2020 Bloch Magazine by UMKC Bloch School

UMKC HENRY W. BLOCH SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT | 2020 EDITION

Regarding

HENRY

Light illuminates Bloch Executive Hall. Since its opening, those who come through the atrium find a place for learning and inspiration.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY HENRY W. BLOCH SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT | 2020 EDITION

INSIDE 14

Giving Heart & Soul … and Then Some The 34th annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards celebrated innovators and game-changers.

Regarding Henry 16

Remembering Henry W. Bloch, who set the foundation and future for the Bloch School.

The Quest for Meaning Bloch helps purpose-driven students gain the tools to create a career and life they want.

Design for Bloch Faculty, staff and clients benefit from an innovative and proven process.

NEWS BRIEFS

AROUND THE BLOCH

2 From the dean

28 New Gifts Support Update to Heritage Hall

4 Making a business move

Bloch students will receive more support and opportunities for engagement.

5 B.B.A. gets a makeover 6 Faculty/Staff News

29 The Business of Art

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 8 Ready to Present

Coming off a record year, UMKC Enactus is prepared for the next level.

10 A New Chapter Begins

A new minor, taught by Bloch faculty, helps art students gain entrepreneurial success.

30 Alumni Feature: Mike Plunkett 32 Alumni Briefs and Class Notes

The start of ALPFA means new workforce training and opportunities.

12 Prepared for Liftoff

New pilot program fuses classroom work with workforce development training.

On the Cover: Henry W. Bloch’s impact is reflected in this photographic mosaic of events and experiences. Cover photo by Dan White. Special thanks to Kristina Patrick and Jill Masson for their help in compiling photos and factoids. CREDITS Production: UMKC Division of Strategic Marketing and Communications n Editor: Mike Plunkett n Art Director: Brett Dietrich n Photographer: Brandon Parigo n Cover Illustration: Mike Duah n Writers: Kelsey Haynes, Bridget Koan, John Martellaro, Patricia O’Dell, Hallie Spencer, Julie Whitsitt n Vice Chancellor of Strategic Marketing and Communications: Anne Hartung Spenner n Chief Marketing Strategist: Kim West n Assistant Director of Marketing: Zangi Miti Bloch Magazine is published annually by the Henry W. Bloch School of Management to encourage interest and support among UMKC alumni, friends and constituents. BSM 19023705

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n FROM THE DEAN

A CONTINUAL COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

s we go to print, COVID-19 is changing how we all live and work. Here at Bloch, we are now delivering classes online and will continue to do so into the summer. Our faculty are working hard to make this transition and ensure a positive experience for our students. While students are not in our classrooms, they are using videoconferencing and other tools to conduct live case discussions, work on consulting projects, make presentations and complete group projects. Our staff is impressively focused on connecting with students via online platforms for academic advising, student support and career coaching sessions. We have a hotline for students who are experiencing challenges and have established a response team to determine how to help them remain successful. These are difficult times, but we can all take pride in how our students, faculty, and staff are pulling together to make this work. The challenges presented by the virus are very much top of mind. But at this difficult time, we also want to take a moment to reflect upon other important developments and transitions that we have witnessed in recent times. Thanks to generous philanthropic support, we have launched a multimillion-dollar scholarship program designed to make college more affordable and encourage students to pursue professional development and experiential learning. New partnerships have allowed us to support the region by helping employers develop and source talent. And thanks to donor support, we are engaged in efforts to refurbish Bloch Heritage Hall. We have revamped our curriculum and launched innovative ways to deliver our courses, leveraging technology to blend flexibility and engagement. We have seen many valued colleagues retire, followed by the addition of a talented wave of new faculty. Sadness was also very much part of our recent past here at Bloch. Our benefactor and friend Henry W. Bloch passed away one year ago. His passing has prompted much thought about his legacy and how his values and life story will serve as an enduring source of inspiration. We are honored to carry on with the “project” he started here at Bloch. As you will see inside this edition of the Bloch Magazine, Mr. Bloch’s relationship with the school started decades ago. He had a long-standing and full-fledged commitment to helping us pursue excellence. He was all in, and for this, we are so grateful. Most readers very much appreciate the incredibly generous financial support that he provided the school, but his efforts went well beyond this. He served as mentor, spoke to classes and helped connect us to business and organizational leaders. He lent his name and he worked to help us build strong programs. And he offered so many of us generous words of encouragement and sound advice. He made a commitment to help us pursue excellence and he never wavered in that commitment. As you read this edition, you will see that we are working to follow Mr. Bloch’s entrepreneurial spirit and his resilience in the face of challenges. To our Bloch School alumni and supporters, we invite you to join us in this effort.

Brian Klaas, Ph.D. Dean, Henry W. Bloch School of Management

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n NEWS BRIEFS

MAKING A BUSINESS MOVE New location puts entrepreneurship facility at heart of K.C. startup community

INSTITUTES/CENTERS SPOTLIGHT

MIDWEST CENTER FOR NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP The MCNL, along with the Department of Public Affairs, is in the midst of the 2019-2020 Aaron Levitt Social Entrepreneurship Challenge. Now in its eighth year, the challenge educates early-stage social entrepreneurs on how to conceptualize, organize and start a social venture. Participants engage in sessions and workshops throughout the academic year, culminating with the Changemaker pitch event on June 16.

LEWIS WHITE REAL ESTATE CENTER Entrepreneurs are making themselves at home in the new Bloch VentureHub facility at Plexpod Westport Commons.

he Bloch VentureHub joins entrepreneurs from across Kansas City at Plexpod Westport Commons with permanent office space in the giant coworking building along E. 39th St. The Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation announced a multiyear agreement this past fall with Plexpod, a local coworking facility. The redesigned VentureHub, which moved from its previous location at 43rd and Madison streets, features onsite mentors, a resource library and open hours for students and entrepreneurs. The historic Plexpod building once housed Westport Junior High School. A 2017 renovation transformed the 1923 structure into one of the world’s largest coworking communities. The coworking facility is one of several Plexpod locations throughout Kansas City, thanks to the work of several local entrepreneurs like David Brain, an inaugural member of the Bloch Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. The Bloch VentureHub plans to offer Coworking Wednesdays, where enrollees and alumni of the Institute’s Entrepreneurship Scholars (E-Scholars) program, UMKC students and other entrepreneurs can work in the space and enjoy the benefit of Institute mentors. “The mission of the Regnier Institute is to take entrepreneurship beyond the classroom. This is a deliberate step to offer Reigner Institute resources to the community,” said Andy Heise, managing director of the Regnier Institute. In addition to housing active ventures, Plexpod hosts One Million Cups, a business pitch gathering sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation, as well as community events. The VentureHub’s new home places the Regnier Institute in the center of Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Institute Managing Director for Venture Creation Bryan Boots oversaw the development of the agreement. “Being here will help the Regnier Institute stay close to the pulse of entrepreneurship communities,” he said. Along with this new Plexpod annex, the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation maintains its core offices in Bloch Executive Hall.

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Over 230 attendees gathered in February at UMKC for the 2020 UMKC Real Estate Symposium. Keynote speakers included Robert Kaplan, president of the Dallas Federal Reserve, who spoke on economic conditions and the stance of monetary policy; Paul Doherty of the digit group, inc., and Glenn Mueller, professor of real estate at the University of Denver. In addition, local professionals shared their insights.

L.P. COOKINGHAM INSTITUTE OF URBAN AFFAIRS The Missouri Housing Development Commission awarded the Cookingham Institute a contract for $228,000 to prepare a five-year affordable housing strategic plan for the State of Missouri. The five-year plan will facilitate informed decision-making about how federal housing program dollars will be used to meet housing needs among members of the workforce, elderly and persons with disabilities.

