Grad to share journey from student to entrepreneur

‌

RIT/NTID alumnus Thomas Otto-Bruc will return to campus to deliver the Lyon lecture on Oct. 3.

For Thomas Otto-Bruc, networking and working collaboratively are at the heart of his entrepreneurial success. The 2004 graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf will detail his journey in a presentation, “The Route to Imagination and Possibilities,” 7-9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, in the college’s CSD Student Development Center, as part of The Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series.

Otto-Bruc is the owner and founder of Route 66 Promotions, a company that specializes in screen printing, embroidery, promotional services and design services. He earned an associate degree in business technology from RIT/NTID in 2004, then became a real estate broker for Rent Manhattan in New York City. Later, he became the owner of a QuikDrop eBay store in Tampa, Fla. He resides in St. Louis and serves as a partner and board member of Convo Relay Service and a board member of Deaf Inc.

During the presentation and question-and-answer session, Otto-Bruc will discuss his journey from RIT/NTID student to successful business owner, sharing insights into the commitment and goals that were essential to his success. He also will provide tips and advice to audience members on how to get started on their own entrepreneurial journey. The presentation will be in American Sign Language, and interpreting services have been requested.

In 1980, the family of Edmund Lyon (1855-1920), noted manufacturer, inventor, humanitarian and philanthropist who served as a trustee of both RIT (1905-1920) and the Rochester School for the Deaf (1911-1920), established the lecture series to bring distinguished professionals and scholars to Rochester for the benefit of students, educators and the community.

For more information, visit http://www.rit.edu/lyon.