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ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP: NEWS
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2006 Student Summer Internships
Through a generous donation from an alumna, as well as support from the Entrepreneurial
Leadership Program, Tufts Career Services was able to provide funding for six student
internships for the summer of 2006. The $3500 grants, were awarded to students based on
their exemplary academic record and proven interest in entrepreneurship.
Students granted internship funding include, Vincent Bu (Electrical Eng, PHD), Craig Micon
(Quantitative Economics, 08), Jordy Defelice (Biotechnology Engineering 07), Adam Granoff
(Psych, Econ 07), Ari Allen (Political Science 08), and Rebecca Abbott (Mech Eng 08).
Each student received a grant for an unpaid internship with an entrepreneurial company. The
companies included; Boston Logic, Imunosacharide Technology, Round One, Match Events, Tissue
Regeneration Inc, and Admiral Metals.
To be considered for grant funding, students were required to submit an application, resume,
and college transcript to Career Services. The Director of the Entrepreneurial Leadership
Program, Pamela Goldberg, then worked with various companies, many of them owned and operated
by Tufts alumni, to find the best match. The companies went through their own hiring process
to select the grant recipients.
The internship grant was distributed in two parts, with $1500 being paid at the beginning of
the summer and the remaining $2000 upon the completion of the internship and grant requirements.
In addition to the time spent at the internship, students were required to write three, two page
reports, conduct an informational interview with their superior, write a report based on this
interview, write a final evaluation about their experience, and receive a final assessment from
a supervisor at their respective companies.
Ari Allen, a Sophomore Political Science major, received grant funding for an internship at
Round One. Round One, an online community for entrepreneurs, located in Providence, RI, was
especially interesting to Allen, already the founder and CEO of two separate companies. In his
grant application Allen stated, "One problem I have encountered in my entrepreneurial experience
is difficulty in establishing an executive team in a young start-up. Ideas are expensive and
students typically do not have the money to completely fund aggressive startup ventures."
At Round One, Ari has been creating the new "Connect" program, an area of the website
that facilitates the connections of people seeking new opportunities in the world of entrepreneurship.
Round One owner and Tufts alumna Susan Tremblay (J91) has been delighted with the work that Ari
has done. In a short amount of time Ari has had tremendous impact. I am grateful that Tufts is able
to financially support him. This is especially important to her as Round One currently has no full
time paid employees.
Director, Pamela Goldberg, is enthusiastic about the program and hopes to increase the number of
students involved next year. In addition to the grant recipients, an additional twenty-five Tufts
students were in internships in entrepreneurial settings where the company paid the student directly.
"This year gave us a solid start. Hopefully next year we will have the funds to get even more
students involved."
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ELS Program Inspires Student
Growing up working in her familys food distribution business in Avon, Connecticut,
Taryn Miller-Stevens (American Studies, 07), never imagined that the values she learned
would be the catalyst for her desire to one day start her own business. For
Miller-Stevens the fire that is her dream of moving to California and working with a
start-up company has been stoked by the Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies (ELS) minor,
which is currently being offered through the Gordon Institute at the Tufts School of
Engineering. The minor is an opportunity for students of all majors to incorporate real
world entrepreneurial business courses into their college experience.
The program includes courses in Entrepreneurial Leadership, Business Planning,
Entrepreneurial Finance, and Entrepreneurial Marketing among others. "The classes focus on
the subjects in a way one would encounter them in a fickle entrepreneurial environment,"
says Miller-Stevens. "However, the skills I have gained from the classes are not limited to
use only when thinking of 'starting a business'. I have been able to apply what I have
learned to various aspects of my life. These are classes that students from any discipline
could definitely benefit from."
Miller-Stevens also emphasized that she enjoys the way the classes incorporate group work
and an entrepreneurial atmosphere, "You are forced to interact with people as you would in a
real company. You are taught life skills including effective communication, being part of a group,
time management, and selling an idea."
As a member of the Womens Basketball team at Tufts, Miller-Stevens understands the value of
teamwork and what it takes to be successful as a team. An especially rewarding aspect of the ELS
program for Miller-Stevens has been seeing these values displayed in a classroom setting. Each
ELS class has at least one group project assigned during the semester. It is during one of these
projects, that Miller-Stevens learned the importance of compromising while working with a group.
