Ryan Fitzgerald CASSE 2011

Corporate Development Manager
e2e Materials

After Ryan Fitzgerald took his first class for the Certificate of Advanced Study in Sustainable Enterprise (CASSE) at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University in spring 2010, he left with an internship under his belt and a full-time position with e2e Materials following graduation.

Patrick Govang, co-founder and president of the Ithaca, N.Y.-based company, made a presentation to the CASSE class about e2e, which specializes in manufacturing products made from a proprietary wood-alternative material. Intrigued by Govang's work, Fitzgerald immediately asked him for an internship.

Fitzgerald, who has a bachelor's degree in government from Georgetown University and a law degree from the University of Notre Dame, has volunteered at the White House and practiced law as a commercial and intellectual property litigator. Now armed with his MBA and CASSE from Whitman, he's found his true passion-entrepreneurship and sustainability.

"Sustainability is, quite frankly, the future," he says. "You are taking advantage of finding new business opportunities but you're also making the world a better place."

Fitzgerald describes the CASSE as a cutting-edge program. He says the interdisciplinary nature of the CASSE emphasizes creativity and pushes students to be forward thinking.

At e2e Materials, Fitzgerald works with the company's engineers and scientists to translate their innovation into legal patent protection. e2e's proprietary composites are made from soy-based resin and natural grass fiber. He's also involved in crafting the company's business strategy as it continues to grow.