What was your path/journey after you graduated from Cornell?
I've been an entrepreneur since graduation. I started my first company with my friend (and fellow Cornell engineer) in Collegetown, and have started three companies with him. The most recent was Wayfair.com, which I am still very actively involved with.
I met my wife Alexi at Cornell and we have three children, one of whom goes to Cornell currently.
The decades since graduating have generally been amazing. That said, I have certainly had enough stumbles and setbacks to keep it interesting :). I am currently on the Bowers CIS board and have been a supporter of the new computer science and information tech building.
What was your favorite class or Cornell? In retrospect, what has proven to be your most useful class from Cornell?
I really loved the aeronautics course I took in engineering. I think the most useful class I took at Cornell was public speaking. Thank goodness I was able to start practicing public speaking when I was an undergrad, as it has served me very well as an entrepreneur.
Which Cornell classmates do you keep in contact with?
I still see Niraj Shah very regularly. Chip Rollison teaches at my kids’ school in Cambridge and I see him quite often. I occasionally cross paths with Ken and Eric Christensen, Earl Tuson, Kavitha Chetty, Krista, Seth Adams, Josiah Johnson and Seth Minero.
What extracurricular activity or hobby at Cornell was most meaningful to you?
I really enjoyed building the solar powered car my senior year. It was a fun team and we got to take on a ton of roles with a lot of different responsibilities. I also really enjoyed being part of Cornell Concert Commission - it was fun to work at the venues and help various bands that came through town.
I feel very proud to have gone to a school with so many diverse fields of study and such an accomplished alumni base.