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| About the Center Profiles ENTR Minor Resources Contact Us | |||
 I Am A Wedding Planner...I Am Also An Entrepreneur  Linnyette Richardson-Hall Class of 1984Major: Sociology Current Occupation: Creative Director and Principal Consultant, Premiere Event Management "When I commit to doing something, I do it, I leave no stone unturned," says wedding planner Linnyette Richardson-Hall as she describes her approach to business, and life. After graduating UMBC in 1984 with a degree in sociology, she embarked on a career in the financial services industry, holding positions at T. Rowe Price and Fidelity Investments. It was her experience planning her own wedding in 1993 that sparked her enthusiasm for the wedding planning business. At the time, she was a regional administrative manager at MFS Telecom, which was later acquired by MCI WorldCom: "I had a good job, but it wasn't fulfilling." So she decided to follow her heart and open her own business. "I always had the entrepreneurial spirit," she says. "I tell people that jobs are like stepping stones – build them, and you'll have a good path." That path has led her to national recognition: she is one of 13 wedding planners featured on the Style Network's weekly show "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?". She has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows as well as print publications. When asked for her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, Richardson-Hall recommends they "think it out clearly. It's good to have a vision, but you need to think long-term. Ascertain your core reasons for starting your business and make a business plan that covers short-term, mid-term and long-term." She also advises people to make sure their business is viable before leaving their current jobs and to have a good support system - friends and family - in place, as well as a mentor. And to not forget that "owning a business is one facet of your life. Don't forget to live your life." I Am A Pharmacist...I Am Also An Entrepreneur  Kerrie Brady ACTiVATE® graduate, Class of 2005Current Occupation: CEO, Traxion Therapeutics After receiving her bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the Victoria College of Pharmacy in Victoria, Australia, Kerrie Brady embarked on a career in the pharmaceutical industry, which eventually brought her to the United States. She held a variety of positions in marketing and business development at multiple pharmaceutical companies and several years ago, decided to take her experience in bringing new products to market and start her own company. At that point, she entered UMBC's ACTiVATE® program, which teaches women with significant business or scientific experience how to start their own businesses based on technologies developed at area universities and research institutions. "ACTiVATE® was a good opportunity to get support, as an entrepreneur, and build networks," says Brady. "It helps to align yourself with a group that can put you in touch with resources." Upon her graduation from ACTiVATE®, Brady founded Traxion Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on the development of new drugs to treat intractable pain. Brady admits that running her own company makes it challenging to find time to get everything done, but "the chance to build and put ideas into action without a bureaucracy" makes the experience a rewarding one and one she wouldn't trade. I Am A Marketer...I Am Also An Entrepreneur  Greg Cangialosi Class of 1996Major: English Current Occupation: President and CEO, Blue Sky Factory, Inc. Greg Cangialosi's advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to "never doubt yourself, never give up." Indeed Cangialosi's experience has been a lesson in perseverance. He and a business partner founded Blue Sky Factory, Inc., an e-mail marketing services provider, in March of 2001, at a time when the technology industry was reeling. "We were resilient and stuck it out," he recalls. "We took it one day at a time, and after a year and a half, things picked up." An English major at UMBC, Cangialosi started a concert promotion business after graduation. That was a natural outgrowth of his extracurricular activities at UMBC, which included managing events at the University Center and serving on the Student Events Board. After three years in the concert business, he ran a food vending company before taking a position at a web development firm called 0 to 80. He says that the fast growth world of the technology world gave him the motivation to start his own technology business. "I always wanted to do my own thing. I always enjoyed challenging myself and relying on myself to create my own revenue," Cangialosi explains. Blue Sky Factory now has 20 employees, with plans to add more in the coming year. "Each day brings new challenges and we're in a thriving industry," says Cangialosi, who also emphasizes that "we learn from our mistakes, which smart entrepreneurs do. With hard work and dedication, you can realize your dreams." I Am A Medical Educator...I Am Also An Entrepreneur  Scott Weber Class of 1985Major: Interdisciplinary Studies - broadcast journalism and public administration Current Occupation: Co-Founder and Co-CEO, MED-IQ While it might seem odd that a broadcast journalism major would end up founding a company specializing in medical education, for Scott Weber, it seemed like a natural path. "I came out of the interdisciplinary studies program with a different perspective than most graduates," he says, "I realized that if I could build my college curriculum from scratch that I might have what it takes to do the same in business." After his 1985 graduation from UMBC, Weber and his business partner launched a successful publishing business that produced tourism, entertainment