Sparking young entrepreneurs good idea

When it comes to sparking entrepreneurship, you can’t start too young.

The Crawford County UW Extension and Vernon County Economic Development Association obviously believed that by bringing in 20-year-old Ben Casnocha, already the CEO of an e-government technology firm he founded six years ago, to talk to a couple hundred high school students last week.

Casnocha is a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur, author and college student. He founded Comcate, that e-government firm, at the age of 14. He is the author of the best-selling book, “My Start-Up Life; What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey Through Silicon Valley.”

He’s been named one of Business Week’s best young entrepreneurs and PoliticoOnline’s “25 most influential people in the world of Internet and politics.” His resume goes on and on, to the point where you believe he must be at least 50 rather than 20.

But, Casnocha’s credentials weren’t the important thing about his presentation. It was his message to the students from eight different schools in a region of the state where entrepreneurship is strongly needed.

“Entrepreneurship is an idea in itself. Think entrepreneurially,” Casnocha told the students in a presentation called “Becoming CEO of Your Life.” He told them that entrepreneurship is more of a “life idea” than only a business term.

Entrepreneurs should strive to constantly self improve and seek knowledge, he stressed. They also should take action and not find excuses to not get started on their ideas.

“Do something, then make corrections when you see what you are doing is wrong,” Casnocha said. A lot of great companies and efforts start with a “mediocre” idea by somebody who takes “baby steps” in starting action on that idea, experiences some failures and then makes adjustments, he added.

Persistence, optimism, creativity and the willingness to seek mentors also are important for young entrepreneurs, Casnocha said.

His presentation concluded a day in which the students attended workshops on boosting their creativity, business and personal relations etiquette, coming up with business ideas, networking and other topics.

Casnocha’s impact on the students was evident during a Q & A session after his presentation. Yes, he got one question you’d expect: does he have a girlfriend? He answered yes to the disappointed female questioner without blinking an eye and went on to others that were very thoughtful and detailed.

His message, and that impact it had on a group of western Wisconsin kids, could be very important for a region of the state that needs creative, energetic, bright young people to stay in the area and start up businesses — in agribusiness, alternative energy, technology, many other areas.

Casnocha’s appearance and the day-long event also demonstrate progress for VEDA. This writer first reported on the organization a couple years ago. At the time, its organizers were just raising funds to hire an administrator. They had some great ideas and a long way to go.

Sue Noble now serves as that administrator. VEDA is planning several things to foster economic development and networking in the region. Its cooperation with the UW Extension is a good move.

Fifteen area businesses and organizations served as sponsor’s for the Casnocha event. That coordination of existing businesses in concentrated efforts also could be a big role for VEDA.

VEDA will be most effective if it works with people and organizations within Vernon County and beyond. No county is an island, and cooperating with surrounding counties and their organizations is a wise move.

Bringing in a dynamic, young phenom like Casnocha, to talk to young people who show potential, also is a wise move. Their energy and optimism can be built into the businesses and ventures of tomorrow — which benefit western Wisconsin and beyond..

At the end of his book, Casnocha concludes: “We have reached the end. I hope I’ve shown how wonderful an entrepreneurial life can be, what some of the drawbacks or challenges are, and that only you can decide whether carving your own life path is Your Way.

“If you choose to join the legions of ‘life entrepreneurs,’ there will be people older and younger, side-by-side in the wonderful capitalist framework that is competition, working to effect change, working to make the world a better place.”

That’s a great message for people of any age in western Wisconsin and beyond.