Welcome to the Board of Directors Spotlight Series: First Edition! Orr Fellowship’s team of Board Members represents a vast collective of community leaders and entrepreneurs who are passionate about Orr Fellowship’s mission, the city of Indianapolis, and the state of Indiana as a whole. The passion, intellect, experience and resources that these individuals collectively bring to the table have a direct impact on the fellowship experience and Indy’s population of young leaders.
Follow along as we uncover valuable insights from our first five board members: Brian Schutt, Conner Burt, Lauren James, Sanjay Malkani, and Blake Koriath.
Brian Schutt, Cofounder of Homesense Heating and Cooling and Refinery46
Where do you currently work? What is your area of expertise?
I’m the cofounder of two local businesses, Homesense Heating and Cooling and Refinery46. If anything, I’d call myself an expert generalist. I’m curious about almost everything, and tend to find unique patterns that can help organizations think differently when solving difficult problems.
What initially attracted you to Orr Fellowship and being involved as a Board Member? What has motivated you to stay connected to the organization?
I’ve consistently been impressed by Orr Fellows since being introduced to the program over a decade ago. I think the proof is in the data — Orr Fellows stay local and contribute more than their peers. There’s not much to dislike about that.
What is a post-graduation decision or experience you wish you could have a “do-over” on? How would you approach it differently?
While I believe in course corrections from mistakes, I don’t want any do-overs. I truly believe that you either win or learn.
Failure, or what is called failure, is merely a singular feedback loop. It’s only a loss if you give up.
What “passion projects” are you currently working on? What fills your cup outside of typical work?
I have two passion projects called Parker and Emmy. Sincerely, my two kids are what empties and fills up my cup.
Children are the most insane and wonderful startup project you can ever be involved in — I highly recommend them.
What has been the most meaningful piece of advice you’ve received thus far?
If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist. My first mentor after college would shout at my coworkers and I if we showed up to any meeting without pen & paper. Building this habit has been transformative to everything I do.
It seems obvious, probably, but most misunderstandings involve miscommunication — which stems from thinking what we speak is understood as what we mean. Written communication doesn’t perfectly solve the problem, but it sure helps.
Conner Burt, Cofounder of Lessonly
Where do you currently work? What is your area of expertise?
I am the co-founder of Lessonly, where we built a company focused on software for training and coaching. We were acquired by Seismic in 2021 where I currently lead growth initiatives into new markets.
I’d say I’m a classic generalist, but have spent a lot of time thinking about how to grow a company without sacrificing culture or capital efficiency. Much of that work is go-to-market focused.
What initially attracted you to Orr Fellowship and being involved as a Board Member? What has motivated you to stay connected to the organization?
I was a fellow, and 4 of the first 5 Lessonly teammates were fellows. We wouldn’t have existed without it!
I feel immense gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of the program.
What is a post-graduation decision or experience you wish you could have a “do-over” on? How would you approach it differently?
I would’ve pulled the trigger faster on asking my wife to marry me. We dated five years — I was foolish.
What “passion projects” are you currently working on? What fills your cup outside of typical work?
I am helping my wife open a new bookstore, The Whispering Shelf in Lockerbie Square. I’m also playing a role in the founding team of Kibbies, a healthy dog food subscription business that is set to launch this year!
Outside of work, you’ll find me with my family (two young kids, Arlo and Slaone) and tinkering in a plethora of outdoor pursuits (fly fishing, hunting, dog training. . . the list goes on)!
What has been the most meaningful piece of advice you’ve received thus far?
Play your own game.
Lauren James, Executive Director of Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation (MDLF)
Where do you currently work? What is your area of expertise?
Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation (MDLF), Executive Director – Our mission is to enable leaders and drive change with a vision of developing a statewide network of change agents, actively working to make Indiana the best place to build a future.
I wouldn’t call it an “area of expertise” or “superpower” but what called me to this dream job is I’m a product of the MDLF Fellowship, I believe in our purpose and I see the promise in our Foundation’s potential.
I love that my days allow me to wear multiple hats and embrace being a master generalist supporting all functions of the organization with a small, but mighty team.
What initially attracted you to Orr Fellowship and being involved as a Board Member? What has motivated you to stay connected to the organization?
I said YES to joining the Orr Fellowship Board because of my desire to build a continuous pipeline of Hoosier leaders and my devotion to make a positive place-impact in Indiana.
I choose to stay connected to and invested in Orr because of my firm belief this city and state has invested in me significantly; (from scholarships and mentorships to access and community) and I feel it’s my responsibility to give those same gifts right back by paying them forward.
What is a post-graduation decision or experience you wish you could have a “do-over” on? How would you approach it differently?
I am forever grateful to have received a Fulbright Scholarship to Poland where I taught at a university and served as a cultural ambassador for the Department of State for an entire year. The experience was truly transformational and life changing living in a foreign country, knowing no-one, not speaking the language and without a smartphone in the palm of my hand.
The only desire to request a “do-over” at the cultural exchange forced me to be a beginner again, see every part of my world with new eyes and simply slow down and BE. It was a beautiful combination of observing, learning and failing fast, while also embracing the beauty and creativity that comes with exploration, silence and self reflection.
What “passion projects” are you currently working on? What fills your cup outside of typical work?
Spending quality time with my family and friends fills my cup including traveling, trying new local restaurants and experiencing festivals and events.
I’ve also enjoyed getting to know other nonprofit and community leaders and what fuels/inspires them and their WHY. At this season of life, my “mantra map” informs my passions of making a positive place-impact, building a pipeline of Hoosier leaders and solving for poverty – each of which inform the causes I’m investing in through Board Leadership: Orr Fellowship, United Way of Central Indiana, the Indiana Repertory Theatre, Women of Beneficence at Ball State University and Rev.
