Blog

Name

Andrew Chen

Hometown

Washington, DC

What did you do prior to Tuck?

I worked as a Senior Consultant at Deloitte.

What made you want to be part of the CDS fellows program? What is the best part about being involved with the center so far?

I wanted to be part of a small community of Tuck students who shared my passion for technology and who I could learn from. Additionally, I was excited to take on the CDS Fellows research project because I wanted to pursue learning opportunities outside the classroom that align my personal and professional interests.

So far, the best part of the CDS fellows program has been the community. We often engage with Tuck alums and former CDS fellows who are doing some incredible work, and their advice and wisdom has been invaluable to me as I think about my future career in tech.

What other activities are you involved in at Tuck?

Tech Club, Tuck Mentors, Tuck Ambassador, Pickleball Club.

What has been the biggest growth moment at Tuck, where you stepped out of your comfort zone? What did you learn from that experience?

The First-Year Project experience was definitely my biggest growth moment at Tuck. I worked really hard to source a project myself, which meant lots of cold emails, going back and forth with a few different companies for weeks, and negotiating the scope of work. Luckily, it worked out and I was able to select a team of Tuck students that did an incredible job for a company I’ve always dreamed of working with. From this experience, I learned the power of persistence. It also reminded me of the expression, “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no”, and I’ve tried to continuously remind myself of that as I look towards my post-MBA career.

What CDS learning opportunities or experiences have you learned the most from your time at Tuck so far?

The CDS alumni sessions have been really helpful in learning about various companies outside of big tech. Additionally, I had the unique opportunity to attend CES this year through CDS, and walking the conference floor and talking to people at these cutting edge tech firms was a really cool experience.

What class at Tuck pushed your thinking the most?

Managerial Accounting with Professor Gerakos. As someone without a finance background, this class provided a great foundation for how to think about turning accounting data into economically relevant information, and ultimately making better business decisions.

What books are you reading, podcasts are you listening to, or shows are you watching?

Inspired by Marty Cagan (for anyone pursuing product management); Fitt Insider Podcast (for anyone interested in fitness/wellness tech); Huberman Lab Podcast (for anyone interested in human performance/neuroscience).

What do you like to do in your free time?

Golf, tennis, pickleball, hiking, and anything else that gets me outside!

What advice do you have for Tuck students interested in tech- and digitally-focused career pathways?

Everyone says it, but my advice would be to prioritize networking. Reach out to Tuck alums, send cold emails to CEOs, and LinkedIn message people at companies of interest. You might get responses 10% of the time, but all it takes is one great conversation to make the effort worth your while.