Simon Bizcast

Simon Bizcast is the official podcast of Simon Business School at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. We're here to help you navigate the business school admissions process, explore student life, and more. Your source for all things b-school.

A Conversation with Ed Hajim ’58 07/08/2025

A Conversation with Ed Hajim ’58 Join Mitch Lovett, Simon’s interim dean and Benjamin Forman Professor of Marketing, for a conversation with Ed Hajim ’58. Ed is a graduate of the University of Rochester and served 30 years on the University’s Board of Trustees, including an eight-year tenure as board chair. He currently serves as Chair Emeritus. Ed is one of the University’s most generous alums and benefactors, and in 2009, the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences was named in his honor—after making the largest gift to the school in the University’s history at the time. Throughout the conversation, Ed gives insight into his more than 50 years of investment and senior management experience at companies such as the Capital Group, E.F. Hutton, Lehman Brothers, Furman Selz, and High Vista, and discusses his two books, On The Road Less Traveled and The Island of the Four Ps. He also shares his best advice for current business school students as they prepare to become tomorrow’s business leaders. Learn more about Ed on Instagram: @edhajimauthor This conversation was recorded in May 2025. . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/37337305

MS Career Conversation with Melissa O’Neill 06/12/2025

MS Career Conversation with Melissa O’Neill Join Mike Droel, assistant director of admissions, as he chats with Melissa O’Neill, MS program director of career advising and MSF career advisor. Melissa gives insight into how the staff at the Benet Career Management Center start supporting students before they even arrive in Rochester, how students can expect to engage with the Benet Center during their program (including getting support from the Benet Career Peers!), working with career advisors, Simon’s dedicated alumni network, and more! . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/36973960

Bonus Episode: AI and Business Roundtable 04/29/2025

Bonus Episode: AI and Business Roundtable We are pleased to share this special episode of Simon Bizcast—an AI and Business Roundtable featuring the following University of Rochester educators: Mitch Lovett Sr Assoc Dean, Education & Innovation and Benjamin Forman Professor of Marketing, Simon Business School (moderator) Chris Kanan Associate Professor of Computer Science, Hajim School of Engineering; Associate Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences; Affiliate, GIDS-AI Dan Keating Clinical Assistant Professor and Faculty Director of Academic Support, Simon Business School Liza Mohr Clinical Associate Professor, Simon Business School Huaxia Rui Professor of Information Systems and Technology, Simon Business School The group shares insights on what Generative AI is doing for personal productivity, their predictions for advancements in Agentic AI, thoughts on how AI can create value for businesses, the impact AI is having on education, and more. Special thanks to the University of Rochester Office of Marketing and Communications for making this episode possible! . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/36363520

Simon Stories: Online Learning Reflections 04/14/2025

Simon Stories: Online Learning Reflections Join April Marroquin, senior associate director of recruitment for Simon’s executive and part-time programs, for a conversation with Giovanna Cristofaro de Souza ’24S (MBA), a graduate of the Executive MBA program, and Mana Sherman, a current Online MS in Business Analytics & Applied AI student. Giovanna and Mana share what led them to Simon and motivated them to pursue online learning, how they built community as online students, the most impactful skills and concepts they could apply to their day-to-day professional tasks, and more! . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/36128475

Grads in Tech 04/03/2025

Grads in Tech Join Sharise Kent, associate director of MBA admissions, as she chats with Hawa Sultani ’21S (MBA), working in Global Azure Strategy and customer health and growth for Microsoft, and Kshitij Gulati ’23S (MS), a business data scientist at Google, about their experience in the field after leaving Simon. Hawa and Kshitij share insights on their career paths post-graduation, what led them to the tech industry, what excites them about the future of tech, and more! If you’re interested in a post-grad career in the tech sector, check this one out! . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/35992885

Singapore Immersion Reflections 02/28/2025

Singapore Immersion Reflections Join Emma Audsley, associate director of events and marketing, as she chats with current full-time MBA student Kennedy Graves and current EMBA student Dave Miller about their experience participating in the Singapore Immersion that was held in January 2025. Kennedy and Dave discuss what drew them to the Singapore Immersion, most memorable company visits, how this experience expanded their global business mindset for the future, and more. Do you have questions about immersions at Simon? Reach out to us at ! This episode was recorded in January 2025. . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/35485920

