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Jon Warren(’24 mechanical engineering, ’25 MBA)
When the Deep Tech course was introduced in spring 2025, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) PhD students were paired with MBA students from Ivy to create venture-ready startups. Through the course, recent MBA alumnus Jon Warren was introduced to Cygnet Scientific, a startup founded by PhD student Brad Swan. What began as a project for the Deep Tech course quickly became a life-changing opportunity.
What made you want to pursue Cygnet full-time?
Coming into the MBA program, I knew I was interested in entrepreneurship. However, I thought that journey was years down the road for me. When Professor (Mike) Howard told us about the opportunity to join the Deep Tech course, I knew I had to get into that class because it was exactly what I wanted to do in the future. When Brad approached me and asked if I would want to come on as a co-founder, it switched my perspective, and I immediately said yes. The opportunity to pursue my dream of entrepreneurship, albeit in a slightly different role than I planned, at a much earlier stage of my career, was something that I couldn’t pass up.
What excites you most about transitioning from the classroom to a full-time role with Cygnet?
I’m most excited about having real stakes behind the decisions that I make. I’m a person who thrives off of having ownership and a stake in what I am working on. Sometimes it was hard to get excited about school because I was just meeting others’ expectations, but now I am working on something that is mine.
What surprised you most about working with Cygnet full-time, beyond the course?
Communication is really hard. I knew this coming into the job, but there are a lot of moving parts in this startup. A close second to something I took for granted was how long the process of actually forming the company and generating revenue would take.
What advice would you give to future students considering the Deep Tech course?
My advice would be to take it. I think this course is beneficial to just about anyone pursuing a business degree. If you have a specific area that you’re really trying to pursue, such as real estate or accounting, then maybe it’s not the class for you. I learned so much about sales, marketing, finance, and management in the course, not just entrepreneurship. Making cold calls really boosted my confidence in talking to people about a product. And if you are interested in real entrepreneurship, I can’t think of a better class to take.
What are you most looking forward to as you begin this next chapter in your career?
I am most looking forward to seeing it all grow and how the decisions I make play a part in that growth.