B.B.A. GETS A MAKEOVER Revised curriculum adds class flexibility, focus on undergraduate job-readiness

tarting in Fall 2020, Bloch undergraduate students completing the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree will have the ability to combine deep technical knowledge of a business discipline or industry with complementary courses that position new graduates for emerging careers requiring a combination of skills that defy traditional academic silos. Under the new “4+3 structure,” Bloch B.B.A. students will combine a four-course emphasis area with a three-course interest area. The emphasis areas are deep dives in functional areas like marketing, entrepreneurship and finance, or in industry sectors such as real estate and health care. The interest areas are course combinations that provide a basket of additional technical skills, such as analytics and business intelligence, or may augment with training in areas like organizational leadership and innovation and design. Together, the emphasis and interest area structure allows students to create a distinctive educational experience that better aligns their coursework with their career objectives. The structure also recognizes that students with diverse interests and objectives may pursue very different career paths, even within the same industry. The earlier students are able to identify a path that aligns with their academic and career goals, the better prepared they are to choose courses, experiential learning activities, internships and professional development opportunities that help students transition seamlessly from Bloch to their career. The new curriculum for the B.B.A. degree completes a two-year process undertaken by Bloch officials to update the core curriculum every undergraduate student must take, along with courses traditionally considered as electives. Bloch faculty made the change to respond to an entrepreneurial and

innovative Kansas City region growing in emerging fields like health care, data analytics and logistics. The new structure allows Bloch to meet the career training needs of existing students, while positioning the school to adapt quickly to changing labor market expectations. Part of the challenge is educating students on overlooked — but high potential — career fields like sales and logistics that requires a data-driven approach to connecting student learning outcomes in the classroom with the in-

demand skill sets employers want. As part of the curriculum change, Bloch is also investing in emerging areas that align with high-growth careers in Kansas City. Bloch is building new emphasis areas in supply chain management and business analytics — two fields that span multiple industries in the region. Bloch is also creating new interest areas in analytics and professional sales, along with updating offerings in entrepreneurship, finance, nonprofit and other critical areas.

THE 4+3 OPTION

Starting this fall, students pursuing the Bachelor in Business Administration degree will combine a four-course emphasis area with a three-course interest area. EMPHASIS AREA Analytics and Busines Intelligence* Entrepreneurship Finance Health Administration Management Marketing Nonprofit Management Real Estate Supply Chain Management*

INTEREST AREA Analytics and Business Intelligence* Banking and Financial Services Corporate Finance and Investments Financial Management Innovation and Design Market Research and Analytics Organizational Leadership Real Estate Sales and Business Development Startup Technology, Innovation and Management

EXAMPLE: A student who plans to go into the health care profession can choose health administration as their emphasis area and take these courses: Health Administration (12 credit hours) 1. Financial Management Issues of Health and Human Services Organizations 2. Leadership and Management in Health Care Organziations 3. The Economics of Health and Medicine 4. Health Policy in the United States

PLUS With a career goal to be a CFO of a hospital, that student can complement their emphasis with these financial management courses: Financial Management (9 credit hours) 1. Financial Management 2. Global Financial Markets and Institutions 3. Investments OR Cost Management

*Pending MDHE approval

OTHER EXAMPLES: Aspiring to a career in commercial development, a student could pair real estate with market research and analytics. Excited by the FinTech market, an entrepreneurship emphasis area student could add banking and financial services.

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n NEWS BRIEFS

PROFESSORS NAMED ASSOCIATE DEANS

n Fall 2019, Brian Anderson, Ph.D., associate professor of Entrepreneurship and Sidne Ward, Ph.D., associate professor of Management Information Systems were appointed associate deans of the Bloch School. Anderson is working with curriculum committees and taskforces to design new degree and certificate programs; support efforts to encourage innovation in the delivery of academic programs; provide administrative leadership for staff involved in advising, recruiting and student services; work with staff and faculty at Bloch and UMKC to develop and execute strategies designed to improve outcomes related to enrollment, retention, and the student experience and act as a liaison with university offices supporting the delivery of our academic programs. Ward is overseeing AACSB accreditation processes and assurance of learning activities; support efforts associated with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and NASPAA accreditation; support efforts to enhance and improve physical infrastructure and facility utilization; and support efforts to encourage co-curricular engagement through resource allocation, initiative development and coordination efforts. Ward also will serve as the Bloch School Director of Global Management Education Initiatives.

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The landscape of the family farm takes center stage in “The Land,” the fourth movie by Stephen Pruitt, economics and finance professor. The movie is available to stream on Amazon. Photo provided by Stephen Pruitt.

BLOCH PROFESSOR SCREENS LATEST MOVIE

he Land, the latest independent feature film directed by Stephen Pruitt, the Arvin Gottlieb/Missouri Endowed Chair of Business Economics and Finance, had its world premiere at the iconic TLC Chinese Theater in Hollywood in June 2019 and subsequently claimed top prizes at film festivals throughout the Midwest. The movie, co-written and co-produced by Pruitt and his wife, Mary Settle Pruitt, was shot in the greater Kansas City area and deals with timely issues involving rural depression and suicide as a result of the current agricultural crisis. It addresses the question facing many individuals approaching the end of their working careers: “Are we more than what we do?” “It has been a wonderful privilege to see Mary’s and my films have such an extraordinary impact on people’s lives. ‘The Tree’ (released in 2017) is now being shown in nursing homes and public libraries by senior organizations such as AARP, the Bernard Osher Foundation, and Kansas Advocates for Better Care (KABC) all over the area and beyond,” Pruitt said. “The Land” will be released on Amazon this spring.

RENZ HONORED FOR SERVICE

avid Renz, professor emeritus and director of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, was honored in 2019 by the city of Kansas City, Missouri for his decades of service in working with the nonprofit sector. Former Mayor Sly James and the city council, led by former Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner, approved a resolution recognizing Renz, “whose leadership and governance expertise has impacted

the nonprofit sector in Kansas City and organizations around the world.”

SAYING GOODBYE

e said farewell and good luck to these wonderful professors. Combined, they provided more than 200 years of academic excellence and care for our students and school.

Top left to right: Lee G. Bolman, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Management David W. Cornell, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus, Accountancy Nancy E. Day, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Management Steve Mitchell, instructor, Marketing and Supply Chain Management David O. Renz, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Public Affairs, and director of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership Georgia Smedley, Ph.D., associate professor, Accountancy Marilyn L. Taylor, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Management Nancy D. Weatherholt, Ph.D., associate professor, Accountancy

FACULTY AND STAFF UPDATES AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS

PROMOTIONS

Nathan Mauck, Ph.D., associate professor of Finance, and David Lloyd, assistant teaching professor, were selected as the 2019 Graduate and Undergraduate Faculty Impact Award winners. Students vote on the faculty who have the most positive impact on them throughout their careers at the Bloch School. Mauck and Lloyd are inspirational role models for our students and very deserving of this honor.

Jeff Johnson, Ph.D., marketing, promoted to Associate Professor, granted tenure

Roozmehr Safi, Ph.D., assistant professor of Management Information Systems, was named the 2019 recipient of the Elmer F. Pierson Good Teaching Award. Jeff Hornsby, Ph.D., chair of the Management Department and director of the Regnier Institute, was named a University of Missouri Curators’ Distinguished Professor. This is the highest and most prestigious academic rank awarded by the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri. David O. Renz, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Nonprofit Leadership and director of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, was honored with the “Special Lifetime Achievement Award” by Nonprofit Connect. Renz is only the second honoree of the award in the 35-year history of Kansas City-based membership organization. Brandon Martin, Ed.D., UMKC athletics director, serves as an executive in residence for leadership programming for sports professionals.

