Seldon Warner 

University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith Business School

“I’m a combat veteran & father looking to use my education to give back to my community.”

Hometown: Miles City, Montana 

Fun fact about yourself: I hail from Miles City, Montana, I’ve been charged by elk, startled bears while fishing, and even spent an intense afternoon being stalked by a mountain lion.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

American Military University: AS in Health Science

University of Maryland, Global Campus: BS in Data Science

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school?

Company: US Army

Role: Staff Sergeant, Infantry Paratrooper

Units:  173rd Airborne Brigade (Vicenza, Italy): Served as a Sky Soldier in a premier forward-deployed contingency response force.

And served in ‘The Old Guard’ (Arlington, Virginia) — the Army’s oldest active-duty infantry regiment, conducting memorial affairs and high-profile ceremonies.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? Quantum Catalyzer, College Park, Maryland

Where will you be working after graduation? Director of Strategy at Quantum Catalyzer, turning quantum ideas into businesses at the world’s first quantum venture studio.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Since joining Smith, I have focused on applying the lessons I learned at school to a startup in the College Park Area. I have led commercialization efforts for Quantum Catalyzer, USPlasma Inc., and ArQ Sensors, building investor-grade financial models and executing go-to-market strategies that turned lab-scale concepts into funded ventures.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Balancing family, school, and work while still achieving high marks and getting to know my classmates.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am proud to have served on the frontlines of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Raised with the grit of the Montana Badlands and forged as a Paratrooper on the frontlines of Afghanistan, I live by the creed that no one is more professional than I. My leadership is defined by an unwavering commitment to the mission and the welfare of those to my left and my right, demanding uncompromising excellence with no room for quit.

Why did you choose this business school? I had heard the ‘Smith Vets’ community was very close-knit thanks to Smith’s Director of Federal & Veteran Affairs Frank Goertner, who interviewed me for my admission. Frank has gone out of his way to provide mentorship and connections to not just me, but all vets that come through Smith

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Dr. Paulo Prochno pushed back on your thought process, which made me reflect on how I thought about a situation. He made all the case studies interactive and made strategic theory tangible for what we would be facing when we left Smith.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Technology Entrepreneurship taught by Dr. Brent Goldfarb. This class has become the framework for how I develop a startup and the strategy that I use to get it from idea to market.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite tradition was leaving offerings for Testudo, the bronze terrapin mascot in front of UMD’s McKeldin Library. You never knew what someone would leave at the statue, and it never hurt to rub his nose for good luck.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Looking back, I would have told my first-year self to stop trying to fit the traditional corporate mold. Transitioning from the Infantry to business school left me feeling like I wasn’t meant to be here. It took time to realize that my non-traditional background, my grit, my operational discipline, and my perspective as a Veteran and father were not a liability, but my greatest competitive advantage. I wouldn’t change the path I took, but I would have embraced my unique story sooner, rather than trying to edit it.

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school, and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? It was a case study on the BYD auto company. It taught me that even when you don’t have all the resources you need, you can innovate, expand, and keep moving toward your goals. It was a similar lesson I learned in the military: always fail forward, meaning you have to take the next step despite uncertainty.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? It was close to home. I live just 10 minutes away in Hyattsville, MD, which makes the commute minimal. Beyond that, I have always enjoyed being close to our nation’s capital, not just for the sights, but because there is always something new to do.

What business leader do you admire most? The business leader I admire most is Frank Slootman. As a former Infantry Squad Leader turned deep tech strategist, I resonate with his rejection of incrementalism. He proves that operational rigor is a competitive advantage. I admire him because he represents the type of leader I strive to be: one who can walk into a room of engineers or investors, cut through the fluff, and drive the team toward a singular, high value outcome with zero ambiguity.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into its programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? During the Technology and Entrepreneurship course, we set up AI to collaborate with humans, ask you questions, compile your thoughts, let me get all my thoughts out at once, and then work with AI to see different perspectives.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Charles Castelly is a man on a mission and the future of impact investing; if he doesn’t know someone, he knows someone who does. He is a restless networker and a great friend to have. As a fellow Army Veteran, we connected about our time and service and the struggle that Enlisted men and women face after leaving the service. Charles and I both are looking forward to paving the way for our fellow soldiers to give them a hand up, instead of a handout.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I want to see a startup through to a successful exit and to run a company of my own that allows me to give back in a big way to the veteran community.

What made Seldon such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“Seldon stands out as one of those rare individuals who truly excels across every dimension – the description “best and brightest” fits him exceptionally well. His intellectual ability is remarkable, but what distinguishes him even more is his capacity to translate ideas into action. Seldon combines creativity and originality of thought with a strong drive to execute, turning complex insights into meaningful, tangible outcomes.

While many people tend to be either conceptual thinkers or action-oriented doers, Seldon is uniquely strong at both. He approaches challenging problems with clarity, discipline, and persistence – qualities shaped by his Army experience – which allow him to tackle complex questions that lack clear or immediate answers. These traits align perfectly with the ambitious career path he has chosen.

I am confident that Seldon will make significant contributions to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He has a rare ability to view problems from multiple perspectives and to connect ideas in ways that others often miss. With his talent, discipline, and vision, he is well-positioned to achieve truly outstanding things.”

Paulo Prochno
DBA Program Director and Clinical Professor of Management and Organization
University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business

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