Chicago Booth MBA Interview with Benny Joseph

Here we have a talk with Benny Joseph, a recent graduate of Chicago Booth and SoFi entrepreneur who heads the startup GoodApril, an awesome site that will help you save money while filing your taxes. In this post Benny talks about his experience at Booth and offers fantastic advice for incoming Booth students or those thinking about applying to Booth. Thanks Benny!    Accepted: First, some basics: Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? Benny: I was born and raised in Michigan, in the suburbs just north of Detroit. I decided to stay close to home for college and attended the University of Michigan where I majored in Computer Engineering. After graduating, I moved to San Francisco where I worked in several software engineering roles before deciding to go to business school. Accepted: Why did you decide to attend Booth? Looking back over the last two years, would you say you made the right choice? Benny:  Chicago Booth’s location, reputation for academic rigor, and flexible curriculum convinced me that it was the right school for me. Chicago is an amazing city and I wanted to try something different and experience my MBA in a city rather than a college town like I did at the University of Michigan. I also didn’t want to take the basic classes, and Booth (for the most part) allowed me to skip those classes and enroll in those that I thought would be valuable in my career. My classroom experience has certainly prepared me for my career, and my Chicago Booth network seems to be always introducing me to new career opportunities. But I think more importantly, the great friends I made during the program leave no doubt in my mind that I made the right choice. Accepted:  As a recent Booth graduate, can you offer some tips to some of our readers who may be starting Booth in the fall? Is there anything you wish youd known about the program before you started? Benny:  It is no secret that business school is about expanding your personal network. That said, you need to work at it. Get to know your classmates. Do all the fun trips, events, and other social activities because that is where you will make those friendships that will last a lifetime. The other thing that is important is to really spend this summer thinking about exactly what you want to do after your MBA. There isn’t much time to think when you start classes and recruiting literally kicks off the second week of school. Looking back, I wish that I took some time off from work to focus on this by reaching out to people that were currently in the position that I wanted to be in and learn how they got there, what they do every day, and what they like and don’t like about their career. Accepted:  What was your favorite class? Benny:  That is a really tough question to answer. I had several great professors and learned so much. But if I had to pick one, I would have to say the New Venture Challenge was my favorite. I took that class during the last quarter of my 2nd year and it gave me the opportunity to put everything I had learned together in the creation of a new business. Our team ended up placing 3rd that year and we learned quite a bit about the business creation process, especially on how to pitch your company to potential investors. Accepted:  Where you involved in any clubs? How central to student life is club involvement? Benny:  Clubs are certainly a big part of the MBA experience. That said, I think most students make the mistake of joining too many clubs. My advice is to pick a few and be deeply involved in them. I was involved in several clubs at Booth, some social and some professional. I was one of the Co-Chairs of the Hi-Tech Group, a club that helped MBA students prepare for and find careers in technology companies. While professional clubs are certainly important, the social clubs were equally important and a great way to get to better know your classmates. For example, I was a part of the Risk and Gaming club, which was a fun way to interact with my classmates over a weekly poker game, trips to the local casino, and an annual trip to Las Vegas for the MBA World Series of Poker. Accepted:  Can you tell us about your experience with SoFi? What does it mean to be a SoFi entrepreneur?   Benny:  I found out about SoFi because I was searching for a way to lower the interest rate on my school loans. That said, I decided to sign up for SoFi because I really liked the concept of connecting with alumni who were interested in helping and interacting with recent graduates. One example of this is my experience as a SoFi Entrepreneur. GoodApril, the company that I founded, was selected to the inaugural SoFi Entrepreneur class. SoFi is a company led by a stellar team of serial entrepreneurs who have spent several hours with us reviewing our investor pitch materials and improving our elevator pitch. They have introduced us to several angel investors and recognized us publicly on  their website  and to the press.  Ã‚  SoFi is also hosting a demo/pitch day where several alumni investors will have an opportunity to learn more about and potentially invest in GoodApril. Accepted:  What does GoodApril do? Is that something you knew you wanted to do before heading to b-school? If not, how did the idea develop? Benny:  I always knew that one day I would be an entrepreneur, but I didn’t know exactly what business I would try to start until after I graduated from Booth. The idea for GoodApril was a result of my own personal frustration when I filed my taxes and found out that I would just barely miss out on some deductions that I had thought I would qualify for. I discovered a fundamental flaw in the way that Americans file their taxes: By waiting until April to deal with your taxes, you miss out on any opportunity to take action to lower your taxes. However, there are no good planning tools on the market that can help you with these financial decisions. GoodApril is your year-round tax guide, helping you make better financial decisions today so that you are prepared for and paying the least amount of taxes come April. Do you want to be featured in Accepted.com’s blog, Accepted Admissions Blog? If you want to share your MBA/EMBA journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at mbabloggers@accepted.com. //

