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21:36: [Maya] What do you see for the future? You know, because we have energy transition, we've got so many exciting things on the horizon, also with AI and drilling technology, and clean energy. What are you the most excited about, of what's coming up in the next, I mean, five to seven years?
21:55: [Tim Okabayashi] I'm most excited about the continuation of that, of just the advancement of technology throughout the oil field and new energy, and alternative energy, and transition energy. Like at the heart of it, the research and development; technology development is really the key enabler. And it takes time to develop this technology, commercialize it, and then have adoption, right? And this process requires people. And yes, big data and AI can certainly assist, but at the heart of it, there's still this need for people and researchers and ideas and science.
15:21: The opportunities to expand your reach virtually are pretty phenomenal these days. And, I think the Owl Have You Know platform is a great one that continues to grow and expand with the different programs and subject themes, and the interviews with the staff and academics and highlighting the research, I think it's incredible. I think there's a lot of room for how I'll have, you know, to become a really central part of Rice business as well as the business community.
19:59: [Maya] You've worked a lot in Asia and in the Asian market. What were some of the surprises and some of those aha moments while you were in Asia?
20:07: [Tim Okabayashi] One of my biggest learnings was actually passed to me from a colleague. And at the time, I kind of brushed it off, but he said, like, "You know, Tim, the world is such a small term for such a large place." And I think often in times in oil and gas, we think of the natural resources, you know, crude or natural gas, as really being just commodities, and it's the same anywhere. But that's really not true. I mean, to a certain degree, it is by the chemistry, but then again, the methods and the people and the culture around the activities in different parts of the world can be uniquely different. And that is something that I had grown to have a great appreciation of when I moved abroad.
Owl Have You Know is Rice Business’ podcast created to share the experiences of alumni, faculty, students and other members of our business community – real stories of belonging, failing, rebounding and, ultimately, succeeding. During meaningful conversations, we dive deep into how each guest has built success through troubles and triumphs before, during and after they set foot in McNair Hall.
The Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business and is produced by University FM.
[00:00] Intro: Welcome to Owl Have You Know, a podcast from Rice Business. This episode is part of our Flight Path Series, where guests share their career journeys, the stories of the Rice connections that got them where they are.
At Rice, they say, if you're an Owl, you're an Owl for life. And Rice Business grad, Tim Okabayashi, exemplifies that statement in every way. The 2005 Jones School of Business alum and former Rice Business Alumni Board president talks to us about the extraordinary impact the MBA program has had and continues to have on his life decades after graduation. We also talk about his impact on Rice Business and how he and a classmate pitched this very podcast back in 2020, using none other than water bottles as microphones.
An impressive career in energy leading him to many different corners of the globe, Tim shares a bit of his own wisdom about the future of innovative energy technologies, what he's working on now, his perspective of always staying deeply rooted to the Rice Business Network, and even a piece of advice he would give to his younger self.
So, welcome, Tim. We're thrilled to have you today.
[01:13] Tim: Maya, it's really a pleasure to be here. So, thank you very much for having me.
[01:17] Maya: One of the other things that people may not know is our history and our background. So, we went to high school together, and I haven't seen you in, like, you know, it's been two years since high school, right, so, because we're really young.
[01:31] Tim: I don't, I don't want to give anything away, but I ran into some of our fellow high schoolmates, and they reminded me that my 30th-year reunion was coming up, which is a pretty scary thing.
[01:44] Maya: No, it's a great thing. And not only that, but we share our high school, like, we also share Rice, which is really such an honor to reconnect with people. And that's what I've noticed that Rice Business does. You reconnect with people that you would have never expected.
[01:59] Tim: The Rice network is a fantastic network. And I find that it's one that people just stay really close together, and even if you are connected only through a connection of a connection, that Rice Business connection is always there.
[02:14] Maya: And not only that, but you really have stayed active as an alumni. I mean, you graduated in 2005. I mean, I'm a class of ‘22, so I'm a newbie. And your connection to Rice has really spanned decades. Let's start with Rice and why you chose Rice. You went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I remember that, when you graduated. And you studied science and engineering and you minored in chemistry. So, what was your goal? What did you want to do when you grew up?
