Michael Jean-Paul
Communications Major, Class of 2016
I attended the Harvard Illuminate Conference to develop a better understanding for entrepreneurship, innovation in advertising, branding and marketing and innovation in finance. I came in with the expectation of gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the aforementioned business concepts with the thought that after being exposed to such, that I would further expand my body of knowledge as it relates to entrepreneurship and innovation. Additionally, I thought I would gain exposure to concepts I was unfamiliar with. I have always had a passion for entrepreneurship and innovation. I’ve read books such as, Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow rich to help me become more knowledgeable in building businesses and ultimately realizing my maximum potential as an Entrepreneur.
I have always had a passion for innovation. For example, this summer my team and I developed an app called SwipeShop. This application is available on the App Store for iOS devices and will be available on the Android platform in the beginning of the spring 2016 semester. SwipeShop is a mobile marketplace that connects local buyers and sellers for the purpose of exchanging second hand goods. To post an item, simply take a picture, add a brief description and upload it instantly for thousands to see locally. From here you can bid on selected items, after which the seller will accept or reject your bid. Once a deal is in place, a conversation where you can negotiate the final price and plan a destination to complete the transaction will emerge.
After attending the Harvard Illuminate Conference, I gained exposure to industry experts in entrepreneurship and innovation and have been impressed with the lessons I learned. I learned about the steps necessary to raise venture capital through seed funding, the power of networking, marketing a start-up and about technology start-ups from the ground-up. I value the connections and lessons I learned from recent Harvard Alumni as well as other entrepreneurs from all over the globe and believe this experience to be invaluable as it has helped me develop relationships that I believe will prove to be an asset throughout my career in venture capital and entrepreneurship.