Sigma Eta Pi – University of Michigan

In SEPi News: Boston Trek Fall 2024 During the weekend of November 13th - 16th, a group of SEPi members traveled to Boston for our semesterly Professional Trek, organized by our VP of Professional Development, Arya Gowda, and the Professional Development Committee. During this trip, we visited 6 businesses and gained professional advice for working in a startup and networking experience. The first company we visited was Hatch.Bio Labs. This company supports emerging biotech startups with shared and private lab space, office space, and the community needed to elevate companies to the next level. We learned about how they support emerging researchers with resources to develop and commercialize their technologies and that by working for a small company, you can make more impactful changes as an individual. After visiting Hatch.Bio Labs, we met with RapDev, an engineering consulting firm specializing in DevOps and site reliability in engineering (SRE) solutions. Here, their founder, Tameem Hourani, shared important advice on taking risks, embracing momentum, and prioritizing customer relationships. The second day began with Stride Consumer Partners, a private equity firm specializing in high-growth consumer brands. Their emphasis on partnering with impactful founders and building the next generation of consumer-focused businesses highlighted the critical role of collaboration and strategy. Next, we visited NFP, an Aon company. NFP is an insurance brokerage and consulting firm that provides specialized services in insurance, benefits, and wealth management. We gained a deeper understanding of the insurance industry’s complexities and the innovative ways they address challenges in risk management and employee benefits. NFP gave insightful advice on not being afraid to make mistakes and to start putting money into a 401K when starting a business. After NFP, we went to .406 Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies focused on sectors such as cybersecurity, healthcare, data, and artificial intelligence. They focus on aiming for meaningful partnership and growth impact. The last company was Underscore VC, a venture capital firm backing bold B2B software entrepreneurs at Pre-seed and Seed. Underscore VC is highly community-oriented, supporting entrepreneurs with capital, mentorship, and resources to scale their businesses effectively. Both .406 Ventures and Underscore VC provided insight into how early-stage funding fuels the development of industry-leading companies in industries from healthcare to AI. After visiting these amazing companies, our members got the opportunity to explore the city. This trip to Boston was yet another amazing trek experience and an exciting one as Boston is a new trek location for SEPi. We thank all of the companies for hosting us and providing a personal look into their operations!

In SEPi News: Alumni Weekend This past weekend, we were excited to receive a visit from two accomplished SEPi alumni: Kristen Toporski and Maggie Clark! Kristen and Maggie are both members of the Pi pledge class and graduated from UofM in May 2024. On Saturday, we held a social for the game day where current brothers and our alumni could catch up and reminisce about old memories in a fun and casual atmosphere. During our weekly chapter on Sunday, we organized a discussion panel, where Kristen and Maggie shared some wise words with our current members, which was then followed by a Q&A with the brothers. They spoke on behalf of their favorite SEPi memories and their current careers and gave insightful advice about job recruitment and post-graduate life. Kristen is currently a LAUNCH Analyst at Hilton, where she will complete three rotations over a 2-year period. She recently completed her first 4-month rotation at Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, working within each department of the hotel. She will begin her second, 10-month rotation at the Hilton Headquarters in McLean, VA on the Hilton Honors Program Design team working within Marketing & Loyalty.  Her piece of advice for students graduating is to embrace the last few months of life before starting work. Go on a trip, sleep in a few extra days, or spend time with family and friends. Graduating can be scary, but building up a good support system before beginning work can be influential in having an easy transition to the “real world.”  Maggie is currently a Procurement Specialist at bp. In her role, she supports an oil refinery by managing material expediting, overseeing supplier relationships, and aiding in sourcing activities. A piece of advice she gave was to always stay true to yourself and keep your curiosity alive. This will help you grow professionally and adapt to new challenges! Thank you to our VP of Membership, Sohum Pavaskar, for planning an amazing weekend. We sincerely appreciate all the alumni who came out this past weekend. We love you all and hope to see you again soon!

