Michael Hostad is a retired IT professional that has used his coding work for some pretty amazing community projects. Michael began building websites at age 14, posting clips from The Simpson for fun. After college, he worked for a financial company, building websites. After realizing this didn't bring him a lot of intrinsic joy, he took an IT position at UW-Milwaukee. This position grew and grew as he said yes and fast forward, he ends up working for a large nonprofit in Milwaukee and then starting a non-profit called The Commons, a free accelerator for students to bring students together across Southeast WI to learn the entrepreneurial mindset, why failure is important, and creative problem-solving. During this time, Michael started a passion project called Light The Hoan. The Hoan Bridge is the Golden Gate of Milwaukee. Michael has worked for 4.5 years on this project with his partner Ian, and at the end of August, the west side will be lit! To top it off, Michael comes full circle in building a coding curriculum for students to program different light patterns so they, too, can Light The Hoan. Michael is a strong advocate of the community and Milwaukee.
Life's Not Linear with Isabel Sandretti
Isabel (Izzo) has had a pretty non-linear life from the start. From moving cities right before high school started, she learned the politics of relationships. She also went from a predominantly white city and school to an incredibly diverse high school - which was amazing and shocking all at the same time. Izzo went to school on and off for journalism, advertising, and media studies (JAMs), working and busting her butt between semesters to pay for school. She ended up falling in love with the service industry, to no surprise as her dad is a chef! Watch to learn more!
Life's Not Linear with Amy Clinton
Amy is a pro at turning lemons into lemonade. She has been back and forth, East Coast to West Coast, figuring out what she wants to do in life. Growing up with an alcoholic mother, Amy didn't necessarily have the support she needed as she moved throughout high school and into college. Life has been a series of lemons and lessons for her. From figuring out what she wanted to do in school, to wanting to become a psychologist, working in a group home with young kids, working for a correctional facility, becoming a grant writer, and then starting her own consulting business - she's seen a lot. On top of all these transitions, going in between California and North Carolina, she met her husband on a plane to North Carolina and eventually settled there. After many career twists and turns, working in nonprofit spaces and correctional facilities, she started her consulting business of grant writing for nonprofits, and shortly after, her mother fell ill, and then Amy experienced some health complications. Watch to find out more!
Recap: An Evening with Real Industry 2018
November 8th, 2018 | An Evening with Real Industry | Great American Music Hall | San Francisco, CA
On Thursday, November 8th, Real Industry hosted An Evening With Real Industry. This special fundraising event took place at San Francisco’s legendary Great American Music Hall. The event included invited executives, leaders, and special guests from the music, entertainment, and consumer electronics industry.
Through design challenge workshops taking place at universities across the U.S., as well as through an entrepreneurship program for university-based startups, Real Industry aims to provide students with the opportunities and resources that traditional classroom education systems lack.
By taking advantage of these programs, students are exposed to new career paths in industry, develop new skills, and rapidly expand their professional networks. As a non-profit, Real Industry would not be able to provide these programs and resources to over 1,000 university students a year without the support and generosity of donors.
The perennial venue of the Great American Music Hall provided the perfect complimentary background for a night dedicated to investing in future leaders, a pursuit always important, yet often understated. Guests attending An Evening with Real Industry heard from representatives of all the varied champion groups Real Industry holds in its network, including Real Industry founder and Executive Director Jay LeBoeuf, Real Industry board members Richard Kulavik and Marlene Scherer Stern, former Real Industry student Giordano Jacuzzi, and our partner UC Berkeley’s Julie McShane.
The refreshments and professional networking accompanying this event were added benefits to what was a night to remember in support of university students. Though An Evening With Real Industry is over, it’s always a good time to support the next generation of industry leaders.
To join the Real Industry community and aid in our mission to educate, inspire, and empower university students to thrive in the arts and technology industry, visit our donation page at donate.realindustry.org.
Thank you to our corporate sponsors for supporting 2018’s An Evening with Real Industry!!
