Celebrating 10 Years of Entrepreneurial Leadership 

This past week, SCH marked the 10th anniversary of its signature program, the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL), at a celebration attended by program alumni, school stakeholders, faculty, Upper School students, and special guests.

The CEL is an “engine for innovation,” says Executive Director Ed Glassman. “The work that goes on in CEL changes lives and sets career paths. It’s so much more than a business; it’s a powerful framework for the future of education.“

Illustrating Glassman’s premise, a handful of poised Venture Accelerator and Capstone entrepreneurs delivered pitches for the projects that they have been working on, in some cases for several years. In addition, the CEL space was humming with over 25 students sharing their original ideas with guests, from a card game to help generate conversations around mental health (Taco 'Bout It) to woven goods supporting women in a village in Cambodia (Sonas to America) to a phone case to hold epinephrine (EpiPhone).

After the student presentations, CEL faculty, stakeholders, alumni, and guests attended the 10th-anniversary celebration featuring speakers Annabel Grove '17, a graduate of UPenn Wharton (read her speech); Ed Glassman '03, executive director of CEL; Dick Hayne, former SCH trustee and CEO of URBN; Youngmoo Kim, SCH trustee and CEL mentor; and keynote speaker Scott Galloway, professor of marketing at NYU's Stern School of Business and a serial entrepreneur. 

Congratulations to the entire CEL team—faculty, staff, and stakeholders—who made this program possible. Attendees all left with sound advice from Professor Galloway, resounding endorsements from Mr. Hayne, an awesome lesson in resilience from Ms. Grove, and tremendous respect for the incredible work that Mr. Glassman has put into building this signature program. Mr. Hayne left the audience with a closing thought: "CEL the program, in itself, was a CEL project—an idea that came together with strategy, leadership, and heart." We can't wait to see what the next 10 years will bring to our students and CEL graduates that SCH sends out into the world. 

Event Photos