Alumni Association Board
Andrea (Shaver) Carpenter
BFA ’17
President, Strategist & Transition Guide
When Andrea Shaver Carpenter graduated from RIT in 2017 with a BFA in Graphic Design and minors in Advertising & PR, Web Design & Development, and Entrepreneurship, she didn't expect her path would lead to running a consultancy for private and family business owners. But that's exactly where she landed.
Today, Andrea is President of The Transition Strategists, a Colorado-based consulting firm that helps business owners navigate what's next for their companies. They specialize in the relationship and communication sides of transition. She also hosts Your Next Gen Friend, a podcast and community for rising leaders in successful families.
"I started my first business before RIT, so the entrepreneurial path was always there. RIT taught me how to think. Design thinking, critical problem-solving, leading through student government. Those skills translate directly into the transition work I do today."
Andrea's connection to RIT runs deep. As a high school junior in Texas, she visited Rochester for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, stumbled onto the Imagine RIT Festival, spoke with students, and fell in love with "the nerdiness of the school." She applied, got accepted, and never looked back, serving as Student Government President her senior year and becoming the youngest alum invited to join the Alumni Association Board of Directors in 2018.
As Vice President of the board, she's chairing a committee to define personas across the alumni population, working alongside fellow board volunteers and the University's Advancement marketing team to help RIT engage alumni more meaningfully.
"The RIT alumni body is so unique in its experiences, both during school and after graduation. I love being part of a group that helps RIT find better ways to meaningfully engage and support alumni at every stage of their journey after they leave campus."
She encourages other alumni to get involved beyond financial contributions: "Mentor a student, join an affinity group, show up to events. Every time an alum gets involved, it increases the value of the degree for everyone. Some of the most valuable contributions have nothing to do with money."
Andrea shares her life with fellow alum Andrew Carpenter '17, Computer Science, and their daughter Margaret — they come to campus every chance they get.
Alumni Association Board
Andrea (Shaver) Carpenter
BFA ’17
President, Strategist & Transition Guide
When Andrea Shaver Carpenter graduated from RIT in 2017 with a BFA in Graphic Design and minors in Advertising & PR, Web Design & Development, and Entrepreneurship, she didn't expect her path would lead to running a consultancy for private and family business owners. But that's exactly where she landed.
Today, Andrea is President of The Transition Strategists, a Colorado-based consulting firm that helps business owners navigate what's next for their companies. They specialize in the relationship and communication sides of transition. She also hosts Your Next Gen Friend, a podcast and community for rising leaders in successful families.
"I started my first business before RIT, so the entrepreneurial path was always there. RIT taught me how to think. Design thinking, critical problem-solving, leading through student government. Those skills translate directly into the transition work I do today."
Andrea's connection to RIT runs deep. As a high school junior in Texas, she visited Rochester for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, stumbled onto the Imagine RIT Festival, spoke with students, and fell in love with "the nerdiness of the school." She applied, got accepted, and never looked back, serving as Student Government President her senior year and becoming the youngest alum invited to join the Alumni Association Board of Directors in 2018.
As Vice President of the board, she's chairing a committee to define personas across the alumni population, working alongside fellow board volunteers and the University's Advancement marketing team to help RIT engage alumni more meaningfully.
"The RIT alumni body is so unique in its experiences, both during school and after graduation. I love being part of a group that helps RIT find better ways to meaningfully engage and support alumni at every stage of their journey after they leave campus."
She encourages other alumni to get involved beyond financial contributions: "Mentor a student, join an affinity group, show up to events. Every time an alum gets involved, it increases the value of the degree for everyone. Some of the most valuable contributions have nothing to do with money."
Andrea shares her life with fellow alum Andrew Carpenter '17, Computer Science, and their daughter Margaret — they come to campus every chance they get.