KNOXVILLE (WVLT) – On Saturday at the University of Tennessee, an event was using some of the lessons of Donald Trump to bring the community together.

Randal Pinkett headlined this weekends third annual UT Black Issues Conference.

Pinkett is a past winner of Trumps reality television show, The Apprentice, and he now runs his own company based in New Jersey.

During his speech, he spent time highlighting the conference’s theme, “Money, Power and Respect, the Keys to Economic Empowerment.”

Its organizers deemed it a success, and said hosting the free event is worth it, because it offers so much to the public.

"It gets students active and engaged,” said Tierney Bates, assistant director of UT Minority Student Affairs. “Students plan and implement this program, and they participate in this program. At the same time, we bring back alumni and people from the community and get everyone working together. I think that’s what we need more of that here at the University of Tennessee, and in the Knoxville community."

Around 350 people attended the conference which also featured workshops on real estate and entrepreneurship.

It was sponsored by the university’s office of alumni affairs, black alumni associates, UT's chapter of the NAACP, and the office of minority student affairs.