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The 2020-2021

Riverview Credit Union Mid-Ohio Valley Entrepreneurship Expo At Marietta College

Learning from Challenges: How to Adapt and Become a Resilient Business

Recap

During the 2020-21 academic year, the Riverview Credit Union Mid-Ohio Valley Entrepreneurship Expo (MOVEE) at Marietta College was delivered virtually (through Zoom webinars) and gradually (throughout the academic year). All sessions of MOVEE were free and open to the public.

Fall 2020 Sessions

Session 1

Keynote address with Adam Markel

Thursday, September 3, 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

A glance at Session 1

adam

  • Adam Markel is a #1 Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of Pivot: The Art & Science of Reinventing Your Career and Life. A leading international keynote speaker, Adam has reached tens of thousands worldwide with his message of Resilience as the competitive edge in the face of today’s complex markets. An attorney, entrepreneur, transformational trainer and executive mentor, Adam is a sought-after business culture catalyst who inspires, empowers, and guides organizations and individuals to create sustainable, high performance strategies. Adam is also the CEO of More Love Media and host of The Conscious PIVOT podcast, where he shares his insights on pivoting and resilience in today's fast paced market and interviews experts, innovators and influencers in the areas of business and life.
  • Adam’s Website:
  • Adam’s TEDx Talk:
  • Adam’s Speaker Trailer:

 

Session 2

PioBiz Business Startup Competition (Round 3: The $10,000 Round)

Thursday, September 17, 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

A glance at Session 2

piobiz 2020

In this round of competition, the following students competed for up to $10,000 start-up funds

  • Chloe Burianek '23
    • Majors: Strategic Communication and Graphic Design
    • Business: Rolling Scotty Photo Services
  • Hannah McKain '23
    • Major: Entrepreneurship
    • Business: Focused Fitness
  • Leah Seaman '21
    • Majors: Communication Studies and Studio Art
    • Business: ArtaBella
  • Karson Snyder '21
    • Major: Finance
    • Business: Hidden Talents

At the conclusion of the program, ArtaBella, Rolling Scotty Photo Services, and Hidden Talents took the first to third places in the competition. The judges then awarded $7,000 to ArtaBella and $1500 to Rolling Scotty Photo Services.

Session 3

Launching, Rebuilding, and Growing Your Business in the Era of COVID: How to manage cash flow and find alternative funding opportunities

Thursday, October 1, 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

A glance at Session 3
Video recording of the entire Session 3
session 3

This webinar was the result of a partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio ValleyThe session focused on how the Impact Innovation Group (IIG) could assist entrepreneurs in the region. The Group includes representatives from five Foundations in West Virginia and Ohio, Ohio University, the SE Ohio Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), community developers, impact investment advisors, regional banks, and individual investors.

The following individuals participated in this panel discussion:

 

Session 4

2020 MOV Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Thursday, October 15, 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

A glance at Session 4
Video recording of the entire Session 4
finalists

For the third year in a row, Clutch MOV sponsored the program.  Before, Anthony Williams, the recipient of this year’s award was announced, the finalists engaged in an informal panel discussion moderated by Sarah Arnold, Funder of Clutch MOV.

The finalists for the 2020 Mid-Ohio Valley Entrepreneur of the Year Award are listed below.

entr of year 2020

Anthony Williams is the owner/operator of Anthony’s Express Mobile Detailing, serving public and private vehicle owners in the MOV by caring for their vehicle detailing needs. Anthony believes everyone should drive a pristine vehicle at an affordable price, without the inconvenience of visiting a traditional detail shop. Anthony has supported local businesses such as: Red Lobster, Antero, and Enterprise, through fleet contracts or strategic marketing partnerships. Anthony contributes to the efforts of the Humane Society of Parkersburg, Boys and Girls Club, Mountain West Baseball, Knights of Columbus, Lions Club, WV Breast Health Initiative, Vietnam Vets, and local drug recovery programs to name a few. Anthony holds a detail technician certificate from Detail King and an associate's degree in business management from West Liberty University.

Session 5

Doing Business Remotely: Problems & Opportunities

Thursday, October 29, 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

A glance at Session 5
Video recording of the entire Session 5

session 5

  • How do you manage your team remotely?
  • How do you stay engaged with remote co-workers?
  • Is there such a thing as Zoom fatigue?
  • How do you communicate with employees, consumers, and media in times of crisis?
  • How do you utilize social media and video engagement for online branding?
  • What are some of the new opportunities associated with doing business remotely?
  • How does one onboard new hires or new customers in a virtual environment?
  • How do you resolve any technology challenges your team has experienced when working remotely?
  • Have you noticed any shifts in productivity? Increase or Decrease?

