Journey of Passion: Meet Alum Maggie Abeles ’17
May 21, 2025
“I’m honored to be part of Macathon this year and for the opportunity to collaborate with some awesome fellow alumni and volunteers. But to be honest, I’m most excited to learn from the next generation of aspiring builders during a time of rapid technological innovation. Mac minds are great minds—I can’t wait to see what they create, how they solve problems, and the bold ideas they bring to life.”
In a recent Macalester Today article, Maggie Abeles ’17 offered this advice: “Find small ways to invest in yourself.” The piece goes on to highlight how she has exemplified this throughout her own journey. Following her gut at Macalester, she pivoted from a focus on Political Science to Economics. This change, coupled with taking on a challenging internship her junior year, laid the groundwork for her passion to flourish into a thriving business career. Today, Maggie serves as a Vice President for an early-stage investment firm.
In 2025, Maggie will join the esteemed group of alumni participating in Macathon, the Department of Entrepreneurship & Innovation’s (E&I) premiere fall student idea-building competition. Alumni enhance the student experience by offering valuable support and guidance throughout the event. Looking ahead to the November gathering, Maggie shared, “I’m honored to be part of Macathon this year and for the opportunity to collaborate with some awesome fellow alumni and volunteers. But to be honest, I’m most excited to learn from the next generation of aspiring builders during a time of rapid technological innovation. Mac minds are great minds—I can’t wait to see what they create, how they solve problems, and the bold ideas they bring to life.”
The journey from student to alumni for each Macalester graduate is unique and personal. At its core, entrepreneurship involves recognizing opportunities and taking innovative action. Reflecting on her experience supporting entrepreneurs as an early-stage investor, Maggie notes: “Entrepreneurship is a long, demanding journey. The world has its own momentum—you can’t control everything—so bringing an idea to life takes time, energy, and, above all, persistence.”
The mission of E&I is to work with students and the broader Macalester community to nurture ideas and fuel innovation to drive meaningful change. Maggie’s unexpected yet empowering journey embodies the values E&I instills in its program participants. These core characteristics extend far beyond graduation and manifest through continuous personal and professional growth. With this perspective in mind, Maggie offers this suggestion to aspiring entrepreneurs: “Start with finding the thing you can’t stop thinking about, then roll with the punches, ride the waves, and just keep going. When you are chasing something that really matters to you, you’ll always find ways to be successful.”
Thank you so much to all the Macathon alumni judges who have been supporting students with taking risks and bringing their ideas to life. Since 2013 their dedication and passion has deeply impacted Macalester students, and E&I is incredibly grateful for all that you do to make Macathon a tremendous success!