Tate Lavitt '10
Matriculating to Cornell, Tate initially set out to become a veterinarian. But after a serendipitous enrollment in a spider biology course, he found himself captivated by entomology—the study of insects. Encouraged by his grandfather, a fellow insect enthusiast who felt that inquiry in the natural world was critical to his success in other fields, Tate switched majors and spent his undergraduate years immersed in research. His work ultimately led to the identification of a new moth species, Eupsilia schweitzeri, and a research paper detailing the microscopic differences that set it apart from others.
After graduating with his bachelor’s degree from Cornell, Tate took a detour into biotech sales. He excelled—eventually managing territories worth tens of millions of dollars—but the work felt transactional. That realization led him back to school. At the University of Cambridge, Tate earned a master’s in biology studying the endangered Duke of Burgundy butterfly (Hamearis lucina). He followed that with an MBA from Cambridge as well, where he sharpened his understanding of capital markets and risk management.
Today, Tate leads a global product team at a life sciences company, overseeing a $75 million business line centered on animal-derived serum used in cell growth for pharmaceuticals and research. It might seem like an unexpected role for someone with a background in insects, butterflies, and finance, but he’s found great success by thinking outside the box about the business and the biology. “I have to think about global supply chains, animal health, regulation, and economics,” he says. “It’s biodiversity, an ecosystem, in a different form.”
Tate credits Millbrook for giving him the flexibility to explore—and the confidence to pursue—unconventional paths. His eclectic, well-rounded Millbrook education helped him learn how to learn and how to build bridges between fields that don’t always speak the same language.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE ABOUT TATE PUBLISHED IN THE SUMMER 2025 MILLBROOK MAGAZINE
After graduating with his bachelor’s degree from Cornell, Tate took a detour into biotech sales. He excelled—eventually managing territories worth tens of millions of dollars—but the work felt transactional. That realization led him back to school. At the University of Cambridge, Tate earned a master’s in biology studying the endangered Duke of Burgundy butterfly (Hamearis lucina). He followed that with an MBA from Cambridge as well, where he sharpened his understanding of capital markets and risk management.
Today, Tate leads a global product team at a life sciences company, overseeing a $75 million business line centered on animal-derived serum used in cell growth for pharmaceuticals and research. It might seem like an unexpected role for someone with a background in insects, butterflies, and finance, but he’s found great success by thinking outside the box about the business and the biology. “I have to think about global supply chains, animal health, regulation, and economics,” he says. “It’s biodiversity, an ecosystem, in a different form.”
Tate credits Millbrook for giving him the flexibility to explore—and the confidence to pursue—unconventional paths. His eclectic, well-rounded Millbrook education helped him learn how to learn and how to build bridges between fields that don’t always speak the same language.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE ABOUT TATE PUBLISHED IN THE SUMMER 2025 MILLBROOK MAGAZINE
