Bringing the Harvest Home: A Pre-MBA Internship at a Food Startup

Emily Wang is a first year MBA student from Detroit, Michigan. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Emily worked at Deloitte Consulting in the Strategy & Operations practice prior to coming to Booth. Her professional interests center around food and healthcare, and she plans to pursue concentrations in Strategic Management, Finance, and Entrepreneurship at Booth. Her hobbies include playing ukulele, running, and cooking.

Below, Emily shares her pre-MBA internship experience with a Bay area food delivery startup. While pre-MBA internships are neither coordinated by Booth nor necessary to successfully make a big career shift, Emily took advantage of some free time this summer to get some entrepreneurship experience to help her refine her goals for professional development at Booth.

--Matt

A few years ago, I came across a book called The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Reading it made me realize that I was deeply passionate about the interaction between health and the environment. I decided that bringing positive change to the food industry would be one of my long-term goals.

I kept this goal in mind when choosing which business schools to apply to. When I learned that Booth students had recently started a Food, Environment, Agribusiness, and Development(FEAD) group, I knew that I would find a community of people here with similar professional interests to build a strong network of colleagues during and after my MBA. Upon my acceptance, I decided to use the summer to gain some experience in the food industry, so that I could make the most of my time at Booth.  

Through my own network, I was able to secure an internship at LolaBee’s Harvest, an online farmer’s market startup in the Bay Area. LolaBee’s Harvest aims to connect local and organic producers with consumers through its online platform and home delivery system. During my internship, I was responsible for all of the company's marketing and supported the CEO in her fundraising efforts. Through this experience, I gained a good understanding of the competitive landscape around the grocery delivery business, as well as the ecosystem of entrepreneurs in the Bay Area at large.

Now, having spent almost two months at Booth, I greatly appreciate the experience of having worked at a startup in the food sector before coming to school. For one, having a deeper level of focus has allowed me to better utilize the excellent resources provided by Booth Career Services, such as the Industry Immersion program during Orientation and ongoing Corporate Conversations which bring a wide variety of companies to campus. Secondly, I am better at articulating my interests to my classmates and Booth alumni, who are deeply involved in entrepreneurial communities and have done an amazing job connecting me with people who share my passion. Because of these two factors, I feel prepared and incredibly excited to kick off my search for startup internships in the coming months!  

Booth Beginnings: My Pre-MBA Entrepreneurial Internship

Andrew Edelman is a first year MBA student at Booth from Boston, MA.  He graduated from Davidson College, where he captained the men’s swimming team, and then worked in investment banking and alternative investment management. At Booth, he plans on pursuing concentrations in Entrepreneurship, Finance, and Strategic Management.  He and his wife are expecting their second son any day now and are looking forward to actually being able to sleep again one day in the distant future.  He enjoys keeping up-to-date on the latest tech trends, playing beach volleyball, and trying out local craft breweries. Follow him on Twitter (@AceEdelman)!

Below, Andrew shares his pre-MBA internship experience with a Booth-founded startup. While pre-MBA internships are neither coordinated by Booth nor necessary to successfully make a big career shift, Andrew took advantage of some free time in Chicago this summer to get some entrepreneurship and marketing experience as part of his professional development at Booth.

--Matt

***

Immediately after attending Admit Weekend this past April, my mind was made up.  Blown away by the impressive faculty, successful students, and stunning Harper Center facilities, I decided to forever alter my career path and accept my admission to Chicago Booth.  With that choice came the quick realization that it meant leaving my finance job where I had just been promoted and moving my family from Charlotte to Chicago.  However, these were minor sacrifices to make given the endless opportunities Booth offers for someone like me looking to make a big career change from finance to tech.

To give my pregnant wife, two-year old son, and myself time to settle into our new city before Autumn quarter, I decided to resign from my job a little early to move out to the Midwest.  Wanting to spend my summer doing a little more than eating deep dish pizza and drinking Goose Island beer on one of the many gorgeous beaches along Lake Michigan, I began searching for an internship that could broaden my perspective and further enhance my skill set.