Tammie Schaefer, Ph.D., accounting, promoted to Associate Professor, granted tenure

NEW FACULY HIRES The Bloch School hired the following full-time instructors: David Jarrett, visiting assistant professor, Management David Kenner, instructor, Management Alex Krause Matlack, instructor, Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation Tony Vatterott, visiting assistant professor, Marketing and Supply Chain Management Niki Waldron, instructor, Accountancy Gary O’Bannon, instructor, Management

We welcomed these new staffers during the academic year: Kristina Shultz, senior office support assistant Cindy Thompson, senior academic advisor Alexandra Schumacher, associate director of Graduate Programs Frank Garcia-Ornelas, senior student recruitment specialist

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n STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

READY TO PRESENT Coming off a record year, UMKC Enactus is prepared for the next level By Mike Plunkett

From left: Andrea Savage, Salem Habte and Ali Brandolino competed in London. Photo provided by Enactus.

t’s hard to summarize a years’ worth of work in about 18 minutes. But at the 2019 Enactus National Exposition, members of the UMKC Enactus team did exactly that. In front of top executives from Hallmark and other Fortune 500

“While our team has many goals, our overarching goal is to impact as many people as possible in a positive way.” — Ali Brandolino

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companies, presenters provided a robust summation of projects the 80-plus members took on, such as combating food waste using an app, partnering with a community school in Ogwuokwu, Nigeria to provide clean water and new educational opportunities and supporting entrepreneurial artists through mentorship programs.

“The student’s presentation is their best calling card. After [the judges and audience] see that, they say, ‘Oh wow, I get it,’” said Erin Blocher, assistant teaching professor and co-faculty advisor for Enactus. When Nationals was done, UMKC achieved a first: Out of more than 400 Enactus teams, recognition as one of the top four. That award was a culmination of months of hard work. It’s also the recognition of the Bloch School ensuring student-driven organizations based on human-centered design like Enactus continue to thrive. Their feat at Nationals highlights how Enactus has grown and matured as a student organization. Ben Williams, Enactus advisor, said since coming under the Bloch School in 2005, Enactus has benefited from the school’s investment in its successes. That investment includes support from Bloch alumni. FeedKC, the social

program created by Andrea Savage (B.B.A. ’19) while she was a Bloch student, coordinates leftover food pickups with nonprofit soup kitchens and food preparers. The team’s network provided technical assistance to keep the project moving without exorbitant expenses. A donor also invested in FeedKC during the 2019 Pure Pitch Rally, a “Shark Tank” type format where Savage promoted the nonprofit to raise awareness and generate continued investment and support. Savage received $1,000 from the Rotary Club of Kansas City, as well as additional verbal commitments for additional funding. The group’s leadership has also been recognized for their contributions. Savage and junior Ali Brandolino, who currently serves as Enactus vice president, won the Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 2018 and 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, respectively. Williams said the group exemplifies the type of top performers key companies want. “The city sees the value of students like Andrea and Ali, investing back into the city. We have a ton of support from people across Kansas City who see the impact of these students and say, ‘This is something I want to support,’” said Williams, managing director of student programs for the Regnier Institute. In 2020, Enactus is keeping to the same principles that made them successful. What makes UMKC unique to other Enactus programs is its embrace of human-centered design as a guiding principle. In applying elements of design thinking, Williams said the goal is to “create for the person, not for the project.” Brandolino said that because of Enactus’ approach to human-centered design, the projects will continue to evolve. The team constantly iterates to ensure continued success and meet the needs of the people they are impacting. In addition to FeedKC and Educate to Elevate, the program that partners with

the village in Ogwuokwu, Enactus will focus its 2020 efforts on: The Pegasus Project, which fits bikes with electric motors to help underserved communities who don’t have access to their own transportation. Generation Green, a sustainability project working to eliminate plastic in the KC area by recycling plastics into usable teaching supplies. Menasha, working with the Wisconsin-based manufacturing corporation on how to solve issues associated with hiring temporary workers. And in a unique arrangement, Enactus will partner with the Association of Latin Professionals for America on collaborating with a Mexican border town. Both aim to accomplish several projects, such as setting up processes to sell artisan products in the United States. It’s a lot to take on but Brandolino said the team is ready for the challenge. “While our team has many goals, our overarching goal is to impact as many people as possible in a positive way,” she said. Blocher and Williams hope that Enactus’ successes will lead to continued support from Bloch alumni and the greater Kansas City area. Even though the Bloch School provides funds, Enactus raises the majority of its budget through donations and sponsorships. And yes, the team is preparing for another trip to Enactus Nationals. As pleased as they were with the 2019 results, Williams and Blocher know that Nationals is a part of the journey and not the endpoint. “For Erin and me, it’s a student development goal for us,” Williams said. “If we never made it to the final four again, that would be fine, as long as we see these students develop.” “These students are having the ultimate college experience,” Blocher said.

STUDENT CHAPTERS HONORED

tudent chapters affiliated with the Bloch School were awarded during the 2019-2020 academic year: Beta Alpha Psi announced that accounting professors Melissa Schulte and Julie Kline and the Epsilon Delta Chapter have been recognized internationally as a Distinguished Chapter. The Nu Xi Chapter of Delta Sigma Pi from University of Missouri-Kansas City won four awards for the Fraternity’s Midwestern Region: R. Nelson Mitchell Outstanding Collegiate Chapter, Outstanding Service Award for a Collegiate Chapter, Outstanding Professional Activities Award for a Collegiate Chapter, and Outstanding Scholastic Development Award for a Collegiate Chapter. In addition, Dr. Robert Waris was recognized as the Midwestern Region Chapter Advisor of the Year. Awards were presented at their biennial national convention, Grand Chapter Congress.

UMKC Enactus is hard at work for the 2020 Nationals competition. For more information, visit umkcenactus.org or contact Ben Williams at williamsbenj@umkc.edu.

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n STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

From left: Kevin Flores, Ignacio Pardo, Advisor Frank Garcia-Ornelas, Victor Michimani and Hannia Zavala lead Bloch’s ALPFA chapter, the first in Kansas and Missouri.

A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS An on-campus presence means new workforce training and opportunities By Mike Plunkett

he Fall 2019 semester saw the launch of the Association of Latin Professionals for America (ALPFA) at the Bloch School. About 40 students from Bloch and other UMKC academic units came together to start the professional development organization on campus. ALPFA president Victor Michimani said there was a pressing need for the new chapter. “Kevin [Flores, ALPFA’s vice president] and I said [the fall] was meant to be a planning phase but this is a time that we should be getting out as a lot of companies are looking at students,” he said. “We said, ‘Let’s see where it goes, even though we were organized but not established. Let’s try to make a presence now.’” Michimani, a former Conservatory student who now majors in Accounting

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said that as a Kauffman Scholar, he has been immersed in learning the ins and outs of launching a career. But he saw that development was needed on a broader scale. “UMKC needed an organization like ALPFA to expose the many gifts and talents Latinx students possess,” said Ivan Ramirez, staff advisor for ALPFA. “This new organization will be able to highlight the talents of our Latinx students, and focus on enhancing professional skills and opportunities to grow.” ALPFA was started in California in 1972 to provide professional development programs and support to Latinx students. ALPFA helps connect students to major companies and build a national network of student and professional chapters. There are more than 150 student chapters in the United States but before the Bloch School chapter, none in

Missouri or Kansas. That lack of presence on Bloch was something many in the Latinx community at campus saw was needed. Michimani said ALPFA’s aim is driving professional development “for a group that typically needs that extra push at times.” Many are first-generation college students who need extra support in navigating the changing realities of the workforce. For example, one of their events included a panel discussion of Bloch alumni and locally-based executives on navigating careers and the workforce as a Latinx professional. “The goal is to balance the scales and bridge the gap providing support for Latinx students so that they can be more competitive at UMKC but most importantly in their professional careers,” said Ramirez, student services coordinator with the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. The ALPFA team has many plans. Partnering with Enactus, they seek to empower artisans in Mexico while creating sustainable alternatives for the youth keeping them from joining drug cartels. The year-long project will research and create ways to help the border town with its water filtration, as well as create financial technology services and help local artisans sell their products in the United States. They also want to inspire other universities in Kansas and Missouri to start an ALPFA chapter, using their experiences in getting started at Bloch to help them. The leaders of ALPFA have a lofty goal for the Bloch chapter. Even though Michimani and Flores will graduate in spring 2021, Flores said they want to build something that will last in the Bloch School. “We want to leave a legacy here, so continuing members know what’s expected and companies can recruit from UMKC that aren’t already here.”

