[00:00] Maya Pomroy: Welcome to Owl Have You Know, a podcast from Rice Business. This episode is part of our Flight Path series, where guests share their career journeys, the stories of the Rice connections that got them where they are.

 On this episode of Owl Have You Know, we talked to the grand prize winners of the 2025 Rice Business Plan Competition, Charlie Childs and Madeline Eiken, founders of Intero Biosystems. Their groundbreaking medical innovation is the first stem-cell-derived lab-grown version of the human intestine, recreating stem cells mimicking human organs, with the potential of eliminating a trial-and-error method in humans. And it all happened by chance.

Listen to their exciting story about their passion for innovation, bioengineering, and how their Rice Business experience has been integral in elevating their venture to the next level.

Today, we have two very special guests, the winners of the Rice Business Plan Competition in 2025, the 25th year of the competition at Rice Business, which is one of the largest and richest competitions that... I mean, we will pat ourselves on the back. Rice is pretty awesome.

And the competition is something that draws people from all over the country, the brightest minds, the most interesting entrepreneurs. And you guys won. And we are so thrilled to have you join us today to tell us about your story and about the phenomenal startup that you have. So, thank you for being here.

[01:40] Charlie Childs: Thank you for having us. This is so exciting.

[01:42] Madeline Eiken: Thanks for having us.

[01:45] Maya Pomroy: So, Madeline and Charlie, so you are the co-founders of Intero Biosystems, which I was reading about this and, just, my mind was, sort of, blown. So, Intero Biosystems has created the first stem-cell derived lab-grown version of the human intestine, wow, with functioning neurons, blood vessels, muscles, and the inner lining of the intestine. I mean, I don't even know how to begin. So, I'm going to let you take over and explain to us, first of all, how you both met and what was really the driving force of creating something that is literally going to change millions of lives.

[01:30] Charlie Childs: Wow, you crushed it. I mean, what the driving force is, is we're total nerds, but that's okay. So, we were both Ph.D. students at the University of Michigan. we are in the lab of Jason Spence. He, like, originally invented this entire field where you can take adult cells, like, blood or any other living cell in the human body, and turn it back into a state where it can turn into any cell in your body. So, that's, like, our stem cells.

So, he figured out how to take the stem cells into these miniature human intestines. And I spent my thesis work optimizing the way that we do that alongside Madeline, who's a biomedical engineer. And both of us get along great. We are good friends. And we both really wanted to push this really fast and make a big impact with the technology because we agree, we think it's super cool and can be super transformative for the field of medicine. So, that's how we spun it out.

[03:20] Maya Pomroy: So, you met in the lab. And tell me about your passion for this kind of research?

[03:25] Madeline Eiken: So, I mean, the first thing that comes to mind is, of course, that it's just so cool. Charlie and I talk all the time about how this is the coolest science we'll probably get to do in our careers. It's just the excitement of being able to take a single population of cells and turn it into this extremely complex mini organ is just, like, really exciting for both of us, and I think for everyone in our lab. And then to commercialize it, I think Charlie and I just have this shared goal of really doing research that impacts the world.

I worked at a startup prior to my Ph.D. and absolutely loved the experience. And going into my Ph.D., my goal was to one day work at a startup again. So, it's happening much faster than I ever expected. But yeah, we, like, just know that we work really well together. We know that we have really complementary skill sets. So, my background is in engineering while Charlie is a biologist. And so, the way that we approach problems is quite different from each other, but we have this, like, really shared interest in commercializing that technology.

[04:23] Maya Pomroy: Talk me through the process. I mean, obviously, it's stem cells. And I think that most of us understand what those are, right? But walk me through how you start with stem cells and you literally grow an intestine.

[04:40] Charlie Childs: Sure. We also think it's amazing. And I think, every day, like, as we develop this model, we are just more and more amazed how amazing, like, nature is and how smart science is. So, what we can do is we take these stem cells, which, like you said, can turn into anything in the body, and then we simulate human development. We literally call it Gatorade. Like, the cells live in this red liquid. And it truly is Gatorade.

It has, like, glucose and proteins and other things that the cells need to live just like our bodies do. And each day, we give them different proteins that leads them down human developmental time until they turn into the miniature intestines. So, it's actually a lot more simple than you would think. And our breakthrough figured out that a single protein that we switched in this process caused this beautiful thing to form. So, the cells, we joke about this every day, like, the cells just know what to do and we just need to, like, push them in the right direction and they will figure out what to do.

[05:34] Maya Pomroy: So, you grew this gut, this intestine, which is then going to be used to test medications and pharmaceutical drugs to see what works and what doesn't work, so you don't have to use humans, basically, as, you know, your control group.

[05:53] Charlie Childs: Mm-hmm. Exactly.

[05:54] Maya Pomroy: You can use these stem cells that function the same as a human intestine and eliminate the whole trial and error of using medicines, of... you know, because, personally, like, I've got gastrointestinal issues. That's why this was so fascinating to me. I've been on a bazillion different medications. And none of them really particularly work. Some work better than others, but this is really life changing for people that struggle with this every single day.

[06:25] Charlie Childs: Right. And you're the exact case example of what we're really aiming for. Like, it's horrible to have to go down this list of medications that the insurance company is going to make you do and just be like, "No, that didn't work. Six months of my life wasted. No, that one didn't work. Eight months of my life wasted."

So, our ultimate goal is exactly what you're talking about, like, this personalized medicine approach where we could make 1,000 organoids from you and be, like, "Hey, the first five drugs are not going to work. Do not waste her time with this. Let's go to the sixth drug that we know will have an impact and hopefully make patients' lives a little bit more bearable during this very uncomfortable process to begin with." But yeah, you nailed it on the head. That's, like, our goal. We really want to get there.

[07:03] Maya Pomroy: So, Madeline, I want to ask you, when you discovered that you have created something really unique and, you know, groundbreaking, tell me about that day, that moment, when you were like, "Oh, my goodness. Like, this is big."

[07:21] Charlie Childs: No, it's crazy.

[07:21] Madeline Eiken: Yeah. So, Charlie had done, like, all this really amazing work in her Ph.D. to develop this organoid model, but one of the big drawbacks of organoids is that they have to be encased in, like, basically, jello. It provides some support. As they grow and get bigger, they need some structural support, but the jello that we use in the lab is made from mouse cancer cells. And so, we just have this, like, really not relevant supporting matrix surrounding.

[07:49] Maya Pomroy: Wait, mouse cancer cells?

[07:51] Charlie Childs: Yep.

[07:52] Madeline Eiken: Yeah. Like, the mouse cancer cells spit out a juice that's like jello.

[07:57] Maya Pomroy: Okay.

[07:57] Madeline Eiken: And then we put the organs in it.

[07:58] Charlie Childs: It's gross.

[07:58] Maya Pomroy: What? No. I mean, it sounds amazing. I had never heard of that before.

[08:06] Madeline Eiken: You don't really encounter it in your day-to-day life, but...

