Entrepreneurship Society Kicks off ND’s Inaugural E-Week with All-World Lineup
The Entrepreneurship Society at the University of Notre Dame, Student Government, the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Innovation Park, the College of Engineering, and the new ESTEEM program in the College of Sciences are collectively pleased to announce the landmark launch of the University’s first-ever Entrepreneurship Week (“E-Week”).
Designed collaboratively by students, faculty, and practicioners, the week has been modeled after Stanford University’s eminent Entrepreneurship Week. The week’s purpose will be to celebrate transformative experiences that further the mission of the University of Notre Dame through entrepreneurial leadership.
Even the words of Notre Dame’s first president, Father Edward Sorin, in his letter to Blessed Basile Moreau, “This college will be one of the most powerful means for doing good in this country,” memorably embody the entrepreneurial zeal of our university’s founders. It is the standard operating procedure at the University of Notre Dame, that if an endeavor is worth undertaking, then it is also worth striving to be the best in that endeavor.
E-Week at Notre Dame will grow in scope and size each and every year in the future.
A condensed list of the public festivities for E-Week in 2009 is listed below.
- Chad Troutwine was featured on the front cover of Entrepreneur Magazine in February of 2009. He is excited to share tips with Notre Dame students when he arrives on campus April 14th.
April 14th (Tuesday) at 7PM in Jordan Auditorium
Notre Dame’s Keynote Speaker of 2009 and Celebrated Kick-off of the Inaugural E-Week
- Flying in from Malibu, California, Chad Troutwine, will give a dynamic speech to the student body on “Unconventional Routes to building Business Empires”
- Troutwine is the founder and CEO of Veritas Prep, the world’s elite MBA and Law School Preparation Company
- In February 2009, Troutwine was featured on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine
- In 2002, Troutwine was named Forbes’ Magazine’s “Future Capitalist of the Year
- Produced independent films that premiered at the Sundance, Toronto and Cannes film festivals, featuring more than a dozen Academy Award-winning actors including Elijah Wood, Christina Ricci, Vince Vaughn and Natalie Portman
- Currently transforming the internationally bestselling book, Freakonomics, into a film
- Established an advocacy scholarship in the name of his parents at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, where he graduated with honors
- Formerly a history major as an undergraduate, formerly a law school student, formerly a business school student, currently a film producer, a widely respected MBA and Law School Admissions Coach, and an internationally celebrated entrepreneur, Chad hopes to share his words of wisdom with anyone with noble and lofty aspirations, regardless of their major
April 15th (Tuesday) at 7PM in Sorin’s at the Morris Inn
Roundtable CEO Dinners with Irish Angels
- Students get to ask any question they want with scores of Notre Dame’s most accomplished CEO’s who are visiting for the week
- At the end of the night, the 2009 Case Bowl Champions will relive their glory and “pitch” their Championship Case Presentation to scores of Venture Capitalists, Entrepreneurs, and Executives
April 17th (Friday) at 1:30PM in Jordan Auditorium
McCloskey Business Plan Competition Finals: See Visions Become Ventures
- The McCloskey Business Plan Competition is intended for traditional entrepreneurial ventures that have not yet been launched or are at the earliest stage of launch
- 142 Judges and Mentors have evaluated competition entries and have provided teams with valuable feedback
The McCloskey Business Plan finalists are as follows:
- Collegiate Funding Solutions
- Green Yard
- Med.it
- Mobile Users Interfaces
- MedMarket
- Mom’s Helpers
The Social Venture Plan finalists are as follows:
- Agrasun
- Eco-Zone Inc.
- Hands – Helping Others Help
- MicroEnergy Credits
- SHE (Sustainable Health Enterprises)
- Sprout learn-n-grow
End Note: As exciting preludes to Entrepreneurship Week at ND, the 2009 Case Bowl Championships will be held on March 31 in Debartolo Hall and the Invention Convention will be held April 2 in Giovinni Commons Mendoza College of Business.
Mark Bennett and Jaime Urquijo are the Co-Presidents of the Entrepreneurship Society. Patrick Barry is the Managing Director of the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. David Brenner is the CEO of Innovation Park. For more information about Entrepreneurship Week at Notre Dame, please contact them at mbennet2@nd.edu, jurquijo@nd.edu, pbarry@nd.edu, or dbrenner@nd.edu
Did you know?
- Although the organization was only 18 months old at the time, 79% of Members that attended the first two meetings of spring of 2008 rated the Entrepreneurship Society as a Top 5 undergraduate organization at Notre Dame.
Getting To Know
Christine Lynch
- Role:
- Vice President of Education,Marketing, and Corporate Development
- Hometown:
- Colts Neck, NJ
- Major:
- Marketing, Sociology
- Contact:
- clynch3@nd.edu
Why Entrepreneurship Society?
"I wanted to become more involved in business-related clubs and the name sounded interesting. I really had no idea what to expect. I started with taking a plunge with a case study on Facebook, which opened numerous doors for my future leadership involvement. Through that project, I met quite a few new people and members in the club. From that point on, I wanted to be part of it. This past spring, I was the Intra-School relations officer where I worked with the "Road Show" by spreading the brand name in classrooms and to dorms. Now I'm working on other marketing-related initiatives. The club has been a great experience to meet people and improve my personal and professional skills at multiple levels."