Business At Hand

At Dominican, Rob Chase MBA ’00 gained the tools to develop and build a successful healthcare business. Now he’s paying it forward, creating internships for Dominican students and serving as a mentor as they embark on their own careers.

Marco Estebez ’19, and Jacquelyn Jacinto ’20 began their internship with the marketing department of NewGen Surgical during the fall 2018 semester and Chloe-Ann Shaw MBA ’19 started interning in the spring 2019 semester.

“Hopefully in their time here we can help them build the knowledge base or skill sets to get them closer to what they want to do,” Rob says. “They’ll get an appreciation for how to work together as a team and how companies can collaborate.”

Chloe-Ann was serving as a Business Management Associate at Chase’s NewGen Surgical in San Rafael. She is now founder of "Ignite a Light," a business consulting service in the Greater Los Angeles area.

“For me everything is coming full circle. I like the idea that he went to Dominican and now he’s reaching out to us to work with his company. There’s something really beautiful about that,” says Chloe-Ann, who along with Barowsky School of Business undergrads Marco and Jacquelyn were selected as interns at the start-up company that develops and manufactures sustainably designed, single-use medical devices and surgical products.

“If more colleges did that they would be so much better off. There is so much at Dominican that excites me and makes me happy.”

Through a Google search, Chloe-Ann discovered Dominican and was drawn to the chance to earn her MBA in one year, beginning with an MBA Boot Camp last August and ending with a Global Consulting Practicum trip abroad this summer.

Chloe-Ann met Rob when he presented at the MBA Boot Camp. Rob’s entrepreneurial spirit resonated with Chloe-Ann, who wants to apply the diverse set of business skills and experience she gains in finance, new product development, and marketing at NewGen Surgical to her goal of owning and operating a boutique hotel or chain of hotels.

“I’ll be touching all the areas and aspects of business,” Chloe-Ann says. “I’ll be getting first-hand information about what it takes to build a company and take it to the next level, especially since they are on the verge of huge growth right now. I want to be part of the team overcoming challenges in this crucial time. I feel privileged that whatever I will learn I can apply to my future business.”

Jacquelyn, who graduated from El Camino High School in South San Francisco, came to Dominican with the goal of making a difference in the community. NewGen Surgical’s mission to reduce plastic waste in hospital operating rooms by redesigning disposable products has opened her eyes to more possibilities.

“I love what Dominican represents, especially how it’s community related, and I like what this company supports. It was a perfect match with my career path,” says Jacquelyn, a first generation college student.

Marco, also a first gen student, is enrolled in Dominican’s 4 + 1 MBA program. He said his sustainability class with Professor Desta and his internship with NewGen Surgical have him now focused on pursuing a career in the healthcare industry.

“The professors really care. They are like life coaches,” says Marco, who graduated from Salesian High School in Richmond.

All three interns credited Courtney Budesa, Director of Internships and Professional Development in the Barowsky School of Business, for connecting them with Rob.

For Rob, increasing his staff with interns translates into better business opportunities. That’s not the main objective, however, the Dominican alum notes.

“That’s secondary. What’s rewarding for me, and all of us at NewGen Surgical, is being able to provide practical exposure and business insights to support the academics, as well as shape their approach on how to think about things. As with many aspects with life it all starts upstairs. How you think. How you frame what it is you are doing. How you interact with people,” Rob says.

“Starting this company was a real risk at my stage of life. However, now looking back, I can see some of the things I had to deal with in the early stages. Overcoming fear and how that can hold you back. Or being open to making connections with people not knowing who it is that’s going to help you go where you want to go. Those are the types of things I can impart to them, potentially, that will help them in their career.”