SMITHFIELD, RI – Life is Good® Co-Founder and Chief Executive Optimist Bert Jacobs will speak at the tenth annual Bryant University Northeast Entrepreneurship Conference (BUNEEC) on Saturday, February 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event, hosted by Bryant’s Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO), is virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bert Jacobs co-founded the New England-based multi-million-dollar apparel company, Life is Good®, in 1994 with his brother John. They started with a dream, a positive attitude, and $78; selling t-shirts in the streets of Boston. “Just get started,” Jacobs told Bryant students when he spoke at the University in 2005. “Go out and sell something. It’s not about someday. It’s today, so just find a way, and do it.”
Today, Life is Good® is a $100 million positive lifestyle brand sold by over 4,000 retailers across the U.S. and Canada. The company spreads the power of optimism through inspiring art, a passionate community, and groundbreaking nonprofit work.
"BUNEEC is not just for people interested in starting their own business. Everyone can learn from this conference."
BUNEEC (pronounced “Be-Unique”) is one of the region’s largest educational events for young entrepreneurs. “BUNEEC is not just for people interested in starting their own business,” says Executive Director Meghan Schulze '22 of Clinton, CT. “Everyone can learn from this conference.”
In addition to Jacobs’ keynote presentation, “Cultivating a Culture of Optimism from the Inside Out,” this year’s event will feature an assorted set of intimate breakout sessions, where attendees can explore a wide range of topics related to entrepreneurship.
“That’s what CEO is all about – growing the entrepreneurial spirit,” adds Schulze, who is joined by a committee of six Bryant students who help facilitate the event.
BUNEEC is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
About Bryant CEO
Bryant’s Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization attracts business leaders and highly motivated students who organize annual events that attract and enrich student entrepreneurs from all over the country. Bryant CEO, which has won the title of National Best Chapter six times in the last 10 years, was honored as one of the top three chapters in the nation in 2017.
About Bryant University
For 158 years, Bryant University has been at the forefront of delivering an exceptional education that anticipates the future and prepares students to be innovative leaders of character in a changing world. Bryant delivers an innovative and uniquely integrated business and liberal arts education that inspires students to excel. With approximately 3,800 graduate and undergraduate students from 38 states and 49 countries, Bryant is recognized as a leader in international education and regularly receives top rankings from U.S. News and World Report, Money, Bloomberg Businessweek, Wall Street Journal, and Barron's. Visit www.Bryant.edu.