I made a connection with Tricia Felice, a rising second-year student at Booth who was participating in the Polsky Center Accelerator Program, which gives ten student teams the opportunity to work on their businesses during the summer in a collaborative and dynamic environment.  Needing help with business development and marketing for her startup, Vintage, Tricia was eager to have an incoming Boothie join her small team.  As an aspiring career switcher hoping to transition from financial services to the tech industry, it was a unique opportunity to work at a startup and begin developing new skills before even going to my first class.

Vintage brings generations together through storytelling by creating professionally edited “vignettes” to capture the best moments and memories of older adults and celebrate their legacies.  I was tasked with leading efforts in “business development,” something with which I had little experience.  In this context, I developed a keen understanding of our target market and created a well-defined product offering.  I also worked on bringing additional exposure to Vintage through online marketing and beat-the-pavement sales tactics.  Part of this exercise involved my first real exposure to search engine optimization (SEO) and Google AdWords, which was a great learning experience.

One of the things I loved most about working for an early stage startup was the opportunity to be intimately involved in shaping the direction of the company.  Throughout the summer, I was able to give my opinion about the business or our approach to a certain task and not only have it be heard, but be influential.  I strongly suspect this is a feeling I will become quite accustomed to during my two years at Booth as there are a plethora of opportunities to generate significant impact, from participating in Management Lab to joining the Graduate Business Council. I was just elected President of the Davis Cohort, so I am looking forward to making an impact on student life as well.

The support these startups received as part of the Polsky Center Accelerator Program was also extremely impressive.  Teams received funding, office space, access to Polsky Center staff, coaching from faculty (including Waverly Deutsch and Bob Rosenberg), and mentorship from alumni entrepreneurs and Chicago-area investors.  My favorite part of the summer program was weekly teach-in sessions with area entrepreneurs, which really showcased Booth’s success developing entrepreneurial talent.  We met in small groups with Matt Maloney (’10), the Founder and CEO of GrubHub, and Jon Morris (’05), the Founder and CEO of Rise Interactive, both of whom started their companies through the New Venture Challenge while at Booth.  We also had access to 1871, the preeminent co-working space in Chicago that provides startups with programming, educational resources, space, and access to a community of like-minded entrepreneurs.

This pre-MBA internship was a rare opportunity to develop my skills in an environment that fostered creativity while jump-starting my Booth experience.  I’m starting classes this week with a strong understanding of the resources available to entrepreneurs on campus, a growing network of current students and alumni, and additional hands-on experience that will contribute to my career aspirations.  Plus, I learned how to navigate via public transit down to Hyde Park—I will be my class’s expert on the differences between the express and local trains!  Overall, in addition to a transformative pre-MBA professional experience, I was able to enjoy a wonderful summer exploring all that Chicago has to offer.

Challenging Everything: A Boothie's Bogotá VC Internship Experience

William K. Lee is a rising second-year student at Chicago Booth. This summer he was an intern at Polymath Ventures, an innovative company builder in Bogotá, Colombia, and he shares some of his experiences in this interview. Prior to Booth, he worked as a software engineer for Bay Area Internet companies including eBay and Wikia. He came to Booth because he wanted to shift to the business and management sides of technology, so his summer internship gave him a great opportunity to practice the high-level skills he has developed in business school. Moreover, the opportunity allowed him to step out of his comfort zone and tackle new challenges in a new place. Will is active in the entrepreneurship scene at Booth and in Chicago and is a Co-Chair of the Booth Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Group (EVC) for this coming year. Outside of school, Will is training for October’s Chicago Marathon (his sixth) and enjoys playing bar trivia with other Boothies.

--Matt Richman

Where did you work this summer and what was your role?

I worked in Bogotá, Colombia, at Polymath Ventures. Polymath designs and builds companies from the ground up that serve the needs of the middle class in emerging markets. This summer I was a technology advisor and product manager for one of Polymath's companies, Táximo. Táximo is trying to reinvent the taxi industry in Latin America by making the customer experience safer and more convenient.

What are some resources you took advantage of at Booth that helped you land the job?

The Entrepreneurship concentration at Booth was instrumental in securing my summer internship. I first heard about the job opportunity from the newsletter of the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Group. Once I got the offer, I turned to the Entrepreneurial Internship Program (EIP) from Booth’s Polsky Center for further assistance. EIP offers grants to students like me who want to work at cash-strapped startups.

What was the highlight of your summer internship?

