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27 Jan 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: Tech Trek Helps Students Network at Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and More |
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Before the start of Mod III in January, the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management’s Career Management Center (CMC) plans a Tech Trek to the West Coast to introduce students to some of the biggest companies in tech before recruiting heats up in the spring. This year, students and staff visited 12 different companies in San Francisco: Uber, OneMedical, Talkable, Salesforce, Airbnb, Google, HP Inc., Facebook, Ople.ai, Workday, Genentech, and LinkedIn. Below, three MBAs explain why they chose to attend the Tech Trek this year and how they found the experience valuable. Stephanie Jones (MBA’21)  Students visited LinkedIn on the last Day of the Tech Trek While boarding the bus the first day of the Tech Trek, I didn’t know what to expect. One thing I did know, however, is that I was excited. We had a full three days ahead of us of visiting technology companies of all shapes and sizes, and a lot of new opportunities to experience. The sheer scope of the companies we were lucky enough to visit was unbelievably impressive. Every single industry uses these companies in some way, and to see that applied at their headquarters was really impactful. They touch every single one of our everyday lives, whether it’s medically, through social media, as a startup, as a form of transportation, or from an HR perspective. Alumni spoke to us at LinkedIn, One Medical, Uber and pretty much every other stop along the Tech Trek. Getting to experience the full spectrum of life in tech was extremely helpful, as we were able to visit smaller offices such as Talkable and Ople.ai, as well as large campuses like Facebook, Google and Workday. Seeing the impressive architecture of everyone’s headquarters was definitely a highlight of the trip. Airbnb had rooms modeled after their most popular locations around the world. Salesforce took us up to their executive board room, which felt like an extension of a rainforest. Facebook showed us their campus, complete with restaurants and a private pop-up shop, which was designed by Disney engineers from Downtown Disney. Workday also showed us their ever-expanding campus, and Genentech gave us a tour of their LEED-certified central building and impressive fitness center. HP had a unique blend of history and technological advancement. We got to tour the original offices of both Hewlett and Packard, and then discovered some of the items HP had 3-D printed, such as a dirt bike and a prosthetic limb. We even had a West Coast version of everyone’s favorite Owen event – Closing Bell. Airbnb was gracious enough to host us at their headquarters in San Francisco, and it was a great opportunity to network with Owen alums on the West Coast, and a perfect way to kick off the trip. It truly was a tremendous experience to witness new technologies and the impact they have on so many people’s daily lives. —Stephanie Jones Aaj Solanki (MBA’21)  Students outside the Workday office I decided to attend the 2019 Tech Trek to see the scale of some of the world’s largest and most innovative companies firsthand. Not only did we have the opportunity to visit 11 exciting companies, but our alumni also took the time to set up panels and give in-depth accounts of their experiences in the Bay Area. Additionally, Dean Johnson joined us on the trek and provided valuable insights. It was invigorating to see his enthusiasm and passion for the tech industry. One of my favorite parts of the trek was visiting Facebook’s campus. It felt like we were in a small city surrounded by ice cream parlors, restaurants, and arcades. Our Owen alum at Facebook, Frank Lawrence, is the Director and Head of Global Operations. Frank set up a panel of his team members and we got to hear from the front line how Facebook is working to address some of their biggest challenges. It was exciting to see firsthand the impact that MBAs can have at firms as large as Facebook. Another highlight of the trip was getting to spend time with 35 of my classmates and learn from their experiences in tech. Each of our unique experiences and willingness to engage during visits allowed for a lively and insightful discussion. We also took advantage San Francisco’s food scene for dinner after our visits (my favorite was a family style Moroccan dinner we had at Mourad). All in all, I can say that the tech trek was a high value add that provided the opportunity to build relationships with our alumni. For students wanting to experience just how engaged our alumni are and the “personal scale” that the Owen pitches, I highly recommend attending the of the Tech Trek. —Aaj Solanki John Truscott (MBA’20)  Students also toured the Genentech campus I love how business school provides an opportunity to explore — to meet people from around the world and learn about new industries and companies. Info sessions, calls, and coffee chats all help with this, but there’s nothing quite like stepping foot inside the companies themselves. That’s why I was so excited about the Tech Trek and the opportunity to witness the culture and energy of 12 Bay Area tech companies firsthand. I plan on moving to the Bay Area after graduation, so the chance to meet with so many interesting companies was priceless…and a blast! Here are my favorite aspects for the Tech Trek: Broadening my perspective: It was fascinating to meet with 12 wildly diverse companies on the Trek. These ranged from large, established tech companies (Google, Salesforce, HP), to healthcare and biotech (One Medical, Genentech), to smaller startups (Talkable, Ople.ai). Seeing such diverse set of companies helps me understand the range of cultures and opportunities across tech. Expanding my network: The Tech Trek is a prime example of the strength of the Owen network. Alumni were more than willing to share their professional highlights and challenges and candidly answer questions. Closing Bell at Airbnb’s headquarters was a fun time to get to know even more alumni. Connecting with classmates: Breaking out of the day-to-day schedule at Owen was an excellent opportunity to meet Owen students whom I haven’t had classes with yet. Exploring the Bay Area: I love San Francisco! When I wasn’t visiting with companies, I made a point to meet up with old friends, check out new sights and restaurants, and just enjoy the city. The Tech Trek was a hugely valuable part of my Owen experience. Meeting with new companies and building new relationships will be a key part of my professional journey moving forward! —John Truscott The post Tech Trek Helps Students Network at Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and More appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
28 Jan 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: The Affinity Pass Opens Doors to Diverse Student Clubs |
