The Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship will present the sixth annual 7 Under 30 program, featuring seven Florida State alumni entrepreneurs who launched successful businesses before the age of 30.
“This year is so exciting as many of our faculty members have mentored or taught these speakers,” said Susan S. Fiorito, director of the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship. “Interest in entrepreneurship has grown steadily at FSU and the major is gaining popularity. I think putting the spotlight on these speakers is a great way to celebrate the launch of the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship.”
Four of the seven speakers majored in entrepreneurship at Florida State. Wendy Plant, director of the Center for Student Engagement at the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship, said the entrepreneurs’ experience offers valuable lessons to students.
“We are thrilled to have such a talented and diverse group of entrepreneurs this year,” Plant said. “They’ve all started successful businesses by solving a problem or meeting a need. They are terrific role models for our students.”
The free event is part of a celebration of entrepreneurship called Tallahassee Startup Week. The program is open to the public and requires preregistration. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The 7 Under 30 program will take place:
TUESDAY, NOV. 14
3-5 P.M. (DOORS OPEN AT 2:15 P.M.)
AUGUSTUS B. TURNBULL III FLORIDA STATE CONFERENCE CENTER
555 W. PENSACOLA ST.
For more information or to register, visit http://jimmoranschool.fsu.edu/student-engagement/7-under-30/
This year’s panel includes:
- Evan Ernst, co-founder and director of Strategic Partnerships of Who We Play For, who graduated from FSU’s College of Business with bachelor’s degrees in entrepreneurship, marketing and business management. A member of Phi Kappa Tau, he was actively involved with Relay for Life and Camp Boggy Creek. Ernst spoke at TedxFSU, broke the Guinness World Record for ECG heart screenings in a 24-hour period, and he put on the first-ever, student-run heart screening in the country.
- Joshua Esnard, inventor and founder of The Cut Buddy, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance from the College of Business in 2008. Esnard created The Cut Buddy in 2000 when he was 13 years old and later patented multiple designs at the age of 28.
- Maureen Isern, founder and executive producer of MOPED Productions, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general communication from the College of Communication and Information and a minor in journalism from FAMU. As a student, she was the historian for the Oscar Arias Sanchez Hispanic Honor Society and a writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau.
- Shantel Khleif, CEO and co-founder of Imagine Media Consulting, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship from FSU’s College of Business and was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. Today, she hosts a weekly podcast called “Imagine More” that explores an entrepreneur’s journey.
- Emily Morehouse-Valcarcel, co-founder and director of engineering at Cuttlesoft, who graduated with bachelor’s degrees in computer science, computer criminology and theater. She also minored in psychology and mathematics. She was a member of the Association of Computing Machinery, Council on Women in Computing, Lambda Alpha Epsilon and Sigma Alpha Lambda. Cuttlesoft won the 2016 Entrepreneurial Startup of the Year award from the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. In 2016, she was recognized with the Governor’s Young Entrepreneur Award.
- Sam Nebel, president and co-founder of Goodwives, who graduated with bachelor’s degrees in entrepreneurship and finance from FSU’s College of Business. As a student, Nebel was a member of Sigma Chi, co-founder of Party Degree, and he won the first Jim Moran Institute Business Plan Competition. Nebel also graduated from The Brandery, a startup accelerator ranked in the Top 10 in the United States.
- Nick O’Donnell, founder and head designer of Terraform Design, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship from FSU’s College of Business. His business was recognized with the Governor’s Young Entrepreneur Award in 2016. As a student, O’Donnell was a member of the InNOLEvation Center business incubator. He won the 2014 InNOLEvation® Challenge for his company Wavelet, and he took second place in the 2015 InNOLEvation® Challenge for Terraform Design. O’Donnell also spoke at TEDxFSU.
###
About the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship
In December 2015, Florida State University announced the creation of the nation’s largest interdisciplinary, degree-granting school of entrepreneurship, the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship, as part of a major gift from Jan Moran and The Jim Moran Foundation. Students participate in traditional case study learning along with innovative hands-on application and experiences. Students accepted in the inaugural 2017-2018 class will graduate with a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in entrepreneurship. Learn more at www.jimmoranschool.fsu.edu.