Garth Knudson, a Kennedy Center graduate involved in e-business, attributes his success in life to “a great MBA, hustle, and blessings from above.” After graduating from BYU, Knudson worked as a research associate at Technology Catalysts International, where he had the opportunity to work with companies from Japan, Russia, Argentina, South Africa, and the States—not quite the Latin-American-specialist job he was looking for, but still opportune. “I traveled to Buenos Aires and New York City to learn about the companies and products in the chemical, oil and gas, biotech, and pharmaceutical markets,” he said. “Working at this company made me decide to get an MBA,” said Knudson, who attended the
Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. They offered a dual-degree program in management and international studies with Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Arizona. “I liked the class size of 150, and the focus on personal growth and achievement,” he said.
Focusing on marketing and finance, Knudson enjoyed his time at school and worked part-time on consulting projects for Cleveland-based companies. It was during this time that he decided to expand his expertise to the Internet. “I developed a project focusing on Internet growth in Latin America,” he said. “I pitched the project to a Thunderbird alumnus working for RealNames.com. She liked the idea and sponsored my project.”
That project won him a spot at the Los Angeles Internet World Conference and a gig for RealNames analyzing Media Metrix statistics—a job which attracted his current employer. One month before graduation, Knudson secured a job with CareerBuilder.com, where he focuses on penetrating U.S. markets. “However,” he says, “e-business is definitely an international phenomenon, and the companies we’re targeting as clients have international divisions.”
Knudson graduated from Brigham Young University in 1994 with a BA in International Relations. He and his wife, Rachel, reside in Virginia.