Events

Have questions about Generative AI or starting a business in the space? Ask Arman Hezarkhani and Jeremy Toeman at CMU T&E's Ask Me Anything panel! 

Please include a question you would like answered when you register for the event.

​Panel will take place on Zoom, December 14 from 12:30-1:30 pm EST.

​Jeremy Toeman, the CEO of Aug X Labs, is passionate about the intersection of media and technology. His startup makes Augie, an AI Assistant that seamlessly blends user owned content, stock media, and AI effects to automatically craft captivating marketing videos. Jeremy's career spans 25+ years in the field, with recent VP experiences at WarnerMedia, Joyn, and CBS Interactive, as well as startups such as Sling Media and Dijit. Learn more about Augie at 

Arman Hezarkhani is the founder of Parthean, personal finance education for young professionals. In his current role, he's using transformers to make money easier for people, he's raised $2.8M, hired a small team, etc. Before this, he studied ece at cmu, started two other startups, taught at CMU, worked with Google.

CMU T&E NYC: Generative AI Panel "Ask Me Anything"

Take your startup to the next level with insights and guidance from MiraclePlus-backed entrepreneurs who have successfully navigated the process of finding product-market fit, creating a winning business strategy, and raising funding.

18:00 - 18:15 Opener: intro to MiraclePlus and CMU T&E

18:40 - 19:20 Panel Talk (Steve Yeow, Allen Wang, Moderated by David Zhou)

-MIT EECS PhD (robotics, computer vision and tactile sensor), founder of a stealth startup, inventor of fingertip GelSight sensor, YC alum, founder of MIT-CHIEF.

- Co-founder CEO of OriginX.AI, twice backed by Y Combinator and Dr. Qi Lu, Forbes U30.

Allen Wang - Founder of AI Agent Social Platform, Berkley CS&DS, MiraclePlus F22

- CMU B.S. & M.S. ECE, early member & Head of Perception @ industrial autonomous driving company Cyngn (Nasdaq: CYN)

- Anger Investor, previously managed family office startup and fund investment with $300 mil AUM, co-founder of Weee!

MiraclePlus, a startup accelerator founded by Dr. Qi Lu, a Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) alumnus, former YC China founder, Baidu COO, and Microsoft EVP, specializes in guiding entrepreneurs through the early stages of their business journey. Whether it's navigating the complexities of Product-Market Fit (PMF), identifying the optimal business model, or enhancing fundraising strategies, MiraclePlus is here to assist you. MiraclePlus's 'Co-founder-as-a-Service' model has already propelled numerous CMU entrepreneurs into the startup arena.

CMU T&E + Miracle Plus - How to Build Your Own Startup Seminar

Join us at Adobe's historic 601 Townsend building in the SF Design district for a panel on all things Generative Technology, AI ethics, and product development for AI products.

You will learn about Adobe's strategy around GenAi for creatives, get an exclusive sneak peak and demo of the new Firefly models, and learn from several Product leaders on their personal journey innovating in this space.

👉🏽 5-6pm: Firefly Demo & Panel Discussion

👉🏽 6-7:30pm: Creative Technology Mixer & Happy Hour (separate RSVP required here: 

, Group Product Manager - Generative AI & Color 

 who is the CMU T&E Bay Area Chapter Lead and Product Manager @ Adobe Creative Cloud.

All attendees are invited to join the Creative Technology Mixer & Happy Hour after the panel discussion for light bites, drinks, and connecting with industry peers. This event will be open to the public until we reach RSVP capacity. 

Note: Due to limited space, this panel is exclusive to members of the CMU Tech & Enterprenuership community

. Confirmation of registration is required to attend the panel and RSVPS will be accepted up to 24 hours before the event.

If you would like to join us after for the community mixer, we'd love for you to join us. Please register here: 

Please check in at the reception upon arrival. RSVP is required to attend the panel discussion.

Fireside Chat @ Adobe: Building GenTech Products for Creatives

​Are you someone who loves Board Games? Are you someone who loves Networking? How about you get to do both? Join your fellow NYC CMU T&E Alums: founders, potential founders, coders, product developers, and more from any industry for a Board Game Night! 

Next Move Cafe, 6 Bay 23rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11214

​Please RSVP if you can attend so we know how many people to expect! Since it's a Board Game Cafe 

​​​If you have any questions please email Niharika at 

CMU T&E NYC: Board Game Night

Hear from Arman Hezarkhani, Jeremy Toeman, and Miao K about starting a business in generative AI. This panel will be more conversational with an amazing moderator and another founder in this space- Alok Kothari! The panel will start with hearing from each speaker about their start-ups, where generative AI is going in the future, how generative AI is being used in their businesses, and more! 

