TEDx NYIT: Persistence and Community

Photo (from left): Tracy Chadwell, Michael Silva, Fereshteh Forough, Dorothéa Bozicolona-Volpe, Nora Poggi, Nada Anid, Ph.D., and Brian Rashid.

Ambition alone rarely takes you to the top. Entrepreneurs need persistence and the support of a community to succeed. In April, eight business leaders gathered at NYIT-Manhattan for Persistence and Community, a TEDx talk hosted by NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, to share their experiences on the road to success. “Learn to take risks, to fail, to be resilient, to be persistent, and to understand the importance of community and a support system to rely on,” said speaker Nora Poggi, director of She Started It, a documentary about women tech founders. Hear more advice from the speakers below:

Dean Nada Anid, Ph.D. kicked off the talk by relating her story of persistence that led her to her becoming the first female dean of the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences and proclaiming her belief in “the power that comes from within, the power to empower, and the power that glues us together, one to another, to form a community.”

The participants also discussed struggles female entrepreneurs face. “Women have been taught to wait, to be asked,” said Tracy Chadwell, founding partner of 1843 Capital. She urged women to flip the script and explained how she quickly moved up the ladder at an investment firm by using her “three know’s to a yes” method. “Know your audience, know yourself and your value proposition, and don’t take no for an answer,” she said.

Joanne Wilson, chief executive officer of Gotham Gal Ventures, said that women should have more ambition and confidence in themselves. She also called for more investment in women’s businesses. “We’re at a tipping point. Women’s businesses are becoming an unstoppable force that will change how we live.”

Dean Nada Anid, Ph.D., addressing the audience at Persistence and Community, a TEDx talk at NYIT-Manhattan.

As a refugee, Fereshteh Forough, founder and chief executive officer of Code to Inspire, faced many challenges. Her experiences taught her how to adapt and survive in the face of extraordinary hardships and the importance of knowledge and community. Through Code to Inspire, she is teaching female students in Afghanistan to code, to use technology as a tool for empowerment, and to never give up.

“What will the future be like?” asked Christopher Schroeder, an entrepreneur, venture investor, and author of Startup Rising. Speaking about the potential of a global digital community, he noted that increased access to smart devices in the Middle East and northern Africa is giving people a sense of empowerment and is leading to more collaboration.

Local experiences can also make an impact, said Brian Rashid, chief executive officer of A Life in Shorts. He was inspired by values he learned from his grandparents—who were small business owners. “Businesses can set themselves apart and build real, people-focused communities by combining their access to a borderless world with their genuine concern for the satisfaction of their customers and community,” he said.

Michael Silva, president and chief executive officer of the technology advisory and consulting firm, ArchonOne, was similarly inspired. To this day, he lives by what he learned from his grandfather: “The definition of success is the positive impact you leave on the lives of others.” He also shared how his experience as a Boy Scout prompted him to get out of his comfort zone and use his strengths and skills to give back to the community.

Perhaps Dorothéa Bozicolona-Volpe, social media marketing consultant, summed the day up best when she explained that people will always encounter obstacles in their journey through life, but it is through persistence and the support of one’s community that they will be empowered.