Students must take advantage of the opportunities they have to network. This was the message Struck, NUVI and Rentler founder Jason Bangerter shared with Weber State University students and members of the Ogden community at the first Young Subaru Lecture Series for Budding Entrepreneurs.

“I learned that I needed to get to know people around me,” Bangerter said. “People you know right now are going to be your friends until you die.”

Bangerter told attendees about his experience as a Brigham Young University student and how that impacted his early career as an entrepreneur.

Starting his first company freelancing from an apartment, Bangerter studied  at BYU and worked 20 hours per day. Soon he found his schedule was too busy, so he invited a friend to help him freelance. That friend later became his business partner.

The Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center and Goddard School of Business and Economics worked together to promote the Lecture Series.

“The lectures are open to the public,” said Amy Hirschi, Entrepreneurship Center assistant.

Jorge Chavez, a member of the Ogden community, invited everyone who is interested to come to the entrepreneurship lectures.

“If you want to be your own boss and want to expand your network, this is the way to do it,” he said.

Bangerter talked about the goals he had set for himself and the discipline he needed in order to accomplish his goals.

“It was good information,” Jeff Martinez Jr., WSU junior said. “It was good to see what you can become by working hard and also by getting to know the right people.”

During the lecture, participants had the opportunity to ask questions, not only about entrepreneurship, but also about the future of different industries.

“Bangerter’s speech was probably better for someone who is trying to open a technology business,” Martinez said. “It does not matter if you don’t want to open a technology business, what matters is to keep participating in these lectures so we get to listen from various speakers. If we are not involved then we might not get a speaker that might help me specifically.”

Lectures are just some of the few resources available to students through the Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center. WSU offers a 15-credit entrepreneurship minor, which is available to any student with any major.

There are two other lectures scheduled for the spring semester. The next lecture will be on Feb. 10 with Matt Frisbie, founder and CEO of Chief MO.