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Shark Tank speaker inspires students

Dave Alwan, founder of Echo Valley Meats and two-time Shark Tank contestant, spoke Wednesday about the ins and outs of entrepreneurship.

Alwan’s speech discussed many aspects about his startup into business and his experiences with Shark Tank.

Alwan, born and raised in Peoria, is a third generation cattle farmer and meat processor. His first step into his professional career started with the purchase of a 150-acre farm in 1992 at the age of 23. By 1998, Echo Valley Meats launched and saw immediate success.

“I believe success is in layers, starting small and continually adding layers as you grow,” Alwan said. “Not starting so big that you have to go the other route. You need to manage your growth.”

In 2012, Alwan had his first Shark Tank audition in Los Angeles. After flying into Los Angeles, he found over 5,000 people lined up for the Shark tank audition. Alwan said some of these people had been camping out for days.

Alwan’s success on Shark Tank and with Echo Valley Meats led to a great relationship with show judge and Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban. Alwan said his success story is the reason he makes these trips all over the country.

“The one thing you all need to know right now in life … you’re going to get what you work for not what you wish for,” Alwan said. “If you’re going to wish, buy a lottery ticket and hope you get lucky.”

Alwan emphasized the importance confidence plays when it comes to starting a business.

“You’re going to get knocked down many times along the way, but you need to get back up because you never know when the next opportunity is going to come,” he said. “You never know who you’re going to be talking to that can open a door.”

Kenneth Klotz, Managing Director for the Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, said Alwan’s start-up story is something students shouldn’t take for granted.

“I think it’s important for the students because they are going to hear from a very humble, regular guy that started exactly where they started,” Klotz said. “Part of what the students are going to get is the message that if ‘he can do it, they can do it’. For Bradley, we like to highlight entrepreneurs that have achieved some level of fame in that speaker series.”

Alwan’s speech was the fifth Distinguished Speaker Series Bradley has held.

“There were a couple reasons for choosing Alwan as the speaker,” Klotz said. “One, there’s a huge interest in the ABC show Shark Tank. We thought bringing in someone local who has been through that process as a contestant twice would be a very compelling story for the students.”

Klotz said another reason Alwan was selected was because he spoke last year at the annual Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization conference, where 1,200 students from all over the country attend. He was their most popular speaker, receiving a standing ovation, and one loved his story.

Alwan’s story served as a reminder that anyone is capable of accomplishing what he has done in his lifetime, according to Klotz.

“I thought the speaker was eye-opening, and I learned a lot about entrepreneurship that I never thought I would know,” freshman business major Chris Shimenetto said.

Brian Pospishil, a junior business management and entrepreneurship double major, said he also enjoyed Alwan’s speech.

“I thought it was really inspiring to hear a story from someone who broke away from their family business and made it into what it is today,” Pospishil said. “I think it’s crazy how strict Shark Tank is with their policies and all that as well.”

Alwan left with a quote he said he lives by, “If your dreams are not bigger than reality, you have a problem with your dreams.”

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