From June 18th to 20th, the School of Management’s Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation hosted the Summer Entrepreneurship Institute, welcoming 22 incoming junior and senior high school students from Genesee County, Oakland County, Macomb County, and even from as far as Florida and New Jersey.
The program began with an introduction to entrepreneurship and idea generation, led by School of Management faculty members Brian Blume and Mark Simon, alongside alumnus Raymond Kusch. As part of their hands-on learning experience, the students visited the Farmers Market to observe entrepreneurship in action and enjoy lunch from various vendors.
On Wednesday, the participants visited 100K Ideas, where they explored the Shops on Saginaw and listened to Phil Hagerman, an entrepreneur, philanthropist, pharmacist, and CEO. Mr. Hagerman, a significant benefactor of the School of Management since his generous donation in 2015, continues to support the institution while managing multiple ventures such as Forum Health and SkyPoint Ventures.
Brian Blume, newly appointed Director of the Hagerman Center and David M. French Professor of Organizational Behavior & HR Management stated, “During our visit to the 100K Ideas incubator in downtown Flint, we were inspired by businessman Phil Hagerman’s insights. This visit is an example of the profound impact the local business community can have in shaping the experiences of students and fostering a culture of innovation. We also were able to visit the Flint Farmers market, where the students purchased lunch from many local entrepreneurs.”
Throughout the program, students collaborated to develop new venture ideas. Thursday’s agenda began with a guest lecture from Dan Command, widely known as Dan C. Bearded on social media. Command, a content creator specializing in beard care, shared insights on thriving in a niche market using social media.
The students also had the opportunity to network with seasoned entrepreneurs during a luncheon. Esteemed speakers included UM-Flint alumna Adrian Montague and James Shuttleworth, co-founders of Flint Soup; Perci Whitmore, UM-Flint alumnus and founder of Share the Keys; Tom Nardone, president of PriveCo and CEO of Dignity Lifts; Theo Ellis, UM-Flint alumnus and founder of ProSound Media; and Adeola Osunlowo, UM-Flint alumnus and CEO of Wombman Unspoken. Blume also mentioned “We appreciate the active participation of our alumni in our network luncheon, where nearly all speakers were distinguished University of Michigan, Flint graduates. This underscores the vital role that alumni and community engagement play in the success of our educational mission.” These interactions provided the students with invaluable advice and feedback on their ideas.
The program culminated with student presentations, where each group delivered an elevator pitch and detailed their venture’s competitive landscape, target market, financial viability, and marketing strategy, including logo and slogan development. The creativity and cohesiveness of their proposals were remarkable, especially given the three-day timeframe.
This cohort of enthusiastic students demonstrated a keen interest in entrepreneurship and innovation. Mark Simon, former Director of the Hagerman Center and Hagerman Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation said “I was so impressed by the quality and the creativity the ideas the students developed. But it was more than just the ideas, they designed logos, came up with slogans, figured out marketing campaigns, and even developed financials! It was remarkable what they accomplished in less than three days. They should be so proud.” Their impressive presentations and collaboration underscored the program’s success in fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs.
The
2018-2019 academic year was a massive success for the School of Management
student organization, Entrepreneurs Society (ES). Entrepreneurs Society
received four awards at the Wolverine Excellence banquet on Thursday, April 11,
2019. The banquet is hosted by the Department of
Student Involvement and Leadership and recognizes the
contributions of a student organization which exhibits strong leadership skills
such as teamwork, collaboration, communication, while also implementing
initiatives that fulfill the mission of their organization. The organization is also one that is
committed to furthering the university’s mission and positively impacting the
quality of student life on campus.
Entrepreneurs Society received the Outstanding Organization Award and the Student Organization Community Contribution Award. The Outstanding Student Organization Award recognizes a student organization that has demonstrated significant leadership qualities and has contributed to the University of Michigan-Flint during the 2018-2019 academic year. Along with the two distinguished organizational awards, the School of Management Faculty member and Advisor to Entrepreneurs Society, Dr. Michael Witt, received the Outstanding Student Advisor Award. Lastly, the President of Entrepreneurs Society, Todd Fridline (BBA in Finance ’20), received the Outstanding Student Leader Award.
