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GrizzTech Talks

GrizzTech Talks

By The Team at GrizzHacks

In every episode, we’ll be spending about 20 minutes with an alum, maker, engineer or prominent individual in the workforce. They’ll share their insights and advice from their career path in order to help you navigate your future.
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An Interview with Joe Karlsson, Developer Advocate at MongoDB

GrizzTech TalksOct 16, 2020

00:00
23:15
An Interview with Dan McCurdy, Senior Director of Technical Program Management (AR/VR) at Facebook

An Interview with Dan McCurdy, Senior Director of Technical Program Management (AR/VR) at Facebook

Dan McCurdy is a Senior Director of Technical Program Management (in AR/VR) at Facebook. Dan graduated from Oakland University in 1991 with a degree in Finance, and shortly after joined Ameritech (which is now AT&T). Over the years he has held director positions in technical program management, spanning software and hardware engineering at both Motorola and Amazon, before joining Facebook in 2019 as a director.

In this episode, Dan tell us about lessons from his career path, how to stand out as an employee early in your career, and what it’s like to work on “Version 0” and “Version 1” projects.

Get a limited edition GrizzTech Talks sticker here: https://forms.gle/VLzNuwFzoycig2KZA

Apr 09, 202125:40
An Interview with Jacklyn Biggin, Senior Developer at Royal Bank of Canada & MLH Coach

An Interview with Jacklyn Biggin, Senior Developer at Royal Bank of Canada & MLH Coach

Jacklyn Biggin is a Senior Developer at the Royal Bank of Canada. Jacklyn studied Digital Media at the University of Leeds in the UK, and in March of 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic she founded and was the lead organizer of Hack Quarantine, a 3-week online hackathon with thousands of participants. Today, in addition to working at RBC she is everyone’s favorite hackathon coach and creates awesome content for Major League Hacking. 


Shownotes: Follow Jacklyn on Twitter (https://twitter.com/JackBiggin), connect with her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackbiggin/) and subscribe to her YouTube channel (http://dontforgettolikeandsubscribe.com/) 

Get your limited edition GrizzTech Talks sticker at https://forms.gle/fPzYAZkUmqud8HzB6.

Mar 26, 202122:32
An Interview with Tom Shea, CEO of OneStream Software

An Interview with Tom Shea, CEO of OneStream Software

Tom Shea graduated from Oakland University in 1991 with degrees in Accounting and Finance, and he brought his business acumen with him as he transitioned into the world of software and technology. Tom’s work and the products he built pioneered a whole new space of Financial Data Quality. He sold his first company in 2006, and a few years later he founded OneStream Software which is a company based in Rochester, Michigan currently valued at over a billion dollars. Tom Shea is the founder and CEO of OneStream Software.

In this episode, listen to Tom talk about his journey as an entrepreneur, from his time studying at Oakland University to founding OneStream. Tom talks about the innovation happening at OneStream Software and shares his best career advice along the way.

Shownotes:
Learn more about OneStream Software at https://www.onestreamsoftware.com/ and view their job openings at https://www.onestreamsoftware.com/about/careers.

Mar 19, 202126:12
An Interview with Minn Kim, Principal at Bloomberg Beta

An Interview with Minn Kim, Principal at Bloomberg Beta

Minn graduated from Villanova University with a degree in Economics and Psychology. She is a former New Yorker turned San Francisco-based investor at Bloomberg Beta, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in the future of work. At Bloomberg Beta, she focuses on automation, productivity tools for knowledge workers, and robots. 

In this episode, Minn tells us about working in venture capital, talks about Bloomberg Beta and the future of work, and gives her best career advice for students and recent grads.  

Shownotes: Connect and follow Minn on her Twitter (https://twitter.com/minney_cat) and website (https://minnkim.com/). Learn more about Bloomberg Beta on their website (https://www.bloombergbeta.com/).

Mar 12, 202126:33
An Interview with Amanda Fischer, Product Manager at Ford

An Interview with Amanda Fischer, Product Manager at Ford

Amanda Fischer is an early career professional at Ford Motor Company. She graduated from Oakland University in 2016 with a degree in IT and entered the rotational program at Ford. During the rotational program, Amanda chose a variety of roles including project manager and software engineer on three separate products. Her current role as a Location Based Services Product Manager brings her close to some of the company's most coveted upcoming vehicles as she works with her team to deliver drive assist vehicle features. Outside of her daily job, she is a passionate advocate for women in tech, STEM outreach, and meeting exceptional candidates as a recruiter. 

In this exciting season kick-off episode, Amanda talks to us about STEM outreach, her work in tech, and shares helpful early career advice. Along the way, she also shares her industry insider’s perspective on the current state and future of autonomous vehicles, and what has to happen to alleviate any doubts on the future of autonomy. 

Shownotes: 

Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacfischer/) and learn more about Ford at https://www.ford.com/. 

