Owl Have You Know

What People Get Wrong About Measuring Risk feat. Associate Dean Bob Dittmar

Bob Dittmar has big goals for the Virani Undergraduate School of Business. As the school’s associate dean and Houston Endowment Professor of Finance, he aims to increase Rice Business’ national footprint, making it a household name for top-tier business education from coast to coast.  Dittmar came to Rice in 2022 after teaching for nearly 20 years at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He’s taught finance courses across Rice Business’ degree programs, including in the undergraduate and MBA programs. On this episode, Dittmar joins co-host Maya Pomroy ’22 to share what sets the Virani Undergraduate School of Business apart from other undergraduate business programs — and his advice for prospective students who are trying to decide if Rice Business is the right fit for them. He also delves into his fascinating research on options and how to assess risk more clearly, especially when the signals aren’t obvious. Episode Guide: 00:00 Introduction to Associate Dean Bob Dittmar 01:59 Early Influences and Academic Journey 03:11 Discovering a Passion for Finance 04:59 College Years and Mentorship 08:55 Research on Options and Market Psychology 16:05 Role as Associate Dean for the Virani Undergraduate School of Business 18:05 Teaching Finance and Real-World Applications 23:02 The Psychology of Investment Decisions 25:54 Understanding Risk and Uncertainty 29:35 AI's Role in Education and Work 33:31 The Unique Culture of Rice University 37:17 Future Vision for the Virani Undergraduate School of Business The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] Episode Quotes: Taking the Rice beyond Houston 38:03: My goal at Virani is really largely to try to expand Rice’s national footprint to some extent. So I think, you know, if you grew up in Houston, you know a lot about Rice, and you know, Rice is a great institution. Rice is a great institution and really hard to get into. Yeah, absolutely. You know, I mean, look, you know, our median student is, you know, in the right tail, basically, of most students across the country. But look, when I was growing up in Chicago, Rice really was not on my radar. There were a few liberal arts schools in the Midwest that I kind of thought about, but Rice never kind of came up. But I do think that Rice needs a little bit more visibility on the coasts. And that is especially important in business and finance in particular, where New York is so much the center of activity. How do you know if Rice is for you? 41:01: If you want to be at a place that is truly collaborative, that has a rigorous education and provides opportunity and really cares about its students, then I think Rice is the right place for you. Think about Rice as a whole institution and how you feel on campus, and compare that to how you feel on the campuses of these other universities. And again, this is a little weird to say, because I am a finance guy. I am supposed to be cold and rational about all these things, but how you feel about these kinds of things, I think, is usually a pretty good indication of what actually is right for you and what is going to suit you. Why Rice is a special place to get your business degree 34:29: At the business school at Rice, you get a lot of what I think makes Rice as an institution special. Which, you know, our students are a little quirkier maybe, but they are also a little nicer and less, you know, maybe not quite so cutthroat, I guess, maybe is what I would some ways, much more collaborative. And so I think that, combined with the fact that Rice has this STEM focus that it always has, so it is grounded in a really rigorous way of, kind of, approaching things, really combines together to make this a very special place to get your business degree. Show Links:  * Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/16TqyW-P81gsjJN7mE79-e_EihMGNhsRLbWzoLWs1WCU/edit?usp=sharing] Guest Profile: * Robert Dittmar | Rice Business [https://business.rice.edu/person/robert-dittmar] * Professional Website [https://sites.google.com/rice.edu/robert-dittmar/home] * LinkedIn Profile [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-dittmar-1552a06/]

Finding and Perfecting Your Customer-Focused Strategy feat. Professor Vikas Mittal