[08:09] Maya Pomroy: Not in mine. Not in mine, no.

[08:12] Charlie Childs: Madeline's entire Ph.D. is on how we need to move away from... It's called Matrigel. It's very important for the whole field. Everybody uses it, but we have, like, whole Ph.D.s dedicated, like Madeline's, to how we can move away from it. So, I'll be quiet and let you keep going, Madeline.

[08:27] Madeline Eiken: Yes. So, anyway, Charlie and I were working together. We had this really awesome organoid model that we think could be really powerful, but we know we cannot be using mouse cancer juice to grow it. And so, we're working on some ways that we can grow the organoids without it.

So, we're, like, doing a bunch of pilot studies trying to see what we think might work. And then we had a plate that we accidentally forgot in the incubator for a few months. We were still feeding it, but we just didn't have plans for an experiment for it. And so, like, every month or so, we'll go through the incubator, clean everything out, like, figure out what we want to do with all of the plates that we have.

And so, Charlie and I were looking at this plate that was a few months old. And we were like, "These organoids are moving. What is going on?" And the organoid had matured enough that it was actually doing peristalsis, which is the movement of muscle that pushes food through the intestine. And we had observed this in organoids that we had implanted into mice because they get really big and really mature, but we'd never seen it in the dish doing this.

[09:26] Maya Pomroy: On its own, by accident, in the refrigerator.

[09:30] Madeline Eiken: Yeah.

[09:31] Maya Pomroy: But those are usually the way. Like, that's how they discovered penicillin, right? It was an accident.

[09:36] Charlie Childs: Right.

[09:36] Madeline Eiken: Exactly. Yeah, a little bit of an accident. Um, yeah. So, we, like, freaked out. And it was so exciting for us because it really confirmed that these are just as functional as an actual human intestine. And we can see it with our eyes that these really work. And then it also just opened up this whole other line of questioning that we can ask about peristalsis, which is how food moves through your intestine.

And when you have something like diarrhea, it could be that peristalsis is speeding up. When you have constipation, it could be that peristalsis is slowing down. So, it just unlocked all of these additional questions that we can now ask with the organoids to determine things like side effects to drugs. So, that was a really exciting... We were, like, running around, screaming, showing everyone. This is so fun.

[10:14] Charlie Childs: We were screaming, like, jumping up and down.

[10:16] Maya Pomroy: When was this?

[10:18] Charlie Childs: I think this was, like, early December last year. And science is, kind of, the same way that, like, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you know, you're, like, not a lot going on.

[10:28] Madeline Eiken: Yeah.

[10:28] Charlie Childs: So, we were like, "Oh, my God. Wow, we've been working so hard. This is great." So, it was a good way to end the year.

[10:33] Maya Pomroy: I mean, do you, like, post something like that on Instagram or something?

[10:37] Charlie Childs: [crosstalk 10:41] that.

[10:38] Maya Pomroy: How do you show what you do?

[10:38] Madeline Eiken: I wish.

[10:39] Charlie Childs: I wish. I think one of our undergrads showed their mom, and their mom was very excited, and that's, like, the most that we got, but that's okay.

[10:45] Maya Pomroy: Yeah. So, you made this earth-shattering discovery. And is that when you decided to launch the startup?

[10:54] Charlie Childs: We had decided to launch it earlier in the year, but we were planning on going really slow. Like, it was the month before I defended my thesis. We were going to apply for grants, you know, get, like, a lot of data. We didn't think anyone was going to be super excited about it. I don't know. We didn't know what we were doing.

And then all of a sudden, we got, like, a ton of interest both from customers and investors. And we were both like, "Oh, we got to go. Like, we got to go faster. This is crazy." I feel like, as of two months ago, I'm like, oh, my God, we were in full startup mode. Like, we were just sprinting. And it's really fun. We both love it, but it is not what we anticipated, which is in the best way.

[11:28] Madeline Eiken: Yeah. The further along we get, we’re like…We knew this model was awesome a year ago when we started the company. And the further along we get we're like, "Oh, this model is awesome." And so, we're, like, really, I think, thinking a lot bigger about what we can do with it and, like, how it can help people.

[11:44] Maya Pomroy: And how you can share it, which leads us to the Rice Business Plan Competition.

[11:50] Charlie Childs: Yeah.

[11:51] Maya Pomroy: So, what was really the reason that you decided to compete in the Rice Business Plan Competition? How did you hear about it? What did you know about it? Tell us about that experience.

[12:02] Charlie Childs: All the credit goes to Madeline, like, all of it. She did, like, all the hard work. So, talk about how amazing you are, please.

[12:09] Madeline Eiken: Sure. Yeah. So, when we applied for Rice Business Plan Competition, Charlie was no longer a student. So, as the student representative of the company, I'm really fortunate to be, really, in the supportive ecosystem that the University of Michigan provides. There's a ton of programming for student entrepreneurs. And I'm, like, amazed every day, especially with undergrads starting their own companies.

Like, there's just really, really cool work going on. And so, we had gotten integrated into this community. And then our faculty advisor was in the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurship. She was like, "You, guys, I think you'll do really well at these student business plan competitions. You should apply for some." So, she takes a team every year and was just, like, really encouraging. And so, it was something that we had been thinking about just for, like, the past six months prior to the business plan competition.

And then we were really excited when it was time to apply, especially because it was dovetailing really nicely with what ended up being our fundraise. And so, we were like, "This is going to be perfect. We have to write a business plan for our fundraise anyway." Like, we're, kind of, already doing all the activities for it. So, yeah, we applied. We had a watch party for when the teams, the 42 teams, were picked for the business plan competition.

[13:18] Maya Pomroy: Yes, because there's only 42 teams.

[13:20] Charlie Childs: Yeah.

[13:20] Maya Pomroy: I mean, Rice really limits it to the best and the brightest. And, you know, there's hundreds of people that apply to this competition. And to be chosen is a really big deal.

[13:30] Madeline Eiken: Oh, my gosh. Yeah. We were so excited. They announced our name second. And we were just screaming. And it was so exciting.

[13:35] Maya Pomroy: As much as when you saw the organoids or... I'm just kidding.

[13:39] Madeline Eiken: It was a different kind of scream.

[13:41] Charlie Childs: I think it was more because we didn't think we were going to... Like, we were like, "Okay." Me and Madeline were, like, five minutes late. It was, kind of, embarrassing. We couldn't find parking. And the business school would, like... It was so bad. And the business school put on, like, a watch party for us. So, we're, like, running up the stairs. And we were like, "Oh, if we don’t get picked, there's 42 teams, like, it will be okay." They announced us second. And we had walked in the door, like, the second before they announced us. So, it was very exciting.

[14:05] Maya Pomroy: Wow.

[14:05] Charlie Childs: It was very fun.

[14:06] Madeline Eiken: Yeah. It was very exciting.

