Student: Brady Hillhouse
Brady Hillhouse taught himself how to day trade markets in high school, stumbling upon entrepreneurship by accident after starting an online community where people could share ideas and ask questions.
The East Carolina University senior turned that online forum into his first company to teach people how to trade.
Hillhouse, who is pursuing degrees in finance and entrepreneurship in the ECU College of Business, said he’s always had an interest in investments and finance. He hopes to work as a private investor one day.
As a freshman, Hillhouse had the opportunity to pitch his company during a working Q&A lunch session between ECU students and the business advisory council at CAPTRUST, an investment advising firm in Raleigh. It had a lasting impact.
Brady Hillhouse is majoring in entrepreneurship and finance at ECU.
“This really helped me get a clearer vision on what it is that I want to do with my life,” he said.
On campus, Hillhouse serves as president of the ECU Investment Club and undergraduate advisor for the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, where he also served as chapter president. He is chairman of the Dean’s Student Leadership Council in the College of Business.
Hillhouse’s involvement with the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization opened a lot of doors, he said, ultimately leading him to pursue an online certificate in entrepreneurship from Harvard Business School and to participate in accelerator startup programs in places such as Costa Rica and Chicago.
He said he chose ECU because he felt at home as soon as he set foot on campus. “I like how close everything is to each other, and the Miller School of Entrepreneurship really stuck out to me.”
The Miller School, established in 2015, is the only named school of entrepreneurship in North Carolina.
Hillhouse hopes to work in alternative and private investments following graduation in May, a decision that came after soul-searching during the coronavirus pandemic. He lost an internship in New York City that he worked really hard to get, a position that Hillhouse hoped would lead to a full-time job offer, he said.
“This was difficult to get over, but I’m grateful for it,” he said. “It gave me a lot of time for self-reflection, which has led to a lot of change in my life and made me realize I don’t want to pursue a career at larger corporations.”
Your words to live by: Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” – Albert Einstein
What advice do you have for other students?: Find your passions and be proud of them. Always look to improve yourself and learn new things; the rest will fall into place
What is something cool about ECU that you wish you knew during your first year?: Join student organizations early, especially those related to your major(s), career path and interests. Student organizations can lead to countless opportunities for internships, jobs, scholarships and trips and is an easy way to create close friendships
STATISTICS
Name: Brady Hillhouse
College: College of Business
Major: Finance and entrepreneurship
Age: 21
Classification/Year: Senior
Hometown: Waxhaw
Hobbies/interests: Traveling, trading, going out with friends
Clubs and Organizations: College of Business Dean’s Student Leadership Council, Investment Club, Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization
FAVORITES
Favorite hangout: Anywhere with my friends and family
Favorite place on campus: Miller School of Entrepreneurship in Bate
Favorite place to eat: Angus Grill
Favorite class: Business Planning
Professor who influenced you the most: David Mayo and Mike Harris
Favorite TV show: “Billions”
Favorite band/musician: Kid Cudi and Avicii
Favorite movie: “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Favorite website: The Wall Street Journal
MOTIVATIONS
Dream job: Private investor
Role model: My parents