Fordham Foundry Celebrates 10 Years of Supporting the Innovators and Entrepreneurs of the Future

Featured Events | Oct 14, 2022 | Gabelli School of Business

Keynote Address by Fordham University Alumnus John Kilcullen ’81, Creator of the “For Dummies” Book Series, Will Serve as the Centerpiece for an Evening Marking a Decade of Success

The Fordham Foundry, Fordham University’s hub for innovation and entrepreneurship will celebrate its 10th Anniversary on Thursday, October 27, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception and a keynote address at Fordham’s Lincoln Center Campus. The keynote will be delivered by Fordham alumnus John Kilcullen ’81, the founding member and Chairman/CEO of IDG Books Worldwide, now part of John Wiley and Sons, which publishes the incredibly popular “For Dummies” how-to books. 

Kilcullen is the perfect example of an entrepreneur who saw a need, capitalized upon it, and over a 10-year period, created a global brand that has made learning fun for tens of millions of people around the world. Since that early success, the “For Dummies” brand has gone on to sell over 250 million copies in over 30 languages, generating more than $2 billion in retail sales and numerous New York Times bestsellers.

Many entrepreneurs like Kilcullen, who was born, raised and educated in the Bronx, have had original ideas like the “For Dummies” books, but they never materialize into anything more because those who generate them do not receive the encouragement, support or funding to develop them fully. It is providing these critical resources for success that is at the very core of the Fordham Foundry mission.

The Fordham Foundry, based at the Gabelli School of Business, is a groundbreaking resource for all
students and alumni from across the University. It is a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, and serves as a cutting-edge, collaborative start-up ecosystem that is inspiring and preparing a new generation of leaders whose ideas will spark the next wave of ventures across industries.

“Given the enormous changes taking place in the world and the systemic challenges we face, the mission of the Fordham Foundry is more important and relevant than ever before,” noted Lerzan Aksoy, Ph.D., interim dean of the Gabelli School of Business. “The Foundry is focused on building the innovation mindset for the future of business and helping students and alumni to develop the global sensitivity and problem-solving skills that will set them apart as they launch new business ventures.”

Through its business plan competitions including the “Ram’s Den,” the “Annual Pitch Challenge” and the “Battle of the Bronx,” the Fordham Foundry fosters the entrepreneurial spirit required to transform fledgling ideas into viable and profitable businesses—from a fertility concierge service to a company that focuses on college sublets. Managed by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs, who have launched numerous successful businesses, the Foundry affords the guidance, encouragement and financial support to help start-up companies and the visionaries behind them, to make their dreams a reality. During the 10 years it has been in existence, the Fordham Foundry has dispensed more than $350,000 to help fund the ideas that have or will become the businesses of the future.

“We are very much looking forward to celebrating the tremendous success of the Fordham Foundry and the
entrepreneurial spirit it has provided,” said Al Bartosic, the Foundry’s executive director. “The need for these types of initiatives on college campuses and beyond is only growing. It’s essential for those entrepreneurs who are just starting out developing their network, perfecting their pitch, and learning how to raise the capital they will need to take their ideas from the early stages of development to a fully functional and profitable business venture. That is at the heart and soul of what we do here.”