Author: Abigail Grubbs Page 1 of 3

How Duke in Silicon Valley Changed My Life

By Halo Kwok

At first, with site visit after site visit, it was all a blur. When you’re in the moment, you don’t realize what you’re really in on. By the end, I left with a life-altering sense of direction, fond memories of the friends I made along the way, but above all, an inspiration to start on a different journey.

The girls having some fun during our group trip to the Golden State Bridge!

When I applied for Duke in Silicon Valley, I knew it would be a great opportunity on the surface. It checked off all the boxes: connections I could use to advance my career, insights I could use to navigate the ever-changing technical landscape, and ideas I could use to potentially launch my own startup. Plus, who doesn’t love the idea of enjoying a trip to the bay, for networking or otherwise? I am so glad to say that the program met all my expectations and so much more.

What stuck with me was this overarching theme that we discussed and delved into: uncertainty, and how necessary it is to be able to navigate it despite never fully knowing the answer. This was profound to me in the sense that my life, though linear in the broad sense (when you zoom out to 0.5x), involved many dead ends leading off into the distance (when you zoom in to 5x). However, I still had to make decisions that set the trajectory for my fate and future, and one such weighty decision was my breakthrough into quantum computing.

Last DSV family gathering before we had to say goodbye (emotions and separation anxiety are hidden from view).

Upon reflecting on my time in DSV, now I can’t even say for sure that that’s where I’ll end up. Throughout the course of the program, our many visits—spanning from largely mysterious megagiants like Oracle and Scale AI to smaller, newer innovators like Abridge and Joby Aviation—taught me that the world is even more limitless than I previously thought. I saw firsthand how AI has reshaped entire industries, and experiencing it in person rewired something in me. It’s one thing to hear about what companies are doing on the news, and it’s a whole other thing to watch it unfold live, in rooms full of people building things that feel like they belong decades from now—not in a scary way, but in a this is actually happening and nobody even knows it kind of way. What was also fascinating was grappling with the ethical weight that the AI wave has brought forth: the tension between blindly advancing mankind’s capabilities through science and genuinely accounting for the well-being of the people it affects. As we all move forward, it’s definitely a trade-off worth thinking more deeply about.

Hannah, Cheyenne, Manahil and I posing as the bats in BATS Improv!

As I head into junior year, quantum computing is still at my center—my work at the Duke Quantum Center on control systems for ion traps isn’t going anywhere, and neither is my curiosity about where that field is headed. But DSV cracked something open in me: now, I’m keeping a much more deliberate eye on adjacent spaces, like wearable tech, medtech, and whatever else turns out to be the next thing that has the ability to transform lives for good. I don’t know exactly where I’ll land, and surprisingly, I’m more okay with that than I expected to be.

Although I may not know whether my future lies in quantum computing, wearable technology, or even medtech, I know that each question will get me closer to the right answer. I’d like to thank Dr. Dinin for giving us a taste of internet fame, Kevin and Abby for being the best parents to a bunch of grown-up children anyone could ask for, and above all Ronald and Carrie Ludwig for making this an experience DSV alumni like me will never forget.

For those considering applying: do it. You have no idea what you’re in for, and that’s exactly the point. My advice is to lean into the unknown, embrace it, and trust where it takes you.

Halo is a rising junior from Los Angeles County double majoring in Electrical Engineering and Physics who is interested in getting more involved in I&E. On campus, she serves as Co-President of Duke’s Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers student chapter and is involved in the marching band and saxophone quartet. For Halo, Duke in Silicon Valley is an opportunity to see how ideas evolve from rough concepts into real products and how innovators make decisions in the middle of that process. With a background spanning both engineering and physics, she hopes to close the gap between technical thinking and the realities of building a company. Outside of school, she enjoys going to the gym, playing sports, pushing the upper limits of caffeine intake, and listening to good music.

By Chidalu Emy-Munonye

When I arrived in Silicon Valley for Duke in Silicon Valley, I thought I knew what I was walking into. Two hours of class each morning, then site visits to some of the most powerful companies in the world, Oracle, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google, Anthropic. A front-row seat to the industry shaping the future.

