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COVER STORY 02 Contents table of FEATURED 06 Survival of the Most Curious 20 Funding Curiosity Through Scholarships 24 HighlyTheCuriousSparkingMindsEmbraceAwkwardQuestions13HabitsofCuriousPeople10124220 0201 DAVID ECCLES SCHOOL OF BUSINESS DEAN Rachel Hayes EDITOR IN CHIEF Frances Johnson Manager, Alumni Marketing and Communications CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Katie MichelleDrakeBarber-Lyhnakis DESIGN FIRM Think Tank Creative SR. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Sheena McFarland Director, Marketing & CommunicationsKatie Amundsen ASSISTANT DEAN OF DEVELOPMENT 28271615 Q&A HeatherwithKahlert A Curious Future New Horizons The Case for ACuriosityCOVERSTORYWordFrom the Dean Laundry with a Purpose This issue we explore how curiosity impacts our world and how to encourage its growth
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Rachel Hayes School of
Business The Online Surge of FinalDean’sCampusAboutFunMisinformationFactstheDeanNewsListWord443033343642 A New Home for Curiosity and Innovation Give us your thoughts, feedback and suggestions about Eccles Experience. TALK WE’REBACK!LISTENING. Katie.Amundsen@Eccles.Utah.edu Rachel Hayes
Dean, David Eccles
Anyone who has spent any time with a child knows what an endless barrage of questions sounds like. Children are naturally curious, and that curiosity is a big part of why kids learn so quickly. While the adult brain is not as elastic as a child’s, curiosity can help grown-ups keep learning, innovating, and improving processes and outcomes, too.
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Curiosity the case for
In his classes on mindfulness, Kreiner likes to start by asking the students a simple question: How do you brush your teeth? They usually answer with something like, “Well, I start on the left side and work my way over to the right.” Kreiner interrupts them right away.
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Even at a young age, we start receiving overt and implied messages that incessant inquisitiveness is annoying, or that asking too many questions is an inappropriate challenge to authority. We even learn that curiosity can be dangerous. It did kill the cat, after all.
As we grow up, these messages become solidified in our behavior at school, in our jobs, and even with our friends and families. According to research conducted at the Harvard Business School, a full 70% of employees say they face internal and external barriers to asking more questions at work.
Glen Kreiner is Management Department Chair and L.S. Skaggs Presidential Chair of Business Ethics at the David Eccles School of Business, where he also teaches as a professor of management. Kreiner’s research focuses on workplace mindfulness, authenticity, and identity-based leadership. Many of those principles, he said, can help individuals, teams, and even organizations recapture and cultivate a productive sense of curiosity.
Cultivating a Curious Mind
The only catch? Research shows that curiosity starts to decline as early as age six.
“There are lots of decisions they’ve made before they even start brushing that they haven’t realized or thought about,” he said. “What toothbrush are they using? Why that brand of toothbrush? How much toothpaste did they put on the brush? How much water did they use?”
Luckily, things don’t have to stay that way.
Those kinds of questions can stir curiosity, even about things we do every day. They are part of cultivating what Kreiner calls a “beginner’s mind,” and the principle can be applied to just about anything we do.
Here is an example. Pretend you have never attended or run a team meeting before. What kinds of questions would you ask? You’d probably start with a question like, Why do we have this meeting? Do we need to have this meeting? Who needs to be at the meeting? How do we decide who speaks when in the meeting? And so on.
to manage the conversation. You might cancel the meeting all together.
Take another example, this time of a brainstorming session where your team is trying to solve a problem. This is a prime opportunity for curiosity to shine, Kreiner said, but instead participants can get bogged down in all the unspoken rules that govern the discussion, like, “I can’t disagree with my boss, or I will be penalized,” or “I don’t want to contradict my co-worker because they are also my friend, and I don’t want to embarrass them.”
“We can approach a task or an idea or even a facet of our identity as if it were totally new,” Kreiner said.
Without the constraints of the status quo and your past experience, you might choose to run a team meeting very differently, Kreiner said. You might introduce the concept of a talking stick, borrowed from indigenous cultures,
Cultivating mindfulness gives us the space to investigate why we are doing something before we do it, helping us act in an informed way instead of just reacting to what is happening around us.
- Glen Kreiner
“In a beginner’s mind there are endless possibilities. In an expert’s mind there are almost no possibilities,” he said.
“In a beginner’s mind there are endless possibilities. In an expert’s mind there are almost no possibilities...”
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- Glen Kreiner
t can be hard for businesses and organizations to connect the dots between curiosity and productivity, Kreiner said, but there are definite
When managers are only focused on short-term objectives such as performance metrics or outcomes, curiosity can suffer. For organizations — and curiosity — to thrive, managers need to focus on long-term goals, growth, and performance at both the individual and team levels.
“Labels should be the beginning of the conversation, not the end,” Kreiner said. “Suddenly we plop all of the attributes of a group on that person and that’s the end of the conversation, but that’s the opposite of what should
This kind of self-assessment can help uncover new traits or strengths, but we should all be mindful about the kinds of labels we put on ourselves and others and the words we use to communicate those labels, Kreiner added. There is a big difference between saying, “Gosh, you’re a curious person”
Henry Ford focused on a singular goal: reducing production costs to create a car for the masses. And he succeeded. But he never asked, “What comes next?”, and innovation at Ford stopped. When consumers started wanting a greater variety of options, Ford was unprepared to meet the new demand and competitors such as General Motors captured a majority of the market.
In other words, it can take time and effort to create identities and cultures of curiosity, but the payoff is worth it. Remember the cat? Turns out there is more to the story. Curiosity killed the cat but, the rest of the saying goes,
Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger said it was a passion for continuous learning, not sticking to the rules, that allowed him to safely land a commercial airplane in the Hudson River after an engine failure. Every time he pushed back from the gate, he reminded himself to be prepared for the unexpected and asked himself the question, “What can I learn?” When the unexpected happened, he could quickly move past the typical solution (landing at the nearest airport) and find a creative solution with a better outcome.
According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, organizations that cultivate curiosity don’t just gain better, more They also suffer fewer decision-making errors because they avoid confirmation bias, and they have reduced conflict in the workplace because team members understand each other better and work
“Giving space and time to be curious can help develop skills and insights that will be useful later,” Kreiner said. “If I just keep doing my regular bundle of tasks all the time, it’s a lot harder for me to be prepared for the next assignment or the next level of leadership.”
Four Examples of Curiosity in the Wild, and One Cautionary Tale
In the 1930s, employees at Italian typewriter factory, Olivetti, caught a coworker leaving the factory with a bag full of iron pieces and machinery. They said he was stealing and should be fired. The employee told the CEO he was taking the parts home to work on a new typewriter because he didn’t have time to experiment while he was at work. Instead of firing him, the CEO gave him time to create a new machine and put him in charge of its production. The result was the Divisumma, the world’s first electronic calculator.
From “The Business Case for Curiosity,” published by The Harvard Business Review, 2018
At Pixar, writers and directors learn a technique called “plussing” that allows them to build on ideas without being judgmental or dismissive. Instead of just rejecting a sketch of a character, for example, a director might say, “I like the eyes, and what if we…”
The Polaroid instant camera was invented because inventor Edwin Land’s daughter wanted to see a photo her dad had just taken. When he said the film had to be processed, she said, “Why do we have to wait for the picture?”
“It can remind us of ways we were that dropped off,” Kreiner said. “That
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Do Business Better with Curiosity
While it is true that both resignations and job openings are up — there were 10.4 million job openings in August of 2021 alone — most people are not opting out of the workforce entirely. They are leaving their jobs for different, better opportunities. The Great Resignation is actually more of a Great Reshuffle.
“I loved hospitality but I always felt like I wanted more,” King said. “I didn’t know what that was, but I knew I wasn’t fulfilled at all.”
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It was a passion for people — helping them and working with them — that prompted King to pursue a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism management. But once she started working in the field, she found that most hospitality jobs had little upward mobility, and low pay was putting a lot of financial stress on her family.
making the most of the great reshuffle
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horizons new
A survey by the Pew Research Center found that low pay, a lack of growth opportunities, and feeling disrespected at work were the top reasons Americans quit their jobs in 2021. The same study found that half of the workers who quit their jobs last year are now employed somewhere different with better pay, better opportunities for advancement, more flexibility, and better work/life balance.
A record 48 million Americans quit their jobs in 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prompting economists to proclaim we are in the age of The Great Resignation. But that might not be exactly right.
In Search of Fulfillment
For some employees, The Great Reshuffle goes beyond just getting a new job. Since 2020, 20% of workers have changed careers entirely. And for some, like Michelle King, getting an advanced degree was crucial to starting a new, more fulfilling path.
King took the GMAT in April of 2018. And she failed.
None of those conversations landed King a new job, but one of them did give her a new idea: to go back to school. She planned on getting a second bachelor’s degree, but one program director she spoke to told her an MBA was what she needed.
