People’s United president, Jeff Tengel, spoke in the Lender School of Business. Tengel is one of several speakers in People’s United Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Speaker series. Photo credit: Peter O’Neill
May 18 will be the two year anniversary of the partnership between People’s United Bank and Quinnipiac University, announced back in 2018. Since then, Quinnipiac and People’s have presented a variety of opportunities to connect entrepreneur students with bank executives.
“It’s been two years almost, and [this relationship] has wildly exceeded our expectations in terms of the collaboration and the partnership,” Jeff Tengel, president of People’s United Bank said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Tengel spoke in the Lender School of Business to bankers and students alike. He was one of several speakers in the weekly People’s United Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Spring Speaker series, running from February to April.
“[The Speaker series] is probably less important than some of the other things we do that are maybe more personal, like the mentor-mentee thing we just did, which is a chance for [students] to talk one on one with a bunch of executives,” Tengel said.
Students were given the opportunity to have a discussion with professionals working in the field.
Tengel’s audience consisted of Quinnipiac students, investors and bankers. Quinnipiac’s Fred McKinney, director of People’s United Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, hosted the event in the School of Business. Photo credit: Peter O’Neill
Last September, People’s United Center invited students to pitch their business ideas for monetary prizes to help get their entrepreneurship ideas off the ground. The center awarded $5,000 in cash prizes to three Quinnipiac students with the best pitches.
“We had 60 Quinnipiac students participate in that pitch competition…People’s played a very instrumental role in that,” Fred McKinney, director of People’s United Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship said.
“I think any way that we can get out and interact with the students, it’s gonna be a good thing,” Tengel said. “And so I think as we go forward, it’s going to be more of the same. I don’t see any reason why that would change.”
The next guest speaker for the People’s Speaker series will be Will Ginsberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, held on March 18.