What I didn’t expect was how much the city itself would become part of the lesson.

San Francisco is a city of many faces. Coming in at just 50 square miles, it boasts a GDP higher than Singapore, Thailand, and Norway. It’s a tech mecca, hosting some of the world’s most powerful companies, and walking through it, you feel that. Every billboard, lamppost, and bus stop was advertising some new AI technology, with the boldest ones proclaiming “Don’t hire humans.” The flashing lights of a passing Waymo gave the city a futuristic feel straight out of a 2000s sci-fi movie. But as the program went on, I started noticing a tension between what I was seeing inside those offices and what I was seeing outside of them.

The City the Tech Industry Built

San Francisco has always been a city of reinvention. It built its first identity on Gold Rush money in the 1850s, then rebuilt itself almost entirely after the 1906 earthquake By the 1970s and 80s, the Castro had become one of the most visible LGBTQ+ communities in the world, and the Mission District was established as a beating heart of Latino culture, its murals and taquerias stretching for blocks. Then came the dot-com boom, and the ground started shifting. The second wave, beginning around 2010 with the rise of Uber, Airbnb, Twitter, and Salesforce, hit harder and faster. Between 2010 and 2020, the median rent in San Francisco nearly doubled. The Black population, which had peaked at around 13% in the 1970s, fell to under 5%, one of the steepest demographic declines of any major American city. Latino families in the Mission were displaced by the thousands. Working-class communities that had defined San Francisco’s character for generations found themselves priced out of the city.

Learning this didn’t surprise me. Over 10+ site visits and conversations with 30+ Duke alumni working across the Valley, only 2 were Black or Hispanic. At companies actively building tools that will shape how billions of people live and work, that kind of homogeneity is hard to ignore. It may not be intentional, but it definitely does shape the outputs of these companies. I found myself returning to the question of what technology is actually for and who it actually serves. Visiting Oracle, I found myself thinking about how AI and surveillance tools get framed when deployed by powerful institutions and how the incentives baked into those systems shape what the tools become. Tools aren’t neutral. They carry the histories and priorities of the people who built them. And when the people building them come from similar cultural or economic backgrounds, it shows.

Across the Bay

So I went out of my way to visit Berkeley and Oakland. Oakland absorbed wave after wave of displaced residents, Black families from the Fillmore and Bayview, Latino families from the Mission, artists from SoMa and the Tenderloin. With a population of around 440,000 and no single ethnic majority, it remains one of the most racially diverse cities in the country. I even spoke with some Duke alum living in Sunnyvale who told me they were actively looking to move to Oakland. Not because it was closer to work, but because that’s where the culture is. San Francisco, they said, is just too expensive and too sterile. It struck me as a telling sign: someone working at the center of the tech world, seeking out the community that tech had pushed to its edges.

This pop-up I visited in Oakland was exactly the kind of space I’d been missing. It was the opposite of the environments I’d been spending my mornings in. It was a space for creatives from every background and to come together and celebrate one other. Though I may have spent a bit too much on vintage clothes, I don’t regret the moments I spent talking to new people or learning about how artists take up space in Oakland. One of the most honest moments of the program came during a class discussion about how communities quietly shape what kinds of ambitions feel desirable,  what counts as success, what counts as impact. I’d been sitting in rooms where scale and growth metrics were the primary language, and I kept feeling a friction I couldn’t fully name. Coming from activist and policy spaces, I was used to environments where accountability to affected communities was central. Here, I kept wondering: can you have genuine accountability to people when you’re moving at the speed and scale that Silicon Valley celebrates?

Visiting Anthropic was the first time that tension eased. For the first time in the program, I was in a room where the ethical questions, about AI, economic justice, societal impact, were treated as central to the work rather than distractions from it. It wasn’t that I thought Anthropic was perfect. It was that I realized I’d been spending a lot of energy just defending the legitimacy of those questions. Here, I didn’t have to.