In SEPi News: Entrepreneurial Pitch Challenge This past weekend, SEPi members joined forces during our weekly chapter meeting to participate in an Entrepreneurial Pitch Challenge, hosted by our VP of Professional Development, Arya Gowda, and judged by him, our President, Sarika Waikar, our COO, Max Feldman, our CFO, Mitchell Herndon, and one of our VPs of Recruitment, Ella Brodeur. In eight small groups, our members were assigned challenges faced by college students and other demographics and explored how innovation could be leveraged to address these problems. Then, each group was tasked with coming up with a unique, inventive startup idea that effectively combated their issue. Drawing on research, personal experiences, and collaboration, groups were given 10 minutes to refine their 1-minute pitch. Each group presented their idea, with pitches ranging from addressing energy efficiency on campus to remote work/teaching. All eight groups excelled in their presentations, with each group member contributing meaningfully to the pitch. Ultimately, our hosts decided that Group 1 delivered the best pitch and idea! Group 1 designed a “Wellness Bubble” on campus to address mental health and wellness challenges faced by U-M students. Congratulations to Madia Adnan, Sanjana C. Yendluri, Jessica Luo, Georgia Green, and Elliot Rothstein, and thank you to everyone who participated!

In SEPi News: DEI and Entrepreneurship Panel On September 9, during our open rush round, Sigma Eta Pi held our DEI and Entrepreneurship Panel, organized by our VP of DEI, Esthel Yi. The panel consisted of 5 brothers (Kevin Toledo, Madia Adnan, Shreyas Sreeprakash, Max Feldman, Melisa Orduna) and 1 special guest, Jenni Yim. Jenni is a trainer at ZingTrain which she joined in 2022. ZingTrain is a branch of Zingerman's that focuses on helping and training organizations to be an engaging environment for their customers and staff. Some of Jenni's training specialties include customer service, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), How to Improve (Standard Operating Procedures) and Dialogue, and teaching internal Zingerman’s classes. During this event, we asked our panelists questions about their individual experiences- whether that was working at an internship or job, their time in SEPi, or any entrepreneurial advice they had. The panelists also discussed DEI in their workplace and the value of diverse opinions in entrepreneurship. Finally, rushees were given the opportunity to ask panelists questions directly and network with our panelists and other brothers at the end. We thank the panelists for their thoughtful insights and time. Thank you to everyone for attending!

In SEPi News: Alumni Speakers Mark Norten and Peter Koomen Thank you to SEPi alumni Mark Norten and Peter Koomen for coming to speak at chapter this past Sunday, September 8! Thank you as well to Sohum Pavaskar, our VP of Membership, for organizing this event. Mark Norten joined SEPi in the Winter 2020 semester and is a member of the Nu pledge class. He now works at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), an engineering design and consulting firm. As an Associate Project Consultant, he assists owners and architects in design challenges related to structural and architectural issues. Mark also works with his team to perform investigative/forensic engineering testing to solve difficult challenges in buildings throughout the United States. Peter Koomen joined SEPi in the Winter 2019 semester and is a member of the Lambda pledge class. He currently works at Oracle as a Workload Consultant where he engages with potential clients that come to him through various marketing campaigns to understand their business challenges and initiatives. Peter collaborates with the sales and engineering teams within Oracle to address clients’ needs effectively and drive sales growth for the company. We love and appreciate our alumni and are so proud to call them SEPi brothers! 

In SEPi News: Summer Experiences Recap (Part 3) Our brothers gained invaluable professional experiences this summer from various companies and disciplines and could be seen across the country and beyond. Here are more of their experiences and what they learned: Madia Adnan Henry Ford Hospital Detroit, MI Madia’s passion for exploring the social determinants of health and enhancing healthcare access led to her involvement in a research project focused on the Henry Ford Trauma Recovery Center, the first of its kind to launch in the state of Michigan. The Trauma Recovery Center is working to maximize the recovery of traumatically injured patients, families, and communities through support, mental health services, education, and access to resources. She developed a patient resource pamphlet listing local community organizations providing essential support and services. Additionally, she formulated a strategic timeline detailing the center's needs and milestones, covering immediate, near-term, and long-term objectives.  “It is a privilege to assist individuals during their time of greatest need, and the healthcare sector works hard to overcome many obstacles on a daily basis so this is possible. Everyone should have access to affordable and high-quality healthcare.” Max Feldman Collage Co-Founder of a Startup Company This summer, Max had the opportunity to work on a startup he co-founded with another SEPi brother, Alex Wang. They are building Collage, an AI advising and social scheduling platform for college students. Collage helps students craft their perfect class schedule with ease! Students can access a course catalog built around their academic needs and professional interests and can ask our AI assistant questions about individual courses. They want Collage to be the ‘Pinterest for education’ – A source of inspiration and discovery for students! As CEO, he assembled a talented team of University of Michigan students, and they have spent the summer building our site from the ground up. His role involves overseeing the creative and strategic direction, leading team meetings, and managing assignments. They’re thrilled to be launching this November for University of Michigan students! If you’re interested in learning more or want to join the waitlist, check out collageapp.info “If you want to be successful as a leader and create something meaningful you need to be guided by empathy.” Our brothers will undoubtedly go forth into the school year grateful for their experiences. We are so proud of everyone!

