NCEA is an annual workshop that introduces entrepreneurship to young people.
I’m truly blessed to have had the opportunity to spend time at NCEA this week. The students were amazing and rose to the occasion on Day 3. It started off with a bang, but closed with some amazing shit!
We began with two great speakers. Autumn Teal (Chief Sales Officer at BEC) spoke first about social media and using it to create a personal brand. The students could easily relate to what she was talking about. She claimed to be a little “off” but was great so I’m scared to see how good the talk could be when she’s “on.” Next, was NC State alum and former NBA player, Chris Corchiani. Chris spoke at length about failure. He used his experiences to give the students ideas on how to increase the odds for succeeding. The talk was very motivational and well-received by the attendees. (And no, Karl Hess wasn’t around!)
After the speakers, it was time to get to work. For the rest of the day each group worked on their hypothetical startup. They were determined to be prepared for “Demo Hour.” Well, they crushed it! The groups presented in front of a panel of judges. The panel was made up of Tony Pompliano (my father), Jennifer Capps, and Megan Greer. Some parents even showed up to watch the presentations which made it even more exciting.
The startups included BagTag (exactly what it sounds like), Social Opt (social media management), a clothing company with special technology, and Poo-Poo Patrol (dog walking and poop picking up service). Absolutely amazing stuff. Each group seems to be excited about moving forward with their company idea now that the workshop is over.
I told you they killed it. Over the last few days I have continued to tell you about what great students we had. Also about the great speakers and opportunities we were able to assemble. NCEA couldn’t have done it alone. I want to thank each and every person involved. This experience has been one of the more rewarding things I have ever done. I want to share with you two email excerpts I have received in the last 18 hours from students. I think it will help you understand how special this week has been.
“Wanted to take the time to say thank you so, so, so much for the opportunity and experience of being at NCSU the past three days at your, Jimmy, and John’s camp. Myself, Erin, and Austin had an amazing time. We seriously cannot stop talking about how much fun we had. We have so much energy and hype about starting our BagTag’s at our Club soon and will definitely keep you guys in touch. “
“Really briefly, thanks for the opportunity to be a part of such an inspiring, informative and interactive introduction to entrepreneurship. We had a pretty awesome group of speakers give us an inside look into the various aspects of entrepreneurship and ncsu was very friendly. I did create a LinkedIn profile and I have a Blogger for Social Opt. I’ll be making a facebook page too and doing lots and lots of research too into the social media management industry. I’m really serious about this endeavor and I’d hope at one point-hopefully soon-to grow to where I can subsidize the work and become a reputable brand.”
I’m in awe of these young people. They have very bright futures ahead! Entrepreneurship is a special profession and we are fortunate to have gained a few more rockstars this week. I can’t wait to see how NCEA can grow in the future. No apologies, No regrets….
Comment or tweet me @APompliano with all your obnoxious praise, brutal criticisms, and general smartass remarks! I want to hear what we can do in the future that might make this an even better experience.
