The White House’s Vivek Kundra, Venturehouse Group‘s Mark Ein and Blackboard CEO Michael Chassen (honoree) were among the ballroom full of businessmen and women who feted the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) Wednesday night at the Wardman Park Marriott.
There to celebrate the achievements of hundreds of ambitious youth who have started their own businesses, local legends were also humbled by on-and-off homeless salesman turned stockbroker Chris Gardner (left with NFTE DC President Julie Cantor) sharing his personal story, as portrayed in the motion picture Pursuit of Happyness.
“When I get a reception like that, the first thing I have to let people know is Will Smith ain’t coming,” Gardner joked. “And every time I see a piece of that film I think — those people spent $70 million to recreate what I did with nothing!”
A fierce advocate for entrepreneurial education, Gardner made a $15,000 donation to DC’s NFTE Chapter while reminding everyone to protect their dream.
“I decided young that I was going to be world class at something… and my mother told me not to let anyone else tell me what I can’t do.”
*A version of this post is available on Niteside.
