Archive for the ‘Entrepreneurship’ Category
Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
May is Small Business Month, and entrepreneurs everywhere face uphill battles with funding, the economy, hiring and affordability in the effort to get their businesses off the ground. The website NerdWallet sifted through the factors that matter to small business owners to determine which cities are the best for those hoping to start a business and Minneapolis made the national top 10.
It is no surprise though, as evidenced by many of the entrepreneurial ventures launched here at St. Thomas or hiring our graduates. Several successful small businesses were honored last week at the 24th Annual Entrepreneur Awards Ceremony. Nearly 200 guests gathered to recognize those who foster and model the spirit of entrepreneurship each day.
During the awards portion of the evening, Dean Christopher Puto and Father Dennis Dease honored two individuals and a small business for their entrepreneurial thinking and commitment to giving back.
Dan Carr
The Entrepreneur Alumnus of the Year award went to Dan Carr, ’82, CEO of The Collaborative. With more than 25 years working with Minnesota entrepreneurs, he credits his UST education for much of his success. Carr also noted that 90 percent of job creation comes from small companies, further reinforcing the role and impact of all entrepreneurs.
(more…)
Posted in Alumni, Centers, Entrepreneurship, Events | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 8th, 2013
When Kieran Folliard was planning to enter the crowded and notoriously fickle bar and restaurant business in downtown Minneapolis, he knew exactly what he wanted to create. He wanted to develop a landmark, beautiful and handcrafted building, reminiscent of the grand 18th-century public houses of the Dublin he remembered from his youth. Of course he spent time raising finance, arranging suppliers, hiring staff and developing budgets, but his heart – and most of his days – were invested in sitting at a dusty desk in the middle of the construction site working with local wood carvers and artisans to try to create a thing of beauty that would last 100 years. Would his customers even notice that this section was handcarved or the stained glass handmade?
Read more about Folliard’s story and Putting Your Value System to Work in the Spring edition of B. Magazine »
Tags: John McVea, Laura Dunham
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Faculty | Comments Off
Tuesday, April 30th, 2013
What keeps Alan Bignall ’85 M.B.A. going and going and going? In a word: passion. A quick glance at his LinkedIn profile shows that he is a very busy man, but he involves himself in things that permit him to pursue his passions: entrepreneurial ventures, helping others and baseball. Bignall speaks about everything he does with enthusiasm, even when he has a cold, as he did during a recent interview with B. Magazine.
Tags: Alan Bignall, B. Magazine
Posted in Alumni, Centers, Entrepreneurship | Comments Off
Friday, April 19th, 2013
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal on Friday announced winners of its annual Women in Business Awards. This year a number of the honorees are Opus College of Business and University of St. Thomas alumnae.
The Journal says that each year it recognizes 50 women for their professional achievements, leadership qualities, and contributions to the broader Twin Cities community. The Opus College of Business is proud to observe that two members of the list – selected from hundreds of nominees – are OCB alumnae.
The Business Journal also honors one female executive with a Career Achievement Award. This year’s award goes to Margaret Perryman ’78 M.B.A., president and CEO of Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare.
Additional award recipients are affiliated with St. Thomas, and are listed in our Newsroom. (more…)
Tags: Finance & Commerce, mspbj, William C. Norris Institute
Posted in Alumni, Centers, Entrepreneurship, leadership, Local business, Media | Comments Off
Thursday, April 18th, 2013
Cecily Sommers, dancer, chiropractor, author, and professional futurist, spoke to a poised audience of over 50 University of St. Thomas alumni, students and staff members this week about the importance of finding your “fit.” Sommers career path has been anything but traditional, leaving several opportunities for self-reinvention.
Sommers details her process for self-reinvention through four steps: dream, discovery, tension, and reckoning. The notion of her desire to become a dancer happened as a child as she saw her neighbors dressed in tutu’s leaving for dance lessons. She quickly envisioned herself as a prima ballerina, and began dance lessons shortly thereafter. Discovery of a future in dance was due to her natural talent and desire to embellish musical notes with flourished movements. Progressing throughout her dance career, tension was created as she became pulled in many directions with school, teaching and attempting to earn a living. The reckoning that followed suit was a realization that dance could not provide the professional and creative challenges her own capabilities craved. Moving forward, she decided to pursue a Business degree, where she was forced to take science classes. This same process occurred while she transitioned from dancer to chiropractor, realizing in a science class that she had a strong desire to learn how the human form and circular system interact together in all aspects of survival. The reckoning developed as she decided that the homeopathic route for medicine best fit her desire to heal. (more…)
Tags: Cecily Sommers, masters connection, ted, tedx
Posted in Alumni, Career Services, Entrepreneurship, leadership | Comments Off
Friday, April 12th, 2013
From BringMeTheNews:
In a new article entitled “Why I had to Adapt or Die”, BringMeTheNews founder and CEO Rick Kupchella writes that, “In the end – when you think about it – there’s really no rational argument for the 5 o’clock news anymore, short of wanting to tune in to see your favorite local personalities. If there’s something you really want to know – you can find it pretty easily on your phone.”
That’s part of the reason the veteran TV news journalist decided to leave a successful career in broadcasting and launch a new company in 2009. Today, BringMeTheNews continues to grow, as staff journalists comb through thousands of headlines a day in order to deliver the most relevant news to the people of Minnesota.
