On Feb. 16, Beloit students and alumni convened for the 38th annual Business Networking Summit, formerly known as Econ Day. Forty economics and business students took a seven A.M. bus to downtown Chicago, eagerly awaiting the day’s panels and networking prospects.

The summit began with a visit to the Dyson Headquarters, where students were greeted with a breakfast and behind-the-scenes tour of the office.

Daniel Hennessey, the director of Dyson’s Centers of Excellence, Dan Mize, the U.S. Finance Director, Samantha Kuderna, the manager of the Dyson Foundation, and other members of the Dyson team delved into the intricacies of their various fields, showcasing the real world applications of a liberal arts education. The presentations gave students an outside perspective on future career paths and potential internship opportunities at Dyson.

“I really loved how they had different people from different sections,” said Jacob Sibs’25. “It made the presentations very engaging for everyone.”

Following the Dyson presentation, students and alumni met at the Gleacher Center, where two panels unfolded.

The first, moderated by Bill Fitzgerald’86, provided students with an engaging opportunity to hear six accomplished alumni discuss how Beloit’s liberal arts curriculum shaped their professional journeys. Panelists included Andrea Daughtery’97, Vice President of Creative at the Performance Trust Capital Partners; Rob Robie’00, Executive Vice President of Analytics and Trading at FactSet; Jennifer McCabe’99, Strategic Account Executive at Alight Solutions, and Aaron Bauhs’05, a partner with IBM.

Panelists repeatedly emphasized the importance of independent thinking and connection that Beloit College prioritizes. “One of the things Beloit taught me was to embrace meeting all different types of people,” Robie said.

Bauhs agreed: “Being aware of how to talk to users and make things real to them are very important skills.”

The second panel, moderated by Associate Professor of Economics and Business Laura Grube’08, showcased six recent graduates who are now thriving within various roles in business and economics. The young alums are now working as project coordinators, analysts, and executives in various businesses, and all agree that Beloit College helped them race to impressive positions in their fields.

When asked about her panel experience, Sakshi Mundhra’22, an equity analyst at Ziegler Capital, described the surrealism of the moment. “It’s definitely a weird full circle moment for me. Not even two years ago, I was coming here as a student, and now I’m back, giving advice.”

Following the panels, all students and alumni convened at The Network, where economics and business majors could freely connect with alumni and receive one-on-one career advice. This unique opportunity offered students a door into life beyond the classroom, and personal connections with fellow alums in various stages of their lives and careers.

“We’re all kinda weird,” said Jennifer McCabe’99. But isn’t that what makes Beloiters great?