[02:47] Tim: Actually, when I graduated UNC, I went into environmental consulting, which is, kind of, interesting. Basically, I was living in Atlanta. I had clients that were in all aspects of manufacturing, materials, commercial aviation, the military, and I was helping them out with their air quality compliance, industrial hygiene programs. Anything, kind of, EPA-related, we were there to help support them.
And at the time, after a few years, I felt a little bit like I wanted to make a transition. I was getting very used to, kind of, the operational level things, but I wanted to have a different perspective. I wanted to gain that business perspective, that strategy perspective to see what were the drivers behind the operational decisions that were being made.
That's why I wanted to look at a full-time MBA program to make that transition, not only in function, but also industry.
[03:38] Maya: You said you were in Atlanta, did you want to come back home to Houston? Was that one of the real reasons that you wanted to come to Rice? I mean, other than the fact that Rice is the best, you know, MBA program in the country in our opinion, but was it, was that the reason?
[03:52] Tim: Yeah. So, growing up in Houston, I have a lot of family there, a lot of friends there. And, you know, I, at least, wanted to have the opportunity to work in Houston. Certainly, the energy markets at the time were very hot and wanted to make that an opportunity of what I wanted to explore post-graduation from Rice. So, that combination of wanting to go into energy and also work in the Houston area was definitely one of the reasons why I went back to Rice.
[04:17] Maya: Tell me about those two years that you were there. So, it was from ‘03 to ‘05.
[04:21] Tim: That's right, yeah. The school had just moved into the new building about a year prior. It was a great experience. Our cohort sizes were about 60, and we had 60 people, and we had about three classes.
It was a great experience. Could not believe how close you were able to get to your classmates in such a short amount of time. Combined with, in fact, the curriculum was challenging and it took up a lot of time. I mean, I was busy from every moment of the day, it seemed like, but I got so much out of the experience.
[04:53] Maya: Can you tell me some of what drew you to really stay engaged, over all of these years, even after graduation? So, you graduate in ‘05, you know, I mean, everybody says that they want to give back to their alma mater and all of that, but what was it, specifically, about Rice that made you stay so passionate and involved?
[05:12] Tim: One of the things I distinctly remember about my time at Rice was, probably, on the first few days we were going through orientation, there happened to be some, then, Rice Business Alumni Association board members who were attending an event. And someone introduced themselves to me and just had a conversation.
It was so great to see that those alums and board members of the Alumni Association were there, getting to know the incoming students. And so, that spoke volumes right from day one of how engaged the alumni base was for Rice Business. It was incredible. And, even through the program, you would always come in contact with alums who were recruiting or networking, and they were always so passionate about Rice Business and giving their time back to Rice Business and to be so giving with the programs within Rice Business, from Rice Alliance to business plan competitions, to mock interviews, to recruiting. It just showed part of the real strength of Rice Business and what keeps the strong network alive for the school. And I wanted to be part of that.
Aside from that, I had the opportunity to move overseas. And I really found, kind of, one's personal network, when you move overseas, it can be a little bit diminished, just by geography and distance and miles, right? And I know you've lived overseas as well, but I moved to Kuala Lumpur in about 2013, so, some years after my graduation from Rice. When I got back to Houston, I joined the board, or I applied for the board, and spoke about how I wanted to really try and bring about more engagement with the international graduates who have moved away from Houston and the U.S. So, I wanted to try and help build that connective tissue between the school and those students, where there's not a lot of concentration of graduates.
[06:55] Maya: Right. Well, now, well, now, we have a whole campus overseas and, well, over in Paris, which is a very nice place to be. I think that Rice recognizes that there's a need for that, because we are growing exponentially and our alumni network is growing exponentially. And by having opportunities to connect with alumni all over the planet, that's one of the distinguishing factors of Rice Business.
[07:19] Tim: That, and the Rice MBA program, basically, allows for students to be anywhere around the world, taking the same classes, going through the same experience together as the rest of the Rice Business school, and that goes to the Jones School.
[07:32] Maya: So, tell me about your time as the president of the alumni board. How long is the term, and how do you get in? You know, I know that there's an application process and due diligence and all of that.
[07:44] Tim: Sure. There's an application process where you submit a form to the board. You describe yourself, about your history, how you've been involved with Rice Business in the past, why do you want to become a board member on the alumni association? And then, if you are elected to the board, then you join for a period of, what I believe is a minimum of three years or a maximum of six years, unless there's some extenuating circumstance where you become an officer and it gets extended. So, I've actually served for a total of seven years. I've just finished up my seventh and last year as past president. So, officially, I am off the board now.