Duke in Silicon Valley gave me a front-row seat to one of the most powerful industries in the world. But the most lasting lessons weren’t inside the office buildings, they were in the gap between who the tech industry says it’s building for, and who actually gets to live in the city it’s built. San Francisco is a complicated place: breathtaking and infuriating, capable of extraordinary things and troubling ones. The question I’m leaving with isn’t whether tech can change the world. It clearly can. The question is which world it’s building, and for whom.

Chidalu is a Robertson Scholar and rising junior from Maryland, where she is double majoring in Computer Science and Public Policy. On campus, she founded The Collective, Duke’s student-led modeling and fashion organization, which grew to 30+ members and hosted multiple fashion shows in its first year. She also serves as Publicity Chair for StreetMed, Duke’s hip hop dance team, and as a Duke Presidential Ambassador. A 2024 Ron Brown Scholar, she has also participated in Bain Consulting Kickstart, SEO Career, and MLT Career Prep programs. For Chidalu, Duke in Silicon Valley is an opportunity to explore the intersections of technology, policy, and creative entrepreneurship, and to gain the tools to bridge the gap between engineers and policymakers. Hobby-wise, she loves fashion, travel, poetry, and building community through creative projects. She has even taught herself Pure Data for audio programming experiments!

By Ryan Hahm

What career do I choose? This is ultimately the most important question college students ask themselves because to most, it’s why we’re even at school in the first place. So, during these past few weeks, and especially this week I learned a lot about different careers, specifically Product Management.

Coming into Duke, I’ve always wanted to be in the tech world (came as a Pratt Star), but switched to Trinity, influenced by the economic finance/consulting path. Up until now, I was fully convinced that consulting or finance was my most likely route right out of Duke. However, immersing myself back in the tech space especially in a place like Silicon Valley, the frontier of tech, allowed me to explore the various industries in which a combination of skills can be applied in.

So, although it feels like there’s this external pressure, especially at Duke, to choose one definite career, Duke in Silicon Valley explicitly allowed me to learn that there are so many more opportunities that will fall into your true interests. Additionally, careers can change; many of the successful people we talked to did not have one route to where they are today. They experiment in different industries, and I think that’s a powerful thing to understand.

Now it feels fulfilling to know that I am interested in Product Management, a role outside the typical Duke pipeline. My advice to students thinking about DSV is to come here with an open mind, especially if you just finished your freshman year, and talk to as many people as you can because you can combine your interests into work you genuinely enjoy, and the best part about it is that you can always change your path no matter what. 

Ryan is a rising sophomore from the Central Valley in California who plans to study Economics and Psychology with a certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. On campus, he is in Duke Impact Investing Group and Duke Consulting Club. He is also a member on the Club Men’s Volleyball Team and working to help found Duke Asia Strategy Group for the 2026-27 school year. For Ryan, Duke in Silicon Valley is a gate to explore his interests in entrepreneurship and catalysts for his startup ideas. Ryan is excited to gain insight on founders and gain valuable experience to help the small business industry grow in the future. Ryan’s hobbies include watching movies (in theatres of course), playing basketball, making cinematic vlogs, and traveling and trying new restaurants.

By Sarah Dicker

Oracle! Oracle was the first company visit of the trip, and we posed in front of Oracle’s server infrastructure that powers some of the world’s largest enterprises. Getting to see how the software we study in class translates into massive, physical hardware made everything feel suddenly real. This was such a cool way to start off the company visits, and they only got even more exciting from here!

Escape Room!! Nothing tests teamwork quite like being locked in a room together. On one of our first days as a cohort, we tackled a carnival-themed escape room at Red Door. Spoiler Alert: we escaped! It was the perfect metaphor for the program that success here requires leaning on the people around you, communicating quickly, and thinking creatively under pressure. When we earned that “We Escaped” sign, it felt like our first real win as a team.

