Summer Centered: Shivani Dixit '20 Explores Start-Up Consulting

From an outsider’s perspective, Shivani Dixit’s summer at WEST, a start-up consulting firm, sounds a lot like an episode of ABC’s Shark Tank.

"I like listening to the entrepreneurs pitch their idea,” said Dixit. “The firm tells them where they are on the right path and what they need to correct. Because I listen in on many pitches, it’s a very hands-on business strategy learning experience.”

A math major and economics minor, Dixit is planning on a career in finance. Located in New York City with a unique focus on start-ups, WEST stood out as the perfect opportunity to apply her academic interests to the realm of consulting this summer.

"I knew for sure that I wanted to work at a consulting firm. Every day, I get to meet ambitious people who have started their own companies and are trying to succeed,” she said. “My dad started his own company, and I was involved in a family business growing up, so entrepreneurship has always been close to my heart.”

Dixit’s summer is made possible through the selective Whitehead Internship Fund, established in honor of John C. Whitehead ‘43, which supports summer work experience related to entrepreneurial endeavors, small business enterprise, venture capital, or investment finance activities for rising juniors and seniors.

In the office, Dixit’s duties can vary day-to-day. As a result, she enjoys getting to experience a wide variety of tasks in all aspects of start-up consulting.

"I like exploring different aspects of the firm, whether learning about accounting technology, budgets, management reports, and sales strategy,” Dixit said.  

Though she’s only been on the job for a few weeks, Dixit is already thriving in her new work environment and is inspired to seek out future opportunities in the field.

"I really like the atmosphere here,” she said. “The ideas are always super interesting and I love listening to how something goes from an idea to a business making revenue and taking on customers. I feel like this could be something I do when I grow up.”

“Summer Centered” is a series exploring our students’ Center-funded summer work.