Purdue University Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation

🎓🚀 Congratulations to the incredible seniors of the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program! 🌟 Your dedication, creativity, and hard work have paid off, and you’re ready to conquer the world. Here’s to the next chapter of turning ideas into reality and making a difference! 🎉🎓

Come see us at the “Caps Off Celebration” in the Purdue Memorial Mall. We are here until 2PM, celebrating our May grads!

Come see us at the “Caps Off Celebration” in the Purdue Memorial Mall. We are here until 2PM celebrating our May grads!

We want to send a huge Boilermaker thank you to the companies that participated in our ENTR 48100 Consulting Capstone taught by Susan Woods.

Thank you to John Goetz from 21 petals, Kyle Mohler from Insignum AgTech, Matt Newkirk from the Lafayette Catholic School System, and Lester Williams from North-Side Machine & Tool Inc. for your participation!

To learn more about 21 Petals Flower Markets, visit the following site: https://21petalsflowerslafayette.com/

To learn more about Insignum AgTech, visit the following site: https://www.insignumagtech.com/

To learn more about the Lafayette Catholic Schools, visit the following site: https://www.lcss.org/

To learn more about North-Side Machine and Tool, visit the following site: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093264205494

ENTR 31000 welcomed two legal guests!

Sean Farrell and Ariel Buczak are from Gutwein Law in Lafayette, but actually Sean lives in Westfield Indiana, and Ariel is from Minnesota. We especially appreciated their travel and interest in the Purdue Students.

We learned so much about the ins and outs of how to start a business correctly and with legal efficiency. The students were surprised at all the legal tips, and realized this expertise is very needed when starting a business. Ariel and Sean presented so many different aspects of law, and the students were inspired. Gutwein Law even has a very affordable legal package for start ups. The presentation was easy for the students to understand and they felt more knowledgeable now that they are considering their businesses.

Thank you Ariel and Sean.

Sometimes there are diamonds among us, you have to be aware and mine those gems. That is the way we feel about Omar Abdel-Reheem, Purdue University Daniels School of Business, Stamps Scholar, and President of PIBA.

Omar is also an expert Pitch Presenter, and has won many cash awards. Omar came to ENTR 31000 and told us about his methods in pitching. The students loved his suggestions and it is easy to see how he has been so successful. He is a natural in front of an audience. The students have been incorporating Omar's ideas into their pitches. The enthusiasm and expertise is rubbing off. We are so grateful for Omar!

Thank you again, Omar!!

ENTR 31000 had the pleasure of Geoff Zentz speaking to the students about his experiences with Venture Capital and Agrinovus - start up Agricultural Ventures.

Geoff was incredibly informed about all aspects of Venture capital and practical applications in start up businesses and small business. One student comment summed it up-

“I thought he was a great speaker. He held my attention extremely well and I felt incredibly informed by the end of the class. One of his most unique points was how investor sentiment varies depending on where you are. For example midwestern investors tend to be more conservative, and need to see tangible results first.”

It is very important for the students to glean information from representatives from the different aspects of business. Geoff has a vast amount of experience, and the students enjoyed his presentation so much.

Thanks Geoff Zentz!!

Upcoming Competitions!

Venture Club of Indiana – Innovation Showcase is coming up June 5. If there are any startups interested in pitching you can find more info and criteria at the link below.

https://www.ventureclub.org/innovation-showcase

Parts of the website are still under development so if you need anything specific, I may be able to facilitate an intro to the one of the event organizers.

TechPoint – Venture Connect

Venture Connect is a monthly networking and pitch event spotlighting early-stage startups and up and coming founders in the Indiana tech ecosystem.
Next event is May. Check out the link to learn more and register to attend and possibly even pitch your business to the audience.

https://techpoint.org/venture-connect/

A big thank you to Jeff Lantz, President and Founder of Tech Castings, for speaking to ENTR 20000! Jeff shared his inspiring journey from consulting to starting an aerospace manufacturing company in rural Indiana. He discussed the skills needed for entrepreneurship and his path to success. Grateful for his insights and expertise!

