Bearcats Mean Business

“I belong in this room, and my voice needs to be in this room.” 

“People are always looking at what leaders do, not just what they say.” 

“At the end of the day, every business, every organization, ultimately is about its people and its talent.” 

Just three of the many executive insights from Michael Fisher, former CEO of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, in this episode of Bearcats Mean Business. 

In a conversation with Lindner dean Mar...

Leadership rarely follows a straight line. Christ Hospital Health Network President & CEO Deborah Hayes joins Lindner dean Marianne Lewis to reflect on a leadership journey that began with working nights as a student nurse aide and progressed into leading a major hospital system.

Deborah shares candid lessons on taking ownership of career development, creating learning opportunities beyond formal training, and stepping into lead...

Building a business isn’t just about skill — it’s about purpose, resilience, and perspective.

In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, student entrepreneur Shawn Peterson discusses how his upbringing, Lindner education, and learning-by-doing mindset have shaped both his outlook and his photography business, Shawnie’s Cinema. 

From managing clients and coursework to handling feedback and self-doubt, Shawn offers a transparent look a...

What does it really take to build companies — and when should you start? 

In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, entrepreneur and Lindner alum Phil Santoro shares his journey from founding his first business at 13 to working at Google — and ultimately building and scaling companies as the co-founder of startup studio Wilbur Labs. 

Phil talks candidly about learning by doing, taking calculated risks, and why real-world experience ...

Co-produced and hosted by Lindner student Mirsayah Wasnuk, Sustainability in Business: A Bearcats Mean Business Student Series, explores the connection between sustainability and key areas of business, while offering students practical insights on how to integrate sustainable thinking into their career paths. 

In the final episode of this series, Mirsayah sits down with Assistant Professor of Industrial Design Braden Trauth to discu...

In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Liwei Chen, an Amazon best-selling author and Associate Professor of Operations, Business Analytics, and Information Systems, explains what students truly need to know about Generative AI. 

The co-author of “Generative AI for Business: Frameworks, Techniques and Governance” — recently named the No. 1 new release in the “business education and reference category” on Amazon — shares the most ...

Co-produced and hosted by Lindner student Mirsayah Wasnuk, Sustainability in Business: A Bearcats Mean Business Student Series, explores the connection between sustainability and key areas of business, while offering students practical insights on how to integrate sustainable thinking into their career paths. 

In this episode, Mirsayah recounts her voyage to Belém, Brazil, with third-year Lindner student Serenity Pastor and Lindner ...

Co-produced and hosted by Lindner student Mirsayah Wasnuk, Sustainability in Business: A Bearcats Mean Business Student Series, explores the connection between sustainability and key areas of business, while offering students practical insights on how to integrate sustainable thinking into their career paths. 

In this episode, Mirsayah sits down with UC Assistant Sustainability Coordinator Jen Vasconcellos to explore how Lindner and...

In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, we spotlight co-op through an interview with Preston Simon, a second-year finance and business economics student who’s already built an impressive résumé through hands-on roles in finance. 

Preston reflects on his co-op experiences with UBS Financial Services, where he supported client strategy and investment tracking, and RKCA Investment Bank, where he’s sharpening his skills in financial ...

In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Lindner assistant professor-educator Steven Jones and Lindner senior Ryan Baillie explore the world of project management — from classroom lessons to real-world leadership. 

Jones, who enjoyed a successful career in project management before joining Lindner, shares how the college is preparing students to manage complex projects across industries through its operations management program. B...

Co-produced and hosted by Lindner student Mirsayah Wasnuk, Sustainability in Business: A Bearcats Mean Business Student Series, explores the connection between sustainability and key areas of business, while offering students practical insights on how to integrate sustainable thinking into their career paths. 

In the debut episode of this four-part series, Mirsayah sits down with Lindner graduate Ben Booker, co-founder of Net Impact...

What can students learn from the real-world use of AI and analytics in business? In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Matt Booher, Vice President of Data Solutions at EW Scripps Company, shares how he built his career in analytics, how Scripps is leveraging AI to shape the future of media, and the challenges that come with innovation.  

Matt also offers advice for Lindner students seeking to enhance their skillset for a data-d...

Ever wonder what it’s like to co-op at Google? In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Lindner student Bitanya Derese shares how she landed her role at one of the world’s most influential companies and what her day-to-day looked like inside Google. 

The Lindner Business Honors student and marketing major also reflected on the lessons she brought back to Lindner/UC, how her Lindner experiences prepared her for co-op success, and h...

Every Bearcat has a story — and Bobby Schuckmann’s shows the power of persistence, focus, and seizing opportunities. 

From an unpaid, three-hour-commute co-op with the Indiana Pacers/Fever to his current role as Managing Director & Senior Wealth Advisor at Truist Wealth Sports & Entertainment Group, Bobby turned a bold dream into a lasting career. 

Tune in to hear Bobby’s lessons on resilience, the mindset it takes to break i...

Reza Yazdian, JD, a proud Lindner alum and founder of Synchrocare, has never been afraid to break new ground. He also possesses some trademark Lindner and Bearcat grit. In this episode, Reza shares: 

*How Lindner and UC shaped his approach to problem-solving 

*How he created a co-op with Airborne Express 

*Lessons on taking risks and moving from concept to launch 

###

Chapters

0:54 – Experiences and lessons at Lindner/UC that impacte...

How do you go from a co-op student to president & CTO at the same company? 

Lindner alum Nick Enger reflects on landing his first co-op at Advanced Technology Consulting, the hard and soft skills he learned as a co-op that he still uses today, and the long game of earning trust, navigating setbacks and growing into executive leadership. 

If you're a student dreaming of the C-suite — or an alum curious about the long-term valu...

What does the future of higher education look like — and how is the Lindner College of Business leading the way through co-op and real-world learning? 

In this episode, Dean Marianne Lewis shares her bold vision for higher ed, addresses the shifting perceptions of value among students and families, and explains why Lindner’s co-op model goes far beyond resume building. From student success stories to reimagining the academic mindset...

How does a co-op experience turn into a full-time opportunity? On this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, 2024 Lindner grad Benjamin Seid shares how his time at UC — and particularly his co-ops — equipped him with the hard and soft skills to thrive in the professional world. 

Benjamin talks about landing his role at Triversity Construction, working with Lindner Career Services, and navigating the transition from UC Blue Ash to main ...

In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Lindner graduate Rachael Spoon talks about: 

*Aiming to “revolutionize the wedding industry” with her wedding planning business, Rae & Co. + plans for her one-of-kind venue.

*Key mentors, including a Lindner academic advisor who let Rachael plan her wedding.

*Overcoming doubt + why failure is a necessary part of success.

###

Timestamps