“I had the biggest sense of imposter syndrome that I’ve ever had,” King said.
Going into her MBA, King thought she was most interested in customer experience. It seemed best aligned with her interests and her previous work in the hospitality industry. But when she was offered a summer internship with Kalypso, a consulting firm working in the digital transformation space, she decided to test it out. Turns out, consulting was her passion. When Kalypso offered her a full-time job after she graduated in 2020, King jumped at the chance.
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A Rocky Start — and an Important Epiphany
“He used to come in and work from the restaurant. He always had his laptop and his headphones, but I didn’t have any idea what he did,” King said. “One day I mentioned to him that I was thinking of getting an MBA and he said, ‘Oh, I have an MBA!’”
“I would apply for jobs all the time and get rejected right away — no call, no email, nothing,” King said. “So, I started just showing up places with my resume and asking them to just talk to me.”
King studied every day on her lunch break, after her kids went to bed, and early in the morning before they woke up. She took the test again at the end of May and it went much better. She started the full-time MBA program at the David Eccles School of Business in August of 2018. But she quickly learned that just because she had been accepted to the program didn’t mean she felt like she belonged there.
“I had never heard of the GMAT. I didn’t know anyone who had an MBA,” King said. “A master’s degree seemed too expensive and totally unattainabl e.”
King works with a footwear and apparel client, leading their data governance. She helped them establish a compliance program to fill gaps in their existing data governance, and then helped them write policies that would improve their data processes going forward. She uses terminology and does work that she didn’t even know existed before starting her MBA and accepting her job — and she loves it.
King was working as an event manager at Chick-Fil-A and would often chat with regular customers when they came in. One of them was a man named Frank Johnson.
Johnson said getting an MBA was the best thing he ever did for his career, and King was floored when he told her how much his salary increased after he earned his degree. Four months later, King was taking the GMAT.
“I was proud of myself for being there, but I was miserable because I felt like I wasn’t doing a good job,” King said.
So, she decided to change her strategy. Connecting with people had always been her passion, so King pivoted from trying to keep up with her classmates academically to playing on her own strengths. She went to every networking event, and recruiting fair, and extracurricular lecture she heard about. She talked to people about their industries and jobs. She started to feel more like herself again.
“It’s hard to explain feeling fulfilled, but I feel fulfilled,” she said. “It’s about being able to provide for my kids, but it’s also about showing them what they can do. The client I have now, people wear their stuff all the time. My kids wear their stuff to school and they know, ‘My mom works for them.’”
She tried pursuing other opportunities in related fields that paid more, such as marketing and event planning, but she wasn’t getting anywhere.
Finding a New Passion and Leaning In
Her classmates were coming from high-paying corporate and finance jobs, already making a salary twice what she had made. The classes were intense and most of the topics were things King had never been exposed to. She stayed up until 2 or 3 a.m. every morning studying and still felt like she wasn’t keeping up.
“Once I started feeling more comfortable with me, that translated into my academics. I started doing better there, too,” King said.
“I didn’t even know it was possible to feel that way.”
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“I felt so guilty because my mom had paid for me to take the test and it wasn’t cheap,” King said. “But she told me she would only be upset if I didn’t try again. And she paid for me to take it a second time.”
King also hopes to show other MBA students like her what they can do. She joined the David Eccles Alumni Network Board and is already brainstorming ways to scale her support of students who might be struggling — or unaware of opportunities — the way she was.
“You’ll never know what opportunities are out there and what might come back to you in the future,” she said. “I made it to where I wanted to be even though I didn’t know I wanted to be here. And it feels awesome.”
If King hadn’t been curious, she said, she never would have talked to Frank Johnson about getting an MBA. She never would have attended so many info sessions and conferences, and she never would have taken an internship in a field she wasn’t even sure she liked but that it turned out she loved.
Jen Hudak started pursuing a degree from the University of Utah in 2005, but her classes took a backseat to her career as a professional skier. It wasn’t until she retired from skiing in 2015 that she was able to concentrate on college. She graduated from the U with a degree in psychology in 2017, 12 years after her first semester.
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“I can’t shake the feeling that there are people working their day jobs and doing the best they can and not getting the opportunities,” she said. “And it starts by getting curious. You won’t even know what you like if you aren’t curious.”
The Great Reshuffle also is taking place within organizations themselves, as employees discover new passions and work to develop new skills that allow them to advance where they are. These are employees who aren’t interested in leaving the workforce to pursue a full-time degree, but want or need some extra training and experience to progress in their careers.
“I finished school and entered the workforce really for the first time as a 28-year-old,” Hudak said.
Growing Where You Are
Having the confidence that you can adapt and learn along the way and make mistakes but get it right in the end allows you to approach things from a curious place. “ ”
“They were all just really smart, driven women and we all had our own lightbulb moments while we were there,” Hudak said.
“I really didn’t know what I wanted to be doing long-term, but the more free-spirited, entrepreneurial side of me always wanted to do Escapod full-time,” she said.
At first, it was unclear whether the pandemic would hurt or help Escapod’s business. But their products, camping trailers that let customers get away while also staying away from other people, were the perfect answer to travel restrictions and social distancing requirements. Escapod’s business went through the roof — and fast. The company hired their fifth employee in March 2020 and by March 2022 their staff was up to 65. Escapod has experienced 1,500% revenue growth since 2018.
Escapod hired has been instrumental in helping the company sustain such rapid growth successfully.
A Side Hustle Moves Front and Center
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The 14-week course includes seven in-person classes covering topics including communication, conflict styles and resolution, strategic leadership, developing a personal leadership style, and more, with supplementary assignments and tasks designed to be completed outside of class. Though she was the only entrepreneur in her cohort, Hudak said, everyone was looking for the same thing — additional training and skills to take their careers and organizations to the next level.
“It made me more curious about why people show up in a certain way, and it’s been fun to learn more about myself and the people I work with,” Hudak said.
When Hudak started the Women in Leadership program, she had responsibility over seven teams at Escapod, including Human Resources. She knew it was too much, but she was having trouble making the case to her business partners. For one of her class assignments, Hudak put together a presentation about why Escapod needed to hire an HR manager, and then presented it to her team. Her pitch was successful, and the HR manager
Escapod had a policy of non-refundable deposits on custom trailer orders, but they also wanted to be understanding and provide a good customer experience when circumstances for their customers changed. Sometimes those two things were in conflict.
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Gaining the Skills to Grow
One of the most important skills Hudak walked away with was the ability to advocate for herself in her business, and to build a culture of openness and curiosity that allows her employees to do the same.
“It took on a life of its own,” Hudak said. “There was always a certain amount of uncertainty, but also a willingness to leap. And we had an awareness that if we didn’t leap we would never figure out if we could support it full-time.”
It didn’t take long for Hudak to figure out that Escapod was, in fact, now a full-time job. But it was equally clear that she needed some more training if she was going to run such a rapidly growing business successfully. The Women in Leadership certificate program at the Eccles School was the perfect fit.
Many of the things Hudak learned in the Women in Leadership program had immediate, practical applications to her growing business. For example, the concept of Multiple Equivalent Simultaneous Offers or MESOs.
Then Covid hit and she got her chance.
Other things she learned helped Hudak develop her own skills and abilities as a leader, and enhance the culture of her company. One light-bulb moment was learning about conflict styles — which she renamed work approaches — and realizing there is no one right or best way to approach conflict in the workplace. Instead, successful leaders embrace different approaches for different circumstances.
Improving Leadership with Aha Moments
When she learned about MESOs, Hudak realized it didn’t have to be an all-or-nothing negotiation when customers needed to cancel or change an order. Sales representatives could offer two alternative options that empowered the customer to make the best choice for them, while also helping the business meet its needs.
Hudak took a full-time job in marketing, while also working with her husband on a “side hustle” called Escapod, an off-road camping trailer manufacturing, sales, and rental business. The arrangement was working fine, Hudak said, but she always had a question in the back of her mind: Could Escapod be more?
What questions do you ask in an interview to gauge a candidate’s curiosity? What types of skills or personality traits are you looking for?
A desire to gain a strong understanding of the goal and a willingness to question, How we get there? Is it the best path or are there ways to get there safer, sooner and more efficiently?
As for what happens now?
Confidence is a key driver of curiosity and, more than anything else, confidence is what Hudak gained from the Women in Leadership program.
“Had I not had the support to advocate for myself to make that hire or pitch for that money we definitely wouldn’t be in the place where we are now,”
The Confidence to Get Curious
“I’m curious what it looks like to settle in,” what it’s like to run a business in a sustain mode, not a crazy growth mode. Though I am sure we’ll get there and after about a month we’ll be asking, ‘OK, what’s next?’”
Employees are leaving their jobs in record numbers, looking for better opportunities to grow and expand their skills, but job seekers aren’t the only ones with curiosity on the brain. Employers are also on the lookout for employees who will contribute to a culture of curiosity and help organizations adapt. How do they hire for curiosity? Some executives weigh in.
