Be EPIC Podcast

In this episode of Be EPIC, Matt is joined by Charles Morgan, a University of Arkansas alumnus, CEO, chairman of First Orion, and Arkansas Business Hall of Fame inductee. Charles was working in big data before anyone knew what big data was and has continued to scale companies and develop leaders. Listen as Charles recounts his extensive career in big data and how writing his many books helped others to understand big data. 821361

In this episode of Be EPIC, Matt is joined by Warren Stephens, the chairman, president, and CEO of Stephens Inc., an independent financial services firm. Warren recounts his career path to leadership and how his father, Jackson T. Stephens, and uncle, Witt Stephens, influenced him throughout his career.

In this episode of Be EPIC, Matt is joined by Ryan Frazier and Kenny Cason, co-founders of Arrived and University of Arkansas alumni. Frazier and Cason explain how they built their successful businesses through entrepreneurship and friendship. Listen as Frazier and Cason detail the evolution of their company, from startup to acquisition.

In this episode of Be EPIC, Matt is joined by Bob Nash, a nonprofit and political consultant, and former Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Personnel under President Clinton. Nash recounts how networking allowed him to come home to Arkansas during a time of need and how it shaped his path to the White House.

In this episode of Be EPIC, Matt is joined by Elpida Ormanidou, VP of Data Science at Starbucks and Sam M. Walton College of Business alumna, to discuss her professional and personal journey, as well as how she overcame hardship to succeed in her analytics career. Listen to Ormanidou describe how her responsibilities at Starbucks have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this episode of Be EPIC, Matt is joined by Sarah Langham, an assurance partner at HoganTaylor LLP, alumna at Sam M. Walton College of Business and member of the Dean’s Alumni Advisory Council. During this episode, they discuss how HoganTaylor LLP implements micro-innovation. A core value at HoganTaylor is to be dynamic, and they do this by utilizing micro-innovation. Listen as Sarah recounts an experience with an intern that shows how micro-innovation can impact every aspect of a company.

In this episode of Be EPIC, Matt is joined by Claiborne Deming, former CEO and current chairman of the board at Murphy Oil Corporation and inductee to the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. Matt and Claiborne discuss how Claiborne’s leadership as CEO through Hurricane Katrina shaped his perspective of the responsibilities in business and leadership. Listen as Claiborne explains how seizing opportunities and working hard allowed him to have a successful career.

In this episode of Be EPIC, Matt is joined by Alan Ellstrand, associate dean for programs and research and professor in the Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation at the Sam M. Walton College of Business. His research areas include corporate governance, top management teams, and executive leadership. During their conversation, they discuss Assurance of Learning, or AoL for short, which is one of the AACSB’s standards in their Continuous Improvement Reviews. The AoL encourages business colleges to step back and ask, "Are we truly teaching the types of things that we say we are teaching?” and “Are students leaving college with the right skills, abilities, and understanding that is in alignment with the degree that they are receiving?" Alan and Matt discuss how AoL is implemented within the Walton College and how they’re closing the loop at all levels.

In this episode of Be EPIC, Matt is joined by Bob Sauerberg, a Walton College alumnus and the current lead director and board member at Reddit. He was the former president and CEO of Condé Nast, a premier media company known for producing the highest quality content for the world’s most influential audiences. During this episode, Bob shares how his curiosity and tenacity led him from a career in finance at The New York Times Magazine Group to CEO of one of the world’s most influential media companies. Stay tuned until the end for Bob’s advice to students!

In this episode of Be EPIC, Matt is joined by Ben Hasan, senior vice president and chief culture diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Walmart, to discuss his journey to becoming the Chief Culture DEI Officer and how his personal experiences with DEI have influenced his career. Ben and Matt discuss what representation means in the U.S and globally and how policy can change from country to country.