Stories
Stories
A Tough Assignment
As a corporate lawyer living in Greenwich, Connecticut, Luke O’Neill (MBA ’95) was on a well-defined path of success. But something about his life didn’t sit right. He quit his job, worked at a few nonprofits, and enrolled at HBS. “When he graduated, he had $3,000 in his bank account, an ailing six-year-old Isuzu Trooper, and $80,000 in debt,” reported Forbes (March 28, 2005).
That was when O’Neill decided to start the Shackleton Schools, named for the intrepid British explorer and devoted to training future leaders through a unique, expeditionary curriculum. (Students, for example, might travel to Mexico to learn about NAFTA and the lives of sweatshop workers.) Undaunted by financial demands, O’Neill leveraged his fundraising skills. In 1998, Shackleton enrolled its first class of nine students. Today, the school employs a staff of thirty and continues to build and improve on its 70-acre base camp in Ashby, Massachusetts.
The challenge, however, is ongoing. “I work longer days than in my lawyer days,” said O’Neill, who has raised $16 million to date. “Everything is fundraising. Everybody is a potential donor.”
Post a Comment
Related Stories
-
- 01 Mar 2024
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
Come Sail Away
Re: Michael Sard (MBA 2018); By: Julia Hanna -
- 18 Jan 2024
- TechCrunch
Match Game
Re: Faye Iosotaluno (MBA 2008) -
- 01 Dec 2023
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
Turning Point: Where Credit Is Due
Re: Nagi Otgonshar (MBA 2015) -
- 01 Sep 2023
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
Turning Point: Listen to the Music
Re: Marnie Tattersall (MBA 1972)