 Vanderbilt Business has over a dozen affinity clubs, representing the diversity in the student population. Vanderbilt Business School has over 35 student organizations that represent various interests, cultures, and identities across the diverse student body. With separate membership fees for each club, the costs quickly added up — and many past students ended up prioritizing other clubs over the affinity groups, which cost around $25 to join. That’s why the Affinity Pass was created. The pass lets students pay a one-time membership fee of $60 to become a member of more than a dozen affinity clubs for an entire year. “For the school as a whole, I think it’s an attempt to recognize that there are alternate solutions to a problem. It shows how some of the clubs decided… to help the other clubs. I think it shows more about our classmates trusting each other and recognizing that it’s for a bigger cause,” said Brittany Hunter (MBA’20), Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion for the Owen Student Government Association. The Story Behind the Pass April Hughes (MBA’19), the former VP of Diversity & Inclusion, founded the Affinity Pass last year because she noticed that the affinity student organizations weren’t getting the same kind of membership as other clubs. Clubs at Vanderbilt Business School fall into three main groups: professional (i.e. Owen Finance Club, Owen Marketing Association), activity and leisure (i.e. Owen Culinary Society, Owen Golf Club), and affinity (i.e. Owen Black Students’ Association, Owen’s Women’s Business Association). Hunter says that both costs and confusion acted as barriers to entry for the affinity clubs. “I think a lot of students come in and they want to join social clubs, and then you don’t have a whole lot of money to join the affinity clubs. But more than that… they’re not even sure that they can join these clubs because they don’t really know what it means to be a part of the affinity club and what role (the clubs) play,” she said. This limited membership had ripple effects: The student organizations with fewer members had less funds and therefore couldn’t host the same kind of programming as the organizations with a larger membership. The Affinity Pass allows all the organizations to share the funds from the membership fees and host events equally. “It supported a lot of programming (some clubs) wouldn’t have been able to have done otherwise,” Hunter said. Benefits of the Pass The Affinity Pass encourages collaboration among the organizations. Since membership implies that the student is part of all affinity organizations, the organizations are catering to the same group of people instead of competing for members. “(Clubs can) be more collaborative and a little bit more resourceful with their funds and think about how they can plan out the programming so the following year (students) will want to pay the $60 again,” Hunter said. In addition, the pass opens the door for students to understand various cultures and identities through student programming. This experience is important in the increasingly global business world, because it helps students realize how diverse people are outside of their own culture and identity. “You don’t really think about Asians, Hispanics, blacks (and) the changes their cultures are going through. And so I think (the pass) is making us better leaders to think about how we perceive diversity and inclusion in a diverse population,” Hunter said. The post The Affinity Pass Opens Doors to Diverse Student Clubs appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
29 Jan 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: How I Got the Job: Senior Consultant, BCG |
 Katie Smigelski Katie Smigelski (MBA’20) originally looked at getting an MBA as a way to advance her marketing career. She believed her work at Walgreens in the area of supplier direct marketing for the company’s loyalty team would make her a good fit for a brand management role. However, a manager who had previously worked in the consulting field encouraged Smigelski to consider that career path as well. The more Smigelski looked into it, the more excited she became about starting a career in consulting. “I realized I wanted to start off in consulting and get that wider exposure to skill sets and industries,” she said. She applied to and interviewed at multiple consulting firms, ultimately landing an internship offer at BCG. After a fulfilling summer based out of their Atlanta office, she received and accepted a full-time offer to become a Senior Consultant. Smigelski says she really looks forward to getting to know more of her teammates. “So far, everyone I’ve worked with I really liked, not only on my team but I also loved meeting the whole intern class. I think it will be fun to be able to have a few more Fridays to be in the Atlanta office to meet more people and get a better sense of the firm overall,” she said. Click through the timeline below to find out how Smigelski landed her offer. The post How I Got the Job: Senior Consultant, BCG appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
31 Jan 2020, 15:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: How I Got the Job: Consultant, BCG |
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Katie Smigelski Katie Smigelski (MBA’20) originally looked at getting an MBA as a way to advance her marketing career. She believed her work at Walgreens in the area of supplier direct marketing for the company’s loyalty team would make her a good fit for a brand management role. However, a manager who had previously worked in the consulting field encouraged Smigelski to consider that career path as well. The more Smigelski looked into it, the more excited she became about starting a career in consulting. “I realized I wanted to start off in consulting and get that wider exposure to skill sets and industries,” she said. She applied to and interviewed at multiple consulting firms, ultimately landing an internship offer at BCG. After a fulfilling summer based out of their Atlanta office, she received and accepted a full-time offer to become a Consultant. Smigelski says she really looks forward to getting to know more of her teammates. “So far, everyone I’ve worked with I really liked, not only on my team but I also loved meeting the whole intern class. I think it will be fun to be able to have a few more Fridays to be in the Atlanta office to meet more people and get a better sense of the firm overall,” she said. Click through the timeline below to find out how Smigelski landed her offer. The post How I Got the Job: Consultant, BCG appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
03 Feb 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: 5 Key Business Insights from the CEO of the Country Music Association (CMA) |
 Sarah Trahern (EMBA’04) Sarah Trahern (EMBA’04) is a major figure in Nashville and the music industry at large: the Vanderbilt Business alumnae used her prior experience at C-SPAN, The National Network (TNN), and Great American Country to become the CEO of the Country Music Association (CMA). Trahern came to speak at Vanderbilt last month as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS). A student-run initiative, DSS regularly invites prominent leaders in the business world to share lessons they learned during their careers. Past speakers include Daniel Fete, CFO of AT&T Communications, LLC, and Sam Samad, CFO of Illumina. Trahern’s talk was also co-hosted by the Women’s Business Association (WBA). All students, faculty, and staff at Vanderbilt are welcome to attend the talks. Trahern shared the story of how she started her career in television and politics before pivoting to Nashville and country music. Here are Trahern’s five pieces of advice for aspiring business leaders: 1. Know what skills you bring to the table. When Trahern worked for C-SPAN, she was a senior producer who managed a team of people who were older than