At around 8:45 am, The Spartan Project in coordination with professor Glen Earl, kicked off their 24th annual Global Entrepreneurship Week project within the Siegal Auditorium on Elgin Community College’s campus Wednesday, November 19th. 

The event began with a speech from Darian Earl, founder of Development Consulting Partners and a participating judge for this event, who detailed their success and prowess in the field of entrepreneurship to the audience by sharing anecdotes and personal accounts of both his accomplishments and shortcomings.

Earl gave advice such as, “Always be ‘in the know’ at your place of work.”, to ask your manager or boss questions such as “what are our goals for this upcoming year?”, and “what are some things that are going well, that we want to continue success with?” in order to demonstrate your charisma and care for your work as a professional. Such advice has been passed down to one success story from the last, setting the tone that establishing a professional and caring impression with your employer shows that you’re more than just a hard worker, but that you care enough to be an entrepreneurial minded business owner yourself, and that you should be the first consideration for the most important projects.

In attendance for this event were the members of The Spartan Project and ECC’s own dual credit students from local high schools. Burlington Central, Dundee Crown, Hampshire and Jacobs High School all joined together to create one great collaborative environment where both students and speakers could take the floor to ask questions and have educated discussion about the risks and rewards of entrepreneurship.

Students were assigned in the weeks prior to create and pitch a business or service to the audience, as well as a panel of judges made of seasoned entrepreneurs. At the conclusion of each team’s pitch, the judges were then prompted to ask useful questions and to give advice about how to not only improve their pitches but their business ideas as well. 

This panel of judges consisted of earlier mentioned Darian Earl, Elgin councilmen Corey Dixon, former students Demitrius Smith, founder of Team Entrepreneur, and Mandie Jano, founder of Eternal Tans in Elgin. All bringing their knowledge and experience to the table to give the best and most helpful advice possible for the optimistic entrepreneurs pitching their ideas in front of them.

Then members of The Spartan Project took to the stage to perform their own pitches in front of the audience and judges.

Before the students were sent off for their lunch break, the faculty of ECC showed a quick video harnessing the use of Canva AI’s visual technology, asking the audience a question. “Would you rather have all the knowledge, all the money, the mentorship, or the customers you’d need to make a business?” The students were asked to choose which of these four options would make them feel ready to start a business of their own.

At the conclusion of lunch, Professor Earl held a quick but meaningful ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of The Spartan Project. Formally awarding former members of the program, as well as the people who have proven themselves to be instrumental to its 24 years of success. Clark Hallpike, a professor of marketing here at ECC for the last 48 years, as well as Professor Earl’s own mentor and friend, gave a speech telling the audience to live life unapologetically, that the- “evidence lies within individuals-showing evidence of your experience comes with telling your life-story.” Reminding the audience to stay authentic to themselves and that it’s okay to take risks in business, as it can only lead to success or worthwhile experience. 

Then, alums and former Spartan Project members Jamie Vargo, founder of Vargo Dance in Geneva and who unfortunately could not attend, and earlier mentioned Demetrius Smith and Mandie Jano, were honored and awarded the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award. Both Smith and Jano gave speeches of their own to say thank you and to pass on their wisdom to the audience. Demetrius Smith chose to honor an absent friend and mentor, Suzan Timm, a former professor of Communications here at ECC, for her tremendous spirit and guidance that she regularly gave to students, during his speech.   

After the conclusion of the ceremony, the event came to its own conclusion when students and faculty returned to their seats to discuss the findings of the students’ responses. Professor Earl gave a closing speech, reflecting on the data of the questionnaire, showing how success in life is simply an expression of choice. That it doesn’t matter what you choose and that the road to success has many paths. “Each decision you make leads to other paths. With no correct answers, each decision in life helps you build an understanding of the world around you, leading you closer to where you want to be.”