By Julia Hess ’15
John Burke ’94 returned to Siena College Monday afternoon with a clear message, “Don’t Be Afraid of Your Dreams.” That was the title of the School of Business Lecture he delivered in the Key Auditorium.
During his time at Siena, Burke learned that he didn’t want a desk job, which prompted him to major in marketing and management and pursue his goal of launching a business.
“I wasn’t satisfied with what I was seeing in the job market when I graduated. The opportunities that I originally thought would be there weren’t there,” Burke explained.
Burke's first job was with a startup company called Open Systems Technologies, LLC. He was the company’s first employee. Burke worked directly with the company’s founder and president to build one of the leading technology solutions providers in the Capital Region. Through this experience, Burke developed skills he’d use to reach his dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur.
After rising to the position of Vice President of Operations for Open Systems Technology, Burke moved into other leadership positions in technology companies, finally serving as managing director for the New York division of Core BTS, Inc., a national technology solutions provider. Burke then left the technology industry and got into real estate with Select Sotheby’s International.
“You don’t ever fully know exactly where your flight path is going to take you,” Burke said. “I always call it turning over stones, finding out what’s next. Never in my lifetime would I ever (have) thought I would have been in real estate, but that’s where the stone turning has taken me.”
Burke also owns strategic management consulting firm VISTACO LLC and he is a partner in two other companies, Continuum Commercial Realty and Select Referrals, LLC.
Burke used his experiences from the many companies he’s worked with to inspire students with business and entrepreneurial aspirations. He highlighted key characteristics that are paramount to any aspiring entrepreneur, such as resiliency and optimism. Burke said one of the most critical components to any business is relationship building.
“You have to get out there and talk to as many people as you possibly can. It doesn’t even matter if you have a specific purpose when you start,” Burke advised. “Let the conversation naturally evolve and be dynamic in its interpretation and be open to opportunities that may present themselves.”
As a first step to reaching their aspirations, Burke urged students to start thinking about their dreams, motivations and the challenges that may stand in their way.
Marketing major Bridget Cray ’15 was thankful for Burke’s advice and was motived by the experiences he shared.
“The networking opportunities that Siena presents to its students are really incredible,” Cray said. “Inviting successful alumni back to campus to speak really inspires us to use the skills that Siena has taught us go after our career goals.”
