Entrepreneurs in Action

The world’s second annual Global Entrepreneurship Week was celebrated November 16-22, 2009 with over 25,000 events in 88 countries.  Across North, South and Central America, Europe, Asia, and even sub-Saharan Africa, millions of young people came together to create new and better ideas and processes.

At Northwood, the Michigan campus was pleased to host The Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour (EET) on Thursday, November 19 in the Sloan Family Building for Aftermarket Studies during Global Entrepreneurship week.  This event was sponsored by the Alden B. Dow Center for Creativity and Enterprise (ABDCCE) and the Entrepreneurship department of Northwood University.  Described as a "can't miss" event for future entrepreneurs, the EET is a nationwide tour which has visited over 100 university/college campuses.  The CEO and Co-founder of the tour, Michael Simmons, led the four-hour event which included keynote speakers Anthony Adams, founder of one of the top 25 blogs of 2009 (Time Magazine) and Joe Pascaretta, a Michigan native who started his first company at age 11 and continues to grow his companies today under the Alps brand name.  The event was interactive with workshops, networking and a panel discussion.  The panel included Northwood University Entrepreneurship program graduates and budding young entrepreneurs Chris Moultrup and Warren Cooper as well as DeVos Graduate School alumna Caryn Shick who has started multiple new ventures in the mid-Michigan area.

An estimated 130 people ranging from high school seniors to the over-70 crowd were in attendance.  A great mix of Northwood students and faculty, college students from other campuses, high school students, area business owners and other community members all interested in controlling their own destiny participated in the hands-on learning experience.  Since this event took place just after fall term finals, we were pleased with the interest and support shown by the community.  Enhanced by the atmosphere in the Sloan Family Building and the wonderful food, lively discussion and networking occurred well after the conclusion of the main event which was sponsored by the DeVos Graduate School of Management.  Thanks to all who made this successful.

There is interest and action taking place regarding a revitalization of the Entrepreneurship Society on the Michigan campus.  This organization consists primarily of Entrepreneurship majors and will focus on hosting events, activities and speakers on the campus, promoting entrepreneurial activities.  With all that’s happening in our local, state, national and global economies, the entrepreneurial leaders coming out of Northwood are more important than ever to a strong global free-market society.  Assistant Professor Jim Hop joined the Michigan campus Entrepreneurship program just this past fall and is already making his mark.

As the Entrepreneurship programs grow on all three residential campuses, the ABDCCE under the leadership of Georgia Abbott is focusing more attention on supporting faculty and students who are entrepreneurial, creative and innovative.  New curriculum modules on creative thinking and the development of the “the creative skill set” have already been rolled out to many students on campus. Additionally, the ABDCCE has installed a new board of advisors - experts in the fields of product development, commercialization, market development, market research and entrepreneurship.  This energized board has created theories that are now being investigated as to the best market niche for Northwood in regard to entrepreneurial study and support. 

The Entrepreneurship program on the Cedar Hill, Texas campus, headed by Assistant Professor Ron Sekerak, started in fall 2003. Our program graduates work in a broad range of businesses from banking to construction. One ’07 graduate (the first Texas Entrepreneurship class) bought an El Pollo Regio (Mexican roast chicken) franchise and is successfully running it today. An ‘08 graduate, based on her 3-5 year internship with Chick-Fil-A, is on track to owning her own franchise.

Assistant Professor Sekerak asked his students why they wanted to become entrepreneurs. Their answers are inspiring:

• I want to develop people.
• I have a strong sense of individuality and seek flexibility.
• To be in charge of my own future.
• Live the American Dream.
• Turn my passions into practice.
• Do something for this earth.
• My dad came from a very poor family in Mexico. He started a flooring business that provided money for our family. He inspired me.

Speakers are often invited to the Cedar Hill Campus for in-class sessions, or students attend site visits. Successful local business owners in the fields of software, restaurant, sports entertainment, manufacturing, land speculator/infrastructure developer, banking, and public relations share their expertise and the benefits of their experience with our students. Site visits have included a packaging/shipping family business and real estate financing operation. Last semester the Texas campus students toured a local building under construction to discuss the decision process preceding new construction and how the building will be marketed.

The Florida campus is actively growing its Entrepreneurship program, now in its second year of existence. The business climate in Florida currently has difficulty attracting investment capital. Florida campus Entrepreneurship students, under the direction of Associate Professor Alexander Watts, are seeking solutions to this problem by working to create the Palm Beach International Financial District. In addition, Florida will host the 3rd Annual Global Capital Markets Forum, with the intent of helping create more investment capital in the county and attracting financial entrepreneurs to south Florida.  Associate Professor Watts and his students are also developing a conference to help entrepreneurs deal with the current economic environment. The program is slated for this spring and will focus on renewing business models.

Northwood Entrepreneurship students don’t always wait for graduation to begin their ventures. James Glancy, a senior from Cleveland, Ohio, just started a business providing South Florida college students with promotional discounts. He is experiencing business first hand by “doing” business, not by just studying business.

Those of us who work at Northwood University, whether as faculty or staff, are very familiar with the exceptional quality of our students and their “can do” attitude. Assistant Professor Sekerak recently received a letter from one of his students outlining why he chose our Entrepreneurship program. What follows is an abbreviated version of this letter. We think you will find Sedric Simon, a Marine and Iraq War veteran, could serve as a poster child for today’s young entrepreneur. 

My name is Sedric L. Simon and I am an Entrepreneur major at Northwood University. My first entrepreneur experience occurred around the age of 14. I used my grandfather’s lawn equipment to cut the lawns of people in my neighborhood. By the age of 14 I had about five stable customers and I was bringing in about $230 a month. With this money I was able to pay for field trips and other things that I enjoyed. I also paid my grandfather for the fuel that I used as well as a little extra for the wear and tear of his equipment.

My second experience occurred during my sophomore year of high school. I purchased a large bag of lollipops from a local drug store. The next day I took the bag to school and when I pulled one out to eat, a girl yelled “If you have another one I will buy it from you.”  That was when it all started and soon I was selling a couple bags a week. I knew that I had to add some variety and begin to add other items to the mix. Soon I was seeing a 100% profit which made me want to work even harder. This venture continued on over into my junior year where I was selling over $500 worth of candy a week, which left me with a $250 profit. I was at my capacity with selling and was forced into hiring other students to sell candy for me. My senior year brought about many competitors but my reputation for customer service and wide variety of candy and snacks kept me well ahead of the competition. From this point on I knew that I wanted to start my own business.

After my senior year, I joined the military to serve in the Marines. While in the Marines I received many awards and three meritorious promotions which were the ingredients for a very promising career. Though I was very good at my job it was not what I loved. In my heart I knew there was an entrepreneur waiting to come out. When the date came for me to extend my military contract it was clear to both my peers and superiors that I had to leave. Although what I wanted to do did not necessarily require going back to school, I knew school would help me become more focused and avoid some of the pitfalls so many young entrepreneurs face.

Northwood University was the first school that I visited and that was all it took. I was sold and I knew that this was the place I wanted to start my college career. (Northwood) offered an entrepreneur program which I felt screamed my name. After only one semester I knew that I had made the right decision and was on track to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Sedric is an excellent example of the big-thinking, big-doing group of people called entrepreneurs. They are true innovators, possessing great imagination and creativity.

Have a great weekend.

Keith A. Pretty, J.D.
President and CEO
Northwood University
4000 Whiting Drive
Midland, MI 48640
989.837.4203 (phone)
989.832.9590 (fax)

pretty@northwood.edu