Meet the MBA Admissions Ambassadors 01/30/2025

Meet the MBA Admissions Ambassadors Join Trista Kukucka, director of MS admissions, as she chats with George Boateng-Darko and Jess Friedman, current MBA students and admissions ambassadors. Jess and George discuss why they chose Simon, Benet Center resources, experiences with Benet Career Peers, their advice for prospective students, and more! Interested in speaking with one of our MBA Admissions Ambassadors? ! . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/35089460

Meet the MS Admissions Ambassadors 01/24/2025

Meet the MS Admissions Ambassadors Join Mike Droel, assistant director of admissions, as he chats with Anushka Potdar and Jiayi Li, current MS students and admissions ambassadors. Anushka and Jiayi discuss why they chose their program, their favorite class to date, their advice for prospective MS students, and more! Interested in speaking with one of our MS Admissions Ambassadors? ! . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/34998660

The Consortium @ Simon: Current Student Q&A 01/16/2025

The Consortium @ Simon: Current Student Q&A Join Julie Sadwick, director of admissions and EDI special projects, as she chats with Ricka Marcelus ’25S (MBA) and Chavah Greene ’26S (MBA) about their experience as members of The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. Ricka and Chavah discuss why they chose Simon, their Orientation Program (OP) experiences, what’s been most rewarding about being a member of the Consortium community at Simon, and more. . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/34885555

Wellness Reflections for Business School and Beyond 01/08/2025

Wellness Reflections for Business School and Beyond Join Kathryn Flaschner ’17S (MBA), vice president of brand licensing at Hello Sunshine, and Ayanna Sampson, second-year MBA and VP of wellness for the Graduate Business Council, for a wide-ranging conversation on wellness. They reflect on their journeys to Simon and then discuss what wellness means and looks like to them, wellness as wholeness, what they do when they need a reset, advice they’d give to their younger selves, and more. . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/34777085

Clubs & Organizations Overview with Brittany Grage 11/07/2024

Clubs & Organizations Overview with Brittany Grage Join Mike Droel, assistant director of admissions, as he chats with Brittany Grage, director of student life in Simon’s Ainslie Office of Student Engagement. Brittany describes the three categories of clubs offered at Simon, how students can get involved, leadership opportunities, special annual events, and more! Learn more about . . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/33837047

Simon Stories: Hemnathe Gopal, MBA Class of 2026 10/11/2024

Simon Stories: Hemnathe Gopal, MBA Class of 2026 Join Andrew Brayda, senior director of admissions as he chats with Hemnathe Gopal, one of our first-year MBAs who applied by our Round 1 – October 15 application deadline last year. Hemnathe shares insights on his path to B-school, how he decided that Simon was the best school for his MBA studies, life in Rochester, advice for prospective students considering applying in Round 1, and more! Learn more about /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/33422397

Generative AI at Simon 10/08/2024

Generative AI at Simon Join Rebekah Lewin, senior assistant dean of admissions & programs, as she chats about Generative AI with Mitch Lovett, senior associate dean of education and innovation, and Dan Keating, clinical assistant professor. They discuss the ways in which AI is transforming the business school landscape, Simon’s AI Initiative, new program offerings for those interested in a deeper dive into AI, ways that AI is woven into the curriculum at Simon, and more! . . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/33379617

Mini Episode: Women’s Conference Reflections 09/24/2024

Mini Episode: Women’s Conference Reflections Join Sharise Kent, associate director of MBA admissions, as she chats with Yare Ortiz and Sriman Panda, two members of Simon’s MBA Class of 2026 who attended Women’s Conference last fall. They discuss why they chose to attend the conference, favorite moments, biggest takeaways, advice for prospective MBA students considering attending the conference, and more! . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/33191792

Grads in Consulting 09/19/2024

Grads in Consulting Join Trista Kukucka, director of MS admissions, as she chats with Sylvia Shi ’23S (MBA), a consultant at Bain & Company, about her experience in the field post-MBA. Sylvia shares insights on her background before coming to Simon, what led her to consulting as a career switcher, what has surprised her most about the field, her best advice for future consultants, and more! If you’re interested in a post-grad career in consulting, check this one out! . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/33127452

