ESTEEM '25 in Silicon Valley
For some students, spring break represents a tough call between the vibrant nightlife of Miami and the sandy shores of Myrtle Beach, but for the ESTEEM class of 2025, there was one top destination: Silicon Valley.
Our ESTEEM class traveled to the epicenter of innovation in the US for a jam-packed week of networking, keynote speakers, job shadowing and, of course, a sampling of life on the west coast! We swapped the bitter cold of a South Bend March for the sunny skies of San Francisco and got an unrivaled glimpse into what life is like in one of the world’s foremost technological hubs. Here’s how it all went down!
Monday
Our first official day kicked our trip off with a bang. We traveled to the offices of venture capital firm Plug and Play, where presentations would take place over the course of the week. Our hosts started the morning with a tour of facilities and offered a glimpse into the inner workings of the firm, including a look back at some of the company’s most successful investments, such as PayPal and Dropbox. Then it was on to our first speaker of the day: Peter Walker, Senior Director of Insights at Carta, whose insightful presentation provided real-world context to many concepts we have been introduced to in the ESTEEM curriculum. Founder and Managing Partner of Unusual Ventures John Vrionis was up next to regale us with his take on the life of a venture capitalist and the key components of a successful start-up. A great insight for the budding venture capitalists and founders among us!
In the afternoon, sisters Cara Brennan Allamano and Erin M. Faverty stopped by to share their diverse career journeys in Silicon Valley. They facilitated a lively Q&A discussion with students with topics ranging from AI disruptions, HR technologies, and the future of the startup ecosystem. Alireza Masrour, General Partner of Plug and Play, dropped by to offer his venture capitalist philosophy, and even provided feedback to some of our student founders on their startup ideas. Our final speaker of the day was Carmen Andoh, Director of Engineering at Splunk. Carmen recalled the ups and downs of her career journey in an engaging, grounded discussion that left us with plenty of food for thought about our future career paths.
With that, the first day in Silicon Valley was done! A packed day of engaging discussions and stellar insights - and our trip was only getting started!
Tuesday
Tuesday was job shadowing day, a highlight of the itinerary for many. Students were scattered to the wind to complete job shadows at a number of major companies in the region. Aspirational VCs toured 500 Global and Centerview Partners, while the design-thinkers among us got a glimpse into the workings of IDEO in their global HQ. Technology enthusiasts paid a visit to hardware giants Sandisk and Apple HQs, while Verkada provided an insight into the future of security systems at their San Mateo base. Other groups travelled to the offices of big tech companies Workday and Zendesk, and took a peek at a fast-growth startup at Hover in a session led by ND alum and founder, AJ Altman.
No matter where they landed, the student consensus was overwhelmingly positive. Not only did it allow us to gain firsthand insight into the inner workings of some of the most successful modern companies, but it also provided us with an unfiltered view of what it might be like to live and work in Silicon Valley.
Wednesday
It was back to Plug and Play on Wednesday for another packed agenda. Our morning kicked off with keynote presentations by George Kurian, Chief Executive Officer of NetApp, and Aisling MacRunnels, Chief Executive Officer of Endor Labs. Both speakers shared not only their professional perspectives but personal experiences, enriching two educational and engaging discussions that we eagerly soaked up. Our afternoon saw discussions from serial entrepreneurs Matthew Bradley, who led an open Q&A session on the entrepreneurial lifestyle and process, and Chris Vargas, who brought a unique conservationist perspective to discussions and challenged the class to put their investment know-how to the test in a number of case studies. Our final speaker of the day was Edgar Vega, Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships at LG Electronics, who led an enlightening discussion on intrapreneurship and the opportunities for entrepreneurs in larger companies.
Our day wasn’t over quite yet, though! The evening was marked by a networking event, where we mingled with working professionals and ESTEEM alums in the area. Over drinks and canapes, we chatted with Silicon Valley natives and formed connections that will last far beyond our stint out west.
Thursday
Our final day! We spent our last day of programming in the heart of San Francisco, where our day began with a presentation from ESTEEM alumnus Shane McCarthy. Shane caught us up on his career since graduating in 2013, including his current role as Software Engineer at Uber. Getting the perspective of a former ESTEEM student was truly valuable, and helped shift the idea of life in Silicon Valley from a far-fetched notion to a potential reality.
Next, we heard from Tim Hsia, managing partner at Context VC. Tim’s diverse range of experiences as a veteran, funder, and venture capitalist ensured a lively discussion that dove into the real-world implications of many topics familiar to students from our in-class studies. We even got the opportunity to hear from some founders working on companies Tim has invested in, who dropped some sage advice for those seeking to launch new ventures.
They say the mantra of Silicon Valley is “work hard, play hard,” and we certainly adopted that. Following a hectic afternoon, we were free to explore the city, take in the local sights, and even take a spin in a driverless taxi for the first time!
With that, there was only one thing left to do - a celebratory dinner to mark the end of a successful trip! Our whirlwind trip to Silicon Valley was undeniably exhausting, but incredibly rewarding, and opened our eyes to opportunities on the west coast we may never have considered.