Old Myths, New Faces of Entrepreneurship

Think you know entrepreneurship? So did Shea Center Entrepreneur in Residence Duncan Walker ’13 and student lead Bijoy Shah ’22 – until they started digging deeper. Two years and hundreds of conversations later, they’re set to launch a new campaign that dispels commonly held myths about entrepreneurship and puts five fresh faces on it.

First, a quick backstory: When Walker left BC in 2013 with a B.S. Management, he was ready for big things. He’d already disrupted digital media with Jebbit. He’d go on to build companies with SSC Venture Partners, mentor BC startups, and become an entrepreneur.

In November 2018, when Walker returned to campus to join the Shea Center as Entrepreneur in Residence, he started hearing things that surprised him. He heard that students outside the Shea Center didn’t want to join the BC entrepreneurship scene because they weren’t business majors. Or didn’t have a business idea. Or even if they did, wouldn’t have the time to execute it before they graduated.

“Ever since I first came to campus as an alum, I’ve been hearing those sentences in one way or another,” Walker said. “And we wanted to take our time researching and talking to students to make sure we really understood why they were saying this and how we could change those perceptions.”

Myth Busting and Recasting Entrepreneurship

Joining forces, Walker and Shah started the long process of interviewing students campus-wide about their perceptions of the Shea Center. Then they asked alumni to share their thoughts on their BC experience and how the Shea Center could recast entrepreneurship for the next generation.

Their end goal was to create a campaign that would shatter myths and enlighten students about the benefits of participating in Shea Center courses and activities. The campaign would feature alumni who, like Walker, have gone on to do big things – in most cases, without a business degree.

Even in the discovery and concepting phase, Walker knew the campaign had legs.

“I think we might have talked to 20 or 30 people, showing them the concept art and the stories,” he said. “And everybody had visibly ecstatic reactions. You could see eyes widen and heads nod in conversations about entrepreneurship with both students and alumni.”

That moment of truth not only formed the basis of the “I Never Thought” campaign but solidified the campaign goal.

“Entrepreneurship is in every single facet of every single subject and job,” said Walker, “and this was about giving students an inside track into the BC entrepreneurship scene. It’s just that starting point for them.”

Nontraditional Paths and Core Values

The initial launch of the “I Never Thought” campaign will feature a handful of entrepreneurs who exemplify the nontraditional paths that often lead to startups.

“When we’re working with founders, it doesn't matter what their major is,” said Walker. “It could be students who want to start a student organization on campus or a new YouTube channel. When we’re talking about entrepreneurship, we’re not necessarily talking about starting a company.”

Besides helping to redefine entrepreneurship, the campaign research identified four values unique to entrepreneurs: initiative, ability, resilience, and self-awareness.

“Every student, no matter what they’re studying or what their career might be, should work and live with those four values in mind,” said Walker. “It’s always about the same four values when you’re trying to achieve a great vision or step outside your comfort zone.”

Walker says the choice of those values was “quite intentional,” as was the choice of the featured founders and stories showcased in the campaign.

“They’re actually all nominated by BC alum and Amity Ventures partner Peter Bell,” said Shah, who interned with the former BC adjunct professor this past summer. Moving forward, he says they’ll ask alumni, faculty, staff, and students to recommend people “who have demonstrated those four values in their life.”

“This is going to add so much value to those who don’t even know what entrepreneurship is,” said Shah.

Who’s Who of BC Alumni

The initial phase of the “I Never Thought” campaign, slated to run through spring ’21, will feature these five BC alumni:

· Ivan Alo ’12, a B.S. Finance major and one-half of the dynamic duo behind New Age Capital, an East Coast VC firm that invests in tech startups founded by Black and Latino entrepreneurs

· Jire Bademosi ’10, A.B. International Studies and Economic Development major, community builder, policy advocate, and creator of FoundHER, which helps young women in Boston develop critical thinking and civic activism

· Theo Chapmen ’17, CSOM Entrepreneurship and Marketing major and cofounder/CEO of Darkroom Technologies, which hosts digital storefronts for artists of every ilk, from photographers to podcasters

· LaDante McMillon ’12, B.A. Communication, New Age Capital managing partner, and creative force behind the firm’s logo and marketing

· Navyn Salem ’94, B.A. Communication and Marketing major and founder of Edesia, whose Rhode Island factory produces fortified, peanut-based products for humanitarian agencies like UNICEF, USAID, and other NGOs

The “I Never Thought” campaign will be released on Instagram with links to a BC microsite. But while image-based digital may be the best format to reach the masses, Walker and Shah have brick-and-mortar visions for the campaign too. When the new Schiller Institute opens next year, the Shea Center will relocate there, and the faces of the campaign will greet visitors in the form of an old school interactive wall.

“The idea is for students to write on that wall and share their aspirations and what kind of mark they want to leave on the community,” said Shah. “I would love for people to come back in five years and see what they were aspiring to and what they actually ended up achieving thanks to the values of entrepreneurship.”

Big impact? Yes, but not without a big goal: drive at least 50 new students to utilize the Shea Center’s resources. 

“The Shea Center exists as a resource for everybody, but it’s the workshops, classes, mentorship, and coaching that really have a transformative effect,” said Shah.

How BC Shapes Entrepreneurs

Walker believes resources like those of the Shea Center are one big piece of what makes BC special, especially in the context of entrepreneurship. The other big piece is the University's educational approach.

“Being liberal arts based while having top-tier resources for specializing in a specific area leads to students who are very talented,” he said. “We’re producing students who can think very critically and laterally and therefore have an incredible wealth of transferable skills, especially when it relates to entrepreneurship and technology.”

Walker says that dynamic has turned out “a ton” of successful entrepreneurs, including those featured in the campaign launch. He hopes to tell even more stories like theirs in the years ahead.

“I would love to have those stories be the most known part of this campaign,” he said. “There’s a lot of people the Shea Center isn’t connected to yet. We want to know who they are and share their stories to inspire and educate more students.”

Know an alum the Shea Center should connect with? Send your recommendations to walkerdu@bc.edu.