Marcy Howerter 27 -
Software Engineer
I have been working as a
software engineer with IBM
for 5+ years. I started
working for IBM in Rochester,
Minnesota after graduating
from Luther College with
a BA in Mathematics, Computer
Science, and Physics. Some
of you may now be asking
yourselves "What makes
a 'geek' from the Midwest
who is working for a large
corporation the ultimate
entrepreneur?" Well,
I believe it is the opportunities
that I have created for
myself within IBM that illustrate
just that. During my first
year with IBM, I co-led
a grass roots effort to
establish several initiatives
within IBM that helped new
employees get connected
to IBM and the local community.
I then helped grow the local
initiatives into corporate
wide initiatives that significantly
improved employee satisfaction
and retention. It is through
this experience that I discovered
that there are entrepreneurial
opportunities even in the
largest of corporations
if you are motivated to
discover them. In addition
to being a hard working
business woman, I am a runner.
Throughout my running career
I have been able to develop
several qualities that I
feel will help me become
the ultimate entrepreneur.
One of those qualities in
particular is leadership.
As a captain of the cross
country and track teams
at Luther College, I led
my teammates by motivating
them to perform to the best
of their abilities. Although
I was not the number one
runner, my teammates respected
me and looked to me to lead
us through challenging practices
and keep us focused on our
goals. Finally, one of the
qualities that has driven
all aspects of my life is
my competitive spirit; from
the cross country course
to the office, I have always
been driven to be the best
that I can possibly be.
Now that you know a little
more about me, I hope that
you enjoy watching my journey
to become the Ultimate Entrepreneur.