If you are interested in donating to ALPFA, please contact Alfredo García, Ph.D., director of major gifts for the Bloch School at a.garcia@umkcfoundation.org.

REPORT SHOWS BIG GAINS FOR BLOCH SCHOOL GRADUATES

TOTAL NUMBER OF BLOCH SCHOOL GRADUATES: 309* Undergraduate Average Salary

Employment Outcome Rate

$48,131

95%

e know our gradutes ear the best in the egion.r And the numbers speak for themslv. Our lates

$100,000 HIGH $30,000 LOW ($47,900 MEDIAN)

employnt eport showed subtanil gains for our undergat studen, with easincr in averg salry and the centagpr of those employd ofesinalypr withn 90 days of gradution.

The Bloch erCa Centr worked with emor than 300 employrs on quality intershp and jobs, and we help entcur studen and alumni with esumr eviws,r practie intervws and networkig oprtunies. To get the complet employnt eport or to learn emor about the Bloch erCa ,Centr conta us at ernt@umkc.dbloha or 816-235-5529.

Number of graduates by emphasis area

Accounting

Management

Enterprise Management

Marketing

Entrepreneurship

Real Estate

Finance

ARE EMPLOYED PROFESSIONALLY WITHIN 90 DAYS OF GRADUATION

91%

of graduates accepted positions in the Greater Kansas City area

* Summer 2018/Fall 2018/Spring 2019 n bloch.umkc.edu

n STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

PREPARED FOR LIFTOFF New program fuses classroom work with workforce training By Bridget Koan

ike a startup or an established business, there’s always a need to innovate, keeping the customer in mind. The Bloch School always has been known for innovation when it comes to providing future entrepreneurs and business leaders with the education and skills required to meet workforce demands.

Through working on projects under deadline as a team, Bloch Launchpad is preparing scholars for the workforce.

“We want students to have a unique experience while at Bloch,” said Scott Ezzell, manager of undergraduate admissions and recruiting. “The experience we create for the student needs to be different.” Thanks to a substantial investment from UMKC, the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation, the H & R Block Foundation and the University of Missouri System, the Bloch School created Bloch Launchpad. Launchpad is for first-time college and transfer students from Missouri and Kansas enrolling in business or accounting degree programs. In its inaugural year, Launchpad enrolled 58 students — students like Jordan Daniels from Kansas City, Missouri. “I applied to the Launchpad program to get connected and established with other students who have similar career interests,” Daniels said. “The Launchpad program is one that should be pursued by every business student coming to UMKC.” 12

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Launchpad Scholars take the same classes as other UMKC Bloch students, but also have built-in opportunities for internships, development workshops and career fairs; participation in student organizations and leadership activities; mentorship programs; and business seminars. “Launchpad sets students up for success at a very early stage so their employment outcomes after graduation are strong,” said Erin Christensen, employer relations and outreach manager with the Bloch Career Center. Launchpad Scholars are engaged with staff, faculty and business leaders before classes even start. They began with Liftoff, an orientation held the summer before the semester starts. Parents and students gathered for welcome activities, team-building exercises and a site visit to the Sprint campus in Overland Park. Being a Launchpad Scholar is a fulfilling challenge because of the advanced academic and program requirements. When it’s time for graduation, scholars are prepared for the next step. That sentiment rang true for Gavin Ott, a freshman from Platte City, Missouri, who likes the program because it has the potential to set students apart from their peers by measurable differences. “I looked at all of the possible options and felt that UMKC would best prepare me to reach my goals and secure the ideal career,” Ott said. Daniels is pleased to be among the first students to participate in the Launchpad program and hopes the first group of scholars can provide a great foundation for the cohorts to come. “Having transferred to UMKC, I wanted to quickly fit in and find my group of people here on campus,” Daniels said. “I really appreciate the fact that everyone in the program wants you to succeed. There are so many great resources that have helped me secure an internship, practice my interview skills and really just prepare me for the real world.” “They are really engaged students,” Christensen said. “Ultimately, Henry would love the sense of philanthropy in the students.”

For more information on Bloch Launchpad, visit bloch.umkc.edu/launchpad.

WE THINK STRATEGICALLY. WE ARE INNOVATORS. WE ARE KANSAS CITY’S BUSINESS SCHOOL.

At every step of your professional journey, you will need new skills and credentials to advance.

READY FOR THE NEXT STEP?

Whether you’re a few years into your career or making a career switch, planning advancement to the C-Suite or looking to build your expertise with a specialized degree, the Bloch School has you covered.

Visit bloch.umkc.edu/graduate-program/ Contact us at blochgrad@umkc.edu

Professional MBA – Flexible. Experiential. Engaging.

The Bloch PMBA is optimized for busy professionals. Our hybrid format allows for learning online or in-person at any point. And we offer GMAT waivers.

Executive MBA – Define Your Place.

Expand your leadership perspective and connections with the EMBA. Learn new ideas, methods and experiences to match your aspirations and adapt to a changing business landscape.

Specialized Master’s Degrees

Accounting Entrepreneurial Real Estate Finance Public Administration

GIVING HEART & SOUL … AND THEN SOME The 34th Entrepreneur of Year Awards Celebrate Kansas City Innovators By Kelsey Haynes

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n true Bloch fashion, the 34th Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, hosted by the Regnier Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, was celebratory of the collaborative work it takes to turn dreams into reality. The event, held November 15 in Bloch Executive Hall, noted how the legacy of Henry Bloch lives on through the lives of others and within Kansas City. “In the past few years, we’ve been saying, ‘Let’s make Kansas City America’s most entrepreneurial city,’ and we’ve worked together to make that happen,” said UMKC Innovation Center executive director Maria Meyers, the Marion and John Kreamer Awardee for Social Entrepreneurship. Meyers founded SourceLink, a repository of resources for local entrepreneurs that has been replicated across the nation. Many of the 2019 honorees shed light on their climbs to success, the leaps of faith it took to get their ideas off the ground and the support from the Kansas City community to persevere. “There’s a long-existing theory that suggests when you dream out loud — when you speak your ideas into the universe — they are more likely to come back to you,” said Tom Bloch, who introduced the Cerner co-founders as the Henry W. Bloch International Entrepreneurs of the Year. “We could say that’s what happened for Cerner co-founders and Entrepreneur Hall of Fame inductees Neal Patterson, Paul Gorup and Cliff Illig.”

“Everything that Henry Bloch touched was heart and soul first.” — Danny O’Neill, founder/“Bean Baron” of The Roasterie

2019 ENTREPRENUERS OF THE YEAR

L-R: Neal Patterson, Paul Gorup and Cliff Illig, co-founders, Cerner Corporation; Maria Meyers, executive director of UMKC Innovation Center/SourceLink; Michael Rea, founder and CEO, Rx Savings Solutions; Ali Brandolino, UMKC junior

From an idea generated around a park bench to one of the largest health-care technology companies in the world 40 years later, Cerner employs more than 29,000 associates in 26 countries worldwide. In his acceptance speech, Illig shared gems from the co-founders’ journey for attendees to take away, such as treating your employees as business associates, creating a collaborative culture to tackle complex programs and sharing the success with your team. “Kansas City is a town built by entrepreneurs,” said Illig. Recalling words from co-founder Neal Patterson, he said, “the only way that Kansas City can grow and thrive is through the efforts of its entrepreneurs. We’re not going to attract the big national companies to relocate or headquarter in our city. We have to grow our own.” In that same spirit of grit and determination, the power of passion and persistence were shown in this year’s honorees. “Persistence is the most important character trait for an entrepreneur. It’s essential for success,” said Kansas City Entrepreneur of the Year Michael Rea. “During the difficult times, knowing what you’re fighting for will get you through.”