LinkedIn HQ Each day, we are tasked with taking a themed photo for our “Memory Making” assignment. The theme for that day happened to be “professional”. We could not have planned it better. Visiting the platform that most of us will use to launch our careers, and hearing from professionals across product, engineering, and machine learning, helped us see how much LinkedIn does beyond building a network. BONUS POINTS to LinkedIn for the incredible chocolate chip cookies on every floor and the amazing views of downtown!

The Great Donut Trade: It started with a coffee cup. It ended with five donuts and many lessons learned about negotiation, perceived value, and the art of the pitch. Our I&E class trading exercise sent us out into the real world with one item and a mission: trade your way up to something more valuable. Our team’s proudest achievement? Five fresh, glazed donuts. Could we have done better? Absolutely not, how do you beat five donuts?

Apple Park: We walked into Apple Park and were immediately captivated by the beautiful interior, and by a display tracing every generation of the iPhone. We had the incredible opportunity to meet with Eddy Cue, the mind behind products like Apple Music, the App Store, and Apple TV+. Hearing from someone who has shaped how billions of people consume media and interact with technology was an amazing experience. What made it the most memorable was how personable and generous he was with his time and insights.

Oracle Park, SF Giants Game: This was our view from our seats at Oracle Park during the SF Giants game. It was a perfect day for a ballgame, and beyond the baseball, this visit was fascinating to learn about how technology and sports intersect. The coolest part was getting to try on all three Giants World Series Rings from 2010, 2012, and 2014. Each one was bigger than the last, and somehow that felt like a life lesson.

Anthropic: We headed to our next site visit at Anthropic, where we heard from not one, not two, but SEVEN Duke alumni who work in various divisions across Anthropic. Our visit to Anthropic was easily one of the most thought-provoking visits, not just because of what they are building, but also because of how they are grappling with what this means for society.

Golden Gate Bridge: On one of our weekends, we took advantage of the California sunshine for a hike out in Marin, with the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline as our backdrop. One of the most meaningful parts of Duke in Silicon Valley is getting to explore San Francisco together and create meaningful relationships with our peers. Bonus: the San Francisco skyline in the background never gets old, no matter how many times you see it.

Sarah is a rising sophomore from Gaithersburg, Maryland pursuing a major in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Economics and a certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. On campus, she is a member of Duke Women’s Club Soccer, Society of Women Engineers, Business-Oriented Women, and will serve as an Orientation Leader. For Sarah, participating in the Duke in Silicon Valley program is an opportunity to explore the startup ecosystem and combine her engineering and economics interests in her future career. Sarah hopes to learn skills for how to translate ideas into successful products, learn from industry leaders, and form meaningful connections with peers. In her free time, she enjoys going on walks, spending time with friends, baking, and trying new foods.

By Noa Bremen and Iniya Saravanan

Abridge

Entering the Abridge headquarters (a nondescript warehouse, not even on Google Maps!), we knew it was going to be a special visit. Abridge is the youngest company we’ve visited, and despite being a multi-billion-dollar business today, Abridge has retained the community-oriented, energizing environment of a young startup. Following a tour of their beautiful office space, we got to hear from COO and Duke alum Julia Chou about Abridge’s mission to reduce physician burnout through their AI note-taking tool. As Julia shared, “Healthcare starts with conversations,” and Abridge wants physicians to be able to have those interactions with patients without worrying about the stress of charting and documentation.

The highlight of the visit was getting to test out the product through a live demonstration, with students acting out the roles of a doctor and patient! Our hypothetical patient had a run-in with a raccoon when trying to take out the trash…

Abridge reminded us that “how we work is just as important as what we build,” and the visit left us inspired and energized!

YouTube

Our visit to YouTube was one of the most memorable experiences of the program so far. We had the opportunity to meet several Duke alumni working in product management and software engineering, including one alum who had previously participated in Duke in Silicon Valley. It was inspiring to hear how the program helped shape her path into tech and product.

