MBA Pair Follow the American Dream on CNBC Show

They say opposites attract. While that combination occasionally spells trouble, for Lyn Graft, MBA ’95, and Ingrid Vanderveldt, MBA ’96, their different styles complement rather than conflict. The result is a successful business partnership.

The two first met at an MBA orientation booth 11 years ago at The University of Texas at Austin. But it wasn’t until the spring semester that they established their first joint venture. The Oklahoma City bombing had just occurred and they were watching news coverage at a friend’s house.

“It really hit Ingrid hard,” Graft says. “She wanted to drive to Oklahoma, but I was like, wait a second, let’s think this through.”

After a phone call to the Red Cross, Vanderveldt and Graft learned the city was turning away people and supplies. What they really needed was money. So Vanderveldt and Graft spent the next 36 hours raising thousands of dollars for the relief efforts.

“It foreshadowed our relationship,” Graft says. “Ingrid has bold ideas; I am more grounded.”

This combination of qualities came in handy as the pair founded several businesses together: an eCommerce customer relationship management software company, an entrepreneurial foundation and iVEEA, a media programming company focusing on entrepreneurs and small businesses.

“We recognize that we have different skill sets,” Graft says, noting that his background is in engineering while Vanderveldt’s is in architecture. “Our vision is the same, but the path to get there can be different.”

Graft acknowledges that they both like the spotlight, but he favors the behind-the-scenes work while Vanderveldt prefers to be in front of the camera. So when Vanderveldt told Graft she wanted to create a television show, Graft used his practical approach to develop the infrastructure and resources for Vanderveldt’s big idea.

The result was American Made, CNBC’s first original prime-time show hosted by Vanderveldt that attempts to capture the entrepreneurial spirit that motivated both Vanderveldt and Graft. The show’s main inspiration came from Vanderveldt’s relationship with the late George Kozmetsky, former dean of the McCombs School, founder of Teledyne and mentor to many, including Michael Dell.

“He never thought any of my ideas were too big,” Vanderveldt said of Kozmetsky. Knowing that most people don’t have mentors as influential as Kozmetsky, Vanderveldt wanted to expose the thoughts and ideas of well-known entrepreneurs to a larger audience. Through interviews with and stories about these business luminaries, viewers enjoy a rare glimpse into their journeys, struggles and successes.

Past subjects of American Made include Starbucks Chairman Howard Shultz; B.J. “Red” McCombs, benefactor and namesake of the McCombs School of Business; Willie G. Davidson, founder of Harley Davidson; and Playboy CEO Christie Hefner.

American Made is just one of many programs created by the pair. They founded MOOTCORPtv.com, a media site where entrepreneurs can watch students compete in MOOT CORP®—the world’s largest business plan competition, established at UT Austin in 1984 and held annually on campus. The ESB Network, the pair’s latest endeavor, will combine television, the Internet and radio to attempt to do for entrepreneurs what the Food Network did for food hobbyists.

While Vanderveldt and Graft’s work focuses on helping entrepreneurs by exposing the stories of other successful entrepreneurs, both are quick to identify their own role models. Graft’s list includes Paul Mitchell Systems CEO John Paul DeJoria, Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy and Starbucks’ Howard Schultz, while Oprah Winfrey, CNN Founder Ted Turner and Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson top Vanderveldt’s list.

“They all started relatively small and wanted to make a global contribution,” Vanderveldt says. “If I could do one-tenth of what they did I would be satisfied.”

These are not the only inspirations that led to Vanderveldt and Graft’s success. Both credit their passion for entrepreneurship and unwavering trust in each other for their achievements.

“Lyn is truly one of the smartest people I know,” Vanderveldt says. “I trust him like there is no tomorrow.”

“Ingrid is one of the most passionate people in life, and I say that having met some of the most powerful people in the world,” Graft says. He adds that their mutual trust has helped them through the challenges of running out of capital, working with tough executives and repeatedly being told no.

“We’ve been in several trench battles together and that makes the bond stronger,” Graft says.

But as Vanderveldt notes, sharing their success and watching each other grow in their professional paths makes the tough times bearable. “The relationships you form in business school will stay with you forever,” Vanderveldt says. “They are the relationships that form the foundation of everything you do. All of my first deals, my investors, revenue, advisors, contacts, etc. came through people I knew from business school—professors and students.”

It’s a good bet that tomorrow’s innovators are sitting in class together today.

—Andrea Ferdinand