I’d be looking for a person’s passion for learning and growth. Do they ask detailed questions seeking to understand why things are done the way they are? Do they propose even the smallest of changes to yield improved results? Are they able to glean wisdom from mistakes?
For another class project, Hudak worked on an investment pitch that helped her secure $3.2 million in funding at the beginning of 2022.
Why is hiring curious employees important to your organization?
future
What are the most important skills or qualities an employee needs to thrive in a culture of curiosity?
KARI PLASTER, CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER, LAYTON CONSTRUCTION
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Curious employees help move the business forward. Curiosity leads to innovation and curiousa
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“Having the confidence that you can adapt and learn along the way and make mistakes but get it right in the end allows you to approach things from a curious place,” just so grateful that I was able to do it.”
What are some red flags that demonstrate someone wouldn’t thrive in a culture of curiosity?
If a person has difficulty in their relationships with others in the work environment, it can be a sign of stubbornness or a lack of an ability to relate to others. If you can’t put yourself in other people’s shoes, it is hard to be curious.
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Don’t be afraid to acknowledge mistakes. It’s how we grow. Show me that if you’re part of the team, you’ll be engaged in helping us all succeed. You’ll participate in discussions, actively listen and then ask questions.
If you could give a candidate one piece of advice for demonstrating their curiosity in an interview, what would it be?
When candidates share their past work experiences, what kinds of experiences are you watching or listening for that demonstrate curiosity and creativity?
Make sure you demonstrate a breadth of understanding for the business. Most importantly, what are the trends and drivers in the industry that the company is addressing. Demonstrate an ability to identify the big picture and employers will be more confident that your daily actions will be focused in the right areas.
What questions do you ask in an interview to gauge a candidate’s curiosity?
During an interview I like to provide the candidate with a basic case study based on something they will encounter in the job they are applying for. I then ask them to describe how they would handle the situation or solve the problem. Their responses will give me a sense of their curiosity.
What are some red flags that demonstrate someone wouldn’t thrive in a culture of curiosity?
What types of skills or personality traits are you looking for?
What questions do you ask in an interview to gauge a candidate’s curiosity?
Learning where a candidate believes they could have done better — maybe a mistake or communication misstep – is a great way to assess an ability to learn, as well as learning how they can control their ego. This goes back to high EQ and is a good indicator of leadership capability.
JOSHUA YOUNG, PRESIDENT, YESCO CUSTOM SIGNS & SIGN & LIGHTING SERVICE
makes outdated, labor-intensive processes better. It improves products for customers. It keeps us focused on growth, so we don’t become stagnant.
Sometimes you can gauge curiosity by asking candidates about their hobbies or what they do in their free time, but I have found that asking a candidate about new skills or hobbies they have taken up recently is a good way to assess a desire to learn. My view is that continuous learners are usually the most curious.
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Low enthusiasm, someone that has moved from one job to the next.
If you could give a candidate one piece of advice for demonstrating their curiosity in an interview, what would it be?
If you could give a candidate one piece of advice for demonstrating their curiosity in an interview, what would it be?
What types of skills or personality traits are you looking for?
When candidates share their past work experiences, what kinds of experiences are you watching or listening for that demonstrate curiosity and creativity?
During an interview, if a question is asked and you need time to think about a good answer, take the time. Don't rush to answer the question. A well thought out answer, even if it took 20 seconds to formulate, is better than a rushed answer.
I will ask the candidate to describe a challenging situation at their last job and then describe how they addressed the problem. I also enjoy asking the question, Is it better to be friends with or respected by your co-workers? And then ask them to explain why. I find this question provides a lot of insight into the individual.
Young first asked that question sitting in a freshman-level business innovation class. The professor challenged students to think of a problem they had and a way to solve it. Young asked, “I wonder if other people hate doing laundry as much as me?”
Laundry with a purpose
As a newly minted college student, away from home and his laundry-doing mom for the first time, “that problem was on my mind,” he said.
Young fleshed out the idea as his class project: Customers schedule a laundry pick-up on the company website and Foam washes, dries, and folds everything and returns it within 24 hours. For a class project it was pretty good, but Young started to think the idea might have legs beyond the classroom. He brought on Bast, his friend and fellow Business Scholar, as co-founder and CIO in January of 2021, and the company officially launched a year later. Foam has washed more than 250 loads of laundry since January 2022, and they are already turning a profit.
For Carson Young and Kyle Bast, co-founders of the startup laundry service Foam, every great idea starts with the same question: “I wonder if…”
“Covid changed the delivery of things in general,” Young said. “Having things picked up and dropped off at your door became a normal consumer behavior. Foam definitely benefitted from that.”
Young was working part-time for Door Dash, so almost as soon as he asked the first question, a second one followed: “I wonder if the Door Dash model could apply to laundry?” The answer, he thought, was yes.
“I wonder if the Door Dash model could apply to laundry?”
“KIT changed my life,” Young said. “Those classes really opened my eyes to what technology is and can be. It was just in the back of my head, this question, ‘What else could this tech do?’ I could see clothing as data, and I was thinking in that way because of the things I learned through KIT.”
A lot of trial and error also went into the bags that customers use to pack up their laundry for pick up. Young and Bast had to carefully balance the size of the bag with the time and resources it took to wash, dry, and fold what was inside. A bag that fits too little isn’t worth it to the customer, and a bag that fits too much eats into the profits of the company.
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“All of these programs have been crucial to the development of our business,” Young said.
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foam
Just like that, Young and Bast had their next question: “I wonder if this kind of data would be useful to retailers?” They are hoping the answer is yes.
With the laundry side of the business sorted, Young and Bast started to think about what more Foam could do.
After several prototypes and a lot of hours shoving clothes into bags, the duo designed a mesh bag that reliably fits 12 ½ pounds of laundry — half of the average two-week laundry load. Customers fill the mesh bag and then put it in an outer bag — a white bag for whites or an orange bag for colors. Customers pay $10 a week for one bag of laundry washed and folded and $15 a week for two bags.
Using a visual classification model, the business partners taught a camera to recognize certain patterns so it could tag clothing and categorize the items in a database. Using a logistical regression analysis, the data can be modeled to identify clothing trends, for example, a spike in T-shirts with a certain kind of graphic coming through the laundry.
Young was sitting in a machine learning class, offered through the Kahlert Initiative on Technology (KIT), programming a camera to recognize numbers, when he had another “I wonder if…” question come to his mind: “I wonder if I could teach a camera to recognize clothes?”
“The box is an idea that we still think can work,” Bast said, “but we learned that what we prefer is not always what our customers would prefer. That was a huge lesson and it allowed us to pivot.”
Part of a culture of curiosity is getting things wrong every once in a while, and Young and Bast have experienced some of that. In the original conception of the business model, customers could leave their laundry in a 24-hour drop box for pick up, rather than scheduling someone to pick it up at their door. Young and Bast built a box, painted it bright orange (their corporate color), and set it up in the lobby of Lassonde Studios.
participated in the Company Launch program, the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, and Opportunity Quest. Many other components of the business — such as the company’s mobile app — were developed as class projects.
The first problem was, while they thought they had permission to install the box, building administrators thought differently. Within a few hours, they were asked to remove the box. But they also discovered that their customers actually liked having a person come to pick up their laundry.
All the trial and error it took to get Foam off the ground was possible because of several university programs. Foam competed in — and won — the Get Seeded challenge three times for a total of $4,500, and also
“Foam is curiosity, really,” Bast said. “We have a culture of curiosity and we are 100% driven by curiosity. We see technology in one place and then talk about, ‘How can we apply this to what we are doing?’”
For their next trick, the partners want to use the same data to curate a digital closet for their customers, showing them the clothing items they wear most often and offering in-cart shopping for accessories or other
Even if the company fails, both agree it will have been worth it. Bast landed an information systems internship at Intermountain Healthcare based largely on the experience he gained at Foam. When he talks to friends at other universities and business schools, their resources and opportunities for innovation are much more limited, he said.
“We are actually not a laundry company,” he said. “We’re a technology company. We just happen to do laundry.”
Young agrees.
“I started this to save myself from doing laundry, and now I’ve done more laundry than you can possibly imagine,” Young said. “But I’m accomplishing my dream and helping people solve a problem and it’s so rewarding.”
Differentiating themselves in these unique ways is good for the bottom line, Bast said, but it also is at the heart of the company itself.
The fast fashion industry loses $500 billion annually to underutilization, with three out of every five fast fashion pieces ending up in a landfill within a year. The industry as a whole accounts for 8% of total global carbon emissions. Young and Bast hope to sell the data they are collecting back to retailers to help them make better predictions about what people want to wear and reduce clothing waste.
“I started this to save myself from doing laundry, and now I’ve done more laundry than you can possibly imagine.”
