by M. C. Jennings | Feb 21, 2024 | Academics, COBA Faculty, Current Students, Uncategorized
Long before Holden Rook and Brooks Gay were assigned a project in their entrepreneurship class requiring them to start a business, the roommates had already discussed starting their own venture.
So when the class project met reality, they already had their plan ready.
Rook – a sophomore marketing major from The Woodlands – said the class brainstormed for “about 2-3 weeks” and then had to pitch the idea to Dr. Jim Litton, associate professor of Management Sciences and Director of the Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship & Philanthropy, who was teaching the entrepreneurship class.
“Brooks and I had expressed an interest in doing something before the class had even started, but it was Brooks who kick-started the idea in class,” Rook said. “Brooks was the brains behind the start of it since he’s from Abilene and knew the ins and outs of how to get our business started here locally.”
And that’s how Abilene Hat Company was born.
Gay – a junior business management major from Abilene – is a former baseball player at Abilene Wylie High School and last season at ACU, who had the original idea for a hat company.
“I wanted to create a hat company that represents Abilene and the surrounding areas because of the
number of people who wear hats and how much pride people have in being from this area,” Gay said.
After making their pitch to Litton, getting approval, putting together a team, and dividing up responsibilities, the team – consisting of Gay, Rooks, ACU volleyball player Ashli Edmiston, Reece Westby, and Nick Schott – met about logistics and designs and began the process of giving life to the company.
“Our goal was to, first, make a good grade in the class,” Gay said. “We talked about our vision, bounced ideas off each other, and set our goals higher. We wanted to create the most revenue and profit in the current class and break the current record for revenue and profit ever in that class. We broke the current records and created the most revenue to date.”
The team is now just Gay and Rook, and they have moved the business forward to the point that they have a sales point online and in a storefront at Covey Apparel in Terrell, Texas.
“Our short-range goal was to find some local businesses willing to support another small business and give us a chance to get into their stores,” Rook said. “The long-term goal is to expand into all of West Texas to allow many people to see our brand.”
The company’s most popular hat logo is a patch on a rope cap with the words “West Texas” atop a pump jack, an iconic symbol of one of the lifebloods of West Texas life.
“One of our long-term goals is to create different pieces of apparel with similar ideas and designs,” Gay said. “I want to represent where we are from, the pride the people of West Texas have by capturing those feelings and displaying them on a high-quality product. I believe the patch design with the oil rig does the best job of capturing the spirit of the hard-working people of West Texas.”
Gay and Rook said their COBA classes have given them insight into so many different aspects of running a business, from the entrepreneurial mindset to all the areas of running a company.
“The most beneficial things I’ve learned have been small pieces from numerous classes,” Gay said. “We use Excel to keep our books, we use marketing strategies in our social media, and many other entrepreneurship techniques from the classes I have taken.”
Rook echoed some of that when describing what he’s learned inside the walls of the Mabee Business Building.
“Definitely learned more about the entrepreneurial mindset,” Rook said. “You must be ready to adapt to the market and whatever it’s feeding you to succeed. Everything is always changing, and you must be ready to change.”
While Rook said the next stop is continued growth and perhaps adding additional employees, Gay said he
wants to expand the business into collegiate athletics, where Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) now allows student-athletes to promote products in exchange for money.
“That would not only be mutually beneficial for us and the student-athlete but will also significantly push our brand,” Gay said. “The athletes we are connected with at large schools have significant social media presence and will grow our total audience.”
To learn more about entrepreneurship at ACU, click here.
by M. C. Jennings | Feb 12, 2024 | Academics, Alumni Spotlight, Careers In..., COBA Staff, Management, Uncategorized
written by special contributor, Lance Fleming
Whitney Herrington (’14) is a great believer in servant-leadership, which she saw exhibited every day while a COBA student at ACU. Perhaps that’s why she has spent the early part of her career in roles where she can best serve others, whether as the program director at a local non-profit working with women and children, as the assistant director of the Griggs Center, or in her current role as the Marketing and Development Director at Frontier Texas!.
