Steve Case, co-founder of America Online, and Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande, chairman of Sparta Group LLC, will share their insights on entrepreneurship, innovation and changing the world with UNC-Chapel Hill students on March 14.
“An Evening with Steve Case and Desh Deshpande: Changing the World through Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy” is part of the Innovate@Carolina Speaker Series.
The panel discussion, moderated by Chancellor Holden Thorp, will give students and the public a rare opportunity to interact with two leaders in the world of entrepreneurship and social innovation. In addition to their business ventures, Case and Deshpande also created the Case Foundation and the Deshpande Foundation, respectively.
Doors at the FedEx Global Education Center’s Nelson Mandela Auditorium will open at 5 p.m., with the panel discussion beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by a question and answer session.
The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required to enter. Tickets will be available through the Carolina Union box office from March 2 through noon March 14. Tickets will also be available at the door.
Case and Deshpande are co-chairs of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE), which will be holding an open session on the UNC campus the following day. Thorp is also a member of the council, which was formed in July 2010 to advise President Barack Obama on ways to foster entrepreneurship and transform laboratory ideas into new businesses and jobs.
The Innovate@Carolina Speaker Series supports the Innovate@Carolina Roadmap, UNC’s plan to help Carolina become a world leader in launching university-born ideas for the good of society. To learn more, visit innovate.unc.edu.