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Police finishing probe of crash that injured Mountain Top family

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Lake-Lehman student mentoring helps older and younger students

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Local entrepreneur and prominent businessman Kris Jones addressed a room of students and young professionals Thursday on life, business ventures and &#8212; of course &#8212; entrepreneurship.</p><p>Jones, who is the managing director of KBJ Capital, was the featured speaker for the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber&#8217;s &#8220;Spotlight&#8221; series event, called TechTalk, held at the Think Center on South Main Street. The series is part of a larger chamber project called Wilkes-Barre Connect, which helps local entrepreneurs start businesses and grow professionally in the Wyoming Valley.</p><p>Jones is founder of Pepperjam, which he sold in 2009, and ReferLocal, APPEK Mobile Apps, French Girls App and LSEO.com.</p><p>Holly Pilcavage, Wilkes-Barre Connect manager, said the TechTalk was inspired by the TedTalks concept, and she wanted to focus on technology and the role it plays in daily life both professionally and personally.</p><p>&#8220;We all know technology will continue to change the landscape in which we communicate,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Jones talked about his upbringing, saying that when his mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness, it changed his view on life and shaped his adult years.</p><p>&#8220;I said &#8216;I need to make my mom proud,&#8217;&#8221; Jones said.</p><p>He said he realized he could leverage the hardship in his life into empowerment.</p><p>&#8220;That was my destiny,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It was up to me to write that book.&#8221;</p><p>In the world of business and entrepreneurship, Jones said expectations and standards have a lot to do with his success, and the success of those around him.</p><p>&#8220;Think big, set high expectations, raise your standards,&#8221; he advised.</p><p>&#8220;Surround yourself by people whose standards inspire you to raise yours.&#8221;</p><p>As far as how he got into technology, Jones, who studied psychology at Penn State and Villanova, said in the late 1990s he saw that the Internet would make a difference in people&#8217;s lives, so he created Pepperjam.</p><p>His advice to students and young entrepreneurs is to develop a skill set, and to self-educate on whatever subjects inspire them the most.</p><p>&#8220;Become the best you can be at something,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Jose Luna is a second-year senior at Luzerne County Community College, where he studies computer information, and has attended multiple Wilkes-Barre Connect events.</p><p>The 20-year-old Wilkes-Barre native enjoys being able to meet different people during the networking opportunities.</p><p>&#8220;(These events help) create a nice relationship with professionals,&#8221; Luna said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Local businessman Kris Jones speaks to students and young professionals at a TechTalk at the Wilkes-Barre Think Center on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_TTL102717tech1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Local businessman Kris Jones speaks to students and young professionals at a TechTalk at the Wilkes-Barre Think Center on Thursday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Brigid Edmunds</p><p>bedmunds@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Prolific entrepreneur shares wisdom at talk