Boston: Carbonite and Merrill Lynch

Today I visited Carbonite, a cybersecurity and data storage company. They were one of the first in the industry to create a storage backup software when the founder’s daughter lost her paper during a tech glitch. This site visit was one of the best yet as they had us apply the skills that Quinlan has taught us. They presented us with a case study on their acquisitions of “Webroot”. Separating us to a team of two, one as Marketing and one as Finance, we went through a set of questions and were able to give our insight based on what we read, and worksheets received on the financials. In addition, feedback was given based on our findings and what they have figured out themselves.

After this site visit, we went over to lunch at ZC Boston to eat a meal as a group. This Chinese restaurant was located in South End an unfamiliar area to us. I was able to order pork fried rice with two appetizers for just $10.  The ambiance was great, and we all loved being able to share all kinds of Asian entrees with one another. Shortly thereafter, we headed to our second firm of the day, Merrill Lynch. There we met with Pat, one of our alumni, as well as two of his colleagues. One of his colleagues was relatable as he is fresh in the industry with just two years of experience. Pat himself was able to give us great life advice, and so was his other colleague. Dave reminded us that a first career will definitely be a grind and you need to persevere when you hear more than one “no”.

My day ended with networking and going to dinner with two of my family members. For dinner we ate at a Sushi restaurant called Douzo. The setting of the place was laid back and the waitresses were excellent at catering to the table in a timely manner. Also, the food was great as I had two rolls and an entrée. After dinner, we walke throughout the Prudential. This walk made me realize how beautiful the city of Boston can be even at night. There is just something about this city that makes it beautiful despite the cold it can receive. I definitely can see myself living in such a city as I get closer to departing back to Chicago!

 

Vivian Perez (BBA '19)
Finance