Panel will take place on Zoom, September 11 from 5-6pm EST.

Jeremy Toeman, the CEO of Aug X Labs, is passionate about the intersection of media and technology. His startup makes Augie, an AI Assistant that seamlessly blends user owned content, stock media, and AI effects to automatically craft captivating marketing videos. Jeremy's career spans 25+ years in the field, with recent VP experiences at WarnerMedia, Joyn, and CBS Interactive, as well as startups such as Sling Media and Dijit. Learn more about Augie at 

Miao K is the founder of Pendulum, an AI powered retail trend forecasting tool designed to optimize fashion businesses's merchandising efficiency. Prior to founding Pendulum, Miao has been a growth marketer in the DTC apparel space, helping 30+ fashion brands grow revenue by 10x.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/miao-k-a34a79a7/

Alok has more than 10 years in AI/ML and previously worked at Apple, where he led the natural language backend powering the Apple's Siri AI assistant. He also co-founded the blockchain company, Harmony, whose cryptocurrency is listed on Binance and other major exchanges. Alok received his master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University. He is the Founder CEO of Posted, a generative AI company that aims to make the processes that send $3T worth of medical claims every year faster, more accurate, and less labor-intensive.

CMU T&E NYC: Generative AI Panel

Join us at Pillsbury Law in SF for an exclusive Carnegie Mellon Founders event. Whether you're just cooking up startup ideas or already in the game, we've got something for you. Get the lowdown from a savvy legal panel, toss them your Qs, and then mix it up during open networking. No matter if you're incorporated or not, come hang with fellow founders and legal pros. 

This event is invite only. Please submit your RSVP and we will confirm your attendance by August 30th.

👉🏽 6:00 - 6:45 pm - Presentation + Q&A

**If you would like to bring your co-founder / team member to this event, please have them individually RSVP and include your startup name in the questionnaire**

CMU Founders: Legal Panel + Networking @ Pillsbury Law

Calling all CMU alumni, tech founders, and enthusiasts! Join us for a laid-back Happy Hour at the Hightouch startup office, where you can reconnect, swap stories, and make fresh connections with fellow Tartans and tech trailblazers. 

Drinks and light bites will be provided. Registration required. 

Please allow 48 hours for approval upon registration.

HighTouch is a data activation platform designed to help businesses sync their product data from their data warehouses to their operational tools. Essentially, HighTouch allows for data to be pulled from databases and sent into business intelligence tools, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, marketing platforms, and more.

The goal is to facilitate the access and use of data across various functions in a business. This enables companies to make data-driven decisions more efficiently and effectively, as well as to personalize customer experiences, optimize marketing efforts, and generally improve operations.

CMU T&E is the community that empowers entrepreneurs, industry experts, technologists, and startups through our resources, opportunities, and events. Regardless of your experience, background, or location, we welcome all CMU alums and students. Join our community of 5,000+ tartans at 

CMU T&E - SF Summer Happy Hour

Happy August everyone! Join your fellow NYC CMU T&E Alums: founders, potential founders, coders, product developers, and more from any industry for a summer happy hour!

**NEW EVENT LOCATION: Fools Gold NYC 145 E Houston St New York, NY 10002. Please message Rachel at 516-313-3184 if you need help finding the new location!**

​Please RSVP if you can attend so we know how many people to expect! Space is limited!

​If you have any questions please email Rachel or Niharika at 

Location change CMU T&E NYC: Happy Hour! Aug 16th 6-7:30pm

Welcome to the Build Sprint S23 Demo Day 🚀 

Last year, we launched a program called Build Sprint. The vision behind the program is to accelerate early CMU founders by creating a community that tackles their hardest problems together. A community that is connected to the rest of the CMU entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

now wrapping the 2nd cohort of Build Sprint! And what better way to do that than for us to show you what we've built. 

This event is about celebrating these CMU founders and giving them a platform to share what they are building with folks that can further their vision 🎉

​As an audience member, you will get the chance to:

) will be joining us as the judges for this year's event! 

11:10-12:10pm - Cohort 2 Founder Demos + Investor Q&A

​Join the CMU T&E Slack community here:

Build Sprint Cohort 2 Demo Day 🚀

CMU T&E is hosting a round table for founders to share ideas and network. If you are starting a company, are in the concept stage, or you’ve already launched, come join us on Saturday, May 6th, from 2-4 pm! 