[14:07] Maya Pomroy: Well, I mean, it's a very, very, very rigorous process to be selected for the Rice Business Plan Competition by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship here at Rice. I mean, they really hand select these teams. And then you were called second. So, tell me how did you plan for it and that whole experience of, so you got in, with 41 others, teams from all across the country, you know, the Ivys, all these phenomenal schools. So, then what?

[14:36] Madeline Eiken: We ended up having, like, a pitch gauntlet leading up to Rice, which I actually really prepared as well. So, we pitched at South by Southwest. And then the next weekend-

[14:45] Maya Pomroy: In Austin.

[14:46] Madeline Eiken: ... we pitched... Yeah. And that was so fun. Charlie's from Austin. We had a great time. And then we pitched at the Baylor University Pitch Competition. Then the next weekend, we pitched at the University of Arkansas Pitch Competition. So, we had a lot of time to really hone our pitch and figure out how we wanted to tell this story.

Charlie and I are both scientists. We're used to telling and talking about the organoids to a very scientific audience. And so, it was really important to us that everybody could understand what we were doing and how we were thinking about the business not just from a scientific perspective. So, we were really lucky to have Dawn, who, at the time, was an MBA student, he's now graduated, at the Michigan Ross School of Business. And so, he was also really helpful in just, kind of, thinking about how we wanted to tell the story to a broad audience while also getting across scientifically how cool the science is. Yeah. So, it was, like, a lot of really lucky, well-timed practice as well as getting a lot of feedback from different people to make sure that the science was really understandable as we went into the pitch.

[15:48] Maya Pomroy: So, tell me your pitch. I want to hear the pitch. What's the pitch? Tell me the story.

[15:54] Charlie Childs: The pitch is that, clinical trials, we all think, are this way to get, like, a miracle drug, but in reality, 90% of drugs that go into clinical trials fail. So, our pitch to the world, so if any pharma companies are listening, come talk to us, is to fail your drugs fast before you go into clinical trials. It takes $2 billion to get a drug to market. Don't waste all that money. Fail it before you go in using our model or maybe we discover your blockbuster drug, and you can then funnel all your resources into that going into clinical trials.

[16:26] Maya Pomroy: Fail fast.

[16:28] Charlie Childs: Fail fast. Exactly.

[16:28] Maya Pomroy: I love it. Fail fast so that you don't waste any time-

[16:33] Charlie Childs: Exactly.

[16:33] Maya Pomroy: ... because time is really of the essence. So, when you arrived at Rice, what were some of the other entrepreneurs pitching? What were some of the ones that stood out to you?

[16:43] Charlie Childs: Oh, my gosh. They were all so cool. Okay. I'm going to say my favorite. And then Madeline, you should tell your favorite. And it might be the same as mine. They were all so cool. It's hard to pick, but we are obsessed with Farmsmart.ai. We saw them at Baylor New Ventures competition. They're out of LSU.

And it's four really, really bright guys who are making this AI for, I'm going to butcher this, but I hope they forgive me, for agricultural use. So, you say, like, what problems you're having with your crop, and the AI will prompt you with ways to fix it or, like, troubleshooting or ask you more questions so you can help your crop or troubleshoot from there. But that was my favorite. It's such a cool idea. Oh, my gosh. I'm obsessed.

[17:23] Maya Pomroy: And Madeline, what about you?

[17:25] Madeline Eiken: Oh, my gosh. I do love Farmsmarter.ai. They're great. I think, like, generally, what's so cool is that we are so excited to talk about our startup. Obviously, we think it's so cool, but then it's so fun talking to all of these other student entrepreneurs that are thinking about really, really big problems that, like, I never think about. I don't think about what a farmer has to do in order to, you know, address issues of their crops while still following regulations.

And so, I think it's just so cool to, like, learn about all of the different ways that entrepreneurs are tackling really big problems with a really cool solution. So, I think, in general, what's so fun about going to these competitions is just meeting people who are just as passionate about us about something totally different. And that was really, really fun.

[18:08] Maya Pomroy: How does the Rice Business Plan Competition stand out in comparison to some others?

[18:12] Charlie Childs: It was, like, a whole other beast. And people kept warning us, like, leading up to it. They were like, "This is fun, but wait until you get to Rice." It was just, like, the breadth of not only the startups, but also the judges and all the people from Rice. The investors, like, we were just blown away at how much support and interest there was.

And I mean, our first pitch was crazy. Like, people were audibly, like, gasping and cheering. And it was just such a fun group to pitch to. And we just made so many wonderful connections. And I truly, truly, like, this is, like, launching us into another realm that we didn't even think we were going to be able to be in both from, like, connections and investors and just support. We're so thankful.

[18:52] Madeline Eiken: No. I just totally echo what Charlie said. It was, like, the energy in the air was just different at Rice. It was so exciting. Like, every day was so exciting. There was just, like, a buzz in the air. I mean, all the competitions we went to were really fun, but Rice was, like, a totally different animal. It was awesome.

[19:10] Maya Pomroy: Yeah. And I saw a photo of you with Dean Rodriguez and with Dr. Cherukuri and with Brad Burke. And you're nodding your head. So, tell me what was their reaction when they learned about your story and about Intero. And what was their response?

[19:27] Charlie Childs: They're just so, so, so, so, so supportive. It was like, "Oh, my God, this is amazing. We think your technology's great. Your team is great. Let me introduce you to, like, 10 other people that are here that we think would be useful to you to talk to." And they were so excited to talk to us, introduced us to even more people. It was nuts. Like, I am still speechless by how much support we received. It's truly unbelievable.

[19:49] Maya Pomroy: And so, my other question is, so because we are in the Texas Medical Center, did you have an opportunity to really connect with some leaders here at the medical center here in Houston?

[19:58] Charlie Childs: Yes, we did. JR, who is at TMC Innovation Center.

[20:01] Maya Pomroy: Reale. JR Reale.

[20:02] Charlie Childs: Yes. Reale, him.

[20:02] Maya Pomroy: Yes. I know him. He was one of my professors.

[20:06] Charlie Childs: No way. Oh, my God. That's wild. He is awesome. And he is, like, exactly the person I'm talking about as far as, like, the support goes. Like, me and Madeline were outside, getting snacks in the afternoon, and he came over and was like, "Hey, I have a ton of ideas and connections for you," and, like, sat us down and talked to us for an hour.

And he and his group really pushed us to add some things to our pitch that I really think brought it home in the end. They really made us think really big, where, like, our vision is going and really how to communicate that vision in the final. And Madeline, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that, like, completely changed how we were thinking about this company entirely.

[20:42] Madeline Eiken: Yeah, I completely agree. And, like, it was just amazing, especially in our first pitch where there were a lot of, like, really medically focused people as judges, we got questions that we get at scientific conferences. Like, we were blown away with the thoughtfulness of the questions with, clearly, people had done their diligence even before hearing us pitch and had read our papers and stuff. It was really wonderful and amazing. We left that pitch and we were like, "Oh, my gosh. This is the most science we've ever gotten to talk about at a business plan competition."

