Morgan Sharinn '20 | FinTech
Major | Finance and Business Information Systems
Hometown | Lloyd Harbor, NY
Before LSV, I did not really view myself as an entrepreneur. I took the required courses and completed the required assignments but never really thought of myself as a true innovator. However, this program has been one of the most enlightening and interactive experiences of my Lehigh career and has ultimately altered my judgment on entrepreneurship as a whole. I have come to understand many great entrepreneurial minds during my time in Silicon Valley. The lessons learned today were debatably the most impactful for me. Before this program, I envisioned an entrepreneur as an individual who creates a novel product that will alter the world in some spectacular way. However, after comprehending multiple perspectives and listening to a variety of stories today, my outlook has changed.
Today, our group was fortunate enough to learn from inspirational entrepreneurs at Adobe. We were able to participate in a student-facilitated Q and A discussion to learn how Maria Yap, Vice President of Digital Imaging, achieved her renowned success. She emphasized how our experiences are circles rather than linear in that as long as we pursue our passions with enthusiasm and grit, even the smallest idea can pave the way for monumental success in the end. She stressed that we should not give up on an idea because we believe it is not feasible or falls within your exact career trajectory. Career path options are endless because of passion. No matter what the idea is, if it is something creative and that we are tenacious about, we should allow that fervor to manifest, take the risk and put our effort into helping it excel.
The importance of passion was a persistent theme of today’s discussions. Elad Rave, the founder of 8e14, is currently working with only a couple of other people to pursue a product they authentically enjoy creating. Amandeep Khurana, Founder, and CEO of Okera, said that what drives his success in technology is his genuine curiosity and love of learning. This determined interest is what is going to deliver value to the product and in the end, stimulate the success of a business. All of these leaders understand the risk they are taking, but are willing to put all of their effort and resources in because they believe it has the potential to be something great. After today, I realized that I consider myself an entrepreneur. I realized that this celebrated spirit is based on passion, not immediately envisioning and executing a radical idea. This dedication functions as the seed that could eventually grow into something revolutionary. LSV has shown me that anyone could be an entrepreneur, no matter the size of the idea, as long as you believe in it and are willing to work for it.