Alumni Association News

Letter From the Executive Director


Career Resources
Your Alumni Association is here to support your personal and professional advancement. We can connect you with others in your industry, provide career development and help you discover your passion. Get started with these programs and offerings: TERRAPINS CONNECT As a Terp, you have exclusive access to our digital networking and mentorship platform: Terrapins Connect. You can mentor the next generation of Terp leaders, get invaluable career advice or connect with Terps who can help you get hired. terrapinsconnect.umd.edu TIPS FOR TERPS Sign up for a new monthly e-newsletter that will share key resources that UMD provides to alumni and will keep you up-to-date on career trends. To start receiving this newsletter, email Ellie Geraghty at ellieg@umd.edu. MARYLAND MASTER CLASS The Alumni Association’s Maryland Master Class webinar series, a members-only benefit, can kick-start your career and professional development while broadening your network of Terp professionals—all from the comfort of your home. Learn more about the series and our bimonthly webinar program featuring noteable Terp alumni speakers. alumni.umd.edu/webinars CAREERS FOR TERPS A partnership with the University of Maryland Career Center, Careers4Terps is the primary online career management tool for students and alumni. Whether you’re looking for a job or to hire a Terp, Careers4Terps is a one-stop shop. careers.umd.edu/careers4terps
New Conference Gives Startups 100 TEN Percent
Terp Entrepreneur Network Hosts Hundreds of Savvy Startup Terps Photo by Lisa Helfert More than 225 enterprising alumni, students and faculty gathered in March for the first EnTERPreneur Conference, co-hosted by the Terp Entrepreneur Network (TEN) and the Alumni Association. During the daylong event, company founders mingled with successful business owners, advisers and potential investors to build connections and a deeper understanding of the ups and downs of startup life. “We were able to offer this incredibly galvanizing experience for alumni who consider themselves innovative or enterprising with no regard to which college they graduated from,” says Sammy Popat ’02, campus connector and Discovery District manager for the university’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development. “We’re finding there’s great excitement and interest in sharing resources and strategies.” The conference offered panels on female entrepreneurs, technology ventures and social responsibility, which drew overwhelming interest and complemented the university’s role as the nation’s first Do Good campus. Future TEN events may incorporate additional content about female founders, paths to financial and investment success and how to build successful partnerships. For Shyon Parsadoust ’19, the conference offered a new opportunity to meet like-minded creatives and business owners. The founder of ToucanFamily (toucanfamily.com)—a web platform enabling college students to find freelance jobs in graphic design, photography and videography—donned a tropical Toucan shirt and went in hoping to pick up some new strategies. He walked out with several prospective clients. “There are so many incredible people who have graduated from Maryland,” Parsadoust said. The conference also featured a TEN Resource Center, an Apple Genius Bar-style experience that allowed students and alumni to share their needs and desires with the TEN board. As an undergraduate, Nikhil Balakumar ’14 struggled to find the support he craved to foster his innovator’s spirit. After seeing a university vision take shape, Balakumar, now principal at climate solutions company Greentel Group, has returned to lead TEN’s board. “We really want Terp entrepreneurs to feel heard and that we’re actively working with each and every one of them to discover and unleash their entrepreneurial goals,” he says. —KIMBERLY MARSELAS ’000 Comments
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