Keynote Address: “You’ll Never Know Unless You Try”

Elisa Strauss ’98, Founder of Confetti Cakes

If you are looking for step-by-step instructions for how to put your liberal arts education to work to fulfill your dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur, you won’t find that written anywhere (sorry!)

The truth is that the lack of a clear path is what makes being an entrepreneur so hard, but also so exciting and so rewarding… if you are willing to bring relentless passion, an unwillingness to take no for an answer, and a readiness to do the grunt work.

You heard one Vassar alum’s entrepreneurship journey… from cleaning the bathroom to appearing on national TV, and everything in between.

Big Ideas, Clear Messages

Arielle LaPiano ’96, Senior Consultant and Communications Strategist at PRG

Entrepreneurship isn’t just for MIT grads—it’s for anyone with an interesting idea and the drive to bring it to life. But turning inspiration into a clear, compelling message requires skill, strategy, and practice. How do you simplify your vision, make it accessible, and make sure it sticks with your audience? That’s where this session came in. This session combined insights from communications, liberal arts and pedagogy to help you confidently convey your ideas and take ownership of your entrepreneurial presence. Whether you’re launching a startup, leading a team, or simply working to share your ideas more effectively, you left with the tools to communicate your vision in a way that people remember.

Entrepreneurship as a Mindset

Carlos Hernandez Tellez ’14, Head of UX Research at Spin

Entrepreneurship is more than launching businesses—it’s a way of thinking, questioning, and mobilizing ideas into action. This session explored how liberal arts thinking, human-centered design, and interdisciplinary problem-solving empower entrepreneurs to drive meaningful change. Through case studies, interactive exercises, and discussion, participants learned how to identify opportunities, reframe challenges, and apply an entrepreneurial mindset to any field.

Businesses for Good

Mera McGrew ’10, Founder of Soapply

Join Mera shared her journey of launching Soapply, a social impact corporation that recently won the 2024 personal care Sustainable Innovation Award from Good Housekeeping and has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Food & Wine and more. Attendees learned about bringing a product to market, building an authentic community, securing funding, navigating distribution channels, and tackling the unique opportunities and challenges of an impact-driven business today. This talk provided valuable insights for entrepreneurs and changemakers looking to make a difference, offered an opportunity to ask direct questions about a specific idea or about how products are created, tested, and distributed, and touch on how a Vassar liberal arts education has been leveraged to create and build a successful startup.

Ideas to Ventures: Scaling Impact

Carlos Hernandez Tellez ’14, Head of UX Research at Spin

How do ideas gain traction and turn into sustainable, impactful ventures? This session built on Entrepreneurship as a Mindset, offering practical strategies for structuring initiatives, mobilizing resources, and scaling ideas while staying mission-driven. Participants explored storytelling, ethical entrepreneurship, and alternative funding models, and engaged in a hands-on exercise to map out the next steps for bringing an idea to life.

Everything I Learned As A First Time Founder

Johnson Lin ’21, Lead Machine Learning Engineer at FSH Tech (Contenda)

Johnson honestly never thought about being an entrepreneur until one day, it just happened. There was a lot he was prepared for, and a lot that he could never even imagine, but as someone who built the company during his last semester of senior year, he said for certain that his liberal arts education was at the center of it all.

As Johnson’s company may go through a final pivot (hopefully), he shared his reflections and his experiences, in hope he provided guidance and inspired others to follow a path that works for them.

How My Architectural Modeling Career Was Nurtured In the Liberal Arts

James Joslyn ’85, Sole Proprietor at Artifex Designs

James shared how his degree in Art History and other liberal arts studies at Vassar created a foundation for creative problem-solving when working with world-famous architects as an architectural model builder. He also discussed how his interest in medieval architecture at Vassar spurred his creation, production, and business of selling a line of earrings based on gothic rose windows. James, in sharing his experience, hoped to inspire folks to see how the liberal arts helped one develop solutions to design problems based on broad creative and critical thought, like he did at times that were somewhat alien to coworkers who attended engineering schools

Overcoming Self Doubt

Francine Lasky ʼ90, Vistage Chair and Owner of Francine Lasky Enterprises

This session explored how overcoming self-doubt and shifting perspectives on entrepreneurship empowered participants to think more boldly, take initiative, and create meaningful change—whether in business, academia, the arts, or social impact work. Through interactive discussions, reflective exercises, and real-world examples, they broke down common misconceptions about who entrepreneurs were and reframed entrepreneurship as a mindset rather than a job title.