Most companies think they're customer-focused. Many are wrong. Vikas Mittal, the J. Hugh Liedtke Professor of Marketing at Rice Business and faculty director of the Center for Customer-Based Execution and Strategy, has spent his career helping CEOs, MBA students and others learn the difference between truly serving customers and simply appeasing them.  In this episode, Vikas joins host Brian Jackson ’21 to explain why so many corporate strategies fail: the buzzwords, shiny-object initiatives, and mission-statement retreats that produce 50 priorities and zero focus. He shows what it looks like when organizations commit to the one or two things that genuinely create customer value — and stay the course. He also shares how this approach comes to life through his Executive Education course, Strategic Growth Through Customer Focus, and the Center for Customer-Based Execution and Strategy, which produced a landmark report – interviewing over 3,000 customers to reveal what actually drives value across industries and what doesn't. Plus: his famous sneaker collection and why he thinks everyone should write with fountain pens. Episode Guide: 00:00 Guest Introduction: Meet Professor Vikas Mittal 01:21 From Family Business to PhD 03:26 Why Most CEOs Don’t Actually Know What Their Customers Want 05:54 Trend Chasing and Misalignment 11:28 The Science of Customer Focus 17:45 Building The Center for Customer-Based Execution and Strategy 21:20 Executives Unlearning Legacy Strategy 32:29 How Colorful Sneakers Changed His Life 40:52 Final Focus Takeaways The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] Episode Quotes: Strategy is an ultimate dark art 26:10: Strategy is the way it is done in companies. And I repeat this all the time, it's the ultimate dark art. Nobody knows why we are doing it, but everybody believes we have to do it just because my predecessor told me this is how we should do it. And you ask the predecessor, why are you doing it? Well, my predecessor told me this is how we do it. Right? And it's the ultimate dark art and people just keep doing it. Defining customer focus 11:36: Customer focus means using science to figure out what creates value for customers, which is very different than just asking the customer what would you want? And believing that whatever the customer tells you is right and just doing it.  When academic research calls the CEO 01:40: Surprisingly, a lot of the work I ended up doing with CEOs and companies came from CEOs at different companies reading my research, published in academic journals, you know, which is completely the opposite of what a lot of people think, that if you publish in academic journals, people don't read it. I was blown away, how many times I got contacted by companies say, we've got such and such paper of yours, can you come and help us?  Show Links:  * The Center for Customer-Based Execution & Strategy [https://business.rice.edu/center-customer-based-execution-strategy] * Rice Business Executive Education [https://business.rice.edu/executive-education] * Strategic Growth Through Customer Focus Program [https://business.rice.edu/executive-education/open-enrollment-programs/strategic-growth-through-customer-focus] * The Center for Customer-Based Execution & Strategy’s Customer Value Report [https://business.rice.edu/sites/default/files/2025-04/customer-value-report-2025.pdf] Guest Profile: * Vikas Mittal | Rice Business [https://business.rice.edu/person/vikas-mittal] * Vikas Mittal | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikas-mittal-aab48410/]

