This past Monday, ABSA hosted Small Business and Entrepreneurship Panel, an event perfect for future entrepreneurs (and those mildly interested students)! Distinguished panelists included:

• Tristan Mace (President of Texas Ventures and Acting Co-Managing Partner of Livney & Partners, LLC);
• Larry Huang (Founder and CEO of Mayoshi Capital, LLC);
• Olga Lee (Owner of Polkadots: A Cupcake Factory); and
• Andrew Ma (Owner of ALM Financial Services), ABSA’s very own alumni!

The event began with an introduction to entrepreneurship given by Tristan Mace, then panelists answered questions and handed out their “pearls” of experience to the audience on how to run an efficient business, the advantages and disadvantages to being an entrepreneur, the differences between working for yourself and corporate jobs, and helpful tips and terms such as “bootstrapping.” Mrs. Lee also added, “whatever you do, do not work with your spouse!” It was interesting to gain perspectives and hear the struggles and stories of each of the panelists. Mr. Huang emphasized the amount of commitment needed to succeed in an entrepreneurial venture. Mr. Mace started his first advertising company at the age of 14! Mrs. Lee’s educational track transformed from Chemical Engineering to Culinary Arts! Mr. Ma went through several ventures before discovering the right fit for him! Afterward, the floor was open to questions to each of the panelists. Then, the audience was split into four groups where each panelist personally communicated and answered questions for students.

Overall, the event was a great success and students gained a lot of insight from these accomplished individuals. Students also got to sample some delicious Polkadots cupcakes made by Mrs. Lee, herself! I believe that some of the key points that students took away from this experience was that in order to be a successful entrepreneur, you must be persistent, dedicated, hardworking, realistic, and most importantly, love what you do.