Dean Scott D. Johnson and BPC winner Ashley Knific

Ashley Knific, SOM Business Plan Competition Winner

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ASHLEY KNIFIC
WINNER OF THE 2015 SOM
BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION

Sponsored by Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy

After months of hard work, research, and tough competition, University of Michigan-Flint student and aspiring educator, Ashley Knific, was named the winner of the Annual School of Management Business Plan Competition.

According to the research of Sheryl Sandberg, author and Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, 43% of highly qualified women risk their careers when deciding to take leaves of absence to raise their children.

Ashley’s proposed multi-level nonprofit, Jobs 4 Moms, aims to eliminate the tough decision that mothers often face between fostering their children and pursuing career goals, by implementing emerging technologies and proprietary software to pair mothers with businesses willing to employ skilled workers in flexible positions.

Jobs 4 Moms plans to use the $5,000 first place prize provided by event sponsor, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, to fund the development of a minimally viable website launch. This major first step will allow the nonprofit to fine tune the online platform to best suit both the employers’ and mothers’ needs, prior to full implementation and launch later this year when job placement is projected to begin.

Ashley worked closely with University Outreach’s Innovation Incubator to develop her business plan and refine the final presentation. As the most recent qualifying not-for-profit tenant business, she will also begin receiving free office space in the Northbank Center this summer.

 

Congratulations to the SOM Soccer Tournament Winners

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The School of Management congratulates Mohammed Alkhashram, Khalid Alanazi, Abduallah Bahwal, Ahmed Aljohani, Ahmed Alahmar, Faisal Alnafisah and Meteb Alghamdi – the student players who comprised the first place team in the SOM sponsored Indoor Coed Soccer Tournament on November 1, 2014!

Each of the winning players was awarded a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card and the team as a whole received a $150 gift card to Blackstone’s to celebrate their victory.

Entrepreneurs Society To Build Third Work/Live Home with HFH

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Members of UM-Flint’s Entrepreneurs Society, an organization composed of School of Management students, helped Habitat for Humanity (HFH) build the first “Work/Live” house in Flint on West Fifth Street in June of 2012.

The Work/Live home contains both residential and commercial space, and provides the resident both affordable housing and an opportunity to become a self-sufficient small business owner. Now, the society will help HFH provide a third such house in the same neighborhood.

The success of the unique houses has attracted the interest of MasterCard. The company recently announced it is providing a $90,000 grant to the Genesee County HFH, and a total of $400,000 in grants to be awarded to five HFH affiliates in MasterCard target markets that will replicate the model created by Genesee County HFH and the UM-Flint Entrepreneurs Society. The five awarded affiliates will be visiting Flint in August for hands-on training.

The residents of the newest house will be small business owners Scott Hempel and Tyler Bienlein. They will soon have a new affordable space in the Grand Traverse District in downtown Flint for their tabletop gaming store, where they will work and live thanks to this innovative housing pilot.

“We are grateful to Genesee County Habitat for Humanity for their willingness to be creative and innovative in addressing the need for small business job creation, and to the University of Michigan-Flint Entrepreneur Society in making the connection and strengthening our business plan,” said Scott Hempel.

SOM’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence Michael Witt founded the Entrepreneurs Society in 2008. “We came up with the idea, along with Habitat,” said Witt. “Our management students learn how to start new businesses through this process by engaging in new company formation activities, such as conducting a needs assessment, define potential new businesses that meet those needs, recruit suitable candidates, help them create a business plan, set up financials, marketing plans, etc. We accommodate the needs of the new business and help them succeed.”

Professor Mehdian lectures at Romanian American University

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Two years ago, the University of Michigan-Flint and the Romanian American University (RAU) of Bucharest signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together in sharing faculty expertise to increase the quality of education for the students of both Universities.

During the Fall ’12 semester, Professor Seyed Mehdian, Professor of Finance for the School of Management, became the first SOM faculty member to participate in teaching at RAU in Romania. During his visit, Professor Mehdian delivered several iterations of his lecture titled “Financial Management Issues” to RAU students and faculty.

Professor Mehdian is seen in the image above with Dr. Ovidiu Folcut, the Rector of Rau, Mrs. Despina Barbieru of the Office of International Relations (RAU), and students who attended Dr. Mehdian’s lectures.

SOM Student, Amanda Nielsen, Interns At New Landaal Packaging

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Written By Shaun Byron of MLive.com | sbyron@mlive.com | See the original M-Live article here

FLINT, MI — Amanda Nielsen had her sights set on Chicago for an internship.

That was before the Grand Blanc resident and University of Michigan-Flint student met with Burton-based Landaal Packaging Systems about an opportunity.

While the Windy City is still on the minds of Nielsen’s friends, she said Vehicle City is looking like the better choice.

“A lot of people want Chicago, I wanted Chicago at first, but I like it more here now,” she said.

Nielsen will be part of the staff moved Jan. 2 to Landaal Packaging’s new offices at 540 Saginaw St. in Flint.

M-Live article

 

SOM Students Win Oakland University International Case Competition

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Congratulations to UM-Flint School of Management students, Todd Ackerman, Alex Benda, George Joubran, and Logan McGrady, for winning the first ever Oakland University International Case Competition!

In February, the Oakland University School of Business invited teams of top undergraduate students from more than 200 highly respected international academic institutions to take part in their International Case Competition (OUICC). Aimed at building and practicing teamwork and leadership skills, the competition consisted of three elimination rounds of judged case presentations, with prizes and awards going to the three finalists.

