Generosity of Alumni Donors Makes Experiential Learning Possible from NYC to the Silicon Valley

Experiential learning opportunities in business — from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — are not only providing outstanding experiences to prepare current Whitman students for impressive careers but are also drawing prospective students to the Whitman School. Most of the growing list of opportunities would not be possible without the generosity of alumni, who not only provide monetary gifts but also share their valuable time and talents. While a number of notable donors support these experiential learning efforts, the following ones reflect four standout alumni.

Stuart Frankel ’61

Stuart Frankel ’61, along with wife, Sharyn, has given to the Whitman School for decades. Frankel was an early supporter of giving students a different kind of experience outside of the classroom and among professionals on Wall Street, including many Syracuse alumni. A Life Trustee of the University, Frankel is founder and CEO of Stuart Frankel & Company, the New York Stock Exchange’s oldest independent broker. He established the Stuart Frankel & Company New York Stock Exchange Program at Whitman in the early 2000s for students studying finance, which included site visits to finance and investment firms in New York City, such as Third Avenue Investments, Goldman Sachs and the New York Stock Exchange. This helped students gain a better understanding of the various paths that a finance education might afford them.

Stuart Frankel and his wife, Sharyn, meeting with students at the Lubin House.

“If Whitman needs something, Stuart is always one of the first to say ‘yes,’” says Interim Dean Alex McKelvie. “He and his wife are long-time supporters, giving towards the new building that now houses the Whitman School, funding multiple scholarships, supporting faculty and sharing their love of all things Orange any way they can. Stuart’s help in creating the stock exchange program has given students the experience they need to differentiate themselves as they continue towards career success, as well as planted a seed for a number of other experiential programs we host in New York City today.”

Jim Keene ’79

Jim Keene never intended to pursue a career on the West Coast when he graduated from Whitman with a finance degree. But a job lured him to the San Francisco Bay area, where the venture capital opportunities and entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley made him stay. Today, Keene, an executive consultant with Consultant Collective in Palo Alto, California, and a member of the University’s regional board in the San Francisco area, is eager to draw Whitman talent to the Bay Area.

Jim Keene speaking to students taking part in the exploration trip to Silicon Valley. 

The Keene Silicon Valley Entrepreneurship Exploration Program was established to bring students to the Bay Area for an up-close experience on entrepreneurship and innovation. Keene leverages his list of West Coast contacts and relies on other area alumni to make students’ time there transformative. In the fall of 2022, the trip included visits to startups and leading tech companies like Google and LinkedIn. Keene also looks to his contacts to match Whitman students with summer internships.

“I wanted to connect the entrepreneurial spirit and innovative culture reflected in San Francisco and Silicon Valley with the innovation and free-spirited thinking coming from within the Whitman School,” says Keene. “The high ranking EEE program at Whitman, in particular, motivated me to try to connect the two geographies in a synergistic way.”

Steve Ballentine ’83

Steve Ballentine ’83 was also an early supporter of experiential learning. He has been a portfolio manager and analyst for nearly 40 years, and, in 1989, he founded Ballentine Capital Management. He and his wife, Beth ’83 (NEW), provided lead gifts for the establishment of the Ballentine Investment Institute and Center and the Ballentine Center for the Study of Securities Markets. The Ballentine Institute has provided opportunities for Whitman students to use the most current software and technology available. Students are able to achieve Bloomberg certification through equity and fixed income training modules within the Whitman building, giving them a distinct advantage in the workforce.

“Helping provide Whitman students opportunities to apply classroom learning into real-world practice is a key focus of my philanthropic giving,” says Ballentine. “It is deeply rewarding to hear from students how these experiences have made their Whitman education more engaging, differentiating them from those at other business schools and preparing them for successful careers.”

Ballentine also helped to establish the Orange Value Fund (see article), a program that allows students to work on an investment portfolio using the most current tools available.

A member of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees, Ballentine has served as a vice chair of the Board, has chaired the Boards’s Investment and Endowment Committee, currently chairs the Board’s Athletics Committee, as well as also being a member of the Whitman Advisory Council and the Orange Council.

Hal Fetner ’83

“I have always believed that what we teach our students outside of the classroom is arguably as important as what they learn inside,” says Hal Fetner ’83, CEO of Fetner Properties, which owns and manages luxury high-rise apartments in New York City. “Giving them a front-row seat to experience the roles and responsibilities of this industry is invaluable as students explore career options.”

Hal Fetner hosting a networking reception during the inaugural real estate exploration trip. 

A University trustee and member of the Whitman Advisory Council and Whitman Real Estate Advisory Board, he established the Fetner Real Estate Program in 2019. This joint venture between Whitman and the School of Architecture is based in New York City each summer and offers a firsthand experience on how sustainability is at work in this industry. Whitman real estate majors focus on sustainability and design and complete a paid internship at an architecture, finance or real estate firm. In addition, students attend programming, such as networking nights, panel discussions and other activities involving Orange alumni and commercial real estate professionals.

Fetner and his wife, Nina, have long supported Syracuse University and Whitman with gifts to fund innovative programming and provide transformative opportunities. They created the Fetner Sustainable Enterprise Fellowship, which focuses on sustainable studies at Whitman by bringing industry leaders to the University, and the Fetner Prize in Sustainable Enterprise, a cash award which has been granted to a student/team during past Panasci Business Plan Competitions.

“Without our amazing alumni donors, many of these experiential opportunities would not be possible,” says McKelvie. “These individuals have not only been financially generous but have used their tremendous business acumen, career experiences and Orange connections to create some excellent opportunities for our Whitman students. We are grateful for their commitment to Whitman’s ability to offer such outstanding programs.”