[08:19] Maya: But you're also in the UK. You live in Cambridge. And so, you served as the president from, you know, across the ocean.
[08:27] Tim: I did. You know, that was one of the concerns I had to discuss with the, then, executive committee, like, can we pull this off? Can someone be not in Houston, not in Texas, not in the U.S., and still be the board president? And, you know, we had come through COVID by this time, so everyone was on Zoom, and we were conducting most of the meetings in that fashion.
So, we really didn't see a problem with that. There were some events during my term as president that I wasn't able to get back to, and we nominated other people on the board, or the president elect stepped in or other board members stepped in to, say, give a speech at graduation where I just physically couldn't be there. I tried to attend as many events as I could, but the rest of the board was happy to help out. So, it was fantastic support.
[09:13] Maya: Well, and how lucky Rice Business has been for you to serve for seven years. Are you sure you don't want to come back for, maybe, an eighth? Or, I mean, is there, like, a… can you, I mean, can you, like, take some time off and then maybe come back? I don't know.
[09:26] Tim: Sure.
[09:26] Maya: Just, I don't know what the, what the rules and regulations are, but nobody wants to lose Tim. And I don't blame them.
[09:32] Tim: I'm sure there's always ways in which I could volunteer my time for Rice Business, and I'd be happy to do so. While we were on the board, we tackled a lot of issues. And I'm really proud of the work that myself and my fellow board members did. I mean, I think I did the math or asked someone to help me out with the math. I think we came in, I came in contact with about… someone's going to have to fact-check this, but maybe, like, 40 different alums have, kind of, been in and around the different years while I've been on the board. So, it was a great way to get to know other alums in a way that I hadn't before, from all different years, from all different backgrounds. So, that was another plus.
[10:08] Maya: For sure. So, it was COVID time and everybody felt fairly disconnected. How did you and Karen decide, you know what? Why don't we start a podcast at Rice?
[10:22] Tim: Yeah. So, Karen is Karen Crofton, who's in Boulder, Colorado. It was actually before COVID had happened. I think we were at our fall retreat in September — August or September — where we were discussing ways in which the board could increase alumni engagement. That's really the core of what the board is there for. We're there to help increase engagement with alumni and build up relationships between the school, alumni. And when I say school, we're looking at aspects of the students, the faculty, and other alumni. So, any way we can increase engagement with the alumni base back to the school, however you want to define it, that's fair game for us. That's what we want to look at. That's what our, kind of, North Star is and what drives us.
There are some other projects that we were considering, and we, kind of, broke up into teams and did a vote on what looked interesting. The topic of a podcast came up, and Karen and I were the only ones brave enough to, kind of, join that squad. And we were, we were hashing it out. We broke off into a breakout room. I think we came up with, like, a three-slide presentation to pitch back to the group after we came back from break. I think, literally, with about 10 seconds before it was time to present, I leaned over to Karen and just said, “Let's scrap the slides. Let's just pretend we're doing a podcast interview right now.” She was totally game for it. She's like, “Let's do it.”
I think we picked up our water bottles we had and just used those as microphones. And I, kind of, got a little announcer voice going on and asked Karen questions about what the podcast would do, what it would be like, who would we interview, why we'd want to do it. And it was just, kind of, a hit. We, kind of, got immediate approval, and were off and running. So, for the next year, we, basically, were in planning mode. How do we do this? And at the time, we thought we would have to do it at the school. We would have to take advantage of the recording studio at the school. You know, we were, kind of, really worried about, like, how are we going to get alums to come by the school to do the recording? Is that going to limit us to just Houston-based alums?
We were worried about that. Then, we were thinking about the production. We got a lot of these things figured out, but there's still some issues we were working through. So, it did take us a while. And considering that the alumni board is a voluntary board, we were doing this in our part time. So, it was, kind of, incrementally nudging along. So, it did take us a little while. But we did figure it out in the span of a year and started moving forward, recording our own board members first as our brave guinea pigs.
[12:46] Maya: So, what's your favorite podcast? I have to ask it. Or, are you, like, do you love podcasts? Is that why you decided… hey, by the way, very creative of using the water bottle as a microphone. I mean, I have to say, like, hats off to that.
