Uncharted State
Welcome to UnchartED State, the podcast remapping higher education for a changing world. Hear from bold thinkers, industry experts, and higher ed leaders as they unpack how professional and continuing education is transforming work, learning, and opportunity.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and hosts and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Mississippi State University or the College of Professional and Continuing Studies.
Uncharted State
From Student to Startup with Justin Samuels
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Careers aren’t linear and learning shouldn’t be either.
Justin Samuels has lived that reality, from working in higher ed to senior engineering at Mailchimp to founding RenderATL. Along the way, he's learned one truth: the skills you need tomorrow don't exist in today's textbooks. In this episode of UnchartED State, Sean Owen and Maddie Ludt sit down with Justin for a candid conversation about what it really takes to grow in fast-moving industries and what higher education needs to do differently. From embedded internships that put students in the trenches to hiring people smarter than yourself, Justin unpacks where colleges struggle to keep pace with industry and why teaching adaptability matters more than teaching tools. This conversation is about building the kind of learners who don't just survive change. They drive it.
Drawing from his journey as a Mississippi State alum, engineer, and entrepreneur, Justin unpacks what higher education gets right, where it struggles to keep up with industry, and why adaptability, belonging, and learning how to learn matter more than any single credential.
In This Episode:
- Changing careers (not just jobs) and embracing uncertainty
- Building community and belonging in remote and hybrid worlds
- Why degrees matter less than experience, mindset, and curiosity
- Hiring people who are smarter than you and why that’s a strength
- The role of internships, co-ops, and industry partnerships in closing skill gaps
- Learning how to learn in a world that changes faster every year
Careers aren’t linear, innovation isn’t tidy, and learning never really ends. This episode explores how breaking things, thoughtfully, can lead to better leaders, stronger communities, and more resilient learners.
