Business-savvy Yalies unite and just say YES

Entrepeneurs are far from scarce on Yale's campus. For instance, Seth Sternberg, BK '01, at the age of 20, is living the life most people dream of but few actually attain. Instead of toiling over endless problem sets or struggling through 300-page packets, hea is a self-employed man, busy overseeing the day-to-day operation of IvyBound, the college consulting firm he founded two years ago.

Yet even Sternberg might appreciate the helping hand that Sean Glass, TD '02, and Miles Lasater, SY '00, intend to provide enterprising Yalies. Glass and Lasater recently established the Yale Entrepeneurial Society (YES).

The year after the founding of IvyBound has been fraught with uncertainty. The company tried a number of marketing strategies and made various structural changes before finally finding a formula that worked. YES intends to promote and build the entrepreneurial community at Yale by helping students start and run successful businesses, giving help to businesses with problems similar to those of IvyBound. Sternberg made it through alone, however; he now refers to his consulting business as being "decently successful" and would like to see it continue its expansion.

In a recent press release, Lasater reported, "The response has been overwhelming. Everyone we talk to both inside and outside the Yale community is excited and willing to help." The group already has 37 registered members and has many events, including forums for young entrepreneurs planned for the upcoming year.

In the meantime, Yale entrepeneurs like Sternberg aren't waiting around for the help. Sternberg is now enjoying the fruits of his labors, and finally has some time to reflect on the auspicious events of the past year.

In its third year, IvyBound boasts its own website and a 100 percent success rate for its clients. The business has become so prosperous that Sternberg is taking the semester off to deal with his ever-increasing number of clients and employees. The company is in the process of recruiting students from schools in the Ivy League, especially from Columbia, as well as from schools outside of the Ivy League.

IvyBound hires college students rather than professionals to counsel its clients, and is thus able to offer its consulting services at very affordable prices. This strategy has given the company a competitive edge over other, similar businesses. "We took something that was available to the ultra-elite for thousands and thousands of dollars and offered it at a lower price," Sternberg said.

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