Day 4: Personal Values Fueling the Journey
Editor’s note: The Innovation Odyssey Blog is produced by students in the Innovation Odyssey course, taught by Assistant Professor of Practice Stephen Brand. The course featured a trip to Silicon Valley in January 2025 where the students met with executives and leaders in the tech industry. Each blog will be about a specific day of the trip and the students’ experience. This post was written by the team of Yinxiao He ’26, Kai Ogenah ’25, and Jack Witt ’25.
Silicon Valley is living in and creating the future. Nothing represented this better than our visits on January 15.
Our first stop was Plug & Play, a leading incubator and accelerator for tech startups, where we sought to learn how their strategic partnerships and funding opportunities propelled the early-stage ventures they worked with. As part of the visit, we had the opportunity to explore one of their promising supported ventures, Blue Lake Packaging, led by Ying Liu. Her company seeks to replace non-recyclable packaging materials with biodegradable alternatives, bringing about a more ecologically friendly world. While listening to her speak, we gained valuable insights into the importance of being resilient through life’s challenges, whether it is creating a business or juggling a family with an intense job. She spoke of her desire to start a family later in her life at 37 years old, and how it was crucial to her to make time for her kids and how she advocated to Apple for more work-life balance despite her high-ranking role. Her story made us reflect on my own future: how we will need to navigate the complexities of pursuing career success while maintaining a fulfilling personal life. Regarding her professional journey, one of the standout takeaways was Ying Liu’s perspective on what it takes to transition from an executive to an entrepreneur. She defined three essential elements: a good heart, a good brain, and a good hand. Her words made us realize that staying true to your own values, making informed decisions, and putting in the hard work to bring your vision to life can truly sustain long-term success for a business. Both Liu’s mission for a more environmentally friendly future, and for the eventual balancing innovation with personal needs like family later in life, reflected her future thinking and what Silicon Valley is all about.
The incredible session with Ying Liu was followed by a visit to The New York Times, where we met with Casey Newton and Kevin Roose from the Hard Fork Podcast. Their podcast’s goal is to present insights on emerging tech to their listeners in an entertaining way. The discussion underscored the critical role of storytelling in communication, helping us realize that the way we share information is just as important as the information itself. As we live in a world overwhelmed by information, simplicity and entertainment are the key to capturing attention and fostering deep thinking. It’s not enough to simply inform; we must engage, inspire, and connect with others on a deeper level.
When researching for podcasts, Newton and Roose shared a thought-provoking idea with us about reading mediums of information broadly to gain a fuller perspective on any topic, as it is crucial to know both perspectives of issues in order to understand the full breadth of the situation. This insight highlights the significance of intellectual curiosity and the willingness to challenge our own views. As reporters on emerging tech in Silicon Valley, Newton and Roose are in a unique position that allows them to evaluate and reflect on innovation without being fully vested in it. The quote that stuck with us was, “The future is already here, just not evenly distributed.” San Francisco is evidently the epicenter of this in the United States, with driverless cars roaming the streets and countless AI-labeled billboards throughout the valley. The pair shared numerous stories of people they have interacted with through their journalism, and how they picture a future that most people would think unimaginable in the next six to 24 months, such as General Artificial Intelligence. Even if most would see this as unrealistic, the future is shaped by people who think unrealistically.
Our final session was with Column, a nationally chartered bank that allows fintech companies to integrate into the national reserve in weeks, versus the previously required years. We met with Anna Nickerson ’22, the Babson alumni who works on the growth team of Column. She emphasized how Column has been able to maintain their edge on the market through being meticulous in selecting their clients to maintain good regulatory standing, reinforcing the benefit of ethical diligence in business. On a career level, our biggest takeaway was Anna boldly encouraging the whole group of students to pursue opportunities in spaces that we are passionate about and to never settle for something that is not for us or our desires.
Her message was clear and inspiring: if we know what excites us, where we envision ourselves making an impact, and the kind of success we want to achieve, we should pursue those goals with confidence and determination. This guidance served as a strong reminder that career fulfillment comes from aligning our professional journey with our personal values and ambitions, rather than conforming to external expectations. Anna and Column reinforced what we learned from Ying Liu that same morning—innovation comes from challenging the status quo, whether it is in business or in how you conduct your life.
As our final stop, we attended a Babson alumni holiday party in San Francisco. We were able to connect with alums from across the globe—Hawaii, New York, San Francisco, India, Indonesia, China, and beyond. The stories we heard were as diverse as they were inspiring: an entrepreneur transforming back-end online transactions through technology, a retired professor who devoted decades to shaping the next generation of leaders, and a seasoned sales expert navigating the challenges of the global beverage market. What stood out the most wasn’t just their professional accomplishments, but the shared curiosity, ambition, and resilience that tied them together, no matter where life had taken them. Their journeys prove how Babson’s alumni network continues to evolve, thrive, and innovate across industries and borders. For us, this event was a powerful reminder of the promising future that emerges when bold ideas intersect with determination, shared values, and the support of a global community.
Wednesday’s visits emphasized what it looks like to innovate and live a fulfilling life, creating the future that you want to live in.
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