I was in charge of hiring a software developer. At first I tried the regular recruiting channels, such as posting on job websites, but they proved fruitless. The next step I took really threw me out of my comfort zone. I went to several software engineering Meetups in Bogotá in order to meet talented developers in person. I planned on attending just the events’ networking sessions, but I ended up participating in the interactive Spanish-language portions, too. Imagine trying to talk about Big Data with just high-school level Spanish! Nevertheless I am glad I got to experience these Meetups not just because they helped with recruiting but because they informed me about the startup scene in Colombia and connected me with tech entrepreneurs.

 

Will attending a tech Meetup at a Bogotá co-working space

Were there any transformative aspects of the experience that will help you structure your final year at Booth?

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working closely with company founders to advise them on technology issues. I liked drawing on my technical background and also pushing myself to think strategically. I would like to have a role like this after I graduate from Booth. This could be partnering with an entrepreneur for a startup or serving as advisor-in-residence at a startup incubator or accelerator. In my final year at Booth, I plan on participating in entrepreneurial activities and taking many entrepreneurship and general management courses, such as New Venture Strategy.

How was your Spanish before the internship? 

I studied Spanish for four years in high school, but it was very rusty when I landed in Colombia. This wasn't a problem for work because my colleagues used English in the office. Still, I tried to improve my Spanish. I got involved in Spanish-English language exchanges and listened to podcasts. Now it's pretty good—yesterday I tuned into a Spanish radio station and understood an announcement for a supermarket sale!

Did you get a chance to explore Bogotá and Colombia? What was your favorite experience outside of work?

Bogotá had a host of things to do this summer. I enjoyed going out into my neighborhood and discovering nice restaurants, hole-in-the-wall eateries, cafes, and bars. I also ran a lot this summer for marathon training, so I got to explore many parks and districts on foot. I created a Google map of my favorite places, which was a big hit around the office. I tried to break out of the city's large expat scene by meeting locals through various channels. They were very friendly and invited me to special events like a wine expo and an outdoor rock festival. My favorite experience of the summer was spending a weekend in Medellín, Colombia's second city. I enjoyed its fantastic weather, met its outgoing people, and reveled in its vibrant nightlife.

Will and another Polymath intern sampling some reds at a wine expo in Bogotá

How did your first year at Booth help you get the most out of your summer?

When I decided to pursue my summer internship at Polymath in Colombia, I took the Booth motto of "Challenge Everything" to heart. In my work, I used skills I developed in my first year coursework to perform extensive analysis on every claim I encountered. My colleagues appreciated the level of rigor I applied to my job. At a higher level, I challenged myself by taking the risk of working in an emerging market that I had known little about. The safe move would have been working for a startup in the Bay Area, where I'd lived for most of my life, where I planned to return after Booth, and where I would have formed connections seemingly more beneficial for my short-term goals. But conversations with faculty, second-year students, and industry professionals that I met on Booth-organized career treks helped me see that a summer in Colombia could be just as rewarding. I'm glad I chose Bogotá. Not only was it a unique life experience, it opened my eyes to the business opportunities there and gave me insights into entrepreneurship that will serve me well in my career (and which you can read about here). 

People Are Good At Many Things Yet Choose to Do One Thing

Liz Han has been an active member of DSAC from the very beginning of the school year, assisting us with the campus visit program. She's also very involved in the entrepreneurship and venture capital community at Booth; she was a SeedCon volunteer and approached me with the idea of blogging about the resources at Booth she's found most helpful thus far. First-year students have the opportunity to pursue their passions from Day 1, which Liz describes below.

Dana
***

As we progress in our lives and careers, we have to make critical decisions that impact where we live, what we do, and who we are. For many of you, applying to business school is one such decision. It certainly was for me.

I came to Booth to pursue venture capital and entrepreneurship. I felt inspired on my initial visit to Booth as a prospective student. Beyond the beauty of the Harper Center, I had conversations with students that illustrated to me the opportunities and support Booth provides students interested in venture capital and start-ups, ranging from classes such as Commercializing Innovation to labs including the PE / VC Lab to venture capital and start-up competitions.

