Rowan TEDx: embrace entrepreneurship and technology, and don’t be afraid to fail

There comes a time in every great entrepreneur’s journey when they realize they’re going to fail.

What makes them great is it doesn’t stop them.

Thomas Edison, who may be best known for inventing the lightbulb, held more than 1,000 U.S. patents but famously said of all the ideas that didn’t pan out, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

On April 25, Rowan University held its first TEDx program, a student-run event in Business Hall centered on the themes of entrepreneurship and innovation that similarly encouraged budding entrepreneurs to accept that failure is not just a common part of eventual success, but often necessary.

Arranged by this year’s cohort of University Innovation Fellows – a program housed within the Rowan Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship – the event featured a series of speakers who addressed some of the challenges and joys of entrepreneurship.

Alumnus Shawn Hill ’98, a managing partner at Garden State Venture Partners, said despite the growing presence of artificial intelligence across the commercial landscape, it is more important than ever to consider humanity in business, especially when starting one.

“We know that when humans thrive, companies thrive,” Hill said.

Imploring student entrepreneurs to “be sustainable, build with clarity, and build with purpose,” he said aspiring businesspeople should ignore Silicon Valley get rich quick stories.

“Use your human superpowers as you move forward, and use technology when you can,” he said.

Speaking for about 15 minutes each, guests relayed stories of starting, stopping, and succeeding, a wild ride that successful businesspeople don’t just learn to live with, but often cannot live without.

MBA Fellow Siena Rampulla, who in 2023 won the Rohrer College of Business’s New Venture Competition and $30,000 in funding to support the rollout of a women’s safety app she designed, spoke about “the bags we carry,” a metaphor for the lessons that people, especially businesspeople, acquire.

“It takes a special kind of crazy to be an entrepreneur,” Rampulla said with a broad grin, toting a fashionable bag of her own. “We create solutions out of thin air… (and) we’re crazy enough to follow our passions, no matter how many ‘no’s’ we hear.”

Her own “bags” included a setback for her PULLATracker app when a software bug delayed the app’s launch. That experience became a lesson that hardened her resolve to succeed, Rampulla said.

“Life is going to give us bags no matter what,” she said. “How we wear them is what’s important.”

Small business owner and alumnus Fred Hodge ’06, president and co-founder of Clearview Washing and Exterior Cleaning in Howell Township, advised business owners and would-be businesspeople to embrace and experiment with AI, even if they don’t quite understand it yet.

Relating the experiences of major corporations like Blockbuster Video, Toys-R-Us, Sears and Blackberry, he said they did not readily adapt to technological changes and market conditions, and they ultimately failed.

“The common theme is they all waited too long,” said Hodge, one of the first graduates from Rowan’s entrepreneurship program and a member of the University's entrepreneurship advisory board.

AI, Hodge said, can be intimidating, it “scares people,” and it can’t replace human connection, but it can help with a lot of mundane tasks like automated emails, social marketing, even advertising, which can free up businesspeople to do other, more enjoyable activities.

“Think AI + human, not AI instead of human,” Hodge said. “You don’t need a tech degree, just the courage to start.”

Rowan’s entrepreneurship program, offered through the Rohrer College of Business’s School of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, is the top-rated program of its type in New Jersey and #37 nationally, according to The Princeton Review.

Learn more about all invited speakers and Rowan’s first TEDx program.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of discovering and spreading ideas, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED
TED is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to discovering, debating and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change. Our organization is devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge — without an agenda. We welcome people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world and connection with others, and we invite everyone to engage with ideas and activate them in your community.