Ally Farmer’s interest in entrepreneurship all started with a class suggestion during freshman orientation. Now she will be working with startups after graduation this spring. 

The Ypsilanti native, and first gen student, took the advice of a student advisor when registering for classes and enrolled in Entrepreneurship Hour during her first semester at the University of Michigan. 

“The E-Hour speakers are all so relevant and influential, I knew I wanted to be a part of that,” Ally said. “The class introduced me to what entrepreneurship is and it was eye-opening to hear about all the founders’ different paths and experiences.”

Ally stayed involved with the Center for Entrepreneurship during her time at U-M by attending the Grand Rapids Discovery Trek, and working as an instructional aide for Project Management Consulting and E-Hour. 

“The CFE really focuses on creating tangible experiences for its students,” she said. “There is a strong focus on exploring your individual interests and what you as a student can bring to the table.” 

As an economics major with a minor in finance, Ally said these ideas stressed at the CFE helped her thrive at her internship last summer at Intel Capital. 

“It was an environment where I felt my work was valued and I was comfortable contributing on multiple projects.  When we worked on projects I had a voice and when you are starting off in your career it is really important to have a space that allows you to be free to give your opinion.” 

While Ally’s background is not in technology, she said the vast resources at Intel Capital helped her to gain confidence in her internship role. 

“I had the opportunity to jump on calls with the biggest and brightest people,” she said. “I had some of the smartest  engineers teaching me about the different technologies we were working with. 

“This really gave me the confidence to lend my voice to the conversation.” 

This fall Ally was given the opportunity to discuss her internship and all she learned at Intel Capital on the E-Hour stage with Wendell Brooks, the senior vice president of Intel Corporation and president of Intel Capital.

While on stage Ally shared with the crowd that her experience at Intel Capital during the summer of 2019 led to an offer for a full time position there after graduation in spring, which she accepted the day before. 

As a Venture Capital Analyst, Ally will be assisting deal teams with producing deliverables by determining if companies are a viable investment, something she feels her time at U-M has prepared her for. 

“I have learned that not everyone takes the same path,” she said. “The diversity and variability of groups and people within the CFE has prepared me to look at all aspects of potential investments.” 

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