When Jodie Doyle ’93 came to UD in 1989, he dreamed of becoming the next great sports broadcaster, just like fellow Flyer Dan Patrick ’79. He declared a broadcast journalism major and took every opportunity to learn about journalism he could. He took every media class offered and joined the Flyer News staff, becoming its’ managing editor.
“Dayton has been the foundation for me. I know it is a special place [and] that not every place is like that, so I am forever grateful to the University,” he said.
But his journalism dream didn’t quite work out. After a few years of writing obituaries at a newspaper, he entered the realm of business and entrepreneurship, eventually co-founding the energy drink brand iba. He’s seen much success with iba and even though he wasn’t a business major, he recognizes how UD helped shape his career.
“It wasn't only about book learning but about doing things in the community," he said.
That's why this spring Doyle welcomed the opportunity to speak to students in business professor Lissa Cupp’s Social Media Marketing and New Product Development classes. And in the audience, he saw at least one friendly face, his daughter, Megan Doyle ’25.
Cupp said having Doyle come in was an engaging opportunity for students to see applications of what they learned and how their education at UD can facilitate their success.
“Forget the textbooks, this was the real deal and the students loved it,” Cupp said.
Doyle spoke about the process of how he and his business partner, Flavia Baggio Greenwood, formed iba. They wanted to create a healthy energy drink that lacked any artificial ingredients but still tastes great. The duo created a proprietary Brazilian “super blend,” that includes green coffee beans, acerola cherry, guarana and copaiba, which is the key ingredient that gives iba its namesake. Doyle said the blend gives iba drinkers not only the energy they can get from 150MG of clean caffeine in every can, but additional functional benefits such as mental acuity and immunity support.
“What he described in the presentation really made my classmates’ ears perk up,” said Gillian Leone, a senior marketing major.
He also brought samples of iba, of course.
“When we are able to get in front of college students, the questions they have are things we either didn’t think about or we thought about, but didn’t think was that important,” he said. “To get feedback from one of our target demographics is so important.”
Cupp said she was glad Doyle emphasized how UD helped build his knowledge and network, which resonated with students.
“They took away that you’re a Flyer forever — leverage that network, and that we support one another as your careers evolve,” she said.
And while he didn’t turn out to be the next Dan Patrick, he did walk away with a community he can always come back to.
"Dayton talks about community all the time. But it's real. It's a real thing.”