In SEPi News: Summer Experiences Recap (Part 2) Our brothers gained invaluable professional experiences this summer from various companies and disciplines and could be seen across the country and beyond. Here are more of their experiences and what they learned: Evan Cohen Compugen Holon, Israel Compugen is an Israel-based biotech company that does cancer immunotherapy research. Evan developed an AI feature within the company's cloud platform to help biologists answer questions about their work. This enabled more efficient research to find new cures faster. He worked with an incredible team and had an amazing experience. “AI is cutting-edge technology, and everyone is trying to understand it.” Xavier Jenkins HITT Contracting Falls Church, VA HITT Contracting provides premium construction services across the nation. Xavier worked as a Construction Management Intern where he learned the planning, logistics, day-to-day operations, and complexity of managing a 500 million-dollar construction site. He also learned about the importance of site, schedule, and relationship management which he approached in new ways each day. “The difference between great and good is the details.” Yasmine Yavinsky IPG Mediabrands New York, NY IPG Mediabrands is a leader in the media industry, managing over $47 billion in marketing investment globally on behalf of its clients. Yazy worked at Kinesso, IPG Mediabrands’ technology-driven performance marketing agency. For the majority of her internship, she worked with the Paid Social team on the Kenvue account, tracking and optimizing the performance of paid social media ads across several self-care and essential health brands. The other part of her internship was spent collaborating with a team of interns to create a full-funnel media plan for Truth Initiative, which they presented directly to the client. “A huge takeaway from this experience was becoming familiar with the jargon used within the media industry. There are so many acronyms! Luckily I now know what they mean." Jacqueline Sinai Royal Caribbean Group Miami, FL Jackie had the opportunity to work in the Entertainment Department at Royal Caribbean International as a Production Intern. She worked closely with casting, operations, and artistic integrity teams to make sure that the Main Stage, Aqua, and Ice shows on all the ships in the fleet were operating perfectly every day. She also worked on the performer, creative team, and scenic vendor contracts during her 10-week internship.  “It was amazing to see the level of talent and artistry that Royal Caribbean offers on their ships and it was a privilege to be a part of creating that magic.” 

In SEPi News: Summer Experiences Recap (Part 1) Our brothers gained invaluable professional experiences this summer from various companies and disciplines and could be seen across the country and beyond. Here are a few of their experiences and what they learned: Sarika Waikar Deloitte Chicago, IL Deloitte Global is a professional internal network supporting Deloitte member firms worldwide. As a Global Ethics intern, Sarika worked on effective communication with the Gen Z and millennial workforce, ethical use of AI, and course-taking integrity. “Connecting with people and projects on a deeper level is critical! Be passionate about getting to know people and exploring new areas.” Kevin Toledo ZF Group Livonia, MI ZF is a global technology manufacturing company that plays a crucial role in supplying advanced mobility products and systems for vehicles and industrial tech. As a finance and profitability intern, Kevin helped reinvent the process of tracking and reporting profit, quote new business with customers, assess opportunities for cost savings on hundreds of parts, and found the Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Network. The experience of working on multiple global projects taught him the value of being adaptable and saying "Yes!" to new learning opportunities! “When you infuse genuine passion and happiness into your work, you’ll not only achieve your best but also ignite a spark in others to reach their fullest potential in their professional and personal lives!” Hannah Tiller Comcast Philadelphia, PA Comcast is a media and technology company that owns subsidiaries like NBCUniversal, Xfinity, and Peacock. Hannah worked as a Comcast Creative Group Intern on the Production team where she helped produce content in advertising, website, and social media. She has been working on the Paris 2024 Olympics as Comcast sponsors Team USA. “I’ve learned about the value of storytelling across a larger corporation to foster favorability and recognition across all subsidiaries!” Trisha Pal Apple Inc. Cupertino, CA Apple is a multinational corporation and technology company best known for its electronics, software, and services. Trisha worked as a Software Engineering Intern in the SWE Operations and Planning Team where she collaborated with her team on ongoing projects and worked on her own intern projects. At Apple, she learned more about the behind-the-scenes of how a large business operates and saw that the projects she worked on had a positive impact on her team and other employees. “It may not be easy, but it will be rewarding.” Elijah Gray Playa Bowls  Ann Arbor, MI Playa Bowls is an açai shop that serves healthy fruit bowls, juices, oatmeal, soup, and coffee while focusing on sustainability and community. There are more than 150 locations worldwide. Eli made an assortment of açai bowls and smoothies for customers. “Playa taught me how to make an amazing smoothie!”

