advertisement

Successful Entrepreneurs Mentor Students Through E2 Program at COD

Enterprising students who want to start their own businesses are receiving sound advice through a new mentorship program at College of DuPage.

The Emerging Entrepreneurs Mentorship Program - or E2 - has paired 10 students with successful entrepreneurs and businesspeople during the past academic year. Through a variety of workshops, lectures, networking and one-on-one activities, the students gain the information they need to be successful, and many will leave the program with a business plan for their future start-ups.

"Other colleges have this type of program, but we added our own twist by involving individual mentors for all of our students," said Bev Carlson, Program Support Specialist at College of DuPage.

The idea for the program was created after Kris Fay, Associate Dean of Business, Rita Haake, Manager of the Center for Entrepreneurship, and Sonny Smith, Professor of Business, attended the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship conference. The College then worked to secure funding through the Coleman Foundation that focused on education and mentorship.

Students applying to E2 must complete or be enrolled in either Introduction to Business or Business Entrepreneurship, be in good academic standing, and be enrolled in a minimum of nine credit hours. They also need to present a concept for their own start-ups.

"Along with a resume and references, we have them submit a video pitch," Carlson said. "It doesn't need to be well-developed, because the students work on their ideas through the program. We just needed to make sure they have an entrepreneurial mindset."

Dominick Malzone of Naperville applied to the E2

program because he knew it would allow him to network with like-minded people.

"My ultimate goal is to be a serial entrepreneur, with a handful of successfully launched businesses, and to become a venture capitalist," he said. "The E2 program has taught me a wide variety of skills, from starting to scaling a business. Most importantly, it has opened doors to valuable resources, which far exceeded my expectations."

Paired with Malzone is Tom Kerestes of Aurora, whose 40 years of business experience included product development, sales manufacturing and running small businesses within larger corporations. While Malzone is sensitive about discussing his idea, Kerestes said they worked together to make sure it was a feasible one.

"Having an idea is one thing. Making sure it's good enough for people to want is more important," Kerestes said. "The biggest part was to define the target customers and determine why they would see value in this product."

Kerestes said the pairing allowed he and Malzone to discuss many topics, including how to manage school while finding the time to turn a great idea into a successful business as well as how to remain motivated throughout the process.

"It's good to see students at this age have aspirations and think about their own businesses," he said. "I give Dominick a lot of credit on how he is handling everything, as it will impact his future."

While no credit is earned through the program, Carlson said the benefits are many. During the first semester, activities are geared toward providing students with the tools needed to work on a business plan. These include workshops on financials and business planning. By the end of January, many students had developed a rough draft for their businesses.

"In February, we had a panel of successful entrepreneurs sharing real-life experiences," Carlson said. "This was followed by a session on social media and Pitch Day, during which students spoke with angel investors and worked on their plans.

"By the end of the program, students will walk away from E2 with a plan and many great resources, and at no cost to them. The feedback has been amazing, and it was exciting to watch the students as they refined - and in some cases completely changed - their ideas."

Malzone recommends the program to any student thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.

"The Emerging Entrepreneur program has been a great experience. It has offered hands-on experience, great seminars with well-respected speakers, and a wide variety of knowledge that is useful for every person interested in business, regardless of industry. It is well worth your time as this program does not cost anything and has an application process that results in a group full of intelligent, well-rounded participants."

The application process for the 2015-2016 E2 program will begin later this year. For more information, please call (630) 942-2140, email carlsonb@cod.edu or visit www.cod.edu/programs/business/emerging_entrepreneur/.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.