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Christina Qi, SB ’13, is the co-founder and CEO of Databento and the first undergraduate Sloanie to appear on this podcast. Her path runs from day-trading out of a Harvard dorm room, where her HFT firm Domeyard peaked at 25,000 trades a day, to founding Databento and nearly losing it: a bridge round raised with almost negative runway, investors who signed financing docs and never wired, and finally a $97M Series B that made it all look inevitable. The heart of the conversation is what Databento actually does and why it wins: harmonizing market data across exchanges so that, in her phrase, "all the books are in one language." Qi is candid about the industry’s lack of competition, customers who leave over price come back, she says, because there’s nowhere else to go, and about what the product still lacks. She also takes aim at AI hype ("maybe this is why I hate AI": companies incorporated today claiming $100M ARR by November), and explains how AI data-center demand priced her disaster-recovery site out of Utah and into Portland. Woven through is the Sloanie thread: serving with host Christopher Reichert on the MIT Sloan Boston Alumni Association board, getting a C-minus in Bob Merton’s class, and the parents who came from China and settled in northern Utah. It closes on her definition of success, the number of hours you can spend doing the thing you truly want, without consequences. Key Topics:  •⁠  ⁠Harmonizing market data across exchanges into one API •⁠  ⁠Surviving near-zero runway to a $97M Series B •⁠  ⁠Why market data has almost no real competition •⁠  ⁠AI hype versus building something durable •⁠  ⁠From dorm-room day trading to founding Databento •⁠  ⁠How AI demand is reshaping data-center geography •⁠  ⁠MIT Sloan, family, and defining success as time spent playing video game  Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Michael Autery, SFMBA ’26, a United States Navy Civil Engineer Corps officer with fifteen years of active service, joined host Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, on Sloanies Talking with Sloanies to discuss his journey from active duty to entrepreneurship. Coming from a working-class background and skeptical of the business world, Autery enrolled in the MIT Sloan Fellows program not knowing what came next, but determined to find work that gave him the same sense of purpose he had found in the Navy. It was in 15.390 New Enterprises (also known as “Entrepreneurship 101”) taught by Bill Aulet, SF ’94 (Ethernet Inventors Professor of the Practice; Managing Director, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship)—through a deceptively simple assignment to generate twenty business ideas—that he landed on the one that would define his next chapter. That idea became Gander Robotics, a venture-backed company building an autonomous underwater rescue swimmer to address one of maritime safety’s most persistent and deadly problems. Drawing on his Naval Academy electrical engineering background, a master’s in ocean engineering from Texas A&M, and firsthand experience with man overboard situations at sea, Autery identified a gap that technology had yet to fill: locating a person in the water before they disappear from sight. With survival rates of just 28% in the Navy and 17% on cruise ships, the urgency was clear. Autery and co-founder Lael Ayala won the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition unanimously—taking both the top prize and the Audience Choice Award—and secured over a million dollars in investment within a month. Autery closed the conversation with advice for incoming MIT Sloan Fellows and a look at the road ahead for Gander. He urged prospective students to use every available moment before and during the summer term to clarify their direction, since the one-year program leaves little room to pivot. For himself, he summed up a life philosophy of continuous self-improvement without a fixed destination—enlisting in the Navy after failing out of college, earning his way into the Naval Academy as an enlisted sailor, and now building a company he believes can save lives at scale. His near-term goal is to land government contracts and get Gander’s autonomous rescue swimmer deployed on Navy ships, with the long-term ambition of broad commercial adoption and, eventually, the rank of admiral in the Navy Reserve. Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

