Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business Entrepreneurship Week: Valuable Insights from a Clemson Alumnus

The Brook T. Smith Launchpad opened in November 2023 as an initiative to cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit found at Clemson University. This week, the Launchpad hosted an entrepreneurship week featuring several events, including a guest speaker. Kevin Mosely, a Finance alumnus, spoke Tuesday night at the event about his time as co-founder of Jurassic Capital, a growth equity investor in business-to-business software.

When asked to come and speak, he was enthusiastic about the idea of visiting campus and sharing his experience with students. “It’s the perfect opportunity for me to give back and hopefully provide some insight into the paths you can take as an entrepreneur,” Mosely divulges. “I think a lot of people see success as an entrepreneur as straight-up and to the right, as something that comes easily. But, in reality, it’s a lot of failing. It’s the lessons I’ve learned from those failures that have led me to where I am today.”

Fostering entrepreneurship is one of the main objectives of the Brook T. Smith Launchpad, as it provides a centralized location for students, faculty, and staff to have access to resources. Mosley says having a space like this is important. “As someone who is an entrepreneur, it’s hard because you can do anything, so you feel like you have to do everything and wear all the hats. It can be overwhelming. So, it’s helpful to have one obvious place to start, to find help. That’s what I think is so powerful about the Launchpad. It is a place to start. You know that if you’re thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, that’s where you’re going to go. They’ll help you with those first steps.”

John M. Hannon, the founding director of the Brook T. Smith Launchpad, expressed his gratitude to Mosely. He explained how events like this give students opportunities to connect with employers and learn from experienced alumni like Mosely.

Dean York also attended the event. “With the opening of the Brook T. Smith Launchpad, we have a platform to host more entrepreneurship-focused events for our community,” she says. “I am thankful for alumni like Kevin who are willing to come back and share their stories with our college. The insights that were gained from the event are sure to be a catalyst for young entrepreneurs on campus. I am eager to see how events like this and the Launchpad will help us harness the entrepreneurial spirit within our Clemson community.”