“From Intern to Owner and the lessons learned along the way” By Cole Watson ’16 , SolidCircle

I started at SolidCircle as a part time intern during the summer before my Senior year at Hope in 2016 with no vision or intent on ever being a business owner. Fast forward to October 2022 and I now own it. In this talk I will go through the journey that took me from a part time summer intern to business owner and all the important lessons I learned along the way (and am still learning).  I will share insights into how I have wrestled (and still do) with the idea of mission, purpose, and calling and how that plays into my business. My hope is that you can become inspired to think more deeply about your passions, purpose, and the work you do so that you can make an impact no matter where life takes you.  

Cole grew up in Louisville, CO and graduated from Hope in 2017 with a double major in Math and Computer Science. Cole currently owns a software company in Holland called SolidCircle that specializes in custom web applications. Cole lives in Holland with his wife Sierra of almost seven years and his two children Benji (3) and Piper (1). In his free time Cole likes riding his bike, hiking at Saugatuck Dunes, and playing basketball.