Marek Zareba
Joined the Founding Team of Crowdtilt
I co-founded a startup during my last year in Graduate school working with small businesses in the service industry. Even though the company was not successful from an outside perspective, the knowledge and insights learned during time allowed me to join the founding team of another startup in Silicon Valley.
The e-club was invaluable in connecting me with other entrepreneurs that also became good friends over time. Having a community of other founders to talk to not only motivates you, but provides you with an outlet to discuss hurdles and see how other people have overcome them. Most importantly, the e-club showed me the power of actually doing something about your ideas and execute on them.
Have a relentless bias towards action.
Rebecca Samuelson
Co-Founder at Ninjathat
Before I found E-Club, I found TechPad and Bob Summers. TechPad, quite literally, provided a home for me during a rough year in school and Bob is an incredible mentor of mine. Bob introduced me to Caroline and the other E-Club members and I'm still very thankful for that! The community in Blacksburg, including but not limited to: TechPad, Bob Summers, and E-Club, has been vital to my success as a young entrepreneur. The E-Club events, in particular, provided a unique opportunity for me to continue learning outside of the classroom. My Materials Science and Engineering curriculum is a bit dry when it comes to entrepreneurship and business, E-Club was the first chance I had to really explore that world while I was at Virginia Tech.
In July 2012, after about 11 months of being involved with the Blacksburg startup scene, my cofounders and I were accepted into one of the top accelerators in the nation, DreamIt Ventures. If it hadn't been for the skills I had learned at E-Club and TechPad, I would not have been able to do the work to get into the accelerator and learn even more! Since the accelerator, we've expanded our company and showing some great growth. I'm excited about my future and cannot wait until I can give back to E-Club!
There's no such thing as a work/life balance for an entrepreneur. If you want to be successful, you need to enjoy your work enough to make it your life. Find something that you're passionate about and put your effort into that, if you're successful and working hard enough--you're best friends will end up being your business partners and your social life will be building new products, growing your company, and having a ton of fun doing it.
Joshua Gunter
Working on Launching His Third Company
I would say that the entrepreneur bug bit me my junior year of studies at Virginia Tech. I started a computer repair company where I would go around campus and pickup computers and fix them at a much reduced rate. Around this time I had a friend who recommended that I check out the e-club. It was at e-club that I met two co-founders and we went on to start an online software company together.
Two years after growing that company with my co-founders, I left for another venture in the software space. I am currently working on launching my third company and love every minute of it! The e-club was instrumental in not only allowing me to meet other like minded individuals at VT, but giving me the inspiration and motivation to pursue my ideas. Being surrounded by other students and entrepreneurs who are going through your same struggles, and experienced mentors who can help you through them is invaluable.
What problem am I solving and would people pay for my solution? If the answer is yes, don't wait, act now.
