Archive for category: University of Nevada Las Vegas

Watch this 15-minute interview with Jaun Carlo Pascua, 2010 Student Ambassador from UNLV, and you’ll get a sense for why we believe Patience, Persistence and Perseverance are three important qualities in a student changemaker.

2010 Student Ambassador from the inaugural group has been working way for the last three years, unbeknownst to me. Last I spoke with him in April 2011, Juan Carlo was at the end of his rope disappointed that only a handful of people attended his entrepreneurship I2V event. Having come from UC Santa Cruz and placed in the clean energy competition, Juan Carlo knew what a high-functioning ecosystem looked like. He had a vision that Las Vegas, with its infamous ‘strip’ and casino energy users would ultimately aspire to invent and innovate for the better. His efforts at University of Nevada Las Vegas are just starting to bear fruit.

Anyone know how much energy is consumed in Las Vegas?

For one, Tony Hsieh of Zappos moved company headquarters within a stones throw of the main drag and declared a commitment to make for a more vibrant creative community. To add to this, UNLV hired an entrepreneur in residence who offers up his home, the mansion formerly owned by Mike Tyson, for entrepreneurial events. Innovation is an idea whose time has finally come. The moral of the story is that it is a LONG road. Student changemakers, you will get a lot of no’s. You will get people telling you what you can and cannot do. There will be many red herrings. One of the most important things you can remember is to stay focused and persistent on the goal of cultivating the entrepreneurial climate on your campus.

~ Humera Fasihuddin, Manager of Student Programming, T: @ihumera