Last week we hosted the first-ever conference at our Boston campus. The two-day event was filled with panels, inspirational sessions, and networking. We covered a range of areas and topics such as how AI can impact the finance industry, how to find a work-life balance as an entrepreneur, current emerging tech trends, and the importance of adaptability in your career journey. Most importantly, the attendees had the chance to interact with industry leaders from every respective field and set the foundation for some valuable connections.

Organizing a conference—where to start?

It started last November with a simple idea. I came to Boston and quickly realized how many opportunities this campus and city had to offer. I could attend a new conference, networking event, or workshop every single week—I was almost overwhelmed! During these professional events, I met so many bright people and learned a lot. I was filled with inspiration and quickly learned the power of networking.

I wanted to bring something like this to my campus. A professional celebration of Hult’s uniqueness and community. Hult students come from many different cultures, and I know that being from Sweden, networking doesn’t come as naturally to me as it does for Americans, even though we know it’s a crucial part of building your professional network and potentially landing your next dream job. I thought that by bringing the conversation to our campus, we would all see the beauty in connecting with others.

Synergy: “The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.”

I mentioned this vision in a class with our career team, and Maria Susana Castellanos, our career development program coordinator, picked up on it. We started working on the concept, piecing together logistical parts, and turned this vision into a reality. With a team of great volunteers and an amazing undergraduate career team, we put together the first Hult conference event. We also partnered with some clubs on campus: Finance Across Borders, Google Developers Student Club, and Voices of Hult. Meanwhile, Who’s Cooking provided drinks for the occasion. Joining forces makes us stronger, which was reflected in this year’s overall theme…

Synergy: A different type of conference

The theme “Synergy” came from a brainstorming session and it suited our vision well. The term’s literal definition is“the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.”

We achieved this by bringing together industry experts from different fields and backgrounds in the business world. There is no straight line to succeeding in business, whether it’s finance, tech, or entrepreneurship, and that is something that we learned from the great speakers who joined us.

What we covered

  • M&A panel hosted by Finance Across Borders moderated by Viktoria Dalko.
  • Venture Capital & Social Impact panel hosted by Finance Across Borders and moderated by Andrea Ridi.
  • Career insights and growth equity with Thomas Karthaus.
  • Entrepreneurial Endeavors panel moderated by Larissa Janz Branco.
  • Matthew Ogieva on the importance of global leadership.
  • The exploration of international trade with Michael Laffan.
  • The GDSC Hult panel moderated by Omogbolahan Alli, focuses on Digital Transformation.
  • Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges panel moderated by Alessandra Gasparotto.

Without even asking them to speak about it, almost every single speaker touched on the importance of building a strong network, the value of going the extra mile, and the benefits of mentorship. They showcased a clear pattern of how to achieve business success, backed up by their real-life insights and experiences. No matter what program or level you’re at in your academic journey, it is often easy to take the opportunities we are given for granted. Instead of thinking “I have to do this”, imagine “I get to do this”. Education can come in many different forms, and events like these certainly highlight what a privilege it can be.

 

The journey doesn’t end here, we aim to make the conference an annual event, highlighting and celebrating our community and the professional opportunities we can all create together. We might be back with a second edition in October, so please stay tuned for more action from our Boston campus. Who knows, maybe we can spread the concept to our other campuses, too!