Penn State Brandywine hosts 'Dare to Disrupt' live with Jerry Parsons

MEDIA, Pa. - In a special live recording of Invent Penn State's "Dare to Disrupt" podcast, presented by Brandywine LaunchBox powered by Penn State, host Ryan Newman interviewed CTDI founder and chairman Jerry Parsons.

In the episode, Parsons shares how he and his family launched CTDI as a garage-based startup and scaled it into a global leader in the communications, mobility, and consumer devices service industries.

The conversation between Parsons and Newman explores the early days of building CTDI, key moments of disruption and growth, and Parson's insights on leadership, innovation and building a family-run business that thrives on the global stage.

"If you're going to get into new innovation and entrepreneurship, know that it's not magical. You have to have a good idea, and you have to work hard," Parsons said during the podcast interview.

Parsons earned his associate degree in electrical engineering technology from Penn State Brandywine, and his bachelor's in electrical engineering from Penn State Harrisburg.

At the end of the recording, in-person attendees had the chance to ask Parsons their own questions during a live audience Q&A session.

Hear these answers and more on the latest episode of "Dare to Disrupt." Students interested in being featured on the show can apply or be nominated.

About "Dare to Disrupt"

"Dare to Disrupt" is a podcast from Invent Penn State about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders, and the stories behind their success. The podcast is hosted by alumnus Ryan Newman, a graduate of the Smeal College of Business and a Schreyer Scholar alumnus who is now a managing director at Goldman Sachs.

Past episodes include interviews with Garry Gilliam, David Rusenko and Jess Weiner. New episodes are released monthly. Subscribe on YouTube Music, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Invent Penn State is a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success.

The "Dare to Disrupt" podcast is made possible by the support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.