The emphasis on leaders serving others stuck with her, and she’s been giving back to her home community since she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and then in 2019 from the University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada) with a Master’s in Global Business.
An Abilene native, Herrington graduated from Abilene High School in 2010 and enrolled at ACU that fall as a management major. In 2014 while finishing her degree, she began working as the A-Teens Director at the Alliance for Women and Children, working with middle-school girls during a 10-week summer camp and after-school care program. In her role, Herrington worked to help young women build their confidence and develop healthy self-esteem.
She was hired as the Assistant Director of the Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship & Philanthropy in the summer of 2016, where she worked as a teammate with many of the men and women she had taken classes under as a student just a few years before. One of those was Jim Litton, an Associate Professor in the Department of Management Sciences and the Director of the Griggs Center.
”One of the things I appreciated about my time working at the Griggs Center was that there was something new every day,” said Herrington, who worked there from 2016-19. “The energy of the students and the activity of the various projects was something I was fortunate to witness daily.”
Herrington worked closely with Litton and the Griggs Center team to implement the center’s strategic goals. She also worked on various projects, including organizing domestic trips to places like Silicon Valley in California, implementing communication strategies, and managing budgets and expense reports.
She began working at Frontier Texas! in November 2022 as the Marketing and Development Director, and even though the title is different, Herrington’s work as a servant-leader is ongoing. She works on fundraising events and connects with supporters, museum members, and donors, all to connect the community with the museum.
We recently caught up with Herrington to get her perspective on where she’s been, her experience at ACU and the Griggs Center, and her passion for entrepreneurship and servant leadership.
Q: What did you learn about yourself and working with people in that role at the Griggs Center?
Herrington: “The main thing I learned about working with people is that everyone sees the world differently, and being open to other ideas and different points of view is important. The beauty of the Griggs Center is that students (and faculty, staff, volunteers, etc.) can all benefit from thinking entrepreneurially. It’s a true skill that I am grateful I was able to continue developing during my employment. Even though I wasn’t a student, I learned each day. I always appreciated the entrepreneurial mindset and knew it would be a skill set I would value and continue to value no matter what job I held.”
Q: What professor or professors had the most profound impact on you and why?
Herrington: “This is such an interesting question because many COBA professors became my co-workers a few years after graduation! Jim Litton, of course, had a profound impact as a professor and employer. I took Jim’s Introduction to Entrepreneurship course my sophomore year, and that class was tough! But it taught me how to work through case studies at a higher level (which paid off during later undergraduate classes and into my Master’s program). As his employee, I appreciated how Jim created a supportive and collaborative work environment. Strategizing and implementing large-scale projects in such a fast-paced environment was fun. He genuinely valued the ability of our team to provide input on the projects and overall strategic plan for the Center.”
Q: What prompted you to work toward and attain your MBA?
Herrington: “As I worked in the world of academia, the thought of pursuing my Master’s degree was always
in the back of my mind. By the fall of 2019, it was time to earn that degree. I chose to study through a unique program, the Masters of Global Business, at the University of Victoria, located in British Columbia, Canada. The program is designed as a tri-continental program, where you spend several months in three countries. I started the program in January 2020, where I spent three months studying in British Columbia, but soon transitioned into a fully remote program because of the pandemic. I had always been interested in pursuing a post-graduate degree; it was just a matter of when. I have always believed in the idea of lifelong learning and wanted to broaden my knowledge base within business. I have a fascination with the global business community, and that is essentially what prompted me toward the Master of Global Business program.“
Q: Tell me about your role at Frontier Texas and what makes it work for you.
Herrington: “I started as the Marketing and Development Director at Frontier Texas in November of 2022. Some aspects of my job include developing and executing various fundraising events, writing grants, and working with our docent and volunteer base. I also assist in creating our marketing material, including our advertisements, brochures, website, and additional materials as needed. Helping maintain contact with our supporters, members, and donors is another highlight of this role as it allows me to connect with the community.”