Case in point, during Admit Weekend, I stopped by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and met with Starr Marcello, Director of Operations for the Center. In an hour-long conversation, she shared with me a glimpse into the Chicago venture capital and entrepreneurial ecosystem, and provided me with resources and contacts in VC and start-ups. This is where my journey began.

Three months later, I was helping a healthcare technology start-up that had been born out of and won the New Venture Challenge in 2011. It was founded by a couple of Booth students who were passionate about helping healthcare professionals make better decisions from symptom to diagnosis. In working with them, I not only gained insight into how start-ups think and operate, but also worked towards developing a clinical decision support tool to help providers more effectively care for patients.

When school started, I joined the D4Lab, an entrepreneurship and design-focused fellowship program dedicated to solving issues in healthcare. The program enables my colleagues and I to combine the scientific method with design principles to tackle one of the biggest problems hospitals face today: the bottleneck of hospital admissions from the Emergency Department (ED). On a weekly basis, I work with an interdisciplinary group of fellows from the medical school and the law school among others to observe healthcare professionals in the ED and other departments at the University of Chicago Medical Center, identify specific, concrete challenges and ultimately develop a solution to improve the flow of patients from the ED into the hospital. In addition, I met with second-year students who had incredible experiences as Associates in Hyde Park Angels, an angel network started by Booth alumni in 2006 that takes on select Booth students as Associates every year to source, evaluate, and close investments in early stage start-ups. After two months during which I applied to the program, conducted a deal review and interviewed with current associates and managing directors, I am excited to be joining HPA as an Associate next quarter.

A venture capitalist shared the title quote with me in describing successful entrepreneurs, and I was struck by its simplicity and relevance. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or a management consultant, this quote applies to all of us. We have many options in terms of where to apply our time and skills and it’s up to each of us to choose. For me, it is to help build ideas into companies that will improve the way we live our lives. And it starts at Booth.

Inside Look Into the Fast-Paced World of Rock Star Entrepreneurs

There have been so many conferences taking place these past few weeks! This week we'll learn about Seedcon, an annual conference co-sponsored by the Polsky Center and the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Group. Vanessa Xu, a first-year student and enthusiastic DSAC blogger, gives us her unique perspective as a volunteer for the event.

-Dana
***

I was very drawn to Booth because of its rich environment of intellectual curiosity where amazing ideas are born and everyone comes from diverse backgrounds and is willing to share and learn from one another. When ideas and passions collide, as they often do here, fantastic things happen. Once such occasion where this happens is SeedCon, an annual entrepreneurship and venture capital conference hosted by Booth’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Group (EVC) on November 16th at Gleacher and November 17th at Venue SIX10. As a member of EVC, I volunteered for this 2 day conference. Part of my job over these two days was working at the registration desk and being assigned to Sam Yagan, a key speaker, as his handler to make sure he is where he needs to be at all times. Don’t know Sam Yagan? Have you heard of eDonkey, SparkNotes or OkCupid? He’s the guy who co-founded all of these start-ups!

SeedCon really allowed me to be near the energy of entrepreneurs in the vibrant Chicago start-up scene. Arguably the most fun part of the conference was the Fast Pitch competition on opening night, during which 6 finalist teams competed for a chance to win $100,000+ in awards and consulting hours in front of a panel of 8 distinguished judges for 4 minutes of pitch and 6 minutes of intense Q&A. Two of the teams were composed of Booth students; a team of first-years actually took 3rd place for their idea of bringing a new infrared technology to market. The other teams were equally impressive in their start-up ambitions; two particularly memorable ones include a team from IE Business School in Madrid pitching their idea on “Bet Me,” a low-cost online gambling site, and a team of two ex-beauty and makeup consultants pitching their idea on “Stylisted,” a service that matched freelance beauty professionals with professional women. The winner of the competition was Intelligent Loop, a B2B service that employed real-time scanning technology to help companies track industrial assets. I had a feeling this was the winner as soon as the judge commented during Q&A that this kind of technology can really help governments keep track of crumbling infrastructure like railways and highways.

On Day 2 of the conference, my day started early at 7:30AM to help set up and grab breakfast with the other volunteers. We were all excited to hear keynote speaker Mark Suster, a partner at GRP Partners, who was present at SeedCon for the first time after many years of wooing from the EVC group. He delivered a powerful presentation, preferring to use highly visual slides to punctuate his points on what it’s really like to be an entrepreneur – the highs are higher and the lows are lower than any other career. You can read his blog post describing his experiences at SeedCon.