Engaging High School Entrepreneurs in the Innovation Ecosystem

Shaheer Adnan, Founder and CEO of SpeakNow NY

How can we cultivate the next generation of changemakers and innovators before they even step onto a college campus? High school students are full of creative ideas, yet they often lack access to the networks, mentorship, and resources needed to bring those ideas to life. This session explored strategies for engaging young entrepreneurs in the broader innovation ecosystem, helping them develop the skills, confidence, and connections to thrive.

Thinking Outside the Lines: Creative Problem-Solving in Liberal Arts

Lisa R. Kaul, Dutchess County Legislator (District 6)
Rebecca Edwards, Town Supervisor for the Town of Poughkeepsie and Professor of History on the Eloise Ellery Chair

Local government is where real change happens—from shaping policies that impact communities to addressing pressing social and economic challenges. But how does someone take the first steps toward a career in public service? What does it take to run for office, build political partnerships, and effectively govern once elected? This panel discussion featured leaders who navigated the path to local government, sharing insights on campaign strategies, coalition-building, and policymaking. Participants gained a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges of public service, as well as actionable advice on engaging with the political process, whether as candidates, advocates, or policymakers.

Building AI-Native Prototypes

Johnson Lin ’21, Lead Machine Learning Engineer at FSH Tech (Contenda)

No previous coding experience was required.
In the modern age, everything could at least use a website. Previously, we’d use no-code solutions like Squarespace. Or for more complex ideas, build a magic wand prototype with Figma. But AI has drastically changed the path to learning to code, opening up avenues for non-technical founders to build prototypes that weren’t possible before.

Participants brought a laptop, an idea, the courage to learn some technical skills, and they worked on building out their prototypes.

Innovation in Action: Funding and Resourcing Academic Projects

Alicia Atwood, Assistant Professor of Economics at Vassar College

This conversation with Professor Atwood highlighted how faculty leverage strategies to fund and resource their academic initiatives. Professor Atwood shared insights into securing grants, building partnerships, and fostering innovation in their fields. Participants joined the discussion on the intersection of academia and innovation, learning how creative resourcefulness drives impactful research and projects.

Building High-Impact Teams: Collaboration, Culture, and Leadership

Francine Lasky ’90, Vistage Chair and Owner of Francine Lasky Enterprises

A great idea alone isn’t enough—successful ventures and projects are built by strong, dynamic teams. But how do you assemble the right group of people, foster collaboration, and create a culture of trust and accountability? This hands-on workshop explored the fundamentals of team-building, from identifying complementary skills and aligning values to navigating challenges and fostering psychological safety. Participants engaged in interactive exercises to assess team dynamics, improve communication, and develop leadership strategies that supported innovation and long-term success.

Knitting Together Design, Data, and Art: Inventing, Storytelling, and Making Things that Matter

Asy Connelly, Co-Founder of The Tempestry Project & Inventor, Needle Wranglers
Emily McNeil, Co-Founder of The Tempestry Project

What began as a joke about preserving ephemeral online data using ancient traditions turned into The Tempestry Project, a creative business that blends fiber art, data visualization, and environmental activism. In this talk, Asy and Emily shared how an idea with humble beginnings grew into a nationally recognized project with numerous exhibitions in museums, schools, and public spaces. They also discussed the nuts and bolts of seeing a product through from concept to distribution. This talk explored how inventing, storytelling, and making things that matter could lead to surprising places.

Connections Expo: Conversations for What’s Next

As The Entrepreneurial Mind and the Liberal Arts signature program drew to a close, participants joined us for Connections Expo: Conversations for What’s Next—an interactive expo designed to help them take their next steps. Over the course of two hours, participants had the opportunity to connect with local and campus resources, engage with experienced mentors, and explore opportunities to further develop their ideas and ventures. Whether they sought guidance, collaboration, or inspiration, this was their chance to build meaningful relationships and chart their path forward.