The
President of Entrepreneurs Society, Todd Fridline (BBA in Finance ’20), Vice
President, Elisabeth Hamilton (BBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship ’20), and
Treasurer, Carryn White (BBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship ’19) discuss
Entrepreneurs Society community contributions and leadership at University of
Michigan-Flint in a Q&A with the School of Management.
Q: How has this organization
demonstrated leadership and positively contributed to the Flint community?
Hamilton: The Entrepreneurs Society takes great pride in being leaders
on our own campus and also in the community in which we live. The biggest way
our organization is making a positive contribution to the community of Flint is
our Flint Green project. Flint Green is a project focused on changing the
negative connotation that the community of Flint receives, and turning it into
a positive outlook. Flint Green is focusing on promoting a greener version of
Flint, using solar and wind energy to support the members of the Flint
community who typically get ignored. By promoting and marketing this project,
Entrepreneurs Society is also promoting a positive contribution to the Flint
community.
This past December, over 20 Entrepreneurs Society members
visited the Whaley
Children’s Center to volunteer our time. The Society
believes it is important to give back to the community whenever possible. This
volunteer opportunity allowed ES students to help the Whaley Children’s Center
in one of their most crucial times of the year.
Fridline: In the fall, the Entrepreneurs Society held its first annual Entrepreneur Tour. This experience provided students with an opportunity to listen to and network with entrepreneurs here in our own city. The tour made two stops in Downtown Flint. The first was at Cafe Rhema, where ES members listened to one of the executives at OLV Investment Group and Cafe Rhema owner, Josh Spencer. The tour also visited the Flint Ferris Wheel to visit the owner of KALM Clothing. They are both thriving businesses within the Flint Community and offered great insight about their experience of crafting their businesses, as well as gaining support from other local companies and promoting them to students at the University of Michigan-Flint.
Along
with this tour, we have also had the honor of having various Flint
entrepreneurs come to speak to our society, such as Wes Stoody, Founder of
Article One, Terry Stanfill, inventor of “Lenz,” and we had a team
assisting him in his marketing and finding his market segment, Drew Lauinger,
Instagram Influencer looking to start a social media marketing company, Sean
Tabor, Project Manager at Michigan Management Specialists and alumni of ES and
many more entrepreneurs.
The
Society also visited local packaging company and Tier-1 automotive supplier,
NorthGate. Several ES students received a tour of one of their facilities and
had a great opportunity to talk with the President of the company for over an
hour. ES has also collaborated with local Entrepreneurs and alumni of the
University of Michigan-Flint. Two entrepreneurs reached out to the Society in
search of help for their respective businesses. Students from ES provided these
entrepreneurs with business plans, financial models and projections, and
helpful insight to their business sector.
White: Entrepreneurs Society has also held many events open to the
community of Flint, including relationship with the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurial Speaker Series, Financial Wellness workshops
and a LinkedIn Workshop. In these workshops, we have collaborated with other
student organizations, emphasizing on the idea that the community of Flint
should be an environment where everyone feels involved.
Q: How has the organization
demonstrated a commitment to furthering the mission of the University of
Michigan-Flint?
Fridline: The Entrepreneurs Society is dedicated to the success of
its members, the community and the University of Michigan-Flint. Through
collaborations, student engagement, and various events, the Entrepreneurs
Society has worked hard to create opportunities for students across campus at
UM-Flint. Entrepreneurs Society provides students with valuable, hands-on
professional experience through events and projects. Among many things, we
provide students with an opportunity to explore career opportunities and learn
the skills needed to succeed as a student and professional.
Hamilton: Our two main events engage the community locally and
globally. The first being our annual Entrepreneurs Society Dinner. This event
is an opportunity for everyone in the Flint community to network with each
other and grow positive connections along with each other, thus continuing the
mission of bringing positive collaboration of members of the Flint community.
This dinner is also a way to get the University of Michigan-Flint name out there
in a positive way and show anyone from outside of this community the great
things our school and organization are doing. The Entrepreneurs Society invites
esteemed alumni and business professionals in the Flint area and connect them
with current students on our Flint campus. The goal of this dinner is to
provide these current students with a chance to network with local businesses
and entrepreneurs. Over 120 people were in attendance, making it a great night
of networking and opportunities for UM-Flint students, alumni, and community
members.
