The Similarities Between Science and Entrepreneurship and Why STEM Graduates Can Excel in Both, with Tess Michaels of Stride Funding - Ep #63

STEM graduates are oftentimes boxed in as working in a laboratory or conducting experiments and studies in the field. In reality, they offer a diverse range of skills and assets through their years of education and training which can be used in other fields, particularly in entrepreneurship. And this is what Tess Michaels learned through her journey as a graduate with a STEM degree and her experience in investment banking, as well as her experience as a businesswoman.

Tess Michaels is the owner of Stride Funding, a venture-backed student funding platform that offers flexible and affordable income share agreements to supplement student loans. She is a serial entrepreneur who has started multiple successful businesses including Soceana which is a software-as-a-service platform that enables corporations to better manage and promote corporate volunteerism. While she graduated with a background in STEM, she also has an extensive background in investment banking and private equity through her years with companies such as Goldman Sachs and Vista Equity Partners.

Tess graduated from the University of Pennsylvania where she received the Penn Alumni Award of merit and has attended business school at the Wharton School of Business. While there she was also recognized with the Wharton Dean’s Award for Innovation. 

What You’ll Hear On This Episode of When Science Speaks

[00:57] What drew Tess Michaels to the STEM fields

[02:36]Tess shares her view on the relationship between scientific investigation and entrepreneurship

[04:26] Tess’ recommendations for budding entrepreneurs

[07:26] The skills and abilities that natural and social scientists get from their training that becomes an asset in the startup environment

[9:53] What is Stride Funding?

[12:37] Tess talks about Soceana and what attracted her into being a policy entrepreneur

[15:04] Tess gives advice for women in research as they advance in their career

Connect with Mike Stebbins

Tess Michaels on LinkedIn

Stride Funding

Soceana

STEM graduates and their unique position in the world of business

STEM is often thought of as a higher-level education, but the foundation of a good science and technology education begins at an early age. As students progress up to secondary and post-secondary education, STEM students undergo rigorous training under these four disciplines which allows them to develop skills that they can apply beyond the specific field of expertise that they focused on.

Tess Michaels is a STEM graduate who has experience working in diverse fields including research, investment banking, private equity, and business startups. She knows firsthand that it is possible to bring your education into various professional fields with great success. She was able to apply the skills she has learned through her years of training and studies in various professional arenas. Tess has also used her experience to touch the lives of other people through companies she has founded starting with Soceana and now with Stride Funding. 

The interplay between scientific investigation and entrepreneurship

Tess Michaels believes that scientific investigation and entrepreneurship are two fields that can combine to create something almost magical. And by “magic”, she means being able to use inductive reasoning, strategic marketing, product development, and policymaking in inventive ways. By utilizing these techniques she can create a balanced and well-designed solution for problems that people face every day. This, she says, is what can help STEM graduates stand out in the world of business.

The most important thing when melding two distinct fields together is to find a unique position wherein the expertise you have gained from both fields complement each other. By finding a niche and focusing all energy into seeing a vision become reality, the line between scientific investigation and entrepreneurial risk-taking can be blurred, and graduates can find success in all areas of life.

Learn more about Tess Michaels and how she brings together science and entrepreneurship on this week’s episode of When Science Speaks.

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