live from SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITYWe call it The Dream Conference. A star-studded lineup of seasoned entrepreneurship professionals who will inspire your students to innovate! We invite you to hear the stories of struggle and triumph, and to learn from the experience of these business veterans. Sign up now to join in on the fun.
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571 University Ave
Selinsgrove, PA 17870 |
EXPERTS
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The panel below includes knowledge experts on innovation, business aptitude, and financial concepts.
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Andrew Samuel
LINKBANK
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Nick Gilson
Gilson Snow
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J. Todd Troxell
The Northumberland National Bank
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Matthew Rousu, PH.D.
Susquehanna University
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Basil Holobetz
Susquehanna University
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Emma Fleck, PH.D.
Susquehanna University
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Eric Attinger
Brighter Financial Futures
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BIOS
Andrew Samuel
Andrew Samuel went from collecting and selling cow dung in India to leading multi-billion dollar banks in the US. He reflects on living in a tiny shack with 15 family members, relocating to Africa as a child, learning to use utensils in the United States, cultivating a culture of the heart at his companies, the best way to invest your money, and writing a book to impart the values and principles that he learned along the way so younger people can live a more rewarding life.
NICK GILSON
Nicholas is Founder and CEO of Gilson Snow, a manufacturer of snowboards and skis located in Winfield, PA. He graduated in 2011 from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in Earth & Planetary Sciences. He taught middle school science in Nashville, TN with Teach For America before launching the company out of the classroom. He has received numerous awards in innovative product development and leadership and holds several snowboard and ski patents. Gilson Snow made Wired’s “Gear of the Year” list in 2015, and in 2016 the company was named as one of Outside Magazine’s favorite brands born in America. In 2017, Bloomberg Businessweek profiled the company in print and digital, and in 2018, Nicholas was presented with the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Philadelphia and Eastern PA. In 2019, the company received the Ben Franklin Product Innovation Award.
J. Todd Troxell
Bio coming soon!
EMMA FLECK, PH.D.
Emma is an innovative, award-winning educator and dedicated researcher. Over her career, she has developed a strong research profile evidenced by publications in international business and management journals, books and presentations at international conferences. She's the teaching case Editor for the Journal of Arts Entrepreneurship Education and was a guest editor for a special edition of the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research in 2013. Emma was a founding member of the Gender and Enterprise network, an international ‘Special Interest Group’ of the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE). She has worked as a small business consultant since 2007, predominantly with SME’s to develop business, marketing and communication plans, brand design and positioning strategies and conduct market research. She has also developed and conducted training programs for businesses in the local community in areas such as innovation, business growth, marketing and social media. She co-founded an international digital marketing company (Zenith Online Marketing) with her husband in January 2008. With clients all over the world, she has supported the development and strategic direction for the company over many years, but more recently took a lesser role as her career has developed in academia. She joined Susquehanna University in 2016 where she designed a new minor in entrepreneurship, sought funding for an innovation center and started the Center of Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship Education which focuses on supporting K-12 teachers in developing new ways to teach businesses. She is now the chair of the Management and Marketing Department within the AACSB accredited Sigmund Weis School of Business.
Matthew Rousu, PH.D.
I recall the first time I sat in a principles of economics course. I had one of those “Aha!” moments you hear about. Economics presented a set of tools that helped to explain the way the world worked. I loved that first class, eventually decided to major in economics and subsequently decided I’d like to teach this wonderful subject to others. I enjoy both teaching and researching economic issues, and love that Susquehanna allows me to do both while having a positive impact on students’ lives.
I enjoy Broadway musicals and turned my hobby into a way to teach economics with the new website I created, BroadwayEconomics.com. I also enjoy travel, golfing, trivia and many other activities.
One of my main hobbies over the past decade has been playing poker. I used to play online poker as a semi-professional (i.e., it wasn’t my main job, but I earned money from it every year), but now I only play occasionally. I played at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2014 with two cashes in eight events.
I enjoy Broadway musicals and turned my hobby into a way to teach economics with the new website I created, BroadwayEconomics.com. I also enjoy travel, golfing, trivia and many other activities.
One of my main hobbies over the past decade has been playing poker. I used to play online poker as a semi-professional (i.e., it wasn’t my main job, but I earned money from it every year), but now I only play occasionally. I played at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2014 with two cashes in eight events.
Basil Holobetz
Basil is the CEE Center Director at Susquehanna with decades of experience in the Global Business & Management world. He currently teaches numerous business & management courses at SU including Principles of Management, International Business & International Marketing, among many others.
Eric Attinger
Eric Attinger is the Chief Communications Officer for Brighter Financial Futures. He has a background in education along with 10 years of administration experience. Eric designed & directed the Virtual Academy, the first online school for Shikellamy School District. Eric has also written for federal grants, using the funding to create Science, Technology, Engineering & Math based afterschool programs. As Executive Director of a separate non-profit organization, he directed a $2-million building renovation project & oversaw all finances for the organization. When Eric isn’t promoting Financial Literacy, he likes to travel with his family, play the drums & talk to people about strange topics like Quantum Mechanics, the Fibonacci Sequence & Simulation Theory. When it comes to Financial Literacy, Eric truly cares about the growth of each student and the difference it makes. He also appreciates & supports all of the teachers who make the future brighter by investing in the next generation.
Linda Burkley
Linda Burkley is an accredited public relations professional with over 25 years of experience in the public relations field. She is an award-winning writer, designer and content creator as well as a lecturer at Susquehanna University. She holds degrees from La Roche University and Duquesne University, both in her hometown of Pittsburgh and was named one of Pennsylvania’s Top 50 Women in Business in 2010. Linda is also an Emily Post- certified etiquette trainer and co-host of the podcast “It’s Nice to be Nice to the Nice.”
RISE UP! |
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Our organization is challenging our youth to rise up and meet the needs of our ever-changing world. We want our students to experience personal prosperity and satisfaction as they craft innovative ideas that may change lives.
Our world is riddled with social, economic, and environmental issues. Society won't progress without new ideas and the entrepreneurs who pursue them. There's an old proverb that says: "If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime." Inspiring the next generation to "fish" is the first step to restoring The American Dream. |
AGENDA
9:30 am |
11:00 am |
