So You Want To Be an Entrepreneur?
Have you ever thought about going into business for yourself? Hear tips and cautionary tales and stories from the trenches from Clarkies who have taken the leap.
Saturday, May 19, 2012; 1:30 p.m.
Jonas Clark Hall, Room 104
Moderator
Jeff Schiebe
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Clark University
Jeff Schiebe is founder of J & F Associates, a management advisory and consulting company, providing international business development to emerging companies. A seasoned global entrepreneur and executive with more than 30 years of international sales and marketing experience, his focus is on developing global partners, channel development and strategic selling—primarily in telecom, software and Internet markets. Traveling to more than 50 countries, he has worked in all established markets as well as emerging markets in Eastern Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Latin America. Prior to launching J & F Associates, Schiebe was a founding executive at OnePIN, a mobile applications company. His entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial experience ranges from start-ups (CxO Management, PixelVision, Acunet) to emerging companies (PictureTel) to established companies (Compaq).
Schiebe has been a frequent speaker at international industry conferences and seminars. Currently he teaches at Clark University (Entrepreneur-in-Residence), the Hult International School of Business (Adjunct Professor) and Babson College (Executive Mentor, Summer Venture Program). He brings a unique combination of entrepreneurial experience, technical knowledge, global marketing expertise and cross-cultural perspectives to his role as an international advisor, consultant, educator and author.
Schiebe earned an M.B.A. from Babson College and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Panelists include:
Jason Berry '97, M.B.A. '98
Owner, Positive Equity
Jason Berry is an investor, contrarian, and owner of Positive Equity, a small, 30-person, proprietary futures trading firm based in Dublin, Ireland. Berry believes you don't need to wear a suit to be a professional, but you do need to work hard and be different. He states: "Clark changed my life, forever."
Luke Livingston '07
Owner, Baxter Brewing Company
Luke Livingston, 27, grew up in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine community and decided to return home after attending Clark University. While there, he developed an obsession with craft beer and began brewing his own from his college dormitory. He created the successful online beer journal, BlogAboutBeer.com, which he authored for nearly four years. After losing his mother, Barbara, to breast cancer in January 2009, Livingston—taking a leap of faith—sold BlogAboutBeer.com, left his day job, and published the business plan that led to the formation of the Baxter Brewing Company. He was named one of Forbes Magazine's "30 Under 30 Most Influential Entrepreneurs of 2011."
Livingston serves on the boards of directors for Portland, Maine-based PROPEL and the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council (LAEGC).
Livingston is an excellent juggler, a big baseball fan and plays lots of disc sports. His favorite beer styles are porters and stouts. While at Clark he majored in Communication and Culture.
Gina Murdza '87, M.B.A. '89
Owner, Successpay, Inc.
Gina Murzda is the owner of Successpay, a professional employment organization that provides a full range of human resource services and benefits normally available only to large corporations.
Murdza started her entrepreneurial pursuits by selling jewelry throughout the campuses to help pay for her tuition. While studying for her M.B.A. she worked at the Small Business Development Center then housed with Clark's Graduate School of Management (GSOM). It was at GSOM that Murzda developed a passion for helping others establish and grow their businesses by providing integrated business solutions. She believes that to be an entrepreneur you need to find something that you are totally passionate about to keep you going when you face seemingly overwhelming challenges. She also believes that a good self assessment prior to starting a business will help to get the expertise that you need by partnering with or employing others. She states: "My experience as a Clarkie helped me to adapt to the many changes that my businesses have faced during the last 25 years."