Alumni are the people who continue on after their time in a college or business. College alumni are much more typically thought of, but corporate alumni have just as much influence. A question has to be answered though, what differentiates them? Beyond the literal context, do they do the same things?
The answer is no. In fact, they do completely different things. While a college alumni network mainly works to fundraise. Making up large percentages of many colleges total budget. Corporate alumni work to boost development, bring in hires, and increase sales. While both tend to involve mentor programs, the similarities end there.
This is the key difference between business and college alumni networks. And it becomes more and more important to know every day. Alumni networks are so pervasive and powerful that to ignore them is to be a detriment to oneself.
Infographic Source: https://academicinfluence.com/influence-networks-in-higher-ed