Sheldon Bernard
"Build a strong foundation and it will carry you far in the long run irrespective of your humble beginnings. You may not immediately see the benefits of joining something like the Honors Program but those extra experiences will add up and give you a competitive edge in the marketplace."
When were you at WSU, and what was your major?
1998-2002, Business Administration focused in Finance
Describe your career in a few sentences.
I’ve spent my career working for large Fortune 100 companies in Finance, Corporate Strategy and Innovation. My jobs later on in my career evolved into applying the Decision Sciences to strategic projects and helping my employers navigate uncertainty.
What are you doing these days?
Nowadays I split my time between working in a “Venture Studio” where I help to create and de-risk Software startups, and I’ve started a management consulting firm using Decision Science tools to tackle a wide range of strategic problems for clients.
What unexpected lesson did you carry from your WSU experience into your life and career?
Build a strong foundation and it will carry you far in the long run irrespective of your humble beginnings. You may not immediately see the benefits of joining something like the Honors Program but those extra experiences will add up and give you a competitive edge in the marketplace. Like so many WSU students during my time, I had to balance working and academics, the self-discipline I developed and refined during that time has helped me over and over again.
What's your favorite book/movie/show?
That’s a tough one, I typically read about a dozen books each year. Three do come to mind however, “The Element” by the late Sir Ken Robinson, “The Theory That Would Not Die” – by Sharon Bertsch McGrayne and “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” – by Robert Kiyosaki. All three of those books mark important inflection points in my life. Favorite TV show is “The Chosen”.
Favorite travel destination?
When we lived in the San Francisco Bay Area we would travel down Highway 1 frequently, the views were other-worldly. It’s still probably my favorite place to visit.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m not particularly gifted in Math, yet my work requires me to build fairly complex statistical models.
Biggest regret in life?
That you I didn’t pursue a PhD shortly after graduation, I’m way more suited for deep research and would have loved that process. It is much harder to accomplish when you have a growing family.
What is the personality trait you most admire?
Inclusivity
What is the personality trait you most deplore?
Dishonesty
How many years is your longest close friendship?
31yrs
What’s your idea of perfect happiness?
Finding your Element and pouring yourself into that calling with reckless abandon.
What’s your greatest fear?
Leaving life without making a lasting positive impact
Living person you most admire?
I most admire the unsung heroes and heroines of our day, single moms getting degrees, sons and daughters who are the first in their family to pursue college. These individuals, many who attended WSU when I was there, are the living people I admire the most. They decide to, as JFK put it “… do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…” I didn’t have the challenges many of them had and continue to have. What they accomplish is truly inspiring.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Failing out of college, going back to school at WSU and winning the David D Henry Award. If I can radically change my trajectory… anyone can.
What is your most treasured possession?
That David D Henry Award – it will be a reminder to my children that it isn’t over until it’s over