Full-Time MBA Student Profile Meet Gilad Andorn, ’18
At Chicago Booth, hands-on classroom experiences inspired Gilad Andorn to strike out on his own and explore the world of entrepreneurship and venture capital.
Hometown: Tel Aviv, Israel
Education:Tel Aviv University
Before Booth: Industry Analyst, Google
2017 Internship: Vested World, Chicago
Gilad Andorn: 00:03
My name is Gilad Andorn. I’m originally from Israel. Before joining Booth, I worked at Google as a corporate strategy analyst. When thinking about why doing an MBA, I really wanted to challenge myself and go to a place where I can really explore and design my own journey.
Gilad Andorn: 00:15
I joined a class called Entrepreneurial Discovery, which is the class we started our company in, and essentially there, you’re supposed to explore problem areas and identify pain points and then develop a solution. And we developed MoveSimple, which is a dedicated web-based platform helping international students relocate to the US. We’re hoping to really improve access to education to people from other countries. I like adding value to the world and creating and doing something positive, so I think combining that entrepreneurship with social impact is something that really drove me.
Gilad Andorn: 00:45
One of the great opportunities I got at Booth was the PEVC lab. As part of that, I’m interning at a company called VestedWorld, which is a VC firm based in Chicago, which invests in Eastern and Western Africa, seeds investments. And that was a great opportunity to really get to know the industry with zero risk. I think there’s a lot to be said about people who really look to drive results and drive impact and take ownership and initiative, and I think that's appreciated among others. And I think that's what attracted me to become an entrepreneur. And I think that’s what attracted me to Booth as well, that you have that ability to really own your destiny and own your own journeys.
Prior to Booth, Gilad worked at Google as a corporate strategy analyst, but an MBA was always on the horizon for him. Coming from Israel, he chose Chicago Booth because he wanted to develop his entrepreneurial skills.
The flexibility to design his own journey and pursue his passions is what first attracted Gilad to Booth’s MBA program. Early on, his classroom experiences inspired him to start his own company for the New Venture Challenge and to investigate the world of venture capital for his summer internship.
Booth Resources
When I came to Booth, I was amazed by the ability I had to just walk up to a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, or the biggest VC Investor in the West Coast, and just introduce myself. You can develop that into a coffee chat, and then have the opportunity to pick their brains in a one-on-one meeting. I think that ability to develop relationships with such connected, interesting people is very unique.
Group Work at Booth
Booth puts a lot of emphasis on teamwork, even in basic classes like Accounting. You gain friends, and experience working closely with other people; a key skill to have when you're working in the real world.