3 People 3 Questions

Monday, April 8, 2019

Meg Finn

MEG FINN '06 BSB

Strategy Director, Fusion Hill


What are you reading?

Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee. Her research identifies and categorizes specific design elements that make us happy. For example, neon colors evoke energy, while circles and spheres signal play. The book has given me a new way to understand why certain products and spaces feel the way they do. Lee’s TED Talk and Instagram (@aestheticsofjoy) are both great starting points!

What is your favorite website?

An old colleague turned me on to kottke.org years ago, and it’s still one of my go-tos. It’s sort of a nerd potpourri, with articles and links about everything from art to economics to technology. It’s perfect for firing up your curiosity.

What is your dream job?

I don’t think I have just one! But I’d love to be a librarian at Harvard’s Schlesinger Library. It houses a killer collection of cookbooks and other food-related books. I did my graduate work in food studies and I’m still a little obsessed.


Charlie Youkim

CHARLIE YOUAKIM '10 MBA

CEO, Sezzle

 

What are you reading?

I’m currently reading the High Growth Handbook by Elad Gil. It was given to me by one of our early investors to help guide Sezzle through this stage of our business. It pulls in interviews from leaders in different functions at high-growth companies, explaining their greatest takeaways and tips for scaling up. It’s the perfect book for where we are as a company.

What is your favorite website?

YouTube. I love how its made media production available to the masses. I go there to learn how to do things and watch micro-shows on topics I follow. Right now I’m hooked on watching people sail in the tropics—probably because it’s five degrees outside!

What is your dream job?

I love what I’m doing now because of the challenge in building companies. But eventually, I'd like to give more back to the next generation. My vision is to take what I’ve learned from starting and growing companies to mentoring promising entrepreneurs—helping them make the next big thing.


Yi Zhu portrait

YI ZHU

Assistant Professor of Marketing and Lawrence Fellow

 

What are you reading?

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, a book about the downfall of multibillion-dollar Silicon Valley biotech startup Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes. Since one stream of my research is related to biased media coverage and fake news, it’s interesting to see how media outlets helped create the celebrity CEO and enabled her fraud.

What is your favorite website?

Google. Digital technology is profoundly reshaping human behavior and interactions, but the online space is rife with abusive behavior and untoward practices. I want to find the most effective ways to reduce online fraud and protect individual consumers and small businesses. Google and its advertising network have been a focal point of my studies.

What is your dream job?

My current job as a professor at the Carlson School. It is the best job in the world. I can pursue my passion in research and teaching and help shape future generations with my knowledge.

Spring 2019 alumni magazine cover

This article appeared in the Spring 2019 alumni magazine

The Twin Cities is a corporate headquarters powerhouse. In this issue, we explore why that's the case.

Spring 2019 table of contents