In this episode of Sloanies Talking with Sloanies, host Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, speaks with Adela Jamal, SFMBA ’22, and Sebastian Barriga, SFMBA ’22, co-founders of MileMark Capital, about their journey from diverse global careers to launching an applied AI-focused venture fund. They reflect on how their time at MIT Sloan—particularly during the transitional post-pandemic period—brought them together through shared values, complementary backgrounds, and a mutual commitment to meaningful innovation. Their story highlights the importance of authenticity, long-term relationship-building, and the often-overlooked reality that reputations are built long before founders formally step into the spotlight. The conversation also explores MileMark’s investment philosophy, centered on “applied AI”—specialized, domain-driven applications of artificial intelligence that deliver tangible business value. Rather than chasing broad, capital-intensive models, the firm focuses on founders with deep expertise and strong networks, emphasizing people as the key driver of success. Looking ahead, Jamal and Barriga express optimism about AI’s global impact, predicting increased accessibility, productivity, and innovation across industries. Ultimately, they underscore that while technology evolves rapidly, trust, human judgment, and purpose-driven leadership remain at the core of building enduring ventures. Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

In this Sloanies Talking with Sloanies podcast, host Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, interviews Nelson Repenning, PhD ’96, (School of Management Distinguished Professor of System Dynamics and Organization Studies) about his 2025 book There's Got to Be a Better Way, co-authored with Donald Kieffer (Senior Lecturer, System Dynamics). A system dynamics expert who started at MIT as a PhD candidate at 23 and now directs the MIT Leadership Center, Repenning's research probes why organizations ignore proven tools, from lean methods to safety protocols in industries like oil and gas. The book's thesis: static plans (strategies, budgets) clash with rapid change, spawning "firefighting" via ad-hoc fixes that stifles long-term productivity. Repenning tackles buy-in hurdles for invisible wins, like safety where "nobody gets credit for defects that never happened," especially in high-risk sectors with delayed feedback. For middle managers, he champions "dynamic work design"—tackling small, quick experiments on pain points to yield fast results and organic spread, as seen in Harley-Davidson's backlog fixes and the Broad Institute's 2020 COVID pivot, favoring iterative problem-solving over rigid control. He stresses cultural tools like the "human chain" for face-to-face ambiguity resolution amid email overload, linking it to return-to-office trends for mentorship. Reflecting on his 1990s spark questioning tool adoption, Repenning notes system dynamics' mainstream rise at Sloan amid AI's black boxes. Advice for students: embrace MIT's low-structure entrepreneurialism and diverse programs expanded his mindset beyond technical expertise to create meaningful societal impact. Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

In this episode of Sloanies Talking with Sloanies, host Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, interviews Dr. Sreenivas Koka, EMBA ’13, about how his multicultural upbringing and MIT Sloan experience transformed his approach to dentistry and leadership, emphasizing empathy and value-based care. Starting his academic journey at 19 at the University of Michigan’s School of Dentistry, Koka earned multiple degrees, held roles like Chair of Dental Specialties at the Mayo Clinic and Dean at the University of Mississippi’s School of Dentistry, and founded the Koka Dental Clinic. After being let go from his deanship, he co-founded Executive Leadership Enterprises to focus on developing first- and second-time supervisors, while continuing to serve underserved communities, such as providing dental care to Mississippi prison inmates. Koka defines success as living a purpose-driven life, a perspective shaped by Sloan’s courses on strategy and innovation, which expanded his mindset beyond technical expertise to create meaningful societal impact. Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

In this episode of Sloanies Talking with Sloanies, host Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, interviews Yurui (Rui) Tong, MBAn ’21, a graduate of the MIT Sloan Master of Business Analytics program. Tong, reflects on her educational and professional journey through a personal lens of self-discovery and curiosity. Though passionate about logic and reasoning, she shares her early struggles with math, eventually realizing that her strengths lie in storytelling and narrative-based problem-solving. This realization shaped her approach to data science and analytics, emphasizing clarity and meaning in complex concepts. At MIT, a key lesson came from Professor Dimitris Bertsimas, SM ’87, PhD ’88, who advised her to confront difficult problems head-on—a mindset that continues to guide her career. Tong’s path includes diverse roles, from WHO to Deloitte to Remitly, where she now serves as a senior product manager working on fraud detection powered by AI. Rui explains that while AI is not new to data science professionals, its current wave of popularity stems from its broadened interaction with the public. At Remitly, she sees AI as a layered system—data, models, and decision-making—where the quality of data is as crucial as the model itself. She highlights the challenge of aligning business goals with probabilistic AI outputs, particularly in fraud detection, where trade-offs between customer experience and risk management are constant. Her podcast, Floating Questions (Spotify and Apple), reflects her wide-ranging intellectual curiosity, covering topics from energy policy to personal identity. Rui’s time at Sloan fostered a deep appreciation for principled innovation and collaborative learning—values she continues to carry forward. Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