One of the most valuable parts of the visit was getting to ask questions about their careers, day-to-day work, and experiences working on products used by millions of people. The conversations made many of the ideas we’ve discussed in class, such as product development, feel much more real and tangible. We also got to explore the YouTube campus, which reflected the company’s creative and collaborative culture. Overall, the visit was both insightful and exciting because it showed how Duke alumni have successfully built impactful careers in tech.

ScaleAI

AI is everywhere we go (a main talking point at each company, present in the classroom, and featured on every highway billboard), but what enables this technology to run? At Scale AI, we learned the answer is the data. We got to meet with Tommy Hessel, a Duke alum working as a product manager, who gave us a tour of the company and answered our many questions about how Scale AI creates large data sets to fuel the current state and future of AI. Everything from data on heart ECGs to the possibility of laundry-folding robots was covered!

Amidst all the technology, the major takeaway had nothing to do with tech at all. Tommy shared his most valuable advice is that “life moves at the speed of relationships.” So, making the most of our time at Duke and in Silicon Valley may mean stepping back from our computers and investing in our relationships.

LinkedIn

Our visit to LinkedIn gave us a great look into both the company culture and the variety of roles that contribute to building products at scale. We were given a full office tour by several employees, including a Duke alum, and it was interesting to see the different workspaces and collaborative environments throughout the building. One of the highlights of the tour was the beautiful view from the top floors of the office, which made the experience even more memorable.

After the tour, we participated in a panel where we had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about their work. The panel included a software engineer working on LinkedIn Ads, a team member in Strategic Finance focused on the LinkedIn Feed, and a product manager working on LinkedIn Games. It was especially interesting to hear how people in very different roles collaborate to shape the platform and improve the user experience. One of the most valuable parts of the visit was hearing about their career paths, day-to-day responsibilities, and perspectives on working in tech. The conversation was extremely helpful for understanding the many ways people can contribute within a large technology company.

Noa is a rising junior from Chicago, IL, who is studying Neuroscience and Economics. On campus, she is involved with Duke Impact Investing Group, a neuroscience Bass Connections team, and the nonprofit Challah for Hunger. For Noa, Duke in Silicon Valley is an opportunity to explore the intersection of science and entrepreneurship. She is excited to tap into Silicon Valley’s energy and passion, especially given her interest in bringing new neuroscience technology to the public through startups. In her free time, Noa enjoys baking, spending time outdoors, and trying new restaurants with friends.

Iniya is a rising sophomore from Bernardsville, New Jersey, who plans to major in Computer Science with a minor in Visual Arts, while also pursuing an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate. At Duke, she is involved in DTech, the Society of Women Engineers, and Duke Puppy Kindergarten, and will be serving as an Experiential Orientation Leader. Iniya is especially interested in the intersection of computer science, technology, and art, and is passionate about exploring how creative expression can be enhanced through technical innovation. She loves spending time at the Arts Annex on campus, where she often works on pottery projects and paintings. In her free time, Iniya enjoys traveling and discovering new places and perspectives, which continue to inspire both her creative and academic interests.

By Mia Paz

Escape Room & Happy Photo with Elliot

Each day of the program we are paired with a different classmate for a “happy photo.” It is a small but meaningful way to make sure we’re all getting to know each other beyond our immediate friend groups. This week’s pairing brought Elliot and me to an escape room, a program-sponsored bonding experience that turned out to be one of the highlights of the week. There’s something about having to problem-solve together under pressure that fast-tracks getting to know someone!

Google’s Original Garage

This is the garage where it all started. Larry Page and the early Google team rented this space in Menlo Park in 1998, long before the company became what it is today. Visiting this spot was one of the most grounding moments of the week. For me, it was a tangible reminder that some of the most consequential companies in history began with very little, which felt especially resonant given everything we’ve been exploring entrepreneurship and what it takes to build something from the ground up.

Oracle Data Center: DSV First Company Visit

Our first official company visit of the program took us inside Oracle’s data center for a look at the infrastructure behind enterprise technology at scale. Walking through rows of Exadata servers, I think it became clear how much goes into supporting the systems that modern businesses run on. It was a great way to open up our company visit series by grounding a lot of what we have been discussing in something concrete and real.

