Students attend entrepreneurship workshop at AT&T’s Redmond office

Nearly 30 students from SeaTac’s Global Connections High School attended a daylong workshop at AT&T’s Redmond offices on Monday. The “Let’s Start” workshop was focused on teaching students between the ages of 15 and 18 about entrepreneurial concepts, including the importance of innovation, the foundations of finance and how to stand out compared with the competition.

Presenters included Fred Devereux, AT&T’s president of the West Region, who highlighted why character traits like positivity, willingness to work hard and dedication to problem solving are some of the most important cornerstones of success. Students learned about the evolution of technology at AT&T, from a business built around cell phones to today’s focus on content and entertainment.

Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Device and Network Services Marketing for AT&T Entertainment Group, told attendees about his experience launching the first smartphone for AT&T. He stressed that lessons he’s learned throughout his career are just as applicable to high school students as they are to executives: the need to remain curious and disciplined in your work, and the fact that there’s no substitute for hard work.

The workshop also highlighted AT&T’s distracted driving awareness program “It Can Wait,” which encourages drivers to take the pledge to put their phones away while driving and focus on the road.