[21:10] Maya Pomroy: Yeah. I mean, for sure. And JR, like I said, I took a class with him and Blair Garrou from the Mercury Fund.

[21:18] Charlie Childs: Oh, totally.

[21:18] Maya Pomroy: It was called Financing the Startup. And I just remember going to class and just being riveted by everything that they would say in terms of funding, you know. Let's talk about that for a minute because I feel that that's really relevant right now in this day and age because one of the things that they did tell me in class... And I graduated in 2022 with my executive MBA, but [crosstalk 21:39].

[21:38] Charlie Childs: Congratulations.

[21:40] Maya Pomroy: Oh, thank you.

[21:41] Charlie Childs: That's awesome.

[21:43] Maya Pomroy: But what they had said was that the financing part, like, for venture, you know, there was so much funding available. And they're like, "This isn't going to last forever." And it's really, really challenging for people that are brilliant, that come up with these phenomenal innovations to really find the funding in order to move to the next stage. So, have you found it difficult to really finance your venture?

[22:10] Charlie Childs: “No,” is the answer. And I know we are planning...

[22:13] Maya Pomroy: That's a great answer. That makes me happy.

[22:17] Charlie Childs: Yeah, no, I think you're totally right. Like, 2022, there was all this funding. And we've seen a huge shift back, especially in the biotech industry. We've just been really fortunate with the timing of announcements from, like, the FDA and the NIH who are saying that they're going to reduce the use of animals in testing. And both have specifically named organoids, which is what our miniature intestines are, as the alternative. So, we just started the company a really awesome tide perfectly on accident.

And we just have such a supportive ecosystem, both in Michigan and now in Houston, that they, like, really get the vision. And we have been having a... I don't want to say easy time because fundraising is extremely hard, but we've had a lot of interest and it's just been going really well. And I think it's just finding the investors who, like, truly believe in your vision and understand your technology. And they introduce you to more people like them.

So, we ended up way oversubscribing our round in huge part with the win from Rice. Like, we had people still reaching out to us being like, "I saw you won Rice, and I saw the FDA announcement. Do you want to talk?" And me and Madeline have to be like, "No, that's great. We'll talk to you, but, like, we are so overwhelmed with interest. We appreciate it, but we'll talk next round." So, it's been great.

[23:21] Maya Pomroy: Wow. So, which round of fundraising are you in?

[23:24] Charlie Childs: We are just wrapping up our pre-seed with all the interest from Rice. So, we're really excited to move forward with everyone we met there. And we're excited to get going and start scaling.

[23:33] Maya Pomroy: So, that's my next question is, so what's next? So, you won $150,000. That was the grand prize.

[23:38] Charlie Childs: Yes. The grand prize was 150. We won 902 total, $900,000.

[23:44] Maya Pomroy: Total. Right. Sorry.

[23:45] Charlie Childs: Yeah.

[23:45] Maya Pomroy: That's a bigger number.

[23:46] Charlie Childs: You're good.

[23:49] Maya Pomroy: So, but for the grand prize it was, like, 100 because, with the photo, with the check, it was 150,000.

[23:55] Charlie Childs: Yes. Uh-huh. Exactly.

[23:55] Maya Pomroy: But you won close to $1 million.

[23:58] Charlie Childs: Yeah.

[23:58] Maya Pomroy: So, what's next?

[24:01] Charlie Childs: Madeline, go for it. You're the schemer.

[24:03] Madeline Eiken: Sure. Yeah. So, now, we're really excited to be really laser focused on de-risking the company and meeting our milestones with this fundraise. We were really lucky to basically double what we were hoping to raise. So, that was really awesome and exciting for us. And because of that extra cushion that we have, we think we can push a lot faster on some of our milestones that we had been thinking about for seed rounds and even Series A.

So, yeah, right now, we're really focusing on lining our manufacturing and figuring out how we're going to make the organoids really reproducibly so we can get them into the hands of customers as quickly as we can. So, now, the fun part of running the company is what we get to do.

[24:43] Charlie Childs: Right.

[24:43] Maya Pomroy: Yeah. So, it's just the two of you?

[24:45] Charlie Childs: It's the two of us and then we have our academic co-founder, who's also our CSO, Dr. Jason Spence, who's our professor at the University of Michigan.

[24:52] Maya Pomroy: Yes.

[24:52] Charlie Childs: And then we just hired a research assistant, which we're really excited to have on board. And then in the summer, we have a Ph.D.-level scientist starting with us as well. So, we're growing very quick. It's very exciting.

[25:03] Maya Pomroy: Well, it was that fortunate refrigerator accident, right?

[25:07] Charlie Childs: Exactly.

[25:08] Maya Pomroy: So, the secret behind it all. I mean, and the timing of it. I'm one of those that does not believe in accidents. The coincidences are not really coincidences. I feel that, you know, everything happens the way and the time in which it should. And with a lot of companies that are recognizing the funding is going to be a lot more challenging. And to be in a space that is being elevated and raised up is really phenomenal to find yourself in that sort of a space.

[25:38] Charlie Childs: Definitely. And, like, maybe Rice should start, like, a Series A-level competition because I feel like we were on such easy mode getting propped up by Rice.

[25:46] Maya Pomroy: I like it.

[25:46] Charlie Childs: Every round, we should just compete in Rice again. I'm kidding. But no, I think a big part of the success is, like, the platform that Rice gave us. It's really hard to reach a lot of these investors. And without Rice, I'm not sure we would have the amount of... I know for a fact we would not have the amount of interest that we have, so we're just so thankful, but it will not be this easy next round. And that's what I keep getting told.

[26:08] Maya Pomroy: Well, I wouldn't listen to that. I think, you know, don't listen to the haters.

[26:15] Charlie Childs: It's just realists, you know.

[26:17] Maya Pomroy: Well, you know, I think that the fact that you did have such phenomenal success at Rice really set you on a path for continued greatness. And the other question that I really want to ask you is, what advice would you give to others that are in your shoes, but not really in your shoes quite yet, but are considering applying to the Rice Business Plan Competition? And what sort of advice would you give them if they're kind of, "Well, do I do it? Do I not do it?" and, you know, those sorts of things? Like, what would you tell them?

[26:48] Madeline Eiken: I think my advice is definitely do it.

[26:50] Charlie Childs: Yeah.

[26:51] Madeline Eiken: We had a great time at Rice. We got amazing feedback. And I think, going to Rice, being really open to the feedback that you're going to get. Like, there are brilliant judges in every room that you go into who have ideas about your company. And so, going in both knowing what the core of your business is, but then also being really open to the expertise in the room. We just got so much value out of the conversations that we had at Rice. And it was just a really fun experience. I really recommend it.