Houston Loves Risk Takers feat. Dean Peter Rodriguez

Over the past decade, Rice Business has scaled with intention. MBA enrollment has doubled. Faculty ranks have grown. New MBA formats have launched. The Virani Undergraduate School of Business was established. And a new building will open soon, designed to further fuel collaboration, research and innovation. In this conversation, Dean Peter Rodriguez reflects on the strategy behind that momentum — from championing the Online MBA to building one of the nation’s strongest entrepreneurship ecosystems in the heart of Houston. He discusses AI’s impact on business education, the evolving energy landscape, and the leadership lessons that come with guiding a school through rapid transformation, all while shaping the next chapter for Rice Business. Episode Guide: 00:00 Meet Dean Peter Rodriguez 01:20 Online MBA Origins and Vision for Growth 07:50 Virtual Campus Advantage 09:41 From Space Crunch to Expansion: Designing the New Building 16:29 Launching the Virani Undergraduate School of Business 21:51 AI and Business Education 28:46 Dean Life and Daily Headwinds 29:23 Why Rice Ranks High & Houston’s Entrepreneurship Advantage 36:32 What Deans Learn on the Job 43:37 Next 50 Years Vision 48:25 Closing The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] Episode Quotes: On Rice MBA’s Growth over the decade 01:37: If there was one overarching theme of the last decade, I think growth is it. The question is always like, well, why growth? Or growth for what? And of course, clearly want growth for the good outcomes, and that good outcomes all start with pursuing the mission. We have a mission to create and disseminate knowledge at the vanguard of business and the business disciplines. And so that is what we really do. And when I was really looking at the job almost exactly 10 years ago and thinking about where Rice was and where it needed to be, one of the first conclusions that was easy to draw was that it needed to be about twice as big as it was, at least, you know, and, and it is not that growth is all good, but why would I say that? And the thinking was, you know, in order to advance that mission, we needed more tenure track faculty. And there the foundation on which more or less everything else proceeds. How does the Rice Business navigate AI?  22:19: On the basic part of our mission, which is delivering an education, we have to do two things. We have to prepare people to think really critically and to be able to assess them as individuals without this incredible, unprecedented tool. That is to say, what can Peter do of his own accord? What does he know? And then I have to train him very aggressively to make sure that with the tool, he is also highly capable, far more capable to do some things, and as capable as anybody in any university in the country is using the tool. So there's sort of almost sounds like martial arts mastery. You know, you have to sort of, wax on, wax off, you know, learn these sort of things that are apart from the tool, and then you are sort of empowered. That's where we are, is trying to do that. Houston loves risk takers 30:59: Houston loves risk takers. It is part of the environment, it is part of a Texas thing too, but, you know, it is going to space, drilling out in the Permian Basin or deep in the ocean, putting in an artificial heart, whatever it is. I think there is a real admiration for trying hard things and picking yourself up if you fail and not being discouraged because things did not go right the first time. Show Links:  * Rice Business New Building Plans [https://business.rice.edu/building-future-business] * Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JBdhLeNO_YmJCf60CtJcaDdwwLB1-hVo0MH3dzQ_1Qk/edit?usp=sharing] Guest Profile: * Peter Rodriguez | Rice Business [https://business.rice.edu/person/peter-rodriguez] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/profprod/]

The Future of Elite Sports Training feat. Scott Deans ’22

Leveling up your game just got so much easier, thanks to the new cutting-edge technology from BeONE Sports — a startup that uses mobile motion-capture and AI to enhance athletic performance, prevent injuries, and support coaches and athletes at every level. Co-founded by former Division I athlete Scott Deans ’22, the idea for BeONE started right here at Rice Business. Scott has loved sports since his days playing football, and through the EMBA program, he found a way to bring his passion and business acumen together. He joins co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to discuss his early career journey through architecture, the 12 years he spent at bp and what ultimately led him to Rice Business. They also dive deep into the exciting technology being used at BeONE and how the company’s partnership with Rice Athletics is helping student athletes optimize their performance and prevent injuries. Episode Guide: 00:00 Introduction to Scott Deans and BeONE Sports 01:02 Scott's Athletic Journey and Transition to Architecture 05:55 From Architecture to Analytics at BP 12:56 Pursuing an MBA at Rice University 16:36 Founding BeONE Sports and Its Technology 28:23 Partnerships and Applications of BeONE Sports 37:44 Challenges and Advice for Entrepreneurs 42:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] Episode Quotes: On building company your passionate about 19:35: I sometimes imagine if I had chosen the other, one of the other companies, and I was like, there is no way I would be here after four years, grinding through the trenches, as they say, on something that did not matter to me. So, yeah, I think that is a huge, huge point in any entrepreneurial journey, that it has to matter to you; otherwise, you are not willing to compromise and go through all the pain in order to make it successful. How the Rice program helped Scott build his business 28:30: So another big piece of the program at Rice was really focused on, like, building a team. And I have been a coach for a long time. I have been part of teams and built teams, so teams are, in my opinion, the linchpin, really the basis for product and a business and all those things. But part of that process is everybody's recognizing what they are good at and what they are not good at, and then where you have gaps. You need to find people who are strong in those areas. So, recognize really quickly the areas that I am not strong at and, Jason, basically from a business side and many other sides, filled those perfectly. The importance of asking better questions 09:55: Always try to ask better questions, and this has been a mantra of mine since I was a little kid. I think. Because, you know, there are always going to be answers. You can always find a solution. But is the solution the right one? And is there a better question we could be asking to, you know, a lot of rework or pivoting and changing. And so it creates a mindset of constant flux, like you are in constant change. And that is not an easy mindset for many people. Show Links:  * BeONE Sports [https://beonesports.com/]  * “Rice partners with BeONE Sports to transform athlete performance with AI technology” | Rice Business [https://business.rice.edu/news/rice-partners-beone-sports-transform-athlete-performance-ai-technology] * Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TKj8eGXyxfF4KWFygKLXx4xpUP-ecpMS_P71ey0AJVg/edit?usp=sharing] Guest Profile: * Scott Deans | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdeans00/]

