Press Release

"Up in the Ivory Tower or Down in the Trenches: What You Need to Know Before Taking the Leap to Start Your Own Business"

Alex Mehr to Give Whiting-Turner Business and Entrepreneurial Lecture

MEDIA ADVISORY  October 1, 2012

CONTACT:
Melissa Corley
301 405 6501
mcorley@umd.edu

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Alex Mehr '03

WHAT: "Up in the Ivory Tower or Down in the Trenches: What You Need to Know Before Taking the Leap to Start Your Own Business" -- Are you constantly coming up with ideas for new businesses but you've never actually pursued any of them? Have you ever wondered what it takes to build one of those ideas into a new company? In this talk, I'll share my approach to evaluating new ideas and business models—knowing how to assess the viability of a new idea is particularly important when you're still on the fence about starting a new company. I'll give you some practical tips on execution and rapid iteration once you've settled on an idea. Finally, I'll share my experience as a "student-preneur" and why, as a student, you are at the best point in your life to take on the risks involved in starting a company. This lecture is based on what I’ve learned building my own company, as well as advising other early-stage entrepreneurs. You can’t find this stuff in your grandma’s entrepreneurship class.  

WHO: Alex Mehr '03 (@alexmehr) is the co-founder and co-CEO of Zoosk, the romantic social network with 15 million monthly active users from 70 countries.

WHEN: Thursday, October 4, 2012
5 - 6 p.m. lecture, preceded by reception at 4:30 p.m.
        
WHERE: 1107-1111 Kim Engineering Building    
A. James Clark School of Engineering
University of Maryland, College Park, Md.

More Information: 

http://www.eng.umd.edu/events/whiting-turner