures Fund II
H@H Ep 79: Xan Wood , current FTMBA student at the Haas School of Business talks to hosts Ameya Purandare and Marissa Maliwanag about tech, venture capital, private equity, and much more. In this episode, we explore the Berkeley entrepreneurship ecosystem, the need for a venture fund dedicated to Berkeley Entrepreneurs, the formation of Courtyard Ventures Fund 2, and many other things. On Courtyard Ventures: "Courtyard is a fund run by MBAs and Berkeley students to invest in startups from Berkeley. The genesis of that is that students are very close to companies. We are in the ecosystem. We…
S1 · E7 · 27 min
Around the Block: Nate Pola, Director of Programming @ Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator
H@H: AtB Ep 7 – In this episode, Nate Pola, Director of Programming @ Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator and Defi Governance and Stakeholder Incentives Researcher talks to Paul Bryzek about his love for teaching, his interest in crypto, and how it culminated in him revamping the edX courses as the director of programming for Blockchain at Berkeley B@B. Nate and Paul further discuss all things blockchain from basics such as the unspent transaction output (UTXO) model, algorithmic stablecoins, and various macroeconomic principles which are used to design them to the recent Terra Luna collapse…
S2 · E78 · 45 min
Dr. Kurt Beyer, Professor, Innovator, & Founder - A Lifelong Entrepreneur Helping Future Founders
Dr. Kurt Beyer, Haas lecturer specializing in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Navy veteran, and founder of the California Innovation Fund chats with host Paulina Lee on her last episode for Here@Haas (originally recorded in Spring 2022). Dr. Beyer shares his journey to Haas from flying planes to writing a book to his first start-up to teaching at Haas and everything in between. This episode is filled with great advice for business and life.
S1 · E6 · 42 min
Around the Block: Nick Helgeson (FTMBA 2022) and Johnny Antos (FTMBA 2022)
H@H: AtB Ep 6 – On this episode, Nick Helgeson , MBA 2022 and Johnny Antos , MBA 2022 a senior developer at Prysm Group (a consulting firm specializing in the economics of emerging technologies, particularly in the blockchain space), chat with Paul Bryzek . They share how they stumbled into the crypto ecosystem, the Web3 speaker series they created on the Haas campus, and what’s in store for the future of WEB3. This episode was recorded during the Terra Luna stablecoin collapse and Nick and Johnny provide their expert crypto perspectives. Tune into this conversation to learn more about…
S1 · E5 · 26 min
Around the Block: James Dai Blockchain Accelerator fellow
H@H: AtB Ep 5 – Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS) and Senior Product manager from Blockchain @ Berkeley James Dai chats with hosts Paulina Lee and Paul Bryzek and shares his blockchain expertise as a seasoned blockchain developer. His diverse experiences and collaboration with The Berkeley Center for Responsible, Decentralized Intelligence (RDI), in collaboration with Professor Dawn Song, led him to identify the need for reliable content authenticity on the web, and has started his own project and is recruiting co-founders. If interested feel free to email James at…
S1 · E4 · 33 min
Around the Block: Andrea Chang Partner at NGC Ventures
H@H: AtB Ep 4 – Partner at NGC Ventures Andrea Chang chats with hosts Paulina Lee and Paul Bryzek and shares her industry insights as a crypto VC. Andrea is a graduating full-time 2022 MBA originally from Taiwan who moved to California to attend Haas. She previously lived in Singapore and worked at Goldman Sachs doing equity research for a few years. Later she joined NGC Ventures, one of the largest institutional investors of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies and has been a key contributor to several leading blockchain projects. On NGC Ventures “NGC ventures we started in mid…
S1 · E5 · 57 min
What Happens After Your MBA? with Robert Strand and Jenelle Harris
Taking the time to come to Haas and do an MBA can be an incredible opportunity for exploration and introspection, especially for those of us that are interested in sustainability and social impact. But the task of figuring out what you want to do next and how you want to make an impact can feel daunting at times. With that in mind, we’ll be delving into the question: “how might we chart our path and discover our purpose” in this episode. We are first accompanied by Professor Robert Strand, also known as “Mr. Nordic.” He is the Executive Director of the Nordic Center and the Center for…
S1 · E4 · 53 min
What Do Careers in Sustainability Look Like in The Real World? with Tracy Gray and Evan Wiener
Once you have your MBS and certificate, how do you translate that knowledge into the working world and make some lasting change? Today we are joined by a couple of very special Haas MBA alumni that have developed their careers in sustainability with very different paths. We will hear from Tracy Gray who is a Haas MBA alumni class of 2007. She is the Founder and Managing Partner at The 22 Fund, the Founder of non-profit We Are Enough focused on educating women on how to invest, and Lead Partner at Porfolia Green and Sustainability Fund. She tells us about her impressive career path that…
42 min
Around the Block: Graham Bode Founder of Two Grahams Capital
H@H: AtB Ep 3 – Co-Founder of Two Grahams Capital, LLC Graham Bode , current Haas student soon to graduate, chats with hosts Paulina Lee and Paul Bryzek . Graham shares his Haas story, an entrepreneurial journey including quitting his cushy corporate job to pursue his own ventures full time. He initially was very skeptical of the entire space, but quickly became immersed with blockchain technology and its market dynamics. Graham is an expert at detecting inefficiencies in markets and capitalizing on them through automated arbitrage. He breaks down his strategies for dealing with the high…
S1 · E3 · 55 min
Faculty Perspectives on Sustainability with Dave Rochlin and Panos Patatoukas
In this episode, we talk to two faculty members who are driving the effort to integrate sustainability and social impact topics into the curriculum at Haas through both the core curriculum and electives. Dave Rochlin, the Executive Director of the Innovation, Creativity, and Design Practice at Berkeley Haas joins us first. He teaches a new applied innovation elective called Designing Tech for Good, recently featured in Haas News. He shares why he created this class, the role business leaders play in shaping public policy, and his ideas for the future of sustainability at Haas. We then sit…
