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Apologies for missing the Padlet link and posting late!
My name is Meghan Flanagan and this is the start of my 4th semester in the program. I received my undergraduate degree from Clemson University in Materials Science Engineering and I currently work as a product development engineer for Sealed Air Corporation. I'm based in Charlotte, NC but I'm originally from the Chicagoland area.

Looking forward to learning with all of you this semester!

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Hello, I'm Heather Gray and I'm in my second year of the MBA program, one more to go!

I have spent my career in biotech sales, both in the OR and research. My undergraduate degree is in cell/molec biology from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, where I played collegiate hockey as a goalie, but my passion and reason for being in this program is to help businesses be a force for good.

The majority of my courses have been in RTP but this semester I am on the main campus for one class and this online course.

I reside in Durham, NC with my partner, our three kids, and four dogs. We are into bouldering, hiking, yoga, and hammocking.

I look forward to learning with and working with you all!

Heather

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Hi everyone - My name is Dan Freiwald. Sorry I am late to the party! Great reading everyone's backgrounds.

I am finishing up my second to last semester in the MBA program and couldn't be more excited.

I live outside Boston with my wife and three kids. I was born and raised in the area but did my undergrad at Clemson where I really fell in love with the Carolinas.

I am currently the director of human resources for the Boston Consulting Group. I've always had an interest in the nuances of business from startups to fortune 100 companies and am excited to hear and learn from all of you.

Dan

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My name is Dana Jennings and I'm second-year full-time MBA student. I'm concentrating in marketing and innovation.

I went to the University of South Carolina for undergrad and lived in Columbia before moving to Raleigh to pursue an MBA. I'm originally from the DC area and that's where I call home. This summer, I interned at Bank of America and I will go there to work full-time after I graduate. I'm looking forward to learning a lot in this class!

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Hello everyone,

I'm Neil, I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and I've lived in Raleigh for the past 10 years. I got my undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University and then my Masters in Electrical Engineering here at NC State.  I've worked in the energy sector for the past 14 years (design, manufacturing, research, engineering) out of which the past 5 have been in business development, strategy, and sales. In my spare time I enjoy photography and working out.  Looking forward to this class and coming up with some great business ideas.

-Neil

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Hi! My name is Stephanie and I’m in my last semester in the MBA program (yay!).  I started Fall 2016 and while it’s been a lot of late nights and weekends devoted to school, it’s certainly been a blast and I’m so glad I did it.  I’m a Global Regulatory Manager for Syngenta Biotechnology (a large, global agribusiness), which essentially means that I manage the registration of our products with Regulatory agencies globally.  I started my career off as a scientist (molecular biology/biochemistry) and have over the years transitioned into more of a project management role within agribusiness.  I’m also a mother of two fabulous (albeit patience testing) kiddos which means that I’m a taxi service and I’m really good at 6th grade math (again).  I’m excited to see what this class has to offer and I hope it continues to build on the TEC depth area I have chosen.

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Hi all! My name is Cameron Peterson and I'm in my last semester! I can't believe it's almost over; what a whirlwind! I currently live in Cary and work in Employment Branding for a startup hospital system, Veritas Collaborative. I originally studied Biology and Chemistry at UNC Chapel Hill, where I planned to pursue medicine. Little did I know that my career would take a 180 degree turn into Marketing. If anyone is interested in getting together to network, I'm also currently looking for new opportunities...plus I enjoy meeting new people! Looking forward to the class :)

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Hello Everyone,

My name is Jason Davidson and this is my 4th semester in the program. I completed my undergraduate degree at NCSU in political science and my concentration in the MBA program is in finance. I’m active duty military at least for the next few years, currently stationed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where I work as a foreign military sales advisor to the Royal Saudi Land Forces.
I grew up in Asheville, NC and my wife and I just purchased a home in Pinehurst, NC. My wife, 3 year old son, and yellow lab are all there and I’ll be back in January when this assignment ends. I love to travel, read, and be outdoors. I also enjoy golf and our new home is on a golf course which is pretty much perfect for me. I plan on transitioning out of the military soon and am looking forward to spending more time with my family.

