BSC Entrepreneurship BSC. Program. Birmingham-Southern College ENDOWED BY JANE AND KEVIN STUMP

Transcription

1 BSC Entrepreneurship Program ENDOWED BY JANE AND KEVIN STUMP BSC Birmingham-Southern College

2 BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN COLLEGE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM a different kind of program for a different kind of success The BSC Entrepreneurship Program encourages and supports the study of entrepreneurship with a focus on the for-profit sector. Since 2010, the Entrepreneurship Program has awarded more than $40,000 to students in order to foster a spirit of entrepreneurship among a new generation of business innovators. BSC alums Jane and Kevin Stump generously endowed the program in recognition of the College s mission to cultivate a shared vision of business savvy and public responsibility. An endowed fund created by Joseph S. Bruno, who grew a small store established in 1932, to a publicly traded, multi-billion dollar corporation, also supports the College s Entrepreneurship Program. The program centers on six components: Scholarships to recruit students with a drive to study entrepreneurship Courses in business emphasizing for-profit entrepreneurship projects Internships with companies focused on entrepreneurship Membership benefits to attend Birmingham Venture Club events Mentor relationships between students and entrepreneurs Annual lectures by nationally known entrepreneurs JANE AND KEVIN STUMP I hope the program exposes students to the concept of entrepreneurship, teaches them what to expect as an entrepreneur, and helps them develop skills to succeed. I also want students to know that entrepreneurship includes taking risks and that risk-taking can be both exciting and rewarding if it is approached in the right way. KEVIN STUMP founder, president, and CEO Interconn Resources, Inc.

3 scholarships Each year, one $5,000 scholarship and three $1,000 scholarships are awarded to firstyear students with a passion for entrepreneurship who demonstrate financial need. These scholarships are renewable for three years. Students applying for a Stump Scholarship submit the following to the dean of business programs: An essay describing their entrepreneurial characteristics and how two pursuits or accomplishments demonstrate these skills Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a previous employer The program is for students whose work both inside and outside the classroom demonstrates entrepreneurial spirit. Such successes could include initiating a business plan or activity, developing a nonprofit or service-learning project, implementing a program in the fine arts, or undertaking other creative endeavors. Along with applying to be a Stump Scholar, students may apply for and receive additional scholarships. If Ayn Rand s words, the ladder of success is best climbed on the rungs of opportunity, ring true, then this program is a ladder that leads to the zenith of any career or ambition. All you have to do is climb. KYLE DOIRON A business major from Huntsville, Alabama, Kyle plans to combine his interests in entrepreneurship and law following BSC.

4 STUMP SCHOLARS academics The Entrepreneurship Program integrates the study of entrepreneurship across BSC s innovative liberal arts curriculum. Courses in business emphasize for-profit entrepreneurship projects and enable students to draw connections between their coursework in business with other areas on campus. For example, students can take interdisciplinary courses that combine a modern foreign language and business. Stump Scholars receive priority registration for business courses, including reserved spaces in popular introductory courses during their first year, to ensure a swift introduction to entrepreneurship. Spaces are also reserved in Exploration Term entrepreneurship courses for Stump Scholars. internships Stump Scholars are guaranteed a fast-paced internship at a Birmingham company that matches their entrepreneurial interests. These internships give students the opportunity to connect with mentors, practice entrepreneurship in a real-world setting, gain professional experience, and observe the workings of a successful business. Examples of past internships include: Firms at Innovation Depot, a business incubator in Birmingham Integrated Media Solutions MyMarketStreet.com Bradley Arant, one of the Southeast s largest law firms

5 memberships Stump Scholars receive membership benefits for the Birmingham Venture Club, an association of business professionals who seek to foster entrepreneurial spirit and collaborate on shared goals. Scholars receive special invitations to monthly luncheons that provide networking opportunities and a chance to have conversations with leading entrepreneurs in Birmingham. mentorships Stump Scholars are paired with a faculty mentor in the business department as well as an entrepreneur from the community. Faculty mentors guide scholars through their academic career and offer advice on how to maximize opportunities at BSC. Based on their interests, scholars are also connected with an entrepreneur who has demonstrated business savvy and an active interest in cultivating a spirit of innovation in a new generation of entrepreneurs. Mentorship opportunities are available with environmental sustainability experts, consultants, health care leaders, investment bankers, financiers, and lawyers. Receiving a Stump Scholarship has provided me with so many opportunities that I never would have had otherwise. I have met a number of people who are shaping my career plans, and I have connected with powerful businessmen and women. I have also formed many life-long friendships. Participating in the Entrepreneurship Program is a very rewarding and challenging experience that I believe is unique to Birmingham-Southern. KATHLEEN PFITZER A business major from Birmingham, Kathleen ran a summer camp during high school and eventually plans to integrate her interest in entrepreneurship into a health care career.

6 speakers The annual Stump Entrepreneur Lecture Series brings a speaker nationally known in the entrepreneurial world to BSC. For the inaugural Stump Lecture in 2011, the campus welcomed Jeff Taylor, one of the nation s foremost entrepreneurs of Internet business. In 1993, Taylor founded Monster.com, which grew to become a leading online career site with networks in more than 30 countries. JEFF TAYLOR Frederick Smith, founder and CEO of the FedEx Corporation, delivered the 2012 Stump Lecture. Widely regarded as one of America s leading entrepreneurial pioneers, Smith founded a company that grew into a $41 billion enterprise serving 220 countries and employing 290,000 people. Stump Scholars are invited to special events with the speakers, where they interact oneon-one with the entrepreneur and have the opportunity to participate in small-group conversations on the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship. FREDERICK SMITH (LEFT, CENTER) WITH BSC STUDENTS AND GEN. CHARLES C. KRULAK, BSC PRESIDENT (RIGHT, CENTER)

7 BSC ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM advisory board James Childs, partner, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and chairman of the firm s Venture Capital and Private Equity Team and Emerging Growth Companies Team Colin Coyne, managing principal of the Coyne Group and recent winner of the $50,000 top award in the Prize2theFuture contest Steve Dauphin, partner, Murphree Ventures, Bonaventure Capital, and Fidelis Capital and advisor to Kirchner Food Security Group Benny LaRussa, Jr., president of Sterling Capital Management and general partner of Azalea Capital Susan Matlock, president and CEO of Innovation Depot, Inc. Dr. Bert Morrow, associate professor of business administration George Salem, managing director of athenahealth and founder of Proxsys Jennifer Skjellum, executive director of Central Alabama Angel Network and founder and president of Runtime Computing Solutions, LLC Kevin Stump, founder, president, and CEO of Interconn Resources, Inc., and endower of the College s Entrepreneurship Program The director of the program is Dr. Sara Robicheaux, dean of business programs at Birmingham-Southern College.

8 BSCBirmingham-Southern College For more information on the Birmingham-Southern Entrepreneurship Program and to apply to become a Stump Scholar, contact: Dr. Sara Robicheaux Dean of Business Programs Birmingham-Southern College 900 Arkadelphia Road Box Birmingham, AL srobiche@bsc.edu (205) Or visit the Entrepreneurship Program section of Birmingham-Southern College s website: The Stump Scholarship is a great honor to have and is a constant reminder of how hard work can pay off. I am extremely excited to be a part of a program as unique as the College s Entrepreneurship Program. I believe the benefit of entrepreneurship is overlooked by many institutions, and I am very proud to be a part of one that honors it. PHILLIP BROL Phillip is a business major from Huntsville, Alabama. He interned with MyMarketStreet.com, a firm at Innovation Depot, as part of his Stump Scholarship. Phillip eventually plans to start his own business.