This is an excellent opportunity to discuss your pain points and successes with your fellow CMU founders.

Please answer a few questions about your company to complete your RSVP.

29th Floor, please RSVP to have your name with the security desk

Founders Roundtable

Last year we launched a 4-week program called Build Sprint for new & early CMU founders looking to take their journey to the next level. The vision behind the program was simple: to accelerate early CMU founders by creating a community that tackles their hardest problems together. A community that is by default connected to the rest of the CMU T&E ecosystem of mentors, investors, talent, etc.

now launching our 2nd cohort of Build Sprint! This time, we're doing it in-person in the SF Bay Area.

This event is about celebrating this new wave of CMU founders and giving them a platform to share what they are building with folks that can further their vision 🎉

CMU Build Sprint Cohort 2 Kickoff 🚀

e're bringing together the CMU alum AI/ML community in the Bay Area! This first event will be a panel with discussion focusing specifically on LLMs & generative AI.

​​We'll be limiting attendance to keep this event intimate and curated so RSVP ASAP. We'll be accepting folks on a rolling basis.

​​*** Even if you can't attend, RSVP so we can keep you informed of future events.

🍹🍝 Drinks + light apps will be provided.

​​6:00 -6:30pm 👉 Doors & Networking

6:30 - 7:00pm 👉 Dinner and facilitated discussion  

8:00 - 8:30pm 👉 Drinks, networking and close

Join us for an exclusive Jeffersonian style dinner for 15 women leaders in AI/ML who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University. Hosted in the AGI House, a stunning mansion in Hillsborough, this intimate event will bring together a curated guest list of accomplished women to discuss the current state and future of AI and ML. Enjoy a fine dining experience, network with like-minded individuals, and celebrate the achievements of women in this field. Don't miss this inspiring and empowering evening!

CMU T&E: Women in AI Dinner Series

Join us Friday March 24th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in New York for… 

CMU GEC | CMU T&E – Entrepreneur & Venture Capital Panel & Alumni Happy Hour, Sponsored by 

. Two Sigma Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in transformative companies which harness information growth and computing power to change the world. Gabriella joined Two Sigma Ventures in 2022 with a focus on early-stage investments across a variety of verticals, including FinTech, crypto, B2B SaaS and healthcare. Prior to joining Two Sigma Ventures, Gabriella worked as a researcher, mechanical engineer, software engineer and product manager. She is passionate about helping founders leverage new technologies to build innovative products. Gabriella holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

. Kasisto empowers financial institutions to build valuable relationships with cutting-edge conversational AI technology. Sasha is a software engineer and entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience inventing and transitioning breakthrough technology into applications and products. Before founding Kasisto, Sasha was a member of the IBM TJ Watson research team responsible for real time translation technology and conversational architecture for cars and mobile devices.

. Activate is a two-year fellowship that provides hard-tech entrepreneurs with funding, entrepreneurial education, mentorship and connections to advisors and investors. Fellow companies develop and commercialize technologies that will address climate change and other global challenges. Since 2015 Activate has supported 142 fellows whose companies have catalyzed nearly $1.3B in investments. Eva Koehler is the Fellowship Manager for Activate NY, which launched in 2022 with a cohort of 7 companies. Prior to her work with Activate, she spent 10 years working with One Acre Fund, a social enterprise that provided financing, high quality inputs and training to smallholder farmers in East, Central and Southern Africa.

, CMU alum, serial entrepreneur, & investor. Will recently served as the Executive Director of Merck Digital Sciences Studio and Director of Commercialization and Co-Director of VentureLink@NJIT - the largest startup incubator in NJ. Before that Will was the CEO and co-founder of a number of startups including ForceOwl and ConnectWith. After which he became Unlimited Brewing Co's Director of Growth - creating branded beer for experiential marketing. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business with a Master’s in Business Administration. Prior to switching to a career in tech, Will was a submarine watch officer in the US Navy with expertise in nuclear engineering operations management and project implementation. He was assigned to the USS Miami (SSN 755), a U.S. Navy nuclear powered fast attack submarine.

Location: 900 3rd Ave 29th Floor, New York, NY 10022

Panel & Mixer - CMU GEC + T&E NYC

We're bringing together the CMU alum AI/ML community in the Bay Area! This first event will be a panel with discussion focusing specifically on LLMs & generative AI. 

​We'll be limiting attendance to keep this event intimate and curated so RSVP ASAP. We'll be accepting folks on a rolling basis.

