In this episode of the Owl Have You Know podcast, we speak to three innovators connected to the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The Liu Idea Lab is a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation at Rice University. Its director of strategic innovations is Hesam Panahi, who has a Ph.D. in management information systems but found a passion for startups and making entrepreneurship more accessible to people.

Hesam is joined by two of his former students, who are running their own business ventures now. Taylor Anne Adams ‘23 got her B.A. in communications and film studies but soon realized her passion for venture capital. She ended up at Rice Business and took Hesam’s course, New Enterprise, which she says was the most valuable class she took because of his hands-on teaching approach. Taylor recently co-founded a venture capital fund that invests in sports tech and entertainment, with a focus on female founders.

Delaney Berman ‘22, CEO and co-founder of Berman Foods, left her job as a paralegal to pursue her passion for plant-based food, specifically cheese. At Rice, she was able to hone her idea and get the skills she needed to launch her company.

Host Maya Pomroy talks to the trio about their career journeys, how ideas get shaped at the Liu Idea Lab Lab, and what makes Houston’s startup culture unique.

The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM. Learn more: business.rice.edu/podcast