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Alumnus shares his insights In October, the College of Business was fortunate to have alumnus Roger Akers visit. He was the first speaker for the College’s new Graduate Association of Business Students (GABS) Executive Speaker Series. Initiated by Dean Dr. Shane Hunt and Director of Graduate Studies Kristine McCarty, the GABS Executive Speaker series brings in successful alumni from the College of Business graduate programs to speak to students about their career trajectory. This provides networking opportunities and allows current students to witness the successes of those that have come before them.
A California resident, Akers traveled a few hundred miles to share his experience
knowing what venture capitalists want to see before investing.
with College of Business students. Over the course of the day, Akers had lunch with members of the GABS club, visited a number of classes and went on a
When asked by a student what his greatest piece of advice would be, Akers
campus tour. Akers spent a great deal of time connecting with current students
responded, “People in our world take far too little risk in their lives. They settle.
in the College of Business graduate programs. “Roger helped us understand
Take risks and trust yourself that things will turn out okay.” This seemed to be
how to apply complex concepts like taking risks and failing, he even gave us
the theme of the day, and it struck a chord with many of the students.
interviewing tips,” shared Nikole Layton, a GABS member pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and Master of Healthcare Administration
“Our students appreciate the opportunity to learn from the experiences of
(MHA) degree.
those more advanced in their careers. Roger’s visit was a great success, and we look forward to inviting more graduate program alumni back in the future,”
Akers’s speech focused on dealing with venture capital firms as an entrepreneur. As a founder of the successful Akers Capital LLC, he has had firsthand experience
said McCarty.
