Famed entrepreneur, business mogul and television star Sheldon Yellen will speak to the Syracuse University community Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management’s Lender Auditorium.

Yellen will present a lecture called “Restoring Opportunity Today,” and will discuss clips from his appearance on the CBS show “Undercover Boss.” The lecture, which is co-sponsored by Whitman and the Entrepreneurship Club, will take place after a networking session titled “Three Things an Entrepreneur Should Know About Business,” according to a Feb. 21 Whitman news release.

Yellen is best known as the CEO of BELFOR Holdings Inc., a premier disaster restoration company that serves 29 countries worldwide, according to the release.

The company is the world’s leading provider of property recovery services in North America, with more than 150 offices coast to coast and 6,400 full-time, experienced restoration specialists, according to the release.

In recent months, Yellen’s company has been dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The storm recovery, which has affected many members of the SU community, will most likely be a topic of discussion, said Lindsay Wickham, events and communications manager for the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship.

“Yellen is a man of many great accomplishments and exemplifies SU’s ‘Scholarship in Action’ initiative,” Wickham said in an email. “Also having insight from entrepreneurs definitely inspires and motivates students.”

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Wickham said it is never too early to start thinking about the future or hear a story of someone who has built such a large, successful company.

Yellen was invited to speak to the Entrepreneurship Club after he met member Jacob Levy, said Brandon Eng, a sophomore entrepreneurship and marketing major who is the director of speakers and marketing for the club.

Eng said Yellen expressed interest in speaking to students about his experiences in entrepreneurship. After more than a year of scheduling conflicts, the club finally settled on a date.

“Yellen appeals to college students because he went from being part of a lower social class to becoming a very successful individual,” Eng said. “He works very diligently, and failure is not part of his vocabulary.”

Hearing from successful professionals provides motivation for aspiring entrepreneurs, said David Erhlich, a junior accounting and entrepreneurship major and president of the Entrepreneurship Club. 

“As a student, there is only so much you can learn in a classroom from a textbook,” he said. “It is always great to hear stories from successful entrepreneurs and their paths to the top.”

BELFOR started as a relatively small company, Erhlich said. Because of savvy leadership and a smart business plan, the company eventually grew into a billion-dollar business.

Yellen is also known for his philanthropic perspective, overall positive attitude and for treating employees like family, Erhlich said. After appearing on “Undercover Boss,” he made significant changes to improve the company.

Said Ehrlich: “We believe that hearing Sheldon’s stories about personal experiences in business and as an entrepreneur will be insightful for everyone and we hope it inspires others to follow their dreams.”

Published on February 27, 2013 at 11:50 pm

Contact Levi: ldstei01@syr.edu