Forging Connections, Inspiring Futures
Mike Capone ’88, CEO of Qlik, a leading data-analytics company, met with students and reflected on the value of the class and the institute. Photo by Joe O'Neill.
Burgess Institute for the Global Economy made a big impact in its first semester, with much more to come
by Tony Moore
Dickinson’s Burgess Institute for the Global Economy is rapidly transforming the student experience across campus and across the curriculum, allowing students from any major with an interest in business to see their future through that lens.
This innovative program, made possible by the generosity of Mark ’81 and Lisa Burgess, connects students with a powerful network of alumni mentors and industry leaders, offering unparalleled opportunities to launch successful careers.
There has been no shortage of Burgess events across the Dickinson landscape since the institute’s fall 2024 inception. Let’s take a look at what students have experienced so far.
Alumni Insights: Profiles in Leadership
The backbone of the Burgess Institute is its academic lineup, with courses such as Artificial Intelligence in Finance, Global Business: Theories & Context, and Stuff! The Material World of Global Inequality.
A notable programming feature comes in the form of accomplished alumni returning to the Dickinson classroom to share their expertise and inspire the next generation of leaders through the Profiles in Leadership course, run by the Burgess executive director and Senior Lecturer in International Business & Management Steve Riccio.
This fall, the course, sponsored by the institute, brought in Cody Nichols ’15, a customer sales lead at Campbell’s Soup Co., and Darrell Pacheco ’12, president of Shenandoah Joe Coffee Roasters.
During his visit, Mike Capone ’88, CEO of Qlik, a leading data-analytics company, met with students and reflected on the value of the class and the institute, as well as the way it lets him reengage with Dickinson.
“The Profiles in Leadership program is super unique as part of the new Burgess Institute,” the former computer science major said. “So that was a big draw for me. But, more importantly, I’m an alum and I’ve always wanted to give back to the college. I’ve been deeply involved over the last few years, so it’s just another way for me to make a connection and give back a little bit.”
In 2025, a dozen more alumni, from a wide swath of industries, are slated for campus visits as part of the Profiles in Leadership course.
Executives in Residence
Meanwhile, the Burgess Institute’s executives-in-residence program brought in its first two guests. The program is a key part of the experiential learning and mentorship approach, bringing business leaders to campus and giving students direct access to successful professionals. This provides valuable, real-world insights into business practices, leadership and industry trends for students of all majors.
The institute’s inaugural executive-in-residence, Nate Mitchell ’09, co-founder and CEO of Mountaintop and co-founder of Oculus, spent several days on campus interacting with students. Mitchell shared his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of pursuing passions and the power of perseverance.
As the second executive-in-residence, Amy Nauiokas ’94, co-founder of Anthemis, an industry-leading venture-capital firm, and founder of Archer Gray, an award-winning entertainment production company, stressed the importance of the new initiative in helping students expand their professional networks.
“The Burgess Institute fosters meaningful connections,” she said, “making it easier for students to engage with alumni and explore their career aspirations.”
The significance of what the institute’s programming offers hasn’t been lost on students, who come from across the academic landscape to take part.
“One plus of the Burgess Institute is that they actually have real, live executives-in-residence, really at the top of their fields, and they provide a unique leadership perspective,” said Ty Chermsirivatana ’27, a political science and law & policy double major.
“With this institute, prospective students look at the college and they see that they can get that great liberal-arts education and also get experiences in finance, business, leadership and a lot of other areas that are going to help them in their careers,” Burgess said of the inspiration behind founding his namesake institute. “[Add to that] industry-specific career support and connections with our strong network of alumni business leaders, then our students interested in business could graduate with a real advantage in the marketplace.”
Site Visits & Info Sessions
When students aren’t spending time with execs on campus, they’ve been engaging with them on site visits, such as when 40 students toured the Utz Brands plant in Hanover, Pa. The visit was led by Utz CEO Howard Friedman ’92, and it featured a “from the field to the shelf” experience that introduced students to the journey of transforming harvested potatoes into the iconic Utz potato chips available nationwide. Students had the chance to see cutting-edge technologies, meet industry professionals and gain insight into career opportunities in the huge consumer-packaged-goods sector of the food industry. The trip highlighted the importance of experiential learning and the power of industry partnerships in preparing students for success after graduation, a foundational element of the institute.
