Josh Luber is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of StockX, the world’s first “Stock Market of Things.” As an avid “sneakerhead,” Josh initially came up with the idea for StockX as a way to bring transparency and efficiency to the burgeoning resale sneaker market. In over four years as CEO, Josh transformed his nascent concept into a thriving marketplace for shoes, luxury items, streetwear, and much more.

After StockX, Josh co-founded and served as the chief vision officer of trading card and collectibles company Fanatics Collectibles, and founded zerocool, the company’s pop culture, art, and entertainment brand. Most recently, he founded the collectible toy brand ghostwrite, which is rolling out its distinctive vision for the designer toy market.

In this episode, Emory University President Gregory L. Fenves talks with Josh about what it takes to transform hobbies into successful businesses and how his experiences at Emory—where he earned three degrees—shaped his career.

Mikaila Ulmer is an entrepreneur and the founder of Me & The Bees Lemonade, which sells its distinctive beverages across the nation. Mikaila started the thriving company when she was four years old in Austin, Texas, donating a portion of the profits from her lemonade sales to organizations dedicated to saving bees.

At nine years old, Mikaila appeared on the TV show Shark Tank, securing a coveted investment deal and propelling her brand into the spotlight. She is a renowned public speaker, the author of the book “Bee Fearless, Dream Like a Kid,” and the founder of the bee-saving nonprofit the Healthy Hive Foundation. She is also a Robert W. Woodruff Scholar in her third year at Emory University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in international studies and economics.

In this episode, Emory University President Gregory L. Fenves talks with Mikaila about her experiences as a young entrepreneur and the art of balancing a growing business with her college studies.

Related Links

• Me & The Bees
• Healthy Hive Foundation

Related Articles

• How to cultivate a hive mentality (Fast Company, 8/31/23)
• Climate Change Is Ratcheting Up the Pressure on Bees (UC Davis, 10/14/22)

Dr. Christina Gavegnano is an Assistant Professor in the Emory School of Medicine and a Visiting Associate Professor in the Emory College of Arts and Sciences. As an Emory graduate student, Dr. Gavegnano made a discovery that is now contributing to a potential cure for HIV-1.

During the pandemic, Dr. Gavegnano developed a first-line COVID-19 treatment. When the royalty money came in, she decided to use it, along with her own savings, to fund the Gavegnano Drug Discovery Program (GDDP), a lab at Emory just for undergraduate students. The GDDP gives students hands-on research experience and a chance to participate in laboratory discovery, human trial design, and real-time collaborations with the FDA and pharmaceutical companies.

In this episode, recorded in fall 2024, Emory University President Gregory L. Fenves talks with Dr. Gavegnano about her life-saving research and how she is supporting a new generation of drug discoverers