Tag: Entrepreneurship

ENT Buzz | Roxie Collier

kathy_carrENT Buzz

Roxie Collier, Administrative Associate Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise

 

WHO IS ROXIE COLLIER?

My husband, Tim and I recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We have three children and one fur baby, Athena Marie.


WHAT DO YOU DO AT BAYLOR?

This year marks ten years at Baylor. Initially I was hired part-time, but later accepted a full-time position. As an Administrative Associate in the Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise, I assist both the director and the associate director of the Baugh Center. I also work with students with the internship and scholarship programs.


WHAT’S SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT WORKING IN THE ENT DEPARTMENT?

There is always something going on in the Entrepreneurship department! You learn to expect the unexpected, like an impromptu cartwheel contest in the hallway of the Baugh Center.  


WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BAYLOR TRADITION?

I love singing That Good Old Baylor Line. I remember singing it as a little girl at football games with my daddy and uncle. Then to come full circle and sing it at our daughter’s Baylor graduation, that’s something special.


WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW ENT MAJOR?

Listen to your professors and absorb all you can. But make sure to have a good time and make a ton of good memories while you’re here too.

For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.

 

ENT Buzz | David Scheaf

kathy_carrBaylor ENT Professor

David Scheaf, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship

 

WHO IS DAVID SCHEAF?

I called Columbus, Ohio home until I left for North Carolina to attend college at Queens University of Charlotte. I met my wife, Courtney, at Queens University of Charlotte and we dated for 6 years before getting married during my final year of graduate school. I attended UNC Charlotte for graduate school where I received my M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Ph.D. in Organizational Science with an emphasis on Entrepreneurship. After I received my Ph.D., Courtney and I moved to Waco where I started my first Assistant Professorship at Baylor University. Courtney and I recently welcomed our son—James—to our family. Our little family couldn’t be happier living in Waco and being part of the Baylor community.


WHAT DO YOU DO AT BAYLOR?

I just wrapped up my second year as an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship. I actually wear two hats as an Assistant Professor — researcher and teacher. To be completely honest, I love both! Being in the classroom was my primary motivation for choosing a career in academia. I am passionate about challenging students to think critically and I love watching them get to those personal ah-ha moments.


WHAT’S SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT WORKING IN THE ENT DEPARTMENT?

The Entrepreneurship Department has so many hands-on opportunities for students, opportunities to gain real-world experience outside of the classroom. The 1846 Student Incubator, for example, gives students extraordinary support for their entrepreneurial endeavors. Baylor Angel Network is also a great opportunity for students as they evaluate start-up companies, which can ultimately help them get jobs in Banking and Finance.  


WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BAYLOR TRADITION?

Is it even possible to pick just one favorite Baylor tradition? There are so many. I can’t pick just one, but my top three traditions would be Christmas on 5th, the Baylor Homecoming parade and Pigskin Revue.


WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW ENT MAJOR?

New Entrepreneurship majors should be ready to learn how to think rather than what to think. This will make their experiences in the classroom even more worthwhile.

For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.

 

Robert Torres, 2020 Drayton McLane Jr. Hankamer School of Business Scholarship Recipient

kathy_carrMcLane HSB Scholarship

 

“We need to welcome failure as a chance to improve in the future!“

-Robert Torres

Like a lot of Baylor students, Robert Torres chose Baylor as his university of choice because he felt a connection to Baylor. There was just something about the people and the faith-based mission that drew Robert to the University. He says, “Baylor just felt like home to me.”

Robert is from Grand Prairie, just about 100 miles north of Waco. So, he had a familiarity with Waco and Baylor. He grew up in a multicultural American and Mexican home, and regularly attended what he refers to as a “charismatic church,” which he credits as an instrumental part of  his childhood.

Robert’s first brush with owning a business came with  a snow cone stand he ran out of his parents’  house. It was a great way to be the boss and earn a little extra cash at the same time. But Robert soon found out that there’s so much more to entrepreneurship than being a boss and making money. By middle school, Robert felt that God was calling him to open his own business with a company that would “transform the community.”

