By: J.D. Ross
(315) 443-3094
School of Information Studies (iSchool) alumni Michael Brown ’94 and Jason Palmer ’02 visited campus this week and shared their entrepreneurial background and ideas with current students.
Brown and Palmer work for HiTouch Business Services, an office supplies and business productivity firm based in Saddle Brook, NJ. Brown is President and Palmer is Chief Operating Officer.
They attended a lecture in Professor Michael D’Eredita’s What’s the Big Idea class, a course designed to provide student entrepreneurs with the opportunity to learn how to develop and grow ideas to create a successful product, service or business. After the lecture, they each spoke about their experiences in the business world, with a focus on entrepreneurship and growing business ideas. In addition to sharing their start-up stories, they also listened to pitches and offered advice to students in varying stages of work with their own businesses.
John Liddy, Entrepreneur in Residence at the Student Sandbox and co-instructor of What’s the Big Idea said, “their visit to campus and the class gave students an opportunity to hear first hand from alumni about what it takes to make a business succeed.”
The learning was a two way street however, according to Liddy. “Michael and Jason also gained valuable insights into the entrepreneurial learning environment here, and we inspired them to consider adopting the design of the Sandbox conference room and to collaborate with one of our student companies.”