and trade publications for the city of Baltimore and its cultural institutions (Center Stage, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Opera Company). Another client was the state medical society and its monthly journal. While doing various projects for the state medical society, they discovered there was a need for magazine focusing on the business side of running a medical practice. Starting with a statewide circulation of about 7000, by the time they sold the magazine, Physician's Practice, in 2007, the number of subscribers had increased to 300,000 nationwide. At the time, Weber also had developed a continuing medical education company utilizing webcasts and other learning platforms, and he decided to make that the centerpiece of his next venture: MED-IQ, an accredited continuing medical education company headquartered at bwtech@UMBC's Research Park. Through webcasts, live meetings, satellite TV and print publications, the company develops and provides continuing education programs for physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. "Our primary goal," says Weber, "is to educate healthcare providers to help them improve patient care." Weber advises would-be entrepreneurs to "have passion and faith in what you're doing. Become an entrepreneur because you want to make a difference - either improve something that already exists or create something new that will improve people's lives." And he emphasizes that "entrepreneurs live within big companies and small companies. It's not just the person who starts a business from scratch. Entrepreneurship is alive and well in many organizations and can be realized in companies that nurture that spirit." I Am An Educator...I Am Also An Entrepreneur  Bill LaCourse Chair, UMBC Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryCurrent Venture: Co-founder and CEO, Aurora Analytics As a postdoctoral fellow at Iowa State University, Bill LaCourse was a business-industry liaison at the school's Ames Laboratory. In that position, he developed a product to detect carbohydrates that was eventually licensed to a company. Upon joining the chemistry and biochemistry faculty at UMBC, he pursued his research interests in pulsed electrochemical detection (PED) and its applications to bioanalytical problems in the areas of pharmacy, toxicology, forensics, and environmental and life sciences. In 2004, motivated by his desire to apply his research and work with industry, he co-founded Aurora Analytics with his good friend and colleague Aris Kalivretenos. "I enjoy challenges. I like creating things and making things better, and I wanted to help other companies with their organic and analytical chemistry needs." Headquartered at bwtech@UMBC's Incubator and Accelerator at South Campus, Aurora develops and manufactures consumer and research diagnostic products. The company has also provided research assistance to other companies at the incubator. "I like being an educator and I like running a business. I get to live two lives," says LaCourse. He advises those thinking about starting a business to "Go for it. Don't just dream about it. Don't be in a position where you'll look back and have regrets." He compares starting a business to learning to walk: "How many times did you trip while learning to walk? Don't be afraid to trip. Don't be afraid of failing, but don't let it guide you, either." I Am A Biologist...I Am Also An Entrepreneur  Sheldon Broedel Class of 1984 (M.S.) and 1990 (Ph.D.)Major: Microbial Genetics Current Occupation: Chief Executive and Science Officer, Athena Environmental Sciences "I gave up a higher salary, but gained a tremendous amount of freedom," says Sheldon Broedel, '84, '90, on his decision to start his own biotechnology company. As CEO/CSO of Athena Environmental Sciences, Broedel enjoys the ability to make decisions about the company's projects and direction: "I'm pursuing the kind of research I want to. We've had the chance to work on many different ideas and product concepts." Broedel earned his undergraduate degree in biology from the State University of New York at Geneseo and then moved to Maryland to attend graduate school at UMBC. He also worked at Martin Marietta Laboratories. After earning his Ph.D. in microbial genetics, he held various R&D positions at Chektec Corporation, a small biotechnology company. He and a fellow UMBC Ph.D. founded Athena in 1994. The company was one of the first companies to join bwtech@UMBC's Incubator and Accelerator at South Campus, and is still there today as its oldest independently owned company. The company is a diversified biotechnology company that specializes in product development for other biotechnology companies. "We take an idea and turn it into a product," Broedel explains. Broedel recommends that aspiring entrepreneurs "get experience working for a company so they can understand how a business functions. Then, put together a good management team and have a clear picture of where you want to take your company." I Am A Pastry Chef...I Am Also An Entrepreneur  Duff Goldman Class of 1997Major: History Current Occupation: Founder and Owner of Charm City Cakes Growing up in Massachusetts, Duff Goldman '97 admits that his artistic talent wasn't always used in the best context. "I was a graffiti artist," he recalls, noting that it was his 10th grade art teacher that saw his talent and encouraged him to apply it in a more productive way. At the time, Goldman was also doing welding work, specifically on cars that he and friends were building, and discovered a passion for metal sculpture. After matriculating at UMBC, Goldman worked as an assistant on the maintenance staff in addition to playing lacrosse and ice hockey in his spare time. He also worked off-campus, at Savannah restaurant in Fell's Point. There, he baked cornbread biscuits, assisted