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But for now, Foam shows no signs of slowing down. They are getting ready for their first round of venture capital funding, and they hope to expand to other nearby college campuses, including Utah State, Utah Valley University, and Brigham Young University. Young also is hoping to partner with some local laundromats and hire some employees. For now, he does every load of Foam laundry himself, at his house.
Where did the idea for KIT come from?
How are you pursuing curiosity in your own life?
The Kahlert Initiative on Technology (KIT) at the David Eccles School of Business is a Digital Literacy Certificate Program available to students from any major. Students learn about cutting edge technology from industry experts, giving them the technical knowledge to succeed in any role and industry. We caught up with program founder and funder, Heather Kahlert, to talk about the role curiosity plays in KIT and her own life.
Q&A with
What unique experiences do students get through KIT that help spark their curiosity?
How does digital literacy promote lifelong learning and curiosity?
HeatherKahlert
My motto for the year comes from Walt Whitman and Ted Lasso: Be curious, not judgmental. Whatever space I am in, I try to start by asking questions and not seeing myself as the expert. When everyone has a chance to share their ideas, we can all work together to push the best ones to the forefront. I am also back in school, pursuing an Executive MBA at the David Eccles School of Business, because I want to fine tune my skills and be able to do good, better. I am continuing my own learning because I want to make KIT better. And because there is always more to learn.
Technology is always changing and the companies that succeed are always evolving. If you are going to keep up, you have to stay curious. KIT fosters a space that helps students learn how to learn. Maybe you try something, and it doesn’t work out, but you can look back and say, “we built this, and we did this, and this is what we learned”.
KIT gives students a safe place to fail, and a place to be creative without boundaries. We want to change the narrative around tech, and make it applicable for everybody. My hope is to see this implicated across all majors. Whether you’re an education or dance major, or pursuing a psychology or law degree, we are living in a digital era where everyone can apply tech to their vocation and career aspirations, to become more valuable as they enter the workforce. The flexibility and excitement students get through KIT is something they don’t get anywhere else.
It was important for me to find a project that had a multiplier effect, so we started by asking a lot of questions. What do we need? What does the university need? What does the state need? What we learned was that industry needed people with a higher level of tech skills. That really got us thinking, how can we do this and how can we do this now?
Companies with a culture of curiosity are thriving in the new corporate landscape. Research from O.C. Tanner shows what it takes to be one of them.
“We’ve demonstrated that those organizations that are interested in curiosity are the ones that thrive,” said Gary Beckstrand, vice president of the O.C. Tanner Institute. “Companies that doubled down didn’t succeed like the ones that adapted.”
Curiosity goes by a lot of different names in the workplace — innovation, creativity, and ingenuity, just to name a few. Whatever you call it, one thing is for sure. Companies need curiosity to survive.
S urvival of the CuriousMost
When employees left their offices at the outset of the pandemic, the normal and accepted ways of working, collaborating, and building a company culture left the building, too. According to research conducted by the O.C. Tanner Institute, organizations that tried to preserve the status quo have suffered, while companies that dedicated themselves to adapting and evolving have experienced more growth and success, even in a difficult economy and tight labor market.
“If you don’t feel safe at work, like you can experiment and try new things, you won’t be naturally curious in your work,” he said.
Autonomy is another key factor to fostering a culture of curiosity in the workplace. The same global research found a 135% increase in curiosity when employees feel like they have autonomy within their role. This autonomy includes giving employees a say in what projects they work on, giving them flexibility over their schedules, allowing employees to prioritize their own workload, and letting employees decide where to work.
One common denominator for companies that adapted to create a culture of curiosity was a strong sense of psychological safety, said Alexander Lovell, Ph.D., director of research and data science at O.C. Tanner. The Institute’s research found a 39% decrease in curiosity when psychological safety is low.
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“Success is a bunch of incremental steps,” he said. “Success is not the absence of failure, and we need to reward all the steps that brought a project to fruition.”
Lovell said. “It’s very energizing and it reduces my burnout quite substantially.”
At O.C. Tanner, teams across the company work to put the findings of their research into practice, and one place team leaders focus a lot is employee recognition, said Mindi Cox, chief marketing and people officer. And that recognition doesn’t only come when things go according to plan.
The research conducted by O.C. Tanner shows that employee recognition can be a main driver of both positive outcomes and curiosity, but many companies make the mistake of using employee recognition too sparingly.
CEOs and other high-level executives can put policies and procedures in place that support flexibility, autonomy, and even psychological safety, but when it comes to creating a culture of curiosity, team leaders seem to have the biggest impact. As team leaders create safe spaces for exploration and curiosity in their own departments, that culture can even trickle up to the organization as a whole.
“My moments for curiosity and creativity are my reward for all my hard work during the day,”
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Cox recounted a time when a team within the company tried something new and didn’t get the outcome they were hoping for. Instead of continuing to try to make a bad solution work, the team leader pulled the plug and chalked it up to a learning experience. And instead of berating the team leader for a failure, company executives rewarded the team’s efforts at curiosity with positive recognition.
Giving employees autonomy lets them do their best work in the best place for it, Beckstrand said. For example, many employees prefer to be at home when they need to think and focus, and at the office when they need to collaborate with teammates.
That reframing of what actually constitutes a failure, and what is just painful learning, is key to nurturing and inviting curiosity, she said. And reframing what success looks like is also critical, Lovell added.
Control over their own schedules and workloads also allows employees to work more productively so they can set aside regular time to get curious. “My moments for curiosity and creativity are my reward for all my hard work during the day,” Lovell said. “It’s very energizing and it reduces my burnout quite substantially.”
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“We can learn so much from leaders admitting they got it wrong, and they wanted to reward that behavior,” Cox said. “They said, ‘Yes, it cost us some money and yes it cost us some time, but we didn’t try to make a wrong solution right because someone was too afraid to speak up.’”
The result is a space where people can be vulnerable rather than fearful, and a space where employees feel comfortable and empowered to expand and go outside their role regardless of the outcome.
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“Companies say all the time, ‘We want curiosity from our people but we don’t know how to inspire it,’” Cox said. “We think too often about what we want to get out of people and not about what they need from us to give us what we want.”
“Frequent, personal recognition is underutilized,” he said. “It should be integrated as part of the everyday employee experience. There are ways recognition can be brought to bear to drive this connection and desire to be creative and curious.”
Though, to be fair, employees themselves also have a crucial part to play in creating and supporting these cultures of curiosity, she said. Especially in today’s tight labor market, employees want to know how companies are going to help them grow, not just how companies are going to extract their labor. But those same employees need to be prepared to embrace and maximize growth opportunities when they appear.
“You have to be a really committed continuous learner to stay relevant,” Cox said. “A curious learner is the only job description I can give you that will last forever.”
All of these components — safety, autonomy, flexibility, and recognition — are the new bedrocks of the modern workplace, and they require modern leaders to succeed. Teams with a modern leader at the helm saw a 288% increase in curiosity, the Institute’s research showed.
A modern leader is a mentor or a coach, more interested in developing employees than evaluating them, Beckstrand said. Modern leaders don’t hold back information, and they are OK not being the smartest ones in the Theyroom.give credit where credit is due and understand that true success means programs, procedures, and people can stand without them.
Cox describes it like this: You would never go to a baseball game and wait to cheer until you knew what team was going to win. So why should team leaders wait to applaud and reward good work just because the outcome of a project is unknown?
“A modern leader is a mentor or a coach, more interested in developing employees than evaluating them. Modern leaders don’t hold back information, and they are OK not being the smartest ones in the room.”
“You have to cheer,” she said. “The whole game is effort that leads to Heresuccess.”isanother way to think about it: If your team is working on a six-month project and you wait until the end of it to recognize and applaud their efforts, they’ll spend six months wondering if they are doing a good job and worrying that they aren’t. That kind of fear stifles creativity, Beckstrand said, and it also causes employees to become disengaged in their work.
Master of ManagementCybersecurity This highly specialized and flexible masters degree is designed to ready the next generation of cybersecurity specialists. In high demand, experts in cybersecurity mitigate risks to critical U.S. infrastructure and key industries such as healthcare, government, and manufacturing. Protecting data, designing secure tech, and managing resources requires technical know-how and management skills. Our Cybersecurity Management program offers training in both. Eccles.link/MSCM joinhereus Ready to continue your search for curiosity? Tune in for Season 3 of the Eccles Business Buzz podcast, launching this fall. We'll take a deeper dive into curiosity, including why you need it, how to get it, and what we can learn from people who are doing curiosity well.
Scholarships funding curiosity through
For many students and prospective students, pursuing curiosity through a college education isn’t possible without the financial assistance of scholarships. According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than 1.7 million scholarships are awarded in the United States annually for a total of $46 billion. In 2020, 58% of families used scholarships to help pay for college.
