The Harvard students’ visit to Marshall was part of their West Virginia Career Trek. Career Treks are self-organized tours where a group of HBS students visit an area to meet organizations, gather information, and build contacts. Past Treks have been in locations like London, Columbia, and the Silicon Valley.
The objective of the panel discussion, entitled “HBS x LCOB – Finding the Right Path Forward” was to shift the focus from West Virginia’s past challenges to its bright future by highlighting how key leaders are making a difference and exploring opportunities for future business leaders.
The panel featured Marshall University President Brad D. Smith, Toney Stroud, Marshall’s chief legal officer and vice president for strategic initiatives and corporate relations and deputy secretary of the West Virginia Department of Commerce Mike Graney.
Career Treks visiting the state of WV have become an unofficial tradition at HBS where any students who are West Virginia natives lead the trek and expose the state to their Harvard classmates. This year’s WV Career Trek was led by Nick George and Brett Atkinson. George is a native of Charleston, received his bachelor’s degree from Washington & Lee and works in private equity and banking. Atkinson is a native of Morgantown, received his bachelor’s degree from Olin College and works at a start-up that commercializes technology that extracts valuable resources from unconventional sources, such as oil and gas wastewater here in Appalachia.
“We were thrilled to host Nick, Brett, and the Harvard Business School students as they explored the exciting economic opportunities in West Virginia, ” said Ben Eng, interim dean of the Lewis College of Business. “This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to connecting global talent with the local talent and resources we have here at the University and the state, while showcasing the potential of our region to drive meaningful change in the business world.”