You know how people always say that if you want to be a great tennis player, play with people better than you? So you want to be a great entrepreneur? Well, the same thing applies – if you want to be a great critical thinker, problem solver and innovator – hang out with great thinkers who have demonstrated success solving real problems!

Do great role models matter? We believe they do, and that’s why the entrepreneurs who come to share their wisdom and experiences with students at Camp BizSmart are selected with great care. These entrepreneurs have created successful companies, with real value and are also great people who are respected by their peers! We honor them because they take time out of their very busy schedules to inspire the Camp BizSmart students knowing how important it is to fill kids up with great stuff to get great stuff back.

So here’s to our heroes – the dreamers and visionaries who are doers and collaborators creating amazing value that is good for all of us! Let me share a glimpse of the entrepreneurs who are mentoring and inspiring our students in Silicon Valley this summer:

Maigread Eichten is a kick-off speaker for us at Stanford and Santa Clara talking about what makes great teams and how to work with the company executives who have sponsored business problems this summer. Last year, whenMaigread was the CEO for FRS, the company sponsored a business problem for student teams to solve.

Maigread Eichten

Maigread has led teams as CEO at FRS and now Eichten consulting.

Howard Charney, Sr. VP for Cisco, is an annual favorite! Howard talks to the students about solving the right problem, critical thinking and respecting your team. Having founded 3 companies including 3com and Grand Junction, he knows about innovation and working with a great team to achieve great things!

Howard Charney

Howard also shares insight from his journey as an entrepreneur and holds a “contest of ideas” with the students to let them pre-test their business solutions before going in front of a panel of judges for our business plan competition.

Kevin Surace, CEO, Serious Materials, and Inc Magazine, “entrepreneur of the year”. Kevin talked about what it’s like to start-up a company, stating it takes persistence, innovation and determination because there will be good days and hard days and you need to be ready to get through them both! He gave real examples of being a game-changer and valuable thoughts on how to address tough problems and tough questions other throw at you. Kevin’s company sponsored a business problem in 2009.

Kevin Surace

Chris Horgan, of Pinnacle, demystified the topic of intellectual property, what has value and what can be protected. We all think that our ideas are extremely valuable – but are they? And if they are, can they be protected? Should they be? An interesting discussion from an industry expert who made the topic easy to understand. He created a game for us to teach what intellectual property is. The kids loved it!

Chris Horgan

James Bickford, is one of our young entrepreneurs, having founded his first company, Valence Energy, while he was still a student at Santa Clara University, and now working with a second company, Tigo Energy to continue building his career at the ripe old age of 23! James share his story of leading the 2008 SCU Solar Decathlon team to 3rd place in the national competition overcoming what seemed like insurmountable odds. A great story about always being ready to compete, overcoming obstacles and never giving up!

James Bickford

Entrepreneurial thinking and problem solving, creativity and innovation applies to all kinds of business. Students sometimes forget that those who have chosen a career in the arts must use good business skills if they want to create a sustainable business. Remember the old saying ” how do you get to Carnegie Hall?” “Practice, practice, practice!” It is fitting to close with this next entrepreneur, a musician, teacher, and composer – Brian Moran. He is part of a local Brazilian Jazz group, Grupo Falso Baiano.

Brian Moran

Brian was able to share with the students that it isn’t enough to have a talent or a love of something – though a very good place to start. You must want it enough to put the time in, be persistent, dedicated, practice so you know it really well and can then color your presentation with the richness of your experience and the passion that made you believe so strongly in committing to this idea, this problem to solve, this song to write, your part to play as a soloist or in a well-honed team. Making beautiful music as well as making successful companies looks easy when a master is showing you what they do – but oh my friend do not be fooled – even though you did not see it happen – it took lots of dedication, persistence, and the willingness to defeat obstacles by coming up with yet again, new solutions. Brian wrote our original “Camp BizSmart Theme”. We will post it soon for your enjoyment. In the meantime, dream of ways to solve the problems you encounter and be determined to create value in your world. Creating something of great value takes hard work, guts and determination, but it is worth every effort you put into it! Thanks to all of those who inspire us to stretch and grow beyond what we are today to be ready to solve the great challenges of tomorrow!

Tags: Brian Moran, Camp BizSmart, Chris Horgan, Cisco, Creating value, FRS, Howard Charney, Inc. Magazine, Inspiration, James Bickford, Kevin Surace, Maigread Eichten, Pinnacle, role models, Serious Materials, solving problems, Tigo, Valence Energy, young entrepreneurs

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