Rea, founder and CEO of Rx Savings Solutions, added that he didn’t start his company because he thought it would make him rich, but because he thought it was the right thing to do. “If you’re not actually creating a change or making a difference in someone’s life, so what?” said Zach Anderson Pettet, former managing director of Fountain City Fintech at nbkc bank, recalling some of the lessons Bloch passed down. “Through their entrepreneurial spirits, our honorees have shown what it takes to grow an idea into a successful business, and that education these days is more than just about landing your dream job. Education, now, is about creating your dream job,” said Brian Klaas, Bloch School dean. That realization is what business administration major Ali Brandolino leans on to find her drive and success in college through entrepreneurial experiences as a member of UMKC Enactus. “I’ve realized that my idea of entrepreneurship wasn’t changing the world myself, but inspiring others to change the world. I’m a social entrepreneur and I hope to create my own social venture someday,” said Brandolino, the Student Entrepreneur of the Year, who recently became vice president of Enactus. All proceeds from the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards directly benefit the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation’s student and community programs.

The 35th annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards will be Nov. 12, 2020. Look for more details at bloch.umkc.edu/eoy.

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Regarding

HENRY We remember Henry W. Bloch, whose all-in approach, gratitude for community and love of people set the foundation and future for the Bloch School of Management By Mike Plunkett

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Henry W. Bloch knew how to leave an impression. Brian Klaas, Bloch School dean, remembers vividly how gracious and kind Mr. Bloch was, even when he was emphatically making a point. “Henry and I were having a wonderful conversation about H&R Block, Kansas City and the Bloch School,” Klaas recalled. “Mr. Bloch paused, leaned in and said, ‘We need to help the Bloch School achieve excellence, and we need to do it quickly. We need to do it for Kansas City because this city needs a great business school. Are you going to be a part of this?’” The quest for excellence long guided Henry. He was an investor and he expected a return of excellence. The Bloch School was his investment, forged as a freshman at UMKC, then called the University of Kansas City. Through good times and bad, achievements and struggles, Henry was all-in with Kansas City’s business school. Up to the end of his life, Henry was working on making the Bloch School excellent. That was his mission. That is his legacy. “When I look around Kansas City and look at all the places where Henry has made his mark, I think one of the most incredible places is the Bloch School,” said Jeff Jones, president and CEO of H&R Block. “When I think 18

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about legacy and future, the idea that his name will continue to spawn the next generation of entrepreneurs that will go on to have success in Kansas City and beyond is one of the most incredible representations of what legacy can be about.” How this legacy began and how this legacy lives on in others is a testament to his values that will endure long into the future.

A kid from down the block

When Henry died on April 23, 2019, at the age of 96, he left behind a well-documented life. He was many things: entrepreneur, executive, philanthropist, husband, father, avid fan of the Royals and Chiefs. He also was a study of contrasts. He was someone who repeatedly said he wasn’t very intelligent but demonstrated he was extraordinarily intelligent, shrewd and insightful. He was a humble young man who went on to become a war hero. He was someone who claimed his success was simply luck but also worked very hard, developed sound business strategies and executed them in a masterful way. And he was someone educated at the top universities in the country who purposely invested his time and resources over the course of decades to the business school of the local university he only attended for one year.

“He was a pretty interesting individual. All these things were opposites but he bridged them together,” said UMKC Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal, Ph.D. “That was perhaps the source of what distinguished and differentiated him as a person and made him stand out.” Henry grew up at 58th and Wornall and went to Southwest High School. When he came to what was then the University of Kansas City, both Bloch and the university were young. Henry graduated early from high school and was unsure of his direction and his abilities. “This was his first real effort at becoming a grownup,” said John Herron, Ph.D., interim dean of the UMKC College of Arts and Sciences. At UMKC, Henry discovered a passion for mathematics and the first signs of it being a possible career. While his academic skills grew at the University of Michigan and his short time at Harvard Business School, it started here. UMKC, starting a few years before Henry’s arrival in 1933, was part of Kansas City transitioning from its cowtown image into what would become a booming metropolitan area. While the university offered business classes, it would be quite some time before a bona fide business school would spring up. Herron recalled asking Henry about moving away from Kansas City or giving to other places outside the region. “Henry was incredulous at the question. ‘Why would I have done that? Kansas City gave me everything,’” Herron said. Herron thinks that comes from Henry’s perception that he and H&R Block really couldn’t have made it anywhere else. Unique conditions allowed the business to grow: postWorld War II economic booms, the Internal Revenue Service halting its free tax preparation service and a growing metropolitan area in Kansas City. But Henry was cognizant of the cultural sensitivities of Kansas City. After all, Henry and Richard Bloch were two Jewish brothers who walked down Troost Avenue and Main Street, talking with African-American businesses about helping with their bookkeeping needs. Henry’s service during World War II amplified that contrast of modesty and doubt and achieving success through hard work. Herron and Mary Ann Wynkoop, a retired UMKC professor and former director of the American Studies Program, co-wrote “Navigating a Life: Henry in World War II,” which chronicles Henry’s days in the U.S. Army Air Corps. For all the adventures and accomplishments, this stood out to the two authors: Henry was someone who noted the taxing nature of navigator training and wondered if he could complete it, but ended up completing 32 missions

without a single injury to himself or his crew. He was a war hero but he would never admit it. Henry, in conversations with Herron for the book, would say his successes, like so many things in his life, were the product of luck. But other values were taking root, like hard work, discipline and, because of the war, losing his fear of failure. And perhaps most important, being faithful to where you came from. Herron said UKC was a critical time in Henry’s life, one that he looked back on with fondness. “He was trying to figure out what are the proper boundaries of adulthood, and it all came together for him here,” Herron said. “He felt a great connection to the place.” And that connection would be the foundation to build upon the small business school at UMKC.

BUILDING BLOCKS

Henry’s overall contribution to the Bloch School is uncalculable. While not comprehensive, here are some milestones in the decades-long investment into excellence.

2010

1984

Henry donates $1 million toward renovation and the school is renamed the Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration

1986 2012

Renovated Bloch Heritage Hall opens for students

The Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation is formed

Going all in

While Henry and Richard were building H&R Block, the university was struggling to get its business school going. According to Chris Wolff, who researches UMKC history, the school of business started on a shoestring budget and a desire for business classes. The school didn’t have its own facility until the university bought the Shields Mansion. But the school quickly grew and was soon competing with its neighbor, Rockhurst University, for top business students. In 1983, Dean Eleanor Schwartz, who later became UMKC chancellor, convened an advisory committee of local CEOs to help the school meet the needs of area employers and achieve accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premer accreditation body for business schools. The mansion was in dire need of renovations. With project plans totaling $7.5 million, the University of Missouri System allocated $6 million toward the renovation. The rest was to be left to private donations. By this point, the Bloch family had already funded the Leon Bloch Law Library for the School of Law in 1978. Seeing a way to help, Henry gave $1 million toward the school. It led to an intriguing offer. “(Former UMKC Chancellor) George Russell and (former UMKC Trustee) Ed Smith cooked up the idea of naming the business school after me,” Henry said in spring 2002. “The first I knew about it was at a board meeting. I was very flattered.” “Henry saw his involvement with UMKC as a way to combine his love for Kansas City and his passion for business,” said David Miles, president of the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation.