In order to be best prepared to operate a business, Robert chose to study Entrepreneurship at Baylor. He feels the practical application of the in-class, book knowledge is crucial to an understanding of entrepreneurship. He explains that it’s so easy to get bogged down with the potential of failure, but he stresses, “We need to welcome failure as a chance to improve in the future!”

Robert’s determination and tenacity hasn’t gone unnoticed. He was the recipient of the 2020 Drayton McLane Jr. Hankamer School of Business Scholarship, awarded to undergraduate Entrepreneurship majors based on need and merit.

While Robert hasn’t decided on his exact entrepreneurial path just yet, he is looking at his time at Baylor as a way to prepare for his future. For right now, his post-Baylor plans include gaining industry experience in finance and to later build on those practical, hands-on skills to one day owning a business that will make a positive impact on the world.

Keep up the good work, Robert. Leave your mark on the world and make it a better place in green and gold style. Sic ‘em!

For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.

 

ENT Buzz | Linda Ramirez

kathy_carrENT Buzz

Linda Ramirez, Program Coordinator Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise

 

WHO IS LINDA RAMIREZ?

I grew up in Waco, but I’ve lived all over Texas in Dallas, San Antonio and Abilene. I ultimately returned to Waco to raise my children. I am a mother to three wonderful daughters and grandmother to three boys and one girl. Along the way, I graduated from Baylor with a BBA in management. Early in my career I founded a multi-management business. After I eventually sold the business, I continued to work with entrepreneurs through the Small Business Development Center Programs at McLennan Community College and the University of Texas at San Antonio. I soon realized that I loved working with business owners and students as much as I loved owning my own business.


WHAT DO YOU DO AT BAYLOR?

I’ve been at Baylor since 2013. As a Program Coordinator in the John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise, I am primarily responsible for the Texas Family Business of the Year Awards Program. I also assist with Oso Launch, a program that works with Baylor freshmen who are interested in starting their own business. I love working with student entrepreneurs!


WHAT’S SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT WORKING IN THE ENT DEPARTMENT?

Interesting nugget some may not be aware of is that the reach of the Entrepreneurship department extends far beyond campus. We also work very closely with the Waco small-business community. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Start-up Waco, Hustle Co-Working space and quite a few local entrepreneurs. It’s something special to watch the Entrepreneurship faculty, staff and students work together with the community.


WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BAYLOR TRADITION?

I love Baylor Homecoming! By the time Homecoming hits the calendar, the mornings can be chilly and it’s absolutely perfect to grab a coffee or hot chocolate and watch the Baylor Homecoming Parade. The floats, the bands and the bears all bring back such good memories. 


WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW ENT MAJOR?

Dig in! There are so many ways to get involved — Oso Launch, the New Venture Competition, McLane Scholars Reading Program and the Confessions of an Entrepreneur speaker series — each with an opportunity to connect with alumni, community entrepreneurs, student entrepreneurs as well as the Entrepreneurship department faculty and staff.

For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.

 

Baylor Entrepreneurship Walks Side By Side with Local, Small Businesses

kathy_carrCommunity Entrepreneurship Program

 

At the stroke of midnight, the ball dropped and 2020 was ushered in with promises of a fresh start and a new beginning. After all, 2020 is a once-a-century year when the first two digits of the year match the second two digits. This is something folks will only see once in a lifetime. That alone makes 2020 a year to remember.

And then there was COVID-19…

COVID-19 came in like a wrecking ball. Schools, businesses and churches all felt the sucker punch. Baylor University was no exception. Classes went online, dorms emptied, events were cancelled and engagement programs were put on an indefinite pause. 

The Community Entrepreneurship Program (CEP), managed by the Baylor Entrepreneurship department, is one such program that felt the impact of COVID-19. CEP is a faith-based community entrepreneurship training program developed by Baylor University, hosted by local churches and facilitated by successful executives and entrepreneurs.

Participants in CEP are local, small business owners who simply want to grow their business. The program provides peer-to-peer networking and valuable mentorship, along with training and coaching. CEP utilizes Baylor Entrepreneurship faculty, staff, students, alumni and donors in delivering this best-in-class Baylor content in a non-threatening, caring environment that welcomes small business owners from all backgrounds. 

