Smith Profiles
Alumni Profile
Serial Entrepreneur, Driven To Help Others
Jason Cohen ’96
Entrepreneurs beat long odds when they launch a company and sell it to investors. Jason Cohen ‘96 has done it several times.
Alumni Profile
Following a Vision, Becoming a Game-Changer
Kevin Plank ’96
Kevin Plank knows what it means to be a game-changer. He transformed the world of sports apparel when he launched Under Armour in 1996.
Alumni Profile
From Autos to Philanthropy, Driven To Make a Difference
Robert G. Hisaoka ’79
Robert G. Hisaoka ’79 believes building a strong business begins with building a strong team through great communication and measuring performance. Over the span of his career, he’s done just that.
Alumni Profile
Understanding – and Supporting – Entrepreneurship
Bill Boyle ’81
Entrepreneurs can face a multitude of challenges as they take their ideas from concept to startup, and Bill Boyle ’81 understands them all.
Alumni Profile
Climbing Corporate Ladders and Branching Out
Leigh Burnside ’92
Leigh Burnside ’92 has learned what it takes to climb the corporate ladder and succeed in the C-suite. But she’s also learned that careers aren’t just about reaching the next rung on the ladder – they’re about branching out.
Alumni Profile
Driven To Serve, Most Recently in a ‘Digital Dunkirk’
Adam DeMarco, MBA ’21
Adam DeMarco, MBA ’21, was raised in a “family of service,” as he put it. His relatives span careers including law enforcement, nursing, medicine, and, as DeMarco himself chose, the military. “The notion of serving, serving others, and being a part of something bigger than oneself is something that I have just grown up with and have sought to inculcate,” said DeMarco.
Alumni Profile
Raising Awareness About Disabilities in the Workplace
Alan Grantham ’05
For many people, work can be stressful. Between the deadlines, meetings, presentations and other responsibilities to be managed, the professional world can be tough to navigate. And it can be made that much harder for people who suffer from a disability.
Alumni Profile
From Student to CEO, Solving Problems
Carly Fiorina, MBA ’80
When Carly Fiorina, MBA ’80, looks back over the arc of her career, what stands out for her isn’t a single achievement or experience. That’s not what defines her. So what does stand out for her as she looks back?
Student Profile
Studying for her MBA, Eying a Career in Impact-Driven Consulting
Lee-Ellen Myles
Lee-Ellen Myles believes businesses are ideally positioned to leverage their influence to make impactful change. It’s a belief that has been validated in her coursework at UMD and Maryland Smith, and during her 2021 summer internship with Council Fire, a consulting firm that works to help purpose-driven organizations thrive by creating lasting economic, social and environmental value.
Student Profile
After the Marines, Finding a Passion in Marketing
Octavia Davis
Octavia Davis couldn’t picture herself going to college right after high school. She hadn’t yet decided what she wanted to do with her life, with her career. Joining the military, she thought, would give her time to decide what she wanted, while giving her a rich, worldly experience.