Friday, July 8, 2016

SPS 2016: Two Young Speakers in Week Three

Alex Wirth of Quorum talks after his presentation with SPS '16 student Medhanit 
We are fortunate each summer to host truly amazing speakers at the St. Albans School of Public Service, and this week was no exception, as we hosted two wonderful speakers both under the age of 30.  Daniel Lippman of Politico, the foremost political publication in the U.S., was first to meet with the group.  He spoke not only about his current work as a journalist covering the Presidential Election cycle, and as a contributor to the popular "Playbook" daily insider briefing feature of Politico but gave some highly practical (and valuable) advice on how someone just starting out can turn a passion into a career.

Later in the week, SPS 2016 had the opportunity to hear from Alex Wirth, a 2015 college graduate who is a co-founder of Quorum, an online legislative strategy platform that has been called "Google for Congress" and "the Moneyball Effect" on K Street.  Although Mr. Wirth has a wealth of political knowledge, he focused his presentation on entrepreneurship: "Why College is the Best Time to Start a Company And How to Do It."  

There's no question it was inspiring for SPS 2016 to hear from speakers who, although young, are making a difference.
Alex Wirth's presentation on entrepeneurship
Speaker Daniel Lippman of Politico