Alumni Spotlight - Adam Zeisel, BA'06

Adam Zeisel showed an entrepreneurial spirit at a very young age. The day after Halloween, Zeisel would sell some of the unwanted candy he received trick-or-treating to his friends.

“I got what I wanted and they got what they wanted,” Zeisel said with a sly smile.

For as long as he can remember, Zeisel has yearned to pursue a career path in marketing and entrepreneurship, and he was acutely aware that the Internet could serve as an valuable tool.

By establishing evazeiseloriginals.com, Zeisel has bridged a huge generational gap, creating his own company while providing a whole new arena for the work of his grandmother, world-renowned industrial designer and ceramicist Eva Zeisel. For years, the Hungarian-born Eva designed pieces with creative and artistic flair that became not only prized possessions in many homes but featured pieces in permanent collections in museums around the world.

Adam Zeisel used money from his own savings and some capital from family members to establish the Web site. It’s an accessible and inviting site that provides a detailed history of Eva’s life and career, galleries of procurable pieces, testimonials, and links to feature articles about his grandmother.

Now, reinvigorated by the success of the virtual online store, the 101-year-old Eva continues to develop new pieces, including coffee tables, jewelry trees, and candlesticks.

“I saw the potential and the ability to establish a presence for a niche market,” said Zeisel, who graduated from Northeastern in 2006 with a degree in Business Administration and was a member of the men’s track team. “A lot of people know about my grandmother’s work, but if you didn’t know where to find it, it is difficult to purchase some of her pieces.

“Now, with the Web site, I’m able to work directly with the manufacturers so I can get these beautiful products out to customers in a timely manner. And because it’s directly through our Web site, the need for customer satisfaction both for the products and our service, falls on me.”

For many older adults of her generation, understanding the power and benefit of the Internet as a marketing tool is difficult to comprehend.

“She’ll ask how the business is doing and I’ll start to get into detail about how the Web site is doing, maybe getting a little too technical, and she’ll stop me and say, ‘Ah, Dear Adam. Remember, I’m pre-radio.’

“There’s a lot of the business she doesn’t have to deal with. She’s happy that I’m happy and there is a renewed interest in her work. I am proud to create a new chapter to her legacy.”

When evazeiseloriginals.com was established in May 2006, Zeisel set a five-year goal of making it a multimillion dollar company. “I think we’re on the right path,” he said.

“I’m only 25, and I certainly don’t know everything about what it takes to build a successful business. But I think this was a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with my grandmother. Our approaches to what we do are the same, but I wanted to prove myself to her. I think it’s worked out pretty well.”