Student Highlight: Andrew Dawson
Meet Christensen Center Product Lab Fellow Andrew Dawson, a graduate student in Engineering Management. Andrew combines his passion for technology, empathy, and community to create meaningful products, building on his experience with startups and now helping shape Duke’s growing Product Lab community for the next generation of product leaders.
Andrew Dawson
Meet Christensen Center Product Lab Fellow Andrew Dawson, a graduate student in Engineering Management. Andrew combines his passion for technology, empathy, and community to create meaningful products, building on his experience with startups and now helping shape Duke’s growing Product Lab community for the next generation of product leaders.
Major / Academic Focus
Graduate Student in Engineering Management
Why do you like Product Management?
I was drawn to Product Management because of the way it sits at the intersection of technology and the way it impacts people. Growing up in Hawaii, I was raised with values of community and responsibility to care for others, and I love how values like empathy and connectedness are core aspects of building successful products. I like how PMs get to engage with individuals of all backgrounds and skills, and I really enjoy the dynamic thinking and constant problem-solving.
PM Journey at Duke + Summer Internship
My introduction to Product Management was during the spring of my junior year when I took the Product Management 1 course on a friend’s recommendation. Inspired by the guest speakers and fascinated by the concepts we learned, I took a chance in my senior fall by changing my schedule at the last minute to enroll in Product Management 2, the applied course. In PM2, I had the chance to work as a real PM for a startup, which gave me a foundation of actual product experience. I interned this summer at First Citizens Bank on the Commercial Digital team, and I am currently working for GameRun.ai, a sports-tech AI startup, as a part of this year’s Product Lab cohort.
Looking Ahead as a Fellow
Now as a Master’s student after graduating from undergrad in May, I am so blessed to have the opportunity to continue as a Fellow. Aside from being a part of the current cohort myself working on the GameRun project, I am super excited to continue building the culture and “team” sentiment of the organization. I am so grateful to Anna Wilson and everyone at CFCI for the opportunity to be part of something that I believe will make a huge impact on Duke’s aspiring product leaders for years to come.