March Madness

Greetings from the Cliff!

It has been a busy few months for the business department.  We have collaborated on a new Social Media minor and added a 3+1 BA/MBA program http://www.briarcliff.edu/academics/departments/business/joint-bamba-program/. The MBA is also available to graduate students by itself.  We are excited to get these programs up and running. In fact, we have signed up our first Social Media minor just last week.

Last week, the Eldon and Regina Roth Center for Entrepreneurship and Enactus team coordinated Entrepalooza – a celebration of entrepreneurship in Siouxland.  While this is a regional event, we hosted three events – Jumpstart Market, Entrepreneurship kickoff speech, and Swimming with the Sharks.

The Enactus team partnered with Beyond the Bell to provide entrepreneurship training to elementary school children at Leeds school.  It was very successful and will be expanded next year to more schools.  Below is a picture of some of the participants selling their products to city manager Bob Padmore.  Dom Wetzbarger (in the suit) is the co-president of Enactus.

This year the Entrepalooza kickoff speaker was Tal Dehtiar.  Prior to his presentation, he had dinner with some BCU business students.  Tal is a social entrepreneur who started a shoe company in Ethiopia to provide jobs in Africa.  He believes that it is better to give a person a job so they can buy shoes for their family than it is to give them a pair of shoes.  The shoes are handmade and beautiful.  Check out his web site www.oliberte.com.  

In its fifth year, Swimming with the Sharks has provided Siouxland entrepreneurs with a little help for their young businesses.  Based on ABC’s Shark Tank, finalists pitch their ideas to a panel business experts and usually receive a grant.  Past winners have included Beth Trejo of Chatterkick and Nathan and Chelsea Schulz of www.eatsiouxcity.com.   Shown below are two of the winners who are also BCU students.  Mark Samuelson won a grant for his Perry Hills Aronia berry farm (think the next pomegranate superfood) and Anthony Rossi won for his designated driving service Double D’s.  Anthony is set to launch his business next week just in time for St. Patty’s Day.  He is shown below with his moped. Mark is pitching his idea for an irrigation system. 

 

Hope things are well with you all.

Judy Thompson