The Bloch School changes its name to the Henry W. Bloch School of Management to better exemplify the school’s vision of transforming talent in the for-profit, nonprofit and public sectors

2013

1991 Marion H. Bloch Missouri Endowed Chair in Leadership is established

1994 Bloch Endowment Fund established

The Bloch Executive Hall for Entrepreneurship and Innovation opens. Henry gives $32 million to fund the creation of a state-of-the-art building

2000

2014

Henry W. Bloch Scholars program launched

2004 Creation of two chairs, the Henry W. Bloch Chair in Financial Services and the Henry W. Bloch Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation

2007 Dedication of the Marion Helzberg Bloch Park and Terrace on the south lawn

Henry is inducted into the UMKC Entrepreneur Hall of Fame

2017

The International Entrepreneur of the Year Award is renamed in Henry’s honor

2019

UMKC, the University of Missouri System, the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation and the H & R Block Foundation announce three new scholarships for UMKC students

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match all of that. It’s a consistent picture, a tapestry that works.”

A first-generation investor

“With his namesake on the building, Henry saw an opportunity. He recognized a need within the region for a high quality and respected school of management that would create the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders, which he saw as an exciting and worthwhile goal,” Miles said. Those who knew Henry know that once he was committed, he was committed for life and in all things. “It struck me that with Henry, there wasn’t a half in. You were all-in or you weren’t,” Klaas said. “Once he made that commitment, he was not going to waver. He was going to be focused on the mission.”

“A tapestry that works”

When Henry was a student, the term “entrepreneurship education” did not exist. There was no formal educational component to learn the ins and outs of entrepreneurship. The only instructors were the hard knocks of life and business. When the opportunity came to shape the future of the Bloch School, Henry wanted to make sure teaching the principles of entrepreneurship was top of mind. Anne St. Peter, who founded Global Prairie, a global marketing consultancy, said that Henry was fond of telling entrepreneurs not to fear making mistakes, as he and his brother made many of them. “The goal, Henry said, was to learn from these mistakes and to develop resilience along the way,” she said. “Henry told me his support of the Bloch School was to help entrepreneurs learn from the mistakes he and other business leaders made and, hopefully, allow Bloch students to learn valuable business and life lessons quickly.” Henry’s lessons on entrepreneurship inspired many like St. Peter. Both she and Henry were past chairs of the board of the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. At a luncheon, Henry 20

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told St. Peter to relish the opportunity to serve the business community of Kansas City. “At the time, I was the youngest leader to serve as Chamber chair, and Henry knew I had two small children,” St. Peter said. “Henry told me to share what I was learning at work and at the Chamber with our children, as he had done with his children while they were growing up. Henry encouraged me to bring our children along for the ride and make them feel a part of my entrepreneurial journey.” St. Peter admired Henry and his leadership greatly. He served as inspiration for her to certify Global Prairie as a Benefit Corporation, or B Corp. For Henry, community engagement and employee happiness mattered as much as shareholder value. Another component of entrepreneur education was having a strong physical presence in the community in which you serve. For the Bloch School, that meant state-of-the-art academic and research facilities. In 2011, the school was ready for a substantial upgrade. Just as in 1983, Henry chose to invest, putting $32 million toward a new building. “I choose to make this significant gift because I felt now was the right time,” he said at a celebratory event on Sept. 15, 2011. “The new mission and vision of the school both respect and directly tie into the legacy of Kansas City and align with what this community wants and needs from its business school.” Leo Morton, who was UMKC chancellor at the time, said Henry was the right person to do this because he understood that to build a reputation of excellence, you have to have the infrastructure to back it up. “One advantage UMKC has is its location. If you’re a student who has lots of options and are world class, you can go any place you want to go,” Morton said. “To recruit and retain these students, you need to have faculty that they’re attracted to, and you have to have facilities that

Within the timeline of UMKC benefactors, Henry falls in line with the likes of Stanley Durwood, Miller Nichols and Helen Spencer, who built upon the foundation of UMKC. Wolff said Henry’s contribution helped steer UMKC toward the modern era of education. “Mr. Bloch grew up in an age where it was possible to invent an industry from scratch. He saw that the future of business lay in innovations such as the ones that were created at H&R Block,” Wolff said. “Now that we live in the digital age where once again businesses and entire industries can be invented out of whole cloth, the Bloch School is on firm footing to train the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs in this new world.” Henry was a philanthropist who gave generously. And yet, he was an investor at heart. Morton, who knew Henry for many years before he became UMKC chancellor in 2007, said Henry invested with a sense of purpose, and he wanted a return. When it came to UMKC, he was a first-generation investor. When investors like Henry invest, “they don’t just put it in and leave you, they put in and hold you accountable,” Morton said. “The investor says, ‘I had an objective when I invested in you and that objective is important to me and I put in enough to show that I’m serious about that investment. And I’m going to hold you accountable.’” That objective, for the Bloch School, was for it to be excellent. And that’s something Klaas said continues today through the Bloch Family Foundation. “What the Bloch Family Foundation wants is what Henry wanted: It’s for the Bloch School to help this region thrive. They want us to support the region by pursuing excellence in everything we do and by offering outstanding experiences for students from all backgrounds and at all stages of their careers,” he said.

“Never despise small beginnings”

Henry Wash never had any desire to go into business. One of the first members of the Henry W. Bloch Scholars program in 2001, he didn’t know much about the scholarship or the man for whom it was named. He went to the scholarship reception fully intending to drop out of the program. Then he met Henry Bloch. “I arrived 30 minutes early and my plan was to get out of it. Mr. Bloch was there when I walked in, just standing,” Wash recalled.

Henry Bloch was early as well. After pleasantries and realizing they had the same first name and middle initial, Wash shared his hesitations. “I wanted to let Henry know that I’m wanting to get out of this,” Wash continued. “I just wanted to help people. So, I was telling this long story. He was looking at me and when I was done, he said ‘I want to help you. I want to mentor you and help you along.’” “I thinking to myself, nah, he wouldn’t want to do that, not for a guy like me,” Wash continued. “And he said, ‘Oh, I really do.’” That started a long friendship and mentorship that lasted many years. The Henrys spent many a lunch talking about business and life. Henry Bloch visited the Wash family often and sat on the front row during Wash’s wedding. “I was taught to never despise small beginnings,” Wash said. Henry knew that investment was more than just funding. It’s about people: where they came from, what they’re about. “Every time there were students, he wanted to mingle and speak,” Agrawal said. “He was not supporting the Bloch School for the publicity. It’s because he really cared about the students, and that stood out clearly.” The Henry W. Bloch Scholars program at UMKC, of which Wash did stay in and

graduated from in 2003, is now a 20-year commitment to provide those highly qualified students a path toward a degree. It helped students like Marla Howard, who completed her degree in Fall 2005. She said in 2006 that, “my family hasn’t had a lot of opportunities and isn’t as financially stable as others. So, I was determined to take advantage of any opportunities that crossed my path.” Wash and Howard are just two of the many students who have been impacted by Henry and the Bloch family’s investments. With the Henry W. Bloch Scholars and the Marion H. Bloch Scholars programs, both high potential and excelling students living in underserved communities attend UMKC on scholarship. Many students are currently being supported by the Bloch Launchpad program, which combines academic rigor with professional development training. It’s an investment for success with the goal of – taken from Tom Bloch’s biography of his father – many happy returns.

We are Bloch

To be sure, there is only one Henry Bloch. He is irreplaceable. But his values and the relationships he’s built with UMKC and the Bloch School are

the road map for others to make an impact as he did. “Henry was an amazing example for how supporting a school can make an important difference in the lives of so many,” Klaas said. “We are fortunate to have a number of supporters who were inspired by Henry’s work with our school. And we look forward to building upon Henry’s legacy by engaging with other alumni and supporters who are inspired by our mission.” The impact is fundamentally relational: Bloch alumni who mentor students, build a company or entrepreneurial venture and fulfill their own debt to Kansas City and beyond. They carry on Henry’s legacy. Although Henry came from another generation, what is timeless and relevant are his values: working hard, persevering, learning from customers, serving, giving back generously and never forgetting where you came from. Agrawal sees Henry’s life and example as imperative to building on that legacy of excellence. “We are good, but we need to be excellent,” Agrawal said. “So that a student in 2042, when they come to the school, somebody will be asking them where they want to apply and they’ll say, ‘I want to apply to the one of the best. I’m applying to Bloch.’”

