Giving Entrepreneurs the Tools to Change the World feat. Hesam Panahi, Taylor Anne Adams ‘23, and Delaney Berman ‘22

Owl Have You Know

In another installment of Owl Have You Know’s Flight Path Series, where guests share their career journeys and Rice insights, 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.

Episode Quotes:

The Lilie Lab is not just a hub it’s a space for entrepreneurs

[Hesam Panahi] 8:21 - I always say, especially to the undergrads, that when you walk down these sidewalks, someone might be wearing a Brown College shirt, or a Wiess College shirt, or whatever sort of residential college they're a part of, or you might recognize them from one of your classes, but it's really hard to know who is an entrepreneur, who's interested in entrepreneurship. And so, what this physical space is designed to do is be that hub for that as well, right? So, it's not just the class; it's not just the co-curricular; it's all of that infrastructure that gives people the time and space to explore this.

An important lesson from Hesam

[Taylor Anne Adams] 42:08 - The biggest lesson I've learned and what I continue to use every day, and what I say to founders all the time, is to just test it. Test it and see what happens. And you aren't going to know unless you do that. So not letting perfect be the enemy of good.

On being a tool to help entrepreneurs

[Taylor Anne Adams] 11:45 - I'm very bullish about entrepreneurship and about entrepreneurs in general. I believe they have the capacity to change the world, given the right tools and resources. They can and will. So I want to be one of those tools and resources.

Show Links:

• Liu Idea Lab
• The Collectiv
• Berman Foods
• Transcript

Guests Profiles:

• Hesam Panahi
• Taylor Anne Adams
• Delaney Berman