Hope everyone has a great semester!

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Hey everyone! My name is Jessica Best, and I'm a second year full-time MBA student. I'm concentrating in Marketing, with a Decision Analytics certificate. I grew up in a small town in eastern NC, and I received my B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill in May 2015.

Before I pursuing my graduate degree, I worked in advertising and marketing for a small, boutique agency in Charlotte, NC.

This past summer I had the opportunity to work with Hanesbrands, Inc., in Winston-Salem, NC as a Marketing intern. I look forward to getting to know everyone this semester!

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Hi everyone! I'm a second year full-time MBA student concentrating in Marketing and Innovation. I'm originally from Rochester, NY and completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Buffalo in May 2017.

Throughout my undergraduate career I completed several internships in the marketing and business development fields.

This past summer I interned as an Assistant Brand Manager Intern with RB in Parsippany, NJ. I worked on improving the customer experience of Lysol's mobile website. Looking forward to working with everyone this semester!

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Hi everyone!

I am a second year student in the full-time MBA program with a concentration in Marketing Management. I am originally from Greensboro, NC and obtained my undergraduate degree in Exercise and Sport Science from UNC Chapel Hill.

My professional background includes work in sports marketing as well as experience in health care. This past summer, I interned at Belk Inc. in Charlotte as an eCommerce Analytics intern.

Looking forward to working with everyone this semester!

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Hi! My name is Brittany Stewart and I am a second year MBA student graduating in May 2019. I am concentrating in marketing and pursuing a data analytics certificate.

Prior to returning to school for my MBA, I attended NCSU for undergrad and graduated in 2014 with a Business Administration degree. I worked in the operations field for Frito Lay and BP Castrol post graduation.

This past summer I interned with Lowe's in Mooresville, NC as a digital marketing intern, and hope to return there full time next year. Looking forward to a great semester!

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My name is Francswai, and I plan to graduate Spring 2019 from the Jenkins MBA program. My background is finance and law. My undergraduate degrees were finance and political science at UNC Charlotte. I attended UNC Chapel Hill for law school.

I work in financial regulation. In my free time, I like to ski, hike, camp, fly fish, and visit the range.

I look forward to working with everyone this semester.

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Hi Everyone,

My name is Daniel Atkinson, and I am proud to say this is my last semester in the Jenkins program.  My emphasis in the program has been entrepreneurship, and in fact I am taking my practicum in this semester also.  I currently live in Hampstead, NC with my wife, son and two dogs.  I love soccer, and played through college and a few years semi-professionally before hanging up my cleats, and now I play vicariously though my son as he is learning and enjoying the game.

I am  a Senior Construction Manager with Duke Energy, leading a coal ash remediation project in Wilmington NC, at the former Sutton Coal Fire Steam Plant.  I have been with Duke for 3 years now.  Prior to Duke I was a Sr. Project Manager and Resource Manager at AMEC Foster Wheeler (Engineering Consulting) for 17 years.

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Hi, all! I’m currently a public communication specialist for a global health project at UNC-Chapel Hill, which is also where I majored in Political Science and Journalism / Mass Communication as an undergrad. I’ve been in this job for six years and manage the project’s web content, social media, emails, and various other communication needs.

In my free time, I enjoy long walks and hikes with my dog, trying out new recipes, fantasy football, gardening, reading, and planning for my wedding in October (see photo below of me, my fiance, and another excited member of the family from the day we got engaged).

I'm looking forward to this class and learning with everyone throughout the semester.

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Hello,

My name is Ryan Klingensmith and I am from Pittsburgh, PA.  My educational background includes a B.S. in Information Science and Technology from Penn State University and an M.S. in Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh.

Regarding my professional experience, I am currently employed as a Systems Engineer for Compunetix, Inc., where we develop telecommunication solutions for both commercial and government use.