TO THE CLASS OF 2042 Those who are born in 2020 will graduate from the Bloch School in 2042. What should those alumni know about Henry W. Bloch? David Miles, president of the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation, shares his thoughts. “Years ago, Henry gave an excellent speech to graduates of Southwest High School, his alma mater, outlining principles he viewed as essential to a successful life. The speech addresses what he would want to relay to future graduates of the Bloch School regarding his values and outlook on life. Enthusiasm and creativity alone do not guarantee success in business or in life. Hard work and persistence are key. Create a deep-rooted desire to achieve if you wish to attain success. Always have a goal, a plan or an objective in mind. Approach life with a focus on how things can be improved because everything is temporary — including success. Don’t waste time worrying about the competition. Instead, learn to appreciate it because it is competition that encourages improvement and efficiency.

It is never too late to change. We all make mistakes in life, but it is how we correct those mistakes that truly matters. Focus on keeping a cool head and moving forward. Surround yourself with the right kind of people — those who are trustworthy, make you think and require growth. Don’t do anything that wouldn’t make your parents proud. Never settle for a job. Find a calling and follow your heart.”

THE QUEST FOR MEANING

How purpose-driven students are changing the way universities and companies recruit and teach By Hallie Spencer

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UMKC senior Trae Tucker in the atrium at Bloch Executive Hall.

What is my vision for the life I want to live? Is what I’m doing worthwhile?

hese are the questions Trae Tucker, who will graduate this spring with a degree in business administration, has been asking himself throughout his time at the Bloch School. For sophomore Raiyon Smith, her vision of her life includes having a luxurious and ethical clothing business. “It’s important to me to support clothing produced in an environment where people are taken care of well,” she said. “And it’s important to be successful in a career I’ve loved since I was a little girl.” They aren’t alone: Each has friends with similar goals of having a satisfying, successful career that also gives back. One friend of Smith wants to own a gym that runs on sustainable energy, while another wants to provide recording opportunities for musicians who can’t afford studio time. The goal is creating a meaningful life and career. “Most generations want meaning,” said Tess Surprenant, director of the Bloch Career Center. “That’s nothing new, but Gen Z has been the most vocal about it.” Business schools are taking note. Yale, Harvard, NYU and UC Berkeley, among many others, have been incorporating social impact — a strong value of Gen Z (those born 19952012) — into their course and degree offerings. Several universities have adopted new methods

of experiential learning such as gaming and “edutainment,” while business schools like the Bloch School are creating innovative programs like Bloch Launchpad, merging academic classwork with professional development. (Read more about Bloch Launchpad on Page 12.) Despite these innovations, a sobering question lingers: How can business schools provide value to a new generation of students, savvy to the web and skeptical about the world, who want to create a life that is uniquely meaningful to them?

Wanting a new career ladder

Tucker said watching Gen X (born 19611981) and Millennials (born 1981-1996) pursue the traditional “white-picket fence” lifestyle has shaped his career expectations. During the Great Recession, Gen Z students saw their friends and family members struggle to find their footing. The tried and true path of graduating college, getting a strong entry-level job and climbing the corporate ladder crumbled amid massive layoffs and lost income and investments. Some began to wonder if job security and employer loyalty was less dependable now. Why not take control of your future and finances and work for yourself ? And with the rise of Kickstarter entrepreneurs and Instagram influencers, the ability to make money online now seemed open

to anyone with gumption and Wi-Fi. A recent Gallup poll found that 40% of students want to run their own business, with 24% saying they have already started. “I think what’s unique about our generation is that we want to feel safe, but we are willing to take risks in order to have meaning in our lives,” Tucker said. This disruption is leaving myriad paths to creating meaning and finding happiness — and a college degree may not be necessary for each path. According to Forbes, more than 50% of Gen Z would consider joining the workforce instead of going to college. And those who do go are more likely choose a college that can prove student outcomes through strong career networks and job placement rates. Tucker, who also works in the Bloch School Admissions Office, said he hears students say they’re looking to supplement a credentialed degree with internships, extracurriculars, competitions and mentorship opportunities. If Gen Z is going to college, they want to know they’ll graduate with more than a piece of paper. They are looking to snatch up any advantage while starting their career. “For college, I’d rather know I’m going to have a meaningful experience than get a full ride,” said Tucker. “And I think a lot of students are coming to that point. It feels like we’re at a fork in the road.” n bloch.umkc.edu

How can we cultivate a meaningful experience so business students can thrive in a changing world?

UMKC sophomore Raiyon Smith in the atrium at Bloch Executive Hall.

Early access to networks and internships

Colleges are starting to adjust their recruitment tactics and course offerings to meet these emerging realities, emphasizing the importance of student-driven learning and understanding each student’s mission, not just their choice of major. At the Bloch School, this means enhancing current offerings and creating new opportunities to help students cultivate practical skills, personal connections and continuing education experiences. “We’re really trying to focus on assessing each student and what they want out of their college experience, career and life,” said Scott Ezzell, manager of undergraduate admissions and recruiting. “What interests do they have? How involved do they want to be? What parts of UMKC will be valuable in helping meet their needs?” A “Shark Tank” experience in a marketing class was exactly what Smith needed to make her dream of creating her own fashion company a reality. “It was a great experience because it was a taste of what the real world would be like,” said 24

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Smith, who came to Bloch with a childhood dream and the beginnings of experience in the fashion industry. “Through this project, my professor recognized my passion and drive and helped me connect with fashion and clothing professionals in Kansas City to help me get started. It really meant a lot.” Even for those who are pursuing a nonlinear approach — taking a gap year, establishing a nonprofit or NGO or starting their own business — Ezzell says there’s still a lot to be gained from the college experience. “The value I promote is that an education will help you avoid the common pitfalls and help you learn from other people’s experiences,” he said. “We’ve got a great network of mentors for students — and it’s a really valuable opportunity to hear directly from them about their successes and failures. Only someone who’s actually gone through it can provide that valuable advice.” Historically, one of the biggest selling points of the Bloch School has been its alumni network — which is now more than 10,000 strong. With getting a job more focused on connections and networking, Bloch’s relationship with alumni is even more strategic to student success. Instead of waiting until senior year, students

take advantage of Bloch School connections as soon as they’re admitted. Some have even worked with the Career Center to get internships prior to the beginning of their freshman year. Bloch clubs like Enactus and the Association of Latin American Professionals for America are putting professional development at the forefront. Undergraduate and graduate students with a business idea can enroll in Entrepreneurship Scholars (E-Scholars), while getting their B.B.A. or graduate degree. And for the first time, the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge will be open to high school students in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. Tucker says learning how to network in a bustling city is exactly the type of experiential learning students want and need to help them find their niche. He and his friends have made great connections with Kansas City business leaders. “As we approach graduation, we’ve been contacted by mentors in Kansas City who want us to stay here — they want the talent to stay in K.C.,” Tucker said.

More than your typical classroom

Recently, the Bloch School re-evaluated its curriculum to provide early exposure to different areas of business and redefining emphasis areas to streamline degrees and create clearer paths to possible careers. (Read more about changes to the B.B.A. degree on Page 5.) Within the last couple years, several of those decisions have revolved around the wants and needs of Gen Z and the employers who are looking to recruit Bloch grads. More classes have turned their focus to group projects and practical case studies, often offering consultant work to local businesses. Associate Dean Sidne Ward teaches a course about making business decisions regarding technology tools. Students work in groups and meet with local small businesses to help them research how to best leverage technology to meet their business goals. It’s exactly the real-life, hands-on experience students want. “I think a lot of our alumni would be surprised at the amount of experience students are getting,” she said. “The classroom is completely different — very few are just lecturebased and a lot more are project-based.” In fact, the overall Bloch curriculum has shifted to place more of an emphasis on analytical skills. With the wealth of customer data available now, companies are eager to leverage those skills to grow their business. And students are seeing the value of the new analytics focus. “Students are more engaged when they can see how to apply their skills and see the

visualization of data. It can be really powerful for people,” Ward said. “Employers are demanding it because many current employees lack training in that type of analysis, and they’re not comfortable diving in. Our classes on analytics give a real advantage to our students.”

