The Accidental Entrepreneur
Annalyce didn't set out to become an entrepreneur. Growing up with an accountant father and an artist mother, she inherited a unique blend of analytical rigor and creative vision. But entrepreneurship felt distant… something reserved for "suits and investors," not for someone who simply loved making things.
That changed when a colleague approached her with a challenge: their son with ADHD needed a better way to manage daily tasks. Annalyce built visual chore charts, and as she refined the concept, something clicked. There are likely more people out there that could benefit from simple, straightforward messaging.
Enter Focus Posters, a B2C and B2B tech-ish venture that provides step-by-step visual schedules for children navigating complex tasks at home, in school, and for health. From schedules and to-do lists, to feelings charts and action plans, Focus Posters transforms overwhelming routines into manageable, illustrated guides.
"I was like, I think I'm being innovative. And then I realized this is a business, and I must be a business owner. And this isn't just a fun little creative project anymore. This is something important."
The validation came quickly. In 2023, Annalyce won the top prize at Montclair State's pitch competition. Now, she's scaling and partnering with Child Life Teams at major healthcare institutions. Her long-term vision? Continue to expand throughout healthcare and education, and an ambitious goal to partner with Ready.gov to bring Focus Posters to emergency preparedness nationwide.
Rethinking Risk
But perhaps Annalyce's most valuable insight isn't about her venture; it's about how we misunderstand entrepreneurship itself. We glorify risk-taking, but successful entrepreneurs don't see themselves as reckless gamblers.
"Entrepreneurs never see themselves that way [as risk-takers], because in their minds, they've accounted for all the risk. They've thought through all the possibilities..."
This philosophy drives her work at the Feliciano Center, where she's on a mission to reclaim the word "entrepreneur" for creators, artists, and makers who never imagined the term applied to them.
Breaking Down Barriers
"There's so many creators out there that don't know entrepreneurship is for them," Annalyce explains. At Montclair, she's built programs specifically designed to change that perception.
The Creator's Corner and Creators' Marketplaces provide intentionally low-barrier entry points for students to test business ideas. Students commit to running a pop-up shop for just one week, learning essentials like branding, pricing, and customer engagement without the pressure of a long-term commitment or significant upfront investment.
The results? Powerful. One student running a jewelry company worked a full-time corporate job before graduation but prioritized a mentorship call with Annalyce during her lunch break, determined to perfect her pitch deck.
"There's so many creators out there that don't know entrepreneurship is for them."
These moments of "untapped potential" seizing opportunity represent exactly what innovation ecosystems should cultivate.
A Lesson for Leaders
Annalyce's advice for organizations fostering innovation is refreshingly simple: create a culture where people feel safe sharing new ideas. Innovation doesn't start with fancy programs or massive budgets; it starts with leadership that's "all ears," genuinely open to possibility.
This philosophy mirrors HeroX's core mission of breaking down barriers to innovation. Just as Montclair removes obstacles for student creators, HeroX designs challenges that open doors to problem-solvers who might never have had the chance to contribute otherwise, from NASA competitions that invite engineers to space innovation, to challenges that design solar community business models.
The Path Forward
Annalyce D'Agostino-Gavin's story reminds us that innovation isn't just about technology or disruption. It's about recognizing that the person with the jewelry business, the visual artist, the maker, they're all entrepreneurs. They're all innovators. They just need the right environment to discover it themselves.
Ready to dive deeper? Watch the full HeroX Speaker Series conversation with Annalyce D'Agostino-Gavin to learn more about Montclair State University's approach to innovation and discover how HeroX can partner with your organization or university to unlock the next generation of problem-solvers.
Hyperlinks & Resources
Featured Venture: Focus Posters: https://focusposters.com/
Featured Center: Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Montclair State University: https://www.montclair.edu/entrepreneur/
Explore the HeroX Innovation Leadership Speaker Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQtyw_9NmiwHSzz-rsFLv9xOzaWc9Zo5_
Connect With the Speakers
Annalyce D'Agostino-Gavin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annalycedagostino/
Jamie Elliott (Host): LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-elliott/
