While it's true that they benefit from connections (I've seen SO many smart students lose their lives away through K-12 public education, which wastes FAR more talent than any college/university education system - and connections help them get out of it), the fact is that the Internet is now making it easier for us to make connections with people (you can just email the right person who can pull the strings for you now). In fact, you could get connections simply by friending them on Facebook, and they, being entrepreneurs, are probably more likely than others to accept if they think you're interesting.