An enterprising mind
This is one in a series of profiles showcasing some of Harvard’s stellar graduates. In the startup world, failure is often worn as a badge of honor. But it’s usually not the path to Harvard. Andrew Rosenthal isn’t your average student, however. Two years ago, he arrived at Harvard Business School (HBS), not from the world of consulting or finance, but fresh off the implosion of his first online business venture. He wasn’t looking for a ticket to a Fortune 500 firm. “I came here because I wanted to build things,” said Rosenthal, 28. “And I didn’t want to wait until I left to do it.” What Rosenthal helped to build at HBS wasn’t another company, but a newly energized community of entrepreneurs on campus. While the Business School has long nurtured enterprising M.B.A.s (roughly half go on to found companies within 15 years of graduating), student interest in startup culture has exploded in...