Jan 15, 202124:55
An Interview with Andrea Koenigsknecht, Cybersecurity Analyst at CyberForce|Q

An Interview with Andrea Koenigsknecht, Cybersecurity Analyst at CyberForce|Q

Andrea Koenigsknecht is a graduate of Oakland University and currently works as a cybersecurity analyst in the Michigan Healthcare Security Operations Center (MI|HSOC) at CyberForce|Q. Her team works to provide specialized cybersecurity operations for the healthcare sector. During her time at OU, Andrea maintained an impressive track and field record, as well as participating in cybersecurity research, all leading to the success she enjoys today.


In today's episode, Andrea discusses how phishing attacks are masquerading as COVID-19 vaccine information, how to keep yourself safe online, and how a research program at Oakland University sparked her interests in cybersecurity. 


Show Notes


Music by Clockwork Passerine

Dec 18, 202020:35
An Interview with Cassidy Williams, Principal Developer Experience Engineer at Netlify

An Interview with Cassidy Williams, Principal Developer Experience Engineer at Netlify

Cassidy is a Principal Developer Experience Engineer at Netlify. She's worked for several other places, including CodePen, Amazon, and Venmo, and she's had the honor of working with various non-profits, including cKeys and Hacker Fund as their Director of Outreach. She's active in the developer community, and one of Glamour Magazine's 35 Women Under 35 Changing the Tech Industry and LinkedIn's Top Professionals 35 & Under. As an avid speaker, Cassidy has participated in several events including the Grace Hopper Celebration for Women in Computing, TEDx, the United Nations, and dozens of other technical events. She wants to inspire generations of STEM students to be the best they can be, and her favorite quote is from Helen Keller: "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar." She loves mechanical keyboards and karaoke.

In this episode, listen to Cassidy talk about finding mentorship and how to stand out as an engineer. Cassidy also reflects on her favorite projects from her time at Venmo, Clarifai, CodePen and Netlify.

Shownotes: Connect with Cassidy on her Twitter (https://twitter.com/cassidoo) or GitHub (https://github.com/cassidoo). Subscribe to Cassidy's weekly web dev newsletter (https://cassidoo.co/newsletter/) and check out her course on Building Reusable React (https://scrimba.com/learn/reusablereact).

Nov 13, 202026:24
An Interview with Jarek Wojciechowski, Software Consultant & Developer at Atomic Object

An Interview with Jarek Wojciechowski, Software Consultant & Developer at Atomic Object

Jarek Wojciechowsk is a Software Consultant & Developer at Atomic Object. Jarek studied computer science at Oakland University, and during his college years he founded the GrizzHacks hackathon with his classmates. Jarek also worked as a coach for Major League Hacking where he helped out at collegiate hackathons across North America. And shortly after graduating, he found himself at Atomic Object, where he works in small team of developers and designers to build custom software for a wide variety of clients. In this episode, Jarek talks with us about his time at Oakland University, life working as a software consultant, and generative art. Shownotes: Connect with Jarek on Twitter (https://twitter.com/wojonatior) and Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/wojonatior) Learn about Generative Art here (https://generativeartistry.com/) and read Jarek’s blog post on it here (https://spin.atomicobject.com/2019/07/20/generative-art-software-dev/)
Oct 30, 202023:14
An Interview with Joe Karlsson, Developer Advocate at MongoDB

An Interview with Joe Karlsson, Developer Advocate at MongoDB

Joe Karlsson is a Software Engineer and Developer Advocate at MongoDB. Joe studied computer science in college and graduated in 2012. He worked in roles as a consultant, javascript instructor, and full-stack software engineer before becoming a technical lead at BestBuy.com, one of the top 10 e-commerce sites in North America. For more than a year now, Joe has been working at MongoDB as a software engineer and developer advocate.
In this episode, listen to Joe talk about his journey as a software engineer and how he got to work at MongoDB. Joe talks about being a developer advocate, and how he is able to build projects and support the developer community through his work. He walks us through how he starts building new projects, brainstorms technical blog posts, and plans conference talks.

Shownotes:
Connect with Joe on Twitter (https://twitter.com/JoeKarlsson1), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joekarlsson/) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@joekarlsson).

Connect with MongoDB on their careers page (https://www.mongodb.com/careers) and check out their developer portal (https://developer.mongodb.com).
Oct 16, 202023:15
An Interview with Benjamin Maxim, Asst. VP of Digital Strategy & Innovation at MSU Federal Credit Union

An Interview with Benjamin Maxim, Asst. VP of Digital Strategy & Innovation at MSU Federal Credit Union

Benjamin Maxim is the Assistant Vice President of Digital Strategy and Innovation at MSU Federal Credit Union. Ben graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Telecommunications at Michigan State University in 2007. Now, he has spent over 13 years working at the Credit Union working his way through many positions on his way there.

In this week's episode, Ben talks about how banks are finding ways to connect with local communities in a digital age, new technology programs at MSUFCU, and how events like GrizzHacks allow the company to empower students. 

