The LaunchCats Speaker Series: Innovators

The LaunchCats Speaker Series is a 4-part exploration of the many forms entrepreneurship can take - from small, community-centered businesses to large-scale ventures intended to impact as many people as possible and everything in between. The entrepreneurs featured in this series are changing the world through business, and we invite you to come hear their amazing stories of both success and failure. We guarantee you'll walk away inspired.

Part 3: This talk is focused on innovators.

Innovation, entrepreneurship, both common terms that are advertised at their final stages, once they are ready for the public eye. While these concepts are rightfully advertised for marketing purposes, it can also leave the young and ambitious among us confused and puzzled as to what happened in the beginning and middle, not just the end. How can you even begin to be self-sufficient as an entrepreneur? What failures and initial steps led to eventual innovation? Can you find ways to become an entrepreneur while still being an employee?

Fortunately for you, we have answers. James Woodson, Alysia Andrikopoulos, and Joel Martin are here to enlighten you on realistic first steps that students can take to begin the journey into a life of innovation.

This event is on Wednesday, March 29 from 5:00-7:00 pm in the Strand Union Building, Ballroom D, on the MSU campus.

About the Innovators:

Joel Martin
Joel is a 27 year old freelance marketer and filmmaker, which he’s pretty sure qualifies him to be able to talk about entrepreneurship.

Joel’s not really into writing bios about himself, which is why it took him so long to get on Tinder. Another thing that makes Joel uncomfortable is talking about himself in the third person. As you can imagine, all of those things in conjunction are throwing Joel a bit out of his element at this very moment, but that’s okay, he’s going to persevere.

Because that’s what entrepreneurship is. It’s the ability to persevere through doubt, hardship, and most of all failure. It’s the ability to flip your whole narrative of failure and transform it into victory.

Alysia Andrikopoulos
Alysia built and lead the operations team that created Google Maps. She did it at unprecedented speed and scale, mapping the world in just eight years. Armed with a degree in Product Design Engineering and an MBA, her Silicon Valley career spans 30 years, and nine companies, including 12 years at Google. Design thinking has been at the core of her roles spanning Manufacturing, Product Management, Product Design, Marketing, Operations and startup founder. She has a proven track record building teams to thousands in numbers and establishing creative, collaborative cultures across international teams. Alysia recently moved to Bozeman.

James Woodson
James is the founder & CEO of Pulsara - a Bozeman-based startup with a software platform that streamlines communication between EMT’s and hospitals, reducing the time it takes for patients to receive emergency care. James is a board certified Emergency Physician, and was just named 2017 EMS 10 Innovator in EMS. He’s also the founder and past director of the Alpine Compassion Clinic, which provides free preventative care to those in need in the East Texas Community. James is passionate about spending time with his wife, son, and two daughters, hiking, and giving back to the community.

This event is sponsored by the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship (JJCBE) and the MSU LaunchCats. Questions? Contact Linda Ward, lward@montana.edu or 406-994-1995.

http://www.launchcats.org/speaker-series-innovators/

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