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At the David Eccles School of Business, $21.1 million* in scholarship money was awarded for the 2021-2022 school year, with an average scholarship amount of $5,554 and a total of 2,600 students receiving a scholarship for the academic year. Here are the stories of how a few of those students used scholarship funds to pursue their curiosities and passions.
“I am so grateful to the donors who fund my scholarship. They have given me the opportunity to dream.”
After working for several years in the finan cial services industry, Marshall left full-time work for full-time parenting. When the time came to get back into the workforce, “I wanted to come back in a meaningful way,” she said. “I’ve always had an interest in healthcare but, for whatever reason, professionally it was never the path that I took. I decided that this was really my passion and I wanted to pursue it.”
Pursuing a master’s degree also helped Marshall overcome many of the roadblocks that face women re-entering the workforce.
For Cara Marshall, an MBA from the Eccles School was the perfect way to pivot her career and pursue a true passion.
Kyle LaPlant
“Even though I felt like I had decades of really important experience that I gained as a full-time mom, from the standpoint of getting a job, that’s tricky,” she said.
Marshall graduated with her MBA in the spring of 2022, a degree she was able to pursue only thanks to the support of a scholarship, she said. And her graduate degree didn’t just help her get a job, it helped her find a career she is passionate about in a field she didn’t even know existed before she came to the Eccles School.
As a finance major at BYU, landing an internship at JP Morgan seemed like a pretty big win to Kyle LaPlant. The only problem? He didn’t like the work once he got there.
Cara Marshall
“For me, it didn’t have the human aspect that is really important to me and what I wanted to do,” LaPlant said.
LaPlant also is applying a sense of curiosity to the opportunities coming his way by asking one simple question: Who cares about me and my people? He spent the summer interning with Johnson & Johnson, helping with programs that provide humanitarian aid and support to indigenous communities. Once he graduates, LaPlant plans to build an e-commerce community where native artisans can build their personal brands and sell their goods and services, instead of other companies profiting from their work and styles.
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Evenpeople.”so,
What LaPlant really wanted to do, he realized, was to help people. As a proud member of the Navajo Nation, he was especially curious about helping his community with better access to mental healthcare and higher education. LaPlant switched his major to psychology with an emphasis on neuropsychology.
“That was something I felt a lot of passion about because in my family and my culture, there are a lot of people who struggle psychologically because they were stripped of their culture and their identity,” he said.
it was scary to consider leaving a job he knew he was good at to follow his curiosity into unknown territory. And then, of course, there was the matter of the money. When his acceptance to the full-time MBA program at the Eccles School of Business came with a generous scholarship award as well, “I just dropped to my knees and started crying,” he said. “I grew up without a lot of financial certainty, and no dreams to go to graduate school. Now to be here, with the financial freedom to study and focus — that’s incredible. Every day, I am grateful these donors invested in me to become a leader for tomorrow.”
It was all great experience, LaPlant said, and he was succeeding in his roles, but he still wasn’t quite where he wanted to be.
But after graduation, LaPlant found himself back in business. He managed an e-commerce site for a global beauty brand and worked for an ad agency, arranging product integrations and social media marketing for clients in the gaming industry.
“You get a new mindset, you have a new mentality,” LaPlant said. “My mind is vastly more open to a different way of thinking about things. Everything I’ve done has prepared me for this moment now, and I can’t wait to show people the best investment you can make is not in products or services, it’s people.”
"I'd always wanted to go back to school and get an MBA because, for my people, we don’t get the opportunity to go to college, let alone get a graduate degree,” LaPlant said. “I always felt blessed to be in the position I’m in to pursue educa tion. Getting an MBA was an opportunity to be a vehicle for change for my
“When people understand each other, we can make progress,” she said. “If we start working together and collaborating more effectively, we can make improvements. The healthcare industry is just full of people who want to make changes — and I think we can do it.”
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Curiosity was key in discovering a new passion during her time as a student, Marshall said, and she already can see how crucial it will be as she starts her new career. Among the lessons she is taking with her: to ask questions without assuming you know the answers, and that open communica tion is the best way to learn about another person and their circumstances and needs.
“It’s always been my dream to go to school and have a degree. I have kids who will look up to me, and now I can provide for them,” said Fisher, who is mom to 2-year-old twins.
of funds, Fisher was awarded a scholarship that allowed her to start classes in the fall of Now2021.shejust had to decide what to study. It was time to get curious.
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*Total scholarship money awarded includes $6.4 million in non-resident waivers.
Fisher will not only be the first person in her family to graduate from college — she is the first person in her family to finish elementary school. Her success has sparked the curiosity of her 36 nieces and nephews, all back in Ghana, who now see a bigger world and broader opportunities thanks to Fisher.
Through her classes she was introduced to the field of population health, a healthcare industry practice that says when people are healthier, healthcare costs are lower. Population health focuses on preventive care and increasing access for underserved communities.
Fisher came to Utah from Ghana in 2019 with an associate’s degree in fashion design but had difficulty finding a job. She thought of going back to school, “but the price was way above me.” After deferring admission to the Eccles School for a year due to a lack
An information session on the finance major reignit ed a dream that Fisher had set aside — to work on the finance side of the fashion industry. After attending an infor mation session on Information Systems, she added that to her major as well. It is all more than she could have imagined when she was cleaning houses and watching other people’s kids to put herself through university back in Ghana.
“I already had a little idea of what I wanted to do, but I didn’t know where to start,” Fisher said. “So, every info session, I jumped at it. I didn’t want to miss any opportunities.”
"I make sure they are in school. That's why I am doing this. When I started taking school seriously, a lot of people told me it was a waste of time and a waste of money. But they look up to me greatly," Fisher said. "Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and I think, 'How is this possible?' Every single day feels like a miracle. I am so grateful to the donors who fund my scholarship. They have given me the opportunity to dream."
Catherina Elorm Fisher
“That’s really my passion, and I discovered it here,” Marshall said. “I wanted to come back and help the world in a meaningful way. I wanted to have my thinking elevated and go out and have an impact on people’s lives, and I found that here.”
“I have realized so much of my potential since coming to the U,” Fisher said. “There are so many things I didn’t think I could do that I now know I have the potential to do.”
When Fisher left her village at the age of 14 to pursue more educa tion, she was homeless for six months before she was hired as a housekeeper by a woman who later offered to pay tuition for her to attend high school and then university.
Growing up in a small village in Ghana, Catherina Elorm Fisher didn’t have many opportunities to be curious. People in her village, especially girls, go to a few years of elementary school, drop out, learn to farm, get married, have kids, “and the cycle repeats,” Fisher said. But she knew there was more.
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MindsCurious sparking
Engaging students is top of mind for every teacher and professor, at every level of education. If students aren’t engaged, the reasoning goes, then students aren’t learning. To Bonita Austin, though, teachers and professors should be thinking more about what comes even before engagement: curiosity.
“My approach is always, how can I spark curiosity to light the fire of deep learning,” said Austin, who teaches in the Entrepreneurship and Strategy Department at the David Eccles School of Business, and serves as the Academic Director for the Business Scholars program. “What I’ve come to realize is that in order to get students to learn the things you want them to, you have to cut through a lot of static. Once you cut through that static, they can hear the ‘ding’ of their own new ideas and Incorporatingcuriosity.”innovative
Other times, the questions or discussion points will be totally unrelated to the topic of the course. Students might be debating jazz, for example, or talking about Agatha Christie novels.
The slides include short sound bites and audio clips — such as a champagne cork popping for a case study on a champagne company — video clips, and animation. In one of her case studies, Austin presents some of the key information in a fictional gossip magazine. As students move through the case, they can click embedded links to get more information about a topic, a person, or an idea they are particularly interested in.
Other times, a more low-tech approach is the best way to spark curiosity that leads to deep learning. For in-person learning, Austin likes to use games to keep students engaged. She might give every student different-colored index cards, each color coded to a different answer of a multiple choice question. Students hold up the card that matches their answer and then they have to find a classmate holding up a different card and try to persuade them to a different point of view. Or she might make a provocative statement, maybe something like, “Walmart is good for America.” Students have to choose their side — no one is allowed to be neutral — and then debate. Sometimes she even has students debate the opposite opinion.
“The object of all of it is to increase engagement with the content of the case — to get them to learn more and to make them curious and want to learn more,” Austin said.
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technologies into her lectures and class projects has played a key role in helping Austin create those “ding” moments for students. Instead of having her classes read through a long business strategy case study, for example, she breaks the material into bite sized pieces and presents it in an interactive online format that students can access from anywhere.
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Curiosity is especially important for college students because they often feel vulnerable as they confront so many emotions, experiences, and demands for the first time, Austin said. They have a fear of failure, especially when there is a lot of money and high expectations on the line. College students often suffer from imposter syndrome, particularly those who come from marginalized communities, she said. And many students are outcome-oriented and focused on grades and performance rather than learning and growth. All those things can make it scary to try something new.
