On Wednesday, March 20, the McDermond Center for Management and Entrepreneurship awarded alumnus and Provo Medical founder David Trogden ’04 the McDermond Medal of Excellence in Entrepreneurship. More than 120 members and 40 alumni gathered in person via Zoom to celebrate and recognize Mr. Trogden’s legacy and receive an inspiring lecture on living a values-based life.
Trogden was recognized for his efforts in entrepreneurship, advice and investing. He has demonstrated impeccable leadership skills, managed high-growth organizations, hosted countless of his DePauw student interns at Probo Medical, and contributed to the DePauw community. He is recognized by Purdue University Executive Vice President Dan Hassler in ’80, First Internet Bank CEO David Becker in ’75, and last year’s recipient, Fusion Education Group Founder, in ’86. He joins previous recipients of the honour, including the late Peter Rupert.
At the age of 18, Trogden knew he wanted to run a business and achieved it before he turned 30. At the beginning of his lecture, he shared his three steps for students to start their career. It’s about learning how students are uniquely wired, seeking out companies and professionals that may align with their values, and talking to people who are potentially doing what they want to do. .
“I promise you, if you can put in one hour a day, five hours a week at this point in your life, between the ages of 18 and 22, you will be in the top 1% in terms of graduate performance. Opportunity [and] I know where I want to go, but I have to put in the work,” Trogden said.
Even though he knew what he wanted to do professionally, Trogden didn’t define his core values until he was 40, and emphasized the importance of defining them in college. .
“The values you hold most dear will be the foundation of your life,” Trogden said. “If you are not intentionally thinking about what you want to stand for, these [values] They will be defined for you, or they may be defined by your employer, colleagues, or society. ”
Trogden is now safely retired at age 37, but he and his family keep busy traveling around the country in their new RV. He has continued to live by his core values, which include honesty, which reminds him to be who he is and remain humble.
Reflecting on his time at DePauw, he shared two main takeaways: embracing leadership opportunities and building relationships. His leadership experience at DePauw gave him the confidence to become a future leader. Finally, he developed friendships and relationships that would last his entire life, ultimately leading to [his] We use the DePauw network to conduct business. ”