Origami As An Inclusive Term For All Folding Practices

What is it? Origami or 折りç ´â„¢, come from ori meaning folding, and kami meaning paper is the art of paper folding, which is commonly associated with Japanese culture. Today, the word origami is used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, globally. The goal is to transform a flat sheet square of paper into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques. Today s current origami artists usually discourage the use of cuts, glue, or markings on the paper. The small number of basic origami folds can be combined in a variety of ways to make on of a kind designs. The most famous origami model is the Japanese paper crane. The majority of these designs begin with a square sheet of paper which the sides may potentially be of different colours, prints, or patterns. Traditional Japanese Origami was rather relaxed compared to Origami practised in the Edo period. Today it is frowned upon to sometimes cut paper or to use non-square shapes to start with, back then it was absolutely fine. What is the history of it? The history of paper folding, in general, is really murky and no general argument exists as to where or when it was originally practised. The vast majority of art historians believe that origami was invented Japanese people in about 1000 CE, while there is documentation of traditional Japanese origami being practised since the early Edo period. Some art historians consider the invention of origami to lie in Chinese art, mostly because paper wasShow MoreRelatedManagement and Rolls Access Code14663 Words   |  59 PagesChapter Use this Learning Outline as you read and study this chapter. Historical Background of Management †¢ Explain why studying management history is important. †¢ Describe some early evidences of management practice. Scientific Management †¢ Describe the important contributions made by Frederick W. Taylor and Frank and Lillian Gilbreth. †¢ Explain how today’s managers use scientific management. General Administrative Theory †¢ Discuss Fayol’s contributions to management theory. †¢ Describe

Analysis Of Schiele s Other Self Portrait - 996 Words

In Schiele’s other self-portrait cataloged here Squatting Man (Self-Portrait), Schiele confronts the viewer. It is the first image seen here that actually makes contact with the viewer. The eyes which are often seen as the mirror to the soul stare back at the viewer in a challenging and unashamed way. The position the figure is in is also one that alludes to birth as did his Nude Self-Portrait, the colors here are a blend of cooler colors – browns, blues and grays fill in the figures body which is one of the only full body self-portraits done of Schiele himself. The blend of purples, blues, and browns here could evoke a sense of death or a decaying/ sick person or corpse. Also the colors can be associated with bruising on the skin. There is an undertone of questioning of sexuality here as Schiele draws himself squatting a position that is not usually seen as masculine in nature. His head is tilted to one side as well almost in a questioning and unsure posture as his han ds are folded over the lower part of his naked form concealing his manhood. The squatting position is also associated with release through the form of using the bathroom which could have something to do with the colors of brown used here . â€Å"It has been noted that frontal self-portraits possess a healing function for artists in times of crisis and transition†. Schiele who does a series of paintings and self-portraits in a crouching position (this one being one of the first) uses this crouching position to talkShow MoreRelatedVan Gogh s Life And Effect Today1819 Words   |  8 PagesSpeech: Van Gogh s Life and Effect today. Specific Purpose Statement: By the end of my speech the audience will be able to list 3 parts of Van Gogh s life and his achievements that affected the future. INTRODUCTION: Attention Getter: Imagine being one of the most well recognized names of the modern world, your name attracts millions, dozens of films and book are created after you. But at the same time imagine your life being filled with depression and rejection for the craft that you are beloved

