What do entrepreneurs have that others don’t? Passion, obviously. The ability to see risk as exciting rather than dreadful. A sense of adventure with a generous scoop of work ethic.
Ricardo Levy, a California-based chemical engineer, founder of Catalytica (now owned by DSM), and author of the 2010 book Letters To a Young Entrepreneur, recently told a class at the University of Delaware: “For the entrepreneur, the emotional investment is total — the dream takes over morning, noon, and night. You reach a tipping point where nothing else matters.”
Levy will share his passions and insights on Wednesday, October 26, at 4:30 p.m. at the Friend Center at Princeton University. “The Essence of Entrepreneurship” is part of the Keller Center’s continuing round of business leadership courses. For more information about this free workshop, visit https://commons.princeton.edu/kellercenter.
A native of South America, Levy is a graduate of Princeton and Stanford, where he earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering. He founded his first chemical R&D firm after leaving Exxon in 1974.
“No matter what happens, it’s your business,” Levy says. “There is no boss but yourself and you’re stuck with the whole mess.”