her. It was challenging work, especially when two people didn’t get along with each other. She looked to her past as a residential advisor in college and applied what she learned to resolve conflicts at C-SPAN. Through that experience, she learned that each position she held gave her skills to succeed at her next job. “You’re always going to continue to evolve. Whatever job you’re doing now going into your second year (of the MBA program) may not be a job you’re in five years from now. It’s a very fluid marketplace today. But as long as you’re pivoting and learning along the way… (it’s) just the next chapter,” Trahern said. 2. It’s okay to leave your current place in order to grow. Trahern loved her job at C-SPAN but felt like she needed to move on to the next right thing in order to grow as a professional. “At a certain point, you often have to leave to grow, and that’s okay,” she explained. “The organization needs to have some sort of turnover time to be vital.” And leaving might not be the end of your journey at that company: Trahern recalled how one of the employees in the CMA sales chain left to do partnership sales for music artists, gained some additional skills, and then came back to the CMA for a higher-level position. 3. Take a chance and do something differently. While looking for opportunities outside of C-SPAN, Trahern realized that she wanted to move to Nashville. However, she kept getting rejected from jobs because she didn’t have any music industry experience on her résumé. When she heard that Vice President of TNN had changed, she knew she needed to try a new approach. “Rather than just (sending) my HR resume, which I still encourage people at our place to do, I wrote (him) directly, and I wrote him a killer cover letter,” Trahern said. The letter led to an interview and, consequently, a job, allowing Trahern to move to Nashville. “I do believe that it doesn’t hurt you to go through the system, (but) push the edges sometimes if you need to,” Trahern said. 4. Build relationships. All throughout her career, Trahern expanded her networks, which contributed to her success. For instance, while interviewing for the position of CEO at the CMA, Trahern knew eight of the 10 interviewers from her prior connections. Ultimately, she landed the job. “Relationships matter. And it’s an incredibly small world. So the person who’s your intern today may be at work here tomorrow,” Trahern said. 5. Follow your passion. Trahern says that she loves her current job and looks forward to going back to work after vacation. She advised attendees to pursue work they are similarly excited about. “Find something that you’re passionate about, because I believe your success follows,” Trahern said. “Even in the best jobs, there are days that suck. If you love what you do, it’s easier to get out of bed on those bad days. And it doesn’t feel like work on most of the good days.” The post 5 Key Business Insights from the CEO of the Country Music Association (CMA) appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
04 Feb 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: How I Got the Job: Investment Analyst, UBS |
 Jasmin Johnson Jasmin Johnson (MSF’20) was interested in pre-med until she had her first exposure to finance in a class during her senior year at Fisk University. “What I really liked was that finance combines both a technical and more quantitative aspect with relationships. And so I thought that it was a perfect balance of my interest in analysis and my interest in working with people,” Johnson said. After deciding that she wanted to pursue a finance career, Johnson applied for the MSF program to develop the fundamentals in finance. As soon as she was accepted at Vanderbilt Business School, she started networking with connections in the investment banking sphere. She also started the recruitment process early, and the Career Management Center helped her prepare for her summer interviews. Towards the end of August, Johnson received a call from a United Bank of Switzerland (UBS) recruiter. While she hadn’t directly applied to UBS, they had her name on file because she’d completed a recruitment program with UBS during her sophomore year of college. “It was so crazy, because I hadn’t intentionally recruited (there). Someone reached out to me,” she said. The call ultimately led to interviews and an offer to become an investment banking analyst at UBS. Click through Johnson’s timeline below to find out how she landed the offer. The post How I Got the Job: Investment Analyst, UBS appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
05 Feb 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: How I Got the Job: Leadership Development Rotation Program, Medtronic |
 Dylan Kirkwood Dylan Kirkwood (MBA’20) began career in the clinical side of healthcare. The Auburn graduate started as a registered nurse at the University of Alabama Birmingham hospital before moving to Nashville to continue his work as a nurse. While in Nashville, he started applying to schools to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) — then realized what he really wanted was a career change. “I didn’t really want to do it (go to CNRA school). I realized I didn’t really enjoy the idea of anesthesia. I like working with people and networking,” he said. “I was at a crossroads, and I think I literally saw Vanderbilt’s billboard or something at the airport… I was like, ‘Hey, I could use my nursing background to branch out in healthcare.’” He began researching business schools and studying for the GRE while still working night shifts at the hospital. While he considered other programs, Vanderbilt Business was his top choice, given its Nashville location and strong healthcare background. “I actually only applied to Owen,” he recalled. Once school started, Kirkwood focused his recruiting energies on the healthcare industry, targeting medical devices companies in particular. His hard work paid off with a summer internship and ultimately a full-time offer from Medtronic. He’ll be entering their Leadership Development Rotation Program after graduation. “They take really, really good care of their employees. It’s easy to say that in the info session stuff, but I actually saw it this summer… I knew it was the right fit, so I’m really excited to go to a place that I know will support me,” he said. Click through the timeline below to find out how Kirkwood landed his offer. The post How I Got the Job: Leadership Development Rotation Program, Medtronic appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
06 Feb 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: Owen Board Fellows Program Launches |