White: The other main event the Entrepreneur Society participates in is the annual Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization Global Conference. In November of 2018, ten Entrepreneurs Society members attended this global event in Kansas City to represent the University of Michigan-Flint and its values. At the conference, each member built leadership, networking, and teamwork skills through various seminars and workshops. In addition to learning these new skills, our Entrepreneurs Society also placed in the top five for awards in Outstanding CEO Chapter Leader, Outstanding CEO Chapter Advisor, and Best Cross Campus Innovation & Networking Award. Our President, Todd Fridline, was also able to represent our chapter and university during a Chapter Development session allowing ES to reach a global base by speaking about our practices. The conference is an opportunity to network with other students and executives from Fortune 500 companies. By supporting individual endeavors, as well as hosting these campus-wide events, the Entrepreneurs Society has been able to draw student involvement from multiple disciplines (including pre-med and engineering) to the organization.
Hamilton: Lastly, the Entrepreneurs Society has worked diligently to
include students of all majors in events, projects, and meetings. Specifically
at UM-Flint, ES has had student volunteers participate in coordinating a Zillion
Solutions, another event hosted by the Hagerman Center, competition and Think
Tank sessions hosted in the fall semester. Through collaborations with the
Hagerman Center, and outreach at events like Admitted Student Welcome, Mgagement,
and Pre-Business Welcome, ES has continually offered assistance to students
beyond the School of Management.
Q: How has this organization
positively contributed to student engagement at UM-Flint?
White: The Entrepreneurs Society is a resource that enables
students to shape their careers and advance themselves in the professional
world. Every semester, Entrepreneurs Society works hard to create opportunities
through various projects and events. Members can take part by leading their own
project or volunteering to support ongoing endeavors.
Hamilton: The organization has engaged students by providing team
members to help students start their own businesses. ES alumni, Hane Cho, has
launched DASH, a social networking app on
Google Play and in the app store. Cho has been interviewed by several local
news outlets about his work and aid from the Entrepreneurs Society. Another
current project we having been supporting is an Italian import startup.
Fridline: Entrepreneurs Society invites students from all areas of
campus to join the group for weekly workshops held during meeting time. These
include etiquette tips, how to network effectively, intellectual property
basics, how to improve your LinkedIn profile, and financial wellness for
students. Additional involvement comes from collaborating with other
organizations, such as SHRM, Marketing Club, and SCOMA, to host these events.
Entrepreneurs Society also works closely with the Hagerman Center by hosting a Zillion
Solutions, which received over 200 idea-solution entries. ES members are
developing a sales pitch to aid the engineering department in participating in
the annual Baja race. Collaboration with these organizations has resulted in
the promotion and involvement of our members, as well as members of other
student organizations.
Steve Whitener, University of Michigan-Flint Alumni and entrepreneur, spoke to students on Dec. 1 about the importance of entrepreneurship.
More about Steve Whitener
Started Real Estate Company as a UM-Flint Student
In 1973, while attending UM-Flint, Mr. Whitener purchased an apartment building. Upon graduating in 1977, he went on to acquire several additional rental properties. While managing several real estate holdings, he led a highly successful career in sales. This led to Mr. Whitener founding National Systems Installers.
Became a Technology Entrepreneur
In 1993, he founded National Systems Installers (NSI), a company that provides infrastructure cabling services to corporations. Six years later, he formed Nuspire Networks, which designs and offers monitoring and security systems. His business works with Fortune 500 companies and has 300-plus retail operations. He is Chairman of the Board for NSI and is a former Chairman of Nuspire, a multimillion dollar company he recently sold.
The School of Management is full of great resources for its students. From helping students figure out their schedule to finding employment, there are resources to help students at any point in their college career. Check out the top eleven resources that the School of Management offers. Read the full article HERE.
UM-Flint School of Management inside Riverfront Center
Mark Simon, PhD became director of the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation this fall. The University of Michigan-Flint School of Management center was created in 2015 thanks to a generous donation from Phil and Jocelyn Hagerman. Simon was recognized in his new role October 10 at an investiture ceremony. At the event, Simon said, “I can’t overstate how honored I feel. I am truly humbled. But I know that with all the wonderful support I am receiving from so many, including the Hagerman’s, administration, faculty, staff, and students, I believe that together we can truly make a difference.”
Prior to Simon’s official investiture, he shared his thoughts about the center, its benefit for students, his impressions of the university community, and more in this Q&A with University Relations.
