World-renowned Boston Philharmonic Conductor Benjamin Zander to speak at Bryant

Zander will give the keynote address, "An Evening of Ideas and Shining Eyes," at Bryant’s Elevator Pitch Competition on Oct. 21.

The Global Entrepreneurship Program (GEP) at Bryant challenges students to “dare mighty things.” Lauren Amarante ’11 (Meriden, CT), the GEP’s events director, did just that over the summer when she set out to get Benjamin Zander, the world-renowned composer of the Boston Philharmonic, to serve as the keynote speaker for the fall semester Elevator Pitch (E-Pitch) Competition on Tuesday, October 21.

Her persistence, passion, and hard work paid off when Zander, who is also a noted expert on leadership and team building, agreed to speak at Bryant and even waive his fee. First-year students who will take part in the e-pitch could learn a thing or two from Amarante.

Benjamin Zander, the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and a noted expert on leadership and team building, will be the keynote speaker at Bryant's Elevator Pitch Competition on Tuesday, October 21.

“It’s all in the pitch,” says Amarante, who has written a business plan to create her own speaker agency. “It took many hours to get the pitch just right.”

The final round of the E-Pitch Competition, in which first-year students have 90 seconds to promote the benefits of their product or service to potential investors, begins at 5:30 p.m. Zander’s talk, "An Evening of Ideas and Shining Eyes," begins at 7 p.m.

Blown away

Amarante’s idea to invite Zander to Bryant came from surfing TED.com, an online resource that catalogs speeches from the annual Technology, Entertainment, and Design conference. She was awestruck by a clip of Zander’s speech from the 2008 TED conference.

“I was blown away by his confidence, inspiration, and drive to change the world,” she says.

Zander’s philosophy is that in a symphony – like in business – one person can’t do it all. As a conductor, he is responsible for bringing out the best in everyone, a task with which he has become a master. He is a highly sought-after speaker and has shared his energy and enthusiasm with Shell, IBM, Arthur Andersen, NASA, and the United States Army, among others.

Your challenge is…

Amarante had several phone conversations with Zander over the summer and then went to Boston to talk to him more about the event. At the end of the meeting, Zander, a four-time speaker at the World Economic Forum, had a test for the aspiring entrepreneur.

“He challenged me to bring 200 Bryant students to his October 15 concert in Boston,” she says. Amarante remembers him saying, “This is a test of your entrepreneurship abilities.”

(Photo on the left) Lauren Amarante ’11 (Meriden, CT) and (photo on the right) Benjamin Zander, the world-renowned composer of the Boston Philharmonic

She passed the test with flying colors, as 300 Bryant students will be attending the concert. To learn more about the concert or to get a free ticket, Bryant students should e-mail Kelsey Roy.

“My classmates are quickly hearing the word spread – this is not just any concert, it is an experience,” she says.

Learn to lead

The week after the concert, Zander will speak to the Bryant community about his life mission to place a classical music CD in the hands of every person. Amarante explains that beyond his love for classical music, Zander has seen how music can help people express their deepest emotions, which helps them emerge as better leaders with a true sense of integrity.

“Benjamin Zander will open up possibilities for me and for my classmates that we never knew were there,” says Amarante who would like to pursue a master’s degree in business after graduation. “He will transform our view of leadership, open our eyes to a new, more positive way of thinking, and raise questions about ourselves that we never thought to ask.”

The pitch

Before Zander speaks, Bryant first-year students in “Business 101” classes will take part in the E-Pitch Competition.

The list of judges and notable guests for the final round is a who’s who of business executives, community leaders, and academic scholars.

Judges

Alan Hassenfeld ’85H, CEO (retired), Hasbro

Evie Goldfine, Co-founder, Omnipoint, (now T-Mobile), and Harvard Business Plan Competition judge

Susan Keller, Partner, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge

John Pantarillo, President, RDW Group

Andy Thomas ’89, Former President, Heineken USA

Jack Trifts, Dean, College of Business, Bryant University

David Lux, Dean, College of Arts & Sciences, Bryant University

James Damron, Vice President, University Advancement, Bryant University

John Olinger, CEO & President, Rockstar Limos

Guests

Barrett Hazeltine, Emeritus Professor of Engineering, Brown University

Richard Saul Wurman, Founder, Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Conference and Entertainment Gathering (EG) Conference; author of more than 80 books

Larry Benz, CFO, PRORehab; Partner, Evidence In Motion; and President/CEO, PT Development, LLC (traveling from Kentucky)

Jeff Hathaway, Organizational Development Consultant and Physical Therapist (traveling from Syracuse, NY)

Steve Amarante, CEO & President, Infinex Financial Group

Martin Pazzani, CEO in Residence, BlueStone Partners, LLC

Leslie Ann Powell, Director, Provider Relations, Dominion Diagnostics

Peter Dorsey, Senior Vice President, Business Development Company of Rhode Island