CEO Helps Create Memorable Dining Experience Using App Technology
Davin Bernstein is the CEO of Cierge, a mobile application that helps patrons and restaurants connect thereby creating a quality personalized service by bridging the gap in actionable customer relationship management (CRM) data. He earned his bachelor's degree in government from Cornell University and a master's of business administration from Yale School of Management with a focus on strategy and finance.
Why did you pursue a master's degree?
"I had administered a program while I was in the Navy and I wanted to have the breadth of understanding business issues. I felt an M.B.A. would help connect my administrative and leadership experience with where I wanted to go as an entrepreneur and CEO. Education gave me the credentials I would need to be successful after the Navy."
What would you tell someone who is considering returning to school to earn a master's degree?
"It can be great experience if you are prepared for it. Make sure you can commit to the next few years of studying that field. Take every opportunity to make the most of your graduate school experience. As a master's student you will get to know great people in your field of study, from students to teachers to leaders. It's easy to learn the facts and details of your chosen field; it is harder to have the connections to leaders and be able to access them when needed to further your personal vision for a better tomorrow."
Where do you see your industry going?
"Our society is becoming ever larger and it can become more impersonal. What really matters to people are the connections they make in whatever they do. Dining and food is so basic to the human experience. People may do fast casual on the run, but what they will truly treasure are those places that create a unique handcrafted experience, especially one that they can share with friends and family. Technologies that help the service industry learn customer preferences and histories and filter all the big data into actionable content will be winners.
Robin D. Everson is a native Chicagoan who resides in Dallas, Texas. Her appreciation for art, food, wine, people and places has helped her become a well-respected journalist. A life-long lover of education, Robin seeks to learn and enlighten others about culture. You can find her work at Examiner.com
