Fall 2013
For Marc Busko of Appleton, career inspiration came early in the form of two entrepreneurial endeavors. He credits his path and a bright future to Amy Pietsch, director of the Venture Center at Fox Valley Technical College.
“Amy first helped me start a protein bar business when I was still in high school during a youth summit at Fox Valley Tech,” he says. “Then, when I wanted to launch my new professional career as a youth inspirational speaker, I enrolled in the Venture Center’s e-seedTM program.”
Busko clearly has the talent and vision to inspire students to discover and pursue their life passions. “What e-seed gave me was the knowledge and support I needed to run my business correctly,” he states. “I learned how to develop a solid business plan, keep a balanced ledger, effectively market my services, and find the most cost-effective way to handle legal work.”
Busko currently speaks at middle schools, high schools, and colleges. His offerings include keynote presentations, workshops, and individual coaching. As a member of national groups such as DECA and Extreme Entrepreneurship Tours, he travels extensively throughout the country.
A football, basketball, and track athlete in high school, Busko discovered his own career passion while recuperating from a sports-related injury. “Since I couldn’t walk, I had time to really think about what I wanted to do,” he says. “Out of nowhere, it came to me. I realized I had a voice and a message to make a positive impact on the world.”
Busko began by volunteering to speak at school events. This helped him develop the contacts needed to build his business. He encourages all students to keep in touch. “I’m always getting emails and tweets,” he notes. “It’s incredibly rewarding to hear how what I said helped someone in life.”
Busko plans on growing his company by adding other speakers to his program and taking more training through the Venture Center. “I can’t imagine a moment when I won’t be coaching others to go after their dreams,” he says.
E-SeedTM Means Business
Developed through the Venture Center at Fox Valley Technical College, the e-seed entrepreneur training experience is gaining popularity across the country. The 13-week session provides small business owners with the tools to turn their ideas into reality.
The new, train-the-trainer national model has caught on fast in just one year: 4 pilot organizations have already acquired the e-seed model from the Venture Center.
Regional Business Start-Ups from E-seed: 300 businesses have opened their doors because of e-seed over the past decade, and thousands of people are working right now in Wisconsin thanks to e-seed.
