Dare to Disrupt

Building Community on Broadway with Marathon Digital Founder Mike Karns

Mike Karns is a Tony Award-winning theater producer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Marathon Digital, Broadway's premiere social media agency, which creates content and cultivates communities for some of Broadway’s biggest shows, non-profit arts organizations, and live entertainment brands around the world, including Hamilton, Hadestown, The Outsiders, and more. In 2024, he also co-founded The Season, a new producing and marketing company, alongside Broadway marketing executive Steven Tartick.In this episode, Mike shares his path into Broadway production, his early work across a variety of theater-related roles, and how—through networking, timing, and persistence—he landed the opportunity to manage social media for Hamilton. He explains how that experience sparked the creation and growth of Marathon Digital, and reflects on building two innovative companies, producing award-winning theatre, and what the future holds for Broadway marketing and emerging artists.Later in the episode, current Penn State student Teagan Jai Boyd joins the conversation. Teagan is a third-year BFA Acting student who recently appeared in the Centre Stage production of Rhinoceros and is currently in rehearsal for The Glass Menagerie. A member of the Presidential Leadership Academy, she and Mike discuss the importance of community when building a startup, making difficult decisions, handling burnout, and how Penn State provides hands-on experiences that prepare students for careers in the arts.Episode Chapters:0:00 – 6:03 Growing up in Erie, developing a love for theatre6:03 – 12:33 Choosing Penn State, working theatre-adjacent internships12:33 – 18:58 Breaking into Broadway production with an informational interview 18:58 – 21:16 The Hamilton phenomenon21:16 - 26:38 Building Marathon Digital, the entrepreneurial nature of Broadway 26:38 - 31:51 Producing on Broadway, launching The Season 31:51- 33:30 Navigating AI in social media industry33:30 – 36:05 Rapid Fire Questions36:05 – 47:50 Student Questions36:05 – 37:35 The importance of community in building company culture 37:35 – 38:46 Refueling and staying organized 38:46 – 39:58 How Mike overcame his most difficult business decision39:58 – 42:47 Managing uncertainty and patience42:47 – 45:08 Incentivizing audiences to come see a Broadway show45:08 – 47:50 The value of the hands-on experiences at Penn State About Mike KarnsMike Karns is the founder and CEO of Marathon Digital, Broadway's premiere social media agency; co-founder of The Season; and a Tony Award-winning theater producer. He graduated from the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Stage Management & Lighting Design.About Teagan Jai BoydTeagan is a third-year BFA Acting student who recently appeared in the Centre Stage production of Rhinoceros and is currently in rehearsal for The Glass Menagerie. She is also a member of the Presidential Leadership Academy. The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

LIVE from The Global Impact Forum: Leveling Up Education Tech with Techademics Founder Al Motley

Al Motley is the founder and CEO of Techademics, a technology company driving innovation in education, social impact philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector.In this episode, Al shares his journey from working at Penn State’s Center for Academic Computing as a student to leading an international tech company transforming the education and social impact sectors. With offices in Philadelphia, Buenos Aires, and Botswana, Techademics delivers digital solutions and strategic guidance to schools and nonprofits around the world—impacting hundreds of thousands of students, educators, and community leaders.Al discusses his path in education, how Techademics helps schools and nonprofits build effective tech infrastructure, what’s next for the edtech industry, and how mission-driven entrepreneurship can create lasting change.Episode Chapters0:00 - 5:20 Moving from school to school growing up5:20 - 10:26 Choosing Penn State and getting heavily involved as a student10:26 - 11:34 Knowing technology was the path for him11:34 - 12:57 Al's time with Mastery Charter School in Philadelphia to learn change management and scale12:57 - 18:40 The inspiration behind launching Techademics 18:40 - 22:57 Positioning schools to be successful in evolving technology landscape22:57 - 24:21 Advice for his younger self The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

LIVE from Penn State Brandywine: The CTDI Story with Co-founder Jerry Parsons

This special live recording of the Invent Penn State Dare to Disrupt podcast, presented by Brandywine LaunchBox powered by Penn State, features CTDI founder and chairman Jerry Parsons.Jerry shares how he and his family launched CTDI from a garage-based startup and scaled it into a global leader in the communications, mobility, and consumer devices service industries.The conversation explores the early days of building CTDI, key moments of disruption and growth, and Jerry’s insights on leadership, innovation, and building a family-run business that thrives on the global stage.At the end of the recording, in-person attendees had the chance to ask Jerry their own questions during a live audience Q&A session.Episode Chapters2:12 Fishing, budding love for electronics growing up5:43 Choosing Penn State Brandywine, college experience10:06 First job out of college at DuPont11:30 Dad pitches Jerry on a small repair business14:12 Acquiring first customers17:07 Innovations and technological breakthroughs18:29 Expanding nationally19:52 Adapting to industry changes26:11 The importance of tech testing27:21 Family legacy and mentorship29:26 Company culture and values30:20 International expansion and growth35:21 Advice for future generations36:39 Rapid-fire questions38:11 Audience questions The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Disrupting Arterial Disease Treatment with AVS Co-founder Robert Chisena

