Which focus group/initiative were you a part of and what did you achieve in it?
I was part of the Entrepreneurship Focus which wasn’t a core piece of SBC until my Sophomore year. With the help of many other SBC members, I helped launch the Entrepreneurship group out of the Engineering focus group. At first it was a challenge to find the right direction for member development, but after I left as a Director, those who followed set up amazing projects such as the Flux Accelerator program.
How did SBC enhance your MIT experience?
SBC enhanced my MIT experience by providing me a business perspective complimentary to the technical classes I studied. It opened up the opportunity to see the world through a different lens by way of the people in the Club. I gained valuable friendships and connections that I have already leveraged to continue to learn about business fields as they apply to my career, even though I am working in tech.
What was your favorite SBC memory?
My favorite SBC memory is more of a program I got to participate in. The Flux Accelerator program allows startups in the MIT community to be paired with SBC members that help with various aspects of the company. I got to be an advisor for a company called Releaf and worked closely with their CTO on tough product problems they were working through. The company wound up getting accepted into Y Combinator which made for an exciting time to be involved.
If you could go back to your Freshman year, what would you do differently?
I would try to meet more people in various groups from the very beginning. I wound up making friends only in the Football, Fraternity and SBC spheres but missed out on opportunities to meet amazing people outside of these groups. MIT is the best place to meet smart and friendly people and I would encourage everyone to go to random meet ups for things they are interested in throughout their MIT career.
What was your favorite MIT memory?
My favorite MIT memory is quite different from most. I played football and during my Sophomore year we went undefeated and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in the history of MIT Football. We wound up winning our first playoff game at the last second and this was my favorite memory.
What are you looking forward to most after graduation?
I’m looking forward to learning in a real world setting the skills needed to start my own company in the future. I am a firm believer that you can only learn so much in the classroom and getting hands on experience at a fast growing company can help anyone gain the ability to replicate that growth. I’m looking forward to having ownership of products that revolutionize the way the physical and digital world interact.
Where will you be working after graduation, and what brought you there?
After graduation, I will be working for Uber in their Associate Product Management program. I made the switch from engineering to product after working a summer internship that allowed me to take on a couple Product projects along the way. I found that working in a role that bridges the gap between technology and business is an ideal way to progress my career.
Anthony Emberley
Former Managing Director of Entrepreneurship
Currently works at Uber