"Being an entrepreneur is a pretty big roller coaster," he said.
Bender previously founded and led an online data services company and worked as an international consultant on projects led by the World Bank and the United Nations. He graduated summa cum laude and was named a Rhodes scholar, and went on to earn a PhD in economics.
Entrepreneurship can be exhilarating and terrifying, and he urged the audience to stay dedicated.
"You have to keep going and marching down the road," he said.
Although core skills like writing, public speaking, presenting and mathematics are fundamental for the business world, they are not all encompassing, he said.
"It's more breadth of skills than any one skill," he said.
Reinitz, who co-founded B.B.R. Medical Innovations, stressed the importance of adaptability in entrepreneurship.
Reinitz earned bachelor's degrees in arts and engineering in 2009, and later entered the PhD track at Thayer through its innovation program.
He cofounded his company with Kathryn Boucher '09, and they are currently raising capital for a hospital device that sterilizes fluids as they flow through IV lines, reducing the chances of intravenous infection.
In the "real world," people are expected to learn and adapt quickly, so entrepreneurs must have a willingness to learn as they go, he said.
Adaptability was one of the primary lessons Reinitz took away from his undergraduate experience.
"It's important to realize that there's no set path," he said. "Dartmouth challenges us and teaches us that failing happens."
Taranto, a cofounder of Plated, joined the panel via video chat. Plated is an online gourmet delivery business that was recently accepted into a competitive seed accelerator program. Taranto previously served as a U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer and a wealth advisor at McKinsey and Goldman Sachs.
"I never would have thought I'd be running a food technology business," he said. "You have to pursue what you're passionate about."
Taranto expressed surprise and disbelief at his relative success, and urged audience members to follow their interests. His "random" background allowed him to sample several different career options, including running ultramarathons and being a wilderness explorer, he said. He eventually settled on his love of making food with others, which led him and his friend to start Plated.
"Work for a company or start-up that's doing something you admire," he said. "Learn from the people who are doing well, or not, it'll be a great experience either way."
George Philipose '15, the panel's moderator, said that Dartmouth is an excellent place to learn entrepreneurial skills.
"You really got to persevere, and you just have go for it," he said.
The Rockefeller Business and Entrepreneurship Leadership Student Discussion Group hosted the panel, which was titled "Dartmouth Develops."