There was plenty of time for networking, where I found people were eager to meet others in search of partners, funders, or just for pure socializing. I met many start-up founders and a ton of students who were excited about entrepreneurship and venture capital. One of the best things I got out of the conference was also learning more about my fellow classmates and their aspirations. A friend shared an insight that resonated with me again and again as I listened to Sam Yagan, Bryce Johnson (the founder of Braintree), and Matt Matros (the founder of Protein Bar) speak about their entrepreneurial journeys: to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to have a certain kind of grit that allows you to not give a hoot about what anyone else thinks. Sam Yagan spoke unapologetically about his how his team came up with the idea of building OkCupid: they were trying to find internet industries where it is possible to leverage “cheaper, easier and more fun,” and after ruling out pornography and gambling, they decided on a dating website. True story.

About your blogger: I grew up in NYC with a background in finance and accounting. I always knew an MBA was in my destiny, and the question of “where?” was easily solved when I attended Booth Live; I was blown away by the faculty, the beauty of the Harper Center, and the caliber of the student body. Now that I’ve been a full-fledged Boothie for the past 2.5 months, I am the happiest I have ever been in my life (only a slight exaggeration) and so very glad I made the decision to come to Booth. The two years will go by faster than I can say “recruiting overload” so I’m trying hard to hold onto my seat as I take in each and every second of this journey.

My First Two Months at Booth

This week at The Booth Experience, we hear from Ashley Cleveland, a first-year student who is one of the newest members of the DSAC team. She's been up to a lot this quarter and has been an active part of the Booth community since Day 1.

Dana
***

It’s hard to believe that two months have passed since my arrival at Chicago Booth. Less than one year ago, I was a prospective student evaluating a handful of MBA programs, and asking the question, “Why should I attend Booth?” In the months to follow, after interacting with Booth students, alumni, and staff, the question eventually became, “Why wouldn’t I attend Booth?” Nearly six months after having made my decision, I couldn’t be happier. I’ll talk more about this later; but first, let me give you a little background information. Prior to coming to Booth, I worked as a sales representative for a leading office furniture manufacturer. I chose to return to school for my MBA based on my desire to further develop myself as a business leader. I chose Booth specifically due to its emphasis on creating an environment that challenged students to take risks and one that welcomed a diverse student body. The Booth students, alumni, and staff that I interacted with played a major role in my decision. They were not only welcoming, but also extremely helpful. I really valued this, along with the school’s reputation for excellence.

Since arriving here, I’ve met so many talented and friendly people from all walks of life through various on-campus happenings, such as the Pre-MBA Accounting course offered prior to orientation, orientation programs and events, my current courses, and student group activities. I can never walk too far down the hallways of the Harper Center without being greeted by a smile or a warm hello. This camaraderie is something that I attribute to Booth’s culture; it is not only lively, it is also warm and inviting. I’ve also enjoyed interacting with my professors. Specifically, I’ve liked learning more about evaluating companies through financial statements, as well as how to use tools that will be helpful in my role as a marketing intern over the summer.

The resources that Booth has to offer are phenomenal. I plan to concentrate in both Marketing Management and Entrepreneurship. This quarter, I have taken advantage of programming from the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship. From open house events to weekly coffee chats, the Polsky Center has provided me with numerous opportunities to connect with students who are passionate about entrepreneurship and the implementation of new business ideas. During a recent coffee chat at the Polsky Center, I connected with a student who is currently operating a print company aimed at college students. I not only learned about the business plan for the company, but also listened as others provided suggestions on how the student and his business partner, a fellow University of Chicago student, could improve operations and expand their client base.

The Kilts Center for Marketing is also a great resource for students like me who are passionate about marketing. From informative Q&A panels to mentorship opportunities, the Kilts Center has so much to offer students who want to expand their marketing knowledge and broaden their horizons. For example, I recently participated in a seminar for Nielsen marketing data. During this seminar, second year students provided an overview of the various uses of Nielsen data and provided personal examples of how they had used this data to arrive at important conclusions within their projects during their marketing internships. The seminar was not only attended by students interested in securing a marketing internship this summer; it was also attended by students with interests in other careers, such as consulting.