In this session a panel consisting of human resources, marketing, communication, and media practitioners explored the answers to the above and other related questions. Professor Sara Rosenstock moderated the session.

The panelists are listed below.

  • Cheryl Bolyard-Ferrebee: Owner, TGG Brand Marketing and Design
  • Tom Perry:Vice President for Communication & Brand Management, Marietta College
  • Mary Roberts: Video Producer, Marietta College
  • Debra Wayland: Assistant Vice President for Administrative Services, Marietta College

Session 6

A Conversation with Kaeya Majmundar, a Serial Entrepreneur Who Received a "Shark Tank" Deal While Still in College

Thursday, November 12, 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

session 6

In this session, Dr. Jacqueline Khorassani (the Director of the Entrepreneurship Program at Marietta College) along with two students in her Entrepreneurship 101 class (Spencer Bills and Kobe Hughlett) had an informal conversation with Kaeya Majmundar.

While in college, Kaeya got a deal on the Season 5 Finale of ABC’s “Shark Tank” with a prototype for her first product, BZbox, a collapsible storage box. The drama from Barbara Corcoran insisting she wasn't an entrepreneur made her a top trend on Twitter. To her surprise, a frenzy of web traffic, media coverage, and sales ensued. This sparked Kaeya’s passion for social commerce, and she became fixated on figuring out how to most effectively leverage social media to drive sales. After graduating college, Kaeya co-created multiple viral eCommerce brands with celebrities and influencers from NBA #1 Draft Pick, Derrick Rose, to famous French bulldog, Manny the Frenchie. Along this journey, the lightbulb went off for Kaeya to start treating social media posts as currency for her storefronts. This became a Ferarri of an engine for revving up sales up and throttling marketing costs. So, she decided to spin this idea out into its own product, Swaypay - a payment plugin that lets shoppers seamlessly split their payment in part money, part social media posts directly at the point of sale for any online retailer.

Visit the links below to learn more about Kaeya and her journey as an entrepreneur:

 

Session 7

PioBiz Workshop 1: Where Do Worthy Entrepreneurial Ideas Come From?
With: Jacqueline Khorassani and Faith Knutsen

Thursday, February 4: 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

A Glance at Session 7
Video recording of a portion of the session

sesssion 7

This workshop engaged the participants in activities that were designed to assist them in identifying and evaluating entrepreneurial ideas. The session also provided the participants with an opportunity to find business partners, including Marietta College (MC) students and alumni.

About the Presenters

Jacqueline Khorassani is a Professor of Economics and Entrepreneurship and the Director of the Entrepreneurship Program at Marietta College. Khorassani’s teaching fields are Entrepreneurial Mindset, Macroeconomics, Money and Banking, International Economics, the Economics of Gender, and Applied Regression Analysis. Khorassani has lectured in China, Brazil, and Ireland. She has published and presented papers at national and international journals and conferences. Dr. Khorassani holds a BA in Public Relations and Social Affairs, an MS in Economics, and a Ph.D. in Economics.

Faith Knutsen is the Director of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Ohio University’s Voinovich School. In that capacity, Faith directs the federally-funded Social Enterprise Ecosystem project and lectures on entrepreneurship and venture development in the U.S. and abroad. Besides serving on the advisory board of the Entrepreneurship Program at Marietta College, Faith also advises on the boards of three regional social enterprises. Previously, Knutsen worked for 12 years in an executive role at Sunpower, Inc. Her early career in international development began with a tour as a Peace Corps volunteer in Central Africa and segued into international consulting. Knutsen holds a BA from Oberlin College and an MA from Ohio University.

Session 8

The Six Pillars of Digital Campaigns
With: Dan Grech of BizHack Academy

Thursday, February 25: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Video recording of the entire Session 8
A glance at Session 8

session 9

Digital Marketing has become an indispensable way for any business to reach new customers. But it's not easy to know where to get started. Dan Grech, the founder and CEO of BizHack Academy, believes that digital marketing is best learned by doing. And he's developed a proven. methodology that's helped hundreds of small business owners jumpstart their growth using digital tools. In this webinar, Dan Grech reviewed the six pillars for every successful online campaign and setting the campaign objective.