Q: How are you applying the lessons you learned in COBA and the pursuit of your MBA to your role at Frontier Texas?
Herington: “One important lesson that I have continually been learning is the ability to be adaptable. That was especially relevant in the pursuit of my Master’s degree. My cohort shifted from a fully integrated, multi-cultural program to an online program. What I appreciated about that time, though, was that I was living out the case studies we were studying. Working in groups of individuals who were spread across the world added a level of learning in a global business context. Adapting to various opportunities and daily challenges is important in any field.”
Q: What are the lessons you learned while in COBA that you carried with you when you left ACU, and how have they shaped you in the years since you graduated?
Herrington: “It’s hard to put into words the lessons I learned while studying at COBA; it’s truly become a bit of a combination of lessons learned over time. I remember when working on a project researching the 2012 Olympic Legacy of the London Olympics. Dr. Monty Lynn was the professor and advisor for that project/course and was overseeing our research project and presentation. I remember seeing the hard work that he put into the project and creating this exciting opportunity for his students: it showed how dedication and commitment to a project are necessary no matter the stage of your career, whether you are a student or a CEO.”
Q: What do you appreciate most about your time at ACU and in COBA?
Herrington: “The opportunities to learn and grow into becoming a servant leader. The emphasis on servant leadership is a unique characteristic of COBA.”
by M. C. Jennings | Dec 21, 2023 | Academics, COBA Faculty, Current Students, Marketing, Student Spotlights, Uncategorized
written by special contributor, Lance Fleming
The pandemic of 2020 wreaked havoc on the global economy, shut down businesses and schools, drove employees to home offices, separated friends and family, and took most people away from their routines.
But in ways no one considered before COVID, it brought families closer together, allowed everyone to slow down and take care of themselves and each other, and gave everyone time to reflect and think. It’s also when Natalie Lewis decided on a career path.
During those days spent sitting in her parents’ home in The Woodlands, she turned to YouTube videos to pass the time. She focused on fashion and lifestyle YouTubers, which led her to follow those influencers on Instagram. That’s when she put the pieces together.
“I noticed those individuals had made a career out of creating content for their audience and brands that they love,” said Lewis, a senior marketing major from The Woodlands. “I knew that would be something I would love to do, so I decided to give it a shot.”
Lewis began her own Instagram page (@natalieelewiss), which not only chronicles her life, but also allows her to pass along lifestyle and fashion advice. She engages with other influencers through YouTube and Instagram, which she says is her favorite platform. That’s why she started on Instagram but will expand to YouTube after she graduates in May.
Her parents, Colter (‘95) and Elizabeth (‘96), have supported her post-college career decision, especially after she’s seen so much success – almost 15,000 followers – early in the process. Her mother helps Lewis create content, and her father helps her think through all the logistics of payment and pitching herself to different brands.
“My parents have watched my gradual build-up from simply getting free products to getting paid
campaigns, and they were able to understand it better,” Lewis said. “They saw the hard work I put in behind the scenes of growing my platform and gained more respect for what I wanted to do. When I told them I wanted to pursue this career, they already understood it and saw that influencing is a fast-growing industry.”
The influencer industry is relatively new, and she said the most important piece is finding a niche, a target audience, a social media platform that resonates with the audience, and constantly revamping the platforms for consistency. Lewis began slowly, posting outfit photos on Instagram because she wanted to step into the world of fashion content.
That made it easier to get brand collaborations from companies, who would look at her feed and see that her content aligned with their brand.
“Once I branded my Instagram, I started reaching out to small clothing brands and got rejected by some and accepted by others,” Lewis said. “Once companies had seen my work with other brands, they became more interested in working with me because of my credibility. And that has led me to work with bigger brands.”
Lewis didn’t have a marketing plan when she started, just a passion for fashion and taking pictures. She began posting for fun because she was curious where the posts might lead. When Lewis found her passion, she researched how to grow her account and work with different brands. She didn’t write a marketing plan until her junior year at ACU.
