Entrepreneurs blaze their own trails

Exemplifying the challenge of being an entrepreneur, Ellen Thompson explained that she learned more about business from failing than anything else. Thompson -- one of three speakers on a panel last Thursday called the "Entrepreneurship Seminar: From Student to Millionaire" -- is the founder of KnowItAllInc.com, a company which specializes in computer-based training. Panelists Nicole Kubin and Jeffrey Babin, a lecturer in the Management Department, also discussed their lives as entrepreneurs in front of a full classroom of more than 90 people in Vance Hall in an event organized by the Sigma Pledge Class of Delta Sigma Pi. While their experiences were varied, all three panelists agreed that students should use the University to its fullest, network among fellow students and "milk the faculty," as Babin suggested. Babin highly recommended taking entrepreneurial classes in Wharton, stating that they are some of the most practical classes offered at the University. Kubin, 46 and the most experienced entrepreneur of the group, had two main lessons to impart to the mostly Wharton audience. "Grab the moment" and "gain accountability," she advised, stating that an entrepreneur must be both reliable and discreet. The creator of Cornerstone Capital Advisors, an Internet consulting company, Kubin first gained her knowledge as the youngest vice president in the history of Salomon Smith Barney. Despite a rocky start, Thompson's company was recently rated as the sixth fastest growing firm in Eastern Pennsylvania Technology Fast 50 by the consulting firm Deloitte and Touche. She explained that she became an entrepreneur because she felt an inner drive for the field. "For me it's about creating a company, creating wealth and creating opportunity," Thompson said. Additionally, Thompson described the difficulties of raising money for a company, especially as a 21-year-old, which she was 10 years ago when she created her World Wide Web site. The final speaker, Babin, was originally a member of a band while a student in college. In addition to his position in Wharton, he is currently president of Corporate Technology Ventures Inc. The company, beginning as purely a consulting group, has expanded into Internet solutions development. Before starting his own company, Babin managed several multimedia and technology development projects for Fortune 1000 clients such as IBM, AT&T; and Hewlett Packard. He looks forward to recruiting new students from his entrepreneurship classes to work for his company. Students who attended the conference said they obtained practical advice. "I left the conference with very important knowledge," Wharton freshman Juan Salame said. "It was amazing!" another Wharton freshman, Alejandro Maldonado, said excitedly.