Karol Blasinski in photo booth in Detroit.

A pair of AAE students returned from Detroit in late October inspired.

Karol Blasinski, a junior in AAE, and Pavi Ravi, a graduate student, attended the Forbes Under 30 Summit as part of the Forbes Under 30 Scholars Program. About 1,000 college students were chosen as scholars based on various criteria that included a written statement on how they embodied the Under 30 tenets of leadership and innovation.

The reward: They were allowed to attend the event for free and experience networking opportunities, attend talks and participate in an investor “pitch day,” among other things. Keynote speakers included CEOs (Steve Case, Jon Oringer, etc.), athletes (Serena Williams, Kevin Durant, more), actors (Sophia Bush, Olivia Munn, among others) and musicians (The Chainsmokers, etc.).

“The event was full of learning and networking, while being surrounded by the greatest minds of my generation. It was great to see different ways of how people achieve their success,” Blasinski said. “As an aspiring entrepreneur, I learned that it is very important to start with why do we decide to start a business, instead of what do we want to produce. All of the entrepreneurs I met during the Summit had a mission, a true and honest answer to why are they working on their own company.”

Pavi Ravi was able to interact with some of the Summit's keynote speakers, including Drew Taggart from The Chainsmokers. 

Ravi entered the Summit eager to encounter new perspectives and awe-inspiring ideas. She wasn’t disappointed, being especially encouraged by the “Startup Hub,” an entire floor of the venue with 150 booths, each representing different startup companies.

But there were broader takeaways, too, to a special experience.

“The atmosphere with brimming with passion and innovation,” said Ravi, a first-year master’s student whose advisor is Carolin Frueh. “I never really had an interest in entrepreneurship, but after attending this event I realized that a simple business idea can affect change on grand scales. It’s no longer something I want to cross out.

“Never before had I been in such proximity to so many impassioned individuals, all driven to change the world in their own way. From chatting with Drew Taggart of The Chainsmokers over lunch to grabbing drinks with a 21-yr-old CEO, my U30 Summit experience was unimaginable in every way.”