By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Lorene Cowan admits that she is no stranger to being a student entrepreneur.
She got her start while attending elementary school in Brooklyn.
Her first product was selling her classmates bookmarks she made by cutting up old holiday cards her parents, extended family, and friends of the family had in their homes.
“Needless to say [the bookmarks] sold out every holiday,” Cowan fondly recalled.
Recently, Cowan started a business while pursuing a master’s degree at Harvard University.
She founded Business Arsenal University, a platform designed to give student entrepreneurs resources to start a business.
On Saturday, March 6, Business Arsenal Credit Repair and Business Arsenal University, in conjunction with Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs NYC, Queens College, and the HBCU Foundation, will present the 2021 National Student Entrepreneurs Summit (NSES) and Pitch Competition.
The virtual summit, scheduled at noon and streamed over YouTube and Facebook, features a student Pitch competition and includes a panel of successful entrepreneurs and investors sharing their advice on launching and scaling a business.
Entrants in the Pitch competition have an opportunity to win a $4,000 grant.
The entrepreneur and investor-led panel includes entrepreneurs Danielle Leslie and Jay Alexander Martin and philanthropist Shelton Mercer III.
Celebrity publicist Monique Jackson and CNBC Profit Alum Mr. Cory also will attend.
“If it weren’t for those around me that believed in me and the things I wanted to do throughout my life, I wouldn’t be in a position to pay it forward now,” Cowan, who founded NSES, stated.
“That’s why I created this conference and fundraiser to bring both successful and aspiring individuals together to make a lasting impact in the realm of entrepreneurship,” she continued.
The summit supports the next generation of student entrepreneurs, added Cowan, who is also the creator of the TRIBE Method.
She said she was inspired to create NSES because of the support she received from her parents growing up.
“With education and empowerment at the forefront, this summit gives young entrepreneurs a chance to foster mentorship-based relationships with accredited business owners,” Cowan exclaimed.
“Through a series of panels, workshops, and networking opportunities, students receive tips, advice, and guidance on how to start, run and scale a successful business.”
As an entrepreneur and a member of the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs, Cowan has spoken at colleges on entrepreneurship topics and has trained business owners on how to market and sell more products.
She said the summit’s mission is to take student ideas to launch and support the next generation of founders.
“My advice for students looking to start their own business is to make sure they do their proper research when seeking an expert or course to help them start their business,” Cowan offered.
“There has been a surge in purchasing ‘how-to courses’ during the pandemic where many are out of work or afraid they won’t find jobs after graduation. More so-called experts are creating courses that teach you how to do something that they have no real experience doing. Thinkific, the largest platform for online courses, stated they’d seen a 221 percent surge in new course creation since the pandemic.”
The summit and Pitch competition is open to all students. To register, visit https://www.businessarsenalinc.com/events.