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ENTREPRENEURS
SUMMER 2010 l 17
At the heart of any new enterprise lies an individual who is a planner, a dreamer, a goal setter, a risk taker, and a cheerleaderin-chief. Discover how Medaille alumni have taken ideas and given them life within existing markets and uncharted fields.
“en-tre-pre-neur” Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French, from entreprendre, to undertake By Amanda Collins ’96 CYS
Date: 1852 one who organizes, manages,
Entrepreneurism. and assumes the risks of a It’s a $10 word that most people misspell, business or enterprise yet everyone understands its meaning. You’re either (Merriam-Webster bitten with the bug to be your own boss, or you look quizzically Dictionary) at those who have the drive. As an entrepreneur myself, it certainly wasn’t an option I would have chosen—or even considered—as a younger person. For some self-starters, business ownership is a way to turn a passion into a paycheck, while for others, it just seems a natural progression of their career. Some entrepreneurs fall into their new roles out of necessity and sometimes by accident when a long-held hobby transforms into a money-making venture. Medaille College’s strong liberal arts curriculum has played a role in planting that seed of entrepreneurism in more than a few alumni across the years. On the following pages, alumni share their journeys from employee to entrepreneur, and how they have found the inspiration to take chances while being their own bosses.