My professional interest in marketing has led me to become an active member of the Marketing Group. I’ve had the chance to network and learn from marketing professionals and second year students whose recent internships represented a wide range of companies. I am leading my first Trek for the Marketing Group in just one week. This Trek is a career exploration trip that allows members of the Marketing Group to interact with company representatives within Proctor and Gamble in Cincinnati, OH. This is a great opportunity for Booth students to network with leaders of one of the world's most successful consumer packaged goods companies. To sum it all up, Booth has so much to offer. I am so happy that I made the decision to attend Booth, and I wish you all the best as you continue to evaluate if Booth is right for you.

Summer Internship Series: Start-ups in San Francisco

Hey everyone! So although the Harper Center has been relatively quiet the past few weeks, the students at Booth have been exposed to all sorts of interesting projects and given a great deal of responsibility as part of their summer internships. Here at The Booth Experience, we'll be highlighting our students' internship experiences, which span a multitude of industries, job functions, and geographic locations. Our inaugural post is from Sibo Zhao, who is a product manager at Zynga in San Francisco this summer.

- Dana
***

Greetings from the beautiful city of San Francisco!

Three weeks into my summer internship as a product manager at Zynga, I can already say that I’ve had a fulfilling and fun packed experience. I chose to come to Zynga for many reasons. First, I love games. Being at Zynga means that I can legitimately claim “I’m working” when games occupy all the real estate on my screen. Second, like many of the tech companies in the Bay Area, the perks are pretty amazing. Free swag, free meals, free massages, free gym membership... the list goes on. But more importantly, I came to Zynga for its rigorous data-driven culture, its entrepreneurial mindset, and its fast-paced, challenging work environment where each individual can make a difference. In fact, there are many similarities between my first year at Booth and my summer at Zynga: I keep my head above the water by ruthless prioritizing, I back my findings with disciplined data analysis, and I’m always surrounded by incredibly smart people who are ready to learn and share their learnings.

One of the unique aspects of Zynga is that interns are treated equally as full time employees. There is no concept of intern projects - we were expected to jump into a full time role from day one. For me, this has included investigating player behavior by engaging in a world of simulated economy, designing and launching cool new features, and driving revenue for my game studio. These responsibilities give us great visibility among management of all levels, but are also balanced by rigorous training session and multiple mentorship programs. One of the Zynga values is to be CEO and own your results. This means everyone at the company has an entrepreneurial mindset. In particular, I love owning a feature from scratch and working with teams of artists, designers, and developers to delight players.

And of course, we have a ton of fun at and outside of work. Our office can resemble an arcade sometimes - we take breaks to shoot basketball, play mini-golf, and challenge each other to Guitar Hero. Last weekend, the graduate interns all went on a wine tasting trip in Napa. It was a great opportunity to hang out with the interns from various offices, learn about their experiences at Zynga, and gain a greater perspective of the company. Living in San Francisco also has its own perks. San Francisco holds an abundance of diverse culinary treasures. One of my favorite activities is discovering new restaurants with great friends and catching up on each other’s stories, while learning a new thing or two about the cultures around the world.

Booth Entrepreneurship Week & Seedcon 2011

Hi everyone!

I know you must be getting excited about Thanksgiving! Here at Booth we have been busy as ever on campus before everyone heads out for the holiday. This week, we check in with our Entrepreneurship Correspondent, Dana, on Seedcon 2011.

***


Seedcon 2011: It was the perfect close to what was a very exciting Booth Entrepreneurship Week (BEW), which was brimming with events targeted towards students interested in VC and entrepreneurship.

Seedcon is the annual entrepreneurship and venture capital conference at Booth. This year, the conference spanned two days and included a fast-pitch competition, panels, and a fireside chat with 37signals co-founder Jason Fried.
Panel discussion topics included “What’s in the Future for Non-Technical Entrepreneurs?”, “VCs, Angels, and Accelerators,” and “Big Data, the Next Big Thing.” For me, the data panel was especially interesting. As an undergraduate, I interned in the marketing research department of a firm that had a wealth of subscriber data. At that time, marketers were just beginning to realize the importance of this data and the potential to create more targeted, relevant advertising. Based on the advances in data analytics discussed in this panel, the old pop-up/ banner advertisement model is a notion of the past and marketers should come to rely on real-time information much more heavily. As I create my team for the New Venture Challenge, I now understand the role that my data analytics/ research team member will have to fulfill.

