MSIM Alumni Spotlights

Meet the new wave of innovators.

Whether you aspire to be a product manager, work in technology strategy, build sustainable cities for the future, help support cleantech startups, become a data scientist or launch your own business, Tufts MS in Innovation & Management prepares you to innovate and have an impact in a variety of roles.

Check out how some MSIM alumni are leveraging their degree.

Sophia Atik, MSIM '19

Human Factors Engineer, Vicarious Surgical Inc.

Background: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Minor in Dance
Undergraduate: Tufts University

"This program is made up of intelligent individuals with common goals and engaging faculty that are willing to help in any way possible. It is an extremely encouraging environment that allows for ultimate creativity. I value how this program allowed me to harness my imagination and develop a product that could positively change society.”

Click here to learn more about VASERA Male Contraceptives, Sophia's award-winning venture that was selected as one of 8 finalists at the Sloan Healthcare Innovation Prize Competition at MIT.
Click here to hear Sophia speak about how the Tufts entrepreneurship community has played a role in the success of VASERA.

Rahul Chavan, MSIM '18

Product Manager - ERP Cloud Fintech, Oracle

Background: B.Tech., Computer Engineering
Undergraduate: SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, 2016

"The MSIM program has been the most empowering choice I've made. When I entered the program, I knew I wanted to do something at the intersection of business, tech, and marketing. What the program has helped cultivate in me is that entrepreneurial spirit, and you can take that to any job that you go into."

Fan Chen, MSIM '18

Senior Solutions Designer, 6 River Systems, Inc.

Background: Bachelor of Electrical Engineering
Undergraduate: McGill University, 2012

"I chose Tufts because I wanted to learn about customer discovery and design thinking skills. I was debating if I should go to an MBA or something more unique, like MSIM, and I definitely made the right choice. Throughout all of our Sprint team projects, I learned to lead, influence, and negotiate effectively."

Sarah Drury, MSIM '17

Senior User Researcher, DraftKings

Background: BA.&Sc., Cognitive Science
Undergraduate: McGill University, 2016

"The focus of my role is to understand how people interact with technology so that my team can create great digital products. This means looking at improving the usability of existing products and uncovering unmet needs for future offerings. Knowing how to approach a customer and extract insights, conducting both quantitative and qualitative customer research, creating a customer journey map, analyzing data – these are all skills I learned during the program and leverage as a user researcher."

Beverly Kodhek, MSIM '19

Product Manager, Microsoft

Background: B.S., Computer Science
Undergraduate: University of Nairobi, 2016

“There's a huge emphasis on personal development in the MSIM program and it is here that I've learned a lot about working with my personality to find my leadership style.”

Teresita Liebel, MSIM '18

Human Factors and Usability Engineer II at NxStage Medical, Inc.

Background: B.S., Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts and Sciences, Concentrations in Mechanical Engineering and Social Sciences
Undergraduate: Lehigh University, 2017

“Working in interdisciplinary teams of designers and engineers, I am responsible for usability testing and design ethnography of our medical and life sciences products. MSIM prepared me to dig deeper to find the root cause of a customer’s potential problem.”

Ottillia Ni, MSIM '19

Associate Digital Product Manager, iRobot

Background: B.A. in Physics
Undergraduate: Williamette University

“I appreciate how the Tufts MSIM program pushed its students to continuously ask questions that stimulate curiosity and innovation, while bringing together students of various backgrounds and experiences.”

Julia Novakoff, MSIM '19

Product Designer at Iora Health

Background: B.S. in Engineering Psychology
Undergraduate: Tufts University

“There is no such thing as a bad idea in the MSIM studio, and I love how much support we received to pursue our passion projects.”

Click here to learn more about Kandula Hard Kombucha, Julia's venture that won 1st place in the 2019 $100k New Ventures Competition's General Technology track.

Zachary Zager, MSIM '18

Product Manager, Onapsis Inc.

Background: B.S., Engineering Psychology
Undergraduate: Tufts University, 2017

"MSIM was really pivotal for what I'm doing now in terms of working with a group of interdisciplinary people at the company and in terms of understanding the business side. Being able to have a better sense of all the elements of a business is pretty profound; I have a much better understanding of all the puzzle pieces that go into a company now."

Rebecca O’Connor, MSIM '17

Project Manager, NV5

Background: B.E., Biomedical Engineering
Undergraduate: Stevens Institute Technology, 2016

“The skills developed in the MSIM program apply to so many different fields. I have the technical background, but really wanted to learn the people skills. It was great to have classmates, now friends, with different backgrounds and career interests come together and learn from each other.”