[12:59] Tim: There’s so many podcasts that come to mind, the ones that I really remember and that I think are incredible stories of people's lives that I only knew a portion of, right? And so, I mean, just to name a few, well, I'll be partial. I'll be partial to a family member, full disclosure, Amanda Stewart was on and she talked about the DEI activity she's bringing about in her company, and I'm so proud of her. There's Brian Jackson, current president of the board. He told his story out there, and it was amazing. I can't believe how transparent and authentic he is. And he's like that in real life. It’s unbelievable.
There’s another fellow high-schooler that was interviewed, Will Robertson as well. That was a great interview. Oh, Bethany Andell. I mean, she talks about her business, but also, kind of, her ethos of the way she engages with clients. So, it's really great to hear just additional color about people's lives and their intersection with Rice Business.
[13:51] Maya: Yes. And so, what's interesting is that I know the studio that you're talking about that we have on campus and how unique and ironic is it that we were able to, because of COVID, have an opportunity to really interview anyone on the planet because of the innovation that we have, because you're not in the United States and we get to talk to you and tell your stories, or it really doesn't matter where you are on the planet to be able to share the journeys and the stories and the pivots and the flight paths and all of those things that you want to showcase about Rice.
[14:26] Tim: I just don't want to diminish how things might have looked back then, you know, as well. But yeah, you're absolutely right. The opportunities to virtually expand your reach are pretty phenomenal these days. And I think the Owl Have You Know platform is a great one that continues to grow and expand with the different programs and subject themes and the interviews with the staff and academics and highlighting the research. I think it's incredible. I think there's a lot of room for Owl Have You Know to become a really central part of Rice Business, as well as the business community.
[15:02] Maya: For sure. So, the name, Owl Have You Know, tell me how you came up with the name. How did that transpire? Because people ask me that all the time, and I'm like, “I don't know, but I'll ask Tim.”
[15:18] Tim: All right. So, the Owl Have You Know name came about just through basic brainstorming and trying to find something witty and a little punny, if you will, for the podcast.
[15:30] Maya: Very punny, very punny.
[15:32] Tim: Yeah, there you go. I actually pulled up a list of some of the other contenders, and I think, I think we could probably agree on most of these, that they were probably good that we passed on. Let's see. Who gives a hoot?
[15:44] Maya: That's a good one.
[15:46] Tim: Owlified might have been the next best contender, yeah. So, certainly, it didn't take us a long time to realize that Owl Have You Know was a much better name. And we also wanted to leave it at the time, I think this is evident in the first season that, at the end of every podcast, we would ask the guests of, like, if you had to say something, like, Owl Have You Know, as a surprise, that we were thinking, like, that would be, kind of, a little bit of the catch of the podcast.
[16:14] Maya: Huh! Gosh, nobody told me that part.
[16:17] Tim: I think it's a lost opportunity, Maya. I mean, you got to, you got to, you got to bring it back.
[16:23] Maya: Well, for sure, I'm going to bring it back. And don't let me forget to ask you at the end of this, if you could, if there was something that you could share. Wait, wait, wait, what's the exact question? What is it?
[16:34] Tim: If you were to tell the audience one thing in the framework of Owl Have You Know, what would you tell them?
[16:40] Maya: Yes, I love that. I love that. Let's pivot a little bit and talk about what you have been up to since graduation and, kind of, the trajectory of your career and how Rice Business has really shaped who you are today. Because I know how Rice Business and Owl Have You Know has shaped me and continues to do so, but let's talk about you.
[17:01] Tim: Sure. So, right after graduation, I joined this clean energy technology startup company in Houston. It was a small company that was primarily angel-funded. And we had this proprietary technology that we're trying to break into the off-road diesel market. So, off road diesel in the U.S. is primarily red dye diesel that goes into engines like locomotives or drilling rigs, marine vessels. And at the time, again, back in 2005, you know, commodity prices were high. And anything we could do to help reduce fuel consumption and reduce harmful combustion emissions was a good thing.
So, we were trying to break into that market, and it was a great experience being with a startup company and being in that industrial space. Did that for about three years. I actually joined the company with a fellow classmate of mine. So, we were… the two of us from our class were lucky to sign on as full-time employees there.
