Fixer-Upper: A few years ago, Matt Ehrlichman, '02, MS '03, and his wife wanted to build their dream house. But the frustrations that came with the task instead led him in a different direction—to co-found Porch.com, a Seattle-based website that connects homeowners with home improvement professionals. In its first two years, the site shepherded a combined $2.5 trillion in spending on 130 million remodeling projects, thanks in part to its partnership with home improvement giant Lowe's, which integrated the company's software at its 1,700 locations. The quick success led Ehrlichman to win USA Today's inaugural Entrepreneur of the Year award in December.
Big Fish, Big Pond: The International Swimming Hall of Fame welcomed coach Jim Gaughran, '54, JD '58, into its class of 2015. Over his career Gaughran trained 26 Olympic swimmers, who collectively won eight gold, two silver and five bronze medals. He was head coach of Stanford's team from 1960 to 1979, leading the men to a 1967 NCAA championship. He also coached the water polo team for four years and competed in the 1956 Olympics as a water polo player. The selection committee noted that Gaughran's leadership of a delegation of American swimmers to China in 1973 helped ease tense relations between the countries and re-engage China with the international sporting community.
Breaking the Sound Barrier: In the male-dominated world of athletics, the recent addition of a new talk show on the CBS Sports Network featuring only female commentators comes as a welcome counterbalance. Former Daily sports editor Emilie Deutsch, '80, designed the show We Need to Talk to present a "different voice." "Women have been relegated to the sidelines of sports broadcasting—literally and figuratively—for far too long," she said in an email. Other alumnae involved include former Stanford swimmer Summer Sanders, '94, who is a regular panelist, and former softball team member Maya Burns, '12, MA '13, the show's researcher.
