Meet our Students and Alumni
 Elizabeth Schrader '04Park Fellow President, Women's Management Council My Johnson MBA gave me a well-rounded foundation in finance, as well as the practical experience in banking that allowed me to transition from a marketing and product development career into investment banking. Any top tier business school will give you the essential technical tools, but the Johnson School has given me an increased understanding of my leadership skills and the ability to take a holistic approach to solving problems. When I first arrived, I wasn't sure I could do this. I had been out of school for nine years and I had a lot of diverse work experiences: functionally (R&D, Strategy, and Marketing), geographically (US, Japan and China) and structurally (Fortune 25 and an Internet startup). But I found that I did have experiences that were relevant and I found myself being challenged on many different levels. Being a manager of BR Ventures, Cornell's Venture Fund, was a unique way to gain experience in the field of private equity. With BR Ventures, I had the opportunity to interact with prominent venture capitalists, and learn first-hand how to evaluate potential investments. Working with BR Incubator, I was able to follow my passion for entrepreneurship and had the opportunity to mentor fellow entrepreneurs and help them grow their businesses. As a Park Fellow, I worked with partners to develop a marketing plan for the Ithaca Youth Bureau, a quasi-governmental organization that provides services for youth and their families. We helped them establish a non-profit foundation to raise funds and identified other fund-raising avenues. |