So, it was a great chance to do something that was really rewarding and doing it with someone who is a close classmate. About 2008, then, I left the company and then joined Smith International, which was an oil field company, doing M&A work. We were looking at, what was our white space? Where did we want to grow into? And I was definitely leveraging my MBA to look at opportunities for acquisition to help us grow.
And in about 2010, then, we got purchased by Schlumberger, which is now SLB. And so, then, I transitioned to a different role, and I transitioned into what we would call marketing and technology, which was looking at market analysis, pricing, product launches, service launches within the drilling tool space for SLB.
Did that for several years. And then, in 2013, transitioned to Kuala Lumpur to take on a more ops-driven role there for about three years. And that was a, that was a really great assignment. It was our first international assignment, and it was a tough one.
[19:04] Maya: And you've worked a lot in Asia and in the Asian market. What were some of the surprises and some of those “aha” moments while you were in Asia?
[19:13] Tim: I think one of my biggest learnings was actually passed to me from a colleague. And at the time, I, kind of, brushed it off. But he said, like, you know, “Tim, the world is such a small term for such a large place.” And I think, often, in times, in oil and gas, we think of the natural resources, you know, crude or natural gas as really being just commodities and it's the same anywhere. But that's really not true. I mean, to a certain degree, it is, by the chemistry, but then, again, the methods and the people and the culture around the activities in different parts of the world can be uniquely different. And that is something that I had grew to have a great appreciation of when I moved abroad.
[19:57] Maya: And then, what brought you to Cambridge? I mean, obviously, SLB brought you to Cambridge, but so tell me about that path.
[20:03] Tim: In about 2018, then, I got moved to a different assignment over in Cambridge, which is attached to a research facility. And at the time, we were standing up this group to leverage our own data warehouses, if you will, to try and develop digital solutions for our drilling operations. So, this is, I mean, again, going back to 2018, now, it probably doesn't seem so novel, but at the time we were really trying to unpack and leverage all this data we had to bring about solutions, both internally and externally, for our clients. So, I was part of that domain team that looked at big data analysis for well construction activities.
[20:42] Maya: What do you see for the future, you know, because we have energy transition, we've got so many exciting things on the horizon, also, with AI and drilling technology and clean energy? What are you the most excited about of what's coming up in the next, I mean, five to seven years?
[21:01] Tim: I'm most excited about the continuation of just the advancement of technology throughout the oil field and new energy and alternative energy and transition energy. Like, at the heart of it, the research and development, technology development is really the key enabler. And it takes time to develop this technology, commercialize it, and then have adoption, right?
And this process requires people. And yes, big data, AI can certainly assist, but at the heart of it, there's still this need for people and researchers and ideas and science. And so, being surrounded by these highly talented people, like in Cambridge and throughout the rest of the world, throughout the industry that are at the forefront of technology development, that's what still gets me excited about working in this space.
[21:48] Maya: And so, you've been with SLB for quite some time, even through a rebranding, because it was Schlumberger and now it's SLB, right? I live in Houston. So, I drive by, and I saw the changing of the sign. And SLB is, you know, a behemoth in the energy space. What do you see for the future of SLB?
[22:06] Tim: SLB, at its core, is still delivering products and services to oil and gas clients. We also have SLB New Energy, which is looking at different avenues of developing new energy solutions for the energy market. SLB is a technology company. And also, what I'm doing now within the methane space is very, very appealing and has the opportunity to really help decarbonize the emissions that come from oil and gas operations. So, these are the things I'm most excited about being with SLB.
[22:40] Maya: Tell me a little bit, whatever you can, about what you're working on, with regards to methane. Because, obviously, I'm assuming you're talking about flaring.
[22:47] Tim: Sure. Well, that's one key aspect of it. So, you know, the IEA, the International Energy Association, approximates that about one-third of the methane in the atmosphere comes from energy-related activities. And methane is a greenhouse gas, and on some levels, or some estimations, it's about 80 times more powerful in terms of global warming potential as a ton of carbon dioxide over the span of about 20 years.
And what's really interesting is, with this contribution of methane from the energy industry, about 50% of the methane emissions is approximated to be able to be reduced at no net cost for the industry. Meaning that the methane, in the form of natural gas, can be put back into the pipeline and sold. And so, there's this huge potential for abatement that could be at relatively low cost or no cost to the industry. And what's difficult is, often, to find out where that methane is, how much of it is there, and what type of abatement technologies to apply.