Music by Clockwork Passerine

Sep 25, 202026:23
An Interview with Tony Hamama, R&D People Operations Lead at Dynatrace
Sep 18, 202026:48
An Interview with DJ Bridges, University Relations Manager at Rock Central
Sep 11, 202021:60
An Interview with Sathish Muthukrishnan, Chief Information, Data, and Digital Officer at Ally
Sep 04, 202023:49
An Interview with Harpreet Kaur, Senior Technical Product Manager at Microsoft
Aug 28, 202022:00
An Interview with Garlin Gilchrist, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan

An Interview with Garlin Gilchrist, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan

Garlin Gilchrist studied computer engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan. After graduating with honors, he had a successful career as a software engineer at Microsoft. He then took a career shift into politics and public service, where he worked for the Barack Obama campaign and eventually became the Director of Innovation and Emerging Technology for the city of Detroit. In 2019, he was elected the 64th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan.

In this interview, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist discusses his unique career path. He tells us about his time in college studying engineering, describes his work at Microsoft, and outlines how he took a shift into politics and public service. Along the way, he shares his best career and life advice. 

Music by Clockwork Passerine

This episode was recorded on May 4th, 2020.

Jun 12, 202026:24
An Interview with Emma Atkinson, Fuel Economy Development and Benchmarking Engineer at FCA
Jun 05, 202018:24
An Interview with Barbara Oakley, Professor of Engineering at Oakland University
May 29, 202018:58
An Interview with Rohit Timmagi, GM Resident Engineer at Valeo

An Interview with Rohit Timmagi, GM Resident Engineer at Valeo

Rohit Timmagi graduated from Oakland University in 2018 and served as the president of the League of Engineers and Computer Scientists (LECS) during his time at OU. Currently, Rohit works as a GM Resident Engineer at Valeo, and has also worked in an associate R&D role in the past. 

In this week's episode, Rohit talks about his experience as the president of LECS, the unique traits of his role at Valeo, and gives advice on what students can do in order to best prepare themselves for the workforce.

Music by Clockwork Passerine

May 22, 202021:30
An Interview with Adam McNeilly, Senior Software Developer at OKCupid

An Interview with Adam McNeilly, Senior Software Developer at OKCupid

Adam McNeilly is a graduate from the Oakland University SECS Class of 2016 and is a GrizzHacks co-founder. Currently, he’s a senior software engineer for OkCupid.

In this interview, he talks about his experiences as a student at Oakland, and as a software developer at his current and previous positions. He also gives his own perspective on what engineering and computer science students can do to help further themselves in the field. 

Show Notes: You can follow Adam @AdamMc331 on Twitter, and connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adammcneilly/. Music by Clockwork Passerine

May 15, 202023:48
An Interview with Jonathan Gottfried, co-founder of Major League Hacking

An Interview with Jonathan Gottfried, co-founder of Major League Hacking

Jonathan Gottfried is a co-founder of Major League Hacking, and he formerly worked at StartupBus and Twilio. Jonathan is listed on the Forbes 30 under 30 for his work with Major League Hacking, which is a company that supports student-run hackathons across the world. MLH is growing the hackathon community around the world and helping students learn valuable coding skills. 

 In this episode, Jon talks about his career path and how hackathons helped him learn, build, and get to the next stage of his career. Along the way, he gives advice to students and recent grads today.

Show Notes:
Jon's Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonmarkgo
Jon's Email: jon@mlh.io
The MLH Fellowship Opportunity: https://fellowship.mlh.io/
Upcoming MLH Events: http://mlh.io/events

Music by Clockwork Passerine

May 15, 202023:41
An Interview with Kelli Foskic, Career Consultant at Oakland University

An Interview with Kelli Foskic, Career Consultant at Oakland University

Kelli works in Oakland University's School of Engineering and Computer Science Department, helping students secure internships and jobs in the fields that matter most to them. In this week's episode, Kelli talks with the team at GrizzHacks about what students can do in order to best prepare themselves for today and tomorrow's job market.

Show Notes:
LinkedIn Alumni Tool: https://www.linkedin.com/school/oakland-university/people/
Using Parker Dewey as a Student: https://www.parkerdewey.com/career-launchers
Parker Dewey Example Projects: https://www.parkerdewey.com/example-projects
A Sample Message for Connecting on LinkedIn: “Hello ABC, while searching for Oakland University connections on LinkedIn, I came across your profile. I am an Oakland Computer Science student, and your company is one of interest for me in my internship search. Would you be willing to share some advice about how you got start with XYZ company?”.

Music by Clockwork Passerine

May 15, 202019:57
GrizzTech Talks Trailer

GrizzTech Talks Trailer

Tune in to the latest episode of GrizzTech Talks weekly! Premiering May 15th.

Music by Clockwork Passerine 

May 05, 202000:27