“It’s helpful to bring in things that aren’t business-related because it keeps them engaged and teaches them to learn in a new way,” Austin said.
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High-tech or low-tech, it’s all driving to the goal of keeping students interested and engaged. And experimenting with new teaching methods and technologies helps Austin stay interested and engaged as well, she said. That enthusiasm can’t help but spill over to the students and get them excited about learning, too.
“It’s another mechanism for sparking curiosity, that fun,” she said.
One of her most popular lectures is actually a trivia game about business etiquette where students learn things like why people shake with their right hands. (It’s because swords were worn on the right side, so shaking with right hands became a friendly gesture, and proof that you weren’t about to pull a weapon.)
“When students are interested, when they start thinking about things that care about, that’s when they really get engaged and stay engaged,” she said. “When you have more control, you are more likely to learn more deeply.”
Austin also gives students as much autonomy in their learning as she can. It can be something simple, like letting them choose what interactive case study to watch first. Or it can be something more complex, like letting them manage a semester-long project like Goff Scholars do. Students take more ownership of things they have control over, and they are more likely to follow their natural curiosities and interests.
That strong sense of purpose, paired with the opportunity to put theories into practice—whether in the classroom, on a group project, in an internship, or anywhere else—is what sets students up for success beyond their time at the U. Exploring their curiosities here, Austin said, helps them see how they can apply the skills they are learning to a cause they care about or an industry they will enjoy.
“That’s how you really get students to learn,” she said. “And when it happens, its powerful.”
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To jolt students out of this kind of thinking and help build a place for their curiosity to flourish, Austin works to de-emphasize grades and re-emphasize learning. One way she does it: every student in her classes gets to drop their lowest two quiz scores. Another way she does it is to meet the students where they are, to understand their preferences and constraints, and to present information in the way they want to learn it.
“ That ’ s how you really get students to learn... And when it happens, its powerful.
6. Explore. Get out of the office at lunch time and take a walk. Visit somewhere new in your city or neighborhood or take a trip somewhere farther afield.
12. Experiment. Instead of worrying about success or failure, start every task or project with the question, “What if we did it this way instead?”
13 Habits of thepeoplecurioushighly
7. Exchange stories. Whether it’s a stranger, a co-worker, or an old friend, exchange stories about your lives and experiences and make sure you listen without judgement. Your empathy will increase and so will your curiosity.
1. Follow your interests. When people learn about something they are interested in, they retain the information better. Go where your curiosity leads you, and nurture a wide range of passions.
2. Teach and be taught. Reach out to people you admire — in any field or part of your life — and ask them about their passions, hobbies, or favorite memories. Study masters in your industry and beyond to learn how they cultivated curiosity and creativity. If someone reaches out to you for guidance or help, share what you know.
Being curious can make us happier, smarter, and more innovative. The only catch? It can be hard to hold on to as we get older. If we can stay curious, though, we can enhance brain elasticity, reduce anxiety, and even improve our knowledge retention.
9. Connect the dots. Think about how you mastered your best skill. Did you use a process or pattern that you can apply to another part of your life? Practice multi-dimensional thinking to master something new.
11. Challenge your beliefs. Confir mation bias is the enemy of curiosity. To get out of your information bubble, try reading a news source you don’t normally read, or having a conversa tion with someone who has a different opinion or viewpoint.
13. Always keep learning. Whether it’s reading books, taking classes, or practicing a new hobby, embracing learning as a lifelong pursuit is the best way to stay curious.
3. Collect ideas. When you come across a story, a theme, or quote that inspires you, write it down. To increase your odds of discovering something new, wander through a bookstore or visit the library.
Here are 13 tricks to get you started.
10. Don’t be afraid to get uncomfortable. That means being willing to say, “I don’t know,” and it also means be willing to be wrong sometimes.
5. Fill your head with facts. Don’t just outsource your memory to Google! Commit new information to memory, and let your brain make connections that spark creativity and innovation.
8. Make time to be curious. Block some time every week or even every day to let your mind wander, to tinker with something, or to try doing an old thing in a new way. Put down your phone, close your laptop, and cultivate awe.
4. Ask questions relentlessly. And don’t be afraid to ask “dumb” questions because there is no such thing! To help spark curiosity in other people, focus on open-ended questions. And when someone asks you a question — or questions your ideas — don’t get defensive.
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VanEpps and his colleagues found that within a conversation, people balance two competing objectives: the motive to gain information and the motive to make a good impression. Often, making a good impression wins out over asking sensitive questions for two reasons: concerns about the other's comfort level, and a belief that the question will result in highly negative interpersonal consequences.
We’ve all been socially conditioned to sidestep asking sensitive questions to avoid making others uncomfortable or to manage how others see us, but research from Eric VanEpps suggests we’re ultimately overestimating the potential negative consequences of awkward conversations.
don’t avoid them QuestionsAwkwardEmbrace
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“Those in conversation make a costly mistake when they avoid asking sensitive questions because they have overestimated these interpersonal costs,” VanEpps said.
“The cost of asking the question is not as bad as askers imagine — we tend to focus more on how a question could go wrong rather than on how it could yield useful information. So, ask more questions. The results may be better than you think.”
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In both in-person and online interactions, with friends and with strangers, VanEpps found that those in conversation consistently overestimated the fallout from asking sensitive questions (e.g., What is your salary?), reflecting conversational forecasting errors.
Eric VanEpps Assistant Professor, Marketing
Eric VanEpps is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the David Eccles School of Business. His research focuses on using insights from behavioral economics and consumer psycholo gy to help people make healthier decisions, to encourage charitable donations, and to understand how individuals set goals.
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Platforms often provide informative metrics such as “number of views” or “number of likes” that can be interpreted as signals for the factual correctness of given content based on prior consumers’ experiences. But Kadiyala’s research shows that such seemingly informative “signals” can in fact be a double-edged sword, and can explain why objectionable content becomes popular on these platforms. Sometimes, these metrics may help consumers infer the quality of content accurately, but other times they can backfire, leading the consumers to make incorrect inferences about the quality of the content. In particular, if content is polarized (that is, caters to some consumers at the cost of others) and consumers do not have accurate information about others’ preferences — both of which are realities of the content market today —providing informative metrics can make the consumers worse off, while still raking in views for the platform.
the online surge of Misinformation
As COVID-19 becomes part of everyday life, a new plague is taking root— misinformation. Bharadwaj Kadiyala investigates why polarized content— oftentimes coupled with scientifically dubious claims— has become so widespread and popular on social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.
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He explains there are four actors in this market: consumers, content publishers, advertisers, and the platform, each with an important role to play. On the one hand, there are content publishers and platforms that are driven by financial motives based on an advertising model that values consumers’ clicks (and attention). On the other hand, there are consumers who lack sufficient information to determine whether content is actually true or not.
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Bharadwaj Kadiyala
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Bharadwaj Kadiyala is an Assistant Professor of Operations Management at the David Eccles School of Business. His research explores the role of economic incentives in better managing supply and demand sides of the market. Kadiyala has also collaborated with fashion and travel technology compa nies, sharing research insights.
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Assistant Professor, Operations and Information Systems
ECCLES EXPERIENCE32 We are proud to support the David Eccles School of Business. We are bet ter together. The Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation is focused on lifting those around us by “going about doing good until there’s too much good in the world.” Our desire is to enrich lives and communities by partnering with organizations that provide services and equitable access in the following areas: Health and Medicine | Shelter and Food Security | Education and Skill Development | Jobs and Economic Self-Reliance | Cultural and Spiritual Enrichment. The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation partners with 501(c)(3) organizations throughout the United States to support their good work. We are CVE—a world-class specialty electrical contractor. We build infrastructure, power buildings, network companies, and connect ideas. For over 107 years, CVE has provided our customers the highest quality work always completed with integrity and precision. LEARN MORE: WWW.CVE.COM | 888-558-0600 # 15 TOP CONTRACTORSELECTRICALINUS # 14 TOP CONTRACTORSELECTRICALINUS
deantheaboutfactsfun
She’s had a whole milk latte, no foam, nearly every morning for the past 25 years. Other things Hayes does every day? Exercise and send Snapchat messages to her daughter.
She listens to audiobooks religiously, and historical fiction is a favorite. When it comes to television, “I loved Succession,” Hayes said. “All the characters are so awful, yet so fascinating.”
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Since becoming Dean, Hayes has been most surprised – and inspired – by the wide range of interesting and unique programs offered at the Eccles School. “As a faculty member, my focus was on classes and activities in my own department, so I didn’t have exposure to a lot of this stuff,” she said, and she suspects many other faculty members are in the same boat. “That is one thing I hope to change. I’d love to help everyone see more of the cool things going on here.”
After growing up in New Mexico, Hayes knew she wanted to live in the western United States. But why Utah? Awesome skiing is at the top of the list. Back country, downhill, or cross country, Hayes does it all. When it’s not ski season, Hayes enjoys finishing The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle (always in pen!), working in the yard, and watching her son’s baseball games. Something she doesn’t love? Heights.
