The Loudoun Campus will host a webinar on March 9 at 4 p.m. with Suneel Gupta, author of Backable: The Surprising Truth About What Makes People Take a Chance on You.

This event is open to students, faculty, staff, and the community. Pre-register Here.

Being backable is not about charisma, connections, or even your resume; but rather it is about your ability to persuade people to take a chance on you and your ideas. The good news? This “it quality” can be learned and it is no longer just for celebrities and CEOs. It’s for all of us. From the college student entering a rapidly-changing workforce to the airline employee who’s just been furloughed. In a topsy-turvy world, learning how to be backable has gone from nice to necessary.

Suneel Gupta is the founder of RISE and is on the faculty of Harvard University. Using the seven steps inside his book, Backable, Suneel went from being the face of failure for the New York Times to being the “New Face of Innovation” for the New York Stock Exchange. His ideas have been backed by firms like Greylock and Google Ventures, and he has invested in startups including Airbnb, Calm, and SpaceX. Suneel also serves as an emissary for Gross National Happiness between the United States and the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Gupta earned a B.S. in computer programming from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, an M.B.A. from the Northwestern Kellogg School of Management and a J.D. from Northwestern Law School. Gupta has worked founder and CEO of RISE, VP of product development for Groupon, director of product development for Mozilla, field operations for the Michigan Democratic coordinated campaign and in the press office for the Clinton White House.