Jon Taves

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Jon Taves

"There were several reasons why I chose Carlson, but the most important one was the community."

My story

I grew up in a small town in Central Minnesota and have lived in the state for my entire life. I went to undergrad at a private liberal arts college and moved to Minneapolis after, where I've been ever since. Prior to Carlson I worked as CPA for 5 years. The bulk of my experience in that profession was in US income tax for c-corporations. In my personal life, I'm active in the Minneapolis non-profit community and started my own organization, Stand Up For North, a few years ago to raise money for academic and social programming for North Minneapolis youth.

Why Carlson?

In hopes of switching careers from accounting to strategy or marketing, I enrolled in the full-time MBA program at Carlson. There were several reasons why I chose Carlson, but the most important one was the community. Early on in the application process I realized that I wanted to learn alongside the passionate, talented, and humble individuals that make up this program. Not only are current students great, but so are alumni. When I was searching for an internship, I was blown away by how many alums worked at my target companies and how willing they were to help.

Team Collaboration as a Carlson MBA Student

Far and away, I've experienced the most personal development through group projects at Carlson. In the first semester I was part of the team that won 1st place in the Medtronic Case Competition. In the second semester, I had the best time working in the Carlson Brand Enterprise as a consultant for a ski apparel company. In my opinion, what sets apart the MBA from other academic pursuits is what you can learn from your peers. The opportunity to take advantage of their knowledge of note taking, PowerPoint presentations, client management skills, and more has been extraordinary.

About Jon

Hometown
Wadena, MN
Undergraduate Institution
Concordia College - Moorhead, MN
Experience
CPA - 5 Years (at Grant Thornton and Travelers Insurance)
Carlson Activities
Carlson Consulting Club
Carlson Marketing Network
MILI Student Association
MBA Association
Internship
Deloitte - New Venture Accelerator
Professional Interests
Marketing
Strategy
Company
3M
Job Title
Marketing & Business Development Strategist