Denitia Blount of locally owned and operated Oh My Juice is both a Baylor grad and a small-business owner who volunteers as a facilitator for the program. Blount spoke at a Confessions of an Entrepreneur event on campus in 2019 and she explained, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” 

CEP helps small-business owners recognize what they don’t know in bi-weekly meetings, by providing support and one-on-one counseling in areas of accounting, finance and strategy. In March 2020 as COVID-19 hit, CEP was halfway through its Spring 2020 session (with record attendance and a diverse group of small businesses represented). The program was forced to go on an indefinite hiatus with respect to the regular meeting schedule. 

Dr. Peter Klein, Entrepreneurship Department Chair, co wrote a recent article for the LSU Business Review with the sentiment that uncertain circumstances can give businesses an opportunity to improve. The article states that in the end it’s businesses, and not policymakers, that should decide how to best weather COVID-19. 

The Entrepreneurship department, recognizing a strong need to pivot CEP to meet the needs of the small businesses facing life or death business scenarios, reconfigured the program to deliver real time, relevant strategy and information that played a major role in being able to keep a majority of these businesses in operation even through a shutdown. 

Michael Wyatt of Wyatt Brothers Moving was a participant in the spring CEP class. He explained that while the goals for the business didn’t change with COVID-19, they were definitely adjusted. The company has implemented a more go with the flow outlook and adjusted goal timelines to account for some of the unforeseen circumstances.

Shaun Limbers, Associate Director for the Baugh Center, oversees CEP and personally feels it’s a privilege to serve the local, small businesses especially during this very difficult time. He says, “We truly believe Entrepreneurship can be transformative with an ability to positively impact our community both locally and worldwide.”  He continues, “CEP is uniquely positioned to execute that vision on a local level.” 

In the coming weeks, the Baylor Entrepreneurship department will wrap up the spring CEP class. CEP may look a little different going forward, but one thing that is for certain is Baylor Entrepreneurship will continue to walk side by side with local, small businesses.

For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.

ENT Buzz | Les Palich

kathy_carrBaylor ENT Professor

Les Palich, Professor of Entrepreneurship

 

WHO IS LES PALICH?

I didn’t grow up in Texas or go to Baylor, but I got here as fast as I could. My wife, Dianna, and I both grew up in the Phoenix area, and I completed my undergraduate studies at a small Christian college in Manhattan, Kansas. A few years later I went back to school to earn an MBA and eventually a PhD at Arizona State University. My next stop was Baylor. We felt a strong sense of calling in coming to Baylor and Waco. This is definitely where we belong.


WHAT DO YOU DO AT BAYLOR?

I taught my first class at Baylor in the summer of 1991. It’s one of the courses I still teach today: Strategic Management, the capstone course for all business majors. Since then I have gone on to develop and/or teach other courses for both MBA and undergraduate students, most with an international business focus. Some of my most memorable experiences have come from leading study abroad trips for Baylor students. I’ve led more than 30 groups to Europe and Latin America, and the experience of introducing our students to the places we visit is indescribable!


WHAT’S SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT WORKING IN THE ENT DEPARTMENT?

My colleagues at Baylor are among my closest friends. You would be hard pressed to find a group of faculty and staff who function as well together as we do. In the Entrepreneurship Department we tend to lean toward entrepreneurial thinking, innovative thinking. It’s important that we model creative opportunity development for our Entrepreneurship students, and I really think we hit that mark. Perhaps that explains, in part, why our program is so highly ranked. 


WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BAYLOR TRADITION?

My favorite tradition at Baylor is Diadeloso, and not because we all get the day off! Central Texas weather in April is fantastic. Combine that with the casualness of the interactions between faculty and students and you have the makings for a wonderful and unique experience. All of the fun activities of the day are icing on the cake.


WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW ENT MAJOR?

Keep an open mind about where you see yourself going. Don’t let uncertainty keep you from giving it your all and just going for it. The skills and insights you take away from the experiences are key to your success whether you continue with an entrepreneurial path or not.

