February 26, 2007
Entrepreneur, author and winner of NBC’s “The Apprentice,” Dr.
Randal Pinkett brought his words of wisdom and inspiration to The
Little Theater at the Queens campus on February 23.
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A scholar who holds five degrees including a Ph.D. from
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master of science from
Oxford University, Pinkett made the appearance as a spokesperson
for EntrepreneurshipWeek USA which is organized and sponsored by
the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and lectured on “The
Entrepreneur’s Mindset: From the Road Less Traveled to the Road
Never Traveled.” He shared his business experiences which have
ranged from selling CDs out of his dorm room at Rutgers University
to his role as co-founder, president and chief executive officer of
BCT Partners, a multimillion dollar management, technology and
policy consulting firm based in Newark, NJ, and as winner of season
four of “The Apprentice.” He encouraged students to embrace the
opportunity to blaze trails. “Life, much like a road, often has
lines and twists and turns, highs and lows, and potholes, obstacles
and speed bumps,” he said. “Life, just like a road, can take you to
places where few people have gone and, in some cases, where no one
has gone.”
As the purveyor of some notable firsts – first African American
Rhodes scholar from Rutgers University and the first African
American winner of “The Apprentice” – Pinkett spoke from the heart
as to what it means to pursue success even when attaining that
success means venturing into unchartered territory. He advised
students to grab hold of the legacy of the many accomplished St.
John’s alumni. “I believe that great figures among us are ordinary
people that have done extraordinary things,” he said. “As I look
down the list of notable alums of St. John’s University, I note
that this institution is not in short supply of people who meet
that criteria.” He elicited laughs from the audience when he
recalled his childhood lemonade stand which was less than
profitable and how he attempted to sell his cast off toys to fellow
playmates. Pinkett advised those gathered to never lose the quality
that children have to dream big. ”I encourage you to tap into that
entrepreneurial spirit, that trailblazer mentality, that voice from
your childhood that once told you that you could be anything,
accomplish anything, go anywhere and do anything,” he said. “I
believe that it is that voice, if you are able to maintain it, that
can lead you to your destiny.”
Pinkett is the author of several articles and papers as well as
the book Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur's Guide to Launching
a Multi-Million-Dollar Business. He is also the recipient of
multiple awards and accolades including the New Jersey Martin
Luther King Commemorative Commission Triumph Award and the
Rockefeller Foundation Next Generation Leadership Fellowship.
Dr. Pinkett’s appearance was sponsored by the Office of the
President, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, HARAYA, Alpha
Kappa Psi and the Office of Student Life.