51茶馆

Every semester, the centers across the Carroll School host countless events for Boston College community members to listen to, learn from, and engage with industry experts on timely topics. Recent events explored the important role of women when it comes to shaping American democracy, seeing the opportunities in a challenging real estate landscape, the bright future of student entrepreneurship, and more. Here is a taste of these happenings.

Democracy in Action

The timing of this fall鈥檚 Clough Colloquium felt particularly fortuitous. Not only was the event falling just five weeks before the presidential election, but it also coincided with President Jimmy Carter鈥檚 100th birthday. Naturally, there was no shortage of topical material for the evening鈥檚 speaker, acclaimed political historian and Boston College history professor Heather Cox Richardson, to mine. And there was no better place to do it than the twice-annual colloquium. Hosted by the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics, the series invites leaders from across fields to share the big lessons of their personal and professional journeys.

As Gregory Kalscheur, S.J., dean of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, welcomed the packed Heights room, he identified himself as one of more than a million daily readers of Richardson鈥檚 which puts current events into larger historical context. Richardson is currently on leave from her role as professor of history at Boston College, and was quick to thank the University as she reached the podium. 鈥淚 want to make it very clear that I could not do what I do without the support of Boston College,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey have had my back when anything has come up, which happens on a very frequent basis.鈥� That includes, of course, the publishing of her New York Times bestselling book and her recent win of the Authors Guild award for literary criticism.

Throughout her talk, she also peppered in familiar touchpoints of American culture, including cowboy motifs, Little House on the Prairie, and why it became a tradition to gift watches upon someone鈥檚 retirement (hint: It has to do with train conductors).

During the Q&A portion of the event, Richardson leaned into student questions. 鈥�51茶馆 has the best students,鈥� she remarked, before answering what she referred to as 鈥渁 brilliant question" from a young man about the real legacy of the women of the American West in politics in a moment where the Democratic party has nominated a presidential candidate from west of the Mississippi River for the very first time.

Seeing (and Seizing) the Opportunities

Community was also a key topic of discussion at , CEO and chairman of Suffolk Construction, as part of the Corcoran鈥檚 Center new Real Estate Colloquium series.

鈥淲ith a career spanning more than four decades, John Fish is not just a builder of structures but a builder of communities,鈥� Neil McCullagh, executive director of the center, noted in his introduction. Beyond running a business with more than $6 billion in annual revenue, Fish is a prolific philanthropist and the board chair of both the Boston College Board of Trustees and the Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital Board of Trustees.

Engaging with the students in attendance, he also made sure to highlight their essential skills as a part of the technological generation. 鈥淭o me, younger individuals, like the people in this room, have much more of an understanding of technology and what technology can do than the older generation,鈥� Fish said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I think real estate is a young person's game. Technology will change the way we look at the business. History can be rewritten and it will be rewritten by your generation.鈥�

The Real Estate Colloquium is designed to provide students with first-hand insights from representatives across the real estate industry. Other speakers this semester have included Richard Roberts, principal of RedStone Equity Partners; Sheila Dillon, chief of housing for the city of Boston; and Michael Corcoran听'86, P '15, '20, president of Corcoran Jennison Companies and son of the Corcoran Center鈥檚 namesake, Joseph E. Corcoran 鈥�59, H 鈥�09, P 鈥�85, 鈥�86, 鈥�87, 鈥�98.

Getting Down to Business

On an early fall Saturday morning, students, alumni, and business leaders gathered at 245 Beacon Street for the annual Solstice Conference. Hosted by the Edmund H. Shea Center for Entrepreneurship鈥�s student executive board Start@Shea, the annual entrepreneurship conference returned for its third year compressed into a single, action-packed day.听

This year鈥檚 agenda promised attendees鈥攚hich included students from 14 local universities鈥攅ngaging and topical speeches, panel discussions, and interactive workshops, all with the intent to inspire and empower the next generation of business leaders.

The conference also featured a panel discussion on the food and beverage sector, featuring听Matthew Fonte 鈥�94 from ColdSnap, Tom First from Culture Pop, and former Athletic Brewing brand strategist Robert Innis. First, who cofounded Nantucket Nectars before launching probiotic soda company Culture Pop, started his entrepreneurial journey right after he graduated college when he started selling his own homemade juices from a boat in Nantucket.

While it seemed like an on-the-fly adventure, the labor and resources required to operate his business were overwhelming. 鈥淭he barriers to entry for business are way lower than in the past,鈥� he said, referencing how advancements in technology have made entrepreneurship more viable and encouraging students to go after what interests them.

Later on, attendees were able to select from a few different workshops, all offering practical advice on the ins-and-outs of starting a company. Emily Kaiser MCAS '14, a Carroll School adjunct professor, facilitated the "Steering Your Startup Through the Legal Jungle" workshop. She encouraged students to understand the legal complexities of their businesses, including around branding, intellectual property, and sharing trade secrets, adding that people within companies need to play by the same rulebook if they want to be successful.