Ithaca College’s new Bomber Entrepreneurship Network hosted its inaugural event Oct. 12 at the Harvard Club in Boston. Panelists spoke about their experiences in their perspective fields as entrepreneurs and advised students.
The Bomber Entrepreneurship Network was created in a partnership with Michael Johnson-Cramer, dean of the School of Business; Quincy Davidson, associate vice president of engagement; and Brett Bossard, executive director of alumni and family engagement.
Johnson-Cramer said they wanted to create a space where aspiring entrepreneurs and experienced mentors could come together and network. The program was made possible by a donation of an undisclosed amount from Tom Grape ’80. The students paid $100 each for the trip, but the event was also combined with another event called “Meet the Firms.”
The “Meet the Firms” trip was three days long and consisted of a visit to the Cambridge Innovation Center, an alumni dinner and meetings with successful entrepreneurs throughout Boston. The trip gave students more networking opportunities and the chance to learn more about their field.
“The idea is really to access and activate the entrepreneurial community in each of the geographies that we have significant alumni bases,” Johnson-Cramer said.
Faculty, staff, alumni and 14 students attended the event. Johnson-Cramer said the students had to submit an application and resume to be considered and only a few were selected. The event provided students with the opportunity to gain experience networking and listen to professionals from a variety of industries. They were able to have conversations with panelists and gain feedback on some of their ideas.
Johnson-Cramer said the Bomber Entrepreneurship Network is a first step toward enhancing the range of professional networks available, which can continue to add value throughout an alumnus’ life. He said he wanted to create a program that further connected aspiring entrepreneurs with experienced mentors.
“That kind of cross-fertilization across generations is such a neat part of the idea of creating lifelong learning,” Johnson-Cramer said.
One of the panelists was Joshua Milne ’96, who is the co-founder and COO of Boston Sports Partners, a sports and entertainment marketing agency, and the founder of Joshua Milne PR.
Milne spoke highly of his experiences in the sports information and communications program. This major no longer exists, but it has melded into the current sports media major. He said Ellen Staurowsky, professor in the Department of Media Arts, Sciences and Studies and Wayne Blann, retired professor in the Department of Sport Management, and other professors have created a network for him that got him where he is today.
“In the sports world in particular, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” Milne said. “So because of the relationships that those professors in the school have created, and because of how well-received Ithaca College students are within the industry, it’s been a lot easier to get my foot in the door.”
Chris Palmieri ’96, president and CEO of Commonwealth Care Alliance, was another panelist. Commonwealth Care Alliance provides individualized healthcare to people in severe need. Palmieri said he has helped people with financial troubles, mental illnesses, physical disabilities and substance use disorders. His company also has other businesses, including Winter Street Ventures, which invests in entrepreneurial ideas.
Palmieri said the college has given him connections throughout his educational and professional journey.
“As I was a graduating senior, many alumni were reaching out to me to interview me and give me opportunities to join the working world,” Palmieri said. “That was really important to me that I had both. First of all, the academic opportunity to get real-life experience, but then also the potential to get employed through others who have gone through the programs that I went through years prior.”
The connections the college’s alumni network provides have paved the way for countless student careers. Senior Miles Olivetti said he was able to make valuable connections at the networking event, including one with Milne.
“It felt like the business owners wanted Ithaca students to work for their companies, which felt good,” Olivetti said. “It felt like we were needed.”
The panelists gave the students many pieces of advice. Palmieri said he explained the process of choosing who to invest in like choosing who he would pick to go on a camping trip with. No matter the weather or struggles, Palmieri said it will still be a fun trip with the right person.
Milne advised students to not give up after rejection and not take failures personally.
“At some point, you just kind of have to jump in and kind of be willing to be flexible and pivot as the business grows,” Milne said.
Junior Nina Kiria also said she had a rewarding experience at the event, as she was able to have one-on-one conversations with multiple alumni. Kiria said one of the panelists, Bobbie Carlton ’86, stood out to her because of her emphasis on women empowerment within entrepreneurship. Both Olivetti and Kiria said they got contact information for multiple alumni to contact when they have questions or are looking for employment. The networking done at the event formed long-term connections between students and alumni.
“It makes me motivated to have them as an example,” Kiria said. “If they could achieve it, I could achieve it too because they also were in my position at some point.”
There are two more events similar to this one happening this academic year. Johnson-Cramer said a virtual chat with alumni and a trip to New York City are in the works. This event was only the beginning of the Bomber Entrepreneurship Network.
As an alumnus who benefitted from alumni connections when he was here, Palmieri said he sees the value of the program from both angles.
“Ithaca College is a great educational landscape because we have our alumni that care so much about our students in their development,” Palmieri said.
