Written by MaryGrace Grego
The Center for E+I held a Venture U workshop with Kelly Sjol about storytelling for entrepreneurs, on February 18, 2026.
Have you ever wondered if Venture U events would be beneficial to you, or what it is like to attend an event? Here is the recap:
Introducing Kelly Sjol
Kelly Sjol is the founder of Storify Marketing, helping companies translate their complex solutions into stories to connect with their audience. She is also a certified StoryBrand guide, helping people to boost their marketing with the “5 Soundbite Framework,” which attempts to lower the customer’s cognitive load and make buying easier.
Event Recap
Students poured into the workshop—there were 87 students in attendance, which was a new VentureU attendance record!
Once students got settled, Sjol introduced herself and handed out note packets to all students.
Two students volunteered to share their ideas with the class. Their ideas were great and their pitches were respectable, but the storytelling could use a bit of refinement. Following this, attendees were told to pair up with a partner they have never met or worked with before and share their own, complex ideas with each other.
Sjol introduced the importance of storytelling for a pitch. She emphasized the student volunteers to “find your magic words,” for their idea. She explained that the ideas weren’t bad, but the message was unclear. She said, “the confused mind says ‘no.’”
She said, “You need to invite the audience into a story.” Sjol also emphasized the importance of why what you’re building matters. Following this, she explained the importance of creating curiosity, commitment, and enlightenment for your audience.
Sjol explained the “5 Sound Bites,” which is a framework of five steps to create curiosity and clarity. The handout stated:
5 Sound Bites — PEACE:
P – Problem: Attract attention by clearly defining the problem your product solves.
E – Empathy: Create an emotional bond and position yourself as the Guide in your customer’s story.
A – Answer: Position your product as the solution to the customer’s problem.
C – Change: Add a personal transformation to your offer to increase the perceived value and generate more sales.
E – End: Cast a “happy ever after” vision for the customer’s life that motivates and directs action.
“When you combine these five soundbites, you create a story your customers want to join”
The group was given time for every pair to privately discuss each Sound Bite with their own ideas and work through the guided notes together. In between each Sound Bite, Sjol explained more about the Sound Bite Process with her PowerPoints. The room became alive with motivated students, excitedly sharing their ideas and coming up with new iterations. You could almost see the “lightbulbs” going off in their minds!
After teaching the PEACE framework, Sjol emphasized at you, the founder, are not the hero of the story. Your audience is the hero. You are the guide to help them through.
Sjol said, “The clearest founder is going to win… create your soundbites and use them everywhere… it’s not about the best startup idea, it’s about the most clarity.”
At the end, the initial two students shared the same ideas again, but this time with their new Sound Bites. In under an hour, it was amazing how much more compelling their pitches were—they were clear and invited the audience in. It was very inspiring to see the excitement of all the students who participated.
Who is Venture U For?
Any student, regardless of their involvement in the Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation and greatly benefit from any of E+I’s events, such as the Venture U Seminar Series.
What is the Venture U Seminar Series?
The Venture U Seminar Series focuses on various hot topics in business, such as legal, accounting, marketing, website, design, financials, etc. These seminars are given by experts in the field, who are excited to share their knowledge with students.
Are YOU Right for Venture U?
Whether you are a STEM Major with a groundbreaking idea that you need help with pitching, or an English Major with a new book that needs better marketing, you can benefit from Venture U. If you…
- Are an innovative thinker.
- Have a complex idea that needs refinement.
- Desire your company to reach people more efficiently.
- Struggle to understand the legal, accounting, marketing, financial aspects of launching your idea.
You will gain a lot of insight from these lectures.
Upcoming
Don’t miss the upcoming Venture U seminars below:
Rapid Software Prototyping – Max Mirho
March 12 @ 4:00pm (virtual)
Building your Venture Finances – Ken Smith ‘84
March 26 @ 4pm in SHAL 308