Student Profiles

Vlad Cazacu

Hometown: Bucharest, Romania
Anticipated graduation year: 2020
Degree: BS in business: entrepreneurship track

Why did you choose the University of Rochester?

After being offered the same financial aid package from three different universities, I eventually went with U of R because of their open curriculum and general academic flexibility. I wanted to be able to take the classes I want and see fit for my future career.

Why did you choose the business major?

I knew I wanted to become a businessman since high school, after discovering an inner drive for entrepreneurship. As much as I value practical experience as a learning method, I do see the usefulness of business classes, so this is why I went with a dual specialization in both entrepreneurship and accounting. My second degree, in psychology, is aimed at complementing the business one with a more human-focused perspective.

What has been your favorite undergraduate Simon Business School course and why?

ENT 223: Plan and Grow a Business Venture with Elizabeth Meyer because of the non-theoretical approach to teaching and her incredible personality. There, I found a group of highly skilled students who were interested in developing new ideas and turning them into products. I am now working with some of them at my startup, and Professor Meyer is one of our advisors.

What are your activities outside of class?

Involved as a resident advisor/community assistant, former executive director of the Freshman Quad Area Council, three-year business manager of the 2020 Class Council, vice president of risk management for the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, part of the Medallion Leadership Program, former supervisor at the Starbucks in Wilson Commons, iZone Design Thinking Fellow, office assistant at the Warner School of Education.

Have you done an internship?

Yes, the summer after my freshman year I worked as a management consulting intern on strategy and operations at Deloitte Consulting in their Bucharest office.

What are your career goals?

If the startup studio that I am currently working on goes well, I hope to create a career out of entrepreneurship and grow my business through multiple industries and verticals to the level where I can be an angel investor or a partner in a venture capital (VC) firm and help other people with their business, too. On a more traditional career path, I would hopefully get a job as a PM in a tech company or a lead role in another startup, then slowly go back on the initial track by starting something on my own.

Starbucks order: The Undertow 

Favorite Rochester restaurant: Delmonico's 

Favorite TV show:Game of Thrones