How do you take one of the most complex and high-stakes processes in business, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and bring clarity and innovation to it? In this episode, host John Rebecchi (M.B.A. ’83), Ph.D. welcomes Kison Patel, Founder and CEO of DealRoom, a project management platform designed specifically for complex financial transactions. With over a decade of experience as an M&A advisor, Kris witnessed firsthand the pain points dealmakers face, which inspired him to create DealRoom.

Kison will share how he identified the need for a purpose-built platform, and how DealRoom helps connect the full lifecycle of the transaction process from managing pipelines and overseeing due diligence to post-merger integration. We will explore the role of emerging technologies such as AI and what they mean for the future of the M&A industry. Kison will also discuss a personal mindset he describes as “impatience,” a strategic approach that emphasizes the urgency of identifying inefficiencies, optimizing operational processes and aligning organizational goals for long-term success.

Hit subscribe and never miss an episode! You can find us in on Podbean, Apple, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, and more. Don't forget to share your thoughts by leaving a review!

About The In Reality Podcast:

Lessons from Leaders and Entrepreneurs, a School of Management podcast, is hosted by John Rebecchi (M.B.A. '83), Ph.D., founder of Strategy + Culture Consulting, and features interviews with thought leaders, entrepreneurs from startups to multinational companies, and experts in fields shaping the future of business.

The pace of technological disruption is accelerating, and with it, the risks businesses face have become more complex and interconnected. In this relaunch episode, host John Rebecchi (M.B.A. ’83), Ph.D. welcomes Catherine A. Allen, New York Tech's Board of Trustee, and Founder and Chairman of the Board of The Santa Fe Group, a strategic consulting company based in Santa Fe, NM. The Santa Fe Group, specializes in briefings to C-level executives and boards of directors in financial institutions and critical infrastructure sectors. Their management services focus on strategic industry initiatives designed to address and mitigate third-party risks.

We'll explore the critical risk concerns, including cybersecurity, quantum computing, geopolitics, and the rapid pace of technological change. Allen will share the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) as both a risk and opportunity from supporting productivity and innovation to workforce distributions and its use as a disinformation generator. We'll also discover the significance of finding the right mentors, the value of continuous learning, the importance of reinventing oneself to meet market demands, and the readiness to pivot when necessary.

Hit subscribe and never miss an episode! You can find us in on Podbean, Apple, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, and more. Don't forget to share your thoughts by leaving a review!

About The In Reality Podcast:

Lessons from Leaders and Entrepreneurs, a School of Management podcast, is hosted by John Rebecchi (M.B.A. '83), Ph.D., founder of Strategy + Culture Consulting, and features interviews with thought leaders, entrepreneurs from startups to multinational companies, and experts in fields shaping the future of business.

Artificial intelligence continues to advance and the stories of innovators and companies driving this transformation are evolving just as quickly. Their stories are worth hearing again. In this special relaunch from Season 8, we revisit John Rebecchi’s (M.B.A. ’83, Ph.D.) engaging conversation with Sarah Nagy, CEO of Seek AI. Originally recorded during the early rise of generative AI, Nagy reflects on her journey from Quant, specializing in algorithmic trading strategies to becoming an entrepreneur. She shares her experience in pitching to investors, building an AI startup, and leveraging AI to solve real-world data challenges.

Since the episode first aired, Seek AI has become a leader in the agentic AI space, serving top Fortune 500 companies and introducing groundbreaking models like DeepSeek.

Updates from Seek AI:

• Seek AI has secured multiple enterprise customers, including two Fortune 500 companies and an FDIC-insured bank.
• In a recent case study, Welles, a sustainable clothing brand specializing in medical uniforms, used Seek AI to enhance its e-commerce operations. Read the complete case study here: Seek AI Welles Case Study.
• Seek AI launched DeepSeek in 2025, a new AI model that excels in reasoning tasks and competes with leading models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.
• The AI industry has moved past the excitement of generative AI, and entering a new phase of growth: Agentic AI. Seek AI now offers a platform for businesses to ask data questions in plain language and gain real-time insights from AI agents.

Hit subscribe and never miss an episode! You can find us in on Podbean, Apple, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, and more. Don't forget to share your thoughts by leaving a review!

About The In Reality Podcast:

Lessons from Leaders and Entrepreneurs, a School of Management podcast, is hosted by John Rebecchi (M.B.A. '83), Ph.D., founder of Strategy + Culture Consulting, and features interviews with thought leaders, entrepreneurs from startups to multinational companies, and experts in fields shaping the future of business.