​*** Even if you can't attend, RSVP so we can keep you informed of future events.

5:30 - 6:15pm 👉 Fireside chat - The Impact of LLMs & Generative AI w/ 

6:15 - 7:00pm 👉 Q&A, networking, drinks, and apps

AI/ML Connect @ Obvious Ventures [LLMs & Generative AI]

We are kicking off 2023 in a big way – with a 6-week IN-PERSON build sprint for new & early founders located in the San Francisco Bay Area! 💪⚡️

​The last day to apply to Build Sprint is March 17th, and leading up to it we are hosting an info session for folks to learn more about this is all about.

​If you are on the fence about this program, please join us and ask questions. The agenda will be:

[Virtual] Build Sprint Info Session

Hacking away on a side project and tired of doing it alone? Have an idea but don't know how to get started? Already have a startup and looking for talented CMU alum to join? Come meet others in the same spot and maybe even find your cofounder!

The event is open to all alumni who are passionate about entrepreneurship and ready to discuss their startup idea or are looking to join a team. Fill out this form so we can learn more about you, what you're interested in, and start finding you a potential match: 

6:30-6:45 👉 Brief intros from the T&E team - who we are and the upcoming builders program

6:45-7:45 👉 Speed "dating" session (so you have the chance to meet everyone!)

Throughout the event, there will be ample opportunities for attendees to connect with each other, share their experiences, and explore potential partnerships. This is a great opportunity for CMU alumni to expand their network, find their perfect co-founder match, and take their idea to the next level.

Cofounder Dating @ WeFunder

[Alumni RSVP Only, students must RSVP via: 

South Bay T&E members - join us for an exciting networking event on the Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley campus! This event is open to both alumni and current students, providing a great opportunity for everyone to connect, network and exchange ideas. Meet and mingle with fellow Tartans and hear from industry leaders about the latest developments in the tech industry. Whether you're looking to jumpstart your career, reconnect with old friends, or simply learn more about what's happening in Silicon Valley, this event is not to be missed. 

CMU Tech & Entrepreneurship focuses on connecting the community, building an entrepreneurial culture, and providing resources for our community to succeed. Sign up to our network at 

 to get early access to events & connect with up to 4,000 alumni in the Bay Area, New York & Pittsburgh via our Slack community. **

 only. IF you are a student interested in attending this event, please rsvp via 

 and contact Sherrie Cao for more details.

CMU T&E South Bay Mixer @ SV Campus [Alumni RSVP]

[Rain or Shine Event - Venue Fully Tented]

Join Carnegie Mellon Tech & Entrepreneurship for an exclusive rooftop event in San Francisco. Connect with fellow graduates working in the tech industry, including founders, venture capitalists, and builders. Enjoy drinks and appetizers while taking in the beautiful views of the city at Hotel Via right across Oracle Park. This is a great opportunity to expand your professional network, exchange insights and ideas. This event is open to CMU alumni and approved guests - please register by 2/3 to secure your spot.

** This event is sponsored by WVV Capital. 

 is a next-generation Venture Capital firm founded as a joint partnership between Advocate Aurora Health, Foxconn, Johnson Controls International, and Northwestern Mutual. We will be joined by Jason Franklin who is the Founding Managing Director of WVV and graduate from Carnegie Mellon University where he received his Ph.D. in Computer Science. For more information on the firm, please visit 

 to get early access to events & connect with up to 4,000 alumni in The Bay, New York & Pittsburgh via our Slack community.

CMU Rooftop Happy Hour - SF 

​Come hang out for a casual meet up with fellow CMU Blockchain/Web3/NFT Alum! The event will run from 6-7:30pm! Invite all Tartans you know. +1s welcome!

The happy hour is at Fools Gold NYC - 145 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

​If you need help finding the location please contact Rachel at 516-313-3184 or at 

CMU T&E NYC: Blockchain/Web3/NFTs Happy Hour Jan 25th 6-7:30pm

[Private Event - Invite Only] - details sent via email from Sachi Shah. 

CMU T&E HH / Mixer @ Accel 

Ever wondered what promising CMU startups would be exciting to join?

 We’re hosting this CMU Startup Showcase for you to learn about some of the most promising CMU startups you should consider joining.

Each founder will share a short teaser on what they’re building and some of the most interesting challenges their startups are solving. This will be followed by a moderated Q&A to learn more about what it’d be like working at that startup & separate breakout rooms to directly ask questions to each founder.