Golden Gate Bridge

This is our cohort at the Golden Gate Bridge! It was one of those quintessential SF moments we made sure to fit in. A big part of this first week has been exploring the city itself: its history, its culture, and its deep ties to innovation and entrepreneurship. Getting out and experiencing San Francisco together has been just as valuable as the structured programming!

Pier 39

This depicts some of our group taking in the waterfront at Pier 39 during a bit of downtime between programming. After our first week of visits and group sessions, it was a welcome chance to explore the city more casually and continue getting to know each other outside of a structured setting.

Mia is a rising junior from Miami, Florida who is studying Public Policy, Tech Policy, and pursuing the certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Mia is a singer-songwriter and released her debut album Mia’s World in high school. During her freshman year at Duke, she was signed by Duke’s Small Town Records, leading to the release of her sophomore album Back To Life and performances at campus events including Heatwaves and Welcome Back Bash. Beyond her music career, Mia is deeply engaged in campus leadership. She served as President of East Campus Council freshman year and currently holds the position of Quad Traditions Chair on Few Quad Council. This past summer, Mia participated in DukeEngage in Chicago, working at the Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum and conducting research at the University of Illinois exploring the powerful intersections between community activism and hip-hop culture.

By Michael Lamarque

While applying to the Duke in Silicon Valley (DSV) program, I expected something much closer to a traditional class, just with more company visits and business discussions. After finishing my first week here, that expectation has been completely flipped. DSV, especially through Professor Dinin’s class, feels much less like learning entrepreneurship from a textbook and much more like being pushed actually to think and act like an entrepreneur. If there’s one thing I’ve learned already, it’s that growth comes from putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and being willing to see what happens.

At the escape room…we escaped!

One of the biggest parts of the first week was creating our “Bet” for the duration of the program. Instead of focusing on a standard final project, each person chooses a personal challenge or goal that reflects what they truly want to gain from DSV. That process forced me to really reflect on why I came here in the first place. At first, I thought my goal would revolve around networking or simply meeting more people in Silicon Valley. But the more I reflected during our nightly journals and class discussions, the more I realized I wanted to push myself beyond surface-level networking and actually build something.

Sharing a delicious meal

The class activities constantly reinforced the idea that entrepreneurship is less about having the perfect idea and more about learning through action. Even exercises that seemed unrelated at first, like improv activities or the blindspot presentation, ended up teaching us something about entrepreneurship.

By the end of the week, I decided my Bet would be to build a startup focused on connecting students who want to build startups together. The idea itself is still early, but pursuing it already feels valuable because it pushes me technically, socially, and creatively at the same time. Being surrounded by people in Silicon Valley who are constantly building, experimenting, and sharing ideas makes taking that first step feel much more possible.

Some examples of our photo projects during the first week

At the same time, the week was not entirely serious reflection and startup conversations. Some of the best moments came from the random experiences we shared as a group. Every day, we were paired with a different person and given a photo theme to capture around the city, which made each day feel a lot more interactive and pushed everyone to talk to people they normally might not have approached. We also did an escape room together, walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, went out to eat around San Francisco, and stayed up late watching Love Island together after long days. Those moments reminded me that not everything valuable has to be productive in the traditional sense. A big part of this experience has been building a genuine community with people, getting outside of routines, and creating connections through shared experiences instead of just work.

Exploring SF and making friends along the way

Coming into DSV, I expected to learn about entrepreneurship. After the first week, I think what I am really learning is how much growth comes from attempting things you might fail at. For me, this Bet is not really about building the perfect startup. It is about becoming more comfortable taking action, putting ideas into the world, and learning through the process instead of waiting until I feel fully ready.

Michael is a rising sophomore from Chula Vista, California, planning to study mechanical engineering while pursuing the Innovation and Entrepreneurship certificate. On campus, he is involved with the Duke Motorsports team and the Medical Design Club. For Michael, Duke in Silicon Valley is an opportunity to better understand the startup ecosystem and develop his entrepreneurial skills. He is especially looking forward to building meaningful connections with others in the program. In his free time, Michael enjoys going to the gym, exploring new places, and spending time with friends and family.

