2026
July 21, 2026
Former SpaceX Aerodynamics Engineer, Startup Founder, and The Ethics of Defense
This week I spoke with Mike Smayda, 2008 UVA grad who’s now the Founder & CEO at Fortastra, a defense and space manufacturing company based out of California. Mike also was former Senior…
July 14, 2026
Thank You. No, Thank You!
On the heels of a UVA Midsummers I was nostalgic to miss, I thought I’d share an old post published around this time last year: how to write a thank-you note. Me singing “This Love” at Midsummers…
July 7, 2026
College Athlete, MBA Student, Entertainment & Media
This week I spoke with Doug Yaffa, 2026 UVA grad who’s now pursuing an MBA at Kellogg School of Business as well as a career in pro tennis. The Rundown: COLD OPEN: Tennis, entertainment, media, and…
June 30, 2026
Blue Vista Capital Chairman, Law School to Real Estate, Airplane Conversations
This week I spoke with Robert Byron, 1973 College and 1996 Law UVA grad who’s now the Chairman, Co-CEO, and Co-Founder at Blue Vista Capital Management. The Rundown: COLD OPEN: Leaving Chicago big…
June 23, 2026
The Value You Add
You won’t be successful until you believe in yourself. You may think reaching out to people and inserting yourself into their busy lives makes you a burden — that you are taking more than you are…
June 16, 2026
Coca-Cola & Mars Executive, Darden Corporate Relations, Consulting Misconceptions
This week I spoke with Lisa Manley, 1991 and 1993 UVA grad who’s now the Director of Corporate Relations at Darden School of Business. The Rundown: COLD OPEN: Double Hoo → Alumni Affairs →…
June 9, 2026
Networking On Capitol Hill, U.S House of Representatives Press Intern
This week I spoke to Sophia Wilbourn, a recent UVA alum who was a former Press Intern in the U.S House of Representatives. COLD OPEN How Did You Get Your Start? It was an interesting road to…
June 2, 2026
United States Tennis Association President, Business Of Sports, Career Uncertainty
This week I spoke with Brian Vahaly, 2001 UVA grad who’s now the Co-CEO and President of the United States Tennis Association and Senior Advisor at Brown Advisory. The Rundown: COLD OPEN: UVA tennis…
May 26, 2026
NCAA Athlete, Newhouse Public Communications, NIL Storytelling
This week I spoke with Marlee Morgan, 2025 UVA grad who’s now pursuing a Masters at the S.I. Newhouse School Of Public Communications, one of the highest ranking communications institutions in the…
May 19, 2026
Undergrad Startup Founder, French & Statistics, How To Cold Email
I graduated UVA three days ago, so now that I’m officially an alumni, I thought I’d interview myself. So, this week I spoke with Ryan Levy, 2026 UVA grad who’s now the Founder of Hoo You Know. The…
May 5, 2026
Orthopedic Surgeon, Social Media, Healthcare App Startup Founder
Erin Nance | Orthopedic Surgeon / Founder & CEO | Hospital of Special Surgery / TakeAway MD
April 13, 2026
The Reality Of Success After UVA
If you know someone who’s stressed out and hates being asked “Are you thinking about your career?” Send this to them. Often at UVA, it feels like success depends on the right major, the right clubs,…
April 4, 2026
Famed AI Mathematician, GPA Myths, Focus Now
Ken Ono | Former Provost STEM Advisor / Founding Mathematician | UVA / Axiom Math AI
March 31, 2026
Olympic Coaching, Accounting, The NCAA Changing Climate
Todd DeSorbo | 2024 U.S Women's Swim Olympics Head Coach / Men & Women Swim Head Coach | Olympics / UVA
March 24, 2026
BLUF: How To Write Better Emails
Military writing does more than save lives
March 9, 2026
Social Media, Selling Shoes, Building Real Estate
Rajan Chida | Social Media Influencer & Co-Founder | Royal Oak Retreat
February 12, 2026
Darden Interim Dean, MIT PhD, Career Misconceptions
Michael Lenox | Interim Dean | Darden School of Business at UVA
February 3, 2026
What Actually Moves the American Dream
The how and why of choosing your environment
January 27, 2026
Software Engineering, Hiring Freezes, Hunting Antelope
Jared Tewodros | Software Engineer | Meta
January 27, 2026
Startups, Consulting, Finding The Path
Katie Begando | Founder & CEO | Bluubird
2025
December 30, 2025
Thank You Notes
How To Write Good Thank You Notes
December 23, 2025
Coach Ryan Odom, Mentorship, Every Team Has One Life
Ryan Odom | NCAA Men’s Basketball Head Coach | UVA
December 21, 2025
Anti-Trust Lawyer, AI Revolution, Loyalty
Logan Breed | Partner | Hogan Lovells
December 21, 2025
LVMH Fashion, La Langue Française, Launching Businesses
Sarah Easley | Founder & CEO | MaisonMarché
December 20, 2025
AI Founder, Reframing Risk, Skipping The Line
Sam Spelsberg | Co-Founder & CTO | Delphi AI
December 11, 2025
NASA & The United Nations, Finding Your Purpose, Intentionally Slowing Down
Ramkrishna Sharma | Software Engineer / Former Researcher | NASA / United Nations
December 11, 2025
Real Estate VP, Tech Investing, Being In Person
Nina Vascotto | Vice President of Real Estate Assets / Board Member | ICONIQ Capital / Sentral
November 28, 2025
Emerging Markets, USDA Efficiencies, Startup Fellowships
Ben Weinberg | Co-Founder / Board Member | Ember Fellowship / Fresh Food Connect
November 22, 2025
Global Brand And Marketing Leader, Navigating Clients, The Myth Of Martini Lunches
Peter Dailey | Global Director of Brand & Marketing Strategy | Ogilvy
November 18, 2025
Early Businesses, MBA, Driving Your Life
Brian Breslin | Director of Student Entrepreneurship / CEO & Founder | UVA / Infinimedia Inc
November 9, 2025
Navy Finance Bro, Foreign Acquisitions, Government Work-Life Balance
Matt Fickel | Risk Management Lead | U.S. Navy
October 29, 2025
Big Tech, Imposter Syndrome, Getting After It
Shruthi Solaiappan | Software Engineer / Cloud Applications Developer Intern | Apple / Amazon Web Services
October 14, 2025
Surgeon in Chief, Private Equity, Taking Out The Trash
Todd Albert | Surgeon-in-Chief Emeritus / Private Equity Founder | Hospital for Special Surgery Chief
October 13, 2025
Music, Marine Conservation, Global Real Estate
Andrew Snowhite | Former EVP of Business Development & Sales / Environmental Real Estate Developer & Consultant | Musictoday / Snowhite Strategies
October 7, 2025
The Hidden Currency of Professional Relationships
When you’re a college student talking to professionals, it can feel like there’s an imbalance. They’re giving you time, advice, and answers to your burning questions. And you’re just there —…
September 24, 2025
Healthcare IT, Federal Projects, and Managing Up
Mick O'Hanlon II | Former Senior Health IT Software Engineer | MITRE
September 19, 2025
Paralegal, Persistence, and Passing Paper
Betsy Bass | Litigation Paralegal | Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.