[27:17] Charlie Childs: I would say the exact same thing. And I think even if we hadn't had, like, won any money, it would have been just as valuable of an experience. We were applying, like Madeline said, for the business plan competitions as we were writing a fast-track SBIR grant where you have to include a business plan. That was during, like, January.

And what was great about Rice is we got multiple rounds of feedback, both in person and beforehand. So, we feel so confident moving forward with any, like, bigger thing that we have to do with the business plan that we dialed in at Rice. Yeah. I could go on and on the feedback, which is so fabulous. We're so thankful.

[27:50] Maya Pomroy: Yeah. We're really, really grateful that you came to Rice and that we have an opportunity to learn more about your phenomenal startup. And only wishing in Intero Biosystems the best for the future and definitely on our radars now. And we're going to watch you grow and succeed. And we're really, really thrilled that innovation is something that continues to thrive and grow at Rice Business. So, thank you for being a part of it.

[28:19] Charlie Childs: We're so excited to be a part of it. And we hope we get invited back next year. I'm just going to put that into the void.

[28:24] Maya Pomroy: Oh, I think you will.

[28:24] Charlie Childs: Okay. Great. That's great. It just must be so fun watching it from the other side, too. Like, we had so much fun, but we were also super stressed, obviously. So, I think it'd be very fun to watch it from the judge's perspective.

[28:39] Maya Pomroy: Well, maybe you can come back and be judges sometime.

[28:41] Charlie Childs: Yeah. There we go. Again, putting that into the void. If anyone's listening, I would love to come back.

[28:47] Maya Pomroy: We'll see what we can do about that.

[28:49] Charlie Childs: Thank you so much.

[28:49] Maya Pomroy: We'll see what we can do about that. But Madeline and Charlie, it's really been a pleasure to talk with both of you.

[28:54] Charlie Childs: We appreciate it. Thank you so much for having us.

[28:57] Madeline Eiken: Yeah. This is so fun.

[28:59] Maya Pomroy: Thanks for listening. This has been Owl Have You Know, a production of Rice Business. You can find more information about our guests, hosts, and announcements on our website, business.rice.edu.

Please subscribe and leave a rating wherever you find your favorite podcasts. We'd love to hear what you think.

The hosts of Owl Have You Know are myself, Maya Pomroy, and Brian Jackson.

[00:00]Brian Jackson: Welcome to Owl Have You Know, a podcast from Rice Business. This episode is part of our Flight Path series, where guests share their career journeys and stories of the Rice connections that got them where they are.

 Becky Jackson, a 2025 graduate, is the founder and CEO of ONGUARD, a Houston-based venture, modernizing how people connect with commission law enforcement for private security. Before launching her startup, she was a professional figure skater who traveled around the world as the first ever Elsa in the Disney on Ice production of Frozen, performing in 10 countries in 94 cities. Her journey began in competitive figure skating, where she represented team USA and later served as vice chair of U.S. Figure Skating's Athlete Advisory Committee.

That same drive led her to entrepreneurship and to Rice Business, where she found the tools and community to launch ONGUARD. Earlier this year, she stepped onto a new kind of stage, pitching ONGUARD as a finalist in the Veterans Business Battle, drawing on the same poise and presence she once brought to arenas around the world.

Hi, Becky. Thank you so much for joining us today on Owl Have You Know.

[01:16]Becky Jackson: Hi, Brian. Thank you so much for having me.

[01:19]Brian Jackson: It's not often I get a counterparty. Well, I shouldn't say a counterparty, it sounds like we're litigating. But someone with the same last name. So, we're the Jacksons.

[01:27]Becky Jackson: The Jacksons, yeah, distant cousins, a lot of us, Jacksons.

[01:31]Brian Jackson: Well, you're the more accomplished cousin, which, really, speaking of, I was looking at your bio, looking at your background, and what really stuck with me is you started figure skating when you were seven. And I started thinking about the things that I started when I was seven, and how many of them did I actually stick with? I no longer collect Pokemon. I, you know, no longer rollerblade, any of those things that I started. So, how, as a 7-year-old, did you get pulled into figure skating? And how did that really become this passion for you?

[02:06]Becky Jackson: Oh, yeah. I mean, figure skating is such a defining, I think, part of my life. And I get the question so often of, yeah, I grew up in Houston, I was born in Houston, so, “How did you get into skating?” And it was actually a friend's birthday party. And I got to go. And that was my very first time on the ice, lacing a pair of skates. And I just immediately fell in love with the feeling of being on the ice. And from then on out, it was, sort of, I, kind of, remember begging my parents to go on the weekends. And there would be things like, you know, “If I clean my room, like, can I go ice skating?”

And so, the passion really started as a young age of just loving the feeling of being on the ice. And I grew up with an identical twin sister. So, it was something that we got to share together. And then that, kind of, going once a week, turned into a couple times a week, and turned into a group lesson that eventually really took off. And I, kind of, early on knew that this was something that I wanted to stick with.

And I think I just love the balance of both the athleticism of the sport, as well as the, sort of, creative ability to, kind of, dance and express. And so, I think I have always been a very goal-oriented person. There's always another challenging new elements you can learn. You can always be faster, stronger. And so, figure skating has taught me so much, you know, about myself, as well as being able to transfer a lot of those lessons to business as well.

[03:28]Brian Jackson: I mean, the jump from, “This is something I love,” to becoming an elite athlete, you know, representing Team USA and then going on into, really, a professional side of Disney on Ice. It's an incredible transition. But as it's all happening, is this a part of the goal? Is this the plan? Or are these opportunities coming as you're just getting better?

[03:50]Becky Jackson: Yeah. Early on, you know, as a kid, I grew up watching the Olympics. And so, that has always been the North Star, competing in the Olympics. And I had the great honor in high school, I made the U.S. team. And so, that meant getting to travel around the world, competing.

And so, that really changes the game. Like, when you go from an independent athlete to a U.S. Team athlete, you suddenly, you know, representing your country, which, of course, is a huge honor, but it also carries a pressure behind it, of you're really, kind of, paving the way for future athletes and the outcome that you achieve in, maybe, an international event may dictate the placement and opportunities of future skaters.

And so, it's, like, you, kind of, carry this additional responsibility of performing at your best. And so, I think it was always a part of the plan. What wasn't a part of the plan was later becoming a professional figure skater, you know, got to do three years with Disney on Ice, that opportunity was really the chance of a lifetime that came to me, actually, at a time when I was in college and had actually, sort of, hung up my skates. And it was a time, I guess, around junior year, was at the University of Michigan, getting my undergraduate degree, and I was facing, kind of, some injuries at the time and thought, “You know what? While I hadn't achieved that Olympic dream, I had the opportunity to compete in the Olympic trials.” And unfortunately, the injuries I was battling at that time, I wasn't able to be at the peak performance. And so, I, kind of, made the choice to step away from the sport and pursue my interest in business.

