Adam Stockman decided to change that. Starting in mid-March, while vaccinations increase and the pandemic at least tentatively diminishes, the PSU junior in Business Management and Leadership will revive the club with a new curriculum to help aspiring entrepreneurs turn their ideas into action.
"A lot of people have big ideas and don't have a clear path on getting them off the ground," Stockman said. "The E Club—at least the way that I intend to organize it and lead it—I want to create workshops and opportunities to help clarify parts of that path that are pretty foggy for most people and to also work together supporting each other and to have that network of support."
To that end, Stockman envisions covering a wide range of topics with workshops geared toward individuals from all majors and backgrounds. While the curriculum is still under development, Stockman lists pitching, equity in business, crowdfunding, how to structure a business, raising capital, and hiring and web and app development as potential topics of interest for entrepreneurs who join the E Club.
"I know for a fact that it's not just business students that want to start businesses. There are artists, there are filmmakers, there are designers, engineers, health care [workers]," Stockman said. "There are tons of folks in all different fields that have ideas."
With support from the Center for Entrepreneurship, Stockman also envisions recruiting C-level executives to form panels that would help students deepen their knowledge of entrepreneurship and network with experienced mentors.
Stockman is no stranger to entrepreneurship, especially the scrappy startup kind that originates in fields outside of the typical MBA pathway. A videographer with a performing arts background who paid the bills managing a pizza shop, Stockman found his big idea while tossing pies into the oven and reflecting on his journey in acting.
"I was chewing on something I remembered from a South Park documentary where Trey Parker is talking about how when he's coming up with script ideas. He used to say, 'this happens and then this happens and then this happens,'" Stockman said. "And then he changed 'and then' to 'therefore,' 'but,' and 'so,' and it made the ideas really connect to each other a lot better. 'This happens. Therefore, this happens. But this happens. So this happens.'
Stockman turned the idea, which he likens to a three-act structure, into a party game he calls Fib. With cards, players build their own three-act structure, making up the details along the way. Stockman printed his first prototype in 2020.
Armed with hard-earned entrepreneurial experience and knowledge, Stockman began mentoring his videographer peers in business development, and he plans to bring his skills to a new and revived E Club.
The pandemic is still an obstacle to hurdle. Stockman envisions resuming the E Club with distance meetings in mid-March with the expectation of resuming in-person meetings as conditions allow, perhaps as early as summer 2021.
Stockman, who will take on the role of club president, will also immediately recruit for leadership positions within the E Club, including directors of events, operations, membership, and communications.
Students interested in either leadership or membership should send an email to Adam Stockman at eclubPSU@gmail.com.