Kushant Sunkara, MSIM '19

Manager - Clinical Programs, American Well

Background: B.A. in Biochemistry; M.A. in Bioethics
Undergraduate: Case Western Reserve University

“I chose the MSIM program because of its innovative hands on project-centric teaching style instead of traditional lecture-based courses. I achieved a strong business acumen and have the knowledge to make key strategic business decisions. I was able to come out of the program as a strong leader."

Click here to watch a video highlighting the $100k New Ventures Competition, where Kushant's venture, Cermontix, was a top finalist. 

Laura Taraboanta, MSIM '19

Manager, Clinical Innovations at Click Therapeutics, Inc.

Background: B.A. in Biochemistry, M.A. in Bioethics
Undergraduate: Case Western Reserve University

“MSIM stood in clear contrast to other graduate programs due to its focus and commitment to the quality of support for its graduate students. From learning directly from industry experts, to one-on-one dedicated career development, the MSIM program delivered on its promise to equip students with the necessary tools for the careers they envision and supports you well beyond the classroom setting.”

Ashwini Chidirala, MSIM '17

Consultant, Nuvera Life Science Consulting

Background: B.S., Biomedical Engineering
Undergraduate: Rutgers University, 2016

"All of us [in my cohort] learned more ways to learn something rather than just learning a concept. We relied equally on our peers as we did on our professors, and I think that helped me prepare for what working experience is like. We learned more than what anyone could learn from a textbook; our professors were industry professionals who have excelled in their fields."

Yongtao Ding, MSIM '17

Senior Data Scientist, Didi

Background: B.E. in Software Engineering
Undergraduate: Wuhan University, 2016

“The Applied Data Science course inspired me and has guided me to a career as a data scientist. My classmates and the Tufts community were very collaborative throughout the year and continue to be a great support network.”

Chad Goldberg, MSIM '19

Research Associate, Lux Research

Background: B.S. in Engineering Psychology
Undergraduate: Tufts University

“I chose MSIM for its unique course offerings and incredible faculty. The Sprint projects were extremely beneficial for developing a unique and varied skillset. The program encouraged risk-taking, coupled with a ‘fail fast and fail often’ approach that I think made for an incredibly challenging, fun, and rewarding experience.”

Click here to watch a video highlighting Chad's venture, Sterilyse, that won 1st place in the 2019 $100k New Ventures Competition.

Edith (Yihan) Hu, MSIM '17

Senior Marketing Analyst, RMS China, Zeiss

Background: Bachelor of Business Administration
Undergraduate: East China Normal University, 2016

“I was surprised by the diversity of my MSIM classmates. They are an extremely intelligent and dynamic group from all different backgrounds. I learned so much from them about communication, styles of leadership, and the spirit of learning new things.”

Cameron Irwin, MSIM '18

JD/LLM Candidate at Duke University School of Law

Background: B.A., Economics
Undergraduate: Tufts University, 2017

"It's an engineering degree, but it's not a technical engineering degree. It's a great crossroads that you get all these technical people and teach them the business skills, how to actually make money, and how to change the world using their skills. I don't want to use this as a stepping stone; I want to actually make a positive difference in the world."

After landing a role at BitOoda as Corporate Development Associate following the MSIM program, Cameron is now pursuing a law degree at Duke University School of Law.

Barton Liang, MSIM '17

Construction Manager, DMV Region, Lidl US

Background: B.S., Civil Engineering
Undergraduate: Tufts University, 2016

“New Product Development had the biggest impact on me because I was taught a whole new way of holistically approaching problems, including how to find and address a potential customer or other stakeholder’s (spoken or unspoken) needs. I was able to apply these skills not only to my Sprint project and the start-up that followed, but also to my summer internship at a multinational construction company.”

Rahul Rakhit, MSIM '18

Equity Research Associate, LifeSci Capital

Background: B.S., Biology & Bioinformatics
Undergraduate: Boston College, 2017

"The Career Development class was one of the most important thing to happen [to me]. Once I was in the door [at LifeSci Capital], I found I was actually ahead of the other people I started with because of the different classes I took and understanding the macro & micro economic aspects of what goes into a company."

Sagun Sanghi, MSIM '18

Analyst - Data & Business Intelligence, Infogain

Background: B. Tech., Computer Engineering
Undergraduate: Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, 2016

“The MSIM program gave me the necessary skills and techniques to tackle each client’s problem in the most innovative and thorough way possible to help them fulfill their objectives. It is okay to fail and okay to fail quickly since there is a lot to learn from your failures. I believe that failures give you a fresh perspective on how to lookout for potential problems that may arise on whatever venture you have undertaken."

Jinsu Chang, MSIM '18

Founder and CEO, Lumen Energy Solutions

Background: B.A., International Relations
Undergraduate: Tufts University, 2017

“Throughout the MSIM program, I was trained to really learn on the fly and adopt all the skills necessary in running a business. I felt really prepared when I came out to the real world and decided to start my business; I knew where I should start and how I should start building the company."