And it was actually during that time that I got reached out to by the global casting director of Disney on Ice with, you know, the chance of a lifetime to get to play the part of Elsa and this brand-new top secret project called Frozen. And, you know, this was 2014. So, the movie had just barely come out. And I'm like, of course, I know Frozen. And when I first got the email, I thought, “Okay, surely, this is fake,” until I looked into it. But sure enough, you know, a few conference calls later and, you know, it was something that I couldn't turn down. It was an incredible opportunity to do that for three years.

[06:02]Brian Jackson: Well, do you still love the music after three years of hearing it? Because from my experience with the kids and the play mics where they're belting Let It Go, it's lost its luster.

[06:13]Becky Jackson: Yeah, I did over 1,200 shows. And, you know, people ask, “Are you just sick of it?” But I think, when you've done it that many times, and anyone who's done live theater knows that every time is different. You know, always, there's something that's a little bit… a different city or a different arena or a different audience. And so, it does, kind of, feel new every time. And the music, especially, Let It Go, which is Elsa's big solo in the show, but that music, to me, I just hear, and it really sounds like home. Not to be cliche, but it was, kind of, like, a warm feeling inside. So, no, I'm not sick of it, yet.

[06:47]Brian Jackson: Well, and you got to trave tol, what, 10 different countries, 94 cities? I mean, I can't do math well, but over a three-year period, that's a lot of traveling.

[06:56]Becky Jackson: It's a lot of traveling. And I love to travel. And so, that probably was one of the best parts. The way that our structure works is you typically, kind of, have your opening night on a Wednesday and you'd have shows all the way through, maybe, till Sunday doing, you know, anywhere from 12 to 14 shows a week. But you'd always get, like, a one or two days off, maybe Monday or Tuesday. And that was my chance to just get out or get with a group of friends, figure out, you know, what is the local landmark or, you know, local coffee shops. That was always a really special part, especially when we were international. I had a chance to do 10 countries in Europe, and that made it fun. It was exhausting, but I think I really wanted to make the most of that time.

[07:39]Brian Jackson: So, of all the places you've been and you had to pick one to go back to, which is it?

[07:44]Becky Jackson: Oh, it's tough. We did 94 cities in the U.S. And that really gave me a unique perspective of getting to see different parts of the country. But that is the thing, is touring internationally and, you know, being younger. And I'd always thought, “Maybe I'll land in New York City or San Francisco or Boston or one of these, you know, amazing cities.” But the more I traveled, the more I loved and appreciated Houston and the more Texas felt like home. So, a great time to travel to those cities, but I think Houston definitely has my heart.

[08:18]Brian Jackson: I ended up here, too, so I understand the feeling. So, your junior year at University of Michigan, you take this opportunity, you go back and finish, and then it's the business world. And you're interviewing at different firms, thinking about the next path. What does that look like? What type of job do you think is going to fulfill you based on, kind of, this past experience?

[08:41]Becky Jackson: Yeah. It's a great question because it's something that was challenging because, to have such a dream job, really, right out of college to get to be also at Disney, it brought together, you know, not only, you know, what are my skills? And what do I love doing? What is my passion? And what is… you know, filling an important need. And so, I feel like it was this convergence of, of all of these things in my life, this career of skating and love of Disney and storytelling. And so, it was really challenging to think, what could be as fulfilling as that? Or, you know, what is next?

And so, it definitely was difficult to think about that. And one thing I knew for sure is I wanted to work in some kind of dynamic environment. I had come from a tour that was one city after the next, and it was traveling and meeting new people and new challenges every week.

And so, that's why I landed in the world of consulting. I thought, “Oh, great! Like, traveling every week, new challenges, a lot of ambiguity.” And so, I thought, “That's the thing for me.” Most of my very first, kind of, launch into, I guess, the business world or corporate world was, interviewed with a lot of different firms, landed at Accenture in the Houston office, which was such an incredible place to land and, you know, learn, especially coming off of the whole experience with Disney.

But yeah, I think it, kind of, checked all those boxes. If I knew I wanted to be with other people that were working hard and, you know, kind of, wanted that challenge. And so, I think, in the back of my mind, I always knew, someday, I want to, kind of, explore starting my own business or working with startups. And I thought consulting was the best way to learn the most about businesses. And what are the types of challenges that businesses face?

[10:32]Brian Jackson: And your focus at Accenture was with M&A, right?

[10:35]Becky Jackson: Yeah, a little bit. I also worked on the organizational side, kind of, organizational design, workforce transformation. So, really focused on people and, kind of, maybe, like, the right restructuring that would happen post M&A. And so, kind of, looked at the different enablers post M&A. Maybe that's technology or people and different processes. And so, it, kind of, gave me this idea of designing a business, maybe not from scratch, but, kind of, looking at, what's the goal, and how do we orient the business towards that?

[11:06]Brian Jackson: So, you're just collecting tidbits of knowledge here and there from each opportunity, leveraging your background, and then preparing for the next, which ultimately is a combination of business school and then entrepreneurship. So, seven years at Accenture, and then you look for a Rice MBA. Would love to know, what was that motivation? What was driving you there?

[11:31]Becky Jackson: Yeah. Ended up being about six, or I guess just over six years at Accenture, and then the MBA was always a professional and personal goal of mine. And it was really… My husband, Ken Jackson, is also a Rice Business alum. He graduated in 2023. And he was probably my biggest advocate in knowing it. I always wanted to pursue an MBA, and me getting to see him go through the Rice Business program really validated that, “Okay, this is absolutely something that I'd love to do and really need to do.”

So, yeah, I also, kind of, looking at my skills and my strengths within consulting, and weaknesses, I started to realize, somewhere, I wanted to build up skills, some of my technical skills, like the accounting, the finance, the data analysis.

[12:16]Brian Jackson: The fun stuff.

[12:18]Becky Jackson: The fun stuff. That I actually really enjoyed data analysis. Had a really excellent professor at Rice. So, I absolutely felt like I built, right off the bat, you know, like, in that first year, you hit it hard, with rebuilding those technical skills, which was designed that way on purpose so that you can bring that rigor and lens to the electives that you take in the second year.

But yeah, I knew that, if I was going to be a business founder, leader, that I needed to be able to read financial statements and that something that I had, kind of, lost that skill or just hadn't really been able to flex that muscle in the role that I was in. And so, I was really happy that I was able to do that and challenge into being with, kind of, peers that also had a background in finance and accounting also helped just further build that muscle, reinforce that through conversations in class and outside of class.

[13:14]Brian Jackson: And so, in the midst of the program, an idea comes up, right? A light bulb sparks, and you're like, “Oh, I've seen this opportunity. I think I have the sufficient, you know, resources myself to do this and take it on.” Could you tell me about how that happened and, you know, this kind of realization?

[13:32]Becky Jackson: Yeah. So, the idea for ONGUARD and, really, the vision of making private security more accessible and more efficient, for me it was sparked back with my time with Disney on Ice. You know, I absolutely loved the performing and the storytelling and the skating, but it also really nerd out on a lot of the logistics behind the Disney magic. And a huge part of that was the security and the partnerships of public and private security partnerships, not just, you know, for general security, but for traffic control and crowd control and just making everything look and feel seamless, as it should.

