IU Ventures

IU Ventures
  • 5.0 (6)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Inside the 750,000-strong Indiana University alumni community is the IU Founders and Funders Network, a world-class startup community with IU "DNA." Each month, hear Hoosier founders and funders share the problems they're solving, advice for aspiring IU innovators, and most importantly, hard-hitting questions like Mother Bear's or Pizza Express? Little 500 or Homecoming? Sample Gates or Showalter Foundation? Hosted by Jon Barada, VP - Engagement at IU Ventures, and presented by nationally ranked Kelley Direct Programs. Go Hoosiers!

  1. Dr. Richard DiMarchi, PhD '79 – Distinguished Professor of Chemistry & Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences, Indiana University

    FEB 2

    Dr. Richard DiMarchi, PhD '79 – Distinguished Professor of Chemistry & Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences, Indiana University

    Richard DiMarchi is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University. He's a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and is a former Group Vice President at Eli Lilly and later at Novo Nordisk. He's co-inventor on more than 100 U.S. patents, co-author to more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific publications, was identified as a top 5 translation researcher by Nature Biotechnology, and has co-founded 8 successful biotech companies since 2003. Hear what he loves about Bloomington, how to transition from the lab to the boardroom, what's next for GLP-1s, the thing that motivates him the most, and the most incredible healthcare innovations we've seen in the last 25 years. Learn more about Richard at Indiana.edu and on LinkedIn, and learn more about IU Ventures at IUVentures.com. This podcast is presented by Kelley Direct Programs. Learn more at Kelley.IU.edu

    1h 2m
  2. Paul Caine, BA '86 – President, On Location

    12/17/2025

    Paul Caine, BA '86 – President, On Location

    Paul Caine is the President of premium experiential hospitality leader On Location, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO). In this role, Paul oversees a diverse and global portfolio of consumer experiences, hospitality, and brand partnerships. He previously served as Global Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of Bloomberg Media, as Chief Executive Officer of Westwood One, and in numerous roles at Time Inc. over a span of 23 years, including Publisher of People, Entertainment Weekly, Executive Vice President, CRO, and Group President. Hear how Breaking Away inspired him to attend Indiana University, how On Location provides the most incredible live experiences possible, why experiences have become more valuable than physical things, how to rebound from failure, and the open practice he got to watch with Coach Bob Knight and the 1984 Olympic Team. Learn more about Paul at OnLocationExp.com and on LinkedIn, and learn more about IU Ventures at IUVentures.com. This podcast is presented by Kelley Direct Online MBA. Learn more at Kelley.IU.edu

    54 min
  3. Benton Miller, MBA '23 – Founder & CEO, RetrievAir

    11/21/2025

    Benton Miller, MBA '23 – Founder & CEO, RetrievAir

    Benton Miller is the Founder & CEO of RetrievAir, an innovative public charter operator focused on improving the pet travel experience. His vision is to create air travel that prioritizes pets, offering safe, comfortable, and convenient flights for both pets and their owners. Hear how his Kelley Direct Online MBA experience shaped the trajectory of his company, how he navigates the complicated worlds of airports & pets, how to differentiate your offering, the behind-the-scenes of his appearance on Shark Tank, and the number of flights he's taken to ensure RetrievAir is a pleasant experience for humans & pets. Learn more about Benton at RetrievAir.com and on LinkedIn, and learn more about IU Ventures at IUVentures.com. This podcast is presented by Kelley Direct Online MBA. Learn more at Kelley.IU.edu

    46 min
  4. Steve Aird – Head Coach, IU Women's Volleyball

    10/22/2025

    Steve Aird – Head Coach, IU Women's Volleyball

    Indiana Women's Volleyball Head Coach Steve Aird is in his 8th year in Bloomington. Aird signed a contract extension through the 2029 season on January 1, 2024 after guiding the Hoosiers to one of the best years in program history. A 2-time NCAA Champion as an assistant coach at Penn State, Aird is an elite recruiter and has brought new energy into the Indiana Women's Volleyball program. Hear how he's built an incredible home-court advantage, how he takes a business approach to coaching, how to differentiate your business or program, how to best allocate resources, and how to be both the coach AND the GM. Learn more about Coach Aird at IUHoosiers.com and on LinkedIn, and learn more about IU Ventures at IUVentures.com. This podcast is presented by Kelley Direct Online MBA. Learn more at Kelley.IU.edu

