John Weldon

Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business

“From ships to startups: venture investor focused on the future of energy, industry and community.”

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Fun fact about yourself: I love to dance. I first got involved in the Latin dancing community and eventually expanded into many different styles. Three years ago, I began learning Dabke. Since then, I’ve performed at multiple major community events in Houston that bring together people from across the Middle East and around the world. Dancing has become a meaningful way for me to connect with diverse cultures and build community, while sharing a bit of joy everywhere I go.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Baylor University, Master of Science in Information Systems and Master of Business Administration; Texas A&M University, Bachelor of Science in Maritime Administration

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? ExxonMobil, product owner – Trading Americas

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? SLB, Houston, Texas

Where will you be working after graduation? GOOSE Capital, Venture Associate

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Finance Chair, Rice Business Student Association
• Team Navy Lead, Veterans Business Battle E-Lab: Lead a team evaluating early-stage and growth ventures for debt and equity investments at the largest veteran business plan competition in the country.
• Business Communication Fellow, Rice University: Hand-selected to assist in teaching first-year MBA students for the Strategic Business Communication course.
• Volunteer, USA Climbing 2026 Para Climbing National Championships

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? The achievement I’m most proud of in business school is serving as the Team Navy lead for the Veterans Business Battle, the largest veteran business plan competition in the country. I led our team in evaluating 106 veteran-owned businesses. The Veterans Business Battle connects veteran entrepreneurs with capital, mentorship and resources. Since inception, more than $10 million in investment offers have been extended to finalists. I come from a family with a long history of military service. Having served in the U.S. Navy Reserve and having worked with Military Sealift Command, this role felt especially personal. Supporting veteran founders is my way of giving back to a community that has shaped me and sacrificed so much for others. Being able to uplift veterans on their entrepreneurial journeys has been an honor and one of the most fulfilling experiences of my MBA.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? The achievement I’m most proud of in my professional career is my four years as a business plan advisor and executive volunteer with the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) while working at ExxonMobil. PEP brings together executives and incarcerated individuals through entrepreneurship and servant leadership to transform lives, restore families, and strengthen communities. It equips participants with the business skills and character development necessary to build a new future — and surrounds them with the support they need after release.

During my time with the program, I worked closely with more than 50 participants, meeting one-on-one to discuss their business ideas and providing detailed feedback on every section of their business plans. The journey culminated in a business plan competition, where participants presented concepts they had spent months refining. Watching their confidence grow, and their visions sharpen, was extraordinary.

But the moments that stayed with me most were the human ones. I witnessed families reunite on pitch day — some seeing their loved ones for the first time since incarceration. The emotion in those rooms was profound; you could see pride, hope and the belief that a new chapter was truly possible. After each class, I received handwritten letters from the men I supported, who shared how the program had changed their self-perception and future ambitions. Those letters remain some of the most meaningful reminders of the impact we can have when we lead with compassion and invest in others.

Supporting PEP wasn’t just volunteer work, it reshaped my understanding of leadership, purpose and second chances. It profoundly influenced who I am today.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Rice Business for its unparalleled commitment to entrepreneurship. For me, entrepreneurship represents the intersection of every business discipline — finance, strategy, operations, leadership — working together to create solutions that meaningfully shape the future. I wanted a school that didn’t just teach entrepreneurship but lived it. Rice delivered exactly that.

Rice Business’ ecosystem is built around founder-focused learning. Coursework led by experienced venture capitalists and seasoned founders provided not only technical knowledge but honest, practical insight into what it takes to build and fund a company. The Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Rice’s integral role in developing the Ion (in Houston’s Innovation District) creates a dynamic environment where students can collaborate with startups, investors, corporate innovators and researchers — all within a single, accessible community.

That ecosystem fundamentally changed my career trajectory. Through the Rice Venture Capital E-Lab, I was matched with GOOSE Capital, which directly led to my current role as a venture associate. I’ve also built strong relationships with founders across Houston’s startup scene, opening potential opportunities to join a startup and contribute to its growth journey.

Choosing Rice Business meant choosing a place that invests deeply in aspiring entrepreneurs — and that investment has already transformed my path.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite MBA professor was Professor Alan Crane, Ph.D., who teaches Core Finance at Rice Business. His depth of knowledge is matched only by his enthusiasm for the subject. He consistently went beyond the syllabus — welcoming conversations about advanced concepts, real-world applications across emerging technologies, and even the implications of his own research. No question ever felt too basic or too complex; he treated curiosity as something to be nurtured.

What truly set him apart was his energy in the classroom. Professor Crane brought finance to life, often in unforgettable ways. In one session, while explaining volatility, he began pacing back and forth at increasing speed before breaking into a kind of spontaneous “volatility dance.” It was hilarious, memorable and, most importantly, effective — everyone remembered the concept perfectly when exam time came.

Professor Crane made finance both accessible and exciting, and his passion elevated the entire learning experience.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite MBA course was Financing the Startup Venture, an elective that brought together founders and venture capital partners from leading firms to teach the realities of building and funding early-stage companies. Each class focused on a core piece of the startup-financing journey — term sheets, valuation, cap tables, negotiation dynamics, and the strategic choices founders face at each stage. What made the course exceptional was the steady stream of guest speakers who shared candid stories from both sides of the table: their founder journeys, toughest decisions, and lessons they learned supporting entrepreneurs as investors.

