Maker

In this ongoing series for Stanford Business magazine, we tell the story of a manufacturing business overseen by a Stanford GSB alum.

School Stories & News Opensearch
March 20, 2026
Written

Maker: Poncho

While fishing for the perfect shirt, Clay Spencer, MBA ’11, created his company to outfit outdoorsmen.
May 02, 2025
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Maker: La Boulangerie/Shaw Bakers

Fine French baked goods in the freezer section? Mais oui.
School Stories & News Opensearch
October 02, 2024
Written

Maker: Aam The Label

After taking the measure of women’s fashion, Neha Samdaria created a brand that’s a better fit.
April 26, 2024
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Maker: United Record Pressing

On the record with Mark Michaels, head of North America’s biggest maker of vinyl LPs.
October 20, 2023
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Maker: The “Soul Train” Musical

Producer Richard Gay says keeping a Broadway-bound musical on track is a team effort.
April 24, 2023
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Maker: Torani

When her syrup company needed a bigger factory, Melanie Dulbecco helped her employees stick together.
a photograph of the bottling line at the Torani syrup factory. Credit: Elena Zhukova
October 11, 2022
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Maker: Maker Wine

Sarah Hoffman, Kendra Kawala, and Zoe Victor take a canny approach to wine.
Winemakers Maker Wine in their warehouse, surrounded by barrels of wine, with bottles of wine going down a conveyer belt in the middle of the room. William Carnahan
April 22, 2022
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Maker: Jason Mayden

Designer and entrepreneur Jason Mayden, MS ’11, finds inspiration at the junction of science and art.
Jason Mayden smiling, sitting in his workshop at his desk, which is covered in materials, papers, and tools.
October 07, 2021
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Maker: Harry’s Razors

Andy Katz-Mayfield, MBA ’11, liked these German razor blades so much, he bought the factory.
Top down photo of razors and razor blades on a white surface, and a hand coming from the right of the image, holding two razor blades. | Credit: Dan Simmons.
April 09, 2021
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Maker: Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery

“There are times when I look around and everything I see,” says William Eaton, MBA ’75, “I can imagine adding strings to it.”
Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery. Credit: Jarod Opperman
November 01, 2020
Written

Maker: La Monarca Bakery — The Smells and Flavors of Home

Ricardo Cervantes and Alfredo Livas both grew up in Mexico but didn’t meet until Stanford GSB. They agreed on one thing: They missed the bakeries of their youth.
Alfredo Livas (left) and Ricardo Cervantes (right). Credit: Steve Goldblum
August 03, 2020
Written

Maker: AIDS Memorial Quilt — Sewing as a Catalyst for Change

“My greater hope,” Mike Smith says, “is that people will see what we’re doing and realize that they, too, can do something worthwhile — that it’s easy to be helpful if you want to be.”
Gert McMullin | Elena Zhukova

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