Bridging Generations: UMD's enTERPreneur Mentorship Program

They met for the first time in a July phone call, two strangers separated in age by more than four decades but connected by their UMD student experiences and a shared passion for entrepreneurship.

Kyon Winston-Bey ’27 listened to the voice on the other end and couldn’t help but be inspired: “You can have anything in the world if you work for it.”

The voice belonged to Bill Smith ’81, a retired geology consultant and one of 48 mentors enlisted in the Alumni Association’s inaugural EnTERPrenteur Mentoring Program. The program, part of the Terrapins Connect platform, allows mentors to work one-on-one with entrepreneurially minded students and alums.

Mentors met twice weekly for 60 to 90 minutes per session – Winston-Bey and Smith communicated via video calls – to pinpoint hallmarks for success. Winston-Bey’s 25-page plan highlights everything from the importance of networking and organizational structure to personal character and effective communication.

For Winston-Bey, a Baltimore computer engineering major with an interest in quantum computing, the collaboration was critical toward helping him develop the acumen to ultimately launch his own business.

“When I first got on the call with Bill, he asked me from the start, ‘Hey, what do you hope to get out of this program?’” Winston-Bey recalled. “Honestly, I didn’t have a great answer for him. I told him, ‘I’m just happy to have a mentor and get an overview of entrepreneurship.’”

The meetings and the conceptual business plan that came from the collaboration are foundational to success. About 10% of startups fail within the first year, with the total exploding to 90% within five years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some of the reasons include failing to budget, not properly researching target markets, and neglecting to form a business plan.

The EnTERPreneur Mentoring Program, which will continue annually, is designed to allay some of those risks. While business plans are used in part to secure funding, attract business partners and manage operations, “the conceptual business plan is kind of like a business plan,” said Smith, a geology major at Maryland whose work focused on environmental remediation.

“Students get some fundamentals, information about skills you need to develop, various corporate structures and networking and financing,” he added.

The Wilmington, Del., resident recently retired and is enthusiastic about creating a new generation of business leaders. “I like to give back and help students,” he said. “Kyon is very open to learning. In a lot of fundamental ways, we’re very similar.”

Smith has served on the Alumni Board of Visitors since 2009 when the Alumni Association feted him with Geologist of the Year honors. He started and sold two companies – Groundwater Technology Inc. and Environmental Alliance. “I made my first million at 26,” he smiled.

Meanwhile, Winston-Bey also derives inspiration from his entrepreneur father, who started a trucking business after his construction career soured. “He’s always wanted me to have a job where I was in control, where I wasn’t working for someone else,” he noted. “Growing up, he said I needed entrepreneurial skills, not just the technical skills that I’m chasing through computer engineering.”

Winston-Bey isn’t sure yet what he’ll do with quantum computing, but he’s staying “ahead of the curve.” Technology is still being developed to support careers in the field, he notes.

Quantum computing is a field of computer science that uses quantum mechanics and subatomic particles to solve problems faster. It can potentially be used in cybersecurity, data analytics and artificial intelligence.

In the meantime, Winston-Bey and Smith have developed a strong friendship. Smith visited his protégé on campus in College Park in the summer, the first time that they met in person. Winston-Bey says he won’t hesitate to reach out to his mentor for information or moral support.

“Bill taught me a lot about entrepreneurship, and I’m excited for my journey.”

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