Ep. 78 - Shannon Vander Muelen: Students Don’t Hate Waiting They Hate Uncertainty

About this episode

Shannon Vander Meulen discusses how WaitWell transforms student access to campus services by addressing the pain points of waiting and uncertainty.

Jeff Dillon sits down with Shannon Vander Meulen, Co-Founder and CMO of WaitWell, a tech platform transforming how students access campus services—from advising to financial aid. A former public service office manager turned tech founder, Shannon brings a rare blend of frontline operational experience and educator empathy to the problem of waiting. She shares how her decade running a busy registry office revealed that what people truly want isn’t popcorn or music—it’s competence, clarity, and their time back. Shannon unpacks how WaitWell eliminates physical lines, empowers staff with AI-driven insights, and gives students the digital-first experience they now expect. From onboarding without tech fatigue to launching their new AI agent “Waillo,” this conversation is a useful guide to building solutions that solve real problems—not just deploying tech for tech’s sake. Whether you’re in student affairs, IT, or service operations, you’ll walk away with actionable ideas for making service interactions faster, fairer, and more human. Key Takeaways Waiting Is a Universal Pain Point – Long lines aren’t just inefficient—they create stress for both visitors and staff. Modern students…

People in this episode

Host: Jeff Dillon

Guest: Shannon Vander Meulen

Topics covered

• student services
• technology in education
• waiting experience
• AI in operations
• digital convenience

Keywords

• waiting
• student affairs
• AI-driven insights
• digital-first experience
• service interactions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: WaitWell

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