Brady Acton ’18 VSB came to Villanova on a baseball scholar­­ship. But by the end of his sophomore year, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native had switched from infielder to pitcher — not of fastballs and changeups, but of enterprising ideas. Recognized by Poets & Quants as one of the “Best & Brightest” business majors in 2018 and a winner of a Meyer ICE Award from Villanova for entrepreneurship, the Deloitte ­Consulting-bound Brady is a self-described “builder.”

“I’m intellectually curious and creative,” says Brady, who, in what spare time he has, enjoys painting and screenwriting. “When I get an idea, I want to develop it, run with it and see how far I can go.” Brady constructed a towering resume at Villanova. He is proudest of these four achievements:

1. TriviaNote In his sophomore year, Brady co-founded and served as chief marketing officer for an investment-backed tech company whose artificial intelligence platform helps students retain classroom learning.

2. App.ly To be a resource for other students looking to start companies, Brady created and operates App.ly, a nonprofit that allows budding entrepreneurs to connect with him.

3. Orai Brady co-designed the initial platform for, and helped to market, an AI app for improving one’s speaking skills.

4. Fish Feast 3D As a first-year student and with partial funding from a serial entrepreneur, Brady designed, developed and marketed his first mobile game. His efforts made headlines and taught him the value of overcoming fear and doubt.

Villanova was the perfect size. Classes were small, and I could get one-on-one help from professors.”

Brady Acton ’18 VSB

Did You Know?

The Meyer ICE Award recognizes Villanova's spirit of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Created and endowed by Patrick Meyer ’74 VSB in honor of the Meyer family (including Edward ’86 and C. Paul ’30), the award is conferred on a student in each of the University’s schools and colleges, as well as one faculty recipient.