“Vermont Entrepreneurs – Building Networks”
RANDOLPH CENTER, Vt. (Feb. 14, 2021) – More than 250 Vermont educators, government officials, business advisors, business leaders, and students gathered virtually on Feb. 9, 2022 to join the free 13th annual and second virtual Vermont Student Entrepreneurship Day event. In the spirit of bringing innovative and forward-thinking Vermonters together, the theme of this year’s event was, “Vermont Entrepreneurs – Building Networks.”
The planning and facilitating committee included Linda Rossi (VtSBDC State Director), Laurel Butler (VtSBDC Specialty Advisor for Student Entrepreneurship), Darcy Carter (SBA – Vermont District Office), Jacob Dubois (Uptown Cow), Sarah Kearns (VtSBDC Collegiate and Young Entrepreneur Advisor), and Susan Ladd (Coordinator for VT Career & Technical Student Organizations).
Following introductions by Gwen Pokalo, Director of the Center for Women and Enterprise Vermont and Mike Vlacich, SBA NE Administrator, a proclamation from Governor Scott was presented to celebrate Vermont’s young entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship Week.
The exciting agenda offered an opportunity for high school and technical school students to showcase their work as well as a chance to hear from leading experts on their stories and experiences. Moderated by VtSBDC collegiate advisor Sarah Kearns, a panel of inspiring entrepreneurs shared their expertise followed by a Q&A. Students learned about personal branding from Catlin O’Shaughnessy, a leading expert in her field. Cash prizes were awarded to the winners of the themed Bumper Sticker and Video Contests.
The entrepreneur panel included: Jacob Dubois (Uptown Cow); Sophia Manzi (Vivace VT); Alex Gemme (Treeline Terrains); and Skylar Bagdon (Panic Mechanic & Chroma Jam).
“We are so proud of our students who are the future of Vermont, “said Linda Rossi, VtSBDC State Director. “And we remain committed to providing a program that celebrates entrepreneurship, recognizes the success of local business leaders, and helps students build a foundation in critical thinking, innovation and communication skills for their life-long careers. Along with this year’s theme of networking, we look forward to being among our state’s supportive resources our young entrepreneurs can connect with in the future.”
“Entrepreneurship Day continues to be one of the best opportunities for Vermont students to experience first-hand what being a young entrepreneur is all about,” said Jacob Dubois, owner of Uptown Cow. “I really enjoyed meeting other business owners, talented students, and learning about so many helpful resources.”
Vermont Student Entrepreneurship Day was hosted and sponsored by the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC); U.S. Small Business Administration – Vermont District Office; Vermont Career and Technical Student Organizations; and Vermont Business Education Corps. VtSBDC is a department hosted by Vermont Technical College.
“We want to encourage young people to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, to view problems as opportunities, to explore the creative process and to be open to new ideas. It is our hope that these skills will lay the foundation to help students academically, personally and professionally as they continue on their educational journey, enter the workforce or build a business of their own,” said Laurel Butler, VtSBDC Specialty Advisor for Student Entrepreneurship.
To learn more about this event and upcoming student entrepreneur events, visit https://www.vtsbdc.org/specialty-services/youth-entrepreneurship/
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