By: Kat Littfin

Local Editor

On Nov. 14, the Home and School Club sponsored and hosted an entrepreneurship event in Los Gatos High School’s library. With experienced guest speakers and the chance to win a one-thousand-dollar prize, the event was an exciting opportunity for driven students to learn more about what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

The event, called Idea Surge, consisted of a conference-like discussion with three successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Junior Pravin Balasingam, an officer of the Entrepreneurship Club at Los Gatos, explained, “They did a panel discussion…[and] had an opportunity for questions and told each of their stories. We got to kind of learn what goes on in the mind of an entrepreneur.” The speakers discussed their experiences in their fields and advised the young minds of Los Gatos. Balasingam explained how the panelists advised students to “try everything at a young age…especially when you’re in high school because when you get older, you don’t get the opportunity to try…different things.” According to Balasingam, they also discussed the importance of open mindedness and experimenting with different concepts and ideas.

The speakers at the event included Bret Waters, Scott Kupor, and Aladdin Algaali. Based in Palo Alto, Waters is a professor of entrepreneurship at Stanford University. He is also a published author of “The Launch Path: Getting from a Startup Idea to a Launch-Ready Venture.” The book, published in 2023, teaches eager entrepreneurs how to efficiently produce and launch their business ideas. Kupor is a managing partner at Andreessen-Horowitz, a venture capitalist company based in Menlo Park. The company has gained seven billion dollars in assets under Kupor’s leadership. Algaali is a confounder of Social Media Spheres, a social media advertising start-up based in San Jose. All speakers were well-qualified and knowledgeable on the business and entrepreneurship scenes in Silicon Valley.

One of the most enticing features of the seminar was the chance to pitch a business idea with the possibility of a one thousand dollar cash prize. Though the competition did not occur during the event, participants were encouraged to submit their business ideas after the gathering. Balasingam discussed his idea, stating that it was “an Eco management business that just kind of popped into my mind” over Thanksgiving break. This opportunity could be a big break for one of the empowered young minds of Los Gatos. As the event undoubtedly garnered plenty of different submissions, the winner of the competition will be announced within the month.