And so, our group, the SLB, End-to-end Emissions Solutions, is in that space. We're helping our clients identify where their methane emissions are coming from, quantify it, find ways to reduce their emissions, and then help them report their emissions to whatever reporting agency or regulatory agency that might need them.
So, emissions could be coming from flare, like you said, or they could be coming from general leaks, right? So, leaks would be called fugitive emissions. Sometimes, you don't know how long a leak is going for, or you don't know how big the leak is. So, you do need some measurement technologies to go out there and find them and then identify them and then repair them.
[24:31] Maya: That's really, really, really interesting. I know that they're doing a lot of work here in Houston. So, do you have any plans of coming back to Houston? I know that you've got some kiddos. And are you enjoying life in the UK?
[24:43] Tim: We do enjoy our time here in the UK. We've grown very fond of the place we live and the friends we've met. I think we've been very fortunate wherever we've lived, be it in Malaysia or Houston or Cambridge, to just have really found a good network of friends. That is one thing that, being an expat, you know, you're, kind of, removed from that safety net of your home, let's call it home, friends and family. And you need to, kind of, find support around you wherever you are. And we've managed to do that in some ways. And so, we're very fond of the people that we have close to us here. And we know that, eventually, we will most likely move back to Houston. We have friends and family that we’re very close to back there. And we miss the food. So, eventually, we will find our way back to Houston, but right now we still continue to look at this as an adventure.
[25:31] Maya: Well, can you tell me a bit about your family and about your wife? Because they've been, they've been on this journey with you.
[25:37] Tim: Yeah, my wife is, my wife is really amazing. She's actually from Houston as well. We grew up, you know, probably about two miles from each other, but we never knew each other until we were adults, until we started dating. So, it's really, kind of, interesting. We actually have some friends of friends in common, but yet, we still never met each other in Houston. She is a classically trained soprano singer. She graduated from the Moores School of Music at University of Houston.
Prior to us moving around the world, she spent a lot of time in education, teaching middle school choirs. So, that was what her previous professional life was. I really can't say how amazing she is. Just to give you an example of the support she has given me and how great she is, I remember distinctly, we were waiting for a transport bus to take myself and then just our one daughter and about six huge duffel bags to the airport to move to Malaysia. This was going to be our first assignment overseas. And even up until the point where that van pulled up, we were like, “Are we doing the right thing? We were about to take ourselves and our 14-month-old daughter away from her grandparents and family, and we're going to move, literally, around the world. Are we sure this is the right thing?” And I think I recall her, she just looked over and said, like, “Tim, I believe in you. I believe in us. And I believe that we will survive, no matter what.” And I think, at the end of the day, like, that was such a great thing she could say at the right time.
The role I was taking was a stretch role. I was luckily pushed into this role by some mentors for growth. And there are some nerves about that. But to be given, basically, the opportunity to fail and permission to fail from my partner was just an incredible gift. And it's something I will always remember.
[27:30] Maya: That's phenomenal, that's a phenomenal person to have a partner. And we talk a lot, even at Rice, part of the curriculum is you got to learn how to fail because that's when you have the most growth, you know. And to have that support, that's one of the things that, you know, has stuck with me about Rice, is that you've got to learn how to, how to fail, and then how to get back up and how to try again. And it seems so simple, but people have such fear of doing that. When you're an adult and you're, you know, you're married and you have children that are depending on you…
[28:03] Tim: A mortgage.
[28:04] Maya: Mortgage, right. You've got bills to pay. You're like a grownup. You don't feel like one, but you still are. And, you know, you've got all these responsibilities.
[28:12] Tim: Adulting is hard.
[28:14] Maya: Adulting. Yes, adulting is hard, but, you know, that's what we try to teach our own children is you've got to learn how to fail. And then, we can't lose sight of that as adults as well, because that's how you keep growing and keep pushing yourself. And you got to live by the words that you preach. So, that's incredible that you have, you have that opportunity to take on stretch roles. And also, just going to Rice was, you know, kind of, a stretch role, I think, for anybody.
[28:39] Tim: Sure!
