NFTE blog

By: Ernst & Young LLP's McLean Tax Partner John Domenick

When I joined the Ernst & Young organization in 1999, the mindset of corporate responsibility stood out to me in every aspect of our business. Intrigued, impressed, excited — those were the words that came to mind when I was first introduced to Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and its mission. After relocating to McLean, Virginia, in 2011, I got involved with the local high school class Ernst & Young LLP  had recently adopted through NFTE's Adopt-a-Class program. I became leader of our Adopt-a-Class program shortly thereafter, recognizing its alignment with the firm's community engagement efforts.

By Jason Rivera

Wow! What a treat it was to attend the 2013 MasterCard Global Inclusion Summit.

The MasterCard Global Inclusion Summit, a companywide event, was held at MasterCard’s beautiful headquarters in Purchase, NY last week. The Summit was a series of panel discussions and interviews by MasterCard employee moderators, providing insights on “next” practices that best link diversity and inclusion to drive business impact. It focused on the many ways MasterCard employees could use their diverse backgrounds and experiences to strengthen MasterCard’s understanding of the complex challenges in the global marketplace.

“The specific subject matter isn’t as important as keeping kids engaged and building their confidence and real world skill set”

This may seem like an odd quote to discuss the benefits of a specific education curriculum like NFTE, but it rang true to my personal experience. Going into ninth grade, I was a stuttering, shy kid who was unsure of what I might want to do or who I was as an individual. That was all until I met my 9^th grade trigonometry teacher, Mr. Loomis. I remember his booming voice coming down the hall, inviting “Mr. Miller” into his class.

Get motivated by your passions and make the most of your dreams. NFTE Bay Area Advisory Board Member John Chisholm has an entrepreneurial mindset, and in this TEDxUFM presentation he’s helping you realize how to realize yours.

I’ve been involved with NFTE for almost 4 years now – wow!  

What started as a way for me to utilize my skillsets as an investor and advisor to entrepreneurs in support of my passion for education has morphed into, honestly, a way of life.  Late last year I made a career switch and joined an education-focused startup company, www.campusexplorer.com, with the goal of founding my own one day.

While this was the scariest decision of my life, I felt a strange comfort because of two important lessons that have guided me.  Interestingly enough, these two lessons are the core of NFTE. It’s why NFTE matters.