Quadric has built a unified hardware/software architecture optimized for on-device machine learning inference. Only the Quadric GPNPU (general purpose neural processing unit) delivers high ML inference performance while also running C++ code without forcing the developer to artificially partition application code between two or three different kinds of processors.

Explo provides a powerful embedded analytics solution, enabling companies to securely share customizable product analytics, project reports, and KPIs with each of their end-users all while seamlessly matching the product's design.

Stayflexi helps hotels and vacation rentals automate operations and maximize revenues on unsold rooms and amenities. A must needed platform to address the ongoing labor shortage crisis in hospitality.

Hear Venkatesh talking about why you should join Stayflexi.

CMU Startup Showcase

Happy End of Year Everyone! We’re looking forward to coming together for the last hooray before we usher in 2023. Join your fellow NYC CMU T&E Alums: founders, potential founders, coders, product development, and more from any industry to celebrate the end of 2022.

Event location is McCarthy's Pub on 46th between 6th Ave & 7th Ave on the 2nd floor

Please RSVP if you can attend so we know how many people to expect!

If you have any questions please email Rachel at 

CMU T&E NYC: End of Year Happy Hour Dec 7th 6-8pm

We're bringing together top CMU founders in the Bay Area to connect with CMU angels + early-stage investors. We'll be sending out a list of attendees before the event to facilitate meaningful connections.

We'll be limiting attendance to keep this event intimate and curated so RSVP ASAP. We'll be accepting folks on a rolling basis. 

*** Even if you can't attend, RSVP so we can keep you informed of future events.

6:30 - 7:00pm 👉 Fireside chat - The Current Fundraising Climate w/ 

7:00 - 8:30pm 👉 Networking, drinks, and apps

 Founder/Partner at Better Tomorrow Ventures (Fintech)

 - Investor at F-Prime Captial (Enterprise, Vertical SaaS)

CMU Founder +Investor Connect (SF)

, will be hosting an interactive conversation about how to build products and startups in the industrial automation space. We'll use Machine to Machine Learning (

) as a framework (context below) to discuss starting a company, paths to market, industry examples, areas of opportunity, and trends driving this evolution.

 While industry 4.0 has traditionally been focused on manufacturing, the M2ML value proposition is extensible to a much wider scope of  industries that encompass the digitization of physical world well beyond the factory setting. M2ML uses machines to do jobs that are orders of magnitude better, or faster, than the status quo (increasingly taking humans out of the loop). 

 Kira has spent the past six years investing and growing startups with a focus on go-to-market and minimum viable product as a product manager in San Francisco and South America. She is a problem solver with a focus on disruptive innovation in advanced technologies impacting climate change, food security, machine to machine learning, and machine to human interaction. Kira co-organizes various female VC communities between Colorado and San Francisco and opened the Denver-based office for Bee Partners. 

Ale is an Associate at Bee Partners. She’s passionate about companies that have large-scale impact embedded in their technologies and business models. Her work spans across Bee’s Vectors (human-machine, machine-to-machine, and biological machines) and she takes a human centered approach to venture capital investing. Ale has an MBA from UC Berkeley, and previously spent six years in Investment and Business Development roles at JP Morgan and Falcom Asset Management.

Building a Startup in Industrial Automation

Startups can be lonely. But that’s the beauty of living in SF — we’re surrounded by others going through this journey, too. 

We're bringing together a curated group of 12 CMU founders who are full-time on their startups to connect over dinner and support each other. 

Dinner will be served 😊 Drinks at 6, quick intros at 6:15, and dinner at 6:30.

There are 12 spots available - RSVP by Monday, October 24th. Spots will be confirmed by 6pm on Tuesday, October 25th. If accepted we'll send you a list of those who are attending so you can make decision based upon that so we encourage you to apply.

This event is co-hosted by WeFunder. WeFunder helps people invest in the startups they love. They also provide unique opportunities for founders in connecting with their customers via crowdfunding- learn more here: 

🔥 CMU Founders Dinner (SF)

Compound's CEO will discuss the basics of startup equity, options exercising strategies tech employees should know about, and tax optimizations to help you compound your wealth.

 is a platform for startup founders and employees to manage their finances. They provide an all-in-one solution for your financial life. You can track your net worth (e.g. cash, crypto, startup equity, angel investments), access financial or tax advice, and invest in public and private market investment products.

They'll also leave time to answer any questions you may have!

 ahead of time -- a curated library of wealth planning resources.

Understanding startup equity & compounding your wealth

Connect, grab beers, & meet fellow Tartans in the Crypto / Web 3 space during this summer HH @ Spark Social. Welcoming all veterans, active builders, and crypto-curious members of the community to hang out and exchange ideas.

