Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA Class of 2018 JJ Xu started his own company, TalkMeUp, immediately after graduation.Provided photo
JJ Xu always wanted to be an entrepreneur. His MBA journey at Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business gave him the strength to make that dream a reality.
Xu came up with the idea for TalkMeUp while attending the Tepper School. TalkMeUp is an AI-powered platform designed to improve employee communication efficiency without the need for training sessions. She eventually incorporated her TalkMeUp after graduating in 2018.
It never would have happened without the guidance and resources she received at Tepper.
“Tepper gave me a lot of resources and pushed me to think outside the box,” says Schuh. “Business school helps you develop a mindset about how to leverage all your resources.”
think like an entrepreneur
Xu studied in the entrepreneurship course of the Tepper MBA program, one of five offered by the school. Others include business analysis, energy and sustainability, innovation and product development management, and technology strategy and product management.
“Entrepreneurship courses include courses that teach students how to grow as entrepreneurs at different stages and gain all the knowledge needed to run a business,” says Xu.
Her professors brought lessons from their time working in their field and were always willing to connect her with their networks. One of the many valuable lessons she still practices, she says, is to keep expanding your network and keep learning by asking for additional introductions in conversations.
She remains part of the CMU community.
“I think you can also get in touch with alumni you don’t know yet. They almost always reach out to me and are generous with support and information,” she says.
Tepper Professor Jim Jenn (far right) and students.Provided photo
“AI is changing things drastically”
The boom in AI has put Tepper MBAs at the heart of real companies, working centrally to solve the problems they face today, says Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of Corporate Startups. Jim Jenn, director of the lab (CSL). They are incorporating those lessons into their company’s plans.
“AI is shaking things up, and businesses are all rethinking their strategies, considering what the new opportunities are and what the threats are,” Jen says. “This is currently a top priority for our corporate partners, and we have student teams working with them to explore ways to reshape their strategies.”
At the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, students work with corporate partners to create solutions to real-world problems they face. “Students get first-hand experience working with corporate partners to innovate, and they really have to think outside the box,” says Jen.
Collaboration is a fundamental principle at TEPPER
Entrepreneurs are inherently and often necessarily collaborative, and Tepper is well known for its highly collaborative community, Jen says. “There are many principles at the core of Tepper and his CMU,” he says. One is interdisciplinary collaboration. ”
This principle was beneficial to Xu. While she was building TalkMeUp, she spent a lot of time at the Gates Center and Hillman Center, where the School of Computer Science is located, networking with professors and students there and bringing the company’s ideas closer and closer to reality. she says.
Many technology-based companies rely on the support of CSL’s Swartz Center to help them do their jobs. The lab, which focuses on bringing together students from different disciplines to drive corporate innovation/entrepreneurship, was integral to that journey.
“Students collaborate with teammates from other disciplines, which is essential to success after graduation,” says Jen. “It’s going to be collaborative, of course.”
tepper photo
Human-driven solutions for an intelligent future
Jen said Tepper prepares students for an intelligent future and creates data-backed, human-driven solutions that benefit humanity. His first-year MBA candidate, Nate Patterson, is a perfect example.
“I came to Tepper because of CMU’s culture of innovation,” Patterson says. “If you want, you can surround yourself with some of the best talent in CS, AI, and robotics.”
While self-taught in software engineering, Patterson developed a passion for agile solutions (continuous collaboration throughout the project lifecycle) and AI-based problem solving. He moved into the startup world and recently founded a legal tech startup called Compos Mentis.
Patterson said the Tepper School’s Swartz Center played an important role in supporting him, as well as many others.
“From its inception, the Center has provided us with invaluable assets,” he said, citing a few: free cloud credits to support students’ technology needs, and dedicated cloud credits to foster collaboration and creativity. workspace, mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs, and a warm introduction to the industry. leaders and potential investors. “These resources are critical to accelerating the growth trajectory of our venture.”
Supporting entrepreneurs every step of the way
Tepper Alumnus Bob DiMico, Reveal Co-Founder and CEOloveis working toward an intelligent future with his company, an AI-powered interviewing platform that helps customers turn data into decisions.
DiMico was first inspired to become an entrepreneur by Don Jones. Jones’ gift to the Tepper School established the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship. “As an early-stage startup, we all worked together and met frequently with Don, customers, and team members,” says DiMicco. “His leadership, passion for our mission, energy, enthusiasm and confidence in taking risks were contagious.”
Dimicco thought Tepper’s entrepreneurship course was a great way to learn all about startups. “I loved the sense of growth, so to speak, of creating something from just an idea,” he says.
Like Xu, interdisciplinary collaboration was key for DiMiko. He also has close ties to the School of Computer Science and received significant support from the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship.
“For technology-minded entrepreneurs, Tepper, Swartz and CMU are the perfect combination of programs and community,” Dimicco said.
