Jan. 12, 2009

Young entrepreneur to speak at Morningside College

Jacob Watson, a young entrepreneur originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., will discuss the struggles and triumphs that come with running a small business during his lecture at Morningside College at 11:45 a.m. Friday, Jan. 16, in the Yockey Family Community Room, 3609 Peters Ave.

The public is invited to the free event, which is sponsored by Morningside’s Academic and Cultural Arts Series (ACAS) and the E-Group, which fosters entrepreneurship on campus.

Watson started SmartCulture while an undergraduate student at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. He identified a need for people to become more familiar with travel destinations in order to have a richer experience. As a result, he started developing software to train and eventually test for certification in different cultures.

“Jacob is young and enthusiastic, and he believes SmartCulture can make a difference in how people understand each other,” said Pam Mickelson, professor of business and economics and director for the Center of Entrepreneurship Education at Morningside College.

SmartCulture is based in Dallas, Texas. Watson will begin graduate school in the fall at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H.