Lewis said no follower count or income level is required to be considered an influencer. Consistency in posting and connecting with the community, Lewis said, are most important in building a career as an influencer.
“It’s a mindset,” Lewis said. “If you want to be an influencer, you have to post like one, which is awkward at first. But you get used to it. I got my first brand deal with 3,000 followers and have seen many other creators work with brands with only 1,000 followers. You can be an influencer with only 1,000 followers and earning no money, just as long as you’re actively pursuing influencing. In my first year of content creation, I only received free products and earned no money. Consistency, engagement rate, community, and trustworthiness are how I would measure whether someone is an influencer.”
Her education in COBA, she said, has helped her learn how to market herself, implement those plans, and measure the growth of her brand.
“I’ve had a tremendous opportunity to build relationships with so many professors who have helped me
with this venture, specifically Dr. Jennifer Golden,” Lewis said. “She has helped me with my professional goals within the influencing industry. COBA has taught me how to market myself on social media. The biggest lessons I’ve learned are about personal branding, which is a crucial topic in the influencing industry because it sets one apart from millions of other influencers. The models and plans I’ve been taught in COBA have influenced my decision-making, steering me where I want to take my social media.”
After she graduates from ACU, Lewis said she looks forward to expanding her niche into more lifestyle-based content (bridal, newly married, interior design, daily routine, family, etc.). She also said she wants to focus more on growing and creating the content she truly loves while continuing to create fashion content.
“I’m going to get a job after graduation while pursuing influencing on the side,” Lewis said. “However, I’m going to work hard to grow my platforms so that one day I’ll be able to quit my job and focus on influencing full-time. Creating content for my audience and working with brands I love is my biggest passion, so the end goal is to go into influencing full-time one day.”
by M. C. Jennings | Dec 20, 2023 | Academics, Accounting, Alumni Spotlight, Financial Management, Uncategorized
written by special contributor, Lance Fleming
Linebacker Jack Gibbens #50 of the Tennessee Titans during the preseason game between the Tennessee Titans and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on August 12, 2023 in Chicago, IL. Photo By Emily Starkey/Tennessee Titans
As a double major in accounting and financial management, Jack Gibbens’ (‘20) learned a lot about discipline and tenacity during his time in the College of Business as a student-athlete. That steadfast determination was something he’d need on the road to the National Football League, which wasn’t as smooth as that of others he plays with as a member of the Tennessee Titans. But in the NFL – as Gibbens has heard over and over – it’s not about how you got to the league, it’s about what you do when you get there.
And despite being cut at the end of the Titans’ training camp in 2022, the former ACU Wildcat standout has finally earned his spot in the league as a starting linebacker for the Titans. He’s started all but one game this season for the Titans after playing in the team’s final five games in 2022.
Gibbens was a standout at ACU from 2017-20 and then spent his graduate season (2021) as a starting linebacker at the University of Minnesota, where he was an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection and earned his master’s degree in accounting. He wasn’t drafted in 2022 but signed as a free agent with the Titans after the draft, and for most of training camp, it looked like he might make the final roster.
He quickly became a favorite of head coach Mike Vrabel, who dubbed him “Dr. Gibby” because of his intelligence. The former ACU Academic All-American had made an impression on the veteran head coach.
“He’s smart, answered all the questions, and then said, ‘Coach, I wasn’t in pre-med,’ “Vrabel said. “I told him I knew and that it was a joke.”
Gibbens has spent his career – both in college and now as a professional – using his athleticism and intelligence to reach the pinnacle in football: a starting spot in the NFL. A native of Bulverde, Texas, Gibbens quickly earned a starting spot for the Wildcats and played in 39 games over four years, earning all-conference honors and academic All-America accolades.
He went through the Titans’ training camp in 2022 but was one of the final cuts made before the regular season started. He was re-signed to the team’s practice squad on Sept. 12, 2022, and was promoted to the active roster on Dec. 10, 2022, making his NFL debut in their Dec. 11 game against Jacksonville. Just one year later, Gibbens is a mainstay in the middle of the Titans’ defense, having earned a starting spot over other veterans.
