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Summer Business Program – 4 weeks to pave the way for the next 40 years of your life

We had a great turn out at Monday night’s Summer Business Program Info Session, but if you missed it here’s what you should know.

What you can expect to gain from SBP – Our Mission:

•       Leadership development and team building – skills you NEED on your resume

•       Moral values and ethical business practices – how Holy Cross students stand out

•       Functional and personal business skills –  your foot in the door to Wall Street and finance

•       Starting and managing a business – business plans, marketing, & growing your business

•       Team project  – practically applying what you are learning during the program

•       Visit to local business – seeing business in action in central, MA

Program Logistics:

•       Open to approximately 30 students

•       Housing in either Alumni or Carlin residence halls

•       Taught by alumni and some faculty – real world teachers who work in the business everyday

•       Daily interactive classes in the new science building, 9-12, 1-4 PM

•       Weekends free

•       Work on team project outside of class – your teams will meet in your free time

Team Project break down:

•       6 teams @ 5 per team – less or more depending on our applicant pool

•       1 executive mentor per team – a business executive to guide your project

•       Team Exec decides project/role of team – working to real expectations and deadlines set by Exec

•       1 meeting per week with your Team Executive (face-to-face or phone)

•       Dry run June 23

•       Team presentations June 24 – CASH PRIZE to winners

The Benefits of participating in SBP:

•       Comprehensive business education – a business background with your Liberal Arts degree

•       Skill sets: leadership, team, presentation

•       Networking – meet successful HC alum throughout the business world

•       Differentiation – stand out from your peers at HC with this on your resume

What’s this going to cost you:

•       $1,600—room and course materials

•       $1,400—commuter discount

•       Scholarships available

•       We DO NOT provide meals —Cool Beans, Crossroads, off-campus eateries, supermarkets

•       Cars allowed on campus – summer permits provided

How to apply:

•       Deadline: Friday, April 15, 11:59 p.m.

•       Online application, attach cover letter, resume, transcript

•       One recommendation letter

•       Interview

Let us know if you have any questions.  The Summer Business Program is a chance for you to stand-out in your interviews and prepare yourself for a fulfilling career in business.

We’ll see you there!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor
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ELW Winners!

Congratulations to the members of Team 4!

This winning team presented a business plan for a company they named “PoolA Palooza.”

This service would allow inground pool owners to utilize the area of their pool during the fall, winter and spring months by installing a safe and effective covering system.  Their cheery slogan “Take back your backyard” concluded a very professional presentation.

Our panel of distinguished alum declared them the winners, with a 3-way tie for second place.  They announced that all of the teams presented very innovative, creative, and organized proposals.

The week wrapped up nicely with a closing banquet, where students could relax and interact with our panel of mock “venture capitalists,” and murmurs of applying to the Summer Business Program passed throughout the room.

The only questions left is: How do you want to return from your Spring Break next year – Sunburnt or Successful?

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor
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From inside the Executive Leadership Workshop

40 students are dressed in business attire, they’ve already sat through an hour and a half of valuation presentations, they are neck deep in the financial data for Kayak and Google — and it’s only 10 a.m. on day 2!

Over the course of the week, these adventurous students (who have opted out of the typical Spring Break vacation) will get an intensive view of how to build, grow, and sustain a company.

Their teachers are Holy Cross alum that coming back to campus to share their stories and introduce important business techniques that will help these students be more prepared for jobs in the business world.

The schedule looks something like this:

Monday: Starting A Company

Tuesday: Valuing and Growing a Company

Wednesday: Business Market Game

Thursday: Managing the Momentum of a Global Enterprise

Friday:  …. is a little different.

On Sunday night, the students were broken into teams and given the task of (over the course of only this week) creating a business geared towards the 30-45 year old demographic.  Each team is responsible for coming up with a new idea, creating a business plan and presenting their business to an executive panel that will pick a winning team at the end of the week.

Friday morning, all 8 teams, will present their plans in hopes of being the victor!

We’ll update you on Friday afternoon with the results!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor
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Where Business and Service Meet

For all of the soul-searching, job-seeking seniors.

I have found that, upon graduation from a liberal arts institution, students are left with two common goals: “I want to make a difference in the world” and “I want to make a lot of money.”  This is bound to happen because in any notable liberal arts curriculum, students are conditioned to be both socially responsible and professionally successful.  More often than not, graduates are left choosing between taking that steady analyst position at a large corporate firm and teaching English in an impoverished South African village (believe me, I’ve been there. Choosing to go to graduate school to postpone making a decision may not have been my most enlightened solution).  These options might seem like completely opposite ends of the employment spectrum.  The truth is, though, that being successful professionally (in terms of both job title and salary) and making a global difference are NOT mutually exclusive.

