Buzz
Have you ever dreamed of meeting your idol? It's more achievable than you think. Entrepreneur Alex Debelov shares strategies not just for meeting influential personalities but also for building meaningful relationships with them.
Take Initiative
During my college years, I co-founded The Kairos Society, an organization aimed at bringing together student entrepreneurs across U.S. colleges. What began as a modest idea soon evolved into a globally renowned entity (see video). The journey was far from smooth—we faced numerous setbacks, struggled to gain support from top universities, and had limited funding. Our progress stalled until we secured Bill Clinton as an advisor, which turned the tide for us. It was a challenging path, but persistence paid off.
Stay Persistent
We had this wild idea that Bill Clinton might back our organization since it was all about empowering student entrepreneurs. We attempted to contact him through various email addresses we thought might be his—no success. We even tried sending physical mail, but still no reply. Then, we discovered he was attending a charity event in New York and decided to take action. We reached out to the event organizers, explaining The Kairos Society's mission and pleading for an invitation. After much persistence, they agreed. We prepared a letter, and Ankur (our President) attended the event. He approached Bill Clinton and extended an invitation to join Kairos. To our amazement, he accepted.
Exercise: Begin by selecting someone you want to connect with and experiment with various email formats they might use. If they are linked to charities or organizations, try these combinations (sitedomain.com represents the domain of the organization they are associated with):
First initial of their first name followed by their last name @ sitedomain.com (For instance, Alex Debelov at virool.com would be [email protected])
First name dot last name @ sitedomain.com (e.g., [email protected])
First name @sitedomain.com (e.g., [email protected])
Last name @sitedomain.com (e.g., [email protected])
Be Fearless
During my final year of college, I won a business competition, which earned me an invitation to the Youth International Economic Forum in Russia. The best part was that my travel and accommodation expenses were covered, and I also got to attend the highly exclusive St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (often referred to as the Davos of Russia).
During the event, I attended a panel titled 'Internet: The New Economy.' Unexpectedly, the then-President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, walked in to listen. The room was packed with around 200 attendees and 5 panelists. After carefully listening to the discussion, the President stood up, delivered a speech, and headed toward the backdoor to leave. Fortunately, I was seated in the front row near that exit and decided to seize the moment. I approached him, but his bodyguard blocked my path. In Russian, I said, 'I’m a co-founder of the world’s largest student entrepreneurship organization—can I speak with you?' To my surprise, the President turned around and said, 'Sure, come here,' and we walked out together through the backdoor.
In the 10-minute meeting that followed, I delivered the most compelling pitch of my life about Kairos. I explained how more young Russians could become entrepreneurs if they had inspiring role models. He agreed with my perspective. I then proposed organizing a conference in Russia with his support to motivate students. He loved the idea and instructed me to contact his advisor, who was standing nearby. I collected the advisor’s details and returned to my seat. (Pictured: Alex with Dmitry Medvedev.)
Within five minutes, four men in black suits and earpieces approached me and asked me to accompany them. They were part of the President’s security team and detained me, stating that no one typically has such impromptu meetings with a president. I was taken to a separate building on the conference grounds and held for two hours while they conducted a thorough background check. Surprisingly, they were quite friendly and, upon releasing me, encouraged me to visit Russia more often.
I took their advice. Six months later, with the support of the President’s administration, the Innovation Convention was held. I managed to bring a group of Silicon Valley leaders to Russia, and the event gained significant media attention. Many were inspired, and I hope it motivated numerous young individuals to start their own ventures.
Takeaway:
When encountering someone famous or highly respected, don’t let intimidation hold you back. Remember, everyone is human—composed of the same elements, breathing the same air, and sharing similar experiences. Regardless of their status or accomplishments, they are no different from you or me. Always keep in mind that no one is inherently superior or inferior to anyone else.
If you find yourself near someone you admire, don’t hesitate—approach them confidently!
Exercise: I recommend practicing making connections with strangers. Attending conferences is a great way to start, but even striking up a conversation with someone at a coffee shop can significantly boost your self-confidence.
Define Your Mission
Having a clear mission and understanding what you aim to achieve is crucial. People are more likely to engage with you if you have a well-defined purpose. For instance, if I had simply asked the President of Russia, 'Would you like to grab coffee?' without a clear goal, he likely wouldn’t have agreed to meet. Always know exactly what you want to accomplish when approaching someone.
Stay Authentic
Upon arriving in Silicon Valley, I booked a hotel through Hotwire and was assigned to the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose for two nights. While checking in, I noticed a man who looked very familiar speaking to someone. I couldn’t immediately place him, so I searched 'Steve Wozniak' on my iPhone. To my astonishment, it was indeed him.
I quickly walked over and introduced myself, 'Hi, Steve. I’m Alexander Debelov, and I’m a huge admirer of your work.' Steve responded, 'Are you Russian by any chance?' I replied, 'Yes, how did you guess? Is my accent that obvious?' He laughed and said, 'Not really, I just have many talented Russian engineer friends.' From there, we struck up a conversation. Three hours later, Steve realized it was almost midnight and needed to leave. I thanked him for his time and mentioned how amazing it was to make such a great first friend in the Valley. Steve then asked, 'Wait, you just moved here and don’t know anyone? Want to join me for Segway Polo and meet some new people?' Naturally, I couldn’t refuse. (Pictured: Alex with Steve Wozniak.)
Takeaway: Always be authentic when meeting someone. People appreciate conversations with those who are genuine and trustworthy. There’s no need to exaggerate your achievements or hide your flaws. We’re all human, and everyone has imperfections. If you stay true to yourself, maintain a clear purpose, and follow through on your commitments, people will respect you, and you’ll achieve great things.
Build Meaningful Connections
When I had the chance to help organize the Innovation Convention in Russia, Woz was the first person I contacted to be a speaker. After some consideration (given his busy travel schedule), he agreed and joined me and a group of other Silicon Valley leaders for a week in Russia.
You can either meet many people and have numerous acquaintances or focus on building deeper connections with a few and turning them into genuine friendships.
When you meet someone, make an effort to stay in touch. Invite them to events, conferences, or trips. Building relationships is key—meeting someone is great, but truly knowing them is far more rewarding.
Takeaways:
Dream Big: Kairos started as a small organization with just a handful of universities involved (5-6 at the time), but we aimed high. There’s no such thing as a dream too big or ambitions too grand. Dream boldly—life is dull without big aspirations.
Be Proactive: Finding someone’s email, LinkedIn profile, or public appearances is easy. Stop making excuses—if you want to meet someone, you can make it happen.
Don’t Give Up: Challenges are inevitable in startups and life. When you face setbacks, get back up and keep moving forward.
Have No Fear: Start conversations with strangers every day—it’s a skill that opens doors.
Have a Sense of Purpose: I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve during my 10-minute meeting with the President of Russia. It wasn’t an instant realization, but when the opportunity arose, everything clicked into place.
Be Genuine: People value honesty and authenticity. Don’t exaggerate your achievements or hide your failures. Everyone is human, and most successful individuals understand that failure is a stepping stone to success.
Want to see your work on Mytour? Email Tessa.