 Owen Board Fellows 2020 100% Owen, the community service and philanthropy-focused club at Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management, launched the Owen Board Fellows program this January. The program pairs full-time MBA students to serve on the boards of local nonprofits in and around Nashville. This experience will give students the opportunity to engage meaningfully with the community and strengthen their leadership skills. TheTurner Family Center for Social Ventures (TFC) and 100% Owen are reinvigorating the Board Fellows program model to fully embed and sustain the opportunity for MBA students to develop as community leaders. Serving on a nonprofit board is an eventual goal for many MBA candidates, which is why the program has participants serve as non-voting board members for their designated nonprofit organization for a calendar year that spans their first and second years in the MBA program. The program equips selected student Fellows for nonprofit board leadership in their careers and supports partner nonprofit organizations in Middle Tennessee to advance social impact and mission-driven work in the Nashville community. “As business leaders, we often put on a different hat when we advise nonprofits or give donations. The Board Fellows Program exists to ensure we are integrating our roles and thinking as business leaders and community leaders — that our students leverage their strategic thinking and skillsets to maximize their contribution to society,” said Mario Avila (MBA’12), Director of the TFC. The program is envisioned and led by both student leadership and staff at the Turner Family Center for Social Ventures. Students and TFC staff select and engage both local nonprofits and student Fellows — looking for high levels of engagement and motivation from each — to create individual pairings that match students with the nonprofits. “We are thrilled to partner with nonprofit and community leaders committed to providing learning experiences for our Owen students,” said Kathleen Fuchs Hritz, Assistant Director of the TFC and 100% Owen advisor. “Having engaged business students as board members and volunteers in my Nashville nonprofit work, I can speak firsthand to the value of the learning and contributions of students in these community leadership roles. I’m grateful to our partners for their deep interest in cultivating our students’ development.” Students will attend all board meetings for their designated nonprofits, including potentially serving on a board committee. They will also support and attend any special events organized by the board. In addition, they will work with nonprofit CEOs, executive directors, and their board chairs to identify a specific and strategic project to address that will leverage their MBA skillsets. Students will also receive training to help them prepare for their role on the board. Prior to beginning their service term, students will attend a training on nonprofit board governance. They will also attend additional learning sessions on specific topics throughout the course of the program. “Not only does it give them a chance to give back to our Nashville community in a more impactful, long-term way than one-off volunteer events or fundraising, but it also allows them to build skills as community leaders,” said 100% Owen President Mallory Hall (MBA’20). “This is such a great chance for Owen students to learn what it means to be a great nonprofit board member so that they’re prepared to take on – and thrive in – that role after graduation.” “I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet nonprofit leaders and board members in the Nashville community — many of whom are Owen alumni,” added Kaitlyn Wilson (MBA ’21), 100% Owen Vice President of Board Fellows. “In addition, the exposure I’ve received through Owen Board Fellows has helped me learn about different ways to get involved in the community after my MBA.” Fellows will commit approximately 5-10 hours a month to the program, which is roughly the same amount of time as a full board member (dependent upon the organization). The first cohort of first-year MBAs was named in January 2020, and they will participate in the program through March 2021. “I’m looking forward to seeing this program grow and continually change to fit the needs of our partner organizations as each new class of Board Fellows takes on their roles,” Hall said. The post Owen Board Fellows Program Launches appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
10 Feb 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: Pharmacist Goes Start-Up with the Help of Vanderbilt’s MMHC Program |
 Jerry Buller After working as the Director of Pharmacy for a couple different organizations, Jerry Buller (MMHC’16) started a specialty pharmacy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2011. Newer specialty drugs enable patients to receive treatments such as chemotherapy in the comfort of their own homes but require a high-touch clinical service and infrastructure that can be cost prohibitive for traditional pharmacies. “That’s where a specialty pharmacy comes in,” Buller said. “Specialty pharmacies started to appear in the 1980s with newer IV therapies and the advent of home infusion. However, in the late 1990s, the development of newer biologic therapies and oral cancer agents propelled this business into a new dimension.” When he initially joined VUMC, Buller describes his background as a pharmacist who knew a little bit about business. “I knew what a good specialty pharmacy looked like, but building one from scratch is hard,” he said. “We launched our specialty pharmacy with initial success. However, we knew to get to the next level, we needed help.” At the time, the health system CEO engaged consultants to help the pharmacy with infrastructure and governance. The consultants opened Buller’s eyes to a new mindset of how to build a business. Their expertise, especially their knowledge of operations, inspired Buller to enroll in Vanderbilt’s Master of Management in Health Care (MMHC). “When I heard about the MMHC, I saw that the course work was pretty much what these guys from the consulting firms had in their back pocket,” he said. “I thought man, these guys are sharp. I really wanted to learn more and approach problems like they did.” While pursuing his MMHC, Buller took the torch from the consultants and grew Vanderbilt’s specialty pharmacy three-fold after he graduated. For him, the greatest benefit of the program was learning to create efficient operations. “We had six people working in our call center, the heart of our operations, when I started,” Buller said. “While attending the MMHC program, we combined with an additional specialty pharmacy and were able to reduce the staff required by 33 percent — down to four people — and were realizing even better metrics. The tools I learned in the MMHC were revolutionary to me.” Having a revolutionary mindset has been pivotal to Buller in a field that is changing the pharmaceutical market. A few years after obtaining his MMHC, he joined the start-up company Trellis Rx, which helps health systems create specialty pharmacies, as the chief pharmacy officer. “Specialty drugs only make up about 3 percent of what’s prescribed, but by the year 2020, 50 percent of drug pharmaceuticals will be spent on specialty drugs,” Buller says. “Specialty pharmacies are a tremendous opportunity, but it’s hard for hospitals to fund, operationalize, and assume financial risk to develop them.” Trellis Rx takes on that risk, paying for the employees and infrastructure to get a specialty pharmacy going rapidly in exchange for a small percentage of revenue. The company aims to change the way patients experience specialty pharmacies and expects to have 20 partners by the end of 2020. Building a business in a growing market was a challenge Buller had been tackling since he began working with specialty pharmacies. But the MMHC coursework helped him to excel in a small, growing company as opposed to an academic medical center. “It’s a team effort, not a hierarchy, in a start-up,” Buller says. “We have to discuss and collaborate as a team, which is really different from the setting I was used to. I gained a tremendous amount of experience working in teams during the Vanderbilt MMHC. You also have to choose your brand and what you want to be good at. The MMHC taught me how to focus on your market and differentiate, which is so important to a start-up.” The post Pharmacist Goes Start-Up with the Help of Vanderbilt’s MMHC Program appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