Forté Conference Q&A 08/21/2024

Forté Conference Q&A Join Daniela Alaniz, assistant director of MBA admissions, as she chats with Tess Eustace and Lan Nguyen, members of Simon’s MBA Class of 2026, about their experience at the Forté Women's Leadership Conference they attended before beginning classes at Simon. They reflect on their expectations heading into the conference, key insights gained, how the Benet Career Center prepped them before the conference, relationship building, and more! Learn more about . . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/32682512

Reflections from Members of Simon’s MBA Class of 2019 07/01/2024

Reflections from Members of Simon’s MBA Class of 2019 Join Andrew Brayda, senior director of admissions, as he chats with Mike Alcazaren, Yonnas Terefe, and Tori Vossler, three members of Simon’s MBA Class of 2019. They discuss their biggest takeaways from the MBA, the program's impact on their post-MBA journeys, advice for prospective students, critical MBA skills that will carry graduates through each phase of their career, and more! Learn more about . View . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/31969532

Simon Stories: Brigitte Zambrano 05/30/2024

Simon Stories: Brigitte Zambrano Join April Marroquin, senior associate director of recruitment for Simon’s executive and part-time programs, for a conversation with current Professional MBA student Brigitte Zambrano, senior HR assistant at University of Rochester's Office of Total Rewards of the Human Resources Benefits Office. Brigitte shares her journey to Simon—including earning degrees in Peru and South Korea—and what motivated her to pursue an MBA. She also shares her tips for staying organized and managing her time to balance school, work, and personal responsibilities. Learn more about . . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/31537662

Conversation with LaTanya Johns, Assistant Dean of the Benet Career Management Center 04/22/2024

Conversation with LaTanya Johns, Assistant Dean of the Benet Career Management Center Join Andrew Brayda, senior director of admissions, as he chats with LaTanya Johns, assistant dean of the Jay S. and Jeanne Benet Career Management Center. LaTanya discusses a range of topics, including a little about her career path to Simon, what she enjoys most about her job, the role self-care plays in student success (and the emphasis placed on it at Simon), and the importance of celebrating small wins. . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/30940728

Part-Time Programs Student Advocates 04/04/2024

Part-Time Programs Student Advocates Join April Marroquin, senior associate director of recruitment for Simon’s executive and part-time programs, for a conversation with our part-time student advocates about what led them to Simon, how to balance work and your course load, and more! Student panelists: Brian Asermily (MMM candidate) Tammy Boak (PMBA candidate) Lauren Bradley (EMBA candidate) John Marchesane (PMBA candidate) Dave Miller (EMBA candidate) Learn more about . Learn more about . Learn more about . . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/30685393

Simon MS Student Experience 03/14/2024

Simon MS Student Experience Join Dylan George, assistant director of MS recruitment, as he chats with Tony El Ghandour Maalouf (MS in Finance) and Fernanda Sesto Carballo (MS in Business Analytics) about their time in Rochester. They reflect on their journeys to Simon, what made them decide to pursue an MS degree, what a typical week as an MS student looks like, co-curricular involvement, learning how to network as a young professional, engaging with Benet Career Management Center career counselors and Benet Career Peers, and more! Learn more about . . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/30374538

Simon MBA Student Experience 03/08/2024

Simon MBA Student Experience Join Matt McCormick, associate director of MS admissions, as he chats with Missy Keesler and Ashfaq Rahman, members of Simon’s MBA Class of 2024, about their time in Rochester. They reflect on their journeys to Simon, what it was like adjusting to full-time study, favorite classes, co-curricular involvement, engagement with the Ainslie Office of Student Engagement and the Benet Career Management Center, and more! Learn more about . . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/30290668

Ep. 38: Simon Club Spotlight Part Two 03/01/2024

Ep. 38: Simon Club Spotlight Part Two Join Trista Kukucka, director of MS admissions, as she chats with current students Diana Castro Millan (MBA) and Tony El Ghandour Maalouf (MS in Finance), about their involvement with clubs at Simon, including: Master’s Advisory Council Simon Finance & Investment Club Meliora Fund Simon Gaming Club Net Impact Simon Pricing Club Simon Volunteers With more than to get involved in at Simon, there is something for everyone. Tune in to learn more! . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/30191133

