EPIC Workshop: GoPro Executive Inspires to Find Purpose for Career Success

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On October 4, 2019, the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) of the American University of Armenia (AUA) hosted the Vice President of Advisory Services, Risk and Controls at GoPro Inc., Lusine Yeghiazaryan, who shared her experience with young entrepreneurs, students, and faculty of AUA. GoPro is a technology company founded in 2002 which manufactures action cameras and develops its own mobile apps and video-editing software.

Over her career, Yeghiazaryan has had the opportunity to work in different countries including France, the UK, Germany, Japan, and Russia. She holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business of the University of California, Berkeley and is currently Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator advisor. Her expertise in the technology and biotechnology industries includes board governance, pre-IPO readiness, operations and risk management, and financial strategy.  

Yeghiazaryan has been a frequent speaker at various conferences and training seminars by NetSuite-Oracle SuiteWorld, GoPro’s Summit, Intel’s WIN, and IBM’s Super Women series. Due to her passion for finding opportunities for women and girls, Yeghiazaryan also serves on the Board of the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA). 

During her motivational talk, Yeghiazaryan shared the difficulties that she and other people from various backgrounds face when choosing their careers. She emphasized the importance of taking risks and being decisive in crisis situations. “When there is an opportunity, are you brave enough to take a risk?” is the critical question that she suggested everyone ask themselves. 

The speaker emphasized the importance of purpose in finding your path. She reviewed the key criteria in the process of guiding a career: 1) Doing what you love, 2) What the world needs, 3) what the world will pay you, and 4) what you do well. She also mentioned how during a career, one may shift focus and emphasis from one criterion to another. She also spoke about the importance of being surrounded by people who push you to break through and follow your dreams. Yeghiazaryan advised entrepreneurs to think about targeting the global market, where their contribution will meet “not only what Armenia needs, but what the whole world needs.” 

Especially interesting in her talk was use of unique creative, exciting, and inspiring videos from the users of GoPro cameras to tell stories that illustrate her points.

The event ended with a lively Q&A session. Yeghiazaryan expressed her readiness to support Armenian companies and startups who want to enter the international market and her willingness to contribute to the future development of Armenia. 

The Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) is a platform of the American University of Armenia (AUA) for promoting entrepreneurial education, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and startup venture incubation. EPIC provides an ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs consisting of first-class facilities and collaborative workspace, programs and events, and a network of mentors, advisors, and investors. EPIC fosters the understanding and application of entrepreneurship in students and faculty at AUA to craft high-impact multidisciplinary ventures.