UNC CHARLOTTE |
a l u m n i p ro f i l e
Noah Lazes
King of Charlotte’s Entertainment Scene By Rhiannon Bowman
“The day after giving the commencement speech to Tau Beta Pi, I opened Fat Tuesdays.” If it weren’t for a thoughtful dean, Charlotte wouldn’t be the city it is today. Robert Snyder, retired dean of UNC Charlotte’s William States Lee College of Engineering, saw something in Noah Lazes, and he made sure the young student saw something in Charlotte, too. Lazes, president of the ARK group, is the man responsible for the N.C. Music Factory and numerous other clubs throughout the Queen City. Before choosing to attend UNC Charlotte, he applied to Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Penn State University. He says Dean Snyder told him to consider the cities surrounding each university, and pay close attention to the entrepreneurial opportunities each offered. “You could see Charlotte transforming,” Lazes says. “At that time, it felt like a small town with a lot of potential.” He chose to attend UNC Charlotte, despite not knowing a soul in the city. A choice, it turns out, that was fiscally wise as well. He credits the Noah Lazes 32 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine
|
Q409
www.UNCC.edu