Entrepreneurship Summit

Industry-leading executives and self-made entrepreneurs headlined the Entrepreneurship Summit. Attendees were treated to panel sessions guaranteed to inspire conversation and collaboration as prominent alumni lead thought-provoking discussions.

Speakers apply their knowledge and expertise to address a range of topics and challenges facing the entrepreneurial community today. The series of interactive talks tackle the most pressing issues across the creative industries.

From leadership development and tech trends to startup culture and the post-pandemic economy, the sessions were designed to ignite passionate debate and establish new and lasting relationships.

Available On-Demand

The full Entrepreneurship Summit is available to play on-demand. Click on the hamburger icon (called Chapters) in the video toolbar to access individual sessions.

The Entrepreneurship Summit took place on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in the Katie Murphy Amphitheatre. 

The FIT Entrepreneurship Summit 2023 is powered by the FIT Center for Continuing and Professional Studies (CCPS) in partnership with the FIT Foundation.

Schedule

7:30–9 am  Check-In and Continental Networking Breakfast


9-9:05 am Opening remarks by Jacqueline M. Jenkins, Interim Executive Director of FIT's Center for Continuing and Professional Studies


9:05–9:15 am  Welcome with FIT President Joyce F. Brown


9:15–10 am  Keynote Speaker: A Conversation with Victor Glemaud (Q&A from 9:45 to 10 am)


10:05–10:50 am  Panel 1: Fashion Entrepreneurship: Building Your Brand


10:50–11:15 am  Break


11:15 am–noon  Panel 2: Mastering Your Pitch and Raising Capital


Noon–12:45 pm  Panel 3: An Entrepreneur's Introduction to Blockchain, Crypto, NFTs, and Web3


12:45–1 pm   Closing remarks by Philips McCarty, Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the FIT Foundation.

Entrepreneurship Summit Luncheon

1:15–3 pm   Luncheon featuring the 2022 PETE Prize Winner  (limited tickets available)

The Summit will conclude with a luncheon in Dubinsky Student Center (8th Floor) where guests will hear from the winner of the 2022 PETE Prize, Haley Schwartz. The PETE Prize for undergraduate and graduate students is an FIT DTech Lab award which recognizes excellence in the development of fresh, insightful and creative ideas translated into an execution focused business plan that leverages innovative design oriented thinking. All Panelists will be invited to attend the luncheon.

Learn More

Keynote Presenter: A Conversation with Victor Glemaud

Victor Glemaud

Victor Glemaud

Victor Glemaud is the founder of the eponymous collection of joyous statement knitwear, designed for all people, genders, races, sizes, and personalities. Launched in 2015, his iconic slashed sweaters and curve-hugging dresses have been worn by global celebrities and influencers, including Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, Ashley Graham, Indya Moore, Sienna Miller, Dominique Jackson, Dakota Johnson, Florence Pugh, Hailey Baldwin, Issa Rae, Iman, and Selena Gomez. Victor Glemaud is currently sold at FarFetch, FRWD, Intermix, Revolve, Saks Fifth Avenue, Shopbop, SSENSE, and glemaud.com.

Chioma Nnadi

Chioma Nnadi

Chioma Nnadi is the editor of Vogue.com. She began her career on the features desk of the Evening Standard Magazine in London before moving to New York to write forTrace, an independent style magazine. She went on to work as the style director at Fader, covering fashion through the lens of music. In 2010, she joined Vogue as a fashion writer, and in 2014 she took on a digital role, fashion news director for Vogue.com, where she worked on the relaunch of the site and oversaw the fashion news team. In September 2020, Nnadi was appointed editor of Vogue.com, where she oversees the digital team and editorial content for the site.

Panel 1: Fashion Entrepreneurship: Building Your Brand

Discover how to use your brand's unique qualities to stand out from your competitors. Explore your target market in a meaningful way that can lead to brand longevity.

Dalia Strum
Chris Bevans
Ashley Cole
Patti Carpenter

Panel 2: Mastering Your Pitch and Raising Capital

Learn to increase your profits with tips from experts. Gain valuable sales tips for both B2B and B2C, along with insightful funding tips for all levels of start-ups.

Gary Wassner
Gina Ramcharan
Aleksandra Gosiewski
Allison Lee

Panel 3: An Entrepreneur's Introduction to Blockchain, Crypto, NFTs, and Web3

Everyone has been talking about blockchains, cryptocurrency, and NFTs—but what are they? Learn about the various opportunities for your brand and how to communicate it through various digital media technologies. Understand their importance and the impact they could have on your business.

Michael Ferraro
Clare Tattersall
Michael Keany
Josh Ong