FTG 0043 – Living and Working Abroad with Serial Startup Founder Connor Sattely ’11

Overview:

Connor Sattely ’11 Behrend is an entrepreneur and startup mentor based out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He's spent the last eleven years alternating between starting startups and supporting other entrepreneurs. Connor joins Following the Gong to discuss his experiences as a Scholar at Penn State Behrend, as an entrepreneur and start-up coach, and life as an ex-pat living and working abroad. Connor earned his BAs in Communication and Political Science, the former with honors, from Penn State Behrend. This episode is great for any Scholar at a Commonwealth Campus, interested in starting a business, or interested in travelling abroad for any amount of time, and certainly for any looking to live or work abroad. You can read a more detailed breakdown and Connor’s bio further below in the show notes.

Guest Bio:

Connor Sattely ’11 Behrend is an entrepreneur and startup mentor based out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He's spent the last eleven years alternating between starting startups and supporting other entrepreneurs. His businesses include GovFaces, a Switzerland-based civic tech company; SEMA (pronounced seh-muh), a Ugandan citizen feedback tool for public services; and his own consultancy in the Netherlands. In supporting startups, he's worked at the HiiL Justice Accelerator working with innovations in legal and justice issues around the world; and with the Social Enterprise Academy, working on transformative learning and development for social entrepreneurs. Connor earned a Bachelor of Art in communications with honors and a Bachelor of Art in political science from Penn State Behrend in 2011. He went on to earn a master’s degree in international affairs from l'Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement in Geneva, Switzerland.

Episode Topics:

• Life at Penn State Behrend and the value of making connections with faculty regardless of campus
• Learning through experiences like writing at the Behrend Beacon
• Thesis and non-thesis undergraduate research
• Studying abroad in undergrad and going to grad school abroad
• Starting your journey in start-ups and advice for future founders from a start-up mentor
• First-hand advice about international travel and living abroad
• Even more advice on startups and traveling abroad
• Thoughts on making the most of cold connections on LinkedIn ----- Schreyer Honors College Links: Website Instagram LinkedIn Upcoming Events Scholars – Need Assistance? Book an Appointment! Alumni – Learn Why and How to Volunteer Make a Gift to Benefit Schreyer Scholars Join the Penn State Alumni Association ----- Credits & Notes: This show is hosted, produced, and edited by Sean Goheen ‘11 Lib (Schreyer). The artwork was created by Tom Harrington, the College’s Web Developer. The sound effect is “Chinese Gong,” accessed via SoundBible used under Creative Commons License. The theme music is “Conquest” by Geovane Bruno, accessed via Pixabay and used under Creative Commons License.