Bennett Richter\u2019s first job\u2014as a teenage ice cream scooper in Minneapolis, Minnesota\u2014taught him all he needed to know about the challenges of working for someone else.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe work is hard, I don\u2019t get paid enough, and my schedule is so restrictive,\u201d he complained to his mother about his summer job.<\/p>\n
His mother, who had traveled quite a bit and was no stranger to adventure, leaned on the family ethos\u2014take risks and push boundaries\u2014and challenged him. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you start your own company window or power washing for people who have summer homes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where it sparked\u2014I got my first taste of entrepreneurship,\u201d Richter said. \u201cI ended up servicing nearly 100 homes with two employees working for me over four or five summers. That first taste addicted me to what it felt like to control your own business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richter, who graduated from the University of Miami in 2022 with a B.B.A. in entrepreneurship, has followed his entrepreneurial spirit ever since. After garnering sales experience for a few years after graduation, he moved to San Francisco to join Lassie<\/a>, a Silicon Valley startup. In his 19 months there as the founding sales lead, he\u2019s helped the company grow from six employees meeting in a garage to 20, inspired by its AI-powered medical office automation systems.<\/p>\n The company recently announced a Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)<\/a>, a venture capital firm known for bold investments in firms such as Airbnb, Instagram, and Meta.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you get Series A from a company like Andreessen, it changes things overnight,\u201d said Richter. \u201cNow we need to go from 20 to 100 employees within months in order to be one of these hyper-growth companies that go viral in terms of revenue.\u201d<\/p>\n The adventurous spirit he had demonstrated as an entrepreneurial teen prompted Richter to leave the Midwest to attend the University of Miami. Once here, he vigorously pursued networking opportunities and credited his professors and classes with honing the skills, tools, and confidence that have buoyed his professional success.<\/p>\n Susy Alvarez-Diaz<\/a>, assistant professor of professional practice in Miami Herbert Business School\u2019s Department of Management and former director of the entrepreneurship programs, remembered Richter as a stellar student. She highlighted, too, that his success in securing backing from such a notable firm marks a milestone for the business school\u2019s reputation as well. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBennett was very much an intellectual, not in the book sense, but in his curiosity in finding the why of things and always questioning: \u2018How can this be done cheaper or faster or structured differently?\u2019\u201d Alvarez-Diaz said. \u201cWhen I see that, I know that here\u2019s a student who\u2019s going to do great things.\u201d<\/p>\n Alvarez-Diaz highlighted the role of another exceptional former student, Jason Shuman, who graduated in 2013 and has developed a key mentorship relationship with Richter.<\/p>\n