11 Feb 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: The Vanderbilt Entrepreneurship Conference Soars to New Heights in 2020 |
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In the wake of a successful inaugural conference in late 2018, the Center for Entrepreneurship (C4E) sought to expand its reach and shine a brighter light on the startup and investment community in and around Vanderbilt. The center hit its mark and then some: attendance grew over 60%, and the day’s events were filled with founders and investors from the Nashville area and points beyond, representing every stage of the business lifecycle.  Colleen Flynn (MBA’20) “We wanted this to be equally an opportunity for Vanderbilt students to learn and engage, but also an opportunity to show off and showcase some of the thoughts and individuals working at Vanderbilt,” said Colleen Flynn (MBA’20), student lead for this year’s conference. “We had over 200 people show up over the course of the day,” added Michael Bryant, C4E Director. “We learned a lot from last year and ended up getting a lot of positive feedback.” The lineup of panelists and speakers exemplified the diversity of the entrepreneurial landscape at Vanderbilt and throughout Nashville, Tennessee, and the Southeast. Participants hailed from venture capital firms such as GrowthX and Touchdown VC; support organizations like LaunchTN and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center; and ventures of many stripes, including advisory services firm Ankura, healthcare analytics company Decode Health, and party-planning company Bach Nation. The conference alternated between panels, breaks, and speaker sessions, offering attendees opportunities to absorb, reflect, and network. Breaks featured food and drink from the culinary incubator Mesa Komal and Nashville-based PollyAnn’s Tea Cakes, an intentional reminder that the startup world consists of more than headline-grabbing unicorns and billion-dollar enterprises. “We’re considering entrepreneurship across the board,” explained Flynn, “not just scalable tech startups, because while that is something that Vanderbilt is working on, we also have individuals working on lifestyle companies and retail and other ventures. It pieces the two ends of the spectrum together.” The panels themselves offered content for attendees anywhere within that spectrum. The Investment & Growth Panel explored non-traditional avenues of growth and when to raise capital. The Young Professionals Panel focused on launching careers at startups and VC firms. Founders and investors charted the challenges of starting a business on the Founder’s Journey Panel. The day concluded with The Female Founders Panel, presented by Aspire to Her (an organization founded by Vanderbilt graduates), where female entrepreneurs shared their startup stories and perspectives.  Lane Abernathy (MBA’20) with C4E Director Michael Bryant (MBA’12) Lunch coincided with a pitch competition among student entrepreneurs, with $5,000 in prize money awarded to the top-2 finishers. Lane Abernathy (MBA’20) took home first place and $3,500 for ShoreSafe, an advanced power cable designed to reduce the risk of boat and marina fires. “The competition was really strong,” said Abernathy. “It’s inspiring to see the different ideas students are coming up with, in many cases incorporating what they’re studying at Vanderbilt.” For Flynn, balancing the interests of community members with the needs of the student body is key to the success of the conference. “We were trying to create a safe space for open questions and answers with the undergraduate student body,” she explained, “to get individuals to think more of the C4E, in addition to the Nashville Entrepreneurship Center and LaunchTN , as resources for students who want to get involved either in a startup, start their own company, or get involved in startup investing.” On the community side, speakers touched on the abundance of angel and early-stage investment. “Nashville is rich in angel investors,” said Chris Schellhorn, CEO of Confirmation (a company founded by Vanderbilt Business alum Brian Fox). “It’s a good place to start to find good seed capital to get your business off the ground.”  Mallory Whitfield maps the Southeast US startup scene Mallory Whitfield, author of the Southeast Startup report, echoed those sentiments in her talk, but noted that a lack of growth-stage investment has held the Southeast’s startup ecosystem back. “There’s so much amazing stuff happening in the region, and honestly, collaboration is the thing that would be so much more helpful to our region, at the city level, at the state level, and at the region level,” she said. “If we had more collaboration, we could have the funding rounds to keep those growing startups here. We want to keep people here in the south, because there’s amazing opportunities and so much great culture too.” Challenges aside, the spirit of collaboration was certainly alive at the conference, and the energy surrounding entrepreneurship in Nashville and Tennessee was a common theme throughout. “Tennessee is a great example of what is possible in the startup community,” Whitfield said. “There’s a blue ocean of opportunity in our backyard.” For Abernathy, the conference and pitch competition affirmed the value he’s found in the conference this year and last. “Being able to listen to these panels, and the perspective, experience, insight, and knowledge…it’s been priceless,” he said. “It gives me a clearer vision and helps me understand what I need to do to succeed. It’s been one of the best resources I’ve had as a student entrepreneur.” The post The Vanderbilt Entrepreneurship Conference Soars to New Heights in 2020 appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
12 Feb 2020, 10:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: In Their Own Words: Why 3 Non-Vanderbilt Students Chose Accelerator |
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Each summer, Vanderbilt Business hosts Accelerator®—Summer Business Immersion, a month-long program where students from diverse backgrounds and different universities come together to complete four consulting projects for real-life companies. While some students from Vanderbilt do stick around for the summer program, many travel to Nashville from different colleges to participate in Accelerator. Below, Mathew Saunders (University of Alabama – Huntsville, BS’2020), Taylor Cobb (University of Virginia, BS’2020), and Patrick Wheeler (Sewanee: The University of the South, BS’2019) share their thoughts on Accelerator. Why did you choose to apply to Accelerator? Saunders: “It was very appealing to my interests. (The email I got) was basically saying that if you’re looking to grow what you currently know… (Accelerator) will expose you to all these different areas. It looked like kind of a psych way to get into a new area (since) I’m an Aerospace undergrad.”  