Rachel Hayes, Ph.D., was named dean of the David Eccles School of Business in April 2022, after serving as interim dean since 2021. An accounting professor, Hayes has been part of the faculty at the Eccles School since 2005, so she is a familiar face for many around campus, but she still has a few surprises up her sleeve. Here are seven things you might not know about the new Dean Hayes.
Hayes earned her undergraduate degree in math from Oberlin, an MBA from the University of Colorado – Boulder, and her Ph.D. in accounting from Stanford University. She was always interested in math and economics, but taking classes outside of her discipline, such as psychology, created some of her favorite college memories. “I ended up totally broadening my mind,” she said. “I hope our students also can learn new things and open their minds.”
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What is Hayes’s favorite part of being dean so far? “I love learning how much people love this school,” she said. “I meet people and they are so enthusiastic about the David Eccles School of Business. I have been sitting on a chairlift talking to people, and they tell me how much they love the school and our programs.”
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local companies. This year’s corporate partners were: Pluralsight, Universi ty of Utah, Utah Jazz, Progressive Leasing, iSolved, Stryker Neurovascular, Pelion VP, Thomas Arts, CHG Healthcare, Zions Bank, and Grandeur Peak. Some students even receive job offers and choose to stay in Utah at the con clusion of the 12-week program, including Simone Lawrence, who came to the U through IMPACT and was then hired as the IMPACT program manager.
campus
IMPACT students work at internships in their fields of interest, facilitated by
“Coming from Howard University I was able to learn a lot about myself as I navigated through a new space,” Lawrence said. “As the program continues to grow, we are committed to nurturing students and providing resources they need to thrive in new spaces and make a difference in the world.” news
University of Utah IMPACT Program Helps Visiting Students Spark Curiosity
IMPACT, a program hosted by the University of Utah in partnership with Howard University, a “historically Black university”, as well as several local corporate partners, celebrated its third year this summer. Twenty students from Morehouse College, Morgan State University, Howard University, and St. Francis College lived on campus and immersed themselves in a new cul ture, a new climate, a new altitude—and life changing experiences.
Spencer Fox Eccles
Sorenson Impact Summit Provides People, Insights, and Tools to Level Up Impact and Returns
Goff Strategic Leadership Center Introduces New Programming to Keep Students Connected
The Goff Strategic Leadership Center at the David Eccles School of Business has expanded its programming with the new Pathfinders Leadership Cohort. Pathfinders is a premier opportunity for sophomore students to engage in a transformative leadership experience. Sophomore year is a crucial time for student development, and often second-year students lack consistent con nection to campus community and resources. Pathfinders will combat this by facilitating strong peer connections, mentorship, hands-on learning, and an impactful opportunity to highlight on their resumes. Pathfinders will have a significant focus on problem find ing, a key principle of strategic leadership. They will develop this skill by hearing from many guest speakers who are actively engaged in finding creative solutions to current issues across Salt Lake City and beyond. Through monthly discussion sessions and self-re flection, Pathfinders will unpack these important – and highly complex – topics and grow their un derstanding of strategic leadership. ■
The University of Utah School of Medicine has been renamed the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, in recognition of a land mark $110 million gift from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Founda tion and the Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation. The naming acknowledges not only this gift, but the lifetime of leadership, vision, and advocacy of Spencer Fox Eccles for the entire university, including the David Eccles School of Busi ness. The timing of the gift also holds special meaning for the School of Med icine and Spencer Fox Eccles. Fifty years ago, a building named for his father opened its doors. The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library was the first significant capital project at the university to be funded by the Eccles family.
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Dean Rachel Hayes conducted her first David Eccles School of Business grad uation in May, with a little help from university trustees Spencer and Katie Eccles, and President Taylor Randall. A total of 1,667 students graduated from the Eccles School during a ceremony held at the Huntsman Center. There were 813 undergraduate degrees awarded, 931 graduate degrees awarded, and 12 Ph.D. candidates who received degrees.
The annual Sorenson Impact Summit was back in person this summer with the theme “Aspiration to Action.” Keynote speakers were Dan Schulman, CEO of Paypal, and Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite. Panel topics included En visioning Impact: Developing a Whole-Portfolio Approach to Driving Your Mission Forward, Next-Generation Family Leadership, Social Finance: Out comes-Driven Innovation at Scale, and more. Some key takeaways? Compa nies need to be consistent and thoughtful about their corporate values, and then live by them. Why? The time to be hyper-individualistic is over, and the time to be hyper-connected is now.
In-Person Graduation Makes a Big Return
University of Utah School of Medicine Named for Long-Time Benefactor
Forever Utah Alumni is a new platform exclusively for University of Utah alumni, students, faculty, and staff that brings the global U community to gether for personal and professional networking. Forever Utah is fully inte grated with LinkedIn but offers alumni an exclusive network that leverages the unique advantages of their affiliation with the U. Alumni can connect with fellow grads in their field and leverage their professional network. Current students can connect with alumni who have been where they are, and who can help open doors on their own path to success. Students even can join groups based on their career aspirations and gain insights from industry leaders. U faculty and staff also can use Forever Utah to expand access to experiential learning opportunities by leveraging this network of U alumni. To learn more, and to create your account, visit forever.utah.edu.
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I found that I enjoy the technical and quantitative side of business. I enjoy the deep dive that it takes to understand things fully. I like balancing hard quantitative data points with opinions and softer directional inputs like rules of thumb and conventional wisdom. Discovering that interest was painful, but it has been very productive since.
I don’t have one specific memory, but I have a favorite realization. I was raised in a family strongly influenced by business and the ethos of leadership. When I started working in business, I did my best to imitate the examples from my upbringing, but the results were spotty because I was missing some skills. I realized that my leadership was less effective without an understanding of the technical issues.
David Cumming
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What is your favorite memory of the David Eccles School of Business?
How do you stay curious in your current role or position?
Principal at Cumming Capital Management; Chairperson of the Cumming Foundation
Current job title/position:
Relax, man! We all have things we are good at and naturally drawn to, and we all have the opposite. It’s ok to understand something well enough to know you need help.
I get to see a lot of different opportunities at Cumming Capital Management and at the Cumming Foundation. There are always decisions to be made and questions to be asked. Because each opportunity is unique, they always hold my attention.
Degree from Eccles: Executive MBA ‘16
What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to?
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If you could give one piece of advice to your student self, what would it be?
What new passion, curiosity, or interest did you discover during your time at the U?
I am currently doing a deep dive into Crypto. I started with a six-week class through Wharton, then read everything I could get my hands on that didn’t increase the hype and helped me understand what it is and how it fits. I have found some great stuff: Kevin Werbach’s “ Blockchain and the new Architecture of Trust ,” Felix Martin’s “ Money: An Unauthorized Biogra phy—From Coinage to Cryptocurrency ,” Michael J. Casey and Paul Vigna’s book called “ The Age of Cryptocurrency ,” and Charles Geisst’s “ Wall Street: A History .” They have all been very helpful and give great insight.
How do you stay curious in your current role or position?
Degree from Eccles: MBA ‘20
The late nights staying after class chatting with students and professors about things off the syllabus. It made me realize that good things can come from not sprinting out after a class or meeting. Sometimes that is when the real fun begins.
What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to?
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What new passion, curiosity, or interest did you discover during your time at the U?
What is your favorite memory of the David Eccles School of Business?
Elaina Pappas
I listen religiously to the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast with Glennon Doyle. “Behind the Numbers” by eMarketer is great daily podcast for snackable content for marketers. And no true crime documentary will ever disappoint.
Current job title/position: SVP of Marketing | Utah Jazz
Asking questions and admitting we don’t know all the answers is a big first step in being able to explore new ideas, under stand one another, and solve problems. I got to where I am today because I wasn’t afraid to speak up and ask questions. I won’t get to where I want to be next without doing the same thing.
The more aware I became of how impactful one company can be on a community, the more passionate I became about working for and supporting companies that play a positive role in the communities where they do business.
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If you could give one piece of advice to your student self, what would it be?
Your program goes by fast, and every student goes back to school for different reasons. Focus on your reasons and put your energy and attention there. You can’t always give 100% so caring the right amount will provide you the balance you are looking for.
If you could give one piece of advice to your student self, what would it be?
Deric San Juan
What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to?
My favorite memories of Eccles include building a professional and personal network. There are so many people from the U that influenced me. From Dr. Abe and his unique way of challenging his students with regard to business ethics, to Tony Passey and his advanced marketing knowledge, and Dean Randall, who answered a lot of my professional questions while we watched the U destroy its opponents on the football field.
Current job title/position: President, Alpha 3 Marketing Group
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One passion of mine discovered at the U is putting together the pieces of the marketing puzzle. The Eccles MBA cemented the foundations of proven theories and practices, while my current position allows my agency and me to blend theory and real-world application for our clients.
