Daria Shevtsova

Networking as a Learning Tool by Sebastian Skipwith

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Bryan Leach, CEO of the consumer technology company Ibotta (and a CA parent), to learn about his experiences of working in both the public and private sectors. His stellar education and experience as a Supreme Court clerk was extremely beneficial in helping me to strengthen a few critical aspects of my REDI Lab project.  We talked about the relevance of property laws and rights, both intellectual and physical, in today’s economy and what they might look like in the future. He also provided me with a syllabus of classic economic theory literature that outlines the most salient information to read in each piece. This especially helped in guiding the focus of my research on political economy theory.

I believe that unique experiences like this, are the essence of what REDI Lab has to offer. In addition to meeting with such a knowledgeable and insightful leader, I had the opportunity to practice and develop my navigational skills in the real world. This is a situation where if I did not have the freedom and flexibility that the REDI Lab provides, I would have had to find the time to pursue this endeavor outside of school. Alongside these new insights, I have been able to conduct salient research on the means of production, means of distribution, factors of production, and surplus product of an economy. Through this research I have been able to more knowledgeably apply my creativity and vision in the content of my writing.  With this more focused direction of my project, I have been able to work towards a meaningful end in mind with an efficient plan to achieve it.