In a NEW episode, we caught up with Chat at a recent McIntire event this spring. Chat was also a guest on Learning Out Loud Episode #9 last July. Chaitenya Razdan⁠ (UVA McIntire '05, UChicago Booth '11) is the Founder and CEO of ⁠Care+Wear⁠.

Ashley Young is the co-founder of Bridal Babes, the first size-inclusive bridesmaid gown line. Bridal Babes was featured on the 14th Season of Shark Tank, where Ashley and her husband Charles received a $250k investment from Emma Grede. Ashley is a 2009 graduate of the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce.

Griffin Spolansky graduated from UVA in 2019 and was part of the NCAA National Championship men's lacrosse team. After being frustrated with the protein bars available after practice, and meeting his co-founder outside his social entrepreneurship class, he started working on his company Mezcla, which is a plant-based snack brand that has started in the protein bar aisle. They have a puff-crispy texture and combine many cultures into the flavors. You can find them in Whole Foods. Griffin was also found in Forbes 30 under 30 in 2023. We spoke with Griffin about How he met his co-founder His decision to pursue his company full-time right after school How being on the UVA and then Israeli lacrosse team has instilled accountability into his values and impacts his leadership in his company How he filters through advice he receives Marketing and attending food shows in the CPG space Much more

Hunter Stoler is the founder of Health With Hunter- a social media platform and website to have “Health Made Simple.” Hunter is a certified nutrition and health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. He coaches clients 1-1 and 1-2 and has helped over 150 people lose body fat in a simple and sustainable way. He has also created guides for food swaps, and is a full-time Business Analyst at American Express in New York, New York, all while managing his social media platforms where he creates health-related content with over 160k on Tik Tok and over 50k on Instagram. Hunter is originally from Long Island, New York and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022.  We spoke with Hunter about: His personal health journey How he started and grew his social media accounts How he started getting brand deals How he manages content creation, coaching, maintaining a healthy life-style, and a full time job at AMEX His advice for people’s health Much more Make sure to follow Hunter on Tik Tok and Instagram for some informative content, but also to have your day brightened because he is the best!

Katlin Smith is the founder and CEO of Simple Mills, a leader in the natural foods movement. Their products include gluten free, paleo-friendly almond flours, crackers, cookies and baking mixes, and can be found in over 28,000 stores worldwide in locations like Whole Foods, Costco, Walmart and others. Katlin is a 2010 graduate of UNC and attended the University of Chicago Booth School of Business from 2013-2014. We spoke with Katlin about: Finding your first customers Spending time on branding vs. on the product itself Benefits of business school Being a healthy fish in dirty water Simple Mills’ partnerships with local farmers Hiring early on Putting in effort

Evan Nied is a second year undergraduate at the University of Virginia, and founder of OK Energy, a beverage start-up which launched in January 2024.

Andrew Elliot is the founder of RoundlyX, a platform which allows users to round up spare change on purchases and invest in the cryptocurrency space, as well as donate to charitable causes. Andrew previously served in the U.S. Military and attended the University of Virginia. We spoke with Andrew about: Grit as your biggest resource Learning by doing Finding comfort in discomfort Making faster, better decisions

Mark Galant is the CEO of Tydall Investment Partners, an angel investing and real estate lending/development firm, as well as the founder of the Galant Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Mark is a 1980 graduate of the UVA McIntire School of Commerce and a 1982 graduate of Harvard Business School. Prior to Tydall, Mark served as Founder and CEO of GAIN Capital.  We spoke with Mark Galant about: Why college students should work at a startup Circuitous career paths  The importance of passion outside of work Iterating on an existing concept Building lasting business relationships Negotiation The decision to return to Harvard Business School Much more

Neal Hoffman is the founder of Mensch on a Bench, the most publicized brand to come out of Shark Tank. Neal made a deal with Lori Griener and Robert Herjavec. In addition to the continued success of Mensch on a Bench, Neal is the CEO of FanRoll, a board a high-end accessories company for the gaming market. He is a 1999 graduate of the University of Michigan and earned an MBA from the UVA Darden School of Business in 2005. We spoke with Neal about: His experience on Shark Tank Running Mensch on a Bench solo Marketing Thinking long-term Negotiation

Minnie Lahoti is the founder of ML STEM Prep, an online tutoring company focused on serving college undergraduates in courses such as organic chemistry, physics, and calculus. Minnie also serves as a Technical Program Manager at Microsoft, and has a rich background as an organic chemist, consultant and data scientist. She is a 2014 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned an MBA from the UVA Darden School of Business in 2023. We spoke with Minnie about: Balancing a startup with a full time job Taking a company’s culture into account Profiting off of an existing idea Playing into your strengths Network effects and 2 sided marketplaces