    51 min
  5. Darius Willis, BS '12 – Founder & CEO, ScoutSync

    09/10/2025

    Darius Willis, BS '12 – Founder & CEO, ScoutSync

    Darius Willis is the Founder & CEO of ScoutSync, a sports-tech company transforming global athletic scouting & recruitment. A former Indiana University football standout and Under Armour High School All-American from Indianapolis, he attended NFL camp with the New York Jets before playing and coaching internationally for over a decade. Hear his favorite on-field & off-the-field memories from IU, how the ScoutSync platform works, the top lessons he's learned as a founder, the growing presence of Indianapolis as a sports-tech hub, and his experience starting a business in Switzerland. Learn more about Darius at ScoutSync.com and on LinkedIn, and learn more about IU Ventures at IUVentures.com. This podcast is presented by Kelley Direct Online MBA. Learn more at Kelley.IU.edu

    39 min
  6. Anthony Leal, MBA '25 BS '23 – Co-Founder, Motion

    08/20/2025

    Anthony Leal, MBA '25 BS '23 – Co-Founder, Motion

    Anthony Leal, a former Indiana University basketball player and MBA in Finance from the Kelley School of Business, co-founded Motion. Motion is a tech platform designed to streamline communication, scheduling, and management for coaches, athletes, and athletic departments in college athletics. Hear his biggest pinch me moment playing basketball for the Hoosiers, the Entrepreneurship course that inspired Motion, how to keep the voice of the customer in mind, lessons from basketball that apply to entrepreneurship, and what the future of college sports will look like. Learn more about Anthony at MotionSports.io and on LinkedIn, and learn more about IU Ventures at IUVentures.com. This podcast is presented by Kelley Direct Online MBA. Learn more at Kelley.IU.edu

    42 min
  7. Rachel Zhao, BS '16 – Principal, PayPal Ventures

    07/17/2025

    Rachel Zhao, BS '16 – Principal, PayPal Ventures

    Rachel Zhao is Principal at PayPal Ventures, where she's tapping into her passion for helping tech companies & founders. Previously, she had been focusing on growth-stage Enterprise and Fintech investment. She's interested in infrastructure, cyber, privacy, SMB & Vertical SaaS, and ecommerce enablement. Hear her love for the jazz concerts at IU, how she pivoted her career to more closely align with her interests, the fascinating world of cybersecurity, how PayPal Ventures surrounds founders with support, and the Kelley class it's most important to pay attention in. Learn more about Rachel at PayPal.VC and on LinkedIn, and learn more about IU Ventures at IUVentures.com. This podcast is presented by Kelley Direct Online MBA. Learn more at Kelley.IU.edu

    37 min
  8. Neil Powell, MBA '98 – Director of Finance, Cloud and AI Supply Chain, Microsoft

    05/14/2025

    Neil Powell, MBA '98 – Director of Finance, Cloud and AI Supply Chain, Microsoft

    Neil Powell has almost 35 years of corporate finance experience in the banking and high-tech industries. He is currently the Director of Finance, Cloud and AI Supply Chain at Microsoft and has served as the VP of Finance and Corporate Controller at Lattice Semiconductor, as well as numerous roles at Intel, including Senior Director at Intel Capital's venture capital fund and as the CFO of Intel Japan. Neil spent 5 years teaching finance at Indiana University, where he also earned his MBA. Hear what business & life lessons you can learn from running marathons, what the future of supply chain will look like, the unbelievable scale of data centers, why hard work is always the answer, and his most memorable experience running the Boston Marathon. Learn more about Neil at Microsoft.com and on LinkedIn, and learn more about IU Ventures at IUVentures.com. This podcast is presented by Kelley Direct Online MBA. Learn more at Kelley.IU.edu

    41 min
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5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Inside the 750,000-strong Indiana University alumni community is the IU Founders and Funders Network, a world-class startup community with IU "DNA." Each month, hear Hoosier founders and funders share the problems they're solving, advice for aspiring IU innovators, and most importantly, hard-hitting questions like Mother Bear's or Pizza Express? Little 500 or Homecoming? Sample Gates or Showalter Foundation? Hosted by Jon Barada, VP - Engagement at IU Ventures, and presented by nationally ranked Kelley Direct Programs. Go Hoosiers!

Information

  • Creator
    IU Ventures
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 IU Ventures
  • Show Website
    IU Ventures