How An AgTech Investment Banker Found His Focus feat. David Verbitsky ’10

Not every job will feel like the perfect fit, but for David Verbitsky ’10, every new position is an important stepping stone in your career, and an opportunity to learn and grow.  When David wanted to pivot his career from engineering to finance, the path led him straight to an MBA at Rice Business. His experience at Rice spring boarded him into a career in investment banking with a special focus on agriculture and food. Over the past 15 years, he’s worked as the global head of agriculture and nutrition investment banking at Goldman Sachs, as the global head of AgTech and sustainable food investment banking at Nomura Greentech, and as a member of the global chemicals and agriculture investment banking team at Barclays. Now, David is applying all of his industry expertise to his own investment banking firm, Verbitsky Capital. In this episode, he chats with co-host Maya Pomroy ’22 about how Rice Business prepared him for a successful career in finance, what he learned through every job change and where he thinks innovation in the agriculture sector is heading next. Episode Guide: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:59 David’s Early Career in Engineering 03:06 Transition to Business School and Finance 06:09 Investment Banking Journey 08:59 Shift to Agriculture Sector 18:20 Navigating the VC Fund Experience 21:30 Exciting Deals in AgTech 23:24 Challenges and Lessons Learned 29:44 Building and Leading a Team with Verbitsky Capital 31:37 Future of AgTech 34:35 Career Advice and Final Thoughts The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] Episode Quotes: The importance of judgement in every leader 31:19: [Maya Pomroy]: What do you look for in leaders? 31:26: [David Verbitsky] I do not really know if you can quantify or measure it, but it is judgment. The only way you can really see that is seeing people in action, right? It is seeing, okay, when you are in a difficult situation, or maybe it is not even difficult, but when you have to make decisions. And take responsibility for things. And some of it is, could be very easy, like simple things who just, we are in the middle of a deal and you gotta just decide on what, how you move forward. Right. How do you take decisions? How do you move forward? How do you take accountability? How do you, in certain circumstances, decide not to do something? Which is probably more important in many different ways. On networking and constant learning 36:16: [Maya Pomroy]:What would you say to someone that is sort of considering maybe an MBA to really pivot their own career. 36:25: [David Verbitsky]  So first and foremost, I would say it is all about relationships. And her ability to, to maintain them. Right. That, that is part networking, but it is also just part effort of just people you already do know. Maintaining those relationships. Do you think that is first and foremost is the most important thing? Do not burn any bridges. Right? Keep them, keep them all active and then building off of that just sees opportunities when they present themselves, be open to things. Because they might be the wrong choice, but. You should learn something from every new step you take. From missteps to momentum 37:04: Going to Goldman Sachs and switching a hundred percent into agriculture was a big opportunity, which I was like, I do not know, but let us try it out. Right? Those things worked out incredibly well. And then I had a bunch of missteps of like trying, trying to go and do startup or VC fund that just was not the right fit, or go into a place that was good for a while, then was not, and then just, it leads you here. So like. Realize when an opportunity presents itself and do not be afraid to take it. Which is the right piece of advice. Just be aware and realize this is an opportunity. Maybe it is not the right one, but be, I think, very mindful. Show Links:  * Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nubNUsMAT-fsa9YgoRw4IVdm3OgfyTnF-ZFrAi4y5UQ/edit?usp=drive_link] Guest Profile: * David Verbitsky | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-verbitsky/] * Verbitsky Capital [https://verbitskycapital.com/#0576c24d-1874-445e-a20e-2eb16d909245]