Alumni Engagement
Empowered to turn their innovative ideas into action and defining success on their own terms, alumni choose careers in start-ups, industry or non-profit organizations. Let’s stay connected!
NEWS & STORIES
- Using the ENTR Certificate to Overcome Challenges in the Education IndustryKilah Dickey applies her passion and expertise for secondary school education to solving problems that haven’t been addressed for years. After graduating from Purdue in 2011, with a major in Health and Fitness, Kilah ventured into the field of education by first getting a license to become an English teacher. It was then that she noticed that when students transition from one secondary school to another, they were not able to get their academic transcripts in a timely fashion, and as a result, wound up being credit deficient or ineligible for a lot of classes.
- An Entrepreneurial Actor in NYC: Eric EmerickLife as a professional artist inherently demands entrepreneurial prowess, particularly when it comes to acting. As an actor, you are your product, brand, CEO, and lead sales person. Much like developing an elevator pitch for a new venture, an actor needs to communicate who they are to an audience in a matter of seconds. It can be thrilling or terrifying depending on one’s preparation and confidence. Eric Emerick, a Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation alumnus, who is making a career in film & television, recognizes that he has to “control his controllables,” and create his own luck as much as possible.
- A Contagious Entrepreneurial SpiritTrice Rias-Thompson’s energy is contagious, and she has a spirit for entrepreneurship that continues to bring her success. Trice is a 2012 alumna of Purdue’s Selling and Sales Management program, and she holds the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Today, she is a Managing Producer at a company called Studio 71 in Los Angeles and is the co-owner of Trindi Media Group. She even continues the DJ business she started while at Purdue; most recently, she did an event for the Jim Henson Company!
- Alumni Entrepreneur Spotlight: Sophie Nguyen of So Gold MarketingCertificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation alum, Sophie Nguyen, is now the CEO and Founder of So Gold Marketing, a real estate marketing and media company based in Silicon Valley.