Empowering Student Startups at Texas A&M with Shelly Brenckman
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Produced by Speakerbox Media. Visit softeq.com/forging-the-future-podcast for more episodes, detailed show notes, and access to additional resources.
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- Connect with Chris Howard on LinkedIn
- Check out Softeq on the Softeq website
Key Insights & Timestamps:
- [00:00]: Podcast begins
- [01:47]: Entrepreneurship in her DNA: Shelly’s first business at 10 years old
- [08:05]: Gaining fundraising experience & going back to school at A&M
- [18:55]: Startup Aggieland: from dormcubator to #5 global university accelerator
- [25:34]: Lessons from a student-run startup accelerator program
- [28:26]: 1876 Ventures: Texas A&M’s independent student venture studio
- [36:46]: Advice for the gig economy & the importance of life-long learning
Guest Spotlight:
Shelly Brenckman, Director of 1876 Ventures
At 10 years old, Shelly Brenckman founded her first company (a neighborhood newspaper) and she’s been a hardworking innovator and entrepreneur ever since. In 2010, after exiting her company of 20 years, Shelly returned to school at Texas A&M, where she leveraged her fundraising network and her entrepreneurial skills to get involved in A&M’s Startup Aggieland. Most recently, Shelly’s work at Startup Aggieland led her to become the Director at a Texas A&M student-managed startup accelerator and venture studio, 1876 Venture.
Key Takeaways:
- Startup Aggieland taught Shelly a lot about the potential and challenges of student-led entrepreneurship, especially when it came to the human element. Rules around revenue and intellectual property were a given, but an analysis of their program was necessary to implement systems that tapped into students with great ideas and match them with others who were willing to take risks and learn alongside them.
- When comparing the Texas startup ecosystem to startups around the world, especially in Europe, Shelly describes Texas’ approach as global and high quality, with top talent and all the necessary elements to turn startups into successful companies. However, the difference Shelly has noticed is the lack of cohesive and united discussion, which hinders Texas innovators and slows growth.
- For students and aspiring entrepreneurs in the current gig economy, Shelly imparts the advice of embracing life-long learning opportunities. Shelly admires today’s students for their innovative ideas and willingness to work from new environments, whether that is at home or abroad. When it comes to innovation, a wide variety of learning experiences and environments is key.
Resources Mentioned:
Startup Grind | startupgrind.com, 1876 Ventures | linkedin.com/company/1876-ventures
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