Clarkson graduates who do not plan to return to campus for the May commencement were recognized on December 17 with a special ceremony in the Andrew M. Schuler Indoor Recreation Center (IRC) on the Potsdam campus.
It was the first graduation event presided over by new University President Marc P. Christensen, Ph.D., P.E. Clarkson alumni Matthew Turcotte ‘14, founding owner of Grindstone Holdings, LLC and North Shore Solutions, addressed the graduates, their families and friends.
Matthew had a passion for entrepreneurship from a young age. He started his first company at the age of 16. At the age of 18, he became a published author. As a freshman at Clarkson University, Turcotte was the first student to participate in the Clarkson Young Entrepreneurship program, in which Turcotte exchanged a 10% ownership stake in his first company in lieu of full tuition at Clarkson. The program went on to receive national acclaim and recognition.
Matthew purchased his first commercial property while a junior at college. Today, Turcotte owns and manages a multimillion-dollar portfolio of commercial and residential real estate endeavors through his companies.
His media appearances and mentions include Money Magazine, Bloomberg Business, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CBS Money Watch, NCPR, NNY Business, PBS, ABC50, The Watertown Daily Times, and others.
Matthew has had several notable speaking engagements, including introducing then-Governor Cuomo at the State of the State address, he was the keynote speaker for the North Country Technology Symposium, he was a panelist at the SXSW Education Conference in Austin, TX, the keynote Speaker at the Sigma Nu Tau induction ceremony, and he was the keynote Speaker at the Thousand Islands High School Career Day.
Matthew has received several awards including the NNY Business 20 Under 40 Award in 2021, Clarkson’s Woodstock Award in 2019, and the Entrepreneur of the Year from Clarkson’s Reh Center for Entrepreneurship in 2014, among others.
He previously was a board member and a member of the investment committee for the Samaritan Medical Center Foundation, a member of the finance committee of the River Community Church, and has served as an Advisory Council Member for the Shipley Center for Innovation and Clarkson Reh School of Business, among others.
He is an Eagle Scout and Adirondack 46-R. He currently resides in Clayton, NY in the Thousand Islands Region where he enjoys boating and the St. Lawrence River.