It was also very motivating to see that the Chicago entrepreneurship scene is alive and well. Throughout the three panels, there was no shortage of excitement for the startups that are emerging from Chicago. Chicago has quickly become an entrepreneurial hot-spot; panelists believed that unlike other entrepreneurial cities in the US, Chicago has a much “flatter” network with fewer gatekeepers. This collaborative environment, with members of the community willing to connect with one another, makes Chicago the ideal city for those looking to start a business.

I’ve been a fan of Signals vs. Noise, 37signals’ blog, for quite some time now and rushed out to purchase the blog-inspired book, “Rework,” as soon as it was released last year. It was a real treat to have Jason Fried speak to us candidly on topics related to startups. Jason was quick to point out that data is not the end-all, be-all (ironically, this came after the data panel) and that it is important for entrepreneurs to trust their intuition. Jason also had a great point that truly resonated with me: “focus on doing one thing and do it really well first.” Sometimes, as I synthesize ideas for my business or reflect on the multitude of directions that certain ideas can take me, I have the tendency to get very distracted or overwhelmed. Jason’s advice reminded me that I should focus on the core of my business plan, before expanding into various directions.

Seedcon was a fantastic learning experience and I am proud to be amongst the company of so many innovative minds at Booth. Many thanks to the Polsky Center and EVC for coordinating Seedcon and for providing countless outlets to foster the collaborative spirit of entrepreneurship.

Academics at Booth

Hi everyone!

In this week’s blog and WIWG video, we’re going to talk a bit about the academics at Booth. In our WIWG video, we ask students what their favorite class and/or professor has been so far. And in our blog today, Dana Fortini shares her thoughts on classes and Booth’s class bidding system. Read on to learn more!

***



I can’t believe that midterms are over and that it’s time to start selecting courses for the winter quarter; time sure passes quickly!

Here at Booth, we use a system called iBid to bid for and enroll in courses. iBid is a Dutch-auction system where students are given bid points (new full-time students start with 8000 points and accrue 2000 points for each additional course they complete). There are 6 phases of bidding during a bidding cycle, so if you would like to make adjustments to your schedule during the first few rounds, you still have time!

In order to help students better understand how to spend our bid points, there are Course Price History spreadsheets that detail closing prices on a section-by-section basis for past courses. You’ll also hear many students talking about their “Bid Strategy” during the week leading up to the first phase of bidding.

Strategic bidding aside, I feel as though it is important to select a combination of courses that will best prepare me for summer internship opportunities and have a quantitative-qualitative balance. From previous experience, I know that I can feel overwhelmed with three or four very quantitative courses, so I like to add “balance” to my course load by taking at least one management-oriented, people-driven course each quarter.

So now I’ve gotten through the tough part: narrowing down the list of courses I would like to take during winter quarter from 7 to 3. I am dying to take “Building the New Venture”! The course is great for students who would like to start their own businesses. The class focuses on both strategic and tactical issues that arise from entrepreneurial endeavors. Because I would like to enter the New Venture Challenge competition this spring, I believe that Building the New Venture would be great preparation because of the course’s emphasis on building teams and identifying customers. After reviewing the Course Price History spreadsheet, it looks like I’ll have to be a big spender – this course is one of the most expensive at Booth!

I would also like to take my first course to apply towards my International Business concentration, “Managing the Firm in the Global Economy.” If given the opportunity, I would love to have an internship with a wine exporter or distributor in Spain. The course focuses on legal implications and export decision making, amongst other issues that global firms face. If I do end up working abroad, having a working knowledge of how firms make decisions to enter specific markets will be a very useful skill to have.

And last, but certainly not least, my Excel skills could definitely be refined. No matter what functional area of an organization or industry you’re in, strong Excel skills are crucial. I plan to take “Managerial Decision Modeling” in order to better utilize Excel’s analytical tools and to get plenty of hands-on practice before my summer internship.

