Quinn Valentine, Director of the CIE, quinn.valentine@txstate.edu
Kendall Perkinson, CIE Program Coordinator, kendallperkinson@txstate.edu
By Grace Darcy
October 14, 2025
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship hosted a LinkedIn Challenge presentation this past weekend.
The presentation allowed participants of the challenge to show their LinkedIn growth to a panel of judges.
Over three weeks, participants updated their profiles and engaged with connections and the community. By following a list of criteria the participants learned valuable skills in enhancing their profiles for the professional world.
Under the guidance of Quinn Valentine, Director of the CIE, and Kendall Perkinson, CIE Program Coordinator, students were given tips and tricks on how to target their profiles towards their field of interest.
By changing bios, profile pictures, and honing experiences to their field of interest, participants saw immense growth in engagement and connections.
Engagement, an important aspect of LinkedIn, was heavily encouraged. Students created posts, reposted and commented on connections posts in support.
Nine participants were invited to presentation day. The participants included Huzaifa Husnain Rana, Xitali Carroll, Niraj Bag, Mina Danesh, Dipesh Pandit, Regina Bautista, Isabelle Cantu, Jeremiah Reno, and Grace Darcy.
The participants followed the criteria of being consistent, obvious and clear with their profiles.
Huzaifa Husnain Rana won first place and the people's choice.
Mina Danesh won second and Niraj Bag won third.
Some tips and tricks from the challenge:
- Branding. Make sure your profile picture and background match your brand or field of interest. If you are an art student, have art as the background. If you are interested in technology, have electronics as your background. This is one of the first things people see when viewing your profile, so make sure it matches what you do and what you aspire to do.
- Following. You should follow professionals and companies for your field of interest. This allows you to stay engaged in the work and content they are creating. When applying for jobs or making connections, it is important to show interest and knowledge in what they do.
- Engagement. Stay engaged with connections and companies. Students in the challenge posted, commented on posts, and share/ repost every week. This not only boosts your profile but allows you to show support to your colleagues, connections, etc.
For more tips and tricks check out a previous blog post, dedicated to LinkedIn tips and tricks.
For more information about the CIE events and activities, check out our upcoming events.
Follow us on all of our socials - LinkedIn and Instagram. To find our events list, visit our linktr.ee.
About the CIE:
“Where underestimated talent becomes unstoppable.”
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship follows a mission of providing hands-on experiences to turn into something meaningful and impactful. The CIE supports “underestimated people and early-stage ideas with strategy, grit, and belief.”
The vision of the CIE is to make Texas State University “a place where entrepreneurship and innovation are real and accessible to anyone with the courage to create.” The CIE provides opportunities for students, faculty, alumni, and the community to turn ideas into lasting ventures.
Media Contacts:
To become involved in the CIE as a student, faculty or staff, alumni, or community member, connect with the CIE team:
Quinn Valentine, Director for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, McCoy College of Business, at quinn.valentine@txstate.edu
Kendall Perkinson, CIE Program Coordinator
Email: kendallperkinson@txstate.edu