Taylor Cobb (BS’2020) Cobb: “One of my friends actually did it last year… And he said that he learned so many great things, especially working with a ton of people from different backgrounds… Back at my university, I’m stuck with a ton of business people. And I think it’s really good to gain experience or work with people that don’t necessarily have a business background, because I think people are trained to think a certain way. And just being able to work with someone (majoring in) psychology and classics has been really beneficial.” Wheeler: “I’m an Econ(omics) major, so I’m exposed to some business. But I really wanted to fine-tune some things, and I wasn’t quite sure how operations worked since I’ve never taken an operations class or a marketing class or anything consulting related. And I wanted to learn how to present to a lot of people. That was huge for me.” Why did you choose to come to Vanderbilt for this program?  Mathew Saunders (BS’2020) Saunders: “I just knew that Vanderbilt the name carries a lot of magnitude. Not that I’m doing something for the name, but because I knew that (meant the program) was well-structured. And I knew that I would be getting the best worth out of a summer program at a school like this.” Cobb: “I’m actually from Nashville… So I’ve known Vanderbilt for quite a long time… It was pretty honestly, convenience-wise, great. And then also kind of just being an amazing program. I was like, this works out perfectly.” Wheeler: “Vanderbilt is an incredible university (and) place to learn. Nashville is a super cool city. A lot of my friends are working here now. It’s really fun to go out.” How was your experience with this program? Saunders: “It’s been very fast-paced and very informative. So I’ve learned a ton… It’s kept me engaged. I haven’t at any point felt disconnected.” Cobb: “It has been one of the most invaluable experiences I’ve had. I’ve learned more in the past three weeks than I have in a semester at my business school back in Virginia. And I think it’s because there’s a lot of diversity here. And also, because once again, people are from different backgrounds and can bring in different perspectives.”  Patrick Wheeler (BS’2019) Wheeler: “It’s been great… I’ve never, never put in quite as many hours in one week… But I think it’s kind of what you need to do to get the full experience of consulting in actuality. I thought that was pretty good exposure for that. And then also the people here — I really wasn’t expecting such nice and loving people. (They’re also) very high-performance, high-work ethic, very motivated.” How do you think Accelerator will help you after you complete the program? Saunders: “It’s definitely exposed me to a whole new set of career interests. So I think that I will definitely go down a different career path because of the program.” Cobb: “Public speaking — the confidence that has given me being able to present in front of 100 people. I had really bad anxiety. I used to not even raise my hand in class to speak. And so going out and doing this every week has been life-changing. Especially when you have such a fast turnaround, and you have to learn or like different things and learn how to present on those things.” Wheeler: “I definitely know more all-encompassing… business functions in general. And I want to go into commercial real estate, and I remember in my internship last summer I wasn’t quite sure what some things were, like all the aspects of it… but now I’m really starting to get it.” The post In Their Own Words: Why 3 Non-Vanderbilt Students Chose Accelerator appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
17 Feb 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: How I Got the Job: Investment Analyst, Houlihan Lokey |
 Dominic Jiang Dominic Jiang (MSF’20) hadn’t thought about a career other than engineering during his first three years at Vanderbilt University, where he majored in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics. During the summer after his junior year, he interned as an equity research summer analyst at Thompson Research Group, LLC, and realized how much he enjoyed working in investment banking. “(Finance) is a career path that is very problem-solving oriented, which is within my skill set, and I love the fast-paced working environment,” Jiang said. After talking to Megan Nichols, the Associate Director of the Career Management Center, Jiang decided to pursue the MSF program at Vanderbilt Business. He began networking with Vanderbilt Business alumni in the finance industry to get advice on moving from engineering to finance. Although the two fields seemed vastly different, Jiang realized that he could leverage both sets of experiences to land a job in the oil and gas industry, so he narrowed his focus on connecting with people in that industry. Thanks to his extensive networking, he interviewed for and accepted a job as an investment banking (restructuring) analyst at Houlihan Lokey, a leading investment firm in the oil and gas sector. “It’s been something I wanted to do for awhile, so I’m pretty excited about that,” Jiang said. “But most importantly, I think I’m looking forward to the training and experience. Because of the oil price fluctuation, (there will be) a lot of restructuring work. So it’s gonna be pretty busy, but I’m looking forward to that to get a lot of transaction experience.” Click through Jiang’s timeline below to find out how he landed the offer. The post How I Got the Job: Investment Analyst, Houlihan Lokey appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
18 Feb 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: How I Got the Job: Associate Portfolio Manager, Dimensional Fund Advisors |
 Sunny Polida Sunny Polida (MBA’20) was originally working in public accounting as an assurance services senior associate at a local Nashville firm when he realized that he wanted to transition to mutual funds and asset management. “I was always interested in personal investing. And I thought the mutual fund industry was something where you can put your own influence on what other people end up investing in,” Polida said. He decided an MBA program would be the perfect transition from auditing to equity mutual funds. Even before starting the MBA program at Vanderbilt Business, Polida started networking with alumni, and his hard work ultimately paid off when he landed a summer internship at Fidelity Investments. During the internship, Polida realized that he wanted to do more equity trading, so he began looking at other jobs in mutual funds to find a better fit. After another round of applications and interviews his second year, Polida accepted the offer to become associate portfolio manager at Dimensional Fund Advisors. “I (look forward to) working with people that are academically focused, and also getting hands on experience in equity trading and the mutual fund industry,” he said. Click through Polida’s timeline below to find out how he landed the offer. The post How I Got the Job: Associate Portfolio Manager, Dimensional Fund Advisors appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
19 Feb 2020, 08:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: How Investment Banking Can Launch Your Finance Career |
