Budding entrepreneurs get inspired by New York event

Joe Gelber, a 2018 MBA graduate, thinks he has a great idea for a machine that would help people recycle more efficiently. So he went to an event hosted by the Cornell Entrepreneur Network in partnership with Cornell Alumni Career Programs in New York City on June 18 to gather ideas for moving his idea forward. The event was held at the downtown offices of WilmerHale, a global law firm that is a sponsoring partner of the Entrepreneurship at Cornell program.

“I have a design for a machine, but we need to test it and see if people would use it,” said Gelber, who earned his MBA from Cornell Tech.

Eric Farng MEng ’04 is already beta testing a language-learning product that uses AI to simulate a regular classroom experience.

“Most language apps don’t offer as much listening or fluent conversation lessons,” he said. “They’re just glorified flash cards.”

Entrepreneurs like Farng and Gelber were the target audience for the “How to Get Started in Entrepreneurship” event, which included speakers Lauren Berson ’04, CEO and co-founder of Conceive; Marissa Saporta ’99, co-founder of Gorilla Commerce; and Siwat Siengsanaoh MBA ’15, co-founder of Recoup Beverage, Inc. Chris Donohoe ’09, an executive coach, moderated the discussion.

“Whether you are in a corporate job and looking to make a transition or are ready to take the next step in your career, this discussion can help you if you are wondering if you can do it, how difficult it will be and what the different paths might be,” Donohoe said as he kicked off the discussion.

Berson said she was inspired to get into tech, and then years later, start her company, after attending an event similar to this one at the Cornell Club.

“I was feeling stuck in my career and listened to a few founders, including Gwen Whiting ’94 of The Laundress,” she said of the night. “I remember being inspired and excited. I quit my job and went into the tech world, building interesting projects in digital health.”

Then, after struggling with infertility herself for seven years, she saw the opportunity to create Conceive. “I saw this opportunity and a problem that only I could solve. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I needed to build.”

Panelists discussed the importance of networking, using their connections and experiences at Cornell, and developing the ability to handle failure.

“My philosophy is that failure is the most important thing, you have to learn from those failures,” Siengsanaoh said. “And having a growth mindset and courage is also very helpful.”

They also discussed ways to determine if an idea is something you want to implement.

“When I approach a new business idea, I don’t like to reinvent the wheel,” Saporta said. “I’m interested in a business that already exists, that has a strong demand in the market, that I can learn about and talk to consumers about. I want to understand what works and what doesn’t and make sure there’s a profit opportunity. To me, there’s absolutely no excitement in creating a gadget that you think is the hottest thing, but it turns out that no one wants it.”

Gelber said he left the event with some ideas for connecting with consumers who can test his product, while Farng said he took away some ideas about developing a minimum viable product. “I’ve heard a lot of advice on all the levels where I’m going to run into problems,” he said. “It’s been really helpful to hear the advice they’ve given so far, and I’ll be seeking more advice in the future.”

Cornell alumni are encouraged to take advantage of their Cornell network and connect with the Cornell Entrepreneur Network and Cornell Alumni Career Programs to learn about upcoming events and resources.