In this episode, Snejina Zacharia, SF ’13, a 2013 MIT Sloan Fellow from Bulgaria, transformed a personal insurance frustration into a $500 million business by founding Insurify, the "Kayak of insurance." After a minor car accident during her time at MIT caused her premiums to spike, she discovered the absence of a comprehensive insurance comparison platform and spent over a year convincing risk-averse carriers to join her marketplace. Despite facing significant challenges as a first-time female immigrant founder in a highly regulated industry, Zacharia built Insurify from a three-person team to nearly 200 employees through relentless persistence, strategic fundraising, and operational focus. Her journey exemplifies the MIT entrepreneurial spirit, emphasizing the importance of building the right founding team, maintaining financial discipline, and never giving up despite countless rejections—ultimately creating the largest online insurance comparison platform in the United States. Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

In this episode of Sloanies Talking with Sloanies, host Christopher Reichert sits down with Raafet Azzouz, a 2024 Sloan Fellow at MIT Sloan, to explore his remarkable journey from a small town in Tunisia to global finance and entrepreneurship. Raafet shares how his early love for mathematics and humanities shaped his academic path through France, ultimately leading to senior roles at major financial institutions like JP Morgan and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Despite his successful Wall Street career, he felt the need for a deeper sense of purpose, prompting his decision to step back, pursue impact-focused ventures, and enroll in the Sloan Fellows MBA program. Raafet speaks candidly about the challenges and strengths of the immigrant experience—resilience, adaptation, and resourcefulness—which inspired his New Colossus Project. (YouTube) This initiative tells the stories of first-generation immigrant trailblazers in America, aiming to reframe the narrative around immigration and highlight its immense contributions to innovation and entrepreneurship. He also discusses how MIT Sloan became a space for personal transformation, where he stepped outside his comfort zone through courses in leadership, improvisation, and social media, all while reflecting on his identity and future direction. Throughout the conversation, Raafet emphasizes the value of risk-taking, lifelong learning, and giving back to community. His evolving definition of success now centers on impact, connection, and legacy rather than titles or accolades. This episode is a powerful reflection on navigating change, finding one’s voice, and the importance of institutions like MIT Sloan in shaping not just careers, but lives. Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

In this episode from 2019, Christopher Reichert, MOT ‘04, sat down with David Schmittlein, former Dean (2007–2024) and Professor of Marketing at the MIT Sloan School of Management, to discuss many topics, including where he found inspiration in his personal and professional life. Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

In this episode of Sloanies Talking with Sloanies, Christopher Reichert interviews Henna Karna, EMBA ’18, who reflects on her academic and professional journey. Karna discusses how Sloan’s blend of quantitative and qualitative learning has shaped her approach to innovation, emphasizing engineering new patterns over relying on existing use cases. With a PhD in applied mathematics and a career spanning roles at the NSA, Google, and AXA, she shares insights on cryptography, behavioral modeling, and risk management. Karna advocates for empowering others, aligning short-term actions with long-term goals, and fostering sustainable innovation. Currently a Harvard fellow, she focuses on AI’s societal role, aiming to ensure its responsible and human-centric adoption. Karna defines success as finding joy in daily life and encourages prospective MBAs to embrace the rigorous yet rewarding Sloan experience. Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

In this special episode of Sloanies Talking with Sloanies, host Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, sits down with two distinguished guests: Admiral Thad Allen, SF ’89, former Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, and Frank Finelli, SM ’86, a senior advisor at The Carlyle Group and founder of the MIT Sloan Veterans Fund. Together, they discuss their experiences at MIT Sloan, the complexities of leadership in the military and private sector, and the challenges of technology adoption in government. The conversation explores the evolution of defense strategies, the importance of networks within the MIT and military communities, and the need for innovative approaches to address modern national security threats. Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

