S2E5 - 99 Tartans w/ Pete Park & Alejandra Rovirosa

Humans of Tepper

Welcome back to the Humans of Tepper Podcast. Joining hosts Ben and Kara this week Pete Park and Alejandra Rovirosa to talk about the Ninety-Nine Tartans. Pete is originally from New Jersey. Like Ben, he received his undergraduate degree from Syracuse University. He started in healthcare consulting before coming to Tepper for his MBA. Alejandra was born in Miami, Florida, and attended Boston University for undergrad. She started in insurance, focusing on equity-backed businesses.

Ninety-Nine Tartans was founded in 2017 by Rob Myer. Their mission is to find CMU-founded startups and connect them to alumni for mentorship, and, to date, there are over 240 alumni who are part of the group. Kara compares it to Tepper's version of Shark Tank! Companies looking to connect can fill out an application on the group's website and meet with an MBA partner to discuss their work and timeline. The minimum requirement is that there's a full-time CMU affiliate on the team. There is an investor application as well. The group looks at industries from across the board and has unique investors from many different backgrounds.

What really attracted Pete to Ninety-Nine Tartans is the amount of autonomy you have as a member in interacting with alumni and mentors interested in the group. MBA is known for its ability to establish a network, and Ninety-Nine Tartans is just another way to do that. The exposure to different industries is really unparalleled, and the avenues to different career options are opened. Alejandra came in a little later, in her second year, and was really drawn to the opportunity the group offered.

The whole concept of MBA students running Ninety-Nine Tartans is actually fairly new and operated a lot like a startup company in itself. It took problem-solving and thinking proactively to figure out how to operate optimally. Moving forward, Pete is very excited to see what they're able to build upon the foundation they've established. Alejandra is also excited to hone in on how to better meet their investors' needs and actively look for startups instead of relying on applications.

The diversity within the group is a fantastic aspect. Alejandra advises to come in with an open mind and go for it in terms of advice for incoming students. When she first started her MBA, she didn't realize how many opportunities were out there that she would have missed had she not been open to exploring them. Try out different activities, see what you like, and see what works. Pete also advises prospective students to check out the club fairs held at many colleges to explore what's out there and what might interest them.

What You Will Learn:

1. What drew Pete and Alejandra to pursue their MBA at Tepper.
2. What the mission of Ninety-Nine Tartans is.
3. What the Ninety-Nine Tartans has to offer CMU-affiliated startups and investors.