Laurie Barkman
Adjunct Instructor of Entrepreneurship
Laurie Barkman is an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business. She teaches The Corporate Startup Lab, a unique project course on corporate entrepreneurship, in which diverse teams of graduate students partner with large companies to test and develop real startup ideas brought by the corporations.
In addition to teaching, Laurie is the founder and CEO of SmallDotBig LLC, a strategy advisory firm for business owners to maximize the value of their company anticipating a future ownership transition.
Laurie is the former CEO of GENCO Marketplace and became an Officer & Senior Vice President of FedEx after the company was acquired in 2015.
During her 25+ year career, Laurie has created value through digital transformation at companies ranging from large enterprises to startups, including American Eagle Outfitters, Ingersoll-Rand, Topanga Partners, MediaSite, JazzHR, Burns White, and The Art Institutes.
Her broad industry experience includes Private Equity, Software, Retail eCommerce, Logistics, Consumer & Business Services.
Laurie serves on the Advisory Board for Safety io, a subsidiary of MSA Safety Incorporated. She is Board Chair for The Center for Ageless Entrepreneurs, Board Member of The Pittsburgh Promise, and volunteers as an Advisory Board Member for PowerLink.
Laurie earned her MBA from The Tepper School of Business in 1999, and a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University in 1993. She is a Past President of The Tepper School Alumni Board, and was the first recipient of The Tepper Women in Business “Alumna of the Year Award” in 2013.
As host of the Succession Stories Podcast, Laurie curates conversations with next generation entrepreneurs. You can find the show wherever you listen to podcasts.
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