VOE Season 4 Articles

Randy Greenberg can remember his first movie experience like it was yesterday. He watched James Bond’s Goldfinger at a drive-in movie theater from the back of his family’s car, imagining that he too was floating down a canal in Venice. It opened his eyes to the power of film and set him on his own winding journey. But the executive producer is concerned that this in-person experience will disappear with the availability of at-home streaming. Greenberg is a Daniels alumnus and accomplished Hollywood executive, working on films like the Meg and Cowboys and Aliens, among many others. He now runs the Greenberg Group and teaches college courses on the business of film. On this episode, Greenberg shares how he picks the projects he works on, the impact of AI on the film industry and why it’s crucial you get off the couch and go to the movie theater.

Table of contents
• Falling in love with film
• Producer vs. Executive Producer vs. Director
• Why business school led to a film career
• Why the first 10 pages of a script are everything
• Managing creative egos on set
• AI as both a threat and opportunity in Hollywood production
• The business importance of going to the theater
• Try it, fail fast, and pivot

Consumer preferences and buying behaviors in the alcoholic beverage space are changing faster than you can pour a pint and say ‘cheers.’ So, how do companies keep up? Erin Engels, Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy, is helping lead those efforts with Breakthru Beverage Group. Breakthru is a leading North American beverage wholesaler, meaning they help thousands of brands land on store shelves, on restaurant menus and on the tap list at your favorite bars. In her role, Engels leads the development and implementation of Breakthru’s commercial strategy. She creates short- and long-term initiatives that support both innovation and growth. In this episode, Engels shares how Breakthru stays nimble in the face of changing consumer demand, how a special team at her company identifies the next big brands, plus how you can gain employee and executive buy-in for effective long-term strategy.

Table of contents
• 1:15 Adapting to consumers drinking less
• 4:20 Identifying winning brands and the Trident team
• 5:59 What to do if a brand flops
• 9:06 Developing effective long-term strategies
• 12:23 Bringing an engineering background to business
• 17:09 How AI is being used in the beverage space
• 18:27 Doing business internationally
• 19:21 “Be curious”

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Voices of Experience podcast team took a look through its history, and picked four of its favorite interviews with female leaders. On this episode, hear insights on leadership, mentorship, work-life balance, gathered from the first four seasons of the VOE podcast.

Table of Contents • 0:00 Intro • 0:21 Jodie Antypas’s management advice • 7:09 Andrea Wescott Passman on the “glass cliff” • 12:56 Leigh Hitz on the qualities of a strong mentor and mentee • 17:55 Lesson’s from Kirsten Benefiel’s notebook • 22:14 Show notes and credits

Monica Williams (MBA 2013) is a people-centric strategist that has spent the last 15 years designing both equitable and high-performing workplaces. But her work didn’t start there. She made the transition to the people side of the business from, of all places, the accounting field. Monica’s career has taken her from spreadsheets to organizational heartbeats, as she’s led large-scale people efforts at both CenturyLink and the Denver Airport. In this episode, Monica shares more about what makes people-centric strategies successful, how transferable skills helped her discover her passion and how to stay centered in challenging times.

Table of contents • 1:03 Designing equitable workplace cultures • 2:03 How non-managers can create inclusive cultures • 3:01 Monica’s path from accounting to diversity • 5:47 How inclusive cultures lead to better business outcomes • 7:12 Monica’s decision to pursue an Executive MBA • 9:09 Challenges and strategies at Denver International Airport • 12:26 Identifying and addressing performative equity efforts • 18:32 Staying centered in challenging times

The most successful executives, Debbie Brown says, have a few things in common. Through meetings with the governor, Congresspeople, diplomats and even the White House, the president of the Colorado Business Roundtable has an up-close look at how some of the most respected businesspeople carry themselves. In her role, Brown advocates locally and nationally on the issues she sees as most important for a thriving economy. On this episode of the Voices of Experience podcast, Brown shares some of her top priorities for the year ahead and explains what it takes to build relationships that bridge ideological differences. Plus, she shares the traits she needed to develop to get to where she is today.