If you're interested in collaborating with the Bay Area T&E committee on designing future Crypto events, stop by this meet up to share ideas and get involved! 

CMU T&E - Bay Area Crypto Meet Up

Come hang out for a casual meet up with fellow CMU HealthTech Alum! The event will run from 5-7pm! Invite all Tartans you know. +1s welcome!

Rick Weiss is the President, Founder, and Chief Wellness Engineer of Viocare, Inc., a digital healthcare company in Princeton, New Jersey that researches and develops innovative and scientifically-proven dietary assessment and behavioral modification systems for researchers and clinicians. Mr. Weiss has been the Principal Investigator on 27 National Institutes of Health grants and contracts, valued at over $12 million. Rick started his career as an Applied Researcher at Bell Laboratories after receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Math with honors from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University.

If you need help finding the location please contact Rachel at 516-313-3184. Hope to see many of you there!

CMU NYC: HealthTech Happy Hour Sept 7th 5-7pm

Come join us at Dolores Park for light refreshments and conversations with other members of the T&E community. As we end the summer, we are hoping to collaborate with you all to craft meaningful events for this fall and beyond. So whether you want to toss around ideas or simply get to know someone else in the Bay Area, make sure to stop by!

We will be on the flatter side of Dolores Park near Dolores and 18th/tennis court area. If you are coming from Dolores Street, it is the right side of the park. Look for the big plaid blanket! 

If you have trouble finding the group, please email or text Sofia @ 

CMU T&E - Bay Area Meet Up!

CMU T&E Pittsburgh Happy Hour

We'll be discussing the current economic climate and what it means for startups.

, an experienced entrepreneur, and we'll dive in to these topics:

RSVP to join and invite any and all CMU alumni! (Including family and friends).

(The discussion will start at 7:45, followed by drinks and networking. Parking in Encore's lot is first-come, first-serve. Text Jeff with questions 708.655.0178.)

CMU LA Meetup - How the Startup Landscape is Changing

CMU T&E and TartanX are organizing a fintech meetup for the CMU community! We’re planning an outdoor event at Central Park with juice, water and snacks on July 20th from 6.30 pm - 8 pm. We’re expecting a great crowd!

Come join your fellow entrepreneurs and investors including 

Exact location in Sheep Meadow, Central Park: 

If you need help locating us contact Pratyusha at 724-506-2039.

NYC CMU Fintech Meetup

​Young professionals in Tech grapple with transitioning into Product Management, especially with positioning transferrable skills for the role. As part of the CMU T&E event series, this Fireside Chat provides a young professional with a guide to successfully 

As a Product Leader at Facebook/Meta and other successful startups, Drew launched 20+ products and interviewed 80+ Product-Management candidates. 

The experiences taught him a way of thinking and communicating that top product managers use to solve critical product challenges facing technology companies. He distilled that way of thinking and communicating into an easy-to-understand, fun-to-apply framework called Understand Identify Execute!

How to Ace your Product Interview

Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham once said in his startup class at Stanford that building a startup is unnatural like skiing. Your natural impulse is to lean back, but leaning back on the skis and you fly down the hill out of control all the time. In building a startup, you have to similarly suppress your impulse and follow a mental checklist. 

Hear from Ross Fubini, Managing Partner, XYZ Venture Capital on the checklist for early stage startups. In a fireside chat, we will discuss the process for founding a company, building a winning team, focusing on an idea and how founders decide to pour their blood into the effort of driving a company into existence.

XYZ Capital was the first investor for multiple billion dollar companies, including Anduril, Verkada and New Front Insurance. Ross is featured on the Forbes Midas Seed List 2022. Ross is also a co-founder and Partner at Village Global. He currently serves as an advisor to Kapor Capital, Palantir Technology, Facebook Causes, and other early stage technology companies. 

Previously, Ross was a successful entrepreneur who co-founded and grew CubeTree, which was acquired by SuccessFactors in 2010. He holds a B.S. in engineering and art from Carnegie Mellon University.

The fireside chat will be moderated by Kshitij Parashar (CMU MSTV ‘21), co-founder of Brick.AI.

Rundown: 40 minutes of prepared moderator questions followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A

Who should attend: Aspiring founders, early stage startup founders and employees, CMU alums who wish to build their entrepreneurial network

How to Build a Winning Startup

Interested in meeting the CMU T&E team and understanding what it’d be like to join the board? Stop by to hang out with the team. We'd love to meet you!