On Monday, April 12, 2021, the Lab for Entrepreneurship and Transformative Leadership at the Universities at Shady Grove hosted a fascinating virtual interview with Mike Xenakis, Chief Product Officer at Vacasa and former Senior Executive at OpenTable on the topic of entrepreneurship. The interview was moderated by John Zuknick, Director of Economic Development and Workforce Initiatives at the Universities at Shady Grove.
In the discussion, Xenakis reflected on his path to entrepreneurship, from his time in college, to the U.S. Air Force, and eventually into the private sector to work for two startups. Xenakis takes the audience through his experience working with these startups, touching on the importance of creating a viable business concept, how and when to secure funding from outside sources, and offers a glimpse into the work environment itself. The event concluded with questions from several students and others in the audience.
View a replay of the event below.