T Mobile free essay sample

Let talk about the T-mobile, the wireless telephone industry is growing at a rapid pace. According to Solomon – Wolff associates, the strongest user group is the 31-45 age group and the growth trend is expected to peak over the next ten years. T-mobile is one of the fastest- growing nationwide providers of wireless data, messaging and voice services. Its annual revenue in 2004 was $11. 7 billion, a 40 percent increase from $8. 4 billion in 2003. In the new trend, T-mobile will provide caller tunes, pictures video messaging, road assistance, 300 text messages, unlimited t-zones and 1000 text messages.The competition will rise when the need are rise. Also, the consumer will require the high quality service. Five of the national service providers in the marketer are T-mobile, Cingular wireless, Verizon wireless, Sprint PCS and Alltel. The competition and promotions among cellular phone companies, the overall churn ratc of the industry has been about 1. 6 percent, but it’s on rise. In the new product, T-mobile will provide caller tunes, pictures video messaging, road assistance, 300 text messages, unlimited t-zones and 1000 text messages.The competition will rise when the need are rise. Also, the consumer will require the high quality service. From five of the points is relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trial ability and observe ability. In the relative advantage, degree to which a new product is more advantageous to the customers than the competing brands. Rate of adoption of a new offering depends on its relative advantage as perceived by its prospective customers. In this case, pictures and video messaging should the relative advantage, because they have the stable facilities to provide the service.In compatibility, I think the caller tunes is better than another four, because of the caller tunes is easy for any user and any mobile phone. Also, can let the consumer to choice which one they like. In complexity, I think the new product and new service should be not easy for all consumers, because of the new product is not easy to carry on. For trial ability, I think pictures and video can provide the trial ability to the consumer. For observe ability, I think road assistance is difficult to control because not everyone need to use this function. )Will the provision of M-commerce applications by T-Mobile help the company build a strong brand and maintain its competitiveness in the marketplace? A marketplace is a location where goods and services are exchanged. The traditional market square is a city square where traders set up stalls and buyers browse the merchandise. I think the provision of m- commerce applications by T-mobile help the company build a strong brand and maintain its competitiveness in the marketplace.One of the products with set of benefit is better than no brand name support, a product or product line, store, or service with an identifiable set of benefits, wrapped in a recognizable personality. Usually the consumer would like to choice the brand name product. For T-mobile also have the functional elements. The elements are focus on the performance, quality, price, reliability and logistics. I think the m-commerce application helps to further build brand equity. The competitors providers in the marketer are T-mobile, Cingular wireless, Verizon wireless, Sprint PCS and Alltel.T –mobile is the only the widely used digital standard, gsm in more than 10000cities nationwide. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications: originally from Grouped Special Mobile) is the most popular standard for mobile telephony systems in the world. The GSM Association, its promoting industry trade organization of mobile phone carriers and manufacturers, estimates that 80% of the global mobile market uses the standard. The GSM standard also provides wireless subscribers with excellent call reliability and sound quality, in addition to integrated voice, paging and short messages and high speed data services. )Will M-commerce applications contribute to T-Mobile present business strategy, Get more from life? Mobile Commerce is any transaction, involving the transfer of ownership or rights to use goods and services, which is initiated and/or completed by using mobile access to computer-mediated networks with the help of an electronic device. The less price sensitive early adopters from the 13-25 age group could drive the initial growth. Growth in mobile products such as ringtones, games, and graphics may displace spending on many traditional youth products such as music, clothing, and movies.This would radically change the dynamics of all visual entertainment and product-service distribution world wide so marketers could target end-users with diverse youth mind sets. The youth market has historically shown rapid viral growth which later gains acceptance in the mass market. While emerging markets are proving to be the ideal solution for sustaining revenues in the face of falling ARPU averag e price per unit, analysts say the rapid commercialization of 3G services is likely to open up new opportunities in developed markets.In order to exploit the m-commerce market potential, handset manufacturers such as Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, and Qualcomm are working with carriers such as ATT Wireless and Sprint to develop WAP-enabled smart phones and ways to reach them. Using Bluetooth technology, smart phones offer fax, e-mail, and phone capabilities. Profitability for device vendors and carriers hinges on high-end mobile devices and the accompanying killer applications, said Burchett.Perennial early adopters, such as the youth market, which are the least price sensitive, as well as more open to premium mobile content and applications, must also be a key target for device vendors. The slogan â€Å"get more form life†, promise to provide T-mobile subscribers with more service, the new forms of entertainment such as games and music and TV drama and news. Many young people like use the mobile to play games, because is convince for them. For the consumer can buying movie tickets and pay bills that can be make the consumer saving time in transactions.Moreover, can take more and easier communication with frinds, which is instant messaging by phone-version Facebook / MSN. 4)Will M-commerce applications increase customer satisfaction among T-Mobile subscribers? In addition to mobile phone service, T-Mobile also operates WiFi hotspots in the United States and Europe. In the USA alone, it operates over 9,000 (as of December 22, 2006) T-Mobile HotSpot locations for Internet access, including such locations as airports, airline clubs, Starbucks coffeehouses (see below), Kinkos, Borders Books and Music, Hyatt, and Red Roof Inn Hotels. The U.S. WiFi infrastructure was completely replaced when T-Mobile bought the Wireless ISP MobileStar. In addition, Sony Computer Entertainment on behalf of T-Mobile introduced a HotSpot Locator and HotSpot Promotional Period (6 months from activation) for the Sony PSP system and Sony Mylo system. Both promotions are separate, and, by combining the total time allotted for each system, users can have up to one year free access, by using six months on the Mylo, and six months on the PlayStation Portable. As with many wireless providers, handset subscribers can get discounts on WiFi access.These promotions are often extended to federal customers, frequent flyer programs and other various groups. Beginning the second quarter of 2008, T-Mobile will no longer be the provider of Wi-Fi access for Starbucks coffeehouses, which ended its 2001 deal, switching to AT;T. However, through a roaming agreement with AT;T, T-Mobile HotSpot subscribers will still be able to use the AT;T Starbucks wireless networks for a limited time. As of November, many T-Mobile subscribers who signed up under the impression they had access at any Starbucks are left in the dark.