Blockchain and bitcoin often conjure images of far off billionaires and technology companies trying to profit off the “next big thing.” It’s more than that.

Nadine Payne, MBA ’15, believes understanding complex business problems means understanding how the pieces all fit together, studying, and assessing their functions.

What does a typical work day look like for Kristie Curameng Bradford, MBA ’05? Well, there’s really no such thing — and that’s precisely why she loves her job. “No days look similar,” says Bradford, director of intellectual property at IBM. “There are so many things I could be doing in one day.”

On Friday, Oct. 15, the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business greeted roughly 100 alumni, corporate partners and researchers both in-person and virtually for the Smith Advisory Council Welcome, commencing the start of new partnerships that will equip Smith School students with the skills needed to succeed in evolving fields.

Adam DeMarco, MBA ’21, was raised in a “family of service,” as he put it. His relatives span careers including law enforcement, nursing, medicine, and, as DeMarco himself chose, the military. “The notion of serving, serving others, and being a part of something bigger than oneself is something that I have just grown up with and have sought to inculcate,” said DeMarco.

When Carly Fiorina, MBA ’80, looks back over the arc of her career, what stands out for her isn’t a single achievement or experience. That’s not what defines her. So what does stand out for her as she looks back?

Lee-Ellen Myles believes businesses are ideally positioned to leverage their influence to make impactful change. It’s a belief that has been validated in her coursework at UMD and Maryland Smith, and during her 2021 summer internship with Council Fire, a consulting firm that works to help purpose-driven organizations thrive by creating lasting economic, social and environmental value.

Octavia Davis couldn’t picture herself going to college right after high school. She hadn’t yet decided what she wanted to do with her life, with her career. Joining the military, she thought, would give her time to decide what she wanted, while giving her a rich, worldly experience.

Etim Edim’s path to becoming CFO of Morgan Stanley's Technology, Operations and Firm Resilience divisions started with a realization – he wanted to make an impact. Before overseeing the financials of three major divisions within one of the largest wealth management and investment banking firms in the world, Edim got his professional start as a systems analyst and spent most of his days as a computer programmer. After about four years, Edim yearned for more and began to explore his options.

How can a leading financial institution effectively deliver banking products and services to disadvantaged communities while still earning a socially responsible profit for shareholders? That was the question posed to Maryland Smith’s MBA students in the M&T Bank Case competition. The event, which took place at the close of Smith’s two-week MBA orientation, brought students together to work in teams to identify how the company can effectively deliver banking products and services to disadvantaged communities while still earning a socially responsible profit for shareholders.