In this episode of Dare to Disrupt, host Ryan Newman speaks with Robert Chisena, co-founder and CTO of Amplitude Vascular Systems (AVS). AVS is a medical device company focused on safely and effectively treating severely calcified arterial disease. Robert shares his journey from growing up on Long Island in a family of physicians, to discovering his passion for research and entrepreneurship at Penn State, to co-founding an innovative medical device startup.Robert reflects on formative experiences at Penn State, including joining the Schreyer Honors College, diving into biomedical engineering research, and participating in Invent Penn State’s first cohort of the Summer Founders Program. He then traces how his graduate work at the University of Michigan—collaborating closely with physicians—led to the development of AVS’s intravascular lithotripsy technology, a novel approach to restoring blood flow in hardened arteries.Along the way, Robert discusses the challenges of taking research from lab to market, securing venture capital, and convincing physicians of a new device’s safety and efficacy.Later in the episode, Penn State Ph.D. Candidate Marzia Momin joins the conversation. Marzia is working on a neuro-tech startup developing personalized, 3D-printed neural implants for neurological disorders, with applications in therapy and brain-computer interfaces. Marzia recently participated in both the Invent Penn State NSF I-Corps regional short course program and the NSF I-Corps National Teams program. She asks Robert about how to build the best startup team, raising funding as a research-based startup, and what advice he'd give to his younger self.This episode gives an inside look at the intersection of engineering, medicine, and entrepreneurship — and how Penn State alumni are driving innovation in healthcare.Episode Chapters1:30 No avoiding a medical-based career3:25 Choosing and navigating Penn State05:42 Exploring research as an undergrad at Penn State8:24 Launching first medical device startup at Penn State, Summer Founders Program11:54 Moving forward with startup through graduate school at Michigan14:43 Meeting co-founder, learning about the tech behind AVS16:07 The potential to create tremendous impact in cardiovascular disease treatment19:43 Translating and commercializing research out of a university20:49 Where AVS is today, looking to the future22:45 Rapid Fire Round24:27 Student Section25:13 Building the right startup team27:15 Filling in the blanks of business acumen28:04 Advice for securing early funding29:57 Navigating FDA regulations31:02 Advice for aspiring entrepreneursAbout Robert ChisenaRobert Chisena is the co-founder and CTO of AVS. He graduated from the Penn State College of Engineering with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with honors from the Penn State Schreyer Honors College. Robert went on to receive his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan.About Marzia MominMarzia Momin is a Ph.D. candidate in the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department at Penn State, specializing in neural engineering. She is working on a neuro-tech startup developing personalized, 3D-printed neural implants for neurological disorders, with applications in therapy and brain-computer interfaces. Marzia recently participated in both the Invent Penn State NSF I-Corps regional short course program and the NSF I-Corps National Teams program The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Charting the Future of Sales Compensation with QuotaPath Founder AJ Bruno

AJ Bruno is the founder and CEO of QuotaPath, a leading sales compensation management platform that has secured significant investments, including a $41 million Series B. Serving roughly 1,000 customers, QuotaPath helps organizations align company goals with incentive plans to drive winning sales behaviors.Before QuotaPath, AJ co-founded TrendKite, which was acquired by Cision for $225 million in 2019. He also co-hosts Topline, a podcast on revenue growth and sales leadership.In this episode, AJ shares the stories behind launching TrendKite and QuotaPath, his passion for flying, and his perspective on integrating AI into workflows as a founder. He reflects on his days as a Penn State student, studying abroad in Italy, his first job at Meltwater, and how a terrible boss inspired him to start his first company.Later in the episode, recent Penn State grad Paul Allen joins the conversation. A participant in the Invent Penn State Summer Founders Program, Paul asks AJ for advice on raising venture capital, making first hires, and navigating the challenges of early-stage entrepreneurship.Episode Chapters02:13 - 07:06 Growing up in Pittsburgh, acting and flying07:06 - 12:17 Choosing Penn State, squash club, studying abroad12:17 - 15:38 First entrepreneurial venture at Penn State15:38 - 22:48 First job in sales, advice to students and parents22:48 - 29:15 Terrible boss as a catalyst for TrendKite29:15 - 33:02 The problem that inspired the launch of QuotaPath33:02 - 40:33 Navigating AI and future of QuotaPath40:33 - 43:51 The crazy story that led to AJ launching a podcast43:51 - 45:24 Rapid Fire Insights45:24 - 55:20 Recent student Paul Allen interviews AJAbout AJ BrunoAJ Bruno is founder and CEO of QuotaPath. He graduated from the Penn State Schreyer Honors College with a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Smeal College of Business in 2007.About Paul AllenPaul is a spring 2025 graduate of the Penn State College of Engineering. He completed the 2025 Invent Penn State Summer Founders Program with his startup, Reflex Technologies. Reflex is building a wearable electromyography (EMG) sensor that provides real-time muscle activation and fatigue insights to athletes and trainers. The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.