The Hagerman Student Scholars program has been expanded for the 2016-2017 academic year by adding two additional students to the lineup for its annual Hagerman Student Scholar Award. The Hagerman Student Scholar award was created in 2015 to support future entrepreneurs. Hagerman Student Scholars become ambassadors of the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation located inside the School of Management.
Lauren Adams, Bryan Halpin, Nolan Moore, Sean Tabor, and Emily Zoromski will step into their role of Hagerman Scholars in the Fall 2016 semester. Along with receiving a $2,000 scholarship, they will become ambassadors of the School of Management Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Through this opportunity, the scholars will expand their networking opportunities while working one on one with School of Management professors and the community.
Adams, a senior majoring in Business Administration, expressed her excitement about being selected as a Hagerman Scholar. “It’s exciting to get involved this early on since I am only in my third year. I am excited for the networking opportunities and community involvement,” said Adams.
Adams sees entrepreneurship and innovation as ways of creating positivity in the community. As a part of the National Society of Leadership and Success, she has found that traits she already possessed will suit her entrepreneur spirit. “[National Society of Leadership and Success] gave me realization of my strong traits and interests. I am embracing entrepreneurship because it will teach me to be a better leader and to take risks for positive changes,” she said.
Lauren Adams, 2016
Moore, a senior majoring in Business Administration, echoed Adams sentiments about receiving the award. “When I heard about it, I got really excited. I applied for it and I was lucky enough to get it,” said Moore. “It’s been a huge blessing to me and my family. My mom cried when I told her I got it.”
As someone who grew up just outside Flint, Moore was never unaware of the cities issues. After he graduates from college, he hopes to contribute to positive changes in the city. “I heard about the crime, the violence, the poverty, and the poor economic situations that have plagued the city for years. Hearing about these things can easily crush one’s hope for a better future. After attending the University of Michigan-Flint for four years now, I have seen things that have restored my hope for the city, and I want to be part of that,” he said.
As a senior, Moore can see the impact that it will have on his education and career outlook. “The simple fact is this will help me get though school,” he said. “This is going to be my last year and I can get through this year without a bunch of student debt. It’s going to relieve a lot of stress and help me get a jump start on my career.”
Nolan Moore, 2016
Halpin, a senior majoring in Supply Chain Management and Marketing, agrees that the financial stress of education can affect the choices students can make. He understands the financial burdens that affect college students and how they impact the time it takes to get a degree. Originally starting his college career in 2004, he took only one course each semester while working full time. He states that the sacrifices his wife and himself have made allowed him to pursue his college education full time. “I set myself up to have one year without a job to go to school full time and this award helps me achieve my goal; it helps me to get where I’m going,” said Halpin. “My wife and I have both sacrificed for me to get this degree. For the school to participate in that and help to ease our sacrifice is amazing to me.”
As a student who is already heavily involved with Entrepreneurs Society as their Vice President, Halpin understands the impact of Hagerman Student Ambassadors. “I think the ambassadorship, reaching out to the community and to other students, that’s going to be the most fun,” he said. “I look forward to helping people achieve their goals just like this scholarship helped me achieve mine. That’s going to be phenomenal.”
Bryan Haplin, 2016
Tabor, a senior majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship, credits Dr. Michael Witt for igniting his passion for Entrepreneurship when he joined the Entrepreneurs Society. He was elected Vice President for the 2014-15 academic year and shortly after, transitioned to President for the 2015-2016 academic year. He pursued his passion by starting his own real estate investment company while attending school full time. Shortly after, he obtained an internship with SkyPoint Ventures. He hopes his work through SkyPoint Ventures will create opportunities for students to strengthen the surrounding community.
“I think it’s [the Hagerman Student Scholar Award] going to give hope to local entrepreneurs,” said Tabor. “It’s going to give hope to college grads who want to be entrepreneurs and realize that there are people out there who want to support them— people out there that understand the importance of small business and that they’re willing to give of their fortune to help someone create their own.”
Sean Tabor, 2016
Zoromski struggled to find her place in the beginning of her college career. She discovered her love for business and joined the Entrepreneur Society. It was there that she discovered her passion for working with others.
“That has had a really big impact on my college career,” she said. “I have met a lot of really great students with the same goals and mindset that I have. That’s had a big impact. You get different viewpoints on everything and just some of the projects you do, dealing with the people you are helping is really cool.”
