Esteban Rojas, a member of the ESTEEM program at Notre Dame, shares how the program has equipped him with the skills and perspective to make a greater impact and solve real-world problems through entrepreneurship and business.
Esteban Rojas ’15 is a dedicated individual who has always strived for more than just a successful career. After graduating from Notre Dame in 2015 with a computer science degree, he became a software developer in the finance industry. However, Esteban felt the need to have a more significant impact and align himself with a mission he could truly relate to. This led him back to Notre Dame to join the ESTEEM graduate program’s class of 2024. As an ESTEEM graduate student, Esteban is making the first step in his journey toward making a difference.
Currently, Esteban is using his skills at Hurricane Capital, a hedge fund platform based in New York City. With his background in computer science and experience in the finance industry, Esteban can contribute significantly to the success of Hurricane Capital, he plays a pivotal role in his capstone thesis in providing an operational framework for the organization.
Driven to make a positive impact, Esteban Rojas is determined to create a meaningful change in the world. Through his dedication, expertise, and involvement in ESTEEM, he is on his way to achieving his mission and transforming lives.
The University of Notre Dame's ESTEEM program offers a transformative educational experience designed to empower students with the necessary skills and insights to impact the world profoundly. Esteban Rojas, an ESTEEM candidate for 2024, shares his profound personal and professional growth through the program, embodying the seamless integration of technical prowess with a purpose-driven mission. Esteban's narrative reveals how ESTEEM is sculpting the leaders of tomorrow.
Despite a thriving stint as a software developer in finance, Esteban Rojas craved a more meaningful contribution that resonated with his ethos. The ESTEEM program emerged as the gateway to expanding his vision and skill set, propelling him to a significant impact. Working with Hurricane Capital in New York City, Esteban engaged in a Capstone project to innovate client risk management solutions, applying his sharpened analytical abilities and the practical wisdom acquired from ESTEEM. This real-world application fortified his business acumen and emboldened him to face future entrepreneurial endeavors.
"I knew that I wanted to do more than just focus on my career as an engineer. I wanted to have a greater impact and do so with a mission that I could relate more to. And I knew that ESTEEM would be the first step in that journey."
Hurricane Capital is a Hedge Fund Platform based in New York City; they are to hedge funds what Shopify is to e-commerce. Hurricane Capital empowers smaller hedge funds by providing resources that are typically found at larger firms, thus lowering costs and increasing the chances of receiving an allocation by raising their profile on the Platform. This capstone project aims at helping Hurricane Capital define and develop an MVP that will help portfolio managers mitigate their portfolios’ risk. This is a highly-requested feature and will be incredibly valuable to Hurricane Capital’s clients.
“I love being in South Bend. There's something different about Notre Dame, which is why I returned. It's the fact that they're aligned to being a force for good. And pairing that with the business skills that I knew I wanted to have was a great match for the impact that I want to have in the future. That's why I chose Notre Dame over other schools.”
Esteban Rojas' transformative path through Notre Dame's ESTEEM program underscores its role in nurturing visionaries poised to generate positive global change. The program is a beacon for those aspiring to merge business acumen with a meaningful purpose, shaping a future where innovation serves humanity.
To join us on the journey of innovation and entrepreneurship, discover more about the ESTEEM program and take the first step toward a rewarding future today.