Session 9

PioBiz Competition Round 1: Problem/Solution

Thursday, March 11: 4:30 p.m.

A glance at Session 9

first place

Pictured above, Austin McCleary, the first place award winner, presenting his non-profit service.

In this session ten teams of Marietta College students competed in Round 1 of the PioBiz Competition entitled “Problem/Solution”. Each team used up to 3 minutes to introduce their product or service and describe how it solves a problem better than other products or services in the market place. Upon the conclusion of a team’s presentation, the competition judges asked questions for 3 minutes. After the final team's presentation, attendees were given a chance to vote for their favorite product or service. The top ten products or services were determined by combining the attendees’ votes with the judges’ votes.

 

Session 10

PioBiz Workshop 2: How Do You Prove Your Business Concept?
With: Cheryl Bolyard-Ferrebee, Jacqueline Khorassani, and Faith Knutsen

Thursday, March 18: 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

A Glance at Session 10

In this workshop, the participants received information on Round 2 of the PioBiz Competition. Additionally, they were also introduced to the most effective ways to conduct research using primary and secondary sources to identify and reach out to competitors, customers, resource providers, and partners. The workshop participants also began to learn how to formulate value propositions that outline how exactly their newly created products or services deliver unique values to customers. The workshop also focused on ways to identify key activities, key resources, customer relationship, communication channels, cost and revenue structures.

About the presenters

workshop 1

Jacqueline Khorassani is a Professor of Economics and Entrepreneurship and the Director of the Entrepreneurship Program at Marietta College. Khorassani’s teaching fields are Entrepreneurial Mindset, Macroeconomics, Money and Banking, International Economics, the Economics of Gender, and Applied Regression Analysis. Khorassani has lectured in China, Brazil, and Ireland. She has published and presented papers at national and international journals and conferences. Dr. Khorassani holds a BA in Public Relations and Social Affairs, an MS in Economics, and a Ph/D. in Economics.

Faith Knutsen is the Director of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Ohio University’s Voinovich School. In that capacity, Faith directs the federally-funded Social Enterprise Ecosystem project and lectures on entrepreneurship and venture development in the U.S. and abroad. Besides serving on the advisory board of the Entrepreneurship Program at Marietta College, Faith also advises on the boards of three regional social enterprises. Previously, Knutsen worked for 12 years in an executive role at Sunpower, Inc. Her early career in international development began with a tour as a Peace Corps volunteer in Central Africa and segued into international consulting. Knutsen holds a BA from Oberlin College and an MA from Ohio University.

Cheryl Bolyard-Ferrebee is the owner of TGG Brand Marketing and Design in Parkersburg, West Virginia. She is an entrepreneur-minded integrated marketing strategist with three decades of experience in creative message development and brand management.

Session 11

Junior PioBiz Competition

Thursday April 8: 4:30 p.m.

A Glance at Session 11

jrpiobizpicPictured above, Sophia Nayak from Veritas Classical Academy who won the first-place award with her Medicompare app, is answering the judges’ questions.

In this session, fifteen high school students participated in Junior PioBiz Competition entitled “Problem/Solution” by presenting five ideas (solutions). Each team used up to 3 minutes to introduce their product or service and describe how it solves a problem better than other products or services in the market place. Upon the conclusion of each team’s presentation, the competition judges asked questions for 3 minutes. After the final team's presentation, attendees were given a chance to vote for their favorite product or service. The top five business ideas were then determined by combining the attendees’ votes with the judges’ votes.

The table below includes information on the top five award winners and their products or services.

winners chart

 

Session 12

PioBiz Competition Round 2: Proof of Concept

Thursday, April 22: 4:30 p.m.

A Glance at Session 12

session 12 pic

In this session, six teams of Marietta College students competed in Round 2 of the PioBiz Competition entitled “Proof of Concept”. Each team used up to 7 minutes to prove that their business idea is likely to succeed. Upon the conclusion of a team’s presentation, the competition judges asked questions for 5 minutes. After the last team's presentation, attendees were given a chance to vote for their favorite product or service. The top five business ideas were then determined by combining the attendees’ votes with the judges’ votes. In this round of the Competition, the top 5 business ideas won $200 to $400 each.

The table below includes information on the top five award winners and their products or services.

winners

 

 

 

 

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