Regarding my personal life, I am married and my wife and I are expecting our first child this December 28th!

I look forward to working with everyone!

Ryan

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Good day everyone,

This is my 5th semester in the program, and my 3rd class focusing on entrepreneurship.

I currently live in Valdez AK with my wife and two children (2 and 4 yrs old). I work for a maritime transportation solutions provider, and serve as operations coordinator in support of our work with the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

We are an avid outdoors family that enjoys traveling and discovering nature. Earlier this year we enjoyed a cross continent drive when we moved from Louisiana to Alaska.

I look forward to learning with everyone.

Jim

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Hello all y'all!

I think I have that correct? This is my final class for my MBA! I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the program, and getting to work with such exceptional people from all backgrounds.  I have bachelors degrees in both Finance and Management from Mount Mercy University, a small private school in Iowa.

I currently work for Duke Energy as a corporate Operations Training Manager.  I spent several years in the Navy nuclear power program prior to working in commercial nuclear power.  I started out by teaching people how to operate nuclear power plants, then transitioned into oversight and management.

I reside in Tega Cay, SC just south of Charlotte, NC with my wife and 7 year old daughter.  Below is a pic of the family at Disney, and me representing the PACK!!!

Justin

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Hello Everyone!

This is my 4th semester in the program.  I'm an Engineer in the Marine Corps, but am currently working as the the Officer Programs Director for NC out of Cameron Village.

I did my undergrad at State in Landscape Architecture.  I currently live in Garner with my wife and 1 yr old son.  We are NC natives, lifelong State fans, and we are looking forward to another great tailgating season (and hopefully some good football)!

Looking forward to working with everyone!

Best,
Eric

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Hi Everyone,

I'm a Senior Analyst for CAPTRUST Financial Advisors in Raleigh, NC. I help C-Suite Executives maximize their retirement programs and assist the companies that sponsor these programs in hedging the plan liability on their books. If anyone has ever heard of a nonqualified retirement plan - I work with these all day, every day.

My wife Cassandra and I just bought a home in Wake Forest, NC.  In my spare time I enjoy playing golf, doing yardwork, going to the gym, and fishing.  By trade, I'm an Atlanta sports fan which is very painful - but I'd have it no other way.

The below is from our honeymoon in Aruba in May.  Highly recommend, it was a blast!

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Dear class,

My name is Chen Zhao. I'm a Staff Engineer at Alibaba Infrastructure Services. Before that I worked at NetApp on the network infrastructure for 6 years.

I grew up in China and got my undergraduate in Electrical Engineering with a minor in International Business from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Then I moved to North Carolina and got my Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from NC State.

I'm married with 2 kids, age 8 and 7. We live in Cary, NC and love to go hiking and travel to different places.

This is my 5th semester in this  MBA program and I'm looking forward to a fruitful semester!

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Good Evening All,
From Upstate NY, Spent 7 years in the military, left while at FT Bragg. I currently work in medical device sales, started out as the NC sales rep then got promoted to be a Regional Sales Manager. This is my 3rd semester with the MBA program.  Currently living up in Syracuse, NY with my wife, 2 kids, and our dog.

All the Best,
Dave Tiedeman
djtiedem@ncsu.edu

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Hello! My name is Kara Buhr. I am a Process Engineer at Novo Nordisk in Clayton, NC. I am in my last semester in the online MBA program. It is exciting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have my undergraduate from NC State in Textile Engineering.

I just got married in June and me and my Husband have 2 dogs. We enjoy brewing beer, going to Carolina Hurricanes games (season ticket holders) and hanging with our dogs.

Looking forward to a great semester!

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Hi, my name is Steven White and I'm the AVP of enrollment systems and operations with Enrollment Management and Services at NC State. I oversee the systems and technologies used throughout our student information system.

I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Business Administration and Information Systems and Operations Management.

Thanks!

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Hello 570!

