Peter Somerville

University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management

“Marine Corps veteran with a servant leader mindset and bias for action pursuing entrepreneurship.”

Hometown: Edina, Minnesota

Fun Fact About Yourself: This summer, I took a web development boot camp in Bali, walked 500 miles across Spain along the Camino de Santiago, and visited 10 other countries for the first time.

Undergraduate School and Major: Yale University, BA in Philosophy

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: StreetShares Inc., Director of Investor Relations

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Creating and growing a 10,000-member investor community passionate about supporting veteran-owned small businesses during my time at StreetShares. A recent Syracuse University survey found that 25 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans plan to start a business of their own in the next 10 years. This wave of entrepreneurial leaders will create hundreds of thousands of new ventures, millions of U.S. jobs, and stronger local communities. Supporting these veteran leaders at StreetShares was my great privilege.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Carlson MBA students are enthusiastic about supporting each other and helping fellow classmates achieve their goals. It’s exciting to be part of a community with such a spirit of generosity, and it makes getting to know my classmates a lot of fun.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Experiential learning is a cornerstone of the Carlson MBA program. I learn best by taking a hands-on approach, applying classroom concepts to real-world challenges, so I was excited to learn about the Carlson Ventures Enterprise. I will pursue entrepreneurship in the years ahead, so the opportunity to work on new ventures as part of the core curriculum at Carlson is very attractive to me.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The Sands Family Social Venturing Fellowship offers Carlson MBA students an opportunity to pursue a social venture to make a difference in the Minnesota community, and offers a wealth of mentoring, entrepreneurship training, and other support.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? After spending the past four years at StreetShares, a startup providing financial services to the military and veteran entrepreneurship community, I’m eager to lead a startup of my own. I am pursuing an MBA at Carlson to translate my Marine Corps skills and experiences into the language of business.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Harvard, Wharton

How did you determine your fit at various schools? A two-year MBA program goes by very quickly, so it’s critical to research schools that are a good fit for your learning style, and supportive of your career goals. At Carlson, I found a hands-on learning environment, a collaborative student community, and deep connections and outlets to the entrepreneurial community.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I will always be grateful for the opportunity to lead 44 young Marines in combat in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006. I was amazed and inspired by the dedication of my Marines under conditions of tremendous violence and adversity, and by how much we accomplished as a team. In my civilian career, I strive to build and lead teams with a similar mission focus and commitment to supporting each other.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Where do you see yourself in five years? I plan to leverage my Carlson MBA by pursuing entrepreneurship; finding a business opportunity that also makes a positive social impact on my community. I’m also passionate about supporting my fellow veteran entrepreneurs and will continue to look for opportunities to make an impact in the veteran community.