Hometown: Rock Hill, SC/Washington, DC
Education: B.S., Clemson University; J.D., Cornell Law School
Before Wharton: Patent litigation attorney at Finnegan Henderson
After Wharton: Intellectual property monetization
Ty Meeks
My Story About Me
There really is a culture of togetherness as opposed to competitiveness. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and you find very quickly, you can use your strengths to help others and leverage others’ strengths to put yourself in a better position.
The Wharton brand and culture
I’m really proud to be part of the Wharton community because the brand is so prestigious and so well-respected. It’s not just a brand, there’s substance behind it. Lastly, it’s definitely a student-run culture, and I appreciate the fact that the administration takes to heart and actively solicits student feedback. They allow the students, along with the administration, to help shape the future of the program.
Collaborative community
The community is one of collaboration, which was a pleasant surprise for me. There really is a culture of togetherness as opposed to competitiveness. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and you find very quickly, you can use your strengths to help others and leverage others’ strengths to put yourself in a better position. There’s a real symbiotic relationship with the students in that regard.
How Wharton opens doors
In wanting to start my own IP investment fund, I’m trying to understand what the industry is like as much as possible. There are a number of firms in this space which are trying to get the industry off the ground. So, I decided to give some professionals a call and see if I could talk with them about their business and what they thought the future held. I was surprised at the number who said come on by, I’d love to chat with you.
It’s not just a brand, there’s substance behind it. It’s definitely a student-run culture, and I appreciate the fact that the administration takes to heart and actively solicits student feedback.
I think part of the reason so many doors were open to me is because I’m a Wharton student. Why? Because the admission process is so selective and because Wharton alums go on to do great things. People in the business world know that Wharton is selective, they only take the best of the best. Because of that, the fact that we are here sends a signal that we’ve already crossed a certain threshold. Once you get in front of them, it comes down to you — the perception has to match the substance. Consequently, when people find out you are from Wharton, at the very least, they give you 15 minutes. For me, a lot of times 15 minutes turned into 1 hour and 15 minutes.
My vision of the future
Short term, I’d love to work in principal investing in an area that involves tech and intellectual property. Long term, I’d love to have my own investment fund, investing in technology companies with strong intellectual property, or as the market emerges, investing in IP in and of itself. Wharton is a place that allows you to shape your vision of the future, and it provides you with the tools to do that formally and informally.
Resources for entrepreneurs
Formally, there are the professors and the classes you can take, and the resources around campus. There are also a number of contests sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Club, the Technology Club, and Wharton Entrepreneurship Ventures, as well as contests sponsored by outside companies. And informally, you can meet students who want to do their own things, or have worked at start-ups or in venture capital, or have worked in the field you want to be in. There are a lot of highly intelligent students here, bright people with a lot of great ideas and great backgrounds. Interacting with them has helped me fortify my own ideas.
Even if you’re not looking to start your own business, whatever it is you came here to do, there are resources that can help you to make it happen. If you have the initiative to pick up the phone and make some calls or send e-mails, the doors will open for you.