Rick Kupchella, founder of BringMeTheNews, will discuss the company’s first three years, and his transition from Emmy Award-winning TV news anchor to entrepreneur at next week’s Master’s Pub. The event will be held Friday, April 19, from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Current Opus College of Business graduate students and alumni attending the event are encouraged to bring colleagues or friends considering a graduate business degree to experience the unique St. Thomas atmosphere and community. The event if free but please register in advance. (more…)
Tags: bmtn, bringmethenews, masters connection, masters pub, rick kupchella
Posted in Alumni, Career Services, Entrepreneurship, EveningMBA, Events, Local business, Media | Comments Off
Thursday, April 11th, 2013
As of December of 2012, Minnesota’s unemployment rate was at 5.2 percent, more than 2 percent lower than the national average, and that of most countries. Minnesota’s unemployment rate is nearly half of what it was in 2009. This is a positive sign the economy is on the mend, but companies are still treading with caution. Manpower conducted their annual employment outlook survey last month and concluded that employers are still hesitant to increase their hiring quota. Employers are still seeking a sustainable growth trend in the economy before labor markets follow pursuit.
“In the Americas, employers in all 10 countries surveyed report positive hiring intentions for the coming quarter, with hiring plans strengthening in four but declining in five in a quarter-over-quarter comparison. When compared year-over-year, Net Employment Outlooks improve in four countries and decline in six. The strongest regional outlook is in Brazil, while the weakest are reported in Costa Rica and the U.S,” says Manpower.
While several of the upcoming class of 2013 UST MBA graduates will pursue careers in states other than Minnesota, none are currently planning to pursue international opportunities. Although the U.S. may not be leading the pack with an 11 percent employment outlook, Manpower reports, two of the most popular industries at UST will be on the hiring riseL business at 18%, and finance at 11%.
To review the full report click here, in summary: (more…)
Posted in Career Services, Entrepreneurship, Global Business | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013
UST Faculty regularly answer questions in the Star Tribune’s Ask The Consultant column. Here’s the most recent question. Ask your own question.
Board game inventors looking for a break
I created an award-winning board game a few years ago that teaches what it’s like to be a lawyer and run a small business. Anyone who plays the game says this should be in Barnes & Noble. How do you get a sit-down meeting with a large company? Sending marketing materials does not work. These companies are inundated with products. How do you separate yourself from the pack on a limited budget?
Tina Nelson, CEO, Professional Games Inc.
Mark Spriggs, Ph.D., associate professor and department chair of Entrepreneurship Department, offered 4 specific tips to increase your chance of success.
Tags: Consultant, game, mark spriggs, Outside consultant, retail, star tribune
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Faculty | Comments Off
Thursday, March 7th, 2013
This post is by Evening UST MBA student Vitaly Demin, a strategy consultant at Eames Management Group and co-founder of the Russian technology blog Gridder.ru.
Last week many fans of the popular TV series Shark Tank saw the presentation of a not-so-new concept by a woman named Jessica. She created a company called Jeska Shoes that specialized in the development and design of women’s shoes with interchangeable heels and other accessories. She didn’t manufacture anything at that point but her plan was to sell her shoes at around $200 a pair and then heels and accessory would average $20-30 per unit. She offered a 30% stake for $70,000 equity in her company but she ended up giving away 70% of the company for that same amount to Daymond John.
The main reason why Daymond took 70% of the company was the fact that he already saw flaws in Jessica’s thought process and therefore the business model and he needed a full control of the company to make any decisions he wants. While all the sharks unanimously agreed that the price of the shoes was too high (which is absolutely true), there was one major mistake that wasn’t voiced but which Daymond most likely thought about when he decided to invest in Jessica’s company. It was a wrong value proposition.
(more…)
Tags: abc, daymond, john, shark tank, shoes
Posted in Commentary, Entrepreneurship, EveningMBA, Media | Comments Off
Shark Tank – Find the Value Proposition to Find Success
Thursday, March 7th, 2013This post is by Evening UST MBA student Vitaly Demin, a strategy consultant at Eames Management Group and co-founder of the Russian technology blog Gridder.ru.
Last week many fans of the popular TV series Shark Tank saw the presentation of a not-so-new concept by a woman named Jessica. She created a company called Jeska Shoes that specialized in the development and design of women’s shoes with interchangeable heels and other accessories. She didn’t manufacture anything at that point but her plan was to sell her shoes at around $200 a pair and then heels and accessory would average $20-30 per unit. She offered a 30% stake for $70,000 equity in her company but she ended up giving away 70% of the company for that same amount to Daymond John.
The main reason why Daymond took 70% of the company was the fact that he already saw flaws in Jessica’s thought process and therefore the business model and he needed a full control of the company to make any decisions he wants. While all the sharks unanimously agreed that the price of the shoes was too high (which is absolutely true), there was one major mistake that wasn’t voiced but which Daymond most likely thought about when he decided to invest in Jessica’s company. It was a wrong value proposition.
(more…)
Tags: abc, daymond, john, shark tank, shoes
Posted in Commentary, Entrepreneurship, EveningMBA, Media | Comments Off