MBA Students Visit Leading Edge Silicon Valley Firms

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The MBA students in Professor Mark Cannice's Silicon Valley Explorer class met with world class executives in technology, venture capital, and law in February as they developed new insights for their own research. At Obscura Digital, a cutting-edge innovator in visual display capability, they sampled the firm’s technology while they talked strategy with its top executives. At Cardinal Partners, a leading venture capital firm, they discussed investment strategies in emerging healthcare firms with one of the firm’s senior partners. The class also visited with senior executives at NetApp, a prominent enterprise data storage and management provider, and Greenberg Traurig, a world-wide law firm. 

“The goal of these executive meetings is for the students to develop unique insights and thought leadership in emerging business opportunities that will support their career development,” says Professor Cannice. The students wrote topical white papers using material from previous executive interviews, their experiences at the Silicon Valley meetings, and earlier primary research at bay area technology and entrepreneurial events.

“The students crafted insightful white papers,” says Professor Cannice, “that are in line with their professional objectives in emerging business sectors. Through writing these papers, they are establishing themselves as thought leaders in their respective industries.” The students presented their papers to a panel of executives on March 8. The list of papers included titles like “Why Your Company Needs a Chief Innovation Officer”, “The Next Step in Barefoot Training”,  “Three Reasons Silicon Valley Companies Should put Taiwan on Their Business Horizon”, “Six Lessons Non-Profits Can Apply From Venture-Backed Firms” and “What Silicon Valley Recruiters and Job Seekers Should Know about Social Recruiting.”