Fintech entrepreneur Bill Clerico ’07 will be the keynote speaker at Boston College Endeavor, the popular career exploration program for sophomores and juniors pursuing liberal arts degrees, which takes place in virtual format January 12-14.
Clerico, who earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science at BC and was a member of the University's Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program, is founder of Convective Capital, an investment firm that backs entrepreneurs applying technology to prevent, suppress, and mitigate wildfire-related impact. He was the founder and CEO of WePay, which he started at age 23 and led for 12 years through its acquisition by J.P. Morgan Chase. At J.P. Morgan, he directed the SMB payments business and led strategic investments in Toast, Touchbistro, and Freshbooks.
Named as one of Bloomberg’s Best Young Tech Entrepreneurs, Clerico is an early-stage investor in more than 50 technology companies and a former part-time partner at Y Combinator. He also serves on the board of directors at PayNearMe, a billing platform that facilitates all payment types including credit, debit, cash, and ACH (automated clearing house).
Endeavor was launched in 2016 by the Career Center to empower students to take control of their career journeys. With the support of “Endeavor Fellows”—highly trained student leaders and former program participants—undergraduates reflect on their skills and interests during workshops, practice networking, and take part in “career treks” to Boston companies and organizations to help them experience what it is like to work in an industry of interest. As was the case last year, due to the pandemic the career treks will again be replaced by “industry immersion experiences” in fields such as health care and nursing; communication, arts, and media; and business, consulting, and finance.
While the in-person version of Endeavor is sorely missed, its online alternative has been well received, said Rachel Greenberg, director for career education and strategy at the Career Center: “The virtual format has allowed us to pair alumni mentors with small groups of students for multiple conversations during Endeavor, and this has proven to be a popular feature of the event.”
Find more information about BC Endeavor at bc.edu/endeavor.
University Communications | December 2021