Entrepreneurs Lecture Series

Monday kicked off the annual Triangle Entrepreneurship Week with an event hosted by the NC State Entrepreneurship Initiative. The event was a lecture series held at the McKimmon Center on NC State's campus.  There were three keynote speakers at the event: Grant Williard, founder of JouleBug; Jesse Lipson, VP, GM of Data Sharing at Citrix Systems, Inc.; and Gerard J. Hall, founder, president and CEO of SMT. The event was well attended and exciting. Each speaker shared their story with the attendees, made up of both students and professionals in the area. Speakers then offered additional advice in a question and answer session with the audience. The event concluded with a light appetizer social hour among booths hosted by various entrepreneurial ventures of NC State students and alumni. Near the conclusion of the event I had the pleasure of speaking with a Paul Lockett of Lockett Consulting Group. Paul and I discussed the popular debate topic of whether entrepreneurs are born or made.  Paul gave one piece of advice that was unique, "Your best memories are made when there is adrenaline pumping through your body." Soon after my discussion with Paul, I was introduced to Richard Bobholz, a new resident of the Triangle area who has takien the initiative to start his own law firm in the area, www.bobholzlaw.com. He was fresh out of law school yet determined to venture out on his own and avoid the months of aid work he would find in an established firm. I met a truly inspiring group of people at the event and I thank the speakers for sharing their insights on the world of entrepreneurship and the excitement it has to offer. Here are a few pictures from the event!