Former Jackrabbits Football player to speak on starting a business as the 2024 Emerging Entrepreneur in Residence

Former South Dakota State University football player and entrepreneurial studies major Tommy Hopp will return to campus Oct. 2 for the Ness School of Management and Economics’ 2024 Emerging Entrepreneur in Residence program.

During a keynote talk at 6:30 p.m. in the University Student Union Pheasant Crest room, Hopp will discuss the importance of identifying a niche and forming strategic partnerships, developing skills and learning from failure in business. The keynote speech is open to the public.

Hopp will spend three days on campus engaging with classes and other campus partners to share his story of building a business from the ground up.

The Emerging Entrepreneur in Residence program hosts business owners who are past the “startup” phase of building a business but are still improving and refining their model and services. This is the fourth year for the event and the first time an SDSU alum is presenting the keynote.

Hopp, a 2018 graduate of the Ness School, and business partner Brenton Giliam started a custom deck-building business in 2019 in Anchorage, Alaska. Their business, FWD Construction, fosters a team of innovative, young builders who push the limits of what’s possible in deck construction, constantly exploring new techniques and ideas.

Students regularly hear from instructors and others about the startup process. They also hear from those who are near the end stages of owning a business. This event is designed to show students what happens in that “middle time.”

“The idea is that you don't have to have it figured out right now,” said Craig Silvernagel, associate professor of entrepreneurship. “He did it, you can do it, too. So maybe this demystifies the process.”

Showcasing student businesses
New to this year’s program is a student showcase. Current SDSU students from a variety of academic programs will host a table with information about their active businesses.

The student showcase, which starts at 6 p.m. Oct. 2, gives students a chance to share their business ventures and what they have learned so far from starting businesses and engaging with customers.

Types of businesses in the student showcase include food, technology, landscaping, service, custom woodworking, apparel design and more.

“We really want to highlight and celebrate these students,” said Barb Heller, Ness School lecturer and entrepreneurship coordinator. “We just want to celebrate the fact that they're doing it, they're taking the next steps, they're taking action on things.”

More details about the event