In this episode of Sloanies Talking with Sloanies, host Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, interviews Stephen Boyer, SDM ’08, co-founder and chief innovation officer at Bitsight. The conversation reflects on the evolution of cybersecurity, including the complexity of cyber threats and the challenges companies face in managing risks. Boyer shares insights from his career, discussing the importance of transparency in cybersecurity incidents and the role of AI in enhancing security practices. He also emphasizes the value of a mission-driven career and the need for continuous learning. Boyer also discusses his experiences at MIT Sloan, highlighting the impact of the MIT 100K competition and the broader MIT ecosystem on his entrepreneurial journey. He offers advice to prospective Sloanies, encouraging them to immerse themselves fully in the MIT environment and to align their studies with their long-term career goals. The episode provides a blend of practical cybersecurity advice and reflections on the significance of strategic thinking and innovation in one's career. Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

In this special episode of the podcast, Andrew Husband (Senior Writer & Editor, Office of External Relations) briefly assumes hosting duties to discuss five years of Sloanies Talking with Sloanies with host-turned-guest Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04. Reichert reflects on some of his most cherished and memorable conversations with MIT Sloan alumni and faculty—including the late Ed Roberts, SB ’57, SM ’58, SM ’60, PhD ’62, and his son, Mitch Roberts, SM ’92; as well as a joint conversation with Juan Pablo Armas, SM ’92, and Roberto Rigobon, PhD ’97, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the MIT Sloan Latin America Office. After living and working in Australia for 13 years, Reichert decided to seek out an MBA degree to build on the skills he had developed while founding and managing an IT consulting company. The confluence of business and technology led him to MIT Sloan, where he initially considered the MBA program before a chance reading of a Management of Technology program brochure. Reichert emphasizes the importance of volunteerism among alumni, and Husband highlights the former’s ongoing work with the MIT Sloan Boston Alumni Association, the MIT Sloan Alumni Board, and the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium. This naturally leads to a discussion of MIT Sloan Reunion 2024 and the need for the ongoing involvement of the alumni community at large. Links: LinkedIn ProfileMIT Sloan Reunion 2024Support the Show. Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on our website Sloanies Talking with Sloanies. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on X (Formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. To support this show or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Join host Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, in a candid conversation with Jawad Ahsan, MIT Sloan Executive MBA alum, as they discuss the transformative power of an MBA, Ahsan's career growth from GE to entrepreneurial ventures, and the role MIT Sloan played in shaping his path. Discover how System Dynamics and MIT Sloan's collaborative ethos inspired Ahsan to pursue a portfolio career, balancing corporate success with creative storytelling and societal impact. Reichert and Ahsan talk about Ahsan's creative pursuits, including his book "What They Didn't Tell Me," which became an Amazon bestseller, and his involvement in producing books, movies, and investing in startups through his ventures Light Mountain Creative, Light Mountain Capital, and Light Mountain Craft. Links: LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/jawadahsanWebsite: http://www.jawadahsan.com/Support the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

On this episode of Sloanies Talking with Sloanies, host Christopher Reichert, MOT ’04, interviews Ian Barkin, MBA ’06, co-founder of 2BVentures.  Barkin discusses his experience at MIT Sloan and how it influenced his career in consulting and outsourcing. He also talks about the concept of robotic process automation (RPA) and its role in intelligent automation. Barkin shares insights from his book Intelligent Automation and discusses the democratization of technology tools and the importance of harnessing grassroots automation within organizations.  He emphasizes the need for IT departments to adapt to the changing landscape and support the creativity and innovation of non-IT professionals. Barkin also highlights the evolving role of AI and the availability of big data in driving advancements in automation.  He concludes by discussing the importance of staying connected with the MIT Sloan community and offering advice for prospective students and alumni. Links: LinkedIn ProfileLinkedIn Learning courses on Digital TransformationMIT Sloan Management Review ArticleHarvard Business Review ArticleIntelligent AutomationSupport the show Thanks for listening! Find more episodes on the Sloanies Talking with Sloanies website. Learn more about MIT Sloan Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads. To support this show, or if you have an idea for a topic or a guest you think we should feature, drop us a note at [email protected] © MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT