Stanford GSB Alumni

How did one Bay Area entrepreneur galvanize a legendary career in the hospitality industry? If you ask him, he says it was his confidence to fail. Chip Conley, MBA ’84, is the founder of the Joie de Vivre hotel chain and in his 20+ years as CEO, he’s created 52 hotels and become a trailblazer for boutique accommodations. He says the company’s boldest leap was creating a boutique campground six years before the word ‘glamping’ meant anything to anyone. But new frontiers mean... new hardshipsas Conley would soon find out. In his search for the right funding partner, Conley learned a crucial lesson: Not all investors are the sameand linking up with the wrong one can be disastrous. We’d mistakenly partnered with a hedge fund that had a short-term mentality about making money, he says. He and his partners didn’t have the same definition of success, and it cost him. The disagreement forced Conley to sell the property at a loss. But he did gain valuable insight. Ever since, he says, I’ve interviewed potential investors in the same way that I would a potential senior executive, to make sure their investing philosophy matches the kind of boutique projects we’re creating. Read the full article for more. https://stanford.io/38A8J68

Tuition assistance is a great perk at many companies, but there’s a disparity in who actually benefits. That’s why one MBA launched her own company to fight for fairness. Rachel Romer Carlson, MBA ’15, couldn't help but notice that in the time since World War II when Corporate America began offering tuition-assistance benefits, men in white-collar jobs are the ones who’ve benefited. That’s why she and Brittany Stich, MBA ’16, started Guild Education, a company that brings edu...cation benefits to frontline employees of giants such as Walmart, Walt Disney Co., Lowe’s, Chipotle, Discover Financial, and Taco Bell. Guild’s approach centers around two innovations. The first directly connects employers with learning institutions so that employees don’t have to front any money. Secondly, Guild has developed a way for companies to gauge the outcomes of their employees’ education and measure ROI. Since launching in June 2015, Guild has raised about $228.5 million in venture capital and is now valued at $1 billionmaking it one of the few female-led unicorns. And thanks to their vision, tens of thousands of corporate employees are starting new classes each month. Read the full interview with Romer Carlson for more. https://stanford.io/2ORxrb1

"The recent reports of increased violence against Asian Americans in the Bay Area and around the country are concerning and upsetting. These attacks have been directed at some of the most vulnerable members of our society. An 84 year-old grandfather, an immigrant from Thailand, died after being violently shoved to the ground in his San Francisco neighborhood. We have all witnessed racist and xenophobic rhetoric directed at Asian American and Pacific Islanders since the beginn...ing of the pandemic. President Biden and other leaders have condemned this intolerance, which is heartening. Words matter, especially from our nation’s leadership. At the GSB, we stand firm in our support of our Asian American community -- our students, staff, faculty, and alumni. We are proud of our ongoing efforts to make the school inclusive and equitable in service of our mission." Dean Jon Levin https://stanford.io/3qKhYrw

Four decades ago, William Eaton drafted a business plan that became the blueprint for the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery. Today he still runs the place, making one-of-a-kind guitars.

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