Making History

Immediately after relocating to North Carolina in 2005 to become a financial analyst for U.S. Bank, Hasan Harnett ’98 jumped into grass-roots politics. He became active in the state Republican Party in 2010 after meeting Tim Johnson, founder of the Frederick Douglass Foundation.

In June, Harnett made history when he was elected the first black chair of the state’s party. An article in the June 6 (Raleigh) News and Observer reported, “When he entered the convention hall Saturday, Harnett was accompanied by a drum line. He said ‘I am living the American dream, and the Republican Party is the only party that can keep that dream alive.’”

A businessman and motivational speaker, Harnett served as campaign manager for GOP congressional candidate Vince Coakley in 2014.

At Lafayette, Harnett majored in biochemistry and originally planned on a career in medicine. As a research assistant for Joseph Sherma, Larkin Professor of Chemistry Emeritus, he co-authored an article that appeared in a 1998 issue of The Journal of Liquid Chromatography.

But early entrepreneurial success while still an undergrad influenced him to go into business instead. Along with a friend, he founded an online music destination for college students called DormMusic. Harnett later worked as a financial analyst for Thomson Reuters and JPMorgan Chase before founding his own company, iVentureCast LLC.

Now president of Success Mastery Leadership, Harnett says the professional training business “helps positive, progressive, and motivated leaders become extraordinary in their leadership.” He is also host of Success Mastery Radio show and speaks on entrepreneurship, business, and personal achievement.

Harnett holds a certificate in political leadership from the Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C., and in executive education from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

—Stevie O. Daniels