The Class of 2017 at the School of Information Studies (iSchool) today announced the selection of alumnus and entrepreneur Wiley Cerilli as the speaker for the School’s convocation ceremonies in May.
Cerilli has a long history of successful business ventures. As one of their original employees, he spent ten years at online food ordering pioneer Seamless, helping it become one of fastest growing companies in the country before being acquired by ARAMARK.
In 2010, he founded Single Platform, a service that allowed businesses to manage their online identity, and raised $4.5 million in two rounds, before selling the start-up to Constant Contact for $100 million in 2012. Following the sale, he became vice president at Constant Contact, then venture partner for First Round Capital in New York, and was named a “Top 25 CEO” in New York, and put on the “Top 10 People to Watch” list by Crain’s.
In December 2015 he co-founded a food preparation and delivery service, Good Uncle, which raised $2.2 million from institutional investors including First Round, Box Group, and tech law firm Gunderson Dettmer. Good Uncle has recently launched services in Syracuse.
“Wiley was my first pick from the start,” says senior Lily Kim, a member of the senior class leadership committee charged with speaker selection. “Hearing him talk to us about both his failures and successes separated him from the rest, and I was excited when we decided to pick Wiley. I can confidently say with his incredible life story and experience I am even more thrilled to introduce him as our convocation speaker!”
In addition to his business ventures, Cerilli serves on the board of Manitou Experience Camps, an organization that provides a summer camp experience for children who have experienced a significant death in their lives. The camp’s goal is to help children build confidence, encourage laughter, and navigate grief through friendship, teamwork, activities, and the common bond of loss.
The iSchool’s Convocation ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 13, 2017. More information about Commencement Weekend ceremonies, including the University-wide Commencement, is available on the Commencement Weekend website.