Paul Martino '95 is a busy guy. Not only is he a founder of multiple companies, an entrepreneur with over a dozen patents, the founding partner of venture fund Bullpen Capital, and a LehighSiliconValley 2020 Instructor of the Day, but he's now added movie producer to his growing list of accomplishments. Inside Game, the true story of the NBA betting scandal, premiered on Lehigh's campus on October 8.
In honor of the world premier of Inside Game, we hosted a Baker's Dozen with Paul and 12 talented entrepreneurial students. Baker's Dozens are Baker Institute dinners where we bring together 12 curious students and an expert to discuss a specific topic and how it relates to entrepreneurship. On October 7, Paul and the students discussed a wide array of topics, including how his movie - which is based on the real-life story of his cousin - came to be, as well as reflections on his career and the advice he has for this generation.
Paul spoke candidly about his approach to starting new companies, sharing that he has approached each of his 9 startups with "zero content knowledge." This was surprising to the students but he further explained that this allowed him have no preconceived notions of how to obtain success in any given market and he was freed from conventions of how things should be done. He also expressed where he leans when choosing between new investments. When given the choice between investing in people, products, or market - he favors people. Paul's commentary and the discussion it spawned is exactly why dinner's like these are so important to the Baker Institute. Says Baker's executive director, Lisa Getzler "The Baker's Dozen program allows Lehigh student entrepreneurs to ask questions, drive conversation, and spend quality time with seasoned entrepreneurs. An experience like this with Paul Martino, who has roots at Lehigh, enhances the lessons learned through our immersive programs, like LehighSiliconValley and the Hatchery."
For the students, this dinner was the ultimate chance to dig deeper with a man they have come to know through his participation in multiple Baker Institute programs. Will Peracchio '21 said "I never thought I'd be able to get such sincere and (brutally) honest responses from such a successful entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and movie producer. I learned about myself more than anything else through his insightful comments, but I still ultimately left with more questions about myself than I had answers. Entrepreneurship is a journey, and I know that my journey will be influenced by such an influential dinner."
Thanks again, Paul! We can't wait to celebrate the success of Inside Game next year during LehighSiliconValley!