CAN ENTREPRENEURS BE MADE OR ARE THEY BORN? South Brunswick Native Frank Capararo Finds Out as He Takes Part in Weeklong Entrepreneurial Immersion

Early-stage entrepreneurship is at its highest level of popularity since Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) began tracking it in 1999—and programs like LehighSiliconValley are helping students interested in embarking on an entrepreneurial endeavor. The weeklong summit through Lehigh University’s Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation (ranked one of the country’s Top 25 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Programs by Entrepreneur magazine) brings 60 Lehigh University students—including South Brunswick’s own Frank Capararo—together with entrepreneurs, inventors, CEOs, venture capitalists and others who play key roles in the building of new enterprises from seed to startup to expansion and exit stage.

“I am interesting in creating and being surrounded by change and innovative thinking. The more creative and innovative people you surround yourself with the more you are able to create innovative and interesting ideas. Entrepreneurship allows me to engage with many different people who think differently. Because of this I am able to create a greater amount of ideas and learn more ways to think then ever before,” said Capararo.

The question remains: Can entrepreneurship actually be taught? Two of last year’s participants, Jake Huber and Greg Horn, think so. Since attending LSV last year, Huber and Horn moved to Silicon Valley and created Gigawatt, an online crowdfunding platform for colleges that engages young alumni. Only time will tell if they end up as the next Mark Zuckerberg and Sean Parker. But stories like theirs are inspirational to Frank, and we will be keeping an eye on him to see where his entrepreneurial dreams take him.