Welcome back to the Humans of Tepper Podcast. This week hosts Mike and Rosa Maria are joined by Alp Erbug and Pablo Gomez, both first-year international MBA students in the technology space.  

Pablo grew up in Mexico and came to the US for his undergraduate degree. He focused on finance before pivoting into analytics and technology during the pandemic. Alp was born in Turkey, and also came to the US for his undergrad to study engineering before moving into the tech space. Pablo and Alp were both involved with internships this summer through Tepper. 

Pablo interned with Google, which was an amazing opportunity for him coming from a finance background. It was a fun company to work with, has a great collaborative atmosphere, and people from so many different backgrounds. Google has so many resources to familiarize yourself with the company and culture, and have groups specifically for international students to help them better navigate living and working in the US.

Pablo worked for Amazon in Seattle as a product manager. He had a great experience with the company, and learned of the opportunity through Tepper-led events. Networking plays such a big role in finding opportunities that are not just great, but good fits for what you’re looking for in an internship. Product Managers are problem solvers that identify issues and make connections that keep everything running smoothing. 

Both Alp and Pablo are on the Technology Strategy and Product Management (TSPM) track, which gives you access to classes in other schools. It gives you the opportunities to learn strategies from other fields of studies, and exposure to learn more than just in your one concentration. It also connects you to other students and graduates in the tech space.

What You Will Learn:

1. Background on Tepper students Alp and Pablo.
2. The recruitment experience of Tepper’s summer internship programs.
3. The Technology Strategy and Product Management (TSPM) track at Tepper. 

Welcome back to the Humans of Tepper Podcast. This week hosts Nikita and Ayush are joined by Chris and Chrissy, both first-year, full-time students at Tepper, to discuss entrepreneurship at Tepper.  

Chrissy is from China and came to the US at 16. She triple-majored in Accounting, Marketing, and Information Systems in her undergrad University of Chicago at Urbana Champaign. After graduating, she worked in marketing for a Thai start-up company which started her thinking about entrepreneurship and business development. On the other hand, Chris grew up in the Detroit area of Michigan and has a background in corporate finance for the automotive industry. As he worked in various finance positions, he noticed how many of his higher-ups and mentors had MBAs, which ultimately led him to apply to Tepper.

Tepper is very focused on innovations and analytical aspects, which was a huge draw for Chrissy, who works a lot in the ever-changing marketing landscape. Finding a school with solid entrepreneurship programs was also significant to Chris and Chrissy. Tepper strives to create a safe environment for entrepreneurs because it can be a very scary journey. 

The Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship is the heart of the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Tepper and is open to current students and alumni to pursue an entrepreneurial journey. It’s a great way to meet others with similar mindsets and goals from many different backgrounds. Additionally, 99 Tartans is an angel investment syndicate of Carnegie Mellon Alumni looking to invest in Carnegie Mellon-founded organizations. The group holds pitch meetings and works to connect start-ups and investors and bring them down the fundraising path.

Many CMU start-ups are tech-based, and Chrissy’s start-up is in supplements. So at first, she was a little skeptical about how much Tepper could really do for her and her business. However, there’s so much to branding, strategy, and more that cross over in the business world, so having that network of knowledgeable people proved integral. In addition, there are so many programs available that provide a critical environment to entrepreneurs that help you succeed regardless of the industry you’re building in. 

What You Will Learn:

1. Background on Tepper students Chris and Chrissy and what brought them to study at Tepper. 
2. Information about the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship and 99 Tartans.
3. What CMU can offer if you’re not in the technology field.

Welcome back to the Humans of Tepper Podcast. This week hosts Mike and Rosa Maria are joined by Yingqian Wang and Ben Kaufman to discuss family roles in their journey through an MBA at Tepper. Yingqian Wang is a member of the MBA Part-time Flex program, has a degree in Structural Engineering, and works full-time as a professional engineer. Ben is a first-year full-time MBA Student with an engineering background and was looking for a school with a STEM designation. 

For Yingqian, the part-time program allowed her to develop professionally, connect with other people, and explore. Her husband graduated from Tepper, which gave her a lot of first-hand knowledge of the school. She also loved the flexibility of part-time study, virtual classes, and participation in clubs. In addition, access Weekend allows part-time students to get together and spend the weekend networking, taking classes, and more.

Ben’s wife has been incredibly supportive of his schooling. He came in with many fears of disrupting the life they had built together. The hardest part for him is managing the recruiting aspect of his field, seeing as it lined up with the birth of his son. Everyone has been so accommodating when it comes to making time for life events. There are so many resources available to you that are incredibly helpful to support you through these life events.

What You Will Learn:

1. Background on Yingqian Wang and Ben Kaufman.
2. What brought them to study at Tepper.
3. The role family plays in their life at Tepper and how they navigate a work-life balance.