About the show
Looking Beyond With Michael Sikand is a time capsule for Michael's early years of building his brand, Our Future, through a series of high-energy interviews he conducted with business executives and startup founders as a 20-year-old University of Michigan student. Michael ended up pivoting to becoming a short video content creator and built Our Future into a media company he sold to Morning Brew at age 22. In 2022, Michael was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list in media.
Episodes
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#24 Brian Swette, President of Sweet Earth Natural Foods
July 1st, 2020 | 15 mins 28 secs
In Episode 24, listeners hear from Brian Swette, President of Sweet Earth Natural Foods, former CMO of PepsiCo from 1990-1997 and COO of Ebay from 1997-2002, and former board director of iconic companies like Burger King, Jamba Juice, Shutterfly, and Care.com. He discusses accidentally creating the Starbucks Frappuccino, how he missed a flight to be the first COO of Ebay, and why a culture that embraces failure is key.
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#23 Ed Bolian, Founder of VinWiki
June 29th, 2020 | 16 mins 27 secs
business, car, disruption, drakogte, drakomotors, ed bolian, electric, electric vehicle, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, ev, lamborghini, startup, startups, supercar, technology, vinwiki
In Episode 23, listeners hear from Ed Bolian, Founder and CEO of VINwiki Inc., former Cannonball Run record holder, and ex-Sales Director of Lamborghini Atlanta. He discusses why he started an exotic rental car company in college, how his VINwiki youtube channel went viral overnight, and his advice to young people who aspire to be shrewd negotiators.
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#22 Stephanie St. Thomas, Head of Marketing at Ribbon Health
June 26th, 2020 | 14 mins 19 secs
changing, consumer, disruption, healthcare, innovation, medical, ribbon, simplifying, technology
In Episode 22, listeners hear from Stephanie St. Thomas, Head of Marketing for Ribbon Health, a VC-backed startup looking to simplify healthcare. She discusses the companies pivot from a B2C to B2B model, the keys to marketing healthcare products, and her advice to students excited about the business of healthcare.
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#21 Sandy Plashkes, Co-Founder at OwnersBox
June 24th, 2020 | 10 mins 58 secs
athletes, athletics, business, digital, draft, entrepreneurship, fans, fantasy, football, nfl, players, sports, technology
In Episode 21, listeners hear from Sandy Plashkes, Co-Founder at Owners Box, a sports tech startup determined to disrupt the multi-billion dollar fantasy sports industry through a key advantage: social engagement. Sandy discusses how Owners Box's game plan for taking on giants like Draft Kings, the need for a comprehensive fantasy sports experience, and how he loves the sports tech space.
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#20 Kristy Rasbach, Chief Engineer of AVs at GM
June 22nd, 2020 | 14 mins 18 secs
In Episode 20, listeners hear from Kristy Rasbach, Chief Engineer of Autonomous Vehicles at GM, about her focus on integrating AV technology with vehicle hardware, the competitive and cultural advantages of the Cruise acquisition, the future business models of self-driving cars, and her advice to college students who want to build the self-driving future.
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#19 David Dann, CEO of MOAG Records
June 17th, 2020 | 13 mins 56 secs
apple music, artists, business, disruption, dj, independent, label, music, spotify, streaming
In Episode 19, listeners hear from David Dann, Founder & CEO at Mind of a Genius Records, an independent label home to artists like ZHU, THEY., Gallant, and Klangstof. Dann discusses the importance of creative freedom, how artists get paid through streaming, working with mega-labels, and his advice to students interested in music business.
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#18 Matt Seiler, Managing Partner at Raines Intl.
June 15th, 2020 | 15 mins 12 secs
advertising, change, disruption, headhunting, innovation, marketing, raines, revolution, talent
In Episode 18, listeners hear from Matt Seiler, a three-time CEO of multi-billion dollar ad agencies, who’s now looking to reinvent the executive search industry as Managing Director and Executive-in-Residence of Raines International. Seiler is masterminding the Raines Talent Marketplace, a digital exchange where SVPs and C-Suite executives tease out their personal brand to companies seeking their next change-maker. We discuss the evolution of advertising agencies, the flawed status quo in executive search, and how he loves helping people wield the power of their personal brand.
