Working in the field of educational publishing and technology, Heidi Gilman Bennett knew she would eventually have to contend with New York, the publishing capital of the world. While visiting Manhattan for informational interviews in August 2001, Gilman was stunned to walk into Scholastic Publishing — an industry giant — and walk out with a job offer.

While a student at Haas, Bennett helped the educational toy company LeapFrog enter the school market. Her plan for turning LeapFrog's touch pad technology into a tool for adult literacy made her a finalist in the Haas Social Venture Business Plan Competition in 2001 and landed her a job with the firm after graduation. She then returned to Scholastic as director of product marketing, where she led both product development and marketing of reading programs for early childhood and primary grade classrooms. “Coming from the Bay Area and start-up companies, I wasn't sure how I would be received in the established world of textbook publishing,” she says “But my Berkeley degree combined with my background in teaching and my experience in product development has proven to be a powerful combination.”