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2007 Keynote Speaker
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| Kelly Perdew |
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Kelly Perdew, winner of the second season of NBC's "The Apprentice," is an entrepreneur, author, television host, celebrity spokesperson and business leader. He is currently the managing director of Angel Venture Partners, a venture capital fund, and is working on several real estate projects, including 25 self-storage facilities and a 600-acre fishing and hunting preserve in Montana. Perdew is also the President of ProElite.com, a subsidiary of ProElite, Inc (PELE.PK) and an online social networking platform for mixed martial arts fans, fighters and organizations.
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Perdew, who served as a military intelligence officer for the U.S. Army, also lends his military knowledge to television viewers as host of the Military Channel's series "GI Factory," which explores military technology and history.
During his 16-week job interview on the second season of "The Apprentice," a reality television show produced by Donald Trump, Perdew's skills and passion were tested many times as he vied for a spot on Trump's staff. Throughout the series, Perdew was challenged to complete tasks ranging from selling ice cream and designing a women's fashion line to creating a full marketing campaign for Pepsi-Cola. Perdew was also reviewed by a panel of four of the country's leading CEOs, who recommended him to Trump. After his contract year with Trump, Kelly decided to move on and pursue his own entrepreneurial goals.
Perdew is the author of Take Command: 10 Leadership Principles I Learned in the Military and Put to Work for Donald Trump, a book that explores the ties between Perdew's military training and business success and provides advice to aspiring entrepreneurs or anyone embarking on a new career.
Prior to winning "The Apprentice," Perdew was the chairman and co-founder of www.MotorPride.com, an online social network site for car, truck and motorcycle enthusiasts which Perdew sold to ZAG.com in 2006. Perdew was also president of www.eteamz.com and CoreObjects Software and co-founder, president and CEO of an event marketing and production company called K12 Productions. He earned a bachelor's degree from the United States Military Academy, West Point, an MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA and a JD from the UCLA School of Law.
Perdew, who also believes in the importance of service to the community, also donates his time as a national celebrity spokesperson for Big Brothers Big Sisters, the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the United States, and the National Guard Youth Challenge Program, which serves at-risk youth through job skills training, mentorship and service learning. Perdew is donating a portion of the royalties from his book, Take Command, to the United Service Organization (USO). In June 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Perdew to the Council on Civic Participation and Service to recognize civic contributions by Americans in their communities. |
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