For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.

 

ENT Buzz | Shaun Limbers

kathy_carrENT Buzz

Shaun Limbers, Associate Director Baugh Center Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise

 

WHO IS SHAUN LIMBERS?

My beautiful wife, Kristin, and I have four boys (yes, four boys). Right out of college I worked as a special assistant to a United States Senator. After his retirement, I transitioned into the investment space (primarily private equity, real estate) where I ultimately started my own company and investing in operating portfolio companies.


WHAT DO YOU DO AT BAYLOR?

I joined Baylor Entrepreneurship in 2019. In my role as Associate Director of the Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise I have the privilege of helping oversee numerous programs that allow me to tap into my background and passion for business and entrepreneurship.


WHAT’S SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT WORKING IN THE ENT DEPARTMENT?

Every day I am in awe of the caliber and commitment of Baylor Entrepreneurship students, particularly their commitment to the entrepreneurial spirit at such an early stage in life. Imagine owning and operating a business your freshman year in college. Or starting a business the day after graduation. Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders – and I think the future is bright.


WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BAYLOR TRADITION?

There are so many! To single out just one, Christmas on 5th would have to be my pick. It’s such a wonderful time that truly represents the spirit of Baylor. Students, faculty and staff gather together to kick off the holiday season as one community, as one family… the Baylor family.


WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW ENT MAJOR?

Find a way to differentiate yourself from your peers. Don’t underestimate how contributions to the human spirit can give you an edge in business. Some of the most incredible people I’ve worked with stood out because they were brilliant minds who also took the time to be nice people – even with hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars on the line.

For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.

 

ENT Buzz | Bradley Norris

kathy_carrBaylor ENT Professor

Bradley Norris, Director Technology Entrepreneurship

 

WHO IS BRADLEY NORRIS?

I earned my undergrad in computer science and math from Indiana University Bloomington and my Master of Science in management at Purdue University Krannert. My wife, Laura, and I have three wonderful kiddos. I have been on staff at Baylor for fifteen years now, and have loved every minute of it.


WHAT DO YOU DO AT BAYLOR?

I am the Director of Technology Entrepreneurship and I serve on Baylor’s new Lab-To-Market team, a partnership between the Vice Provost for Research and Hankamer School of Business. This fall I will start a new journey also serving as the Faculty-in-Residence at Brooks Flats, home to the Business & Innovation LLC. My wife, youngest child and I will move into the dorm in August. To have the opportunity to live on campus and mingle with students outside of the classroom is so exciting.


WHAT’S SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT WORKING IN THE ENT DEPARTMENT?

I’ve had the privilege to work on real-world class projects including local Waco companies like Bankstons and Butter My Biscuit to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Flight Research Center to a billion-dollar pharmaceutical startup.


WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BAYLOR TRADITION?

Baylor Homecoming is amazing! I especially like the parade. The floats that the students work so hard to make are incredible.


WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW ENT MAJOR?

Always make time to check out guest speakers. Baylor, the business school and the Entrepreneurship department all bring in an incredible roster of speakers who come to campus for you. Be there to learn, to appreciate and to meet!

For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.

 

Bradley Heidebrecht, Long Run Solutions, Inc.

kathy_carr1846 Incubator

 

“Patience and perseverance are the key towards results.“

-Bradley Heidebrecht

Imagine walking to the bike rack and your bike is gone. Now, imagine looking at this inconvenient and frustrating event as life changing. Is it really possible for something so annoying and relatively small to actually be considered life altering? According to Baylor student Bradley Heidebrecht, it is possible. Yes, something so small can definitely make a big impact. Yes, a million times!

Originally from Southlake, Texas, Bradley moved to Waco to attend Baylor in Fall 2019. Bradley’s parents both studied business and he followed in their footsteps and enrolled as a pre-business major. While neither parent studied entrepreneurship, they encouraged Bradley to follow his passions and pursue entrepreneurship throughout his college experience. 