And so, it always, kind of, sparked an idea in me ways to make that more efficient. You know, it was something that was… there was really no technology supporting that. And it was run on a lot of spreadsheets. And it's one of these, kind of, last remaining industries that still, kind of, very much word-of-mouth in the way that teams are sourced and put together city after city.

And so, something I always came back in my time at Accenture, we use technology to create solutions and efficiencies for businesses. And so, I, you know, realized there is a better way to do this. And in talking to different friends and connections I have, both in the law enforcement world, as well as veterans and armed forces, started to pull together a lot of the opportunities there.

And so, that's where ONGUARD was built and developed. While at Rice Business, I started as a first year with just this idea of creating this platform and this marketplace and left Rice with a revenue-generating business, a technology company. And I would never have had the confidence or the network or even the skills to do that, I think, without being a part of this program and also a huge portion of that support to the Lilie Lab, which is Rice's idea, innovation entrepreneurship center that has curriculum and programs and accelerators.

And so, I really dove head first into that, pretty much on day one of the MBA and, kind of, did everything that there is to do at entrepreneurship at Rice. Probably, some of my favorite memories from the MBA is the electives that I took, as well as I got to do the Summer Venture Studios program, which is their three-month summer accelerator.

[15:51]Brian Jackson: So, if you could walk me through ONGUARD, what does it look like as a customer? And what's the process like with working with you?

[15:59]Becky Jackson: Yeah. So, I'd say ONGUARD, when we first launched, we were a digital marketplace that made it easier for customers, businesses, and individuals to hire off-duty law enforcement security. And what people may not know is that millions of people, even in Houston alone, rely on services from off-duty police officers, whether that's, you know, a church or a place of worship on the weekend, helping with traffic control, or security at a wedding, things like that. Just millions of people really rely on this huge marketplace that's taking place, you know, every single day. However, the booking process for that is really opaque and unclear. People really don't know, “How do I get the non-emergency line? Do I pick up the phone? Do I call into these departments that are, you know, extremely overloaded and heavy administrative process?”

And so, what we did is we worked with these different departments and created a seamless booking experience. We had an app on the App Store where, you know, whether it is a business or just an individual looking to hire private security service could go in and place their request. And just in a few clicks, we could look at, you know, “Okay, where is this location in the venue?” And we could pair them with that local office and be able to create that booking seamlessly.

And so, we really worked with departments to automate the workflow and the approval process for them. And so, we really wanted to also make sure that we were offering a really strong benefit to those departments. You know, how can we automate a lot of their policy in compliance and really save them hours of time. And so, as we went and had a lot of early success with the event planners and, like, wedding planners who were like, “Oh, this is great. You know, I used to have to pick up the phone and go through my Rolodex. And now, I can just… in a few clicks, it's done. I can pay in advance. I can have an invoice.”

So, we really listened to that customer segment and built a lot of the early features into the app. But I'd say, as we grew and start to take on more customers, we noticed that, really, the biggest opportunity was in serving the security providers. It was realizing that a lot of this, the staffing, and, kind of, just the administrative process of booking these, was what, kind of, where the pain point was. And so, a lot of this was being handled on literal sticky notes or signup sheets. And so, it was, kind of, this light bulb moment that, the more we talked to more departments and also started to then branch into local security companies as well, we realized that it was really in, kind of, small, local, armed and unarmed security providers that needed a better software layer and management platform.

And so, now, where we're going in the future with ONGUARD is still with the same vision of making private security more accessible and more efficient, but we are looking at acquiring and modernizing small security firms and building that into a national network. And so, kind of, moving more into that M&A acquisition space, you know, identifying initial targets. And so, what we're going to be able to do is really, just through modern technology, sort of, lift this out of the, sort of, spreadsheet world and be able to make these services really data-driven, be able to use and absorb local data sources and be able to predict and staff bookings, not just based on, you know, historic or gut feel, but really use data in a new way that maybe the government's done in the past but has it made its way into the private sector. And so, building, sort of, a much bigger vision now by, kind of, looking and addressing and identifying the right local security agencies to build up.

[19:45]Brian Jackson: So, the mission is staying the same, but what you've found along the journey with your touch points, your stakeholders, and getting feedback, like, there's a different way to approach it but accomplish the same mission.

[19:57]Becky Jackson: Exactly, yeah. It's making these services more accessible to businesses that need them the most. And so, I think we're able to now, kind of, serve that need even greater through having more service offerings and having different, kind of, levels of service that we can provide.

So, exactly, yeah, the mission, the vision has never changed. It's always been about accessibility and efficiency. And so, yeah. But it took listening and learning and just talking to people. I think, as a new founder of an early business, you cannot, you know, get stuck working at your computer. You have to be out in the world talking to real people. You have to get out and listen, have those conversations. That's when, you know, kind of, the opportunities to pivot present themselves.

[20:43]Brian Jackson: And you started something totally new, which to me sounds scary, right? Founding something that doesn't have systems and revenue already, you know, coming in the door and having to build business from scratch and reputation from scratch.

[20:55]Becky Jackson: Yeah, I think I mentioned we got to, kind of, really learn from and use a lot of the great resources at Rice. We're able to get and secure our first customers and even participate in some pitch competitions. We're able to earn some early funding that funded the development of our early app and product.

And so, right now, I also got to participate in the Veterans Business Battle, which is one of the premier student-run events, which has been, you know, an incredible opportunity to tap into a strong veteran community, as well as a community of mentors and investors.

And so, through that, we've been able to connect with a lot of great people, again, potential investors. And so, what's next for ONGUARD is really ready for the next phase of growth. We're looking to, kind of, take our technology and product to the next level, and, you know, have ambitions to scale nationally. And so, yeah, I think, for now, it's just full steam ahead.

[21:55]Brian Jackson: I am curious, what is the connection with ONGUARD to the veterans? Is it that you're hiring veterans and there's a focus on bringing veterans into the workforce?

[22:06]Becky Jackson: Yeah. So, a couple connections with the veteran community. My husband, Ken, was an Army veteran, went to West Point and was a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. And so many of our very close friends are still serving or have also served. And so, deeply connected to that in terms of hiring veterans, bring an incredible amount of knowledge and experience and skill. And so, we do hope to hire and partner with as many veterans, especially in the private security space.

And then, also, had a business partner and advisor who brought a lot of experience in law enforcement as well as a veteran. And so, it was just so great getting to be a part of an event like Veterans Business Battle, where you get to just… I think veterans are just wired differently, kind of, like entrepreneurs, just have extreme commitment and discipline. It's a community that I care deeply about. But also, we really rely on them, you know, within the world of private security to provide a really differentiated level of service and protection to raise the bar for our services.