Table of contents • 1:12 “Business as a force for good” • 2:04 Local vs. national advocacy • 3:43 Navigating politics in business • 5:21 The influence of immigration • 6:40 Optimism in 2025 • 10:10 Lessons in leadership and communication • 12:09 What successful CEOs have in common • 13:27 How to build a relationship • 13:27 Advocating for yourself in the office • 16:27 Dealing with disruption • 18:38 Growing as a leader • 21:03 Show notes and credits

On the Daniels College of Business podcast, John Swieringa shares his thoughts on what makes large-scale change successful, what he does to motivate his team and how a strategy paper from his time at the Daniels College of Business set up the next decade of his career.

Table of contents • 1:00 How he became the “accidental CIO” • 2:50 Breakfast burritos for software releases • 4:48 Being your best self • 6:00 Preparing to learn new skills • 6:57 How Daniels prepared him for a fruitful career • 9:00 What EchoStar is up to • 11:16 Supporting employees through change • 14:15 Blocking out the noise • 15:45 “Surround yourself with the right people”

On the Daniels College of Business podcast, Jandel Allen-Davis dispenses key leadership lessons she’s gained from her patients, shares how to champion diversity in the health care space and offers ways to buck that pesky imposter syndrome.

Table of contents • 1:13 Ball Arena redevelopment in a nutshell • 2:19 Why arenas make vibrant neighborhoods • 3:52 Building a (literal) bridge between communities • 5:10 What about overdevelopment? • 6:58 Make or break factors for a district • 8:30 The growth of sports ownership empires • 10:08 Planning a 20-year project • 12:25 Will Ball Arena be replaced? • 15:06 From a history to degree to a development career • 17:04 “It may not be a perfect role but just get it” • 19:36 Getting people to like you • 20:54 Show notes and credits

The heart of the Mile High City could get a major jolt of electricity. If all goes according to plan, the Ball Arena Redevelopment Project will pave the way for new buildings, parks, housing and litany of retail spaces that are estimated to expand downtown by 40%. For Matt Mahoney, senior vice president of development at Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE), scoping the massive project is as much an exercise in architecture as it is in building relationships—especially in a place like Denver, where “development” can be a dirty word. On this episode of the Voices of Experience podcast, Mahoney explains KSE’s vision for a new entertainment district, the key to getting the community on board, and how to plan for a project that won’t wrap up for at least 20 years.

Table of contents • 1:13 Ball Arena redevelopment in a nutshell • 2:19 Why arenas make vibrant neighborhoods • 3:52 Building a (literal) bridge between communities • 5:10 What about overdevelopment? • 6:58 Make or break factors for a district • 8:30 The growth of sports ownership empires • 10:08 Planning a 20-year project • 12:25 Will Ball Arena be replaced? • 15:06 From a history to degree to a development career • 17:04 “It may not be a perfect role but just get it” • 19:36 Getting people to like you • 20:54 Show notes and credits

It’s a word that can send a shiver down the spine of an organization. But “disruption” happens every day, Naomi Boyd says, and that isn’t a bad thing. As she takes the helm of the Daniels College of Business, the new dean says higher education is due for a shakeup. On this episode of the Voices of Experience podcast, Boyd outlines what it takes to create an environment that sparks innovation—a quality that is key to her vision for Daniels. Plus, she explains how a leader should listen to a diverse group stakeholders—and how to know when it’s time to stop listening and take action.

Table of contents • 2:13 Transitioning from arts to academia • 3:43 The aftermath of breaking glass ceilings • 5:51 Servant leadership in higher ed • 6:58 Keeping everyone happy • 8:55 How much listening is too much? • 10:20 Goals for Daniels • 12:24 “Disrupting” in a supportive way • 14:21 Teaching students to deal with disruption • 15:23 What should people expect from you as dean? • 16:45 Life outside the office • 17:58 “This is where I am.” • 19:38 Show notes and credits