Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

Blackstone LaunchPad Alumnus Launches Book ‘Adversity to Advantage: How to Overcome Bullying & Find Entrepreneurial Success’

Wednesday, August 7, 2019, By Cristina Hatem
Share
Blackstone LaunchPadSyracuse University LibrariesWhitman School of Management

Randy Ginsburg ’19 recently launched a book titled “Adversity to Advantage: How to Overcome Bullying & Find Entrepreneurial Success.” Ginsburg, a graduate of the Whitman School, earned a double major in entrepreneurship and marketing and is an alumnus of the Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars (LaunchPad) at Syracuse University Libraries program. The book was written to inspire those who were bullied with wisdom and advice from a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who have overcome that negative experience and used it as a stepping stone for personal and entrepreneurial growth.

man's face

Randy Ginsburg ’19

“I wrote the book out of a desire to create, but also to prove myself to all the people who mistreated me or doubted me in the past,” Ginsburg says. “Not only have my experiences with bullying helped me find my passion for entrepreneurship, but they also provided me with a chip on my shoulder that constantly fuels my fire to succeed.” The book is available through Amazon in both paperback and Kindle editions.

According to research cited in Ginsburg’s book, every seven minutes a child is bullied and one out of every three students in the United States has been targeted at school. Although conventional wisdom says that bullying is exclusively detrimental to one’s health, studies show that 47 percent of victims report a positive effect on their adult lives. The book shares stories of successful entrepreneurs’ bullying experiences, including: Tom Ford, who beat bullying to launch one of the world’s largest fashion houses and reinvent himself as an award-winning filmmaker; Elon Musk, whose familiarity with pain helped him to start PayPal, Tesla and SpaceX; and Andrew Nikou, who defeated bullies and went on to found OpenGate Capital, a multi-billion-dollar global private equity firm.

“We’re incredibly proud of Randy for sharing his story and experience with others. In fact, we’ve ordered copies of his book for our students at the LaunchPad to reference,” says Linda Dickerson-Hartsock, executive director of the Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars. “Randy has tackled a compelling problem, approaching it from a perspective informed by his own personal experience and thoughtful interviews and research. His focus is important and timely.”

Ginsburg plans to return to the Syracuse University campus this fall. During Orange Central, he will be speaking at the Innovation Breakfast at Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library on Friday, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m.

  • Author

Cristina Hatem

  • Recent
  • Ian ’90 and Noah Eagle ’19 Share a Love of Sportscasting and Storytelling (Podcast)
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By John Boccacino
  • Rock Record Illuminates Oxygen History
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By Dan Bernardi
  • What Can Ancient Climate Tell Us About Modern Droughts?
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By News Staff
  • Blackstone LaunchPad Founders Circle Welcomes New Members
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By Cristina Hatem
  • Syracuse Stage Concludes 2024-25 Season With ‘The National Pastime’
    Wednesday, June 4, 2025, By Joanna Penalva

More In Campus & Community

Blackstone LaunchPad Founders Circle Welcomes New Members

Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad welcomed 34 graduates of the Class of 2025 as new members of the Founders Circle. They were selected in recognition of launching or leading ventures at the University while students, as well as contributing to…

Neal Powless Inducted Into American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame

You could say that lacrosse is in Neal Powless’s blood. Powless G’08, the University ombuds, is a member of the Onondaga Nation Eel Clan. He is the son, grandson and brother of legendary lacrosse players. Powless picked up a lacrosse…

The Milton Legacy: Romance, Success and Giving Back

Growing up, Stacey Milton Leal ’75 and Chris Milton heard countless stories about how Syracuse University brought their parents together in what would turn out to be a fairy tale romance with a happy forever ending. So it was no…

Syracuse University Libraries’ Information Literacy Scholars Produce Information Literacy Collab Journal

Earlier this month, Syracuse University Libraries’ Information Literacy Scholars published their first open access information literacy journal, Information Literacy Collab (ILC). It is available on SURFACE, the University’s open access institutional repository. ILC is a diamond open-access publication by and…

Trip to Atlanta Gives Falk Students ‘Real-World’ Opportunities and Connections

The city of Atlanta is home to professional sports franchises in major leagues: Atlanta United FC (Major League Soccer), the Braves (Major League Baseball), Dream (WNBA), Falcons (NFL), and Hawks (NBA). Atlanta also features professional teams in lacrosse, rugby, and…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.