Unleashing Entrepreneurial Potential: Gautier Tonongbe’s Transformation in Silicon Valley
Author: Marshall V. King
Gautier Tonongbe – MBA Candidate at Mendoza
The Transformative Impact of ND Silicon Valley Mod-Away Program
Silicon Valley didn’t turn Gautier Tonongbe into an entrepreneur. He was already using his skills in finance and technology to create solutions to problems by creating businesses.
But he would tell you that his seven weeks as part of the ND Silicon Valley Mod-Away Program transformed his thinking and approach to building businesses.
“In this short span, I’ve delved deep into discussions with entrepreneurs, product managers, and engineers from both tech giants and startups and engaged with forward-thinking VC firms. It’s crystal clear: this place is a hotbed of innovation! The dynamic events and networking opportunities here are second to none. If you happen to be in the area, I highly recommend exploring the possibilities within Cerebral Valley,” he wrote in a popular LinkedIn post about his experience.
Tonongbe will graduate with a Master of Business Administration from Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame in May. He first came to Notre Dame on a Mandela Washington Fellowship in 2021 after working in telecom and banking.
He was one of 16 students living in Santa Clara from October to early December. He would walk to classes led by Mendoza professors, including Sarv Devaraj, the Fred V. Duda Professor of Business and Nick Berente, Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations. Professors Devaraj and Berente spearhead the program in Silicon Valley to help students learn more about product management. They saw many students working as product managers with tech companies and wanted to ensure their education prepared them.
Nurturing Entrepreneurial Minds: The Impact of the Silicon Valley Mod Away Program
Nicholas Berente – Professor of IT, Analytics and Operations
“Professor Berente and I, with our startup entrepreneurial experience, realize that product management is the lifeblood of innovative companies. Product management has to do with listening to the voice of the customer, being creative and coming up with ideas. These ideas should then be tested to make the business case” he says, noting how this program fills a gap in the curriculum.
He spends considerable time with students as the faculty-in-residence for the Mod Away Program. He is one of three professors who teach Mondays to Wednesdays. A number of guest speakers from companies such as Adobe, Amazon, Google, and Intuit, visit the classroom.
On Fridays and some evenings, the cohort tours companies in Silicon Valley, including Google, and enjoys wineries or other cultural attractions.
Ben Wilson, Associate Director of Experiential Learning, helps coordinate the half-semester program, which has a counterpart in Santiago, Chile. Roughly a quarter to a third (25 to 30+) of each MBA class (about 100 students) takes advantage of the opportunities in one of the two locations. “Mods Away are a perfect fit for MBA students in their second year as they increasingly prepare to launch their careers and life beyond graduate school,” Wilson says. “Seven weeks goes by quickly, so we work hard to open doors for students for them to take full advantage of their time in the epicenter of tech innovation.” Notre Dame formed an Alumni Advisory Group to help make connections and build a robust experience.
A Journey of Entrepreneurial Growth and Connections
Sarv Devaraj – Fred V. Duda Professor of Business, IT, Analytics, and Operations
Tonongbe was interested in the program as soon as he started his MBA. His first startup in 2018 wasn’t successful, which has driven him to learn more about market research and how to find and rise to opportunities. “The main goal of my participation in the program was to research the leading entrepreneurial best practices that could strengthen my skills,” he says. “Additionally, I was hoping to establish connections with people in the area who could potentially become a technical co-founder or provide introductions to angel/VC investors.”
Professor Devaraj put Tonongbe in touch with entrepreneurs in the legal technology area to discuss his contract automation platform https://opencontrat.com/. In addition, he and other students did a project for Google on how Google can use AI to improve the Google Workspace and made a presentation to company representatives.
Tonongbe has accepted a job with an accounting firm and will be moving back to San Francisco. “I really want to continue leveraging the environment and learning to know the Notre Dame alumni in the region,” he says.
Those kinds of connections are powerful not just for a graduate, but for the university. Devaraj said the Silicon Valley program is having a second-order benefit he didn’t anticipate. Three companies from Silicon Valley are already sponsoring research projects with professors at Notre Dame. “The Mod-Away program bridges campus to the West Coast – companies, alumni, and business leaders,” Devaraj says. “These research projects allow our faculty on campus to engage in impactful projects in the tech arena. This is a wonderful side benefit that we hope to leverage by being present in Silicon Valley.”
