TIM BUCKMAN

Financial Services

Founder, Tenaz Capital Co.

Taking His Business Acumen to the Next Level

When he applied to MBA@UNC, Tim Buckman was hardly new to the business world. He had studied finance and international business in his undergraduate program and was a senior associate at a small private equity firm. Still, he sought additional knowledge and connections as an aspiring entrepreneur. This is his MBA@UNC story.

“My job in private equity requires me to essentially run small businesses. I wanted to take MBA classes to get a broad perspective on aspects of business I didn’t have experience in and to be able to apply those concepts to the businesses I help run.”

Seizing Unexpected Opportunities

Tim wanted to earn an MBA from a program with a great reputation. He had begun researching programs and came across MBA@UNC on a whim.

“I was never planning on going to UNC—it wasn’t even on my radar. I came across an online advertisement, filled out a form and within a half an hour I was on the phone with an Admissions Counselor. The experience was great, and it made me ultimately choose UNC. The reputation didn’t hurt either.”

Meeting Classmates Across the Country

Networking is critical for any aspiring entrepreneur, but Tim admits it’s difficult for him to remember names. He found that the MBA@UNC online classroom, which pairs names with faces during each session, helped him get to know more people than he would have in a brick-and-mortar setting.

“I found that I’ve met more people than I probably would have in person. If you sit on one side of the classroom in person, you might never talk to someone on the other side. I’ve found that I’ve made some incredible connections, and some of my closest friends are now MBA@UNC classmates around the country.”

Striking Out on His Own

Tim achieved his goal of starting his own business and is now the proud owner of Tenaz Capital Co. He’s already acquired one company and attributes his success to the support he found through MBA@UNC.

“My classmates and professors all gave me support and knowledge to start my own business and helped acquire a company. I couldn’t have done that without the network I gained from the program.”

Student & Alumni Profiles ▸