Jobs serving the betterment of the community are not limited to government and non-profit organizations.  Despite common misconceptions, careers in business have just as much to offer the global community.  If a “higher moral calling” exists in the public (government) and social (non-profit) sectors, it exists in the business sector as well.   The truth is that “You can make a vital contribution in any of these three sectors, because all three are needed for a society to function well.  (If just one sector is weak or absent, the result is usually a failed state.  Think of the former communist states that tried doing away with private business, or the chaotic warlord states without effective government.)”  And while many are put off by the “corruption of corporate business,” keep in mind that there are dozens of examples of both virtue and vice in each sector.  No one sector monopolizes either corruption or morality. It is important to remember that goodness lies within the individual and in the moral decisions those individuals make regarding their work, not in any particular industry.

I recently read the book Half the Sky, which promotes the humanitarian organization by the same name.  The Half the Sky Organization is a non-profit that works to fight global poverty by unlocking women’s power as economic catalysts — transforming teenage girls from brothel slaves into successful businesswomen.  This non-profit organization is using entrepreneurial and business practices to fight extremism and poverty around the globe.  Yes, Half the Sky is a non-profit organization, but it is bolstering the business sector and suggesting (quite convincingly) that entrepreneurial endeavors, combined with education, are the most effective way to combat poverty.

The fact of the matter is that business strengthens a community.  It creates jobs, which in turn allows for the economic growth and security of individuals, their families, and by extension their entire community.  By entering the business sector and engaging in socially responsible business practices, you are making an irrefutable social contribution.

When it comes time to make a decision about your career path, I’m not suggesting that the business sector is the only place to look; however, I do ask that you not overlook it either.  Armed with your Liberal Arts degree, you have the tools to succeed in any job you choose and, with that ability, to better your life and the lives of those around you.  No matter what sector you find yourself in, you can make a difference in the world and be professionally successful at the same time.

Until next time!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor

Excerpts from “Where Goodness Lies: An Open Letter to College Students” by Judith Cone, Vice President, Emerging Strategies, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
All information about Half the Sky Organization is property of Halfthesky.org
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Semester in a Glance

Here’s a peak at our upcoming events.  Mark your calendars!

Insurance 101

Career Workshop Series

February 21, Monday

Gordie Lockbaum ’88, Vice President, The Sullivan Group

Gordie Lockbaum ’88, a Vice President at The Sullivan Group, will give a comprehensive overview of the many aspects of the world of insurance and discuss the varied career opportunities available within the field.  He’ll provide insight into the ins and outs of what the insurance industry really entails.

What’s better than learning about insurance and meeting a Crusader football legend?

What Is An Entrepreneur?

Career Workshop Series

March 16, Wednesday

Frank Hoy, Director, Collaborative for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Frank Hoy, a Prof. at WPI, is an internationally known authority on entrepreneurship. Hoy spent five years as chair of the Central European Small Business Enterprise Development Commission. His research and educational activities have been funded by more than $15 million in awards and contracts from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Education, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Mott and Kauffman foundations, among other agencies and organizations. He is past chair of the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management and former senior vice president of the International Council of Small Businesses. (Excerpt from http://www.wpi.edu/news/20090/beswick.html)

This is bound to be an eye-opening look at entrepreneurship from a world-renowned speaker.  If you’ve ever been curious about what it means to be (or is like to be) an entrepreneur, don’t miss this workshop!

Summer Business Program Information Session

March 21, Monday

Come learn about the best way to spend your summer.  SBP is a unique opportunity to work with alumni and learn what it is really like to work in the business world!

Business Opportunities in Science

Career Workshop Series

March 22, Tuesday

Gail Evangeline Radcliffe ’78, President, Radcliffe Consulting

Gail Radcliffe assists biotech, medical device and diagnostic companies with technical, marketing, regulatory and business development issues. Her expertise allows her to aid companies in developing successful business strategies and obtaining funding.

If you are interested in careers that combine business and science then this is the workshop you’ve been waiting for! Learn how your science degree can pave the way for business careers.

Dinner Speaker Series

April 5, Tuesday

Sheila Cavanaugh ‘81, Senior Vice President, Fidelity Investments

Registration necessary: Contact the pre-business office

Ask anyone who has heard Sheila speak at the Women in Business conference, you do not want to miss this dinner!  Sheila is an unbelievable speaker, whose professional life and dedication to Holy Cross captivates and motivates her audience.  Anyone and everyone should attend, but space is limited so RSVP!

Hope to see you there!!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor