This upcoming weekend, I will have the opportunity to attend the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) summit as a NextGen Scholarship winner. This is my first TEA summit and I am really excited to be meeting professionals in my industry. The entertainment industry has always been my biggest motivator to succeed so it is a dream come true to be able to pick the brains of some of the veterans in the industry. 

As a scholarship winner, the website Entertainment Designer, interviewed me with some questions about my goals for the TEA Summit and Thea awards. The write up can be found here: 

http://entertainmentdesigner.com/news/calling-all-young-theme-park-enthusiasts-check-out-the-2013-tea-summit-and-thea-awards/

Look out next week for a summary of the TEA Summit!

One of the things that has surprised me in my education as of late is my sudden interest in business, entrepreneurship and investment finances. This sudden interest has taken me aback due to the fact that growing up, business was just a word adults used when they were off to the bank, dealing with money, and doing other adult responsibilities, which at the time seemed uninteresting to me.  Learn finances or play? The latter was a much more intriguing option at that age. However I was pleasantly surprised a few years back when I turned on CBC’s Dragon's Den: a Canadian show in which aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to venture capitalists in hope of partnering up and making their ideas into reality. The excitement of making smart quick decisions and the risk involved soon had me excited in this world that I knew little about. I loved seeing the creativity people had in modeling their business products and services and how they were presented in unique not normally thought of ways. The intensity that the Dragons had in dealing with these new entrepreneurs was something I had never seen before. They knew what it took to be a success and their no bullshit attitude was something to revere.

That is why when the opportunity arose to take an entrepreneurship class I quickly jumped to the chance. Carl Rosendahl’s class at the ETC-Silicon Valley campus is a way to sink my feet into the crazy world that is the start-up business. His knowledge of the business world in the entertainment industry as the founder of Pacific Data Images is unmatchable and I know I will learn a lot. His class allows us to pitch an idea for a start up business and with his guidance we maneuver the various phases of the business model canvas. From how to pitch a product, to work culture and financial statements to partner relationships, this is just the start and I feel like a sponge ready to learn all that he has to teach!