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Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania is the oldest business school in the nation that touts graduates that include Real Estate tycoon Donald Trump, Former President of The Republic of Panama Ernesto P. Balladares, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and President and CEO of Tiffany & Co. Michael Kowalski, to name a few.

It is the oldest business school in the nation, and its alumni are now connecting more than ever in the Philadelphia area thanks to Gloria Rabinowitz's work with the Alumni Group. Rabinowitz, a Philadelphia native, graduated from Wharton with her MBA in 1978.

Rabinowitz volunteered for the role of president at the Wharton Alumni Club in 2005 and has nearly tripled its membership. She made the Club  more attractive to its members by adding to the schedule of events and reaching out to grads. The Wharton Alumni Club meets with graduates from Harvard, Chicago, Carnegie Mellon and other business schools across the nation. "This is an opportunity to connect with people throughout the world and make business connections and create opportunities.”

Rabinowitz is a skilled networker and leader, who brings people together where people are mutually helped. But it didn't begin with Wharton. She earned her MBA after she attended  The University of Michigan where she earned her MA in information science. After graduation from Wharton , she went on to work in Detroit for GM and then in Delaware for E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, She then started her own consulting business.

In these unusual financial times, many business grads are rethinking their careers and their line of work. While the country has many questions about the economy, Rabinowitz sees opportunities. "It's time to rethink things and the traditional paths to take," she said. Rather than go corporate, she sees many new grads and experienced business people alike venturing into independent avenues. "The corporate environment was so attractive for years for lots of MBAs.  It was a natural path, but not anymore. Maybe it's time to stop following in the footsteps of people before you and go a different direction than Wall Street or hedge funds," she said. Instead, business people are thinking in terms of their interests.

She owns her business, GCM, LLC that is a technology consulting and marketing company. She seeks out companies with intellectual property in the technology arena and helps them patent the technology and market the products.

Success in Rabinowitz’s eyes has a great deal to do with networking, from meeting with other alumni groups to catching up with other entrepreneurs,  Rabinowitz is always looking to help others and increase her business.

Rabinowitz is also a Managing Director  of an angel venture forum, Golden Seeds, that funds women entrepreneurs with start-up investments. It is a U.S.- based organization that not only provides  seed capital women-owned businesses, but also connects them with potential  mentors and advisors. She said it's another organization that helps people meet their goals, which she feels strongly about. Across all market segments, from retail to pharmaceutical to information technology, Golden Seeds is about connecting business people with their needs.

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