As you can see, Booth’s academic flexibility definitely helps each student create an individualized program of study that will ultimately allow us to realize our goals. I can’t wait to take my first entrepreneurship class (fingers crossed my bidding strategy proves successful!). Happy bidding!

The Booth Environment (From an "Entrepreneurial perspective")

Today we hear from Dana Fortini, a first year at Booth with a perspective on the Entrepreneurial track. Read on to learn more about Dana!

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Hello Prospective Students!



My name is Dana Fortini and I am a first year student at Booth. I am a born and bred New Yorker, with the exception of a year or so that I have spent in Spain. My undergrad years were spent at NYU Stern, where I graduated with a degree in Finance and Marketing, a minor in Mathematics, and a concentration in Entertainment, Media, and Technology. (Yes, I still managed to have a life!) After graduation, it was off to Protiviti, where I was a financial risk consultant with a range of high-profile clients in the financial services industry. In my heart, I always knew that something more entrepreneurial was my calling. At the beginning of this year, a business development position for a client-services based start-up presented itself, and I quickly seized the opportunity. Then it was off to Spain, where I received a diploma in Spanish proficiency and made contacts for my future business. I came to Booth to acquire a skill set more conducive to entrepreneurial undertakings; my ultimate goal is to start a vinoteca (a wine retail space by day, wine bar by night) in the US that specializes in Iberian products. This summer, I would love to have an internship in the wine and spirits industry, either in operations or marketing/ business development.

I chose Booth due to its academic flexibility and strong reputation in entrepreneurship. Starting a business requires a breadth of skills and knowledge. By taking a spectrum of courses, rather than concentrating in one particular industry or area, I felt I could emerge a more well-rounded businessperson. The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship was also a huge deciding factor for me. After visiting for a day, they made me feel extremely welcome! The Polsky Center provides a tremendous amount of support for students pursuing entrepreneurship via lab coursework, assistance in finding internships, and the New Venture Challenge. The value of these resources and support systems cannot be overlooked which leads me to the topic of my first post…

The Booth Environment

If I had to pick a single factor that has highlighted my experience at Booth during my first month, it would be how supportive the faculty, my classmates, leaders within student organizations, and Career Services are of my goals.
Before coming to Booth, I certainly raised a few eyebrows with my declaration that I wanted to start my own business, a business with high overhead costs at that. Reponses ran the gamut from “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea” to “Dana, are you crazy? With this economy, you expect people to buy from you?”

It’s not necessarily tangible, but to be immersed in the positive energy and supportive environment within the Booth community have been incredibly motivating. As I’ve been meeting fellow students, I’ve received so many enthusiastic responses and offers of support; some students have even offered to assist me with the New Venture Challenge (NVC), an annual competition through the Polsky Center that allows students to present their business plans, receive feedback from judges and seasoned entrepreneurs, and potentially receive funding to make the plan a reality. Preparing for the NVC has been complementary to my coursework at Booth in that both reinforce and help me better understand all of the requirements of starting and running a business.

I am also extremely appreciative of Career Advisors, the second-year students who have taken time to help get my resume and my elevator pitch in perfect condition. It’s no easy task to refine these two critical elements of the internship search, but I have received a great deal of guidance over the past month. In addition to the formal resume reviews provided by Career Advisors, I have found that many second-years in the student organizations at Booth will also review resumes for first-years. There are also second-year students, who after reviewing my resume, have put me in touch with contacts from their networks. As one second-year said to me: “If you ever need anything, ask.”

Professor Linda Darragh has also been instrumental in my early phase of the networking process at Booth. I first spoke with Professor Darragh at an information session for the Booth Food Business and Agriculture Industry Club. She helped me identify contacts and former mentees that have specialized in importing Spanish goods to the Chicago area. Not only are these contacts excellent resources and leads (and I plan to learn a tremendous deal from them!), but Professor Darragh has encouraged that I update her and keep her aware of my progress. Despite how busy professors are, they have a genuine interest in the career development of their students.

All of the mentorship and assistance I have received over the past month has further strengthened my determination to start my own business. I am surrounded by 1,000+ students and professors who believe in me and genuinely want me to succeed. The environment at Booth: of support, encouragement, and positivity, with students and professors who are ready and eager to help and better refine business ideas, confirms that I am in the right place.