My name is Layne Comfort and this is my 3rd semester in the program here at State. I've been at Cisco Systems for the past 6 years after graduating from UNC, my current role is as an Operations Manager. I live in Raleigh in the Brier Creek area.

In my free time I enjoy being outdoors - backpacking, fishing, camping, hiking, kayaking, you name it. I used the recent break in between summer and fall semesters to do a 10-day 100-mile backpacking trip in the beautiful, but rainy, Smoky Mountains.

I am excited to work and learn in this class over the coming semester!

Layne

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Hi Folks! I was born and raised in NC and spent most of my life there until my husband and I relocated last May to Santa Barbara, CA after I accepted a position with ag tech start-up Apeel Sciences. I did my undergrad at NC State, Biochemistry (GO PACK!) and now in my final semester of the MBA program. I've spent my entire career in various R&D and regulatory program management roles. Passionate about sustainable agriculture and reducing food waste. I gotta tell you, CA is wonderful, but really missing NC now that football is here. Looking forward to a great semester and getting to know many of you better. Best of luck!

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Hello everyone, I'm originally from Mobile, AL, but have lived in the RDU area for ~12 years (including my undergrad time at NCSU). I have been managing a nanofabrication facility at UNC for about 9 years. While I like the technical nature of my job, I've become interested in playing a larger role in my department and the university as a whole. I think the MBA will help me get there.

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Hello, my name is Jeremy Biederman, and it is a pleasure to be in class with all of you. This will be my final semester here in the MBA program, as it has been a long strange trip. I am currently working as a Corporate Charter Pilot based in Fort Lauderdale, though I live in Monroe, NC with my wife. We have two sons and one daughter who live in Florida.
When not flying around the world, my wife and I like to relax and take in whatever comes in our path.
I look forward to working with as many of you as possible, and wish all the best this semester.

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Hello Classmates! My name is Scott Broaddus and I'm in my final semester of the program. I reside in Apex and call Kentucky home. Professionally, I work for Bayer CropScience and am the sales and business lead for a new division which is focused on bringing new IoT solutions to the public health and food safety industry.  I've been with Bayer for 11 years next month.  Away from work I spend my time with my my wife Kathryn and two amazing daughters, Kaylen (7) and Avery (4).  You can also find me on the golf course or running as I try to knock out a couple half marathons every year!
Look forward to working with and learning from everyone!
- Scott Broaddus -

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This is my second year in the online MBA program and I'm close to being halfway done.
My background is in R&D in Materials Science and Engineering, and my career has not been a straight line path. I am now at Fujfilm Medical Systems as a Regulatory Affairs Specialist.
One of the things I hope to gin from an MBA program is an understanding of when it makes sense to commercialize a technically sound idea.
I live in Morrisville with my dog Walter, and hope to find time to get back to karate.

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This is my 3rd year in the program and I am looking forward to trying to graduate next year. I am a U.S. Army veteran and when my time was up, I got my BA in Political Science from the University of North Carolina Asheville.

In my spare time I enjoy live jazz, open mic, road & mountain biking and I also coach basketball and football. I have a 7 year old son named Justice that means more to me than the air I breathe.

I am looking forward to getting the semester started and working with some great people.

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Greetings folks,

Similar to a number of you, this fall marks the start of my 3rd year in the program.
I graduated from Ball State University in 2007 with a BS in Biochemistry, and have since been in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry where I focus on opportunity evaluation and commercialization of technical capabilities related to data analytics, process instrumentation, and machine learning to better analyzer, predict, and control our development and manufacturing processes...fun stuff.

I am originally from Columbus, IN but moved to the Chapel Hill, NC area a few years ago to work with Biogen, Inc.

Outside of work, I hang with my wife and two young daughters, enjoy running and working out. Below is a picture of my oldest daughter (4.5 years old) and I posing for family pictures earlier this year.

