Holy Cross Alumni Design New Tech Group for Students

WORCESTER, Mass. – The College of the Holy Cross is pleased to announce the Holy Cross Emerging Technologies Group. The group, recently formed by three alumni will help the College’s students and faculty unite with graduates who work in tech-related fields. The kick-off meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 5 at the John Hancock Hotel and Conference Center in Boston.

Holy Cross has produced many tech executives, including the three founders of the group, Larry Naughton ‘93, Craig Cerretani ’79, and Patrick Sansonetti ’93. When the trio realized the College lacked a link between Holy Cross students and alumni in the tech sector, they decided it was their responsibility to make a change.

“Because Holy Cross is a liberal arts college with roughly 2,800 exclusively undergraduate students, it is easy to overlook the school as an academic institution that produces leaders in the technology and life sciences sectors,” explains Naughton.  “However, in working with companies in these industries, we quickly learned that Holy Cross produces graduates that have achieved tremendous success in these fields.”

The group will provide a structure in which students and alumni interested in these areas can support each other.  “The Holy Cross community can continue to have a significant, if not even greater, impact on the technology and businesses that will shape the future,” says Sansonetti.

David Chu, director of entrepreneurial studies and prebusiness advisor hopes this will open the door to internships and job opportunities for students interested in these fields.

After Holy Cross, Naughton received his J.D. from Boston College Law School, and is a partner in the tech practice of Boston law firm Choate Hall & Stewart. Naughton has been named a Massachusetts Super Lawyer Rising Star and is listed in The Legal 500 as a leading attorney on the East Coast for mergers and acquisition work.

Sansonetti, who graduated with a B.A. in math and computer science, is a co-founder and vice president of business development for UpdateLogic Inc., a Southborough-based provider of software updates for digital televisions. He manages all sales, marketing, and business development efforts for the company.

Cerretani is one of the founding principals of Longfellow Benefits, a Boston employee benefits consultant with many tech clients.   He has been in the insurance business for 25 years.

120 Holy Cross alumni in technology fields are expected to attend the new group's first meeting.