The Wisconsin School of Business’ Plenary Room was the place to be on Wednesday, September 25th, when nearly 160 guests—students, faculty, staff and community members—gathered to gain entrepreneurial insights and inspiration from three distinguished UW-Madison alumni.
First up was Justin Beck, the tech founder behind Playback Rewards and co-founder of PerBlue. A 2009 UW-Madison grad with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and computer engineering, Justin’s key message was that there is so much to learn along the way telling the audience, “Slow down, meet more people, and take your time.” In his senior year he faced a pivotal choice—stay with a corporate giant like Microsoft or Google—where he had interned during college—or bet on his own startup. He chose the latter, leading to tremendous success in the mobile gaming industry where his company built hit games like Parallel Kingdom and Disney Heroes. Now, as CEO of Playback Rewards—where players get incentivized to do what they love—Justin is shaking up the mobile gaming world. His invaluable advice to students? “There’s no rush—experience is everything.”
Attendees then heard from Lenoria Addison, co-founder of the KeyTV network, an entertainment platform which democratizes content creation. A proud alum, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in life sciences communications, Lenoria presented her story using a puzzle analogy—each piece representing a different stage of her life. From uncertain beginnings to taking a bold leap into the media scene in Los Angeles, she found her true passion: amplifying diverse voices. Alongside her best friend, multihyphenate entertainment icon Keke Palmer, she’s excited about the opportunity to showcase underrepresented talent. Lenoria’s key message to the crowd? “Find your own pieces, put them together, and craft your vision.”
The last speaker was Kevin Hykes, President and CEO of CVRx, who brought a fresh yet seasoned perspective from the world of medical devices. Kevin graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in information systems. In conversation with Dan Olszewski, Goldberg Family Director of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship at the Wisconsin School of Business, Kevin relayed how his unconventional path—from consulting to healthcare—was driven by a passion to solve real world problems. A highlight of the showcase was when Kevin, with humor and humility, shared a story about passing out during a surgery he was invited to witness when in product development. “I have lost track of the number of times I fainted,” joked Kevin, revealing he didn’t start out as a “watch surgery” kind of person. Yet, his relentless drive to make a difference in the field of healthcare has revolutionized medical technology and made countless lives better. His key takeaway? “There’s no perfect job. Find one that excites you, where you can learn and make an impact.”
The event wrapped up with a lively Q&A session with all three speakers, where students fired off questions and soaked up wisdom conveyed. This was followed by a networking reception where attendees could mingle with the speakers and other budding entrepreneurs, allowing the opportunity to share even more insights.
The Weinert Center of Entrepreneurship wants to recognize and thank our co-sponsors, Discovery to Product and the StartUp Learning Community, for helping to make this event a reality and for championing the entrepreneurial spirit of Badgers everywhere!
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