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Graduates of Vanderbilt’s Master of Science in Finance program take varied career paths, but many start off with an initial job in investment banking. Some students come to the program specifically to break into IB, and some—after about two years working in it—begin to take the next steps toward a different path. We spoke to four Vanderbilt MSF graduates—two who have stayed in IB and two whose career paths have diverged from it—to discover what it’s really like to work in investment banking and how what they learned in the MSF that has influenced their careers. Carrie Pisarczyk, Associate at Peak Rock Capital  Carrie Pisarczyk Carrie Pisarczyk knew right away she wanted to change her career path after attaining an undergraduate degree in engineering. While she enjoyed studying company operations, she found a career trajectory in finance more appealing. “In my engineering internships, a lot of times the operational side meant field work in factories,” Pisarczyk says. “I got exposed to finance through a few undergraduate classes and realized it had more immediate potential to work on strategy than many engineering jobs.” She enrolled in Vanderbilt’s MSF to bridge her gap of knowledge between the two fields and spent three years as an investment banking analyst at Lazard after graduating. “Three years was a little bit longer than the traditional IB analyst job, but I used that time to decide what I wanted to do, whether that was remain in banking or try something new,” Pisarczyk says. Pisarczyk worked in mergers and acquisitions for a middle market group and says she liked the wide range of responsibilities in IB and seeing business deals through to their end. She’s since moved on to private equity, but her background in IB has given her relationship capital and an in-depth understanding of the process on making business deals: from pitching to taking a company to market. Her current job involves evaluating new investment opportunities from business and financial perspectives and helping to manage existing portfolio companies. “Private equity has been a way to combine my industrial engineering background with my IB experience,” Pisarczyk says. “I get to do more on operations from a strategy perspective in addition to financial analysis.” To her, the operational component is one of the biggest differences between IB and private equity. “IB opens a lot of doors and can be a gateway to other finance careers,” Pisarczyk says. “I learned about many other careers in finance and investing because of my experience working in IB and going to industry conferences. There are lots of career paths in the field that are interesting but not obvious.” Andrey Kuzmin, Investment Banking Analyst at Stephens Inc.  Andrey Kuzmin Andrey Kuzmin got into the finance field because he wanted to have a career where he could make an impact early on. After starting down the accounting path, he quickly realized that finance was a better fit. “I studied accounting and finance as an undergraduate and discovered through internships that accounting wasn’t for me,” he says. “I wanted to do something more event-driven and have more responsibility and involvement.” Kuzmin graduated from Vanderbilt’s MSF in 2017 and spent about ten months in valuation services. The experience helped him home in his sights further on IB. “It was a great job but I wanted to target something in investment banking,” he says. “I reached out to some alumni and started the recruiting process, eventually landing a job at Stephens Inc. where I’ve been working ever since.” Kuzmin says that, true to his initial ambitions, what he likes most about investment banking is the general impact analysts and associates can make. “Giving companies advice is a pretty cool aspect of IB,” Kuzmin says. “People come to you and your team for advice on strategic decisions. In a lot of jobs you don’t get to have such exposure early on in your career.” Kuzmin plans to stay in IB for the foreseeable future, but he advises any financial professional starting out to consider spending a few years in it. “It’s a career that if you think you would enjoy, you should give it a shot, he says. “Even if you eventually decide that it is not for you, you will have a wealth of experience, a great network and additional mental skills like the ability to organize yourself and a capacity for working hard.” Aka Akapelwa, Associate at ICV Partners  Aka Akapelwa Aka Akapelwa came to Vanderbilt’s MSF with private equity in his sights. He knew that IB was the front door to private equity and attended Vanderbilt’s MSF to attain the background and connections to gain a job in it. “Private equity groups recruit out of certain banks,” he says. “I knew I wanted to work at a list of certain banks and the Vanderbilt MSF had connections there. Vandy started prepping me for interviews before I even started the program.” Akapelwa says the three years he spent in IB gave him the background and base of understanding that has been pivotal in private equity. “About 60 percent of what you do in IB shares a lens with private equity,” Akapelwa says. “You’re getting a holistic picture of how a company works financially in IB. You learn how to think about it and value it. Those are good skill sets to understand before pursuing private equity.” The biggest difference that Akapelwa sees between IB and private equity is the depth of knowledge about each company you work with. IB stresses making quick decisions based on large amounts of information, while private equity demands a lot of critical thinking and detail. He also says that the level of responsibility in private equity is higher. “I look at every business as an owner rather than whether I like or dislike them,” he says. “Everyone on my team has to play their role and satisfy the other parts of the transaction. It requires a deep level of trust in your work. There’s responsibility in banking, but you’re on a team where someone else is always checking your work.” Pablo Heitman, Investment Banking Analyst at J.P. Morgan  Pablo Heitman Pablo Heitman started in the investment bank at J.P Morgan the month after he graduated from Vanderbilt’s MSF program. He too came to finance by way of engineering and accounting, but his main driver was his interest in the healthcare field. “I knew banking would be the best experience early on in my career, providing me with broad exposure to the healthcare industry as well as a crash course in corporate finance,” he says. Part of the reason Heitman chose Vanderbilt was Nashville’s reputation as a healthcare-centered city. He spent the months before his MSF interning at Bailey Southwell & Co. learning about the intersection of healthcare and IB. He found there what interested him most about banking is its process-oriented nature. “It’s interesting to see how a merger and acquisition process unfolds,” he says. “That, combined with developing and providing strategic advice, appeal to me the most about banking. You know what the company’s general strategy, goals and objectives are. You know what the investment bank can do to help enable that strategy, and you inevitably provide the company with your best recommendations. This advice is sought after by the top minds in the industry, and I get a front row seat to it each and every day.” Heitman says the MSF program taught him how to put thoughtful effort into his career search, effort that ultimately helped him develop a better understanding and appreciation for IB. For him, banking will be in the cards for quite some time. He cautions IB is not for everyone, but it can provide an excellent entry point into finance. “IB is geared towards competitive people,” he says. “It’s a very interactional, collegial environment. If you’re thinking about pursuing a career in the industry, the best thing you can do is talk to as many bankers as possible. You will sincerely appreciate the conversations you have and the insights gleaned the moment you hit the desk.” The post How Investment Banking Can Launch Your Finance Career appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