Jake Lombardo, MSIM '19

Co-Founder & CEO, Anodyne Nanotech (Formerly HeroPatch)

Background: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering
Undergraduate: Union College

“I was really impressed with the diversity of the people in the program. Hearing all of these different perspectives from around the world, and having been all together in one classroom collaborating, I think really helped to generate a better understanding of the people that we’ll be solving problems with [in the workforce].”

Click here to watch a video highlighting Jake's venture, HeroPatch, that won 2nd place in the 2019 $100k New Ventures Competition.

Alex Rappaport, MSIM '18

Co-Founder & CEO, ZwitterCo

Background: B.S., Environmental Engineering
Undergraduate: Tufts University, 2017

“With so many resources and mentors, the MSIM program is the perfect foundation to take your venture as far as you can. The success we’ve seen this year has been incredible. We placed First in Tufts $100k New Ventures Competition in the high-tech track, and we recently secured funding from Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.”

To read more about the success of ZwitterCo, a startup originally developed as an MSIM Innovation Sprint, click here.

Maren Brenninkmeijer, MSIM '17

Leadership Development Program - Project Manager, Philips

Background: B.S., Architecture
Undergraduate: Delft University of Technology, 2016

“One of the things that made [the program] so impactful was the personal connections I had with my fellow students, professors, and the Gordon Institute staff. Everyone was so open to sharing ideas to help us accomplish our goals. Everything that I learned in the MSIM has returned directly in my work [at Philips]."

Aditi Deorukhakar, MSIM '18

Relationship Manager, Evalueserve

Background: B.E., Chemical Engineering
Undergraduate: University of Mumbai, 2015

"The [MSIM] leadership program had the highest impact on me because it really pushed me to figure out myself and where my leadership skills lie. It helped me develop the discipline and structural thinking that I need to do with every personal and professional decision I make, and I see that really bearing fruit every day in my life."

To learn more about ZwitterCo, a startup Aditi originally developed as an MSIM Innovation Sprint, watch the video here.

Sam Miller, MSIM '18

Technical Business Analyst, Greybird Ventures, LLC

Background: B.S., Biology & Biotechnology
Undergraduate: Tufts University, 2016

“The Innovation Sprints taught me that, no matter what, there's always more to learn. My favorite takeaway has to be the network you walk away with. You never really leave [Tufts] because you always have your professors and peers if you need them later."

Brendon Meknavin, MSIM '18

Demand Planning Manager, foodpanda

Background: B.S., Mechanical Engineering
Undergraduate: Purdue University, 2014

"The MSIM program not only built my business acumen but also sparked my interest in effectively solving customer problems by creating compelling products. The hands-on experiential learning gave me the chance to apply the concepts I learned in class and work with multidisciplinary teammates simultaneously, which prepared me well for the contemporary technology industry. The faculty members have also been a source of insightful academic and career advice that I believe will be beneficial throughout my long-lasting career."

Nico Pollack, MSIM '19

Business Development Manager, Real World Solutions, IQVIA Biotech

Background: B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering
Undergraduate: Tufts University

“This program promotes creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. I was able to round out my technical background with business acumen. I found a profound importance in having both to do great things in today’s tech world, and I’m excited to work with people that want to do great things.”

Hirosei Kuruma, MSIM '17

Operations and Logistics Manager, Uber

Background: B.S., Chemical Engineering
Undergraduate: Tufts University, 2016

“[In my prior role as a Research Associate at Lux Research,] we produce research reports for industrial clients on emerging technologies. I am contributing to the wearable electronics and autonomous systems teams. I am producing research and insights on trends and the state of the market, while also helping clients with their business strategies. I could not have qualified for this job without the MSIM degree.”

Wei Hsun (Rodney) Liao, MSIM '19

Quality Assurance Specialist (Search language for Google), QualiTest

Background: B.A. in Business Administration, with specialties of Economics & Management
Undergraduate: National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan

“I chose MSIM because I wanted to develop skills to be able to serve society and influence technology that is going to make enormous and revolutionary impacts on our lives. The MSIM program really fostered my leadership mindset and gave me the skills and drive needed to make an impact – that helps me a lot in the workplace. I am forever grateful to the Gordon Institute which has really become like family.”

Click here to learn more about Rodney's award-winning VacuuSafe, which took home an award from the 2018 Ideas Competition hosted by Tufts Gordon Institute's Entrepreneurship Center.

Trish O’Connor, MSIM '17

Program Manager, MathWorks

Background: B.S., Electrical Engineering
Undergraduate: Tufts University, 2016

"I am drawing on my MSIM experience in my current role as I provide technical support directly to customers. The Leadership class prepared me to communicate confidently and effectively and the New Product Development class has helped me to understand the customers' pain points and deliver useful reports to our developers.”