Zoromski believes that future Hagerman Scholars will benefit and gain opportunities that otherwise would not be available. “I think that it’s [the Hagerman Student Scholar Award] going to help other students learn and grow,” said Zoromski. “Everyone wants scholarships and having the different things you’re involved in, from getting the scholarship, is a great learning opportunity for other business majors. I’m a finance major so letting people other than entrepreneurship majors know about this scholarship will be a great opportunity for them to learn about entrepreneurship.”
Vino Raj wants to bring entertainment to “a new level” in downtown Flint. And thanks to University of Michigan-Flint, his aspirations are closer to reality.
The UM-Flint graduate student is working with two business partners on a venture that would merge “different forms of entertainment, such as live action role-playing, puzzles, treasure hunts, and interactive team work.”
(From left to right: Jennifer Wenzlick, Justin Adsitt-Weiner, and Chloe’ Kas-Mikha)
University of Michigan-Flint students Justin Adsitt-Weiner, Chloe’ Kas-Mikha, and Jennifer Wenzlick were selected as the School of Management’s Hagerman Student Scholars.
Through this opportunity, Adsitt-Weiner, Kas-Mikha, and Wenzlick committed to being ambassadors for the new Hagerman Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and will get firsthand experience in working with the School of Management and its professors in order to build a network of professionals in the community.
The Hagerman Student Scholars program was made possible by a gift by Phil and Jocelyn Hagerman to establish the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (HCEI).
Justin Adsitt-Weiner, a sophomore majoring in international business, a former Business Plan Competition participant, cites the competition as motivation to apply for the Hagerman Student Scholar program.
“Prior to the competition I had had limited exposure to what entrepreneurship looked like in practice, and it was the skills that I began developing for and through the competition along with the influence of faculty members such as Dr. Laurence and Dr. Witt that kindled my now burning excitement to incorporate an entrepreneurial mindset into whatever path I may take,” said Adsitt-Weiner.
With the experience he gained through the Business Plan Competition and with the opportunities he was offered through the Hagerman Scholarship, Adsitt-Weiner understands the significant impact this can have on future recipients.
“By directly providing students with the support that is needed, they will have both more time and opportunity to take part in additional collegiate activities. With the addition of the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, these opportunities are boundless in their potential to help students achieve whatever goals they may have,” said Adsitt-Weiner.
Senior double majoring in health sciences and business marketing Chloe’ Kas-Mikha cites campus organizations such as Student Government, The Michigan Times, and Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority as giving her the skills to be an ambassador for the Hagerman Center. Her involvement with the community has strengthened after receiving the Hagerman Scholarship.
“I am thankful to the Hagerman’s for allowing the opportunity to apply for the scholarship and being a recipient of it. The Hagerman’s generosity has inspired me to continue to help others and give back to the community,” said Kas-Mikha.
Kas-Mikha cites the Hagerman’s involvement as inspiration to continue her education and educating others.“ The Hagermans have aided in fostering education and growth at the University of Michigan-Flint and throughout the Flint community. I am happy to be a part of that change and legacy to teach and aid others,” said Kas-Mikha.
Senior human resources major Jennifer Wenzlick hopes the Hagerman Scholarship will benefit the next round of recipients the same way it helped her.
“It is inspiring and motivating to do more in community and to be more involved. I hope it gives them the same passion and drive that it has given me. I hope that it will follow through with the next recipients,” said Wenzlick.
Wenzlick’s involvement with the community and School of Management events has increased since receiving the scholarship. Along with attending the Business Plan Competition last year, she is excited for what is to come in this year’s Business Plan Competition event.
“I watched the final rounds last year and thought the Business Plan Competition was pretty cool. I am really excited to hear about the new ideas from inspiring entrepreneurs in our community. I still follow the companies from last year’s Business Plan Competition to see how they grow,” said Wenzlick.
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management major blends the expertise of the school’s marketing and management faculty, and covers an array of issues, such as product design, business start-ups, technological innovation, marketing research, project management, and negotiation skills.
The School of Management is proud to announce a leadership gift of $2 million from the Hagerman Foundation on behalf of the Philip and Jocelyn Hagerman. The gift is the largest single donation to the School of Management, and will create the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation…
