S2E9 - The Entrepreneur Track w/ Rob Miller

Humans of Tepper

Welcome back to the Humans of Tepper Podcast. This week, second-year MBA student Rob Miller joins hosts Ben and Kara to discuss his experience with the Entrepreneurship MBA Track. Rob is from Upstate New York and studied Industrial Psychology in undergrad. After graduation, he started building his resume in entertainment and marketing roles before turning his attention to the startup landscape.

When deciding to go back for his MBA, Rob focused on finding a program with an entrepreneurial base. Carnegie Mellon University has such incredibly diverse schools to begin with, and Tepper offers a business degree that capitalizes on that attention to diversity and the opportunities that come out of it. The Sports Fellowship within Sports Center is a program for students already dedicated to an entrepreneurial path in the first year. Through that fellowship, Rob even received an opportunity to interview American entrepreneur Mark Cuban.

The Entrepreneurship Track at Tepper is open to anyone interested in that side of the business world, but it doesn't necessarily mean you're planning to be an entrepreneur. Many students in the tract pursue careers like investment banking, consulting, project management, etc. The track is an opportunity to learn from different angles to give you the skills needed to thrive in an entrepreneurial environment.

It splits into two focuses: high-growth entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial through acquisition. Both sub-tracks allow for the flexibility to pursue interests while giving you access to mentors that will be with you through Tepper and beyond and letting you work with your classmates on real-world applications.

Rob didn't originally plan to follow a track. Instead, he planned to concentrate on the skillsets he wanted to build while at school. However, the great thing about Tepper's tracks is that if you're thoughtful in building your class schedules, it leaves a lot of room to fill with other concentrations. The real-world applications Rob experienced with learning entrepreneurial methodologies and networking opportunities are pivotal to his future in business.

If you've ever been serious about an idea or are interested in helping with someone else's startup, there's nothing like networking with your peers while getting your degree. It's such a cool space to start on your idea and capitalize on your peers and mentors. Rob advises potential and incoming students to take some risks. You have a two-year period to stick your neck out there, network with as many people as you can, and don't be afraid to fail.

What You Will Learn:

1. Background on Rob Miller and what brought him to study at Tepper.
2. Information on the Entrepreneurship Track of the Tepper MBA.
3. What studying entrepreneurship can offer prospective students.