For Meredith Moore (BISyE 1997), Georgia Tech’s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering was more than a pathway to a degree. Her experiences here fostered a mindset to shape her career. 

“I was a young engineering student, getting ready to graduate when I learned that the Dean of Students had put me up for the Alvin Ferst Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award,” said Moore, Founder & CEO of Artisan Financial Strategies. “Sitting at that table with Mr. Ferst, my mother, and my grandmother, something shifted inside me. I didn’t just receive an award that night. I received an identity.”   

But the recognition itself was only part of the story. 

For Moore, sitting at the table with Alvin Ferst (IM 1943), an entrepreneur and philanthropist whose legacy continues to inspire innovation, she experienced a defining shift in perspective. 

“For the first time, I understood that I wasn’t just an engineer looking for a job. I was an entrepreneur. Someone who wanted to build, lead, create, and solve problems,” said Moore, who has enjoyed more than 20 years of successfully navigating wealth management. “The word entrepreneur resonated immediately because I always knew I would have made a terrible employee. I was confident enough to believe I could build a better mousetrap than most, and during my internships I struggled working for people when I felt like I had better ideas. The Alvin Ferst award gave me the language and the permission to own that about myself.”   

This realization would go on to influence an entire career trajectory, one rooted in leadership, innovation, problem-solving and maybe the most important lesson for Moore. 

“Fail forward. Keep beta testing, keep trying new things, and understand that failure is not just okay, it is part of the process. It is a numbers game. But the deeper lesson for me has really been about network,” said Moore, who also credits ISyE Professor Emerita Jane Ammons as an amazing role model in her studies, keeping her focused on her path at GT and beyond. “Having the right people around you, mentors and teammates who have done it before, people you can pick up the phone and call on a moment's notice, that is everything. Those relationships have shaped my business more than any single decision I have ever made.” 

ISyE has long played a role in cultivating these moments of discovery. Through programs, mentorship, and recognition, ISyE empowers students to explore entrepreneurship alongside their technical training. 

“Core processes are everything when you’re building a business, and systems thinking is deeply baked into the ISyE curriculum. That training shaped how I approach building projects and companies. I think in a very linear way, and having that methodical, process-oriented foundation has been a real asset,” said Moore, who in recent years led a TED Talk on how couples can use to have productive conversations about financial planning. “Where it has made me better as a leader is in understanding my own blind spots. I know what I am really good at, and I have learned that hiring people who think just like me is the wrong way to go. Building a team that complements your weaknesses and challenges your thinking is not just good practice, it is what makes the whole thing work. ISyE teaches you to optimize systems. Part of that is knowing which inputs you are missing.”  

Whether through competitions, experiential learning opportunities, or engagement with alumni and industry leaders, ISyE encourages students to see themselves not only as engineers, but also as innovators capable of shaping industries and communities.

“Entrepreneurship is not only about launching a company; it is about developing the confidence and discipline to identify meaningful problems, design better systems, and create value for others,” said Professor Kamran Paynabar, Associate Chair for Innovation, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship and Fouts Family Chair. “That mindset is deeply connected to what we teach in ISyE. Our students learn how to structure ambiguity, use data to make better decisions, and improve complex systems. Those same capabilities are essential for entrepreneurs.”

Paynabar says ISyE’s culture of support extends well beyond graduation with alumni continuing to engage with and inspire one another, creating a network where shared experiences and mentorship help reinforce entrepreneurial growth across generations.

“Entrepreneurship often begins with curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to test ideas in the real world,” Paynabar said. “Our alumni prove that there is no single path to entrepreneurship. Some started with a senior design project, some built companies through years of perseverance, and some applied ISyE thinking in entirely different industries. What connects them is the ability to see systems, understand people’s needs, and keep improving.”

In a full-circle moment years later, Moore, a “finance whisperer,” had the opportunity to connect with a member of the Ferst family, reflecting on the profound impact of that early recognition. The experience served as a reminder that the influence of mentorship and belief often reaches further than anyone can anticipate.

“This story still gives me chills. On the call, Leigh Ferst, Alvin’s daughter, and I started talking through our backgrounds. When I mentioned Georgia Tech and the award I had received from a man named Alvin Ferst, the whole conversation shifted. That is when she told me her father was Alvin Ferst. I burst into tears on the phone,” said Moore. “I was able to tell her that that award had changed my life. It gave me my identity. It gave me the permission to see myself as an entrepreneur at a moment when I had no idea who I was supposed to be. Personally, and professionally, it was one of those full-circle moments you could not write if you tried.”