[28:39] Maya: To take that step and decide, “You know what? I'm going to do this. I have no idea if I'm going to succeed or if I'm going to fail, but it's worth a try.” And I think that that's really what is unique and sets us, Rice Owls, apart from the rest of the flock. It's obvious. We're a different, we're a different breed of bird. It's one of the best decisions, I think you'll agree. It's one of the best decisions that anybody can make.
[29:08] Tim: Yeah, absolutely. I don't regret it for a minute. To just bring in the other members of the core family, just real fast. I've got two amazing children, a 12-year-old daughter and a nine-year-old son, and they're just amazing little humans that I'm always surprised at their resilience every day. Our son is starting to play cricket. I mean, he's asking help for cricket and I have no idea what to do.
They're involved in their own activities. And, you know, we're trying to give them space to grow in the interests that really are attracted to them. And they're finding their way. And we're trying to support them every way we can.
[29:42] Maya: Do you guys come to Houston at all?
[29:45] Tim: We do. We try and make it back at least once a year. I mean, if we don't make it back once a year, we definitely get in trouble with our family.
[29:52] Maya: You should definitely come by Rice, which I'm sure is on the agenda, along with your kids. And who knows? They have an undergraduate business program now, too.
[29:59] Tim: I know. I know.
[29:59] Maya: So, maybe, one of your kids would love to come and be a Rice Owl as well, because it's really incredible growth. And you have to come see it when you're in town.
[30:08] Tim: Yeah, it's very exciting. I think you could really see from the ambition that Rice has the confidence that the university has in Rice Business as well. And I think that what makes it special is, you know, the graduates, the alumni, the students, Dean Rodriguez, his staff, the faculty.
What I've come to find out with my term in the alumni association is that it's not just the dean's office. You know, I think it certainly is. And that's where the direction comes from and the inspiration. But there's so many members of the staff that work at Rice Business that help propel the school forward day to day. And, you know, I think, year in and year out, they are there as the, kind of, the constants, if you will, to help drive things forward. And I think, sometimes, we don't give enough credit and thanks and recognition to the staff that works for Rice Business.
[31:04] Maya: Absolutely. And to people like you who volunteer their time to continue that engagement and to give back, because that's also one of the things that makes Rice Business so unique and special is alumni like you, and the ones that I get to talk to and to interview, because that's really the heart and soul of the school.
[31:24] Tim: Absolutely.
[31:25] Maya: So, a couple of last questions. What's one piece of advice that you would give your younger self?
[31:33] Tim: I think I would give myself the advice that we’re talking about earlier, that it's okay to try things and fail. Like, fail fast, learn, innovate. Like, it's okay. I think, kind of, growing up, however I did, you know, I think there was always this mystique around failure. And so, you know, failure is not a bad thing, as long as you learn from it and develop. So, I think I would have told myself that a bit earlier, yeah.
[31:58] Maya: That it's okay to fail and fail, but fail fast.
[32:00] Tim: Yeah.
[32:01] Maya: And then, what's one thing that Owl Have You Know, Tim Okabayashi… because now I'm going to ask everybody that.
[32:13] Tim: Yeah. Owl Have You Know that, while I've been in Cambridge, I started to row with a rowing team, like, a crew team. I was pulled in by a coworker. They have a river here in Cambridge, the Cam River. There are boat clubs all up and down the river, and they have social teams for adults, as well as the students. And I, and I started to learn how to row and be a cox for a crew team. And it was a really enjoyable experience. Probably, one of the more difficult things I've ever had to do, of being in charge of an eight-person boat, rowing down the river, and maybe even more difficult than being in some of the courses at Rice.
[32:51] Maya: Okay. Well, it has been a pleasure to talk with you. And again, need to thank you for the brainchild that you came up with, Owl Have You Know. Grateful for an opportunity to talk with you and to share the stories of alumni and faculty and staff and to really showcase Rice Business, one story at a time.
[33:11] Tim: Well, thank you, Maya. And thank you for continuing on the part of being the host. You, Scott, David, and Christine have done an amazing job being the voice of Owl Have You Know. And we couldn't do this without you. So, thank you very much.
[33:26] Outro: Thanks for listening. This has been Owl Have You Know, a production of Rice Business. You can find more information about our guests, hosts, and announcements on our website, business.rice.edu. Please, subscribe and leave a rating wherever you find your favorite podcasts. We'd love to hear what you think. The hosts of Owl Have You Know are myself, Maya Pomroy, and Scott Gale.