[418] MTSU guest speaker’s topic: Doing what you love without going broke

Nashville entrepreneur to keynote April 5 Nonprofit & Social Innovation Student Summit

MURFREESBORO — Entrepreneur and author Sam Davidson will visit MTSU Tuesday, April 5, to challenge students and the campus community to do what they love without going broke.

Named by Southern Living magazine as one of 2015’s “50 People Who Are Changing the South,” Davidson will speak from 9:45 to 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Student Union Ballroom as part of the third annual MTSU Nonprofit & Social Innovation Student Summit.

His presentation is free and open to the public. For parking, a printable campus map can be found at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap. Off-campus visitors attending the event should obtain a special one-day permit from MTSU’s Office of Parking and Transportation at http://www.mtsu.edu/parking/visit.php.

Davidson received the Southern Living distinction for co-creating Batch, a subscription service to deliver Southern-made, city-themed artisan goods nationwide. In just two years, he led Batch as CEO to cross the $1 million annual revenue threshold.

A Nashville native, Davidson is author of the books “Simplify Your Life, 50 Things Your Life Doesn’t Need,” and “New Day Revolution.” His messages focus on entrepreneurship, leadership, service, innovation and how you can have a better impact through each.

“I still use the lessons and skills I gained from one of the first jobs that I hated,” Davidson said. “Sometimes you have to do what you love outside of your day job while you best figure out how to do what you love all the time.” Learn more at http://samdavidson.net.

Davidson, who conducted a session at last year’s event, understands the drive that millennials have to do something meaningful with their time, said Leigh Anne Clark, associate professor of management in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business.

Over the past two years, the summit has drawn a cross-disciplinary mix of more than 400 student participants interested in using their careers to better the world, Clark noted.

“In partnership with the College of Liberal Arts, we strive to provide students with know-how, connections, and inspiration to marry their passion with their careers,” Clark said. “Because of this increased desire by students to make a difference with their careers and have purpose in their jobs, we are growing our offerings and student opportunities to meet those desires.”

As an example, Clark pointed to the Jones College of Business now offering a Master of Science in Management with a nonprofit management concentration as well as a minor in not-for-profit management.

This year’s summit includes guest presenters and a volunteer/internship fair held in the Student Union Ballroom for students. More than 30 local nonprofits are participating and students are invited to learn about volunteer and student opportunities that fit their interests and skill set.

  

The week of events is being hosted by the Department of Management in the Jones College of Business and the Department of Communication Studies and Organizational Communication in the College of Liberal Arts. To see the full schedule, go to http://bit.ly/1MX4I7U.

The summit is made possible with primary support from the Jennings and Rebecca Jones Foundation in addition to support from funding from the sponsoring departments.

For more information, contact Dr. Leigh Anne Clark at la.clark@mtsu.edu.