Ep. 37: Simon Stories with Simon Games winner Jenny Timineri 02/22/2024

Ep. 37: Simon Stories with Simon Games winner Jenny Timineri Join April Marroquin, senior associate director of recruitment for Simon’s executive and part-time programs, for a conversation with current Professional MBA student Jenny Timinieri. Jenny reflects on her experience playing—and winning!—the PMBA Simon Games player group in Fall 2023 and offers advice to those playing the Spring Games. She also reflects on her first few months in the PMBA program and how she hopes her Simon degree will elevate her career. Learn more about . . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/30067498

Ep. 36: Simon Stories: Jesus Castro Ojeda 02/15/2024

Ep. 36: Simon Stories: Jesus Castro Ojeda Join April Marroquin, senior associate director of recruitment for Simon’s executive and part-time programs, for a conversation with current Executive MBA student Jesus Castro Ojeda. Jesus shares his journey to Simon—including moving from Venezuela to Canada, and eventually to Rochester—and what motivated him to pursue an MBA. He also shares what he enjoys doing in his free time and his best advice for prospective students. Learn more about . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/29971368

Ep 35: Q&A with MS Alumni 02/09/2024

Ep 35: Q&A with MS Alumni Join Trista Kukucka, director of MS admissions, for a chat with four MS alumni as they reflect on their Simon experience, including favorite classes, support from the Benet Career Management Center, living in Rochester, and more! Alumni panelists: GeeGee Pressley ’22 (MS in Accountancy), Senior Assistant Auditor, Deloitte Auraib Naveed ’23 (MS in Accountancy) Tax Associate, KPMG Ulf Grosseloh ’23 (MS in Business Analytics), Associate, EY–Parthenon Swarnima Radhakrishnan ’23 (MS in Marketing Analytics), Senior Associate Consultant, Ducker Carlisle /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/29874518

Ep. 34: Simon Club Spotlight Part One 02/05/2024

Ep. 34: Simon Club Spotlight Part One Join Trista Kukucka, director of MS admissions, as she chats with current students Meredith Shewell (MBA) and Sofia Troshina (MS in Marketing Analytics), about their involvement with clubs at Simon, including: Simon Women in Business (SWIB) Forté Simon Volunteers Simon Sports Product Management Club Vision Consulting Simon Marketing Association Uncorked With more than to get involved in at Simon, there is something for everyone. Tune in to learn more! /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/29803403

Ep 33: STEM at Simon 01/30/2024

Ep 33: STEM at Simon Join Dylan George and Sharise Kent, assistant directors of recruitment, as they discuss STEM at Simon. Building on its decades long analytical foundation, Simon became the first school in the US to offer STEM designation for every MBA specialization. In addition, all four full-time MS programs (Accountancy, Business Analytics, Finance, and Marketing Analytics) are STEM-designated, as well Simon’s Executive MBA, Professional MBA, and Online MS in Business Analytics & Applied AI programs. Sharise and Dylan share the primary benefits of STEM for students, what it can mean for your future career, and much more. Ready to start your Simon journey? Learn more at . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/29718473

Ep 32: Leveraging Simon's Partnerships 11/22/2023

Ep 32: Leveraging Simon's Partnerships Join host Trista Kukucka, director of MS admissions, and Luis de Armas, Rudjy Ponceja, and Meredith Shewell—three members of Simon’s MBA Class of 2024—to learn more about Simon’s partnerships with The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, Forté, and Reaching out MBA (ROMBA). You can explore additional organizations we partner with . /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/28761478

Ep. 31: Student Insights from Pre-MBA Conferences 09/05/2023

Ep. 31: Student Insights from Pre-MBA Conferences On this episode, three of our first-year MBA students share their experiences attending pre-MBA conferences. Tune in to learn why they chose to attend, what they got out of the experience, how it has served them now that they have officially started their MBA, unexpected takeaways, and more. Host: Trista Kukucka, associate director of MS admissions Student panelists: Anthony Flores Kuffo; Oluwatoberu “Toberu” Oluwasanmi; and Nonna Titulauri from Simon’s MBA Class of 2025 /episode/index/show/simonbusinessschool/id/27945510

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