{"690992":{"#nid":"690992","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ISyE Cultivates Entrepreneurial Mindsets, Shape Lifelong Impact","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Meredith Moore (BISyE 1997), \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E was more than a pathway to a degree. Her experiences here fostered a mindset to shape her career.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was a young engineering student, getting ready to graduate when I learned that the Dean of Students had put me up for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/studentlife.gatech.edu\/awardsevents\/alvin-m-ferst-award\u0022\u003EAlvin Ferst Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d said Moore, Founder \u0026amp; CEO of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/artisanfsonline.com\/\u0022\u003EArtisan Financial Strategies\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cSitting at that table with Mr. Ferst, my mother, and my grandmother, something shifted inside me. I didn\u2019t just receive an award that night. I received an identity.\u201d\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the recognition itself was only part of the story.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Moore, sitting at the table with Alvin Ferst (IM 1943), an entrepreneur and philanthropist whose legacy continues to inspire innovation, she experienced a defining shift in perspective.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor the first time, I understood that I wasn\u2019t just an engineer looking for a job. I was an entrepreneur. Someone who wanted to build, lead, create, and solve problems,\u201d said Moore, who has enjoyed more than 20 years of successfully navigating wealth management. \u201cThe word entrepreneur resonated immediately because I always knew I would have made a terrible employee. I was confident enough to believe I could build a better mousetrap than most, and during my internships I struggled working for people when I felt like I had better ideas. The Alvin Ferst award gave me the language and the permission to own that about myself.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis realization would go on to influence an entire career trajectory, one rooted in leadership, innovation, problem-solving and maybe the most important lesson for Moore.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFail forward. Keep beta testing, keep trying new things, and understand that failure is not just okay, it is part of the process. It is a numbers game. But the deeper lesson for me has really been about network,\u201d said Moore, who also credits ISyE Professor Emerita Jane Ammons as an amazing role model in her studies, keeping her focused on her path at GT and beyond. \u201cHaving the right people around you, mentors and teammates who have done it before, people you can pick up the phone and call on a moment\u0027s notice, that is everything. Those relationships have shaped my business more than any single decision I have ever made.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EISyE has long played a role in cultivating these moments of discovery. Through programs, mentorship, and recognition, ISyE empowers students to explore entrepreneurship alongside their technical training.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCore processes are everything when you\u2019re building a business, and systems thinking is deeply baked into the ISyE curriculum. That training shaped how I approach building projects and companies. I think in a very linear way, and having that methodical, process-oriented foundation has been a real asset,\u201d said Moore, who in recent years led a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/meredith_moore_the_right_way_for_couples_to_talk_about_money\u0022\u003ETED Talk\u003C\/a\u003E on how couples can use to have productive conversations about financial planning. \u201cWhere it has made me better as a leader is in understanding my own blind spots. I know what I am really good at, and I have learned that hiring people who think just like me is the wrong way to go. Building a team that complements your weaknesses and challenges your thinking is not just good practice, it is what makes the whole thing work. ISyE teaches you to optimize systems. Part of that is knowing which inputs you are missing.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether through competitions, experiential learning opportunities, or engagement with alumni and industry leaders, ISyE encourages students to see themselves not only as engineers, but also as innovators capable of shaping industries and communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEntrepreneurship is not only about launching a company; it is about developing the confidence and discipline to identify meaningful problems, design better systems, and create value for others,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/kamran-paynabar\u0022\u003EProfessor Kamran Paynabar\u003C\/a\u003E, Associate Chair for Innovation, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship and Fouts Family Chair. \u201cThat mindset is deeply connected to what we teach in ISyE. Our students learn how to structure ambiguity, use data to make better decisions, and improve complex systems. Those same capabilities are essential for entrepreneurs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPaynabar says ISyE\u2019s culture of support extends well beyond graduation with alumni continuing to engage with and inspire one another, creating a network where shared experiences and mentorship help reinforce entrepreneurial growth across generations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEntrepreneurship often begins with curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to test ideas in the real world,\u201d Paynabar said. \u201cOur alumni prove that there is no single path to entrepreneurship. Some started with a senior design project, some built companies through years of perseverance, and some applied ISyE thinking in entirely different industries. What connects them is the ability to see systems, understand people\u2019s needs, and keep improving.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a full-circle moment years later, Moore, a \u201cfinance whisperer,\u201d had the opportunity to connect with a member of the Ferst family, reflecting on the profound impact of that early recognition. The experience served as a reminder that the influence of mentorship and belief often reaches further than anyone can anticipate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis story still gives me chills. On the call, Leigh Ferst, Alvin\u2019s daughter, and I started talking through our backgrounds. When I mentioned Georgia Tech and the award I had received from a man named Alvin Ferst, the whole conversation shifted. That is when she told me her father was Alvin Ferst. I burst into tears on the phone,\u201d said Moore. \u201cI was able to tell her that that award had changed my life. It gave me my identity. It gave me the permission to see myself as an entrepreneur at a moment when I had no idea who I was supposed to be. Personally, and professionally, it was one of those full-circle moments you could not write if you tried.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Meredith Moore (BISyE 1997), \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E was more than a pathway to a degree. Her experiences here fostered a mindset to shape her career.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"For Meredith Moore (BISyE 1997), Georgia Tech\u2019s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering was more than a pathway to a degree."}],"uid":"36760","created_gmt":"2026-07-01 13:46:02","changed_gmt":"2026-07-01 15:40:49","author":"jsmith830","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680541":{"id":"680541","type":"image","title":"Meredith Moore (BISyE 1997)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMeredith Moore (BISyE 1997)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782913573","gmt_created":"2026-07-01 13:46:13","changed":"1782913573","gmt_changed":"2026-07-01 13:46:13","alt":"Meredith Moore (BISyE 1997)","file":{"fid":"264815","name":"Moore1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/01\/Moore1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/01\/Moore1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":304371,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/01\/Moore1.jpg?itok=9_gcFvkM"}}},"media_ids":["680541"],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJoshua Smith, ISyE Communications Officer\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}