Each academic year, Trinity invites successful entrepreneurs to bring their real-world experience to the classroom through the Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) program. EIRs serve as part-time faculty members, teaching courses, holding office hours, and advising E-Hall and the Louis H. Stumberg Venture Competition. They provide unparalleled mentorship for students trying to navigate their own entrepreneurial journeys, whether that be by helping them craft the perfect pitch for their startup, coaching them about team dynamics, or inspiring them to be unafraid to pursue their career goals.
Inspired by the leadership and impact of former Trustee and entrepreneur Louis H. Stumberg, the EIR position has been endowed thanks to a 2019 pledge by Trustee Christopher M. Kinsey ’79. Kinsey's gift will enable generations of Trinity students to continue to learn directly from experienced entrepreneurs and interested alumni entrepreneurs the opportunity to come back and connect with Trinity students. Kinsey’s endowment shows Trinity’s commitment to ensuring student success and strengthening the bonds of the Trinity alumni-student community for years to come.
So far, the EIR program has brought to campus eight successful alumni, including this academic year’s new EIR, Sarah Janosik ’75.
Janosik graduated from Trinity with majors in psychology and art. She is a serial entrepreneur whose ventures include Cowgirl Ventures, the Relate Center, and others. She runs a professional therapy practice and conducts business and professional workshops focusing on teamwork and professional development.
“It feels fabulous to be back at Trinity,” Janosik says. “Trinity was one of the finest experiences in my life. I loved going to school here, and it feels great to be back and reinvolved. When I was offered this opportunity, I was so excited—I couldn't sleep all night thinking about it.”
Janosik is an Epona Approved Instructor, and she facilitates equine-based awareness and growth workshops for professional training and business groups. She received her master’s degree in social work at the University of Texas at Austin and participated in a post-graduate internship at the University of California, San Francisco Medical School.
“I think my experience in life is very different from a lot of entrepreneurs,” Janosik says, “and I’m excited to offer different solutions and perspectives than what you would typically think about a startup or a business. I had to do it kind of on my own—making a business in an area of specialties where you're actually not encouraged to have a professional business that makes money. It’s fun to be able to help the students think about this and be creative.”
Janosik believes that she brings to the EIR position two perspectives that benefit students: one, her experience making her own business in professional services instead of joining an already established mental health company; and two, her background in social work and professional coaching.
Janosik is excited for mentoring opportunities such as the Louis H. Stumberg Venture Competition, where she will help teach students about teamwork and its importance in the entrepreneurial world.
“If you're going to build something, you really can't do it alone. You've got to find people that are either partners or support people to build out the parts that you're not good at,” Janosik says. “I think that working with teams will be a great way for me to really help students understand their behavioral style. What do they do naturally in the world? What is their unique ability and how do they learn how to communicate who they are to others not like them? Communication is necessary in terms of building a good team and being able to focus on what you want to create.”
In addition to practicing good communication, Janosik believes that keeping an open mind is important for entrepreneurial success. During her time as a student, Janosik appreciated how Trinity’s liberal arts education instilled in students an open-minded, interdisciplinary outlook.
“I think the foundation that I got at Trinity was to be curious,” Janosik says. “I was able to take classes in all these different areas and learn how to combine them in terms of all my interests and my strengths. In my career, social work, psychology, and art are all about creativity and doing something worthwhile that helps people.”
Creativity allows Janosik to keep growing and shifting and encourages her to always be thinking about ways to be innovative in her field. She hopes that throughout her time as EIR, she can inspire students to be creative and instill in them the same curiosity that she felt as a student.
“Trinity is a great place to start, where you have some support and a safety net,” Janosik says. “Part of what these students are doing [through this entrepreneurship program] is figuring out, ‘Do I have the right personality for doing this?’ Some people don't like the unknown, they would much prefer being able to go to a position that's more secure. But, I hope these students can walk away from this program knowing, ‘Hey, I don’t just have to take a job. I can think about my life and what really makes me excited and integrate that into my work.’”
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