Wanting a CEO lifestyle
Knowing what to do to make yourself appeal to those who can jump start your career
Aren Dow
Issue date: 9/17/09 Section: News
"(We want to) get other people, a web programmer, an engineer, a teacher, a dentist, anybody who can help us formulate better plans," Harrison said.
The 36 people who will ultimately make up the CEO group will be chosen based on a "point system," targeting what Harrison is looking for in applicants. However, he said sometimes there could be intangibles that put an applicant beyond another.
"We're looking for passionate people," Harrison said. "I'd rather take a kid with a 2.5 (GPA) that has all the passion in the world, than a 4.0 guy that just wants to put it on his resume."
SIUE is not the only place CEO is looking to make an impact. Harrison said they plan to go to local schools to educate children on the idea of starting a new business.
"We're talking about going to Edwardsville High School," Harrison said. "We've talked about having seminars on being an entrepreneur because we feel kids don't know enough about it."
Harrison said taking a business idea to CEO is advantageous for students because the familiarity of a fellow student is combined with CEO's resources.
"I can tell them where to go, point them in the right direction. We're basically the student outreach of the entrepreneur center that the school offers here," Harrison said. "I think students feel more comfortable talking to people their age."
Not only is Harrison helping others through the program, he is developing a business idea of his own: a program similar to Blackboard. Harrison is taking the idea of the Blackboard system, but giving it more of a social meeting aspect, much like Facebook.
"Think outside the box, and don't just go work for a corporation," Harrison said. "Actually go out and make the next product."
The 36 people who will ultimately make up the CEO group will be chosen based on a "point system," targeting what Harrison is looking for in applicants. However, he said sometimes there could be intangibles that put an applicant beyond another.
"We're looking for passionate people," Harrison said. "I'd rather take a kid with a 2.5 (GPA) that has all the passion in the world, than a 4.0 guy that just wants to put it on his resume."
SIUE is not the only place CEO is looking to make an impact. Harrison said they plan to go to local schools to educate children on the idea of starting a new business.
"We're talking about going to Edwardsville High School," Harrison said. "We've talked about having seminars on being an entrepreneur because we feel kids don't know enough about it."
Harrison said taking a business idea to CEO is advantageous for students because the familiarity of a fellow student is combined with CEO's resources.
"I can tell them where to go, point them in the right direction. We're basically the student outreach of the entrepreneur center that the school offers here," Harrison said. "I think students feel more comfortable talking to people their age."
Not only is Harrison helping others through the program, he is developing a business idea of his own: a program similar to Blackboard. Harrison is taking the idea of the Blackboard system, but giving it more of a social meeting aspect, much like Facebook.
"Think outside the box, and don't just go work for a corporation," Harrison said. "Actually go out and make the next product."
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