Ken - Austin 2004

As an Extreme Blue™ intern in Austin, Ken worked as the business lead on GPStream--a project designed to deliver content in new and innovative ways. Ken holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and an M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Texas.

Ken, could you tell us a little about the role you played on the EB team?

My role was to build a solid business plan for the amazing application the technical members of the team put together. This entailed marketing the application inside and outside of IBM, forging relationships with key stakeholders involved, and managing project milestones based on the expectations of our sponsors.

What would you say was the biggest impact this project is having on you?

Technology transcends all of society. The technical interns were very good at getting me involved with what they are doing. As a business manager at IBM, I'm expected to understand the things I'm marketing and selling--and my team is making sure I do.

Did anything about the Extreme Blue program surprise you?

It was a lot of work, but I can't say I was surprised by it. I expected a challenge, and I got one. I was impressed by the level of commitment by our mentors. I know they have their regular jobs to do, yet they were always available for questions and were very involved in our project.

How do you think your background and experience prepared you for this internship?

My background has helped me a lot. I have a B.S. and an M.S. in electrical engineering, and I have five years experience managing in the military--and another eight years of industry experience at both Motorola and NVIDIA here in Austin.

Why do you think you were selected for the Extreme Blue program?

I believe I was chosen because of my technical background. Being able to combine a B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering with an MBA gives me a good amount of leverage in today's technical world. With that in mind, I targeted the Extreme Blue program long before I began my MBA. I didn't want to throw away years of engineering experience, so I sought an internship that would let me use what I know.