Dare to Disrupt

Peter Cocoziello, the ambitious Chairman and CEO of Advance Realty Investors, shares his remarkable journey from a small coal town to real estate success. He started his firm with just $5,000 and transformed various Northeast markets. Peter dives into the intersection of real estate and technology, highlighting innovative projects like the Penn State Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation. He discusses strategic partnerships, the shift towards asset-light strategies, and the importance of sustainability in the ever-evolving real estate landscape.

Jason Warner, co-founder and CEO of Poolside and former GitHub CTO, shares his insights on the evolving landscape of AI in software development. He discusses the unique challenges faced by generative AI startups and emphasizes the need for robust infrastructure. Stephen Lesko, a Penn State computer science student and co-founder of OfferPilot, adds his perspective on user acquisition in the tech sector. Together, they explore how AI is reshaping coding, making it more accessible, while also addressing societal challenges it presents.

Vivian is founder and president of VB Cosmetics, a fully integrated manufacturing company with global brands of clean, nature- and science-based, functional and proprietary beauty products. Its transformational product, Dazzle Dry, a quick-dry nail polish system, is revolutionizing the nail industry. After 17 years on the market, Dazzle Dry now still has no equal in performance.  In this episode, Vivian shares stories from her upbringing in the Philippines, overcoming discrimination and harassment in the workplace, acquiring nine patents as an accomplished bio-organic chemist and inventor, and inventing the foundation for what would become Dazzle Dry. The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Jeremy is co-founder and CEO of KCF Technologies, a technology company based out of State College PA. KCF Technologies provides proprietary machine health optimization hardware, software, and services to industry and military clients. Under Jeremy’s leadership, KCF has pioneered advancements in wireless vibration sensing and machine health monitoring. Today, the company is a global leader […] The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Joe Pulizzi is the founder of multiple startups, including content creator education site, The Tilt, Content Entrepreneur Expo, and the Content Marketing Institute, which he successfully exited in 2016. He is the bestselling author of seven books including Content Inc. and Epic Content Marketing, which was named a “Must-Read Business Book” by Fortune Magazine. Joe is a professional public speaker, having spoken over 400 times in 20 plus countries on content marketing, the creator economy, and entrepreneurship. He graduated from Bowling Green State University with a bachelor’s in communications in 1995, and from Penn State with a master's in communications in 1997.   In this episode, Joe shares his experience building the Content Marketing Institute, the failures he endured along the way, his strong commitment to goal-setting, and his association with the color orange. He also talks about jumping into writing a thriller novel to challenge himself creatively. Joe also shares his insights around the difference between content creators and content entrepreneurs, and why he believes it's an important distinction.  At the end of the episode, current Penn State student Riley Auer joins the conversation. Riley is the founder of Bootleg Boomerangs, which sells high-quality hand-made wooden boomerangs. Bootleg Boomerangs has a large focus on content creation, with over 31,000 subscribers on YouTube. Riley talks through some challenges he faces in growing his business with Joe, who gives advice regarding ad placement in video content, finding the true super fans through exclusive giveaways and experiences, and striking the balance between being a business and being a place for fun content. Episode Chapters 0:00 – 3:49 Intro and journey summary   3:49 – 4:43 Growing up next to Cedar Point Amusement Park  4:43 – 6:42 Undergrad at Bowling Green – Do I have to declare a major? 6:42 – 9:32 Graduate student at Penn State, teaching speech class  9:32 – 12:12 Struggling on the job search  12:12 – 15:16 The evolving business model of content marketing  15:16– 19:30 The inception of Content Marketing Institute  19:30 – 22:11 The moment he realized he had made it  22:11 – 24:34 What’s the deal with Joe’s orange self-branding?  24:34 – 28:36  Setting goals and exiting CMI  28:36 – 30:41 Taking a sabbatical  30:41 – 31:59 Becoming a thriller author  31:59 – 33:45 Launching the Tilt and Content Entrepreneur Expo  33:45 –  35:54 The difference between Content Creator vs. Content Entrepreneur  35:54 – 37:50 Defining the Tilt’s audience  37:50 – 38:32 How to get connected to Joe  38:32 – 40:01 The Orange Effect Foundation, providing access to speech and play therapy for autistic children  40:01 – 55:51 Student Questions – Joe gives actionable advice to Riley Auer, Bootleg Boomerangs founder  The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Omar Easy is the recently appointed director of the all-new Penn State Brand Academy, which is designed to support student-athletes to manage and leverage their personal brand, name, image and likeness (NIL), and support their entrepreneurial interests more successfully.  In this episode, Omar shares lessons learned from his time as a student-athlete at Penn State as well as his time in the NFL, where he played as a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders. He then discusses his vision for The Brand Academy and how it will serve student-athletes in building and leveraging their personal brand. The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Justin Rosenberg is Founder and CEO of honeygrow, a fast-casual stir-fry and salad concept founded in Philadelphia in 2012. With a mission to create a unique, spirited brand focused on simple, wholesome foods, Rosenberg has led the company's creation and growth, which currently has 41 locations. In this special LIVE episode recording, which took place during Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC on Wednesday, March 20, Justin shares his story of perseverance and eventual success with honeygrow. Justin first pitched honeygrow 93 times to investors before finally landing a deal and opening the first location in the Rittenhouse neighborhood of Philadelphia. Since then, the company has raised over $80 million in equity financing and has grown into the Boston, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington DC and the New York City metro areas. The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Matt DeSoto is the President and CEO of Harrisburg-based MITER Brands, a family of leading window and door brands designed for residential projects in the new construction and remodeling markets. In this episode, Matt talks about his experience working for Student Painters as a student at Penn State, enduring the Great Recession of 2008, how he and his team maintain top-quality products and service, as well as how he prioritizes giving back to the communities they work in through the MITER Foundation. Be sure to come to our upcoming LIVE podcast episode recording with honeygrow CEO & founder, Justin Rosenberg! Learn more and register: https://sched.co/1YQOk The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

B.J. Werzyn is the founder and CEO of West Shore Home, one of the largest direct to consumer home remodelers in the nation. In this episode, B.J. talks about how he is revolutionizing a traditionally fragmented and tech averse industry. He talks through how West Shore Home mapped out the 67 processes of home remodeling, removed inefficiencies, and implemented streamlined processes empowered by technology to ultimately make the easiest, quickest, most stress-free customer experience. The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

We are taking a break this December, but we'll be back in late January with an episode featuring B.J. Werzyn, the founder and CEO of West Shore Home, one of the largest direct-to-consumer home remodelers in the nation. Listen to this episode for a quick preview of the interview. Happy holidays! The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.