I was blown away by Dr. Worden’s entrepreneurial impact and vision for NASA Ames.  My interview with him covers topics ranging from space exploration to NASA’s strategic entrepreneurial partnerships (i.e. Google and Airship Ventures) to the usually more difficult feat of encouraging employees to be entrepreneurial.

At a conference with 400 educators, center directors, and advocates, I was the ONLY STUDENT.  To my delight, of course.

I got a sneak peek into where our professors get their information, initiative, research, and tips.

There were sessions on everything from “Developing Entrepreneurship Education” to “Hiring Entrepreneurial Students” to “Integration of Entrepreneurship Education & Clubs” to “Technology Commercialization @ Universities”

I infiltrated. I learned. I took away…

Most surprising key lesson:

For graduating seniors studying Entrepreneurship, there are some smart options to consider if you’re not ready for a start-up. a) You can work for a start-up, b) You can work with a company like ValPak or Tom James whose missions are to mentor, develop, and advance their employees, c) You can become a franchisee, or d) You can work in sales.

Sales? I know. Sounds crazy. But they almost sold me on this one.. no pun intended.  Being able to “sell” is such a critical piece of being an entrepreneur (from selling your idea to convincing others to work with you, etc), that sales very easily becomes a vital piece of the big picture.

Outstanding Keynotes:

Don Kuratko, “the Tony Robbins of Entrepreneurship” as put by a good friend of mine , told the shaking story of entrepreneurship education in the US:

“30 years ago there were only 6 universities that had recognized (entrepreneurship) programs. In the early 2000s, that number grew to 1,600. The initiative didn’t come from us. It came from the students. They CLAMORED for it! And we must not forget that.”

He went on to define entrepreneurship, in the context of the global economic state:

“… It is the most potent economic force the world has ever seen.”

His advice to the educators present?

1. “Be dedicated to entrepreneurship research - the creation of it, the respect for it, and the application of it.  Serve on editorial boards of journals, and to the criticizers, tell them - entrepreneurship is NOT magic. It’s a discipline, and like any discipline, it can be learned.“
2. “As entrepreneurship expands throughout your respective campuses, be careful not to lose its meaning!”
3. “If you sit and tell yourself how difficult campus administration is to convince, remember - Powerlessness is a state of mind.  If you THINK you’re powerless, then you ARE.”
4. “We have reached a point in time when the gap between what can be imagined and what can be accomplished has never been smaller.”
5. “The old order of things is crumbling and a new way is painfully trying to structure itself. Be a part of that.”

Tomorrow LIVE @ USASBE - Tim Draper of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, one of the world’s most legendary venture capitalists!

I recently had a minor epiphany - there will be no better time in my life to do something entrepreneurial than right now - while in college.

I embarked on some research to prove this point beyond any reasonable doubt.  Do you doubt me yet? Good! A challenge is what I’m looking for.

I started out by connecting with legendary entrepreneurs who started young, currently young and successful entrepreneurs, or those who have had high interaction and experience with young entrepreneurs.

Below are some of their answers, when asked, “Why do you believe young people should act on their ideas now?”  In order of interview:

Cameron Johnson, famous young entrepreneur and author, “You Call the Shots”

“The hardest part of your question is keeping it short, I could probably list dozens of reasons (I call them advantages) for a college student to start a business.

Here are a few: better to fail early, your overhead will never be less, your connections will never be more plentiful (having access to a college community where every skill is available), there will never be a better time, you’re more likely to find help/recognition from others/media when you’re young. A job in exchange for a college degree is less and less common - large companies will continue to downsize and outsource and entrepreneurship/small job growth will flourish.”

Luke Skurman, CEO College Prowler:

“First, I’d rather bet on myself than anyone else.  There are so many external factors that I can’t control when I put my professional fate in somebody’s hands (call me a control freak!) but I don’t like that. I like betting on me.  It’s calculated good risk.  Secondly, if you go work for a “corporate” publicly traded company, yes, you’ll get a nice salary and benefits but the greatest single way to earn personal upside is through stock / options.”

Zach Kaplan, CEO Inventables.

“I’d say it is easier to start a company as a college student or immediately after graduation because you have less responsibility and commitments than later in life. In addition your monthly expenses are quite low and in some cases your parents might be helping out so if your venture fails you’ll have a pretty soft landing. Once you get started you’ll know pretty quickly if being an entrepreneur is for you.  Today most college students have access to 3 important tools for getting started: a phone, an internet connection, and a computer.”

Doug Imbruce, CEO TheU.com.

The only advice I can give is rather simple and based on a speech I once heard Jeff Bezos give. It’s all about the regret minimization factor: you don’t want to leave this world with any regrets… so one should always take the biggest risks, dream the wildest dreams, and seize the smallest and largest opportunities! There is no better time to do so when you are young and familial obligations are non-existent. Period.

Todd Masonis, Co-founder Plaxo.

“One of the hardest things about starting a company is to find other like minded people to start with, and a good university generally has good access to people in a similar situation. I’ve also found that students have much better access to VCs and advisers as most anyone will give advice to a student, but that gets harder once you graduate. There’s often also alumni or professor support, or access to free labor that also makes it an opportune time.”

Kevon Saber, CEO AllDorm, Inc.

“In addition to the reasons you mentioned, I would add that starting a real venture provides incredible context for classroom learning.”

Steve Wozniak, Co-founder Apple.

“Out here (Silicon Valley), failing is like a badge of honor.  Being able to say that you failed 3 or 4 times while you were young and then used this experience to finally build something GREAT is considered legendary. So yes, starting young is definitely the right idea.”

David Pogue, Tech Columnist NY Times.

“Young people nowadays have such incredible opportunities, living in the Internet Age.  Online, they can potentially impress and do business with someone 20 years older than them.”

Chad Moutray, Chief Economist SBA.

“While it looks bad now, there are definitely opportunities out there.  You just have to look a little harder.”

**FYI: “Entrepreneurship is key to growth in growth and job creation in America.  Entrepreneurship accounts for 50% of all GDP and 50% of all new job creation.” (MIT OpenCourseWare)

Check back soon for a recap of my interviews with Tim Ferriss (FourHourWorkWeek.com) and Peter Diamandis (www.Xprize.com).