“Coach Vrabel continually preaches that it doesn’t matter how we got here; it’s what you do when you get an opportunity,” Gibbens said. “It’s been a journey to get to this place in my life. I was cut last year and then spent some time on the practice squad before I finally got an opportunity to play. Now, I’m playing a completely different role as a starter. I’m trying to keep the same process, which is to put my head down, keep working, and get better every day.”
Photo by Jeremy Enlow/Abilene Christian University
We recently had the chance to catch up with Gibbens, who spoke about his time at ACU (where he carried a 4.0 grade point average in accounting and financial management) as well as what he’s learned about managing his money in the NFL.
Q: You spent a lot of time in the Mabee Business Building while at ACU. Could you tell me about your experience in COBA and your gratitude for what you learned under those professors?
Gibbens: “When I think about my time in COBA, I am most appreciative of the amazing people I was surrounded by each day. The small class sizes allowed me to get to know my classmates and professors on a more personal basis. I am extremely grateful to my professors not only for teaching me about business but for their interest and investment in me as a person.”
Q: What are some of your biggest takeaways from your time in COBA?
Gibbens: “Probably learning how to combine business with my personal beliefs, interests, and values. Being in a Christ-centered environment was a huge blessing that allowed me to be myself and grow in knowledge and as a person.”
Q: When you think back on your time in COBA, who are the professors that stand out, and what life lessons did you take away from them?
Gibbens: “I had many professors who impacted my life, but two in particular stick out. Clint Buck had a huge impact in making it feel like home. He taught my first class at ACU and made me feel at home on campus by developing a personal relationship with me and praying for/ with me as I adjusted to college. And Andy Little. I appreciate the way he challenged my thinking and pushed me to form and defend opinions.”
Q: How difficult was it to balance getting ready to play a game on Saturday and studying to maintain a 4.0 GPA?
Gibbens: “Balancing those two was a challenge when trying to succeed at the highest level. Being a student-athlete taught me great lessons about time management and work ethic. I quickly learned the importance of being in the moment and fully investing myself in the task at hand.”
Q: When you played at the University of Minnesota, how much more difficult was the dual life of student and athlete?
Gibbens: “The adjustment from high school to college was much more difficult than my transition to Minnesota. Adjusting to life as a collegiate student-athlete is so different athletically, academically, and in everyday life from when you were in high school. Moving to Minnesota was much easier because I had already learned how to be successful in that lifestyle.”
Q: Now that you’ve moved into the NFL, with your background and major, how much are you watching your finances and where your money is going?
Gibbens: “Having a background in accounting and finance has caused me to have a huge interest in my finances. What I studied in college gave me a great foundation to make good financial decisions and understand the importance of budgeting, investing, and preparing for life after football.”
Q: A lot of guys in your position turn it over to a financial advisor and then don’t know anything about it. Did you determine early on you weren’t going to do that?
Gibbens: “The NFL is unlike any other profession because it creates specific challenges and opportunities from a financial perspective. To help me navigate this unique financial landscape I have hired a financial advisor who specifically works with athletes and understands my specific needs.”
Q: Going back to your ACU days: what did ACU and the experiences in COBA, football, and student life in general mean to you?
Gibbens: “Those times at ACU are some of the best years of my life. I made memories and friendships that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and, for that, I am extremely grateful for ACU.”
by M. C. Jennings | Dec 12, 2023 | Academics, Alumni Spotlight, COBA Events, COBA Faculty, Uncategorized
Written by special contributor Lance Fleming
Dr. Bill and Mrs. Donna Petty
If – as ACU President Dr. Phil Schubert (’91) said on Friday, Oct. 13 – the College of Business Administration has been an engine that has driven ACU’s extraordinary growth over the last 35-plus years, then the man who put the key in the ignition was Dr. Bill Petty (’64).
