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Alumni Entrepreneurs

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Connecticut College is an incubator of great ideas and a top launchpad for business founders. Forbes magazine ranked the College No. 16 on its list of "America's Most Entrepreneurial Colleges." 

Here are a few of our most creative, innovative and entrepreneurial alumni.

Featured Entrepreneurs

Brian Laung Aoaeh '01

Venture capitalist and partner, KEC Ventures

Brian Laung Aoaeh ’01 helps startups get off the ground in the U.S. and in Africa

Joel Backaler '06

Author, "China Goes West"

Joel Backaler '06, the author of "China Goes West," came to campus to discuss Chinese business with College students in the East Asian studies program.

Esther Li '19

Esther Li ’19 was nervous as she presented her business plan to venture capitalists and answered their seemingly endless questions. And she had every reason to be—this was no class project.

Emma Bowen '01

founder, Najla

Emma Bowen ’01 launches burgeoning lingerie business.

Emily Callahan '11

Cofounder, Blue Latitudes

A pivotal battle is taking place in the world’s oceans, pitting environmentalists against big oil companies. By looking just below the surface, Emily Callahan ’11 is bringing the two sides together. 

Virginia  Gresham '17

When travel writers from the Boston Globe took New London’s Wall to Wall walking tour of downtown murals recently, their experience was enhanced by an innovative mobile app created by Connecticut College students and faculty.

 

Adam Romanow ’07 was so impressed with the business ideas Conn students gave him during last year’s Fast Forward program that he came back this year for another round. 

 

Sean Fine '96

Filmmaker and Oscar winner, "Life According to Sam"

"Life According to Sam," a new documentary by Oscar-winning filmmakers Sean Fine '96 and Andrea Nix Fine, premiered Oct. 21 on HBO.

Alice Handy '70

CEO, Investure LLC

Alice Handy ’70, CEO of one of the top institutional money management firms in the U.S., asks the right questions, looks behind the numbers and has the confidence not to follow the crowd.

Will Harper '06

CoFounder, The Headshot Truck

Will Harper ’06 cofounded The Headshot Truck, a mobile photography studio that began as a convenient way for Los Angeles-based actors to get the glossy 8x10 photos they need to land roles.

Daryl Hawk '79

Photographer

Photographer Daryl Hawk '79 has traveled to some of the most remote places on Earth, including a recent trip to the high passes of the Himalayas.

Molly Hawyward '10

Founder, Cora

Molly Hayward '10 has established Cora, a company that provides organic feminine products to support women in developing countries.

Allison Hooper '81

CoFounder, Vermont Creamery

A trip to study French in Paris led Allison Hooper '81 to a dairy farm, where she learned to craft cheese that has made Vermont Creamery one of the best dairy manufacturers in the world.

Justin Koufopoulos '10

Presidential Innovation Fellow

Koufopoulos was selected from among the country’s best and brightest for the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, a partnership between the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy and the General Services Administration. 

Andre Lee '93

Filmmaker, "I'm Not Racist... Am I?"

Filmmaker Andre Lee ’93 will screen his new film, "I'm Not Racist ... Am I?" on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. in Palmer Auditorium. He will participate in a Q&A with the audience after the film.

Julie Mombello '83

Founder and Teacher, Adam J. Lewis Preschool

Mombello, a certified teacher, and her friend are giving preschoolers in one of Connecticut's poorest cities access to top-quality early education. 

Dana Mortenson '97

Founder and executive director, World Savvy

Dana Mortenson '97 is the founder and executive director of World Savvy, a leading provider of global competence education in the U.S.

Andrew Margie '96

Creator, AlumniFire

Andrew Margie ’96 is on a mission to kill the cold call with a new digital platform.

Amy Moore Paterson '94

CoCreator, My Little Waiting Room

Amy Moore Paterson '94, a breast cancer survivor, was recently honored with the Points of Light Tribute Award for her effort to provide free child care in Portland, Ore.-area hospitals.

Dana Heinz Perry '85

Producer and Oscar Winner, "Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1"

Dana Heinz Perry '85 wins an Oscar in the Documentary Short Subject category for "Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1," about the alarming rate of suicides amongst U.S. military veterans.

 

Connecticut College is inviting curious, creative, insightful and innovative high school students to explore their passions, collaborate with faculty and current students, and get an early feel for the college experience with Summer@Conn pre-college programs.

Erik Rapprich '05

COO and Managing Partner, Engage

As the chief operating officer and managing partner of the Washington, D.C.-based creative communications firm Engage, Erik Rapprich ’05 relies on the skills he honed through music study at Connecticut College. 

Timothy Reuter '99

CoFounder, AirDroids

Entrepreneur Timothy Reuter ’99 promotes the responsible use of one of the fastest growing —and commonly misunderstood — technologies.

Brian Rosenberg '87

Creator, Gays with Kids

Brian Rosenberg '87 has created Gays With Kids, an online community and resource center for gay fathers who are considering parenthood.

Michael Sheridan '89

Filmmaker, Founder and Director, Community Supported Film (CSFilm)

Filmmaker Michael Sheridan ’89 is letting Haitians tell their stories

Launch Entrepreneur Club Logo

Launch

Launch, a student organization, was founded to create a space for people with ideas to meet and work with others from across the liberal arts curriculum who share a passion for entrepreneurship.

Learn more

Are you an entrepreneur? Tell us your story at communications@conncoll.edu.

*A hallmark of successful entrepreneurs is building great things and then moving on to the next idea. While each profile on this page was accurate at the time of publication, we recognize that our alumni may have taken on new ventures since that time.

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