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Choose your own path at Drexel’s premier Entrepreneurship Festival! Students, graduates, and entrepreneurs are all welcome to join virtually for a three-day celebration of entrepreneurship by attending speaker panels, mentoring sessions, networking, competing for over $15,000 in prizes and more!
10:00AM–11:00AM
Break The Ice – An Improv Challenge
Starters are notoriously good at brainstorming. 2 teams compete to solve, improv-style, 2 challenges facing the world today. Join us to vote for the winner!
12:00PM–1:00PM
Keynote – Perseverance In The Age Of COVID-19
Hear from experienced entrepreneurs pivoted due to COVID-19. Learn about the challenges they faced and how they persevered to overcome them and forge ahead.
Panelists: Nicole Marquis and Nick Bayer
2:00PM–3:00PM
Baiada Institute Virtual Tour & Entrepreneur Q&A
Get a tour of the Baiada Institute and talk to current entrepreneurs in a Q&A format.
3:00PM–4:00PM
Mentoring “Office Hours”
Business office hours with Jim Paolino.
4:00PM–5:00PM
Video Pitch Competition
Come to watch some fun pitch videos and vote on your favorites!
9:00AM–6:00PM
Proving Ground
The Proving Ground is an interactive look at Drexel entrepreneurs in action. Join us on Instagram @provinggroundpopup
10:00AM–11:00AM
Ambition Can’t Wait…Wait,Wait Don’t Tell Me!
Are you a fan of NPR’s “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me”? Join us for our take on it! 3 panelists compete in Bluff the Listener, Rapid Fill in the Blanks & more!
11:00AM–12:00PM
Mentoring “Office Hours”
Legal office hours with Eamon Gallagher.
12:00PM–1:00PM
Panel – Making A Difference Today
Part of our Black Entrepreneurs in Action program.
What are entrepreneurs doing today to help those in need and make a big difference in the world? Hear from local entrepreneurs who are making a difference!
Panelists: William Toms and Ashley Reid
2:00PM–3:00PM
Drexel Entrepreneurs – Live Interviews
Hear from real Drexel entrepreneurs in the trenches working on amazing product, service and non-profit ventures.
4:00PM–5:00PM
Idea “Fast Pitch” Competition
Pitch your idea live and win $750!
10:00AM–11:00AM
Quizzo for Starters
Test your knowledge of Entrepreneurship in categories such as Arts & Culture, Science & Technology, Popular Culture, and Current Events.
12:00PM–1:00PM
Panel – The Future
What’s ahead for entrepreneurs and what exciting new ideas and technologies are the big opportunities for the coming years?
Panelists: Vijay Ullal, Brad Lucas and Justin Somaini
1:00PM–2:00PM
Mentoring “Office Hours”
Marketing office hours with Logan Levenson.
2:00PM–3:30PM
Baiada Incubator Competition
The Baiada Institute Incubator Competition is designed to help student and recent graduate entrepreneurs develop their for-profit or non-profit ideas, receive feedback and mentoring, as well as over $15,000 in cash prizes!
3:30PM–4:00PM
Competition Judgment & Evaluation
4:00PM–5:00PM
Incubator Competition Awards Announcement
Entrepreneurs from different industries and verticals are expected to be in attendance in a number of roles including exhibitors, students, speakers, and roundtables.
CEO
Founder and CEO of Saxby’s – a hospitality business fueled by great coffee. Nick is also a board member of The Franklin Institute and Drexel’s own Charles D. Close School of entrepreneurship.
CEO
CEO and Creator of the trend setting plant-based fast casual restaurant chain HipCityVeg, currently with locations in Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
Head of Strategy
Co-Founder of REC Philly, an ecosystem that exists to empower independent creators to do more of what they love. Will is in the intersection of entertainment, technology, economics and social change.
Learn and connect with the best
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Bring together top talent to discuss entrepreneurship
Chief Security Officer
Just is the Chief Security Officer at Unity Technologies. Justin Somaini is an experienced global security executive with a long record of transforming companies’ security functions and driving security as a competitive differentiator. Justin was the Chief Security Officer at SAP, has had senior roles at companies such as Yahoo, Box and Symantec and serves as an advisor to many startups. Justin is also the Founding Partner of Somaini LLC which provides strategic security management consulting to assist organizations in tailoring designed security models. Justin has a B.S. in Management Information Systems from Drexel.
SVP for Global Digital Solutions
Brad is the SVP Global Digital Solutions at Fiserv. Brad is a visionary product and technology executive with deep experience developing award-winning and transformational digital solutions for global brands in financial services, retail, energy, and automotive industries. Prior experience include Head of Mobile for Target where his team was one of the first to deploy Apple Pay for Retail. As the Head of Mobile for JPMorgan Chase, Brad was responsible for developing the nation’s first mobile banking applications that included award winning features like mobile check deposit, SMS balance notifications, money transfer, and mobile person-to-person payments. Brad graduated from Drexel with focus on MIS and Finance.
Founder
Vijay is the Founder of Seabed V and former President and COO of Fairchild Semiconductor. Vijay has led technology development, operations and business units at companies like Maxim, from early start-up days to a company with a $10B market cap, and Fairchild, the founding company of the Silicon Valley. He has led operations, business units and entire companies at every stage of a company’s life cycle. He is deeply passionate about new technology, new products and growing things from zero to one. Vijay has an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Drexel.
Owner
Pitch Video Competition
Idea “Fast Pitch” Competition
Incubator Competition
Want to be a part of Startup Fest?
Camino
AeroPest
Phoodie
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