So, it was only natural that when the Mabee Business Building – which Petty and others planned, raised money for and saw through to its opening in 1986 – needed a facelift, Petty’s name would adorn one of the newly remodeled areas of the facility.
And that’s why Schubert, Petty and his wife Donna (Guinn ’64), ACU Dean of COBA Brad Crisp (’93), and numerous family and friends were on hand the Friday afternoon of Homecoming 2023 in the Mabee Business Building to celebrate the grand reopening of the Bill and Donna Petty Atrium.
Dr. Brad Crisp, Dr. Phil Schubert, Kelly Shewmaker, Bill and Donna Petty
The atrium renovation is part of a multi-million-dollar upgrade of the building that opened in 1986, allowing business classes to move out of the Hardin Administration Building and into a modern facility. The renovation project began out of the need to replace the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in 2020. Still, it grew to involve all major spaces inside the building – including classrooms, labs, offices, and the atrium, which reopened this semester after four summers of construction.
The Bill and Donna Petty Atrium features upgraded technology and appearance to better welcome students, faculty, staff, alumni, and business and technology leaders into the building and facilitate networking between these groups.
The atrium project was made possible thanks to a generous lead gift from an anonymous donor and substantial commitments from family and friends. It also received significant support during the ACU Gives event last April 25-26, when dozens of donors – many of whom the Pettys mentored – contributed an additional $100,000 toward the $1.4 million renovation.
But the project got its push in 2020 when Crisp began meetings and conversations about the viability of raising the necessary money amid a global medical emergency.
“I vividly remember conversations with some of our key donors just as the pandemic hit in 2020, and I asked them if we should continue with the project,” Crisp said at the dedication ceremony. “And 18 families gave us the courage to fund the first phase and tell us it was time to move forward. Across the four phases, we had more than 280 donor families contribute more than $3.4 million toward the total cost of almost $9 million.”
The Petty Family
But when it comes to COBA and the Pettys, that should come as no surprise. COBA has been a catalyst for the remarkable growth of the university and its global reputation since the Mabee Business Building opened to students 37 years ago.
Petty was called back to ACU from Texas Tech in 1979 and became the founding dean of COBA in 1981. The newly formed college set up shop in the administration building, which hosted Bible classes and other programs at the time, putting available space at a minimum.
“We didn’t have room to grow, and it was limiting the number of students we could support,” Petty said in an article in the Spring-Summer 2023 issue of ACU Today.
That’s when Petty went to work, calling on friends and alums alike to raise the necessary money to build the Mabee Business Building. He has often given credit to Jozell Brister (’61), associate professor emerita of management sciences and former associate dean of COBA, and other dedicated faculty members.
But it was Petty who pushed, prodded, and cajoled to raise the money the university needed. The generosity of alumni and friends and a lead gift from the Mabee Foundation made the building a reality. And once the building opened, Petty, the faculty he hired, and the students he and other outstanding faculty taught helped propel the university to greater heights.
“Over the last 30 or 40 years, the College of Business Administration has been an engine for Abilene Christian University, fueling the trajectory of growth and escalation that we have enjoyed,” Schubert said. “That would not have been the case without the bold vision that Bill Petty brought to ACU, seeing all that could be in front of him with Donna by his side supporting him to bring that bold vision to reality.
Another former student, Kelly (Stites ’91) Shewmaker, brought a calculator to the ceremony, the same one she used in Petty’s Financial Management class. The same calculator she thought would help her cruise through the course.
“I have this Hewlett-Packard 12C calculator that I used as a student,” she said at the ceremony. “I was convinced that it would be an easy A class after I found out you could calculate every answer to every question. But on the first day of class, Dr. Petty told us that for every test and every problem, we would be using the HP 12C. Then, we would have to calculate it by hand to show that we knew how to use the technology, calculate every problem by hand, and understand the calculations. I kept that HP 12C calculator as a trophy of sorts because I survived his class.”
