“With the relaunch and the rebranding of the HC Startup group, there is also a renewed vision to create an ecosystem of entrepreneurial-minded folks. With the future of work dramatically changing the landscape, we need to prepare and support our students and alumni for this shift.” Ja-Naé Duane, EIR & Lecturer, Holy Cross
JOIN US for our winter networking event at T3 Advisors in Boston.
JANUARY 16, 2019 << Click to REGISTER.
Reflecting on Hurricane María and the devastation that hit Puerto Rico, the Ferré Rangel sisters say the power of their belief — to do good as both businesswomen and corporate citizens — was tested last year. As Loren puts it, the first order of business was to step into, not away from, the fray – a lesson, first learned on The Hill, that transcends geography.
Thank you to our keynotes, Loren Ferré Rangel ’92, chief creative officer of Grupo Ferré Rangel, María Eugenia Ferré Rangel ’89, chief communications officer of Grupo Ferré Rangel, and chairperson of the board of directors, GFR Media, and to Dean Michele Murray, VP for Student Affairs, Dean of Students, at Holy Cross for an inspiring interview.
WANT MORE?
Join us next year for the annual conference on Saturday, November 2, 2019! Thanks for reading, Cassie
Cassie Gevry, Associate Director of Student Engagement
Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society
Holy Cross alumni thriving as entrepreneurs and business leaders respond to real student questions about how to find success and satisfaction in the business world. Read student questions posed to alumni through Slack, HC Startup’s online message board, to learn what it takes to navigate the business world and find success as a modern entrepreneur.
Want to be a part of the community? Have answers to student questions? Join the conversation and meet us on Slack!
>> Q: Kit Mullen ’21, international studies major, asks “Lots of times people are torn between doing what they love and doing what will guarantee them successful in the eyes of others. As entrepreneurs how did you make the choice to leave the more normal, reliable lifestyle of working for a company for the riskier task of starting your own company?”
A: Rob Petrosino ’10, Director of Social Commerce Marketing at Peak Activity, answers “Sometimes it comes down to a gut call but job satisfaction and fulfillment typically out weighs a “normal” life.”
>> Q: Gavin McNamera ’21, political science major, asks “Early in your college experience, how did you find direction on where you wanted to take your career in business or entrepreneurship?”
A: Dan Barrett ’13 at Madaket Health, replies “Good question… the classic response is “follow what you enjoy doing”. It’s classic for a reason though: it’s true. Reflect on the classes that appeal to you, the assignments that appeal to you, the “aha” moments and the deep curiosities as you encounter new ideas in the classroom. Pursue those things. Entrepreneurship is hard. Working is hard. If you’re not doing something that fundamentally aligns with your interests you will burn out in a snap. Entrepreneurship is not flashy, it’s a grind. It usually involves grinding into a headwind, uphill. But it’s also a race. And if you hate the field you’re in or find it a total bore, it will be next to impossible to race against the people who happen to enjoy doing it.”
>> Q: Max Krause ’21, economics major, asks “How do you make sure your idea is a good idea before you go and invest your time and money into realizing it?”
A: Rob Petrosino ’10, Director of Social Commerce Marketing at Peak Activity, answers “If your idea solves a problem you are most likely on the right track. How you execute is more than half the battle however.”
A: Stacy Chin ’12, Co-founder & CEO at HydroGlyde Coatings, responds “ Listen to the market and you will see if they agree to your solution.”Thanks for reading! Cassie
Cassie Gevry, Associate Director of Student Engagement
Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society
THANK YOU to PepsiCo for being a Gold Sponsor at the upcoming Women in Business Conference on Saturday, November 3. HC alumnae at PepsiCo want to sit with YOU so submit your one-page PDF resume with registration. Already registered? Submit to business@holycross.edu.
HC Alumni at PepsiCo:
Christopher Vandervoorn ‘19 (current student, accepted full-time offer), Yuji Callahan ‘18 (Sales), Maureen Connolly ‘18 (Sales), Robert Santariello ‘16 (Sales), Alexandra Schiffmann ‘15 (Sales), Rabab Masly ‘15 (Sales), Cassandra Muzik ‘14 (Sales), Tom Casavant ‘13 (Sales), Kristen Buonassisi ‘12 (Sales), Brittany Polanco ’12 (Marketing), Ken McKenna ’11 (Accounting), Jessica Vona ’08 (Human Resources), Christine Tammara ’99 (Accounting) Anne Fink ’85 (Sales)
Why PepsiCo? PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader operating in more than 200 countries with a product portfolio that includes 22 world-famous, billion-dollar brands. From Gatorade to Quaker, to LIFEWTR, to Lay’s, we make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world.