Students also went to Morgan Stanley’s headquarters in New York City for a deep dive into Wall Street careers with Steve Haynes ’15, Pat Davis ’20, Andrew Ford ’11 and Kirsten Brodeen ’20, with the firm’s Laura Chen ’11 helping to organize the visit, and spent time with Mark Lehman ’71, CEO of ADC Holdings, who discussed internship opportunities he offers at his company’s Horizon Brands, a subsidiary in Costa Mesa, Calif.
In 2025, the institute is picking up where it left off in 2024, with, among others, a site visit to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, with Jennifer Ward Reynolds ’77, an aquarium board member.
Campus Is Alive With Events & Opportunities
The launch of the Burgess Institute also marked the second annual Investment Competition. This 10-week challenge, hosted by the institute and the Department of International Business & Management, saw 84 students from diverse academic backgrounds compete for top honors. Armed with $1 million in virtual capital, participants honed their financial acumen, navigating real-world market fluctuations and developing winning trading strategies.
Aaron Stern ’25, a computer science major, emerged victorious with a 102.4% return on investment. Stern’s success hinged on a dynamic approach that leveraged market events, earning releases and even cryptocurrency trading.
“This competition provided a valuable sandbox for experimentation,” Stern said. “It deepened my understanding of global economic trends and fostered critical-thinking skills.”
Other Burgess-sponsored campus events included a personal finance workshop, a Network @ Noon event with Morgan Stanley’s Patrick Davis ’20, the Women in Finance panel discussion and this year’s Ethics Symposium, “Friction Forward: Considering Cases Involving Courage and Conflict,” featuring a keynote by Nauiokas.
Beyond these events, the Burgess Institute is sponsoring the Student Investment Group, the Student Marketing Group, a public-speaking competition, finance career treks, Winter Break Career Pathways and Finance & Business Network, all of which help students engage with one another and professionals to build their networks and skill sets while also getting a taste of what professional opportunities await.
Leading the Way
Riccio serves as the executive director of the Burgess Institute and is the force behind both the institute’s operations and the Profiles in Leadership course. He envisions a future when—through the Burgess Institute—experiential learning is deeply integrated into the Dickinson experience, connecting students with alumni, industry leaders and real-world projects. Riccio emphasizes the importance of stakeholder capitalism, a business philosophy that prioritizes the needs of all stakeholders, including employees, customers and the community.
“Many students look at businesses from a pure capitalistic perspective with the goal of making as much money as you can (ethically) for you, your company and your shareholders,” he says. “I want to shift our students’ paradigm using the term stakeholder capitalism. Simply stated, the most important stakeholder is not the shareholder, or the customer, or the employee, or even the community. Each is important for the success of all, and the concept of stakeholder capitalism will be a foundational element to our affiliated courses, events and programming.”
Recognizing Transformative Philanthropy
Dickinson recently inducted Mark and Lisa Burgess into the college’s esteemed Founders’ Society, which recognizes donors whose lifetime giving exceeds $1 million. The installation ceremony celebrated their transformational philanthropy, which most recently established the Burgess Institute.
“I am honored to recognize these two incredible Dickinsonians for their commitment to the college and to its future. Mark and Lisa’s generosity is inspiring,” said President John E. Jones III ’77, P’11, at the ceremony. “Mark and Lisa are visionary philanthropists focused on helping the next generation of Dickinsonians to thrive in today’s global economy. And the Burgess Institute will empower students to thrive in today’s complex global economy by equipping them with the skills and connections they need to succeed.”
One of those future leaders, Sophie Jones ’28, pondered aloud what a young Mark Burgess would have thought of the institute he’s now created—and its impact.
“I wonder whether you, Mr. Burgess, had any inklings as a Dickinson student in the late 1970s that your liberal-arts experience would bring you back to campus as the moving force behind an institute for the study of the global economy,” Sophie Jones said from a podium at the Founders’ Society induction. “We don’t yet know the many ways that the Burgess Institute will expand the Dickinson student experience. From what I’ve seen, however, I think that it will encourage us to keep exploring novel ideas and opportunities, to be brave in trying new things and to be ready to shift direction as we grow and evolve while living in a changing world.”
Read more from the winter 2025 issue of Dickinson Magazine.
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Published March 20, 2025