My golf game has been fairly non-existent recently…so that’s my next cup to refill.
What has been the most meaningful piece of advice you’ve received thus far?
Life is people. Find a way to be useful and to be of service.
Sanjay Malkani, Partner at Theaus Global
Where do you currently work? What is your area of expertise?
I’m presently a Partner in Theaus Global, a newly formed sustainable energy company in Alberta, Canada. We are bringing the world’s largest carbon credit bank online with hundreds of millions of carbon offsets, and are also in the early stages of scaling EV Charging Networks, Portable Green Power and other traditional and alternative energy projects across North America.
It’s a brand new sector for me, and I am incredibly grateful to be learning from deeply experienced and successful partners in Canada and the US.
What initially attracted you to Orr Fellowship and being involved as a Board Member? What has motivated you to stay connected to the organization?
I was attracted to the Orr Fellowship by seeing the process in motion with students at Notre Dame, and interpreting the organization’s values second hand.
I was also very fortunate to run into Steven at The Shepherd Community Center, where it became very directly evident to me that the organization’s leadership, board, and Fellows were truly delivering on the stated mission and values. I am honored to be able to support this excellent group of caring and committed talent.
I find the ambition and purpose of the organization to be quite unique and motivating, as ultimately, I get to see first hand the value it is driving for its multiple stakeholders. The organization feels equally “novel” and like a “lost art” to me … whatever it is, I can feel the dedication of the Fellows, the Board and the Leadership Team.
What is a post-graduation decision or experience you wish you could have a “do-over” on? How would you approach it differently?
Following graduate business school I rushed into the management consulting funnel as it kind of felt “expected” amongst my peer groups. Boy that was a mistake, as within 30 days I knew it wasn’t for me to fly in/fly out and disengage from a tough assignment at the end of a contract. Now it wasn’t a total loss, as I learned in that 3 year grind that I really desired “ownership and accountability” in a business opportunity, and it ultimately helped motivate me to pivot to a career in HealthCare.
Perhaps, had I been more “self reflective” earlier on and chosen a path based on knowledge of my own interests and desires, I would have more quickly chosen a satisfying corporate job in healthcare. I just bested too much in “group think”, which can happen with a peer group. So don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and do a self-inventory along your journey!
What “passion projects” are you currently working on? What fills your cup outside of typical work?
Well, it’s been work after work, as I do have healthcare startups or boards in Florida, Texas and California that also keep me busy.
I guess I’m early into pickleball, but see that being something I’d like to focus more on!
What has been the most meaningful piece of advice you’ve received thus far?
Tough one. So many great mentors and leaders. The one that was hardest to work for taught me the most, and you could sum many of the lessons as “If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything”. To me, generally, it means “just do the right thing”, and to know the “right thing” I believe you have to have a personal faith basis.
In almost any complex business circumstance, in your heart, you know the path of ethics, compliance and quality is the right path. It’s so easy to be tempted to take shortcuts. But no matter what, you “do the right thing” even when the competition doesn’t and the stakeholders are angry. Take the long view, stand for what’s right, and the reward always comes – maybe differently than you thought.
Blake Koriath, CFO at High Alpha
Where do you currently work? What is your area of expertise?
I currently serve as CFO at High Alpha, a Venture Studio that conceives, launches and scales enterprise technology companies. We’ve started over 40 new software companies in our first eight years of existence. My area of expertise is in supporting startups across all aspects of finance, accounting, strategy, and fundraising. I am also on our investment team that evaluates investments for our venture capital funds. I love working with entrepreneurs and helping them build industry-changing companies.
What initially attracted you to Orr Fellowship and being involved as a Board Member? What has motivated you to stay connected to the organization?
I had worked with many Orr Fellows over the years and was always impressed with the caliber of individuals that the organization was able to attract.
I’m also an Indianapolis native and I’m passionate about our city and state, so I was drawn to the Orr Fellowship’s mission to attract & retain the next generation of business leaders & entrepreneurs.
Being involved in the organization has been a joy and has exceeded my expectations. I’m so excited for the bright future ahead for the Orr Fellowship and all past, current, and future Orr Fellows!
What is a post-graduation decision or experience you wish you could have a “do-over” on? How would you approach it differently?
There’s no specific decision or experience I’d change, I am so happy with how my professional career has played out and anything done differently may have led to a different outcome.
I think it’s easy to get caught up in “planning” a career and looking ahead to next steps when the best strategy for a successful career is to optimize for learning and growth in your current role– new & compelling opportunities will present themselves in ways you couldn’t have imagined!
Recently I’ve become very interested in business and investing podcasts, so it would have been nice to discover that interest earlier! The best way to invest in yourself is through continuous learning and curiosity.
What “passion projects” are you currently working on? What fills your cup outside of typical work?
I am also on the Board of Trustees for the Indianapolis Zoo, which is an incredible organization in Indianapolis and a global leader in conservation through its mission to protect nature and inspire people to care for our world.
Much of my time and passion these days is centered around my family– wife Natalie, kids Everett and Avery, and our dog JoJo and cat Trooper. I enjoy running, listening to podcasts and music, playing & watching sports.
What has been the most meaningful piece of advice you’ve received thus far?
I have been fortunate to get lots of great advice from family, friends, and colleagues over the years. I’ve synthesized all of that advice into my own personal mantra– work hard, be kind, and have good luck. The first two things are within everyone’s control and it turns out that if you do those two, the third often takes care of itself!
