Illustrations by Joel Kimmel
Sharing milestones.
Corey Harrison '03
Last November, Corey Harrison ’03, brought the company he cofounded out of stealth mode after two years of preparation. Flip AI is an AI-powered platform tool that not only manages the performance of large applications, but, according to Harrison, mimics human behavior—querying systems, reading and rationalizing data and then, in seconds instead of hours, telling you what’s wrong, or better yet, what’s about to go wrong.
Harrison was the NFL’s senior VP of operations, a job he loved, when he decided to make the jump to entrepreneur. “Building a business was THE thing I always promised myself I would do,” he says. Flip AI works with some of the top companies in the world in banking, media, ecommerce and B2B sectors, according to Harrison.
“I started off in the engineering school,” says Harrison, a first-generation college student. “I loved everything about technology, except coding, so I switched over to the business school. My major was business information systems. I’ve been in finance and investment banking, worked for the Pentagon and the NFL. Now, I’ve come full circle with Flip AI—helping large enterprises implement technology and streamline manual processes.”
Cindy Cook '80
Founded 20 years ago, New York Angels is one of the first angel investing organizations in the country. Earlier this year, the organization named Cindy Cook ’80, finance, as their fourth chair, the first woman to hold the post. “Being the first female chair does set the tone for women-led start-ups to apply to NYA for funding,” says Cook. “Statistically, women receive less than 2% of venture funding, which is stunningly low.”
NYA is comprised of approximately 130 accredited investors. They get over 1,000 applications a year and will meet with 8–10 companies monthly, says Cook. As a group, members interview the founders one at a time, and then invest as individuals. NYA was an early investor in Bombas (the sock people), and Pinterest. “Our secret sauce is first, our members’ backgrounds and expertise, then second, how we deploy them to evaluate investments,” explains Cook.
Craig Gordon '76
“People say, ‘Oh, AI is going to replace CPAs,’” explains Craig Gordon ’76, accounting, founder of TD Publishing. “That’s not going to be true, but CPAs who understand AI are going to replace those CPAs who don’t.”
Gordon’s company has recently been certified to train the over 672,000 actively licensed CPAs in the U.S. about artificial intelligence as part of a continuing education program.
When asked what CPAs can use AI for, Gordon simply says with a laugh, “Everything!” He uses auditing as an example, saying instead of analyzing a sample of transactions, AI can audit every transaction for anomalies. Using historical financial data, AI can generate accurate forecasts and predictions, streamline the payroll process and even send payment reminders to customers.
Gordon gives workshops for all Lehigh faculty and staff, as well as guest lectures to students across campus on the topics of AI, marketing and journalism.
Gordon, whose father was a Lehigh trained CPA (class of ’42), suspects that generative AI will move to the next iteration within two to four years. “It’s like the evolution from the mainframe to the PC to the iPhone,” he explains. “We’re still in the mainframe stage.”
Carter Lyons '97
Earlier this year, Two Sigma Investments celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Data Clinic. “This is our initiative that goes beyond simply making charitable donations,” says the company’s co-CEO, Carter Lyons ’97, finance. “We formed a team to help nonprofits build tools and make better decisions using their data.”
Data Clinic has worked with city governments, foundations, food banks, the Red Cross, even the U.N. “Data Clinic gives our employees a meaningful way to give back to the community,” explains Lyons. “The most valuable resource we can provide is our time and our expertise.”
Lyons gives back to Lehigh Business as a member of the Center for Financial Services Advisory Council. He’s also supported the new Behavioral Research Lab in the Business Innovation Building and has spoken for the last five years to the FIN 382 class. “The first time I spoke with the class, I was nervous,” Lyons laughs, “and I give presentations for a living!”