Scott to Speak March 21 at Thomas Colloquium

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Veronika Scott, founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan, will be the guest speaker at Youngstown State University’s Paul J. and Marguerite J. Thomas Colloquium 7:30 p.m. March 21 at Stambaugh Auditorium.

The event is free, but tickets are required. They are available at the Stambaugh Auditorium box office or at StambaughAuditorium.com.

Scott’s organization started with designing a self-heated, waterproof coat for the homeless that can double as a sleeping bag. The idea eventually transformed into teaching homeless women how to produce the coats, giving them an opportunity to earn money, find a place to live and regain independence.

Scott is the youngest recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award from the JFK Library Foundation and Harvard University, as well as a recipient of the Industrial Design Society of America’s IDEA Gold Award. She has also been named one of CNN’s Ten Visionary Women and in 2015 was one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 social entrepreneurs.

The Thomas Colloquium was started in 1981 to reflect the Thomas’ family involvement in the business community. The aim of the program is to promote free enterprise as a viable force in the U.S. economy and provide services to the business and academic communities, such as promoting long-term business planning, providing a library for businesspeople and offering a space for exchanging ideas.

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