[23:09]Brian Jackson: And it's a pitch. And when I think of your background… you're a master performer. You've done it, you know, a large audience across the world, I'm sure tired from traveling. So, when you stand in that room and you're talking about a business that you founded, what's the difference? And maybe there's a similarity.

[23:28]Becky Jackson: There's definitely many similarities in a way that, you know, getting, really, the unique opportunity to create or be the very first person to play the role of Elsa, kind of, had the chance to work with the Disney creators and choreographers to really think about, how do you bring this character to life from the screen to a fully human movement and impersonation?

And so, I think, in many ways, that you have to think about all of the different elements that bring something to life. Thought about that for the company. And I think, being on stage, as you mentioned, doing pitch competitions was the very first time that I was really able to tap back into that experience of storytelling and creating something. And I think, doing it with a different language. Instead of performing in movement, it was more, you know, spreadsheets and slides. But all the same. I mean, they're all just tools that you are using.

And so, I think it was a lot of pride, but also, kind of, comfort of, like, getting back into that and being able to have that creative outlet to build something and work towards something really meaningful.

[24:38]Brian Jackson: Well, if you need to say, which one's harder, which one do you think?

[24:42]Becky Jackson: Oh, man, that's a good question. I think, you know, founding a business, there's a lot more uncertainty. And I think, being a solo founder, I've learned the importance of a team and how essential it is to have a really strong team with you. And so, I think, in that respect, the experience with Disney always was so incredibly grateful to be surrounded by artists and engineers who really love and, you know, really committed to their work.

And so, that’s been an important lesson for me, is that you can't just go it alone. You can't just brute-force your way into starting a company. You really need to listen to experts. You need to know when to bring in the right people.

And so, I think it's been a tougher journey for that, just, kind of, starting this off solo. And, you know, being at Rice helped me learn that, too. Is that you need to learn to delegate and you need to really tap into the network and the world around you.

[25:38]Brian Jackson: And you're so right about the team. And I think one of the biggest value points is, all of a sudden, you're a part of this Rice team. And that's your network, instantly. And anytime I've sent a message or received a message, it always seems like a conversation happens. Of these conversations you've had, these mentors you've made, what's the most valuable thing you've heard?

[26:02]Becky Jackson: Yeah, tough to pick just one, but one that just always I think about daily is I had the opportunity to take a class with Al Danto who teaches Enterprise Acquisition, as well as Entrepreneur's Journey. But I took his entrepreneurship through acquisition class, and he would always say, like, always end class with saying, “Your network is your net worth.”

And it’s so true, that the people that you know are the people that you bring with you, are going to be the way that… they're not only going to shape your view of the future and of the present, but they're also going to open doors and windows for you. And so, I think that’s been something I've carried with me a lot and also talked to prospective students about all the time.

[26:47]Brian Jackson: I was at an alumni reunion a handful of weeks back, and he said the same thing.

[26:54]Becky Jackson: Yeah, you start to hear it over and over again, and it really, really sets in, of, like, just what that means and the people that you surround yourself with, yeah.

[27:01]Brian Jackson: So, you just graduated, which, congratulations!

[27:11]Becky Jackson: Thank you. Yeah, just a few days ago.

[27:13]Brian Jackson: So, you wrapped up the chapter of Rice with a business you started and were able to work some of the kings out with a lot of resources on campus. You know, big takeaway. What can you say is your statement of, “This was what the experience meant to me?”

[27:31]Becky Jackson: I think what, always, is so amazing is the different pathways that my peers and I have taken, and that you can really use the MBA to go in any direction. I've seen people make huge career changes, maybe from engineering to investment banking, and me from consulting into being a business founder.

And one big takeaway is that, yeah, I mean, that you can really use the skills, but more importantly the network, to do anything that you really want to do. And something that I'm passionate about is that, during my time at Rice, we had the slogan, “Rice Business, You Belong Here.” And that means… you know, it can mean so much to everyone. It can mean something different. But for me, I always took the chance to think about it in terms of age and that you're never too old to go chase a dream or you're not too advanced in your career to start something new.

And I think that's an important message that I always tell prospective students. You know, there's this, kind of, thought that MBAs are maybe in their, you know, 20s or young 30s, but that it's not true. We had people from all ages, people with no kids, people with four kids. And there really is, if it's something that you care about, you should absolutely go through it. And in the entrepreneurship space, the average successful founder of a startup is 45 years old. That's research through Harvard Business School.

And so, I think of, sometimes, we think that, “Oh, I'm too advanced in my career to start over, to start something new.” That's just not the case. And so, I felt very, always felt so included and felt like I belonged at Rice Business and never felt too old or too advanced in a certain area. So, yeah, I think that's my takeaway, is that this experience is what you make it. And if there's that burning desire to do something new, like, it’s waiting for you here.

[29:30]Brian Jackson: So, in wrapping up, if you had to give some advice to a student like you, I guess, a month ago, thinking about starting a business, what are you telling them?

[29:42]Becky Jackson: I would definitely tell them to take their time. Don't rush into any ideas or paths. You know, I think there's this thought of if you're doing a startup or starting in a business, you have to move a million miles an hour. And there's this quote that I'm going to mess it up, but I think it's, like, attributed to Abraham Lincoln or something. It's, like, “If I had 10 hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first nine sharpening my saw,” you know, something like that.

Yeah, I think there's a lot of truth, especially in starting a business. I'd say the thing that you cannot go light on is your customer interviews and development. You really challenge yourself. Be honest with yourself. Don't talk to people that you know are going to agree with your idea. The joke is, you know, don't go talk to your mom about the idea. Like, you need to go look for those people who are going to actively disagree and listen. Yeah, don't be afraid to really pour the time.

But then there's also this thing of analysis paralysis. At some point, you need to jump. You need to move. You need to take action. And I'd say, as soon as you start hearing a few things over and over again, “Okay, I’m starting to hear this customer or this type of person say these things,” that's when you know, “Okay, like, I've, kind of, confirmed this point and I need to take action on that.”

And so, I'd say, do your homework, have the right conversations, but be ready to jump. You need to be ready to take a leap and move from research and analysis into action. And that’s when the lessons really start — when you just start trying things.

[31:16]Brian Jackson: Well, that's fantastic advice. Well, again, I wanted to say congratulations on graduating. I don't know if you know if you were the 10,000th alumni, but we'll just say that you were close to it. But thank you so much for joining me today. And it has been such a pleasure.

[31:33]Becky Jackson: Thank you so much for having me. A huge fan of the podcast and just love talking to you today. So, thank you. I definitely hope to stick around Rice and won't be a stranger.

[31:46]Brian Jackson: Thanks for listening. This has been Owl Have You Know, a production of Rice Business. You can find more information about our guests, hosts, and announcements on our website, business.rice.edu.

Please subscribe and leave a rating wherever you find your favorite podcasts. We'd love to hear what you think.

The hosts of Owl Have You Know are myself, Brian Jackson, and Maya Pomroy.