By Atom Wang

As a first day ice-breaking activity, we dove into an escape room challenge! Our group got assigned a horror-themed room—definitely not for the faint-hearted and rated one of the most difficult. It was intense, brain-bending, and we were (proudly?) the last team to escape. But with the room located in a beautiful upscale mall, the post-escape stroll made it all worth it.

We made a trip to the Golden Gate Bridge together, and early May couldn’t have treated us better—clear blue skies, cool winds, and iconic views. Just remember to layer up—it gets really windy. It turned into a fun bonding moment as we all tried to yell over the wind just to hold a conversation.

We headed out to the Giants game at Oracle Park. The stadium was super nice—right by the water with a park and pier nearby. The game was alright, but the best part was just hanging out and chatting with alumni.

We got to sit in Netflix’s circular conference room—super cool design that made it easy to engage, since everyone’s the same distance from the speaker. Honestly though, it turned into more of a snack run… their kitchen setup is way too good.

Had lunch at Meta’s buffet plaza—yep, it’s really a plaza with a bunch of food spots, all free and seriously good. We hit the noodle shop (they even had Thai tea—super authentic), and there’s a full-on ice cream buffet too. Hard not to love it.

Atom is a rising junior from Beijing, China majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering. She’s into data analytics, especially in healthcare and human biology, and loves building cool things with AI agents. At Duke’s Pearson Lab, she’s helping create a tool that finds patterns in EEG signals in real time, and at Duke Hospital, she’s diving into a 100-million-patient database to study how GLP-1 might protect the heart and brain. She’s excited about programs like Duke in Silicon Valley as a way to turn tech ideas into real-world health solutions. In her free time, Atom’s usually exploring new music, listening to audiobooks, or planning beach trips where she can snorkel.

By Julia Zhu

1. SAN FRANN & Improv
One of our first days together had it all. Iconic views of the Golden Gate, our first of
many Equator Co>ees, and some slightly terrifying (but ultimately hilarious) improv
set the tone for what would be the next few weeks. Getting oriented to our new
summer home in San Francisco was exciting, but it was the BAT Improv session that
really broke the ice. From playing fork and spoon, to speaking gibberish, to
dramatically becoming a lawnmower, this day sparked something special in our
cohort. Looking back, I think it catalyzed some of the most meaningful friendships
we’ve made.

2. NETFLIX = a DSV Core Memory
A DSV favorite for a reason. We’re not sure if it was the never-ending micro-kitchens,
the candy wall, the Stranger Things Funko Pop army, the comfy UX testing room, or
the insightful talk with Lori Conkling and John Derderian, who pulled back the
curtain on the real business of storytelling. Regardless, whatever it was, Netflix left
its mark on us – just like it has on the rest of the world.

3. Gooooooo GIANTS!
Did some of us subscribe to Mercury News just for the free Giants hoodie? Yes. Are
some of us still paying $14.99 a month? For maybe the rest of our lives? …Also yes.
But, beyond the merch, this game was one of the most electric evenings of the trip.
Sitting in one of the sickest, most tech-forward stadiums in the country, we got to
hear from Bill Schlough, CIO and SVP of the Giants, and a proud Duke grad. Despite
the unfortunate loss that night (we promise we deleted all upside-down photos of
the world series ring!), this visit was a home run.

4. Our Yelp Review
5 stars for our visit to Yelp. David Schwarzbach’s story wasn’t linear, and that’s what
made it so impactful. He reminded us that the best careers don’t follow a script and
that trusting your interests can lead you exactly where you’re meant to go (taken
with a grain of salt). Many of us, I’m sure, were apprehensive of what’s to come two,
five, or ten years down the line. We stress over always making the correct decision,
doing the correct thing, and following a pre-set path to achieve what we believe is
success. However, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from this program, it’s that
unconventional paths are actually the most conventional out here.

