The comment that Charles Merritt, executive director of the Minor in Entrepreneurship, gets most often from students is “This program is so different. You spend so much time with us, helping us with internships, job searches and our future careers.”
The five entrepreneurs-in-residence (three re-appointed, two recently hired) play a big role in connecting with students and bringing that valuable experience into the classroom.
“We love the fact that we are in the College of Arts and Sciences. We think this is a great way to take an academic pursuit or passion and then add this layer of skills that helps you develop an entrepreneurial mindset,” Merritt said. “It’s a great marriage between the liberal arts and the applied/practical. The entrepreneurs-in-residence are helping our students become better problem-solvers in the real world.”
Entrepreneurs-in-residence teach classes, mentor students, counsel them on internships and job opportunities, help them network and make connections, and more. They represent different industries that enhance students’ exposure to the nine tracks in the minor: commercial, social, scientific, artistic, sport, public health, design, media and computer science.
They bring the “wow” factor in terms of their experience and background, Merritt said. (And Bernard Bell, Jan Davis and Jennifer Halsey are Carolina alums).
New entrepreneur-in-residence Halsey, for instance, lives in Silicon Valley and has had “an incredible career in investment banking and advisory services and angel investing,” Merritt said. Halsey, who is also the new chair of the UNC Board of Visitors, will be the on-the-ground, entrepreneur-in-residence for the new Burch Field Research Seminar in Silicon Valley.
Recently hired entrepreneur-in-residence Ed Strong of Dodger Theatricals Ltd./Dodger Properties is a “Tony Award-winning producer who has produced 30-plus Broadway shows, including Jersey Boys,” Merritt said. “The arts are an incredibly entrepreneurial endeavor.”
Entrepreneurs-in-residence include:
- Bernard Bell (re-appointed): Bell is managing director, Urban Media Solutions (UMS), a media consulting firm headquartered in Washington D.C. Launched in 2010, Urban Media coaches high growth startups, corporations and government agencies on traditional media and digital strategy around the urban market. Bell was most recently the senior vice president, Office of the President, for TV One, the lifestyle and entertainment cable network.
- Jan Davis: (re-appointed): Davis is retired CEO and active board member and adviser of companies in software, analytics, direct and interactive marketing, and personal information. She is an investor in Triangle Angel Partners and is the immediate past president of its executive committee. She serves on the investment committee of The Launch Place Seed Fund, as an executive-in-residence for the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network and the screening committee for the Carolina Angel Network.
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Bernard Bell is among the entrepreneurs-in-residence who play a big role in connecting with students and bringing that valuable experience into the classroom. (photo by Kristen Chavez) Jed Simmons (re-appointed): Simmons is a principal in Frozen Pond Ventures, an advisory firm working mostly with young and growth media companies. He was formerly the global head of news content partnerships for YouTube, where his team managed partners including ABC News, Vice News, the Associated Press, The Verge, The Wall Street Journal, BBC World News, BuzzFeed and more. Prior to the news role, he ran the funded channels team for YouTube in Europe, where he was responsible for overseeing the original channels initiative across the region.
- Jennifer Halsey (new): Halsey is an investor and strategic adviser to high-growth medical technology companies with innovative products in cancer therapy, stroke prevention, diabetes, cardiac rhythm management and digital diagnostics. She focuses on capital-efficient execution, working collaboratively with entrepreneurs and shareholders to determine the optimal path for value creation and the ideal timing and process to engage in partnership discussions.
- Ed Strong (new): Strong was one of the founding partners of Dodger, a theatrical producing partnership, and is today secretary/treasurer of Dodger Theatricals Ltd. Dodger is responsible for over 150 productions in North America, London, Europe, Australia and more. Productions have received a host of awards worldwide, from Broadway’s Tony to London’s Olivier to Canada’s Dora Awards. Notable productions include Pump Boys and Dinettes, Big River, Into the Woods, The Gospel at Colonus (Morgan Freeman), The Secret Garden, Guys and Dolls, Hamlet (Ralph Fiennes), How to Succeed (Matthew Broderick), Once Upon a Mattress (Sarah Jessica Parker), The King and I (Lou Diamond Phillips), The Music Man, Matilda and more.