"When working on a team, you are always working collaboratively and must learn to depend on
one another. Sometimes you have to adjust what you want and continue to work hard, even when you
might not be in agreement with a business idea," she says. "The way the classes are
oriented creates a high level of participation and progress."
When asked to name her favorite professor or course from the department, Miller-Stevens had
difficulty answering; however, when pressed, she finally admitted that Jeremy Halperns
Entrepreneurial Leadership class had been her favorite. "Professor Halpern truly pushed
the class by overloading us with deadlines, assignments, and an excessive amount of group work.
It was rigorous, and at times frustrating, but looking back, I can honestly say that it was the most
rewarding class I have taken at Tufts." For their final group project, students were split into
four teams, with one group acting as the "Investment and Consulting Team," while the
other three teams each created a business concept and accompanying business plan. Miller-Stevens
Investment and Consulting Team was responsible for creating a system to evaluate the leadership of
the three teams, using this model to track the progress of the three ventures, and finally deciding
if her team would invest in the business. This constant flow of group work and interaction throughout
the course creates a unique atmosphere in the ELS classes.
Miller-Stevens, who graduates next spring, has aspirations to move to California and work in a
start-up company in order to learn the ins and outs of starting a business. She hopes to utilize that
opportunity to help her when she decides to start a business of her own. Based on her experience in
her familys company as well as her education at Tufts, the senior states, "The excitement and
the drive it takes to run a business has always been appealing. While I am unsure what kind of
enterprise I would like to own and operate, I know that what I have gained from my Tufts Entrepreneurial
Leadership Studies experience will surely help me as I move toward my entrepreneurial goal."
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 Producer
of "Forrest Gump" Shares Campus Connection
Steve Tisch
The veteran Hollywood movie and television producer behind the box
office hits "Forrest Gump," "Risky Business," "Lock, Stock and Two
Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch" visited the Tufts campus and spoke to a
Coolidge Room audience filled to capacity with students, alumni, staff,
and faculty. The event format featured President Bacow interviewing Mr.
Tisch about his entrepreneurial approach to movie making and his early
career start while still a student at Tufts. Tisch explained that the
role of a Producer is shaped by ones individual approach and
personality. "Producing, in my personal experience, is about being a
storyteller. I look for material that really includes characters that I
care about. I start with the material: the story, the characters, and
the relationships," said Tisch.
When asked what he had done at Tufts that prepared him for his career
as a producer, Tisch said, "Dress warmly and be fearless." He went on to
explain that the late 60's at Tufts were a unique time to see the world
go through many, many changes and to ask questions of politicians and
professors. "I left here motivated - an adventurer," said Tisch. "Sol
Gittleman also made a huge change on my life. He told me to follow my
creative instincts." When asked about his decision to begin his own
company as an entrepreneur, Tisch explained that an entrepreneur is a
risk taker who can be a bit fearless and have a lot of fun, but who also
must be aware of what they are getting into. During the discussion,
Tisch also shared his excitement about his latest challenge as a
managing partner of the New York Giants NFL Football franchise.
Prior to the lecture, Mr. Tisch had a great discussion over lunch
with a group of students from the Communications and Media Studies
Department and the Entrepreneurial Leadership program.
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 "From
Engineer to Entrepreneur"
William J. Murphy, Co-founder & CEO, Clos La Chance Winery November 13, 2003 - Bill Murphy is chairman, CEO and co-founder of
Clos LaChance Wines, Inc., a family-owned business located in San Martin
, California about 20 miles south of the Silicon Valley. The company's
history began in 1987, when Murphy and his wife Brenda planted some
Chardonnay in their Saratoga backyard. The wine they produced was good
enough that people wanted to buy it, and it was at this point that Clos
LaChance was formed into a company. The first commercially released
wines were from the 1992 vintage. The winery, one of the fastest growing
premium wineries in California, recently completed construction of a new
winery, 100-acre vineyard, and extensive wine tasting and hospitality
facilities.
