NC State introduced its new Albright Speaker Series Monday evening in Innovation Hall with a presentation by Raleigh community entrepreneur Ash Bell. Bell is the executive director of BizDev at Updater, a web application that makes the process of changing residence easier for students.
Bell’s company specializes in software that organizes residence information, such as banking, mailing and utilities. He is currently in the process of securing a deal with NC State to use his student housing application, Updater, to make students’ lives easier and help the university save time and money.
For the month of January, Bell will be working as a mentor and speaker with the Innovation Hall community and Entrepreneur Village.
The Albright speaker is a sponsor of the Entrepreneur’s Village, a living and learning community located in Wolf Ridge’s Innovation Hall building for upperclassmen at NC State interested in entrepreneurship, according to Ebony Hinton, director of the NC State Entrepreneurship Program.
“This particular series is called Launch so it helps students understand all the basics and fundamentals of starting a startup—everything from business development to marketing sales, as well as how to give a compelling pitch,” Hinton said.
During the presentation, Bell stressed the importance launching a business with what he calls the Five P’s: The Problem, Product, Plan, People and Passion.
Michael Rosenberg, a freshman in industrial engineering, said he appreciated that Bell’s presentation was geared toward discussing the development of his company beyond simply gaining profits.
“I found it interesting how he gave the whole spiel on the development and the company but he never talked about how he was making money,” Rosenberg said. “It seemed to be the last of his concerns so that was valuable in the perspective that it was not about revenue but prospect and passion.”
Bell said he is looking most forward to meeting a lot of the students in the village and program through the Speaker’s Series.
“I think there are a lot of bright minds here, and I am looking forward to see what these students are doing and what help I can give to help them be successful,” Bell said.
Aaron Defreitas, a junior studying aerospace engineering, runs a small business that makes wood cutouts for occasions, such as Christmas ornaments and Valentine’s Day gifts. Defreitas said Bell’s presentation was helpful for the business he currently runs with his roommate.
“He showed us a lot of ideas on how we can keep our business in track, and I enjoyed hearing about what I should be doing with this business me and my roommate have started,” Defreitas said. “It really helped evaluate where we were and which steps to take next.”
Brian Dawson, a senior studying mechanical engineering enjoyed the enthusiasm Bell had for his business.
“I think I learned how he set up price point by comparing his functionality to the other things that are being charged in the same market, and I really enjoyed hearing how he’s done it starting up,” Dawson said.
As concluding advice, Bell explained how important it is to find mentors and network. He ended with a reminder to not be afraid to make mistakes.
“I have a lot of confidence in myself, and I’m not afraid of failure,” Bell said.
