Adam Brudnick, FTMBA ’19 - From McKinsey Consulting to VC Partner, He Shares the Importance of Multiplier-Effect Initiatives

Episode #22: We are joined by Adam Brudnick of the FTMBA ’19 program. In this episode, he shares with us what initially drew him to a career in consulting at McKinsey and ultimately to Berkeley Haas. Back in high school, He was inspired to work at the intersection of science and business after watching An Inconvenient Truth which led him to apply to Wesleyan University, well known for its emphasis in arts and sciences. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, Economics, and Music and joined McKinsey after a summer internship at the firm. Adam went on to join the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to further his career in learning how to accelerate the deployment of technologies to solve rising climate challenges. We hear a brief history of the New York Power Authority, how the public-benefit corporation is run by the state, and how Adam helped NYPA focus on initiatives with multiplier effects that pay economic dividends. We delve into how the multiplier effect works and how we should think about creating initiatives that spur additional, interdependent economic activity. He “got the bug” in creating things of value at NYPA, and came to the Bay Area to create and help others create more things of value. While at Haas, Adam is serving as a Venture Partner of the Dorm Room Fund, a seven-person student-run VC firm that invests $20,000 in pre-seed student ventures across the country.