TICE TAKES ATX A Front-Row Seat to Corporate Innovation and Women in Business
U pper school students in TICE ’ s Center for Business + Entrepreneurship ( B + E ) take classes such as Business Foundations , Marketing , and Investment Portfolio Management to gain a foundational understanding of business strategy , market analysis , and entrepreneurship . Students are exposed to a number of corporate leaders striving for excellence and innovation in their fields .
In March , a group of B + E students , led by Center Chair Kevin Maggard and Instructor of Upper School English Jennifer Christensen , embarked on a business tour of Austin , Texas , a first-ever venture of this kind for CPA students .
The group ’ s first stop was Dell Technologies , where they met with five professionals across different divisions . Associate Systems Engineer Kasandra Cerda shared unique characteristics about the company , explaining how Dell accelerates from ideas to innovation . Then , Human Resources Business Partner Vanessa Bank and Human Resources Generalist Mia Reingold spent intentional time with students , describing their recruiting strategies for recent college graduates across adjacent industries , such as marketing , human resources , sales , information technology , accounting , and more .
Vanessa shared Dell ’ s unique program , where employees receive on-thejob training , offering them the structure and support to explore their technological interests . Additionally , she described the soft skills Dell seeks in applicants , like collaboration , problem-solving , and critical thinking skills .
On the technical side , students toured the EBC ( Executive Briefing Program ) and Customer Solution Centers Innovation Lab . In the EBC tour , Renae Hurst outlined how Dell solves problems and presents solutions to clients , further unpacking with students the knowledge , skills , and resources used by employees day to day .
Then , Project Manager in the Customer Solutions Centers , Kathryn Rios , walked students through an example of one such solution , demonstrating the software and technology created to make a faster , more seamless customer experience . Senior Madeline Drape shared , “ Physically seeing Dell ’ s servers , reporting , and strategies opened my mind to a world of possibilities .”
Next , ICON is a cutting-edge construction company headquartered in Austin , Texas . ICON is at the forefront of using Artificial Intelligence , a topic students have studied in class . In the words of Kevin Maggard , what ICON is doing with AI is “ spectacular .” What used to take architects several months , AI can design and create in two weeks , and ICON is using this technology to revolutionize the housing industry .
The Chief Financial Officer of ICON , Tom vonReichbauer , lost his home earlier in life and has come full circle by creating living spaces at ICON .
26 PURPLE & GOLD 2023-24