Kate Murdock, DMSB'18, never lets an opportunity slip by. In addition to producing stellar work inside the classroom, she's taken full advantage of Northeastern's entrepreneurial ecosystem—assuming leadership posts in IDEA, Northeastern's student-run startup accelerator, and Scout, a student-run design studio. She's also delved deep into the inner-workings of the business world during three alternative spring break courses and during five co-ops and internships. Those positions included working as a product manager at Trove, a Financial Management Program intern at General Electric, and a brand manager at Bare Tree Media.

It's no surprise, then, that Murdock was one of 101 students nationwide named the 2018 “Best and Brightest” business majors by Poets&Quants, an online publication that covers issues related to business education. The winners were chosen based on the contributions they've made at their respective universities, and the impact they plan to have after graduation.

Read an excerpt from Murdock's interview below:

Q:What did you enjoy most about your business school?

Northeastern has this insane entrepreneurship ecosystem we call Mosaic. There is a student-led design studio and student-led product development studio, Scout and Generate respectively, that work on client projects in design and engineering. The Entrepreneur's Club makes entrepreneurship accessible and exciting to anyone through the many programs they run. There are up and coming organizations like the Accounting Resources Center, Origin – a graduate student run organization that identifies and invests in research coming out of Northeastern labs, and Ascend – a student run marketing organization, and more. Every part of the entrepreneurship ecosystem is run by students. Although these organizations might not all be in the business school, they are supporting entrepreneurship on Northeastern's campus. The opportunity for exposure to other disciplines through experiential education is easily my favorite part of Northeastern.

Q:What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business?

The people you surround yourself with are arguably more important than the work you're actually doing. Teamwork is essential.

Q:Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of?

I am most proud of my role as the CEO of IDEA: Northeastern's Venture Accelerator. I get to work with hundreds of passionate, driven, and smart entrepreneurs who would give anything to make their concept a reality. I am proud of the work I do because I know that it is impactful for those students, alumni, and professors who want to turn their ideas into their careers. I have had the opportunity to run strategic initiatives, work with an incredibly talented team, and continue to build an amazing organization. Each and every day is both inspiring and rewarding.

Q:What made Kate such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2018?

“Impact. Kate Murdock is all about smart, positive, innovative, and high-energy impact. Northeastern University and its entrepreneurial community are certainly much better off because of it. Since the first day she entered my classroom, I knew that among all my bright and promising students, Kate was someone special. She spoke up confidently, with lots of intelligent things to say, yet was thirsty to learn. She worked diligently to improve herself, yet she was a leader among classmates and group-mates. She had already had the great foresight to make entrepreneurship her passion, and in sharing this passion with the class, she made us all better. As a great testament to her abilities, the entrepreneurs and venture capital professionals I have introduced Kate to invariably speak very highly of her.

Since taking my class, Kate has deservedly become the CEO of IDEA, Northeastern's student-run venture accelerator. The position is demanding, requiring a broad range of skills from leadership to innovation to administration to empathy. Kate has risen to the challenge, expertly leading a large and diverse Northeastern entrepreneurship community to higher impact while showing the breadth of her capabilities. I'm very proud of her. Kate, as you enter the real world, I can't wait to see the amazing positive impact you will have.” —Mark Bernfeld, Lecturer, Finance

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