S1 · E2 · 57 min
The Michaels Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Business with Kat Baird and Sanchita B. Saxena
Haas has launched the Michaels Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Business to empower new leaders to create the economic and social transition to a climate-resilient, low-carbon, and equitable future. The Michaels Certificate in Sustainable Business will equip aspiring leaders to evaluate operational and strategic decisions using a sustainability lens. In this episode, we’ll hear from Kat Baird, the Associate Director of Sustainability at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business who will break down the Michaels Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Business for us. We get into why Haas decided to…
S1 · E1 · 36 min
Reshaping How Business Schools Teach Sustainability with Dean Ann Harrison and Michele de Nevers
Welcome to Sustainability at Haas mini series, a podcast looking at how the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business is shaping the next generation of sustainable business leaders. In 5 episodes, we will share with you perspectives from the Dean, faculty, students, alumni, and staff about how UC Berkeley is developing sustainability in its core. For our first episode, we have two very special guests: Haas School of Business Dean, Ann Harrison and the Executive Director of Sustainability at Haas, Michele de Nevers. In this conversation, we will be learning about Haas’ vision for leading the effort…
43 min
Around the Block: Ratan Kaliani & Darya Kaviani - Presidents of Blockchain @ Berkeley
H@H: AtB Ep 2 – Co-presidents of Blockchain @ Berkeley Darya Kaviani and Ratan Kaliani , some of the most connected blockchain students who can be found across campus, chat with hosts Paulina Lee and Paul Bryzek and share their extensive knowledge in the Blockchain space. Like a fire hose, these guests provide a fast stream of knowledge on tap! This episode is packed with blockchain fundamentals, evolution, startups, and how this innovative technology continues to define the rapidly changing web3 space. When to and not to use blockchain? Do you want your system to be interoperable long term?…
S3 · 54 min
Around the Block: Maura O'Neill, Haas Lecturer & Distinguished Teaching Fellow
H@H: AtB Ep 1 - Professor Maura O'Neill chats with hosts Paulina Lee and Paul Bryzek to share her extensive expertise and knowledge in the Blockchain space, originating with her early work in mobile money payments as she served as Chief Innovation Officer under the Obama Administration. Listen as Professor O’Neill takes us on a journey through the web3 space, how geo-political events including the Russia-Ukraine escalation are impacting the future of blockchain. Maura’s 3 Big Trends in Blockchain: Supply Chain Transparency Crypto: “Bitcoin is to crypto what the US dollar is to global…
3 min
INTRODUCING Around the Block @ Haas
Welcome to Around the Block @ Haas, a Here@Haas podcast focused on all things Blockchain on Berkeley's campus. Meet your co-hosts, Paulina Lee and Paul Bryzek!
S2 · E5 · 24 min
Marissa Maliwanag, EWMBA 24 – Building Community Throughout Haas
H@H: Ep 77 – Newly elected EWMBA Association EVP for Communications, Marissa Maliwanag joins host, Adam Ward on this week’s episode of Here@Haas. Marissa shares why her passion for serving her community led her to run for the EWMBA Association Executive Board, why intersectionality is so important to her, and why her vacation reading material was a sign that she should embark on the MBA. Episode Quotes: Marissa shares one of the lightbulb moments pointing her to the MBA “I was on vacation with some friends and a girlfriend pointed out that I was reading HBR [Harvard Business Review] to relax…
S2 · E4 · 41 min
Bob Wang, EWMBA 23 - The Road to C-Suite: Enabling a Problem-Solving Mindset
H@H Ep. 76 - Bob Wang, EW MBA Student talks about his journey from the Czech Republic to Vancouver and explains how his problem-solving mindset has brought him this far. He recalls how his upbringing and seeing his entrepreneurial parents taught him about the freedom and limitations of being your own boss. Find out how he used these skills to start Legacy Advantage, a company he founded by identifying a problem and creating a solution that works twice as well. In this episode, Bob offers practical advice on how to use technology to streamline bookkeeping processes, hiring, salaries, and…
S2 · E3 · 30 min
Alex Holden MBA 2023 (Part-Time)— Gaining Competitive Advantage in Sports and Entertainment Media
H@H: Ep 75 - MBA student and BD and partnership lead at Visa, Alex Holden, was first introduced to professional sports by his grandfather, who gave him a Steve Young jersey. Since then, Alex knew he wanted to pursue a career in sports. As a child, he became fascinated with how players are chosen, traded, and the work that goes beyond brand partnerships. Adam and Alex discuss Alex's love for professional sports, and how he has successfully carved out a successful career for himself in the field he enjoys. Listen in as they talk about competitive advantage, sports management, and how American…
S2 · E2 · 33 min
Kevin Truong, BS 22 - Overcoming Obstacles to Achieve Unstoppable Growth
H@H: Ep 74 - When you're facing too many challenges in a competitive career market, what can you do to stand out? For Kevin Truong, a first-generation college student who came from an immigrant family, it's having a persistent attitude towards career and life as a whole. Kevin has always lived an interesting life since he was diagnosed with dwarfism at 4, which stunted his physical development. His condition may have given him limitations and attracted very few friends, but it only made him grow stronger and tougher internally. Through his focus and determination in his goals, he has…

About Here at Haas

Here at Haas is a English business podcast from Haas Podcasts (Produced by University FM). Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Haas Podcasts (Produced by University FM)
Language: English
Category: Business
Typical length: 36 min
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1506314689

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