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When Brandon Downey gets the opportunity to speak with students at his alma mater at West Virginia University, he vividly remembers when he was sitting in class listening to a guest speaker. And Downey will readily admit that one aspect of his passion in helping college students is talking with them about the bridge from entrepreneurship to innovation.
“My college and professional careers were based on technology and innovation,” he told students at WVU’s Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. “While attending WVU as an undergraduate, I befriended a guy named Randy Cottle, whose focus was on business management. In 2010, we co-founded Trilogy Innovations. He now functions as the president, and to say it’s been an amazing ride is an understatement.”
Students were particularly interested in Artificial Intelligence and the role it plays in their world today.
“AI is a disruptive technology. From medical to military, companies are spending a significant amount of money on Artificial Intelligence.”
Downey discussed the enormous investments made by the world’s largest and most influential AI companies. He zeroed in on three globally renowned companies:
Open AI - $3.7 billion revenue in 2024; monthly revenue reached $300 million in August 2024, representing a 1,700% increase from 2023
Google - $96 billion revenue in 2024; capital expenditure forecast in AI-related investments is estimated at $75 billion for 2025
NVIDIA – company market value grew to $3.28 trillion by end of 2024
“We have to look at our future workforce and determine who is going to be the next AI experts. That’s where you come in. AI is a significant part of everyday life,” he said. “Think of the impact electricity has had on our lives. AI is going to have that kind of impact.”
After surveying the class as to who might be interested in entrepreneurship, Downey talked about practical steps to entrepreneurship by way of innovation.
“The first thing you need to know is that you cannot do this alone,” he said. Establishing your network is critical.”
Downey’s four practical steps include:
build a network and seek mentorship;
develop a plan with a strategic vision;
become resilient and expect failure, disappointment, and setbacks; and
lead your organization through empowerment and safety.
“You want to set yourself up for success,” he said. “It’s OK for you to acknowledge that you know more today than you did yesterday, and to change your goals accordingly.”
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