In his brief remarks at the ceremony, Petty once again thanked Brister, his classmates, and friends Jack Griggs (’64) and Dr. John C. Stevens (’38) for persuading him to leave Texas Tech and return to ACU to be part of the business faculty. He also recalled the numerous times he and his wife hosted students in their home over the years, building the kind of relationships that would lead to two former students thanking him from the podium and many others attending the ceremony.
“I never felt more called by God than when I was called to return to ACU,” Petty said. “Those were 10 ½ of
the best years of our lives. We raised our children in the shadow of ACU, and then they went to school here, so they have a deep love for ACU just like we do.”
And, it’s that deep love for ACU and sense of calling that Petty passed along to his students, including Schubert.
“I tell people all the time that I had the best experience anyone possibly could have had at ACU,” Schubert said. “I found people here at ACU, especially in the College of Business Administration, specifically people like Bill Petty, who saw things I didn’t see in myself. I found people who challenged me and encouraged me to be more like who God called me to be. My guess is that many others would tell the same story about the transformation that took place because they had people like Bill and Donna come alongside them and encourage them to be more like the people that God had called them to be. We’re all so incredibly grateful for them both. We’re grateful for their example of selfless service, amazing generosity, and bold vision to be more of who God calls us all to be.”
Note: Some information from this story appeared in the Spring-Summer 2023 issue of ACU Today.
by M. C. Jennings | Nov 28, 2023 | Academics, Alumni Spotlight, COBA Faculty, College Decisions, Current Students, Economics, Faith Infusion, Social Entrepreneurship, Uncategorized
Written by special contributor Lance Fleming
Costa Rica, a small Central American country, is experiencing a significant increase in tourism. Travel officials in Costa Rica expect an unprecedented surge in tourists in 2023 and 2024. This country is famous for its national parks, rainforests, beaches, wildlife, and outdoor activities.
ACU students in the College of Business Administration have been traveling to Costa Rica since an initial
Central America Study Abroad trip with Dr. Mark and Dr. Laura Phillips in 2016. In 2018, they traveled to Turrialba, Costa Rica to visit CATIE, an agricultural university with a focus on economic development. In 2019, the first Social Enterprise Consulting class was offered and the partnership with CATIE began, focusing on economic development. But those students aren’t just in Costa Rica to observe. They are learning practical skills in research, marketing, and product creation from a class taught by Dr. Laura Phillips, Dr. Sarah Easter, Dr. Jennifer Golden, Dr. Mark Phillips, and Daniel Garcia. Currently, the class is working with local entrepreneurs to launch products made from materials donated by Southwest Airlines.
Dr. Mark Phillips and Garcia will teach the class next semester, and then Easter and Golden will teach a summer course. Students in each class will go over topics teaching them how to be a consultant, how to help without hurting, Costa Rican culture (both generally and in the business world), and some project-specific topics.
During Spring Break, the spring semester class will be in Costa Rica, and afterward, they will focus on completing their deliverable to the client for the rest of the semester. Dr. Laura Philips said the summer class will have a different format. It will include 5-6 weeks of online content on the same topics as in the spring. After that, students will spend nearly two weeks in Costa Rica to work on the project.
AACSB (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) seeks to encourage all accredited schools to make a societal impact. As they state on their website, “AACSB’s vision of societal impact is that business schools contribute their specialized expertise to help mitigate some of society’s most pressing economic, social, human, and environmental problems.”
COBA was already seeking to make a broader societal impact through their programs. Now the Costa Rica activities are part of a broader COBA initiative. Dr. Laura Phillips said, “It’s exciting because AACSB is now asking us to do more of what we were already doing. The change isn’t to the consulting class. What’s different now is that we will have more activities (curricular, research, and engagement) focused on the same theme of Increasing Educational and Economic Opportunities for People in Marginalized Groups.”
A five-person committee began meeting earlier this year to come up with a theme for the college’s work, Increasing Educational and Economic Opportunities for People in Marginalized Groups, and a tentative five-year plan.