I'm currently reading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, which is a practical guide to personal freedom. As far as recently watched shows or movies, I loved “ Top Gun: Maverick .” Best movie ever! It was almost as good as the original “ Top Gun .”
Degree from Eccles: MBA ‘18
What is your favorite memory of the David Eccles School of Business?
What new passion, curiosity, or interest did you discover during your time at the U?
I have a naturally competitive nature. I'm always curious about new practices or technologies that can help my agency, myself, and our agency's clientele. I always tell our clients, "You either change with the world or suffer its changes.” This gives way to an organic curiosity of always striving to be the best.
One piece of advice that I would give myself is to enjoy the journey and not focus so much on the destination. It's easy to say in hindsight, but I remember stressing myself out worrying about test scores and whether my best was good enough.
How do you stay curious in your current role or position?
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Take at least one class per semester that has nothing to do with your major.
What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to?
Tom Thomas
What new passion, curiosity, or interest did you discover during your time at the U?
Current job title/position: Managing Partner, Thomas & Mack Company
If you could give one piece of advice to your student self, what would it be?
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How do you stay curious in your current role or position?
What is your favorite memory of the David Eccles School of Business?
Degree from Eccles: Finance ‘82
Interacting with classmates and professors on projects and discussing real-world issues. I especially enjoyed classes taught by business professionals. They helped me better understand the challenges I would encounter when I left the University.
The last two books I’ve read are: “Silent Souls Weeping” by Jane Clayson Johnson and “The Return of the God Hypothesis” by Stephen C. Meyer. I’ve given up on finding unbiased news on TV but occasionally watch documentaries. I’m obviously old-fash ioned because I prefer having real conversations as opposed to any form of social media. I enjoy listening to well-narrated audiobooks on history and the sciences.
I listen to audiobooks on history, science, and technology during my early-morning rides, read The Wall Street Journal and Economist, and ask questions of interesting and informed people.
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I developed a love for history, especially the history of civilizations that created many of the institutions and government structures still in use today, such as the Roman Empire.
A favorite memory is collaborating on a big project with classmates. We learned a lot from each other's perspectives and came together to formulate a strong strategy for our final presentation. I still maintain contact with a few of these classmates.
Degree from Eccles: Marketing, Bachelor of Arts ‘07 Current job title/position: Co-Owner of Simplicity Cocktails, a local distillery, and I maintain a day job with a healthcare advertising agency out of New York
What is your favorite memory of the David Eccles School of Business?
What new passion, curiosity, or interest did you discover during your time at the U?
Rebecca Weed
Considered the Father of Communications, Marshall McLuhan, is quoted as saying, "The medium is the message." The more digital we've become, so have our interactions. A phone call, in-person chat, or sending someone a handwritten card can enhance the meaning of your message.
I discovered new passions for the marketing/advertising industry as well as the brewery/spirit industry. These industries are full of fun, innovative, and creative problem solvers. I followed this inspiration after graduation and have worked for various marketing/advertising agencies and helped create Simplicity Cocktails.
If you could give one piece of advice to your student self, what would it be?
What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to?
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How do you stay curious in your current role or position?
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Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by Stanford University Professor, BJ Fogg. Part of enjoying life is evolving with it. This book is a nice reminder that change can lead to great things!
I read industry news, books, and other publications to stay informed on trends in strategy and marketing. Opportunities to travel internationally give me a global perspective of people, culture, challenges, and opportunities.
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The friendships and professional relationships built in the Executive MBA program remain strong to this day. We built a unique bond as a cohort, and it really contributes to not only the educational experience but personal growth. Our capstone trip to China and being able to walk the Great Wall was an amazing experience!
Learning new parts of the company that stretch my abilities or working with people who see things through a different lens is always helpful to me in my growth.
If you could give one piece of advice to your student self, what would it be?
How do you stay curious in your current role or position?
What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to?
I just finished listening to “ The Authority Gap ” by Mary Ann Seighart. It leverages statistics and discusses how women are taken less seriously than men and offers ideas for change.
What is your favorite memory of the David Eccles School of Business?
I uncovered my passion for business strategy. The word strategy gets thrown around to the point that it can lose meaning and I think many of us would say we enjoy it. But during my time in the EMBA program I learned how to view strategic moves more wholistically, as well as how to better explore ideas and approach them with critical thinking.
Degree from Eccles: Executive MBA ‘17
Suzanne Wilson
Budget your time and stick to your plan. Leverage good communication and the strengths of your team and classmates. Take advantage of tutoring sessions if you are struggling with any subject. Finally, give yourself some grace. This is about learning and growth, not perfection.
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Current job title/position: COO at Gaidge
What new passion, curiosity, or interest did you discover during your time at the U?
The building will sit on a currently empty site to the east of the University’s Lassonde Studios. Several types of residential rooms and apartments will be offered,
Doubles (140 units): 180 sq. ft.
Pod Studios (211 units): 80 sq. ft. 11 pod communities with approximately 2,100 sq. ft of shared community space
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4-bedroom apartments (30 units): 1,050 sq. ft.
The first floor of the six-story building will include a dedicated gathering space, known as The Forum. This space will bring together users from different programmatic areas and from all over campus in an open, collaborative space. The Center for Business, Health, and Prosperity and Sorenson Impact Center will occupy space directly above The Forum. The 284,808 square foot building will also provide 775 resident beds for students.
for curiosity & innovation HomeNew
Constructionincluding:ofthebuilding
The Epicenter will also allow the innovative work being done at the U to reach more people — and meet more needs — around the world.
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is expected to be completed in August 2024.
“We are excited to be a partner with the University and Jim Sorenson in building this new Impact and Prosperity Epicenter. Through the Center we expect to lay a new innovative foundation within the University that builds and enhances the lives of not only the University’s students but countless others,” said Bob and Lynette Gay. “Building on a mission of unifying the resources of business and public health, we believe the Epicenter will become a cutting-edge deliverer led by students of growth, hope and prosperity to today’s global community. We are grateful to part of this new venture.”
In addition to enhancing the U’s global reach, the new Epicenter will address immediate and pressing needs on the campus itself, by creating a residential hub that provides experiential opportunities for students to impact their world in meaningful ways.
“The Epicenter is a living-learning space that will provide an unparalleled opportunity to equip the next generation of leaders with social purpose and sharpen the world’s understanding of impact investing and approaches to sustainable economic development,” said Jim Sorenson. “We believe the outcome of the Epicenter will be two-fold, creating the highest learnings and solutions in impact investing and preparing students to be powerful global citizens and community leaders.”
“Demand for on-campus housing is growing, but we want to ensure our students have more than just a place to live,” said University of Utah President Taylor Randall, who oversaw the planning of the Epicenter during his time as dean at the Eccles School. “We want to create a living/learning community where students can engage with the transformational work of these centers, gain valuable experience, and use that experience to change the world around them. The Epicenter incorporates all elements of our vision to inspire, innovate, and impact.”
8-bedroom apartments (12 units): Type A: 2,100 sq. ft. Type B: 2,200 sq. ft.
Singles (69 units): 110 sq. ft.
The Impact and Prosperity Epicenter, a new multidisciplinary hub for innovation on the University of Utah campus, broke ground this fall. The $114 million project is made possible by the generous support of anchor donations from Jim Sorenson and Robert and Lynette Gay, and was developed in cooperation with the David Eccles School of Business.
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“Demand for on-campus housing is growing, but we want to ensure our students have more than just a place to live.”
“Continuous curiosity to me is a philosophy of continuous improvement and questioning how things can be done better.”
As for her advice for cultivating continuous curiosity, Barber-Lyhnakis says to treat curiosity like a muscle and exercise it often—even if it means making some mistakes along the way.
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The past year brought a lot of changes to the David Eccles School of Business. Many staff members found themselves stepping into new roles and learning on the fly—in cluding Michelle Barber-Lyhnakis, who took over in September 2021 as Senior Director of Development, Alumni and Annual Giving. Succeeding in her new position required being comfortable asking questions, digging in, and getting things done even without a lot of direction, and her efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Barber-Lyhnakis was recognized with the Continuous Curiosity staff award in the spring of this year.
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“Things don’t have to be perfect with curiosity,” she said. “Pick something that is interest ing to you and learn more about it and be comfortable not knowing everything right away. Make a plan and start small. Let curiosity spark your joy, inquisitiveness, and awe.”
“I’ve always wanted to know how things work or who people are. That’s who I am innately,” Barber-Lyhnakis said. “Continuous curiosity to me is a philosophy of contin uous improvement and questioning how things can be done better. In the type of work we do with alumni and donors, it’s also getting to know them and what they value, and what inspires them to give so generously of their time, talent, and treasure. It’s under standing why the Eccles School is important to them.”
Ken Ga is a proud sponsor of the David Eccles School of Business.
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We’re in the business of listening.
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