INSIDE THE SHELL WINTER 2019 | VOLUME 3 | ISSUE N°1
A N E W S L E T T E R E XC LU S I V E LY F O R U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A RY L A N D A LU M N I A S S O C I AT I O N M E M B E R S
A Georgia Terp Gives Back: Bob Grossman ’72, M.Ed. ’77
Grossman reads to children at a local elementary school. His desire to volunteer with schools grew from a passion for children’s theater he developed as a student at UMD.
Bob Grossman ’72, M.Ed. ’77 lives near Atlanta, Ga.—more than 600 miles from the University of Maryland. But, by staying involved with the Alumni Association, his Terp network is never far. “Even if you move away and you get involved in other activities where you live and where you work, it’s nice to have a strong connection to the university,” he says. Grossman has attended a range of alumni events in the Atlanta area, including crab feasts, meet-ups at Braves games and, this past summer, an exclusive members-only Porsche experience. “These are the kinds of experiences that make you say, ‘that would be really fun to do,” Grossman explains. “But, the Alumni Association gives us the opportunity to actually participate.” Grossman’s membership has allowed him to stay connected, even after retirement, to his Terp community.
“Being a member gives you the opportunity to connect with other like-minded individuals that have had similar experiences,” he says. “There’s always going to be a bond with other people around the world that attended the University of Maryland.” As a student, Grossman participated in children’s theater and volunteered with his fraternity. Now he spends most of his time continuing the passions that started during his time at Maryland—he volunteers in his community at a food rescue organization, reads to elementary schoolers at a Title I school and is the chairman of the local Public Arts Commission. “The experiences that I had while I was a student have influenced who I am today,” Grossman says. “Had I not had some of those experiences, I’m not sure that I would be giving back to the community in the way that I am now.”
GET INVOLVED AND GIVE BACK THROUGH YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION! VISIT ALUMNI.UMD.EDU/VOLUNTEER TO GET STARTED.
From Zero to TEN: The New Terp Entrepreneur Network The Alumni Association has recently launched exciting professional development programming, from a virtual book club to new industry networks. We sat down with Nikhil Balakumar ’14 to learn about the Terp Entrepreneur Network (TEN), the first Alumni Association industry network. As principal at Greentel Group, Balakumar is an entrepreneur himself and recently started as vice president of the network. What is the Terp Entrepreneur Network? NB: TEN is a platform for a range of alumni, including entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned professionals. Maybe you have an existing business and you want to use new resources to grow it. Maybe you want to start a business and you’re trying to figure out how. Or, maybe you’re a seasoned entrepreneur and you’re looking for companies to invest in or partner with. The goal is to bring the entire ecosystem of entrepreneurial professionals together to create meaningful connections and partnerships.
What are some of TEN’s first initiatives? NB: We’re going to have our TEN launch event at the new WeWork in the UMD Discovery District in February, where we’ll invite all of our different audiences. From there, we’re looking to hold more targeted events. We may do events for entrepreneurs who have their businesses up and running and are looking for advisors or partners. Or, we may host an event exclusively for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to meet mentors. Why should people be excited about TEN? NB: This is an opportunity for the university to give back to alumni and for alumni to become vested and interested in being involved with UMD. It’s kind of like coming back to school again but taking your career and your dreams to the next level. What benefits will TEN provide to aspiring entrepreneurs? NB: We have so many resources at the university that can now be used for alumni. TEN allows us to leverage all of these resources to give aspiring entrepreneurs the foundations they need—how to put together a business plan, how to find
partners and investors, how to get things off the ground. There’s a ton of amazing resources out there, from the Capital One Innovation Lab to WeWork in the Discovery District. What about for more seasoned entrepreneurs? NB: For established folks, TEN is about meeting fellow entrepreneurs and building your network. Whether you have a small company or a larger company, there’s always opportunity to grow and learn. Having access to really experienced professionals who have been running operations for large companies or supply chains can help take your company to the next level. Whether you’re someone like me whose business has only been around for two years or you’ve been around for 10 years, we’ll give you the resources you need to take on the next big thing.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TERP ENTREPRENEUR NETWORK AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, VISIT ALUMNI.UMD.EDU/PROF-DEV
SAMUEL RIGGS IV ALUMNI CENTER 7801 ALUMNI DRIVE, COLLEGE PARK, MD 20742-1521 800.336.8627 | ALUMNI.UMD.EDU