Huge thank you to Brad Niemeier, Founder and Pizza Enthusiast of AZZIP, for spending his afternoon talking to ENTR 20000 students last week about his journey from Purdue student to owner of a chain of 11 pizza restaurants in the Midwest.

The students left those discussions inspired by what's possible with a good idea and a whole lot of hard work, resiliency and a company-wide dedication to providing an awesome customer experience! AZZIP just celebrated its 10-year anniversary and continues to be a leader in the fast-casual pizza category in the markets they serve.

Brad is a frequent speaker at Purdue for good reason and we very much appreciate his willingness to share his time and experience with his fellow Boilermakers! Thanks Brad!

The ENTR 31000 course had the pleasure of interacting with Max Yoder this semester. It is always a treat to hear the thoughts and ideas of Max.

He innovates, inspires, and reaches the students in an organic way, that resonates with their thinking processes about entrepreneurship.

Some of the students quotes were spot on from our visit with Max.

"Always enjoy the journey, it is the best part"

"Max Yoder's talk made business processes more human. He took the side of business that is so often neglected and made it the foundation of his business by building a culture and relationships with clients and employees based on respect, honest, and kindness. Max was very real and shared all about growth and development as a human being, realizing that there were certain things he could have done better (e.g. Firing people) and acknowledging the need to slow down and appreciate his life without constantly having to achieve something "amazing". "

Thanks to Max for enlightening us with his words.

We were delighted to have Corey Shandrick- the CoFounder of The Athletic Academy zoom in this semester to speak in the ENTR 31000 classroom.

The Athletic Academy provides high school athletes, coaches, parents, and club sports leaders with technology, service and community they need to manage and promote their recruiting efforts online. Athletic Academy's simple, yet effective products are positioned in a digitally accessible and affordable way that leads to equal opportunity for all consumers. Corey shared his processes in creating the company and magically and effectively managing consumers and the company's prospecting expertise.

Students commented about Corey's way of creating branding at an interpersonal level. The Athletic Academy has a player card feature that is free. A big bonus in the athletic world.

Being an athlete himself, Corey Shandrick uses this personal experience to pursue his passion that has been life long. There are many free resources that Corey utilizes also for his business, that resonated with the students, and it made their own business projects seem not as daunting as we have been covering financial lessons.

Again, thanks for Corey Shandrick for sharing his knowledge at Purdue University in ENTR 31000.

Tanner Hieatt - Manager/ CPA at Huth Thompson Lafayette - Accounting Firm came to visit ENTR 31000. Tanner's expertise in accounting and experiences helped the students understand the importance of starting a business, maintaining a business, and doing all the right things financially and economically.
Some of the students comments were the following:

“I learned the importance of having a CPA. I can do minor calculations and keep things organized, but his talk really exemplified the importance of having a professional to help you with finances when you are running a business.”

“I learned about his experience being a CPA, and although I am in an accounting class I find it very difficult to wrap my head around how easy it is for some people. He was right though, it’s like a puzzle, but a hard one. Sometimes having help from a CPA can help an individual make sure they are properly accounting for their finances, and I also learned that a CPA can prepare individual tax returns and help maximize deductions.”

In ENTR 31000, we like to have these experts come to class and share their life experiences. The students can understand accounting better if they hear from an Accountant. Numbers are very important in entrepreneurship, and we appreciate Tanner sharing his time with us.

Thanks Tanner!

Entrepreneurship Builds Dreams and Strengthens Communities

At Purdue, we focus on equipping individuals with the tools, resources and confidence to embark on their entrepreneurial journeys, which can involve addressing societal challenges and economic progress. Through entrepreneurship and innovation, our students and alums spark positive change in their communities, both near and far. This newsletter focuses on championing the entrepreneurial spirit and paving the way for a brighter, more resilient future for everyone.

Read our Spring 2024 Newsletter to see what has happened in the department this semester: https://www.purdue.edu/entr/about-us/newsletter-entrnews-spring-2024/

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