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Hi Everyone,

This Fall starts my 3rd and final year of the Jenkins MBA program. I am a graduate of Alabama A&M University where I majored in Electrical Engineering Technology. I now reside in Charlotte, NC and work in the telecommunications industry as a Quality Manager.

When I am not working or studying I enjoy traveling and fitness related activities. I recently did the Spartan race (see picture) which was equally  fun and challenging (not sure if I will ever do it again I was hurting for days).

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Hey class,
I'm going into my 3rd year in the program, and am one of the few West Coast folks doing the program online. I live in Scottsdale, Arizona and work in business development for a global broadband technology company, where I am focused on new technology development for the government and US military.  Hoping to learn a few things to do my job better in this class!

Outside work, I love to travel, ski, and drive my race car. Attached is a pic from Hong Kong last year. Looking forward to working with all of you!

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Hi Everyone,
This is my second (and last) year of the Jenkins MBA program.
I am a NY CPA with auditing, taxation and small business advisory experience in public accounting.
Currently, I work for Albemarle Corporation, a global specialty chemicals company headquartered in Charlotte, NC.  My role at Albemarle includes tax planning, special projects, mergers and acquisitions, and transfer pricing.
I am originally from Syracuse, NY, but I moved to Charlotte with my husband and children 2 1/2 years ago.
Below is a picture of my family enjoying the beautiful weather in NC (except my daughter-she's not a fan of the outdoors).
I hope everyone has a great experience in this course!

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Hello everyone, I am extremely excited for my last semester at NC State's MBA program, and this great class. I live in Durham, NC as a Grants and Contracts Administrator for Duke University. I'm a former United States Air Force Airman. I have a finance background for the most part, as well as operations. Outside of work I love sports whether it's watching or playing, and I enjoy reading. Looking forward to working with everyone.

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Hello All, I am looking forward to the semester and this class. I am about halfway through the Jenkins MBA program and am still enjoying it very much! I have an engineering background (NC State) and have worked for Boeing as Structures & Payloads Design Engineer for the past 5 years. Outside of work and school I love golfing and fishing here in Charleston, SC. Also, I am looking forward to getting married this December

A picture with my beautiful fiance.

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Hello, all. I'm Sy Soto and this is my second year in the MBA program. I live in beautiful Denver, CO and I work as a plant manager. I'm a former Army officer and UNC graduate. I have an awesome dog named Mariah and we explore Colorado mountain towns often. Looking forward to the semester..

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Hello, all. I'm Sy Soto and this is my second year in the MBA program. I live in beautiful Denver, CO and I work as a plant manager. I'm a former Army officer and UNC graduate. I have an awesome dog named Mariah and we explore Colorado mountain towns often. Looking forward to the semester..

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Hey class, I am looking forward to my last semester in the MBA program! I am a 2nd-year online student and excited see a bright light at the end of the MBA course tunnel. I manage a small family business as Vice President working towards ownership in the coming years. We perform metal finishing and electroplating for aerospace and electrical applications. I manage most sales, our customer relations, research and service development, and long-term operations.

My background is a 180 degree difference as I have BS in Forest Management from NCSU. I worked as a forest and wildland fire manager for about 9 years, mostly in Wyoming. I am from Asheville, NC originally, so in 2014 I returned home with my family from living out west to be in my new career. I maintain my forestry and fire knowledge through volunteer firefighting and working on a call-when-needed basis with The Nature Conservancy for prescribed-controlled burning on federal and state lands all over western NC.

I do not have any experience in a true start-up, but we are constantly considering new business opportunities in my existing company. I will be interested to see methods for evaluating opportunities. I will also be interested to see how this course coincides with information presented in MBA 580 that I just completed over the summer.

Photo below is of my 2 year old son and I on a recent hike and fly fishing attempt here in the western NC mountains.

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A picture of my wife and I at the NC State - UNC game!
Some quick facts:
I teach and conduct research in entrepreneurship and family business
I have two sons, one of which is a student at NCSU.  My other son is at UNC-G.
I came to NCSU from Texas Christian University.