the pastry chef, and discovered his true calling. After graduating from UMBC, Goldman attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, CA and then worked and apprenticed at several different establishments in California, Colorado, and Washington D.C. In March 2000, he returned to Baltimore and founded Charm City Cakes, a custom cake bakery. His company has baked cakes for events ranging from the "Kung Fu Panda" premiere to the Maryland Zoo's annual Zoomerang gala to UMBC's 40th anniversary celebration. Goldman and Charm City Cakes are the subject of the Food Network's weekly show "Ace of Cakes." Goldman enjoys owning his own business and is grateful for both the creative freedom and the time flexibility; he is also a bass player in a band and is able to fit performances into his schedule. He notes that many of his 15 employees have similar interests and that they are able to coordinate their schedules to give everyone time to pursue their secondary professions. "What's made us successful is it's a fun, happy place to be," he says. He encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to "be motivated by the thought of doing something awesome. The bottom line is important, but if you make a wonderful product, market it well and have wonderful employees, the bottom line will appear." I Am A Musician...I Am Also An Entrepreneur  Duke Thompson Class of 1978Major: Piano Performance Current Occupation: Founder and Director of the Maryland Conservatory of Music, recording artist and performer "If you really believe what you're doing has appeal, there will be a market for it," says Duke Thompson '78. "You have to believe in what you're doing and love it." Indeed, Thompson has made a career of his love for music and passion for teaching it. After graduating from UMBC with a degree in piano performance, he moved to New York City, where he studied music and painted apartments to fund his living expenses. After 2 ˝ years, he moved back to Maryland to teach and earn a master's in piano from the University of Maryland, College Park. He eventually earned a doctorate in piano from Arizona State University and taught at Red Deer College in Alberta, Canada for 17 years before returning to Maryland in 2001. A Harford County native, Thompson founded the Maryland Conservatory of Music in Bel Air in 2002. The school started with 31 students and now has over 300, with over 30 faculty members and an operating budget of $500,000. Thompson prides himself on offering music instruction in a non-traditional manner: in addition to private lessons, students (who range in age from 5 to 18) have the opportunity to take weekly group classes and learn from guest artists. The school holds recitals every seven weeks, giving students the chance to receive frequent accolades from friends and family members. Thompson says the recitals are his favorite part about running the Conservatory: "The kids are nervous but when they come out to perform, they have a big smile. It's so fun." In addition to directing the Conservatory, which recently opened a second facility in Havre de Grace, Thompson also owns a blues club in the town of Red Deer, Canada and records and performs his own music. In 1998, he released a CD of his performances of Gershwin classics, which is now in its third printing. Currently, he is recording a CD which includes his own piano music and arrangements of classic rock tunes, such as those by The Doors, The Who and Pink Floyd. He also travels throughout North America giving concerts. Thompson credits his professors at UMBC with inspiring his dream of owning a conservatory and is proud that his dream is now reality. "No one else was running a conservatory this way, so there was a need for it." He emphasizes that would-be entrepreneurs in the arts need to say "Yes, that can be done" and then "go for it." I Am An Engineer...I Am Also An Entrepreneur  Paresh Shah Class of 1988Major: Mechanical Engineering Current Occupation: Founder and Managing Director, Forge Advisors Following his graduation from UMBC with a degree in mechanical engineering, Paresh Shah '87 went to work at Northrop Grumman, first as an engineer, before shifting to the business development area of the company. "I was interested in the big picture, in applying the engineering problem solving process to business." And so after three years, he left the company to pursue an MBA at Harvard University. It was there that he met many entrepreneurs while serving as an officer of the Entrepreneurship Club and was inspired to become an entrepreneur himself. While still in school, he founded a successful consumer electronics accessories company, which he sold upon graduation. After his graduation in 1992, he took a position as a senior engagement manager at Monitor Company, a management consulting firm. He then returned to Maryland to become a vice president with Aether Systems, a wireless data communications firm, overseeing marketing and the development of strategic partnerships. After Aether, Shah founded several entrepreneurial ventures and worked at Cidera, a broadband wireless content delivery network, overseeing strategy and partnerships in addition to helping the company raise venture financing. In 2002, Shah founded Forge Advisors, a management consulting firm, where he now serves as managing director. Shah enjoys "taking ideas and trying them out and seeing if they work in the marketplace," as well as having full responsibility for the success of a business. He notes that a challenge for any entrepreneur is to "find great talent that is equally passionate and willing to devote a lot of energy to the business." His advice to would-be entrepreneurs is to "just do it." He also points out that "you learn more from failing than succeeding, and the earlier you learn, the better off you are." | |||
