Tag: Brad Smith

Brad Smith, Intuit Help Marshall Students Flourish

The president and CEO of software company Intuit was at Marshall University Wednesday to hear students’ proposals for projects that could help some of the challenges West Virginia faces.Brad Smith, Jennifer Garner, Chad Pennington

The program was modeled after the television show Shark Tank. Intuit President and Marshall alum Brad Smith joined state native and actress Jennifer Garner, and former Marshall and NFL Quarterback Chad Pennington to hear presentations from seven groups of students. They were vying for three winning spots. The contest was called the 2017 Innovating for Impact Design and Delight Innovation Challenge. Smith said he wanted to help Marshall students come up with ideas that could help the state.

“I think one of the challenges we face as a state is that our best and brightest feel like there isn’t an opportunity here and they have to go elsewhere,” Smith said. “And the reality is there is lots of opportunity here and we just have to bring that inspiration here. And I want to see the best and brightest stay in this state and by the way I want other best and brightest to come and move to this state, this is one of the best kept secrets in the world.”

The winning groups were: 7 Degrees, who focused on providing schools with a box of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math-related objects for students to tinker with; 42 Peaks created an app to help people suffering from substance abuse and their families; and Appalachian Action, who want to create a virtual reality experience for high school students to deter drug use.

Prizes included a trip to Silicon Valley to visit with Intuit officials and other companies like Apple, Facebook and Google. 

Tech Leaders Discuss What's Next in The State

How to create jobs and grow industry in West Virginia — that was the topic of a forum held Wednesday at the Bridge Valley Community and Technical College’s Advance Technology Center in South Charleston.

West Virginia tech industry leaders gathered with representatives from both of the state’s major universities and INTUIT CEO Brad Smith to discuss “Growing Innovation in the Mountain State.” They talked about what the state has already done within the technology economy and strategies that could help the industry continue to grow in the state. Smith is a native of Kenova and said all the state’s sectors need to work together. 

“It’s our job as leaders to seize the opportunity in whatever capacity we have, policy, academia, private industry, investment and venture capital,” Smith said. “It’s all of us coming together in a public-private not-for-profit partnership to seize on the opportunity and create these opportunities for our kids.”

 Two panel discussions focused on identifying and fostering entrepreneurialism and putting the next generation to work through partnerships. Marshall University President Jerome Gilbert echoed Smith’s sentiments.

“I think that partnerships with businesses and partnerships with other institutions and I think we need to talk about partnerships with the families and the citizens of West Virginia as stewards of the resources that we’re given as universities in terms of using those resources to advance the state,” Gilbert said.

Provost Joyce McConnel also discussed the role WVU is playing in educating students and bettering the state’s tech economy. 

Marshall Foundation Hall Renamed for Inuit CEO

A building at Marshall University has been renamed in honor of the president and CEO of Intuit.

The former Marshall University Foundation Hall is now the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall. Smith is a 1986 graduate of Marshall.

The name change was announced Friday in conjunction with the foundation’s annual donor recognition dinner, which celebrates donors with a lifetime giving of more than $100,000 to Marshall University. Foundation CEO Ron Area says Smith has long been a major donor.

The 50-year-old Kenova native has been president of Intuit since 2008. Intuit is a software company that makes Quicken, QuickBooks and Turbo Tax. The company has 8,000 employees worldwide.

Brad Smith – Using a Moral Compass

Hear why co-workers of Brad Smith, President & CEO of the global financial software giant, Intuit, say he’s the best ambassador West Virginia could ever have.

With Marshall memorabilia in abundance in his office, this Wayne County native boldly declares that everyone in the company knows about his alma mater, Marshall University, and his hometown, Kenova, West Virginia.

Smith said his life lessons from West Virginia include integrity, humility and teamwork. “You learn in West Virginia that life is a team sport. Communities stick together. Families stick together. Those things have stuck with me and they keep me grounded.”

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