In SEPi News: Chicago Trek Winter 2024 During the weekend of April 11th - 13th, a group of SEPi brothers traveled to Chicago for our semesterly Professional Trek, organized by our VPs of Professional Development, Alex Wang and Max Feldman. During this trip, we visited 5 businesses and gained professional advice for working in a startup and for networking experience. The first company we visited was G2, a global software marketplace with the mission of crowdsourcing software, meeting the needs of both a growing customer base and number of software developers and vendors. They are greatly inspired by the PEAK value framework which stands for performance, entrepreneurialism, authenticity, and kindness. After visiting G2, we met with 1871, a non-profit tech innovation hub focused on uplifting tech entrepreneurs in the Chicago area and the Midwest. 1871 discussed their university partnership programs, affording students at select schools resources and expertise to grow their ventures. The brothers also walked through the spaces where founders and early stage entrepreneurs put in the time and work to create and innovate and the spaces where public pitch competitions and events took place to bring the community together. The second day began with Inspire11, a tech consulting firm with a mission to re-invent the way they think about consulting and its workflow. Inspire11 focused greatly on harnessing the power of emerging technologies and AI in efforts to increase productivity and ultimately work towards increased value generation. Founder and CEO, Hans Nelson shared insight on the invaluable nature of constructive feedback culture, innovating and disrupting with purpose, and always being curious and entrepreneurial. Next, we visited a hard tech incubator called mHUB . mHub is a more hardware-centered incubator, also focused on uplifting entrepreneurs and founders in the Chicago area and the broader Midwest. The brothers learned about how they measure success through the economic impact they can facilitate with their resources and services they provide to early stage startups and innovators, providing insight into the way they see the work they do as catalytic and to the benefit of the surrounding community. The last company was Origin Ventures, a digital nature venture capital that focuses on investments in the digital native economy. The brothers were fascinated by Origin’s investment thesis placing attention on the outsized opportunity in the digital native economy and businesses positioned to best take advantage of present and future generations’ familiarity and attachment to technology. Managing partner Jason Heltzer provided more insight into the field of venture capital, from advice on breaking into the field to what makes the great founders and startups excel. This trip to Chicago was yet another amazing trek experience. We thank all the companies for hosting us and providing a personal look into their operations!

In SEPi News: Professional Development x DEI Activity Yesterday, SEPi members came together during our regular chapter time to participate in a Professional Development x DEI Pitch Competition, hosted by our VPs of DEI, Sarika Waikar and Kevin Toledo, and one of our VPs of Professional Development Max Feldman. First, in groups of 5-6, our members brainstormed challenges or inequities faced by college students today, and how technology could be leveraged to address these challenges. Next, each group was tasked with coming up with a creative, unique startup idea that addressed one or more of the previously identified issues. Using research and organizing their key aspects, groups prepped themselves and their idea before presenting to the rest of the chapter. Group 1’s idea was an app to streamline transportation. With a goal of creating a way to make public transportation more accessible, Group 1 talked about compiling all public transportation into one space to make things easier for students and allow students to save money. Group 2’s pitch aimed to tackle the issue of students getting scammed in ticket exchanges for numerous events. To make things easier for students, Group 2 wanted to compare all games and tickets into one place for convenience and easy usage. Group 3 presented an app with features including healthy meals alternatives, where to find healthy options in dining halls, volunteer opportunities, and more. This app would foster community, while helping college students with access to fresh and healthy meals. Group 4 not only sough out to make the transportation system simpler and more affordable, but also making housing easier by allowing students to pick living places farther from campus, with the help of their form of cheaper public transportation. Group 5 came up with an innovative subletting app that allows individuals to post and look at all subletting options in on location. Through filters such as price and time, this app is designed to help students find housing options that align with their needs and preferences. Lastly, Group 6 created a constantly up to date online brokerage for student housing. With this idea, Group 6 tackles the issues of how expensive having a personal broker can be and how often lots of listings are not kept up to date. Ultimately, our hosts decided that Group 4 delivered the best pitch and idea! Congratulations to Saajan Kikani, Madia Adnan, Thomas Landgraff, Jenny Hald, Maya Lindsley. In the end, this pitch competition prompted our members to think about real-life issues college students like us face every day, and how we can work towards fixing these challenges and inequities. Through activities like this, Sigma Eta Pi offers members a chance to practice their entrepreneurial spirit and problem solving skills.