In the initial round, all participating teams were required to submit a video presentation and case summary to the OUICC judging panel by email. From all the first round submissions, only 12 teams were selected to advance to the next stage of competition. In round two, the teams delivered their presentations via interactive live feeds, and were required to defend their strategies and arguments during Q&A sessions with the OUICC panel of judges.

Then with only twelve hours between rounds two and three to make improvements based on Q&A feedback, the top three teams made their best case in the third round. In the end, the School of Management student team’s presentation won the day and took home the first place award.

Congratulations again to our outstanding students – Todd Ackerman, Alex Benda, George Joubran, and Logan McGrady!

UM-Flint Opens New Transfer Advising Office at MCC

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The University of Michigan-Flint will have a new presence at the Mott Community College (MCC) University Center (located in the Mott Memorial Building), where MCC students can get in-person information and advice about UM-Flint.

UM-Flint will staff the new space Monday through Friday during normal business hours. On occasion, special events may extend past normal hours. Staff from UM-Flint’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions and School of Management will handle the operations of the new office.

Mott students who seek to transfer to UM-Flint upon completion of their associate degree can receive advising service. Advising will also be provided to students in the newly established Mott2UM-Flint Concurrent Enrollment program.

The presence of UM-Flint admissions advisers at MCC University Center facilitates a much smoother transfer process for Mott students who wish to transfer to the University of Michigan-Flint. It enables these students to seek quality advising about UM-Flint academic programs and their degree requirements.

“We are extremely grateful to President Dick Shaink and Vice President Amy Fugate for their support, particularly in allowing UM-Flint to have a presence at the University Center where Mott students will have more convenient access to UM-Flint staff,” said Vahid Lotfi, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Programs.

SOM’s Young Entrepreneurs

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Two young entrepreneurs from the School of Management launched a successful website, mylifesecret, which already have postings from 10 different countries, and more than 900,000 page views since May 2012. Philip Pirkovic graduated with a dual degree in business management and economics. His brother, Saso, will graduate from the School of Management at the end of this year. A fellow School of Management marketing graduate, Taylor Hinds, designed the branding and graphics. The website provides a safe outlet for individuals to express themselves and seek out help when they have nowhere else to turn. The rates of cyber bullying, depression and suicide are skyrocketing among the young individuals. The two brothers found this unacceptable and wanted to make a difference. They are donating 20% of proceeds from their shirt sales to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In the coming year, they plan to start the My Secret Life Foundation to combat bullying, suicide and depression alongside a mobile application.

Philip and Saso feel very strongly about the revitalization of the struggling economy in Flint, and they want their ventures to reflect this sentiment. The School’s Associate Dean, Dr. Yener Kandogan, says “It is this kind of entrepreneurial activity that provides the best hope for the region’s economy.” The brothers are looking at office spaces in the up and coming downtown corridor of Saginaw Street in Flint. All promotional printing is also done in the Flint area.

Michelle Tolin, BBA Alumn, Receives Scholarship Award

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Michelle Tolin, a BBA alumn was presented with the Detroit Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors Scholarship Award. Qualified candidates submitted a three-page essay on the following topic: Discuss the benefits of using social media in the internal audit process and provide specific examples.

Michelle is the first student from U-M Flint to submit an essay. Michelle received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Accounting and a GPA of 3.81. She is the national reporter for Beta Alpha Psi and will be the incoming Treasurer. She is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. She also volunteered with VITA and various food banks.

SOM MBA Team Captures First Round Victory

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On Saturday, January 28, 2012, three teams of MBA students faced-off against each other by presenting their analyses of a merger and acquisition case to an expert panel of M&A professionals during first round of the ACG Cup competition.

In what was called, “the best and closest competition in its three year history at UM-Flint” by lead judge Michael D. Malaga the team consisting of Xiaoyi Chen, Jaylen Etefia, Damir Galic, and Masih Siddiqui pulled out a narrow victory over their competitors.

“It was quite suspenseful,” noted professor Dale Tuttle, “as the panel of judges deliberated for nearly an hour before returning” to one of the new case rooms in the Riverfront Center where this year’s competition was held. “All the teams did a great job with both analyses and presentations. Knowing everyone had put so much effort into the process, it was a bitter-sweet moment when the winners were announced.”

Along with the satisfaction of winning, Xiaoyi, Jaylen, Damir and Masih will share a $1000 scholarship and go on to represent UM-Flint’s School of Management on February 11 during the regional ACG Cup Championship to be held at Wayne State in Detroit. Our students will be competing against teams of MBAs from UM’s Ross School, MSU’s Broad School and others as they vie for the $5000 first prize scholarship.

Tuttle noted that this year’s competition was part of a two-pronged approach to qualifying the MGT 589 Strategic Management MBA capstone course as a civically engaged course. “Aside from providing students with a very realistic case study judged by highly experienced professionals, each team was provided with three hours of mentoring over a two-week period by a member of a M&A professionals group. This kind of exposure is invaluable in preparing our students for successful careers post graduation.” In addition to the ACG Cup, MGT 589 students will taking part in a Community One project, analyzing the competitive positioning of a local business, meeting with its owner, and presenting their findings and recommendations at the end of the semester.

“It’s an exciting outcome to see a diverse team of MBA students representing China, Croatia, India, and the U.S.A. coming together to achieve success.”