Pharmaceutical entrepreneur Steve Tullman thrives on pursuing opportunity, whether he’s founding start-up companies in a boardroom or burning rubber on a racetrack. “Life has to have things that motivate you,” says Tullman SBC’89, who has founded or cofounded more than a dozen companies, most involving drug development. “Work is fun. If it’s not fun, quit.”

A newer family business—the NASCAR driving career of his 21-year-old son, Max—spawned Tullman’s recent tribute to his alma mater: a Chevrolet stock car wrapped in Rutgers scarlet and emblazoned with the name of the Rutgers School of Business–Camden. Max piloted the car to top-15 finishes in two televised races in the spring.

The elder Tullman, who also races cars, but as a hobby, thought the automotive shout-out to the business school would be a unique way to express his gratitude. “The school was good to me,” he says. His Rutgers degree paved the way to his first job: as an accountant for the pharmaceutical giant now called GlaxoSmithKline. He soon transitioned into management, taking work assignments from South America to the Philippines, and left in 2004 to launch an entrepreneurial career developing medications for everything from skin conditions to lymphoma. 

Tullman says he’s not ready to stop his entrepreneurial pursuits just to spend more time on adrenaline-fueled sports. “I don’t see any reason,” he says. “What am I going to do—spend my whole day at the racetrack or go sit at the beach? It’s not in my DNA.”