Category Archives: Education

I’m Back!

I had an awesome trip down South. It was exactly what I was hoping it would be – a long break from my routine. I wasn’t really trying to forget about work so much as just spend an extended amount of time in a different atmosphere with people I don’t get to see nearly often enough. JMU Talk The first few days were spent in Harrisonburg, Virginia at James Madison University where I gave my “Entrepreneurship as a Career Choice” talk. Previously I had just spoken to individual classes of say 15 – 30 people. This time Prof. Wales and … Continue reading

Posted on October 30, 2010 | 7 Comments

Putting the Pieces Together – Teens, Entrepreneurship, Small Businesses, and Unemployment

Everyone is up in arms about the unemployment rate in the US being around 10%. One of the best ways to create jobs is to encourage small business growth.  According to the Small Business Association (SBA), small businesses: Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms. Employ just over half of all private sector employees. Pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll. Have generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years. Create more than half of the nonfarm private gross domestic product (GDP). Hire 40 percent of high tech workers (such as scientists, engineers, and computer … Continue reading

Posted on December 20, 2009 | 10 Comments

My Visit to James Madison University

After a couple of awesome presentations at Skidmore College, I was a bit bummed to hear that Professor Wales, my good friend and teacher of the class, had accepted a position at James Madison University in Virginia.  I had enjoyed going in to speak both semesters and thought that the two of us had a ton of future potential working together to grow young entrepreneurship in upstate New York.  Of course, I also understood that it was a great career move for him and that it didn’t signify the end of our potential collaboration.  JMU is a great school and … Continue reading

Posted on October 26, 2009 | 13 Comments

Skidmore Round 2

I gave my “Entrepreneurship as a Career Choice” talk again yesterday at Skidmore.  Much like last semester, it was an amazing experience.  I revised my presentation a bit, and overall I thought I did a good job.   More than that though, it’s just an awesome feeling giving a talk and knowing that people are genuinely interested in what you have to say. Like last time, it started off with a 20 minute debate between the students about whether or not you should start a business right out of college.  And like last time, they brought up all of the exact … Continue reading

Posted on February 11, 2009 | 13 Comments

Thank You Skidmore!

“Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth”. -Roberto Clemente I mentioned back in August that I was invited to speak to an Entrepreneurship and Small Business class at Skidmore College in Saratoga, NY (about a 45 minute drive north for me).  Well, the day finally came yesterday, and it was an awesome experience.  The class is comprised of about 20 seniors who are interested in entrepreneurship.  For a senior class, it’s relatively intense – they actually develop an idea and pitch to local … Continue reading

Posted on October 17, 2008 | 10 Comments

Times Are Changing

Back when I was in high school, we barely used computers.  Other than typing up reports and a little bit for research, I don’t think I really needed a computer in any of my non-elective classes.  I graduated in 2000.  A lot has changed since then. Our sports writer for the Tastefully Driven Lifestyle Blog runs a great blog called The Blog of Champions.  He also happens to be in high school.  As part of a social studies project he and his classmates were asked to create a blog about social injustice in America.  Let me repeat that:  as part … Continue reading

Posted on October 9, 2008 | 1 Comment