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#17 Eunice Cofie-Obeng, CEO of Nuekie
June 11th, 2020 | 13 mins 41 secs
beauty, blm, business, cosmetics, diversity, entrepreneur, innovation
In Episode 17, listeners hear from Eunice Cofie-Obeng, CEO and Chief Chemist of Nuekie, a DTC beauty company with skincare products designed for dark skin tones. She discusses why she launched her game-changing beauty brand, the strengths of the DTC business model, and how she believes empowering entrepreneurs of color can change the world.
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#16 Carlton Fowler, Founder of Goat Rodeo Capital
June 9th, 2020 | 15 mins 2 secs
alcohol, disruption, drinks, dtc, happy hour, innovation, investment, technology, venture capital
In Episode 16, listeners hear from Carlton Fowler, Managing Partner of Goat Rodeo Capital, a venture firm focused on making investments in the alcoholic beverage space. He notes the emergent success of DTC alcohol brands, the surge in acquisitions by big suppliers, and his advice to students who want to start their own fund one day.
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#15 Rob Chesnut, Former Chief Ethics Officer at Airbnb
June 8th, 2020 | 14 mins 27 secs
airbnb, business, change, disruption, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, fake i.d.s, future, government, law firm, laws, lawyer, policy, technology
In Episode 15, hear from Rob Chesnut, Advisor and former General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer at Airbnb, about his company’s 500k donation to Black Lives Matter + NAACP, the importance of companies aligning with social missions, and his advice to students about how to affect change in the new war on racism and inequality.
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#14 Eric Hutcherson, EVP of the NBA
June 5th, 2020 | 14 mins 9 secs
In Episode 14, listeners hear from Eric Hutcherson, Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at the NBA, about when the NBA will resume play, the growing role of technology in fan experience, and his advice to students who want to work in the business of sports.
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#13 Michael Corcoran, Head of New Initiatives at Amazon Prime Video
June 3rd, 2020 | 16 mins 54 secs
In Episode 13, listeners hear from Michael Corcoran, Head of New Initiatves for Amazon Prime Video Channels, about battling for the best content, how streaming platforms measure ROI on individual shows and movies, and advice for students interested in the entertainment space.
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#12 Alicia Levine, Chief Strategist at BNY Mellon
June 1st, 2020 | 14 mins 58 secs
business, coronavirus, covid, fed, finance, monetary policy, technology, wall street
In Episode 12, listeners hear from Alicia Levine, Chief Strategist at BNY Mellon, about the state of financial markets, the role of monetary policy in a crisis, and career advice for young professionals interested in finance.
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#11 Karina Cabanillas, Senior Advisor of Retail Innovation at CVS Health
May 29th, 2020 | 11 mins 53 secs
cvs, diabetes, drug stores, drugs, healthcare, opiods, pharmacies, prevention
In Episode 11, listeners hear from Karina Cabanillas, Senior Advisor of Retail Pharmacy Product Development & Innovation at CVS Health, about the changing role of drug stores, the emergence of the CVS Health Hubs and Minute Clinics, and her advice for students who want to affect impact impact in the healthcare space.
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#10 Derek Koenig, CMO at Buffalo Groupe
May 27th, 2020 | 14 mins 32 secs
advice, animal planet, business, career, discovery, disruption, entrepreneurship, innovation, streaming, technology
In today's episode, listeners hear from media executive Derek Koenig, Chief Content and Creative Officer at the Buffalo Groupe and former SVP of Global Creative at Discovery Channel and CMO at Vail Resorts. He discusses leading Discovery through a major rebrand, producing an Emmy winning commercial with Steve Irwin and Lance Armstrong, and working with mega-brands like Nike and McDonald's.
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#9 Socrates Rosenfeld, CEO of IHeartJane.com
May 25th, 2020 | 12 mins 39 secs
business, cannabis, consulting, ecommerce, entrepreneurship, flying, helicopters, military, strategy, tech, weed, westpoint
How is technology shaping the cannabis industry In Episode 9, listeners hear from Socrates Rosenfeld, Founder and CEO of IHeartJane.com, the world's first and largest e-commerce marketplace for cannabis products, about his local-first model, hot trends in wellness products, and how his previous career flying Apache Helicopters for the U.S. Army shaped his business savvy.