Innovation is a critical way we impact the market, as well as communities around the globe. We believe there is value in products, people, and the planet. And we strive to make a difference by creating solutions that leave a lasting positive footprint.
Our culture is driven by our employees. No two days are the same; we’re dynamic and full of passionate teams embracing new ideas through our collaborative spirit. At PepsiCo, What Makes You Unique, Makes Us Better!
PepsiCo is the only company with three major trademarks in carbonated soft drinks – Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Sierra Mist. When it comes to non-carbonated soft drinks, we have world-class equities across every category – Aquafina in water; Tropicana and Naked Juice in juices; Pure Leaf and Brisk in ready-to-drink teas; AMP in energy drinks; Gatorade in sports drinks and Starbucks products in ready-to-drink coffee. In addition to our core powerhouse brands and products, we are continually launching successful innovation and expanding our product portfolio. Examples of recent product launches include premium water brand Life WTR, Mountain Dew Label Series, Pepsi 1893 series, Teahouse Collection, and the Gatorade Flow Series.
PepsiCo and Holy Cross:
PepsiCo hires Holy Cross juniors for internships each year through their summer internship program. Internships are within the Sales function. Upon completion of the internship, there is an opportunity to secure an offer for a full-time role after graduation. There is a passionate community of HC alum at PepsiCo to help interns on-board and provide a network to tap into throughout the summer. Anne Fink ’85 provides executive support to the Holy Cross community as PepsiCo’s President of Global Foodservice. Alexandra Schiffmann (WIB Panelist) is an alumna class ’15. PepsiCo also offers an internship in accounting through alumnae Christine Tammara, however, the PepsiCo tables will be focused on the sales internship and career path.
Cara Gontarz Hume ’03It seems as though achieving a healthy work-life balance in today’s society is unattainable. Finding harmony between a demanding work schedule and a role as a mother, or juggling classwork, a social life and sleep as a student is exhausting. As highly motivated women with many goals, it is easy to feel overwhelmed.
Meet Cara Gontarz Hume, one of our fellow female Crusaders, who has created a balance between her career and family that works for her. Hume is the Senior Human Resources Leader for General Electric Finance and has three children all under the age of five-years-old. With an executive career and three young kids, she asks herself a question that many struggle with, “Can I still work and be a great mom?” For Hume, the answer is yes. She has managed to be present as a mother while simultaneously progressing her career. She remembers going on maternity leave for the first time and how worrisome it was balancing her career with the vision of what it means to be a mom. However, when she sat down with her manager and explained her situation, he gave her the life changing advice of, “just leave early.” In that moment, Hume discovered that the keys to balancing her home life with her work life were setting priorities and not keeping her two lives separate from each other.
Hume recalls the once defined line between work and personal life: “I was taught, you keep work at work and home at home.” However, throughout her career, she has seen a change in this attitude to which she attributes much of her success. She explains that she brings her full self to work not hiding that she is a working mother with three young kids. She explains, “I will be there and deliver but I do carve out time for kids. I do not use them as an excuse or a limiting factor, just part of who I am.”
As a student at Holy Cross, she was able to develop her time management skills. Like many students on the Hill, she managed a schedule of rigorous courses, a competitive athletic schedule and a variety of other campus activities. The ingrained concept of Cura Personalis, or “care of the whole person,” is a mentality promoted at Holy Cross that has contributed to much of her success. Hume says she draws upon these ideas of caring for the mind, body, and soul as a foundation of her whole-self resulting in a better self.
Multiple priorities are hard to balance and this difficulty will never go away. Hume emphasizes the importance of setting parameters around prioritizing personal time. She says, “If you don’t set a framework for personal time you will burn out. And no one will set it for you.” Everyone has their own tips and tricks on how to balance commitments, but what has worked for Hume is making a habit of taking personal time. She advises, “Make an actual plan. Mark it on your calendar and block it off.” Mark off family dinner or gym time. Put drinks with friends in your calendar and stick with the designated schedule. Having personal time marked into the calendar will make it part of your routine, making it harder to let your personal time go by the way side. Additionally, she warns, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew and avoid the extremes.” Hume also recommends constantly turning inward for personal assessments. Nobody’s fulfillment plan will be the same so it is important to check in with yourself to make sure you are happy with the way life is going.
With the school year starting up soon and new projects beginning at work, try using Hume’s trick and mark your calendar with consistent “me time” to care for yourself. Happy balancing!
