"Thank you. I am delighted and proud to have you involved. I feel like we've come full circle." My old professor said in his closing remarks at our third meeting on Zoom. The first two meetings were to align the Committee on short and long-term goals and our processes. I was looking forward to the third meeting where we were going to get our hands dirty in the life-changing moments.
“Thank you. I am delighted and proud to have you involved. I feel like we’ve come full circle.” My old professor said in his closing remarks at our third meeting on Zoom. The first two meetings were to align the Committee on short and long-term goals and our processes. I was looking forward to the third meeting where we were going to get our hands dirty in the life-changing moments.
It was April 2016 when I had my life-changing moment. It was one of those memories that feels like it was yesterday because of how vivid every detail was. From the blue-collar shirt I wore, the library desk I was sitting at, the staunchly smell of old books, and the time on the annoying ticking clock at 5 minutes past 3 pm. I had just logged into my inbox when I received the congratulatory email from my professor saying, “Thank you for presenting CareBand to the BEST Committee. On behalf of the Committee, I am pleased to offer you a $100k investment.” It was in reading those words that my dream turned into a reality.
I had always thought I would graduate from college, work for a few years and then start a company. It was just in my blood to break from the status quo and do something of my own that impacted people’s lives. I never once expected that I would have enough money to actually start a company while in school. But I guess that is the beauty of life, you never really know what is coming next, and at any moment, you could be faced with a decision where if you choose to accept the unknown, you may get what you have always wanted.
Just three months before, I had accepted a full-time consulting job in Chicago. I had turned my internship into a full-time job, which my peers recognized as an accomplishment on its own. With this investment on the table, I was faced with a tough decision on what to do. Many challenging conversations followed with my parents, friends, and my professor on what to do. After going back and forth for a week, I was convinced that I should make the investment and make it work, so I accepted the $100k.
Speeding up to today, that money was the start to the dream that I wake up to every day. It is the opportunity to build a company, inspire a team, and impact older adults’ lives. I could not see the path forward when faced with the decision, but I am beyond grateful for that push from my professor to take the money and figure it out. Steve Jobs says it best, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect the dots looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will connect in your future.”
A few months ago, I heard from my old professor again. He reached out to see if I would be willing to join the University’s Investment Committee for student startups. It was a huge honor. The role was focused on supporting the university in deciding which startups and students to invest in with alumni donated gifts. I had never been on that side of the table before. My experience up till then was pitching to investors or venture groups as the one hungry for an investment. Yet, I was thrilled by the opportunity and excitingly accepted.
Yesterday was our third meeting as an investment committee, and it was the one that mattered. The meeting where three lucky student-led startups pitched their bright-eyed, riskful ideas for a life-changing investment. The Committee was made up of two other former students who had won the competition before me, the University’s Venture Executive Director, and my old professor. We listened to each pitch, peppered them with questions, and then deliberated as a group to choose which startup to invest in. I loved the process and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the pitches, asking them questions, and discussing the most promising startup.
When the meeting was ending, my old professor was sharing his closing remarks. He shared how he had had this crazy idea of bringing the three of us back to join this investment committee. At first, the idea was not well received by his higher-ups, but he fought for us because he believed in showcasing the full circle of student achievement.
All of this has taught me that you never really know what the future will hold and all you can do is keep moving forward. This opportunity to support the university, student innovation, and future success has been outstanding, and I can’t wait to continue this critical work.