Britney Vickery, Founder and CEO, Initials, Inc.

For more than 25 years, DSEF’s Campus Days at colleges and universities across the country have connected direct selling executives with students and educators to advance understanding of our industry.

The Foundation’s most recent Campus Event on March 27 provided a powerful venue to shine a light on direct selling—both as a channel of distribution and as an entrepreneurial and opportunity. Connie Tang, CEO, Princess House, and Britney Vickery, Founder and CEO, Initials, Inc., were featured presenters during the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Thinc Week—an annual campus-wide initiative designed to inspire entrepreneurship among students and faculty.

Connie Tang, CEO, Princess House

“Participating in the UGA Thinc event was an exhilarating experience to meet, see,
hear and talk to tomorrow’s entrepreneurs,” Connie said. “The opportunity to share insights to what independent business ownership means in our direct selling world hopefully opened their eyes to how our industry can be a vehicle to achieving their goal of being in business for themselves, which they might not have otherwise considered.”

DSEF Board Member and UGA Professor Dr. Brenda Cude hosted the Foundation presentations as part of “Start Something…On Your Own,” an event for undergraduate students in five different courses at UGA as well as students from Athens Technical College.

Britney and Connie shared their “real world” experience with more than 400 students who will be among tomorrow’s entrepreneurial and business leaders.  “The enthusiasm, encouragement and strong personalities of these powerful women are so inspiring!” one student said. “I have always had an interest in starting my own business but was afraid to try as I don’t feel ‘smart enough.’ After hearing these women, I am motivated and driven to ask for help and live my dream.”

Britney and Connie capped off their visit with a panel discussion attended by more than 130 students as well as UGA faculty and staff. Rich McCline, Senior Public Service Associate for UGA’s J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, moderated the panel.

“It was a remarkable day!” Britney said. “Not only was I given the platform to talk about being an entrepreneur, but I was also able to show students how I harnessed my passion for entrepreneurship through a very unique business model. Many of the students knew someone who had sold products through direct sales, but they had no idea how large and far reaching our industry was.”