UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Smeal College of Business has announced the introduction of a new podcast series that will offer research-based insights and industry perspectives on the issues and trends shaping the world of business.
Hosted by award-winning financial journalist and Smeal alum Farnoosh Torabi, the “Better Business” podcast will feature Smeal alumni and faculty members as well as other high-achieving thought leaders in the world of finance, accounting, supply chain, marketing, management, real estate and international business. The 10-episode season will begin the week of Feb. 27.
“We regularly engage with our alumni around the world and, in doing so, we frequently hear about the challenges they face as leaders,” said Charles H. Whiteman, John and Karen Arnold Dean of Smeal. “From disruption in the supply chain, to climate change, social activism, the Great Resignation, and international relations, the issues and opportunities confronting business leaders today have never been more complex. This podcast offers informed perspectives on those challenges.”
Each episode of “Better Business” will offer content aimed at helping leaders succeed in the contemporary and often unpredictable business climate. Guests also will discuss the importance of lifelong learning while reflecting on their own journeys.
“We see ourselves as a partner with our students while they are learning with us and throughout all stages of their careers,” Whiteman continued. “So, it made sense to harness the wisdom and experiences of our world-class faculty members as well as alumni and other thought leaders who are on the front lines, navigating the choppy waters of business in the 21st century.”
According to Whiteman, the selection of Torabi as host of the new podcast series was an easy one, especially considering her familiarity with Penn State Smeal and its faculty members, as well as her knowledge and skills as a respected financial journalist and television personality. A member of the Smeal Board of Visitors, Torabi is a 2002 graduate of Penn State Smeal with a degree in finance and international business, as well as an alumna of the Schreyer Honors College. She later earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and has served as a contributing editor to Oprah Magazine, Next Advisor and CNET, hosted a primetime series for CNBC and is the creator and host of the Webby-nominated podcast “So Money.”
Listeners can subscribe to or download and share weekly episodes of “Better Business” from most podcast streaming services and at smeal.psu.edu/podcast. Topics and guests slated for the 10 episodes include:
“Raising the minimum wage: How firms are balancing the political, financial, and labor pressures”
- Matt Gustafson, associate professor of finance and Stuart and Michele Rothstein Early Career Professor
- Brian Dreibelbis, class of 1985, senior director of supply chain HR/labor and employee relations, Land O’Lakes
“Supply chain disruption and the future of globalization: Is 'Made in America' back?”
- Brent Moritz, associate professor of supply chain management
- Jerome Griffith, class of 1979, marketing, CEO, Lands' End
“The future of work: How can managers increase flexibility without losing productivity?”
- Margaret Luciano, associate professor of management and organization and BNY Faculty Fellow
- Andrew Moses, class of 2007, accounting, vice president, MorganFranklin Consulting
“When the boss brings politics to work: CEO activism and how it impacts the workforce”
- Don Hambrick, Smeal Professor of Management and Evan Pugh University Professor
- Halla Tomasdottir, CEO, The B-Team
“Friends, partners and allies: The future of U.S. trade relations abroad”
- Terrence Guay, clinical professor of international business, associate dean for international programs, and director of the Center for Global Business Studies
- Pierre Cohade, class of 1985, finance, independent director and adviser
“When Social Activists Target Organizations”
- Forrest Briscoe, professor of management and Frank and Mary Jean Smeal Research Fellow
“The leadership trajectory of women: How COVID, Roe v. Wade, and other obstacles have brought new challenges to a longstanding struggle”
- Aparna Joshi, Arnold Family Professor of Management
“The Circular Economy”
- Karen Winterich, professor of marketing, Gerald I. Susman Professor in Sustainability
- Steve French, class of 1983, marketing, chief operating officer, Natural Marketing Institute
“Funding Options for Entrepreneurs”
- Jeanette Miller, assistant clinical professor, associate director of the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Charles Callahan, class of 1968, management, managing partner at Triangle Venture Partners, LLC
“Climate Change and Commercial Real Estate”
- Eva Steiner, associate professor of real estate, King Family Early Career Professor
- Jason Borrelli, class of 1994, engineering, principal, Exeter Property Group