“The plan includes curricular, research, and engagement objectives for our residential and online campuses,” Dr. Phillips said. “The Costa Rica class is one piece of this plan. We want the societal impact plan to provide opportunities for all interested faculty and staff to be involved, and that is part of the reason we are expanding the faculty who teach the consulting class. The plan also includes the development of additional partners for consulting projects. We are interested in developing a second international partner as well as cultivating a partnership closer to home.”
When Dr. Phillips first visited the CATIE campus with students in 2018, she connected with Dr. Eliecer Vargas, an economist at CATIE who specializes in economic development, which aligns well with the COBA students’ focus in Costa Rica.
Five years ago, students spent a few days exploring tourism startups by rural female entrepreneurs in
towns near Turrialba. After their trip, Dr. Phillips and Dr. Easter approached Vargas to discuss the idea of starting a consulting class and having the group of female entrepreneurs as their first client. Vargas agreed, and Dr. Phillips and Dr. Easter took their first group of consulting students to Costa Rica in the spring of 2019.
Southwest Airlines has served as the air provider for ACU’s program, transporting students and professors to and from Costa Rica, and in 2022, Southwest Airlines arranged a deal with CATIE to give the university seats from their refurbished planes.
The Turrialba region is now a major focus of Southwest’s investments. The company has set up a leatherworking shop on campus where local women and men can receive training and have access to leather and high-quality sewing machines with their support.
As part of Southwest Airlines’ “Repurpose with Purpose” program, each of the company’s fleet of airplanes is overhauled every four years, and as a part of that process, the seat leather is replaced. The leather pulled out of the planes is donated to nonprofit organizations for upcycling projects.
The idea is to create a business incubator to launch businesses as people graduate from the training program. Jobs are also being created in rural communities because CATIE receives intact seat covers that must be deconstructed before they are upcycled into new products.
And that’s where the ACU students enter the picture.
The students’ client is called Wearsos – the first business to come out of the leather project – and it was started by the husband-and-wife duo of Lynne Corvaglia and Chris Riquelme. Aside from upcycled bags, the company also plans to make other products like passport holders, wallets, luggage tags, and shoes.
No two trips to Costa Rica have been alike, with the specifics of the project changing with every trip, usually at the request of the client. That means the specific business topics the students focus on vary.
“They always learn something from the business side of the project, although the bigger learning outcomes stem from the nature of cross-cultural consulting,” Dr. Phillips said. “The students have to stretch their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills and they have to do that in a group setting and not just on their own. Their flexibility and adaptability are put to the test every day we are there.
“They learn that other cultures may have different objectives and priorities for their business than what they usually see in the U.S., and they learn that the American measures of success are not the only measures,” she said. “They also learn that to provide useful recommendations for the client, they have to truly understand the client’s objectives and tailor their business solutions to meet the needs and the desires of the clients.”
From the business skill side, Dr. Phillips said, the students have worked on market assessments and provided feedback based on the personas of different target customers. One class conducted focus groups to provide market research on potential products. Classes have researched logistics to help the client as they prepare to ship goods from Costa Rica to the US and Canada.
Other students created a comprehensive marketing plan (Instagram and Facebook posts, email campaigns,
etc.) to help a client roll out a Kickstarter campaign. Students listened to entrepreneurs talk about current and future product ideas as well as where and how they intend to sell and then provided a comprehensive list of questions to each entrepreneur to help them think through and further develop their business plans.
Dr. Phillips said proposed expansion plans for the program that have been discussed are for the Costa Rica consulting class to be offered twice each year: once in the spring and once in the summer with a variety of faculty involved in teaching the class. Dr. Phillips also said she would like to involve COBA alumni on the trip to provide their expertise in the project’s area of focus.
“That could be social media marketing, logistics, building basic business plans, finding funding sources, or rural development,” she said. “I also hope to continue our partnership with Southwest Airlines. It has been valuable to be working with their Repurpose with Purpose group because we can truly partner to support these clients.”
To learn more about the College of Business at ACU, click here.
