Alumni Stories Alec Avedissian '08

Alec Avedissian ’08 packed a lot into four years: a semester at an international business school in Spain; a Westmont in San Francisco internship with an investment bank; international marketing for an automobile company during a summer in Indonesia; a practicum with a venture firm; and a summer internship in Amgen’s finance group. He even joined his sister, Ava Avedissian Vos ’06, on an Emmaus Road trip to Rwanda she led in 2005. “In Africa, I glimpsed how other people live and what their needs are,” he says. “That’s when I began thinking of ways to make a difference through my passion: business.” All of these experiences led him to launch a company with his brother and Westmont alumnus Aric Avedissian ’12. Their company is Rareform: they manufacture surfboard bags, backpacks, duffle bags, totes, and other items from repurposing billboard vinyls. Alec attributes some of his success to networking. “You can call anyone who went to Westmont and make an automatic connection,” he says. “One of the biggest benefits of Westmont is the meaningful friendships you make.”