20 Feb 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: OBSA Celebrates Black History Month |
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This post was written by Samantha Givens (MBA’21), Chair of Professional Development for the OBSA board. The kick-off to the Black History Month celebrations at Owen started early on Monday, February 3, with an Opening Bell celebration for the entirety of the student body. As my bright-eyed peers started off their first classes of the day, they were greeted with donuts, warm welcomes, and the accomplishments of Black historical figures playing throughout the screens in the lobby. That energy carried throughout the rest of the week’s activities as well.  OBSA board members snap a picture with Andre Churchwell Throughout the week, in support of the Identity and Innovation speaker series, we heard from Black leaders from around Nashville. Dr. Andre Churchwell, Chief Diversity Officer at VUMC, kicked off the series by speaking on the importance of diversity of thought in practice. Hearing how he has been able to merge his passion for art and medicine to yield tangible innovations and advancements was inspiring. As an MBA student who also has a love for photography and poetry, I learned practical ways to practice my passions in an intersecting way — an incredible takeaway. Next up in the speaker series was Khrys Hatch from Launch Tennessee. During the lunch session, attendees had a wonderful discourse about imposter syndrome and how to overcome it. It was great to hear the perspectives of peers and share some of my own experiences. That same evening, we enjoyed Black Jeopardy, where students from Owen and the Vanderbilt Law School came together and played jeopardy based on facts about African and African American history.  Students from the business and law schools played Black Jeopardy together Before I knew it, Black History Month kickoff week was coming to a marvelous close with an OBSA-hosted Closing Bell. The event was well attended and allowed Black culture to be showcased to the greater student body. There was a step show and a playlist for the evening, replete with all the classics and topped off with a swag surf. I was incredibly excited to share this evening of so much pride, energy, and all-around fun with the Owen community. —Samantha Givens  The OBSA Closing Bell featured dancers and music The post OBSA Celebrates Black History Month appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
20 Feb 2020, 10:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: How to Mend a Work Relationship |
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The post How to Mend a Work Relationship appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
20 Feb 2020, 10:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: The Most Important Business Case Studies |
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The post The Most Important Business Case Studies appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
24 Feb 2020, 08:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: How I Got The Job: Finance Leadership Development Program, Amazon |
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[img]https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-business/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/04153024/3Q3A1992-150x150.jpg[/img] Mai Pham (MBA’20) Originally from Vietnam, Mai Pham (MBA’20) began her career in public accounting. After several years in the workforce, she decided to enroll in an MBA program to help expand her opportunities. “I want to pivot my experience in finance into a more forward looking role and have better visibility about the business… that is the reason I decided to (get) an MBA,” she said. Pham says the diverse and experienced community at Vanderbilt Business gave her the knowledge and network she needed to explore a variety of internships and career fields. Throughout the recruitment process, she relied on her classmates, professors, and mentors for professional advice and comradery. “It has been a memorable journey for me. The biggest part of Owen — I think for most people, if you talk to them here — is that we really enjoy the community,” said Pham. Pham accepted a summer finance internship with Mattel between her first and second years. After wrapping up the internship, Pham decided to redirect her career path. While continuing her MBA classes, she recruited again in the fall, landing a position in the Finance Leadership Development Program at Amazon. Pham says she is thrilled to be returning to the West Coast after graduation. Click through Pham’s timeline below to find out how she landed the offer. The post [url=https://business.vanderbilt.edu/news/2020/02/24/how-i-got-the-job-finance-leadership-development-program-amazon/]How I Got The Job: Finance Leadership Development Program, Amazon[/url] appeared first on [url=https://business.vanderbilt.edu]Vanderbilt Business School[/url]. |
26 Feb 2020, 10:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: 10 Skills That College Graduates Need in the Workplace |
Getting that first job after college can be tough, especially if you don’t have a lot of real world experience on your résumé. No matter what type of job you’re applying for, employers are looking for particular skills — and attending a summer immersion program like the Accelerator® Summer Business Immersion can help college students build these traits. Here are 10 skills that college graduates need to enter the workforce, and how Accelerator helps participants develop them. The post 10 Skills That College Graduates Need in the Workplace appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
28 Feb 2020, 09:01
| FROM Owen Press Releases: How I Got the Job: Senior Offering Manager, National Instruments |
 Phillip Henson Phillip Henson was an engineer for almost a decade before he ever considered getting an MBA. During that time, he spent two years directly serving a government agency in a development role and another four as an electrical engineer. The difference between the two jobs helped Henson realize he wanted to take on more customer-facing roles, a career trajectory that would require more knowledge of business skills. Henson made the decision to get his MBA shortly after taking a new project engineer job at Abaco Systems. With support from a new manager, Henson chose Vanderbilt’s Executive MBA program to gain the strategic and financial knowledge he needed. “Before my Executive MBA, I was doing a lot of technical work with no real business focus,” he says. “Getting a role that involved market strategy and required understanding larger pieces of the organization, while still focusing on technology, motivated me to get the education I needed.” In just three years, Henson was able to completely change his career path with help from the Executive MBA program. Since starting school in August 2017, Henson achieved two promotions, then made the leap into a senior market-facing role at a new company. His expanding responsibilities at work followed in lock-step with his expanding skills and education. Click through Henson’s timeline below to see how he transitioned from an engineer to an executive. The post How I Got the Job: Senior Offering Manager, National Instruments appeared first on Vanderbilt Business School. |
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