Juniata Students Deem the 2007 Collegiate Entrepreneurial Organization Trip a Success
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Juniata College made its third annual trip to Chicago, IL for the 2007 Collegiate Entrepreneurial Organization (CEO) Trip from November 1-3. Over 1,200 students from across the world met at the Hyatt Regency at McCormick Place to enjoy a weekend full of entrepreneurial spirit and inspiration for new ventures.
All classes were represented in this trip, as freshmen and seniors alike took part in the two and half day conference. Eleven Juniata students were elected to go on the trip this year, with eight of them competing in the elevator pitch competition. Elevator pitches are a 60 second synopsis of the student’s business venture (insert quotes here about pitches, if any). Although no Juniata student advanced to the final round, each gained invaluable experience speaking in front of a large crowd of 300+.
Even though the elevator pitches were an essential part to the conference, many students gained the most from the networking opportunity that took place. With over 1,000 students there, the Juniata participants were surrounded by like-minded colleagues for an excellent occasion to find out what others were doing.
Travis Paul ’08, felt that this year’s trip to Chicago was the most beneficial and had a level of energy that he had felt only a few times in his life. “The speakers and breakout sessions were (all about) motivation and commitment that created a very friendly and open-minded atmosphere,” Travis said. “James Chung, the CEO of the Hive, a venture capitalist company, approached Bret Naugle ’08 and I and spoke to us about everything from business to life. It was great to hear how professionals were just like us at one point; they just had an idea and made it work.”
“The speakers and breakout sessions were (all about) motivation and commitment that created a very friendly and open-minded atmosphere,” Travis said.
Another student who had a successful trip to Chicago was Ryan Conrad ’08. Ryan is in the process of creating a new business that combines fashion and music in the form of a retail fashion show with live music. “One of the keynote speakers was a multi-million dollar art entertainment entrepreneur and I took a leap of faith by asking her to come hear my pitch. I was actually compensated for the risk I took, when she showed up to my pitch and then approached me afterwards to talk about my idea and how she could help” Ryan said.
Ryan talked about how over the years of going to the CEO Conference, he had learned how to actually network. “It’s all about establishing a relationship first, finding a common ground, and then knowing when the right opportunity approaches to pitch your venture.” This type of experiential learning is one of the main aspects of the CEO trip. Students have different ways of approaching networking and the trip offers them a chance to try yet another way to get their ventures out in the open.
After the long days in the conference, a Juniata Alumni event at the hotel lounge was a relaxed affair, where several Juniata alums brought their entrepreneurial experience to the students. It was a fun time for all with drinks, food, and a casual, relaxed atmosphere.
Students gained other valuable experiences such as, taking part in a multi-day conference, viewing one of the largest cities in America with Chicago, and experiencing culture differences that many students had not witnessed before. Upon returning to Juniata, all students viewed the CEO conference as a success within their own experience.“The 2007 trip was an inspirational and educational conference that got me excited to continue working hard on my dream of starting a business,” said Heather Lecrone ’09. “This confidence (from giving the elevator pitch)gave me a new motivation for working on my company, Escorted Driving Tours.”
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