5. OpenAI: Let’s all stop going to class
Our final visit: OpenAI. The big question, what did we learn? (Besides “don’t go to
class” … just kidding, YiHong). Hearing from Duke professor and OpenAI Chief
Economist Ronnie Chatterji, along with recent grad Yihong Song, gave us real insight
into how AI is reshaping the world and our role in that shift. It was a fittingly futurefacing
end to our month of discovery.

6. POTLUCK and Tears
Anndddd SCENE! Our final day together meant one chaotic, delicious POTLUCK.
Scattered with absolutely every possible version of homemade pasta, stolen microkitchens
snacks (shout out Netflix, Yelp, LinkedIn, etc.), humungous OpenAI donuts,
Paris Baguette treats (shoutout Chloe!!), and maybe a singular carrot, our table was
a perfect reflection and celebration of our cohort. In just a group of 24 awesome
people, I think I have met some of the most brilliant, funny, and driven individuals at
Duke. I could shed a few tears right now. THANK YOU, Duke in Silicon Valley. You
gave us something special.

7. Side Quests
Okay, this one’s not technically from DSV programming, but let’s talk spamming side
quests. Our weekends were free, and we took that freedom seriously. Palo Alto
shopping, Stanford campus tours, sunsets at Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz
boardwalks, a Carmel day trip, and a spontaneous weekend in LA. These
spontaneous adventures were just as meaningful as our site visits, and I’ll cherish
these moments (and these people!) forever.

This month didn’t just show me what’s possible in tech, it reminded me what’s
possible when passionate, curious people come together.

Julia Zhu is a rising junior from Tallahassee, FL studying Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Chemistry and a certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. At Duke, she’s loved serving as a PEarth Orientation Leader, an EGR 101 Teaching Assistant, and an Organic Chemistry tutor for student-athletes. She’s also involved in Society of Women Engineers, Pancakes for Parkinson’s, and the Green Devils internship program. In her free time, she is a chronic hobbyist, picking up everything from crocheting and thrift-flipping to pottery and DJ-ing. Her first taste of entrepreneurship came from launching a baking business in high school – which has since taken off on TikTok with over 9 million views. Through DSV, she’s excited to dive into the heart of innovation, meet inspiring founders, and reflect on the balance of hard work and luck in building something great.

By Anjali Jejurikar

Escaping Our Mindsets

Thrown into an escape room on our very first day, our cohort had to quickly learn not just how to work together, but how to think differently. In just one hour, we leaned into creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving, and walked out not just as individuals, but as a team.

The Start of Something Great

As we began our journey into entrepreneurship, we explored where greatness often begins: the garage. Visiting the original HP and Google garages reminded us that innovation doesn’t need fancy surroundings, it starts with bold ideas and the courage to act on them.

Yes, And…

At BAT Improv, we were challenged to let go of our inhibitions and embrace a mindset of openness and spontaneity. Through laughter and unexpected moments, we gained new perspectives on communication, creativity, and trust.

A New Direction

Our conversation with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie offered a fresh perspective on innovation beyond startups. By learning how legislation is crafted and social issues are addressed, we saw how entrepreneurial thinking can drive public service and community impact.

Reflection and Growth

Over dinner at Wayfare Tavern, owned by Duke alum Anne Harper, we had the privilege of engaging with Ronald and Carrie Ludwig. Their insights helped us reflect on our experiences and think deeply about how we can carry the lessons of this program into our future paths.

Anjali is a rising sophomore from Hinsdale, Illinois who plans to study Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Financial Economics. On campus, she is a member of Momentum Dance Company and works at the Innovation Co-Lab as a Makerspace Technician. For Anjali, Duke in Silicon Valley is an opportunity to explore the tech industry, and learn how she can combine her engineering and economic interests after college. She hopes to learn essential skills for innovating in tech, and begin experimenting with ideas of her own. Otherwise, she loves traveling, exploring, and spending time with family and friends.