Have an idea for a business? Interested in working with cool ideas?
Get involved with entrepreneurship and innovation this fall!
“The extracurricular entrepreneurial opportunities offered outside of the classroom such as the Ignite Incubator, the Fullbridge Program, the Shark Tank Competition, visits to start-ups, and networking events have all furthered my desire to pursue a career in business.”
– Paul Wiley ’20, chemistry major
2017 Shark Tank Competition Winner
>> Join the new Holy Cross student run Ignite Incubator! The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program is excited to launch the College’s new student run incubator. The Ignite Incubator enables students from all class years to learn what it takes to bring a business to market through hands on experience. Students can either:
The incubator is now accepting applications for both business ideas and for associate positions on the management team.
Apply NOW! Deadline: September 10, 2018
>> Fall Course: Entrepreneurship 101
Tue. & Thu. from 12:30-1:45pm
Prof. Ja-Naé Duane
Entrepreneurship begins with a vision. This course focuses on the foundations of entrepreneurship and is appropriate for students from any major. It is designed to introduce students to the entrepreneurial process so that they may begin to shape their own entrepreneurial vision. Course objectives include an introduction to the challenges of entrepreneurship, an understanding of the ethical environment in which entrepreneurs operate, the skills to think critically and work toward the ability to evaluate opportunities in the business. This is a course that includes project-based entrepreneurial activities where students work to test and validate ideas.
Who should take this course?
Space is limited. Seats available for second, third and fourth year students.
>> Have questions? Reach out to Ja-Naé Duane, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, for more program details!
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The annual fall Women in Business Conference comes but once a year, but the student committee would argue differently. With conference planning that takes a full year, and various student events each semester, the student committee has a new goal: Create a network of women in business.
Kate Beckerman ’20 decided after the 2017 conference to create the Women in Business newsletter, Purple Pulse, with the first edition sent out mid-April 2018. She explains “I saw how special of a community we had at the conference and I wanted to have a way to keep us connected and inspired throughout the year.” She went on to say the name “Purple Pulse” was inspired by the phrase “Bleed Purple” which speaks to how passionate students and alumnae are about HC. “Pulse” refers to our strong network and the burst of empowerment we receive at each conference. Beckerman hopes this newsletter will help to strengthen this amazing community year round.
>> Join the Community! Register for the next installment of the Purple Pulse newsletter to see student and alumnae highlights, conference announcements, upcoming events, career tips and year-round inspiration!
Meet your 2018 Women in Business Student Committee!
Top Left to Bottom Right: Nalani Ramos Ruiz ’21, Kate Beckerman ’20, Casey Carty ’18, Rosangel Cruz Cabrera ’18, Grace Ingram ’21, Clare O’Leary ’19, Sarah Anderson ’20, Margaret Anderson ’21
Not Pictured: & Mary McGregor ’19 and Delaney Wells ’20
For Bryan Dextradeur ’17, a biology major, two internships shifted his idea for what to do after leaving Mount St. James. “I planned on pursuing medical school after graduation, as it seemed to be the mainstream route for students majoring in the sciences.”
But when Dextradeur was in search of medical-focused internships, a business position at Fallon Health caught his eye instead, and he completed an internship there the summer before his junior year. The summer before his senior year, he took a role as a research and business intern for NYU Langone Medical Center.
“Before my internships, I was under the false impression that a career in medicine was the only meaningful way to make an impact in the health care sector. My internships showed me first-hand that a great deal of the innovative work in healthcare is on the business side.”
Read more below.
https://news.holycross.edu/blog/2018/07/11/down-any-possible-road-internships-open-the-door-wide-for-post-grad-success/
87% of Holy Cross alumni work in business roles, yet none of them majored in business. Hear about “The Value and Relevancy of a Jesuit Education in the 21st Century” as discussed by:
Douglas M. Baker Jr. ’81, CEO & chairman of the board, Ecolab Inc.
AnnMaura Connolly ’86, CSO & EVP, City Year and president, Voices for National Service
Brian P. Kelley ’83, vice chairman, Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
Mary Agnes “Maggie” Wilderotter ’77, former CEO & executive chairman, Frontier Communications
Looking back just a month ago when campus was alive with students, the College held the annual Academic Conference where students from all class years and majors put on a show of research, performances, presentations and so on. This year over 470 students participated in the four-day celebration!
“The best piece of advice we got was to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Sierra Hannough ’18 recounts her experience working with choreographers her senior year and working out what comes next after the hill.
Read on to see some of the amazing work Holy Cross students are doing here.
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