Tech trailblazer Cooper Harris to deliver 2023 Newhall Lecture

Founder and CEO of Klickly, Harris' keynote will spotlight her transition from actress to entrepreneur.

Former Hollywood actress turned tech entrepreneur Cooper Harris.

Former Hollywood actress turned tech entrepreneur Cooper Harris will speak on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 4:30 p.m. in the LaRose Digital Theatre.

During her time on “Young and the Restless,” Cooper’s interest in entrepreneurship ignited. Fueled by a family background in technology and entrepreneurship, she conquered the AT&T Hackathon and founded the Innovation and Tech Summit at Sundance, called Collective. Cooper’s impact extended further as she co-founded Hackdance, a social impact hackathon, and ventured into digital production, creating shows for renowned companies.

Cooper has ventured into the realm of AI after founding Klickly, an impulse payment platform that combines payments, commerce and big data to offer real-time consumer insights and revenue growth for brands. Cooper has earned nominations for Google’s “Young Innovator” and L’Oreal’s “Digital Woman of the Year” awards.

As part of the C. Ashton Newhall Endowed Lecture series hosted by the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Harris’ keynote will spotlight her transition from actress to entrepreneur. She’ll discuss the strategic choice of AI as her career path and share insights into the contrasting business landscapes of the west and east coasts.

The C. Ashton Newhall Endowed Lecture Series, named for Elon University trustee C. Ashton Newhall ’98, brings successful entrepreneurs to campus to share their knowledge and experience managing the risks and rewards of entrepreneurial endeavors.