MAGIC Speaker Series Presents Trapper Markelz

Trapper Markelz always thought success followed a straight line: go to school, get good grades, graduate, get a job, climb the ladder, retire. But along the way, his most interesting adventures happened when he said yes to something unexpected. It was when he built something no one asked for. When he said yes to volunteering. When he started a company. When he chased a new obsession.

Every Side Quest taught him new skills, introduced him to new people, and revealed opportunities he could never have planned for. Together, these projects became more than a portfolio or resume builder. They created a life filled with curiosity, creativity, and stories.

Join entrepreneur, technologist, poet, builder, and RIT Alum Trapper Markelz for some of his stories about how a lifetime of Side Quests transformed his career, and why your next adventure may be hiding behind your next decision to try something new.