The Lyon & Bendheim Alumni Lecture Series Presents an Inspiring Leader: Kirk Loevner

Chairman and CEO of ePocrates, Kirk Loevner (E79), this year's Lyon & Bendheim Alumni Lecturer, provided a fascinating look at what it means to be a successful entrepreneur, tailoring one's career for success. With his belief that technology should solve problems, Loevner has been an integral part of many technology companies, including, Apple Computer, VisiCorp, and Publish One. His current company, ePocrates, has experienced dramatic market penetration in only a few years of existence and is on the brink of changing the medical world. His story of determination and risk-taking was an inspiration and shed some light on how a person with a set goal can reach success no matter what career path they pursue.

Loevner began his talk by showing various pictures from his childhood to provide the audience a sense of the values with which he was raised. One picture from his grandfather's pharmacy and another of him with his 8th grade class illustrated how he had been exposed to the medical world at an early age, and how he was seen by his fellow classmates as a person destined for success. When he arrived at Tufts as an intelligent yet humble undergraduate, he figured his future career would be in the medical field. However, like many young undergraduates, he changed his mind after encountering required premedical courses. He went on to double major in applied mathematics and computer science, and from that point on, has made a remarkable impact in the technology world. Throughout his time at Tufts, he kept an open mind about his future and never shied away from delving into fields that may not have interested him before. He expanded his horizons by taking liberal arts courses in addition to his engineering requirements and gaining knowledge from the various resources he received while at the school.

After graduating from Tufts, Loevner earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. He had many opportunities after graduating, but chose to work in sales and marketing with various high-tech companies in Silicon Valley, including VisiCorp, Apple Computer and Silicon Graphics. His drive to follow his passions was a consistent driver of his future career moves.

Loevner has made a positive impact on a number of companies. He has also been part of a few start-ups, including Publish One. He began this company with true entrepreneurial aspirations, wanting to do something where he would spend "90% of his time moving the company forward." With Publish One, he spent most of his time working to push his venture to quality standards. After selling the company to CBS, he took a few months to consider his next move. It was during this time that he received an offer to lead ePocrates. He gladly accepted this offer and the company soon gained an extraordinary level of recognition. It has become one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. and its products are used by over 500,000 doctors and physicians nationwide.

As an innovator and a leader, Mr. Loevner has become one of the strongest figures in the technology field. His risk-taking abilities have resulted in his leadership roles in companies that have made an impact on how people use technology. His idea has always been to "use technology to solve problems," and this is evident in his work at ePocrates. He has come full circle from the young undergraduate who was interested in medicine, to the entrepreneur working for a company that is transforming the medical world. His passion has always driven him and will be something that will guarantee him further success in years to come.