{"id":367,"date":"2019-07-17T18:18:13","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/news-archives\/entrepreneurship-arc\/"},"modified":"2019-07-17T18:18:13","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:18:13","slug":"entrepreneurship-arc","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/news-archives\/entrepreneurship-arc\/","title":{"rendered":"2014 Entrepreneurs to discuss their career passions on WCSU panel"},"content":{"rendered":"
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DANBURY, CONN. <\/strong>\u2014 Possessing a passion for your work is the theme of three local business people who will talk about their experiences as entrepreneurs at a panel discussion sponsored by the Ancell School of Business<\/a> on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The \u201cEntrepreneurship Arc\u201d will take place at Western Connecticut State University<\/a> at 6 p.m. in Room 218 of the Westside Classroom Building on the WCSU Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury.<\/p>\n

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Dr. Pauline Assenza, associate professor of Management<\/a>, will coordinate the panel, which is the third in an ongoing series.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThese entrepreneurs are all successful and each of them took a different path to their current position,\u201d Assenza explained. \u201cThey all have interesting stories to tell about their entrepreneurial journey, stories that should provide valuable insights to both students and members of the community. Being entrepreneurial is all about taking risks, overcoming difficulties, and learning to make decisions that can benefit both yourself and others.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The panel will feature:<\/p>\n

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\u2022\tJeff LaCava, founder of TotalHousehold.com<\/a>, a website dedicated to helping consumers get the most out of the Web by providing easy access to quality information on home improvement projects.<\/p>\n

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\u2022\tDawn Reshan-Doty, who has worked for two decades at Benay Enterprises, Inc.<\/a>, providing accounting and other back-office support to other businesses. She has been president since 2010. Reshan-Doty is also the founding partner and publisher of For Beginners, LLC<\/a>, which produces the For Beginners series, a graphic nonfiction book line distributed internationally by Random House.<\/p>\n

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\u2022\tLisa Scails, a former social worker and civil rights leader who is now executive director of the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut<\/a>, promoting arts and culture in Northern Fairfield and Southern Litchfield counties.<\/p>\n

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Reshan-Doty, who got her bachelor\u2019s degree in Foreign Service at Georgetown University, said she has been successful in business in part because she is never afraid to ask for advice.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy attitude is, if you don\u2019t ask you don\u2019t get,\u201d Reshan-Doty said. \u201cThere\u2019s no harm in asking, whether it\u2019s advice from someone in business longer than me, or staff for ideas, or help in any area. It\u2019s the same for students who ask a potential mentor for five minutes on how to get ahead in life. No one will turn you down. But if you don\u2019t ask you will never get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Scails, who has had three distinct careers, said she has been lucky to find work she could be committed to.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTo the extent possible you should be somewhat passionate about your work,\u201d Scails said. \u201cI do understand that is a luxury for a lot of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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She began as a social worker, the same career her mother had. But as a nontraditional student at WCSU, Scails became involved in civil rights issues that led to volunteer work with the Connecticut NAACP, where she quickly became the state-wide president. After several years, she founded a company that provided diversity training for businesses and schools, and then \u201ca dear friend of mine tapped me on the shoulder because he had an idea for a regional arts organization.\u201d That led to the directorship of the new Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe skills and discipline that I learned as an entrepreneur lend themselves very well to this job,\u201d Scails said. \u201cNonprofits are challenging enough but a startup nonprofit, hoo-boy! But I knew what I was getting myself into.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jeffrey LaCava also has switched careers. A WCSU graduate with a degree in Finance, he ran a successful hedge fund for several years before he decided to start an online marketplace to match home improvement contractors and potential customers.<\/p>\n

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LaCava describes himself as a \u201cserial homeowner\u201d who has done renovations in several homes over the past 15 years. Many times, the experience was frustrating, leading him to recognize there was a need to provide help to other homeowners, therefore the TotalHousehold business was born.<\/p>\n

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TotalHousehold.com has so far signed up 1.3 million home contractors across the country and offers guidance and tips to homeowners.<\/p>\n

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\u201cEntrepreneurship is about finding your passion, experiencing the joy of doing something unique and different, and perhaps inspiring others to do the same,\u201d Assenza said. \u201cI encourage everyone to come and listen, network and learn. You never know when or where the next new idea will come from.\u201d<\/p>\n

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For more information, call the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.<\/p>\n

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\n Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics
\n of New England\u2019s best small private universities.<\/em><\/p>\n

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