Hub & Spoke: Beyond the Game - Alumni Athletes on Entrepreneurship

Hub & Spoke: Beyond the Game - Alumni Athletes on Entrepreneurship

What happens when the final whistle blows and athletes trade their jerseys for business ventures?

Join us for an inspiring evening of conversation with three Davidson alumni who made the leap from Division I athletics to entrepreneurship. Discover how the lessons learned on the field, court, and pitch shaped their journeys to building impactful companies.

Meet Our Panelists

Andrew Ashur '19 - Baseball → Robotics Innovation
Founder of Lucid Bots and the Hurt Hub's newest Alumni Innovator-in-Residence, Andrew has been named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list. While balancing D1 baseball and double majoring in Economics and Spanish at Davidson, he was already laying the groundwork for what would become one of America's fastest-growing companies. Andrew transformed a concern for worker safety into innovative cleaning robots that are revolutionizing the industry through cutting-edge AI integration.

Cameron Hardesty '07 - Women's Soccer → Floral Entrepreneurship
Founder of Poppy, Cameron's entrepreneurial journey began in an unexpected place—the White House Flower Shop. After volunteering there while working in The White House, she discovered her passion for floral design and went on to help scale a major floral startup into one of the largest e-commerce floral gifting companies in the country. When planning her own wedding exposed the outdated and expensive wedding floral supply chain, Cameron saw an opportunity. She created Poppy to make wedding and event florals simpler, more cost-effective, and more flexible without compromising on design.

Andrew Lovedale '09 - Basketball → Social Impact
President and Founder of Access to Success (A2S), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to generating positive change for Nigerian children and their communities. A native of Benin City, Nigeria, Andrew came to Davidson on a scholarship to play D1 basketball while majoring in Political Science. He has become a recognized leader in entrepreneurial spaces both in the U.S. and Nigeria, speaking at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) and serving as a mentor in the Hurt Hub NEXT level program. Andrew has built A2S with an entrepreneurial approach, creating innovative models for program building and community-involved solutions to poverty.

What You'll Gain

• Real stories about transitioning from athletics to entrepreneurship
• Insights on how sports shaped their business mindset and leadership style
• Practical advice on leveraging your Davidson education and network
• Inspiration for your own entrepreneurial journey, whether you're an athlete or not
• Opportunities to connect with fellow alumni and students interested in innovation

Whether you're curious about starting your own venture, interested in how athletic discipline translates to business success, or simply want to hear compelling stories from Davidson alumni making an impact, this is an evening you won't want to miss.

Dinner will be served. Come ready to be inspired, ask questions, and connect with others passionate about supporting innovation and entreprenuership.

The Hurt Hub welcomes requests for reasonable accommodations related to disability and will strive to make this program accessible to participants. Please contact Erin Moreau, Associate Director, Operations, at ermoreau@davidson.edu to make such a request.