Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship

Every successful person can look back and point to a few key decisions and influential people that made all the difference in their life. Hindsight is 20/20, but the real key is recognizing those decisions and those people as they come along.

Mentors are successful people with insight gathered from many years of experience who are excited to share their wisdom with you. You have plenty of life to live and discover on your own. A little help steering the ship is a good thing.

I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me, and I didn't have the heart to let him down. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Mentorship is a powerful thing.  Abe knows, and so does the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship. Get involved with our mentorship program. You will be glad you did. 

Several times throughout the academic year,  the Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE) invites a group of students to present their venture ideas to our CFE mentors in a Student Showcase videoconference. Students outline their opportunities and challenges, and our mentors provide advice and sign up to help in any way they can. It’s that simple.

Oh! There is also an optional annual dinner where Mentors and Mentees get the time to share a fabulous meal, network, and talk about all things entrepreneurship!

And finally,  all mentors and mentees are invited to attend the annual Big Idea Pitch Competition and the Spring Launch Party!  

After graduating in 1989 from Appalachian with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology, Dale successfully built and sold numerous businesses – from business re-engineering and system integration firms to technology staffing and multinational importing firms. He is currently a partner with Stonegate Developers, a national real estate development firm that develops and invests in real estate projects nationwide.

Dale started the Mentorship program for 3 distinct reasons:

• He strongly believes in the power of the entrepreneurial mindset no matter what path you choose after college.
• Students today must have access to real-world experience and fully understand how the business world works.
• Building a strong personal network is a key ingredient to professional success. 

Thank you, Dale! 

If you have wisdom to share, please consider joining our mentor network. We ask that you complete our mentor interest form, and we will contact you to get the process started.