Marcus Noel's Biggest Takeaway from Forbes 30 Under 30

 

In this fellow highlight series, Camelback Ventures shares quick snapshots of our entrepreneurs' work and perspectives. 

Marcus Noel was in our 2015 Fellow cohort, and is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Heart of Man. Heart of Man's mission is to prepare the next generation of creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Heart of Man offers digital, design, business, and STEAM skills to middle and high school students so they can not only compete in the21st-century, but also set a new standard for excellence. Since finishing the Camelback Fellowship, Marcus and Heart of Man were featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Education List. 

What was the biggest takeaway from your experience at the Forbes Under 30 Summit?
The biggest takeway from the Forbes Under 30 Summit was connecting with so many like-minded peers that are living out their dreams, truly inspirational! I also really enjoyed speaking on the "How to make the list" panel moderated by Caroline Howard. I had the opportunity to share my experience of how the Forbes 30 Under 30 honor has impacted my company and overall life. It felt really good to share my story and my journey of building my dream.

Since finishing the Camelback Fellowship, what has most excited you about your venture and what's changed?
Since Camelback we impacted over 670 students this year across 9 US cities including the Bahamas. We executed two summer programs, one including a 5-week summer camp in Washington, DC. Currently, our business has demonstrated market demand and student impact through executing over 25 programs at 8+ public, private, and charter schools. This year we have generated early stage revenue. We have developed strategic partnerships with Forbes, STEMBoard, The White House Mentee program, and others. We currently have 14 new customers in our pipeline and we have worked with the following: INROADS, The Harlem Children’s Zone, Georgetown Day School, and DC Public Schools. Our customers and users have rated HoM’s quality as 98% or “Excellent." I'm excited by all of this amazing growth.

What is the best advice you’d offer an entrepreneur at the beginning of a new venture?
Create your support system. Entrepreneurship is extremely challenging and it takes a lot out of you. Entrepreneurship life can easily become an emotional roller coaster, build a circle of support around you that understands your journey, you will need it!


To learn more about Marcus, his venture, and his experience with the Camelback Fellowship, click here.