dekalb – The Young Trailblazers panel brought together four young CEOs and founders of businesses and nonprofits to speak to NIU students about entrepreneurship and pursuing their passions.
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The panel discussion was held Thursday from 5pm to 6pm in the De La Vega Innovation Lab in Balsema Hall, where 45 students sat and listened, asked questions and learned.
The Young Trailblazers panel included Tayyaba Ali, co-founder and CEO; Technical IndustriesGustavo Casas, Founder mask company., Gabriel Foreman, Founder and CEO Secondary success and success beyond NFP and co-founder and CEO Shazzar Khan Method EASY.
Junior marketing major Mike Florentine said he thought the event went well and learned a lot from the panelists.
“I felt like I could actually empathize with the speaker and it wasn't just some old guy giving me useless information,” Florentine said. “They really showed us what their daily lives are like.”
The panel was divided into two parts. In the first part, student mediators Keira McFarland (senior accounting major) and Ana Cifuentes (senior business administration major) asked questions of the panelists. In the second part, a question and answer session was held with visitors.
“There were a lot of really useful questions and a lot of people participated in the Q&A, which was really helpful,” Khan said. “The venue was packed and there was great participation.”
The panelists answered a variety of questions about how they got to this point in their careers and what they're doing now.
The event ended at 6 p.m., and students were able to speak one-on-one with panelists, some of whom connected on LinkedIn.
“It was a great opportunity to learn from them and see how I could be in their shoes in the future. Overall, it's a great experience and networking opportunity,” said Sarah Petrovska, a freshman operations management and information systems major. Told.
Becca Husar, NIU School of Business Associate Director of Innovation and Partnership Development, who helped organize the Young Trailblazers panel, said she felt the panel was a great success. Hussar was pleased to see students staying and talking with the panelists after the event ended.
“This event was really great. They brought in panelists where the students could really see themselves. You could see that in the questions they asked. There were a lot of motivated peers among the panelists. ,” Hussar said.
The path to entrepreneurship
Panelists were asked how they can use what they learned at university in the future.
Ali did not attribute his success to university because he did not receive a degree. Ali realized that if she waited until she graduated from college, she would need her Ph.D.
“You need to know which degrees are important in your field,” Ali says.
Casas said he doesn't use his degree every day, but he uses what he learned from his extracurricular activities and college experience every day.
“I owe everything to NIU. I am who I am today because of the way I was formed and the experiences I had at NIU,” Casas said.
Khan said he doesn't use what he learns in class every day, but the people he works with do.
“Universities are definitely the launching pad,” Khan said.
Foreman said the inspiration for Secondary Success and Beyond came while attending NIU.
“For my honors capstone project, I decided to start a nonprofit organization because there was a need in the community,” Foreman said.
All panelists agreed that networking is one of the biggest things you can get out of college.
What's it like to be a CEO and founder?
The panelists discussed the feelings of impostor syndrome and how to deal with it.
“Honestly, I had that feeling before I even got on stage,” Foreman said.
Foreman said her family's support helps her remember where she belongs and why she started her nonprofit.
Casas said it helps to know that those in charge don't know more than anyone else.
“They're not smarter than me,” Casas said.
Panelists were asked how they stay motivated on a daily basis.
Ali said the most important thing about being an entrepreneur and running a startup is to care about what you're doing and be willing to die for it.
“There's no off switch, just shut up and drive,” Ali said.
Casas said motivation alone is not enough, it's all about discipline to keep going.
“We're as close to failure as we are to success,” Casas says.
Khan said he is a relatively anxious person.
“What helps me the most is not giving myself the option to do something,” Khan said.
Ali talked about how he was diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and short-term memory loss, and how he learned to use it to his advantage.
“Being on the Spectrum helps because I’m really good at time management,” Ali said. “Dory's short-term memory loss brought her back to reality.”
At the end of the event, the mediator announced the De La Vega Innovation Pitch Competition.students can Register online Pitch your company or nonprofit idea to the judges for a chance to win prizes. Registration closes at noon on February 16th.
