Greg Gottesman spoke about the student loan problem at TEDxSeattle on Sunday.
Greg Gottesman spoke about the student loan problem at TEDxSeattle on Sunday. Photo via TEDxSeattle.

When Greg Gottesman’s father went to the University of California-Berkeley decades ago, he paid $203 — for an entire school year.

Things have changed in absurd ways since then, as more and more graduates walk across the stage and into a mountain of debt.

It’s a massive problem and one that Gottesman, a Seattle venture capitalist and Managing Director at Madrona Venture Group, wants to do something about. It was the focus of his TEDxSeattle talk this afternoon, where Gottesman spoke about how two-thirds of students now graduate with loans to pay off, many for decades.

“Student loans kill entrepreneurship,” he said. “The best and brightest cannot afford to start new businesses.”

You can watch Gottesman’s talk below. He starts at the 05:40:00 mark. You can also check out the hashtag #TEDxSeattle on Twitter to see what people are talking about here.

Previously TEDxSeattle posts: Why you need to understand the roots of your foundersWhy the artist/geek hybrids will power the next generation

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