Adjusting to freshman life on campus had its ups and downs, but Bradley immersed himself in all of the freshman traditions that Baylor has to offer. Meeting new friends, football games and hanging out at Common Grounds made the transition a little bit easier. Bradley also made a point to plug in with Oso Launch and the 1846 Incubator. Oso Launch and the 1846 Incubator are programs designed to foster an environment of teaching and learning for students who own, operate or are launching their own businesses.

When Bradley’s bike was stolen early in the fall semester, it was kind of an eye-opening, ah-ha moment. He questioned why there weren’t better security systems in place. He did everything right. He secured the bike on a rack with a u-lock, but someone was still able to easily saw through the lock and steal the bike. To Bradley, this was actually a blessing in disguise. 

Bradley started researching and found that smart bike racks were nearly non-existent. Ah-ha! What a cool opportunity to create a solution to a real and very personal problem. Bradley made good use of the 1846 Incubator white board. He says, “Without that white board, I wouldn’t be where I am today with my company.” He also connected with Shaun Limbers, Assistant Director of the Baugh Center and advisor for Oso Launch. With Shaun’s mentoring and open-door policy, Bradley felt confident to continue down an entrepreneurial path.

And ah-ha! The blessing in disguise…  Long Run Solutions, Inc., a smart bike rack company with a mission to integrate secure infrastructure solutions for micro-mobility devices while protecting the safety of riders. According to Bradley, Long Run Solutions, Inc. “replaces the typical bike rack with a smart bike rack that has a built-in locking mechanism and alarm sensor.” 

The overall vision of Long Run Solutions, Inc. is to place the product on college campuses nationwide, in front of apartments and outside urban businesses. There have been a few challenges with developing the company quickly enough and securing adequate funding. With such a high-tech product, sampling is extremely important but is also very expensive. COVID-19 also tossed in a couple of challenges. Meetings just weren’t the same without the infamous 1846 Incubator white board. However, software development wasn’t directly affected. Currently, Long Run Solutions, Inc. is developing a website, an app with Apple Wallet features and a software application.

With all of the economic uncertainties involving COVID-19, there are concerns with the official company launch in the Spring of 2021. But Bradley continues to be optimistic. He says, “Patience and perseverance are the key towards results.” 

Sic’ Em, Bradley!

For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.

 

ENT Buzz | Gib Reynolds

kathy_carr1846 Incubator

Gib Reynolds, Director 1846 Incubator Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation

 

WHO IS GIB REYNOLDS?

Is it possible to bleed green and gold? As an undergrad I studied Entrepreneurship at Baylor and then received an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the Acton School of Business. I married a fellow Baylor grad this past December and we just bought our first home in Waco. I’ve worn a lot of hats in my career, from lettuce farmer to crepe food truck owner. Currently, I’m in the high-end collegiate apparel business. In my free time, I enjoy doing anything active with the potential for unintentional broken bones or bruises –  Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, cycling, hiking…


WHAT DO YOU DO AT BAYLOR?

I’ve worked for Baylor in a variety of roles for more than seven years, from an Adjunct and teaching the Accelerated Ventures program to serving as the Director of the New Venture Competition. I am currently the Director of the 1846 Student Incubator. In this role, I coach students of all majors who want to launch their own businesses. Deep down, I’m both an entrepreneur and an educator who is passionate about empowering students to start their own companies.


WHAT’S SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT WORKING IN THE ENT DEPARTMENT?

I’ve had a really unique experience here at Baylor. I’ve transitioned from student to co-worker with some of my favorite professors. I appreciate how approachable our faculty were when I was a student, but to be able to form personal and mentoring relationships as co-workers has been incredibly rewarding. 


WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BAYLOR TRADITION?

How can you not love the University-wide Thanksgiving Dinner on Fountain Mall? It’s awesome to see students, staff and faculty come together and celebrate the season and to reflect on how blessed we all are. It’s the perfect way to kick off the Thanksgiving holiday.


WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW ENT MAJOR?

Just do something. Start and then learn by doing. You will learn so much more by taking a risk and testing yourself. Entrepreneurship is not an easy calling, so start early and take advantage of the resources around you while you’re on campus.

For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.