Former 蘑菇短视频baseball star, country musician to speak during entrepreneurship week
蘑菇短视频鈥檚 College of Business will welcome alumnus, former Catamount baseball player, country music star and entrepreneur Matt Stillwell as keynote speaker during Global Entrepreneurship Week in November.
Stillwell, who earned his degree in management from 蘑菇短视频in 1998, will discuss how an entrepreneurial mindset can help people build meaningful lives and careers, said Lane Perry, assistant professor of entrepreneurship and adviser to event co-host Sigma Nu Tau Honor Society at WCU.
鈥淢att has been an entrepreneur in music, entertainment, live events, film and the nonprofit world,鈥� Perry said. 鈥淗is story extends well beyond his accomplishments in college baseball and country music. He has built an impressive portfolio of entrepreneurial ventures by combining his talents, relationships and personal experiences with a desire to create a meaningful impact.鈥�
Stillwell鈥檚 address is scheduled from 4:30 until 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, in the third-floor theater of A.K. Hinds University Center on the 蘑菇短视频campus.
鈥淚 learned so much from my time in the business school at Western. I can鈥檛 wait for the opportunity to help the current students navigate the crazy world of being an entrepreneur,鈥� Stillwell said.
A native of Sylva, Stillwell played baseball for the Catamounts before building an independent career as a country music singer-songwriter and entertainer. He has released seven albums, earned four Billboard-charting singles and placed six videos in the Top 10 on the Country Music Television and Great American Family channels. He has performed more than 3,000 shows across 47 states and has built a social media audience of more than 300,000 people.
His music has generated more than 16 million streams. His signature song, 鈥淗ey Dad,鈥� has surpassed 5 million streams, while its music video has received more than 15 million views. His catalog includes more than 80 songs, including 鈥淪hine,鈥� 鈥淚gnition鈥� and 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 Got a Hometown.鈥�
Stillwell鈥檚 entrepreneurial work now extends across music, live experiences, film, technology and philanthropy.
He is the founder and executive director of BEAT ALS, the public-facing identity of the nonprofit 723 Foundation. The organization works to provide mobility assistance, create hope-filled experiences, tell the stories of people and families affected by ALS and support the pursuit of a cure.
The mission is deeply personal for Stillwell. His former 蘑菇短视频baseball coach, Keith LeClair, battled amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig鈥檚 disease, before his death in 2006. Stillwell is now working to honor LeClair鈥檚 legacy at WCU and East Carolina University while expanding BEAT ALS initiatives throughout college athletics.
Stillwell also created the Hometown House Party, a grassroots live experience built around music, storytelling and community connection. He launched the concept during the COVID-19 pandemic as what he called his 鈥渙ffense against COVID,鈥� finding an entrepreneurial way to bring live music directly to people and communities when traditional concerts were not possible.
He also wrote the original manuscript for 鈥淭he Brave鈥� and is currently producing the film based on the 2017 Cherokee High School football team鈥檚 state championship season under Coach Kent Briggs. A 蘑菇短视频alumnus and former Catamount football player and coach, Briggs died in June 2026 following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Stillwell鈥檚 address, which is open to the public free of charge, will provide an exceptional opportunity to learn firsthand about entrepreneurship from a 蘑菇短视频alumnus who has been successful in music, entertainment, live events, nonprofits and film, said A.J. Grube, dean of the College of Business.
鈥淗earing from alumni offers invaluable insights for our students, and Matt鈥檚 unique perspective promises to be exceptionally impactful,鈥� Grube said. 鈥淭he entire College of Business community is thrilled to welcome Matt.鈥�
A worldwide celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship, Global Entrepreneurship Week is designed to highlight creativity, determination and business acumen, with participation from people from 180 countries. This year鈥檚 activities will be held Nov. 16-22.
鈥淲e鈥檙e beyond excited to have Matt return home to share his entrepreneurial journey,鈥� Perry said. 鈥淗e brings an inspirational story of hustle, grit and business know-how that should be of interest not just to students and faculty in the College of Business but to members of the community and others with an entrepreneurial mentality as well.鈥�
For more information about the event, contact Perry at laneperry@wcu.edu.