Murphy graduated from Tufts with a degree in electrical engineering
in 1967, and received his MBA from San Diego State University several
years later. In 1969 he began his distinguished career at
Hewlett-Packard — advancing from field service engineer to Director of
Internet Marketing, with worldwide marketing responsibility for all HP
Internet activities.
In his talk, Murphy discussed how he made the transition from
engineering executive to entrepreneurhighlighting the path he took, the
ups and downs, and his thoughts on what it takes to grow a company. He
also talked about the role his engineering background has played in
growing Clos LaChance. The vineyard, recognized in the industry as a
"high tech" winery, utilizes state-of-the-art technology to aid in the
winemaking process.
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 "The
Lizard King Survives"
John Bello, co-founder of SOBE Beverages; president of JoNa Ventures
October 8, 2003 - Co-founder of SoBe beverages, John Bello, A68,
spoke at the Medford/Somerville campus in the inaugural event of the
Lyon & Bendheim Alumni Lecture Series. Bello is the co-founder of South
Beach Beverage Company (SoBe), the maker of nutritionally enhanced teas
and juices. Established in 1995, the company was purchased by PepsiCo in
2001, the same year Ernst & Young named Bello National Entrepreneur of
the Year in the Consumer Products category.
Prior to founding SoBe, Bello spent 14 years at National Football
League Properties, the marketing arm of the NFL. He worked for
Pepsi-Cola in marketing and strategic planning capacities and at General
Foods, where he held product management roles on the Sanka and Maxwell
House Brands. Bello was also product director for Keds Brand footwear.
Currently, he is president of JoNa Ventures, an early stage investment
and strategic management company he founded with his wife, Nancy
(Nelson) Bello, J69.
The Lyon & Bendheim Alumni Lecture Series was established by J.B.
Lyon, A85, and Tom Bendheim, A85, to bring prominent and successful
Tufts alumni to campus to share their wisdom and experience with
students.
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"Entrepreneurship & Biotechnology"
James C. Foster, Chief Executive Office, Charles River Laboratories
April 8, 2003 - James Foster, the 2003 Forbes Magazine Entrepreneur
of the Year, will
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) is the world's
leading provider of critical research products and integrated
preclinical support services for the biomedical community. As Chief
Executive officer of Charles River Laboratories, he received accolades
from Forbes for his forward-thinking plans.
Foster joined Charles River Laboratories as General Counsel in 1976.
For the past 24 years, he has held various staff and managerial
positions at the company, and was named President in 1991, Chief
Executive Officer in 1992 and Chairman in 2000. Mr. Foster also serves
on the Board of Directors of BioTransplant, Inc. He received a B.A. from
Lake Forest College, a M.S. from the Sloan School of Management at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a J.D. from Boston University
School of Law.
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"4 is a Charm- The Ups and Downs of
Entrepreneurship"
Seth Merrin, CEO, Liquidnet
January 29th, 2003 - Seth Merrin is founder and CEO of Liquidnet, an
institutional e-brokerage firm which debuted on April 10, 2001. In his
talk, Seth provided an overview of the business models of the 4
different companies he has founded, outlined the pros and cons of each,
and described the process by which he finally "got it right." He
discussed what he did right and wrong in each of the companies, and what
was good and bad about each business. Seth wanted those in attendance to
be able to learn from his mistakes, and walk away with a simple
checklist they can refer to when starting a company, or even joining one
as an employee.
In addition to Liquidnet, Seth co-founded two other technology firms.
In 1997, he co-founded VIE Systems, Inc., a financial services
application integration software company. VIE was sold to New Era of
Networks (NEON) in 1999. In 1985 Seth founded Merrin Financial, the
pioneer in institutional order management, compliance and electronic
order routing systems for asset managers. Merrin Financial was sold to
ADP in 1996.
Seth was a runner up in Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year
award in New York in 2002 and was named one of the top 10 innovators of
the decade by Wall Street and Technology Magazine in 1999. Prior to
starting his first company, Merrin Financial, Seth was a Risk Arbitrage
Trader. Seth graduated from Tufts University in 1982.
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