Zeke Tierkel

School/Division	Division of Information Technology & Sciences
Programs	Computer Networking & Cybersecurity
Class	2020
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Hometown	Amherst, MA

Specialization

Cybersecurity Operations

Internship

Application Security Engineer Intern at Workday in Pleasanton, CA

Can you describe the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) program at Champlain?

CIE is a growing community of entrepreneurs. The program offers the ability to collaborate with other like-minded individuals on campus and provide a space for them to work together. At least once a month, a guest speaker—usually a business owner from the Burlington area—will come to talk about their experience in the field of entrepreneurism.
CIE also hosts events such as the Elevator Pitch and the Champlain branch of LaunchVT.

What does the entrepreneurial mind-set mean to you?

An entrepreneurial mind-set does not necessarily mean you need to go out, abandon your career, and start a business. The mind-set of an entrepreneur can be utilized in a corporate setting just as much as in your own startup. Entrepreneurism within a company is often referred to as “intrapreneurism,” and it’s just as valuable a skill.

Outside of your work with the CIE, what professional experiences have you had during your time at Champlain?

I have had three internships over the last three years. My first was as a Research Assistant at the Leahy Center for Digital Investigation. Next, I worked as a software engineer for a small web firm out of Easthampton, Massachusetts. Most recently, I worked as a Security Engineer for Workday, located in Pleasanton, California.
I am a big believer that it takes time within an industry to learn the intricacies of running a business. All three of my internships taught me different ways of building a successful business.