RISING ICON #100: Nick Tietz
An interview with Nick Tietz, founder and CEO of ILT Academy:
What name do you prefer to be called?
Nick Tietz
What are your pronouns?
none
Where did you grow up?
Twin Cities (I was born in Bogota, Colombia)
What city are you currently based in?
Brooklyn Park, MN
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
Hi my name is Nick Tietz, I’m a serial innovator and entrepreneur.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
I love helping people solve important problems and challenges, and I’m food motivated.
Who do you help?
I help discover and develop assets, and activate people and ideas
What are you building now?
An education platform to empower underestimated innovators and entrepreneurs across the globe.
What were you building ten years ago today?
Custom Software Applications
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
I’m not sure, but God will guide my path where he needs me to build up his kingdom
What’s a fact or statistic you wish everyone knew about your industry?
Inspiration for an idea can happen in a moment, but turning and idea into a sustainable business can take 3-5 years.
Why do you believe the work you do matters?
We need to support innovators and entrepreneurs beyond the traditional education system, particularly individuals from underrepresented groups who lack established connections to capacity-building opportunities, capital, and networks crucial for successful entrepreneurship. This approach ensures that all individuals, irrespective of their backgrounds and location, can access top-tier education and integrate faster into the entrepreneurial fabric of this country.
Who is your mentor and what is the best advice they’ve given you?
Michael Richter, “Stay focused on your mission and watch your burn rate.”
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
https://iltacademy.io/2023/01/16/st-cloud-shines-features-ilt-academy/
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
Forbes - Impact Lab
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
Gary Tan, CEO of Y Combinator
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
A marathon of sprints - how not to burn yourself out when starting your next big thang.
What award would mean the most to win?
Getting to heaven
What makes zero sense to you?
Why did Han shoot first?
What’s a word in your industry you hope gets re-evaluated?
BIPOC
What game are you changing?
We are here to revolutionize the entrepreneurial landscape, ensuring that transformative ideas are no longer hindered by geography and access to education and training normally reserved for Silicon Valley startups or 4-year institutions.
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
Join our community of first time and serial founders, or help us mentor an underestimated entrepreneur.
Where can we follow you online?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-tietz/
What’s one thing that makes every leader better?
Empathy and Action
To learn more about Nick’s work, visit:
https://iltacademy.io/
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We’re grateful to each RISING ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Nick, for sharing your story!
LAUREL is a media relations partner for bold leadership. For nearly a decade, we’ve helped leaders build effective strategies for scale and growth specializing in key opinion leadership and go-to-market strategy for emerging brands. To follow along with the RISING ICONS series, nominate a leader or subscribe to our weekly email newsletter. To accelerate your own rise, get our free guide to elevating your leadership profile, FIT(lite). RISING ICONS is made possible by grant funding from Knight Foundation.
“Inspiration for an idea can happen in a moment, but turning and idea into a sustainable business can take 3-5 years.”
Notice: It’s important for our readers to understand the origin of the interview content. The featured ICON contributed responses that were not edited from the original submission. All claims are made solely by the contributor and do not reflect the views of LAUREL or its partners. Thank you for supporting innovation leaders. We’re convinced, the future is bold.
