Sam Seltzer has been committed to personal enterprise throughout his life. In 1960, he founded Allison Corporation, a company that manufactures and sells a wide variety of automobile accessories with facilities in East Asia, Europe, and the United States. Allison was one of the first American companies to do business in Mainland China.
By the early 1980s, Sam came to recognize the need for undergraduate education in business skills, specifically for those young people wishing to join family enterprises or for those willing to make the commitment and to take the risks to start their own businesses. Thus, he became the founding chairman of Cornell PEP (Personal Enterprise Program); a program which began with one course in Business Planning, quickly grew to over 35 courses, mostly at the undergraduate level, and eventually merged into Entrepreneurship@Cornell (Entrepreneurship@Cornell).
In 1954, Seltzer started one of the first manufacturing operations to be set up under the Puerto Rican government's Operation Boot Strap. He was founder and an officer of the Commonwealth Manufacturers Association of Puerto Rico and the Plastic Manufacturers Association of Puerto Rico. The U.S. and Puerto Rican governments appointed him to serve on their respective committees to determine minimum wages for the island. From 1975-92, Sam Seltzer was also an officer and trustee of the Pension Fund of the United Furniture and Bedding Workers Union.
Sam Seltzer is a graduate of Cornell University.
Jerry Goldman is a senior tax partner at Ernst & Young. Goldman began his career in audit at Arthur Young before swtiching to the tax field. Arthur Young merged with Ernst and Whinney in 1989 to become Ernst & Young.
Jerry Goldman received his underegraduate degree from Cornell University and his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Steven Wells is Chief Operating Officer of American Food & Vending Corporation. Founded in 1990 in Syracuse, N.Y., American Food & Vending has expanded beyond its original charter as a dining account to become one of the largest independent corporate dining and vending firms in the U.S. The company has consistently achieved annual growth rates exceeding 20 percent by carving out a niche as a viable alternative to the three large international foodservice companies. Clients include Anheuser-Busch, General Motors, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Nestle-Purina Petcare.
This lecture is part of the "Conversations with Entrepreneurs" series presented by the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.
Steven Wells is a graduate of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.
Joshua Wells is General Counsel of American Food & Vending Corporation. Founded in 1990 in Syracuse, N.Y., American Food & Vending has expanded beyond its original charter as a dining account to become one of the largest independent corporate dining and vending firms in the U.S. The company has consistently achieved annual growth rates exceeding 20 percent by carving out a niche as a viable alternative to the three large international foodservice companies. Clients include Anheuser-Busch, General Motors, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Nestle-Purina Petcare.
Joshua Wells is graduate of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.
<p>Alexandra Levit's goal is to help people find meaningful jobs - quickly and simply - and to succeed beyond measure once they get there. In February 2010, she was named as the Wall Street Journal's newest career columnist and writes the Reinvent column that anchors the nationally syndicated Sunday Journal and appears weekly on WSJ.com. </p> <p>Also a current columnist for Metro US, Alexandra has authored several books, including the popular They Don't Teach Corporate in College (Career Press 2004 and 2009), How'd You Score That Gig? (Random House/Ballantine, 2008), Success for Hire (ASTD Press, 2008), MillennialTweet (SuperStar, 2009), and New Job, New You (Random House/Ballantine, 2010). Her book on the top myths of business success is due out from Penguin/Berkley in spring 2011. </p> <p>Alexandra Levit is a member of the Business Roundtable's Springboard Project, which is advising the Obama administration on current workplace issues. She graduated from Northwestern University.</p>
<p>Diane Darling is an author and Founder and CEO of Effective Networking, Inc. She founded the company on the premise that everyone can learn to network, they just need to find their own style.</p> <p>Combining interactive training, strategic planning and an exploration of the natural fears of networking, Darling demystifies the process by providing techniques that can be immediately implemented. </p> <p>She has received rave reviews for her seminars and speeches and is increasingly sought after as an expert resource on the subject of networking. </p> <p>McGraw-Hill commissioned her to write the definitive book on networking called The Networking Survival Guide which was published in April 2003 and went into a 2nd printing just 90 days after the book hit the shelves. The book has been translated into Korean and Taiwanese. In 2005, McGraw-Hill published her 2nd book, Networking for Career Success which has since been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, and Thai. </p> <p>Darling has appeared on NBC Nightly News, in The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, and The Boston Globe. She is also a monthly columnist for the Boston Business Journal and teaches in the MBA program at Boston University.</p>
<p>Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of Green Careers For Dummies and is one of the nation's leading green career experts. Throughout her career, Carol has helped thousands of people find work that matches their values and interests. </p> <p>In addition to writing Green Careers For Dummies, Carol is the Founder and Executive Director of Green Career Central. This online resource center dedicated to providing career guidance, coaching, and resources to clarify the ever-evolving world of green career possibilities for professionals and career counselors.</p> <p>Carol McClelland has a PhD in Industrial / Organizational Psychology from Purdue University.</p>
<p>Linda Yaffe, Leadership Development and Certified Executive Coach, works with career-minded men and women who want to focus on the leadership competencies and personal branding strategies that will move them to a greater level of professional and financial achievement. Linda incorporates her 16 years of front-line business experience, including senior and executive positions, to provide the essential skills, competencies and strategies needed to perform, advance and lead in today's workplace environment. </p> <p>While serving as Senior Vice President at the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Linda personally interviewed, hired, and coached numerous high achieving men and women. Linda abides by the strict code of confidentiality and adheres to the highest standard of ethics in accordance with the International Coach Federation. </p> <p>Linda Yaffe attended Temple University.</p?
<p>Drew Conklin works in Strategy & Operations for Deloitte Consulting in Washington, D.C. He currently works with governmental clients in the firm's federal practice. </p> <p>He previously completed internships in real estate consulting and investment management with firms in Queensland, Australia and Beverly Hills, California. </p> <p>Drew Conklin is a graduate of Cornell University.</p>