Art Entrepreneur, Supply Chain Management and Marketing Alumnus Ed-Lamar Petion ’24 Takes Unique Talent To Microsoft Supply Chain Rotational Program
The shortage of cars, bicycles and paper towels during the pandemic was more than a global news story to Ed-Lamar Petion ’24. It was a career inspiration.
“I thought, I want a guaranteed job after I graduate, and if I want to go down this path where I know I’ll have some security, supply chain is where I should end up.”
But he didn’t stop there. A digital artist, he earned double degrees at the Robert H. Smith School of Business in supply chain management and marketing, and now he’s taking advantage of both: He recently joined Microsoft’s SCORE (Supply Chain Operations Rotation Experience) program, and he has a side hustle running a digital art business.
“It means so much to be able to run this business on my own, to use everything I learned from Smith to make the side hustle an actual up-and-running business,” he says.
His digital art is inspired by public figures or fictional characters or his bold creations. His love of art began when he was younger, drawing with his siblings and in notebooks during school. The business began during a chance encounter at the University of Maryland (UMD) Idea Factory. The Idea Factory fosters innovation, collaboration and entrepreneurship across disciplines at UMD and contributes to technology-driven economic development as a signature resource within the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute. He shared his experience as an artist, and when asked if he had any prints to sell, he said he went to McKeldin Library to print copies of his work. At a new business event, he sold almost every print.
“I just remember realizing there is a market for this and there are people who appreciate my work,” he says. Since then, he has taken his art to conventions all over the country such as Comic Con in San Francisco and Dream Con in Austin, TX.
For now, a career in supply chain is his main focus. In a highly competitive job market, Petion found himself with offers from both TikTok and Microsoft upon graduation.
“Microsoft had the sweetest offer and I saw the most growth potential and that’s how I ended up here.”
Petion’s UMD experience began after transferring from Wor Wic Community College. He says he was “hungry and yearning" to soak up knowledge and leverage as many Smith School resources as possible.
That included the Smith Business Academy (SBA), which he credits for playing a huge role in his development. That experience contributed to him becoming even more engaged in the Smith community through other student organizations, such as the Black Business Association (BBA), Supply Chain Society and SBA.
“I walked in one day and I just felt so embraced by all the people involved and the alumni,” adding he wouldn’t be where he was today without the support of the SBA organization. "I’m competitive, and I don’t like being behind, so I made sure to go out of my way to find whatever I could," says Petion.
Petion’s drive to seek every available opportunity is something his parents, Haitian immigrants, instilled in him. “They understood the value that having a good education can take you to crazy heights,” he says.
Their support and inspiration is why Petion aims to do the same with fellow Smith students. As a transfer student, he was often a guest speaker at events for new transfers, hoping that it helped new students feel confident about navigating a new path. “If you’re not uncomfortable you’re not in the right area or in the right space because when you're uncomfortable that’s when you learn most.”
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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.