September 12, 2025
The Happy Hour Theory
You’re sitting at your desk. Business up top, pjs on the bottom. The interview you’ve been gunning for kicks off and you’re thinking “I hope I nail every question and come off as the smartest person…
August 27, 2025
U.S. Marines, Banking, Even Playing Fields
Romeo Sarmiento | Veteran / Investment Banking Analyst | U.S. Marine Corps / KippsDeSanto & Co.
August 25, 2025
6 Alumni Lessons To Kick Off The Semester Right
2025 block party in the books, it’s time to start the semester strong. Here are 6 pieces of career advice straight from Hoos across AI, sports, tech, finance, and media. JARED TEWODROS, SOFTWARE…
August 11, 2025
How I Landed An Interview With UVA Men’s Basketball Head Coach
After interviewing 15+ people over the past 7 months, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t when it comes to reaching out. The single most valuable advice I can give: follow up. Here’s a clear…
July 30, 2025
Retail to Gaming, Wake-Up Calls, Running Fast
Melanie Seidner | VP of Digital Storefronts | Warner Bros
July 23, 2025
Banking, Balance, Being A Transfer Student
Ryan Eagan | Investment Banking Analyst | Lazard.
July 3, 2025
Selling Jewelry and Setting Ambitious Goals
Shelby Brachmann | Founder and CEO | Funky Fads
June 28, 2025
Cybersecurity, Entrepreneurship, Burnout
Paul Vann | Co-Founder | Validia
June 20, 2025
Patent Litigation “Is Not Like Suits”
Doug Etts | Patent Litigation Associate | Fenwick & West Law Firm
June 7, 2025
CNN’s CFO, Christmas Favors, Comfort Zones
This week I spoke with Adam Cohn, a 2007 UVA alumni who’s now the Executive Vice President and CFO of CNN. The Rundown: COLD OPEN: How a Christmas Eve favor led to an internshipSTEAL THIS: Adam’s…
May 26, 2025
Learning to Talk About Yourself Is the First Step
Josh Novick | Credit-Side Analyst
May 20, 2025
Networking On Capitol Hill, U.S House of Representatives Press Intern
Sophia Wilbourn | Former Press Intern | U.S House of Representatives
April 29, 2025
Every Team Has One Life, UVA Head Coach Ryan Odom
Conversations with Coaches
April 20, 2025
Follow Up With People Who Can’t Get You the Job
Kemp White | Associate | Amity Search Partners
April 15, 2025
Transparency
The goldilocks zone of transparency
April 7, 2025
Think You’ve Got It All Planned Out?
Great careers are made with good people, and better questions. “Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd” — Voltaire Some of us may feel the next 10 years of our career is planned…
March 28, 2025
Don’t Overthink It — Everyone’s Worth Reaching Out To
Beth Leslie | VP of Construction | BLDG Management Co
March 23, 2025
The First Coffee Chat: Part 2
During the call
March 16, 2025
Tell Me About Yourself
The dreaded interview question that you need an answer for
February 27, 2025
The First Coffee Chat: Part 1
Preparing for the intro call
February 24, 2025
Start With Someone’s Story, Advice From UVA’s President
Jim Ryan | Former President | UVA
February 24, 2025
Networking Is Just Making Friends, And Showing Up
Sarah McCann, | Strategy Director | Vocon
February 13, 2025
Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up
Following up seems annoying. It feels like you're knocking on a door that was already shut. As uncomfortable as it may be, following up is crucial to getting responses. The people you're emailing…
February 12, 2025
Cold Emails That Get Responses
Not all emails are created equal. Let’s go over some common scenarios and how to write one for each. I’ve never met this person, I want an internship at their company This is your, “I’ve sent 100 and…
February 12, 2025
Hoo's Going To Respond
Getting ghosted is part of the process. You’ll reach out to a ton of people, and most won’t reply. But you can increase your odds by reaching out to the right people. VAM (UVA Alumni Mentors) To…
February 12, 2025
Why Networking Sucks
Your average Comm kid knows if you want an internship, it’s all about who you know. So you set up LinkedIn and begin racking up connections. 500+ and you’re golden, right? Wrong. Once you figure out…