The Georgetown McDonough School of Business recently interviewed Josh Ellars, a former Executive MBA student and current entrepreneur. Ellars founded Patri, a software and consulting firm that provides solutions to help companies maximize revenue from the global public sector technology market. The company helps accelerate profitability through technology that streamlines the bid opportunity qualification process and through custom consulting engagements that simplify public sector market entry and promote sustained growth.
While Ellars shared some insightful information about his company, goals, and inspiration, he also discussed his experience at McDonough. He are a few excerpts from the interview:
Ellars was asked how the McDonough School of Business prepared him to start his own company:
“The experience at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business was game-changing. Our business planning residency introduced us to the lean start-up methodology, which I have used to refine Patri’s offerings and will continue to use to bring new products to market. Our global business experiences provided opportunities to help a leading agricultural company in Istanbul redesign their corporate social responsibility and global marketing plans and later collaborate with companies in Brazil, Vietnam, Singapore, Qatar and Thailand to generate a model to inform market-entry decisions. These global experiences, coupled with instruction and mentorship from Georgetown McDonough’s renowned faculty and staff, provided the ideal environment for me to experiment with this entrepreneurial venture.”
Everyone looks back fondly on their college days, and Ellars is no exception. He was asked about what he misses most about Georgetown experience:
“Without question, I miss associating daily with my Georgetown classmates, professors, and staff. They are some of the most capable and influential people I know, and I consider it a privilege any time I have a chance to reconnect. There is an incredible energy on campus that is difficult to replicate elsewhere, and I make it a point to visit every time I’m back in the area. Hoya Saxa!”
He also gave some advice for students or alumni considering starting a global business:
“Be patient. The global business you have conceived in your mind will not be the business you launch, and the business you launch will not have the same form a few years from now. Ask for feedback. Be bold in your outreach to potential buyers and take time to learn from them. Their input and feedback will help create offerings that have broader global appeal and will probably differ from what you have created. Surround yourself with people who will be candid with you. Some of the biggest pivots Patri has experienced have resulted from mentors and contacts who have had the courage to speak up. Find joy in the journey. Starting a company is an educational experience that requires optimism. If you can look at your mistakes and frustrations as growth opportunities and have the courage to quickly pivot when you need to, then you will have a higher probability of success.”
Want to learn more about Ellars and Patri? You can read his complete interview with Georgetown McDonough here.