Alumni Entrepreneurs
Alumni Entrepreneurs
Wellington alumni are building what people need — launching ventures in well-being, hospitality, logistics, facilitation, and beyond.
Whether embedding science-backed skills into the rhythm of team life, creating spaces designed around daily ritual, answering the phone at midnight when a client's production line is on the brink, or guiding organizations through the messy human work of change, these graduates bring conviction, resilience, and originality to everything they do.
Originally featured in The Jag Spring 2026, these are the full-length answers to the questions behind the article "What Wellington Builds Into You: Alumni Who Are Building What People Need."
Laura Cooke ’90
A stress-related illness stopped Laura Cooke '90 in her tracks. What she found in the pause became Positive Foundry, the company she's spent the last decade building.
Read her storyAndres Marquez-Lara ’00
"Walker, there is no path. The path is made by walking." Andres Marquez-Lara '00 has built his career — and a global facilitation network — on exactly that conviction.
Read his storyAdam Claytor ’04
In an industry that treats relationships as transactions, Adam Claytor '04 built Coltrane Logistics on the opposite conviction. The call gets answered, the parts get there, and partnership means showing up.
Read his storyJill Lukeman ’06
After formative years at Google, Snap, and Airbnb, Jill Lukeman '06 traded tech for hospitality and built Arden's Rowayton and The Mariner & The Muse, two ventures rooted in the belief that great spaces hold memory and tell stories.
Read her story