This course fundamentally shifted how I understood the venture ecosystem. It gave me a clear roadmap for how businesses are built, financed, scaled and, equally important, the common pitfalls to avoid. It’s the class that sparked my confidence to pursue entrepreneurship and clarified what it truly takes to bring an idea into the world.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? If I could change one thing about my MBA experience, I would start building a business from day one. Entrepreneurship is the ultimate way to apply both existing experience and newly-gained insights to create meaningful impact for an industry, a community or even just one customer segment. Rice offers an incredibly supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem, filled with classmates, faculty, mentors, and alumni who are eager to advise and open doors. Whether the venture becomes a breakout success or simply an invaluable learning journey, Rice is one of the best environments to take that leap. I wish I had begun that exploration earlier.

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? The most impactful case I encountered was centered on Disney’s international expansion, particularly its move into France. It stood out because it revealed the complex intersection of global corporate strategy, local business ecosystems, and deeply rooted cultural values. The biggest lesson I learned was that successful global expansion requires far more than exporting a proven model, it requires genuine adaptation. Companies must balance global brand consistency with local cultural customization, form strategic partnerships to reduce risk, and understand what communities need to feel respected and included. Ultimately, the case reinforced that a company’s brand is its most valuable asset, and protecting it means honoring the people and cultures it hopes to serve.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Houston is a city that never stops surprising you. What I loved most was its extraordinary diversity of people, cultures, and industries. On any weekend that school or work eased up, I could step into an entirely new world: celebrating at the Greek Festival, watching lion dances at Lunar New Year, or exploring incredible restaurants across neighborhoods like Chinatown.

Beyond the cultural richness, Houston offered unparalleled access to industry. Whether I wanted to understand healthcare innovation, energy transitions, or global trade, there was always a talk, panel, or networking event hosted by one of the city’s many professional and international chambers of commerce. Organizations like the Australian American Chamber of Commerce and the French American Chamber of Commerce opened doors to global perspectives right in our backyard.

Houston offered both endless inspiration and real-world immersion, an ideal complement to business school.

What business leader do you admire most? Warren Buffett is a leader I admire most, because his six decades at Berkshire Hathaway created one of the greatest records of long‑term value in business history, with returns compounding at nearly 20% annually. Beyond performance, he leads with humility, transparency, and disciplined decision‑making — qualities reflected in his plainspoken shareholder letters and lifelong commitment to learning and integrity. His thoughtful succession planning and focus on building institutions that endure make him a model of principled, long‑term leadership.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Rice Business has integrated AI thoughtfully across courses and lectures, even offering classes specifically focused on emerging AI applications. The example that had the greatest impact on me was New Enterprises, where AI became a core part of the entrepreneurial toolkit. Throughout the course, we used AI to validate new venture ideas, clarify team dynamics, build execution roadmaps, and identify target customers, enhancing every stage of the startup development process.

From this experience, I gained a deeper appreciation for AI as more than just a productivity tool. I learned to view AI as a flexible partner, sometimes acting as a brainstorming collaborator, other times as an analyst, advisor, or mentor, depending on what the moment required. When used intentionally, AI meaningfully improves efficiency, sharpens strategic thinking and elevates the quality of the final product. It showed me how powerful AI can be in accelerating innovation and supporting better decision‑making in both entrepreneurial and corporate settings.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? The MBA classmate I admire most is John McClure Jr. He is one of the most intellectually impressive and genuinely inclusive leaders I’ve met. A former neuroscience researcher with a Ph.D. in Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience from Rutgers University, John brings analytical depth and cross‑functional thinking to every discussion. Through his many leadership roles, he consistently pushes our community forward with thoughtfulness and purpose.

What stands out most is his character. John is kind, approachable and deeply supportive of his peers. He meaningfully enriches classroom conversations with his insights, yet he’s equally committed to engaging with classmates outside of class, offering encouragement and connection to everyone in the program. His combination of brilliance, humility and service‑oriented leadership sets an example I truly admire.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? The top two items on my professional bucket list center on creating meaningful change. First, I want to help build a business that delivers lasting impact — one that strengthens industries and communities and continues to create value long after it launches. Second, I aspire to invest in startups shaping the future, whether in clean energy, healthcare, global supply chains, or any sector where innovation can drive real societal progress. I want to play a role in identifying and supporting the founders whose ideas will move the world forward.

What made John such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“I’ve taught well over a thousand students over the years in the MBA core finance course. Many of them are excellent, but only a handful leave a lasting impression. John Weldon is one of those students. What stands out about John is his curiosity. He consistently pushes discussions beyond the surface, asking thoughtful questions about why ideas work, how they apply in practice, and what their broader implications might be. His engagement raises the level of the conversation and makes the classroom better for everyone.

John is also an outstanding member of the community. He is consistently respectful in how he engages with classmates and faculty, is generous with his time in team settings and is someone his peers naturally turn to when working through a problem. Through both his leadership as finance chair of the Rice Business Student Association and in classroom discussions, John combines curiosity, humility and a collaborative spirit. Those qualities make John the kind of student professors hope to have in their classrooms and one I expect will make a meaningful impact wherever his career takes him.”

Alan D. Crane, PhD
Associate Professor of Finance
Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2026

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