Creating meaning through authentic connectivity

Gen Z employees want flexibility and access to leadership, something many large companies are working to incorporate into their current internship programs. “Employers are currently in a wooing period,” Surprenant said. “With low unemployment rates, businesses are working harder to recruit our students.” In what may seem a paradox, growing up as digital natives means many in Gen Z also have a skepticism of technology. Surprenant said employers who are overly relying on technology and automation will lose out to other companies who provide authentic connections. “H&R Block interns actually get a roundtable with the CEO,” she said. “Our students got to ask questions and felt like they were listened to — it’s great that they have access to this within a 10-week internship program. And companies that provide access to leadership do well in recruiting.” For many Bloch students, their experiences in classes and internships give them an advantage in the job market. Companies are hiring for fit, but students who have learned more about themselves through meaningful experiences are also choosing employers based on fit from the student’s perspective. “They want to know, does a company have a personal connection to their people, similar values and believe in the work they do?” Surprenant said. “Ultimately, I think the decisions often come down to the people you’ll be with every day.” To best prepare its students for their careers, the Bloch School continues to create opportunities, whether that’s with companies coming into classes with live case studies and consulting needs or tapping into its network to connect students to internship experiences. At the end of a college experience, students who ask the big questions about meaning are the ones to provide their own answers. “Bloch taught me that if you want something, they have the resources to help, but at the end of the day you are the one who has to go out and get it,” Tucker said. “They’ve given me the knowledge to stand out in a meeting, of how to set myself apart from others when competing for internships. I have the tools and education to get what I want.” we’d be in a sad state

HOW TO FIND MEANING IN YOUR WORK Finding meaning in your work is all about your viewpoint and personal values, said Tess Surprenant. If you, or a student you are working with, are struggling to connect your work to the bigger picture, here are some questions you can ask: How are my company’s products being used? How are people’s lives different because of the work the company does? How does this tie into the big picture — like our economy? How does it help entrepreneurs or fuel commerce? How does it provide or sustain the livelihood of families? “It doesn’t have to solve world peace, but you are helping someone boost their confidence, directly or by providing a product or service, then you are helping them be successful,” Surprenant said. “People’s values aren’t the same. Some are passionate about investment banking, others entrepreneurship, and we’d be in a sad state without both.”

without both.”

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___

h ize

_________ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ By Patricia O’Dell

t a fall 2019 event in Bloch Executive Hall, Jason Gaikowski asked the audience to think like a designer. A nationally recognized expert on brand building and human-centered design, Gaikowski is the global lead for brand and business design at YMLY&R. Among a standing-room-only crowd, he engaged participants to consider the effectiveness of traditional business problem solving methods. “Eighty-nine percent of companies say they compete on customer experience. Eight percent of customers say they get a good experience,” Gaikowski said. “Design thinking can solve that gap.” Bloch has been mindful of the value of design thinking as the school continues to evolve. For example, flexible classrooms and labs

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incorporate some of the physical aspects of design thinking, which encourage designing for innovation. In that spirit, the school is providing tools that incorporate design thinking to help individuals and companies through its undergraduate, graduate and executive curriculums.

Evolution by design

While it may be the current fad in business circles, design thinking is not new. IDEO, a global design company, began to formalize the process that originated in 1978 with its founder David Kelley. Two years later, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs asked IDEO to develop a mouse for a new computer. Rather than reworking the existing

Faculty, staff and clients benefit from an innovative and proven process

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DESIGN FOR

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and expensive design, IDEO responded with a more easily manufactured device that kept the customer experience top of mind. The technology they developed is still used in most mouses produced today. With that, a culture and process of humancentered design was born and its design thinking methods began to spread. Gaikowski identified the elements of design thinking as defined by IDEO: empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping and testing with end users in mind. This process creates a cycle of divergence and convergence through defining the problem, testing solutions, identifying opportunities and creating prototypes and solutions. The key is to resist being quick to define the solution — which can be a challenge for both people trying to take advantage of an opportunity and those who are more comfortable relying on known solutions. “Most companies approach problems in the same way,” he said. “Define the measurable objective, research the problem, make decisions and identify the most proven solution.” This process, notes Gaikowski, often creates a focus on what an organization has to lose. And aversion to loss does not drive innovation. “Everyone wants to be a leader,” he said. “But no one wants to go first.”

Risk and reward

Scott Helm, Ph.D., the director of the Executive MBA program who practices and teaches design thinking in Bloch’s Executive Education program, thinks the process is having a moment because of some of the work that is coming out of the Stanford d.School.

To be sure, design thinking isn’t just for business. One of the most popular classes at Stanford is “Designing Your Life,” taught by professors and authors of the namesake book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. What Helm sees as new is that design thinking — which has been traditionally applied to product development, marketing and consumer interfacing — is now being applied to traditional management. “Product innovation has been doing this for 60 years and this is very much a product innovation model,” Helm said. “Car companies build cardboard prototypes. Architects have been doing this for some time.” Helm sees the innovation as a broad application of these approaches. He notes that this difference in these approaches is distinct. The more familiar deductive reasoning refers to drawing a conclusion based on a previously known or accepted fact or situation. Inductive reasoning involves using initial observations to identify the most likely solution. “If you’re looking for a needle in a haystack, you don’t need the best needle. You just c hoose the first needle that will do the trick,” Helm said. However, abductive decision-making as applied to design thinking uses the same principles and allows organizations to be more nimble. Helm noted that intellectual conception, or “ideating,” is the greatest value in taking something from invention to innovation. It’s about shaping ideas, testing, then adjusting. He notes that entrepreneurs inherently apply this philosophy. “They are already disrupting. They’ve already seen a new way to do something or do something better. They are taking a risk, whether it’s based on instinct or knowledge. They are poised to do something differently,” Helm said. Brian Daly, managing director of Bloch’s Executive Education programming, applies design thinking to the work they do consulting with and developing learning programs for external clients, who are usually receptive. “It’s really a mindset,” Daly said. “The whole process is focused on problem solving. There are tools that help along the way, but it’s not really about sticky notes and white boards. It’s about asking a lot of questions and being curious.”

Still, he meets resistance. Part of the process is to think out their roles and preconceptions. “That’s when we have the opportunity to help them practice getting from ‘What’s in it for me?’ to ‘What’s in it for the organization?’”

The purpose of process

It is not only the client who benefits. Bloch students are also stretching their mindsets in the consulting process. Andrew Roth, who was a participant in the 2019 Bloch Strategic Leadership Program, was part of a four-person team who worked on a real-time design thinking problem involving KCUR, Kansas City’s public radio station operated by UMKC. Like most of public media, KCUR has relied on the same revenue streams for decades: listeners’ contributions, underwriters and grants. They were interested in identifying new sources of revenue and determining if they could monetize their digital content. Roth, who is director of product management at Fike, a company that designs industrial safety products, was familiar with design thinking. Roth’s Strategic Leadership team included three other people who brought different perspectives to the project. He found the process energizing but had to be disciplined not to draw conclusions from the start. Initially, the team went straight to problem solving. Then they realized they were making assumptions and had a limited understanding of the station’s true problems. “It was difficult not to jump directly to ideate as a team,” he said. “Over the course of the project, we had to step back and spend more time in the research phase to understand KCUR’s business.” Resetting the process, they went back to research the underlying issues though a survey of KCUR employees. The data helped the team address the station’s needs. “We ended up coming up with better solutions,” said Roth. Jeanne Rooney, business and fiscal operations manager at KCUR, was part of the process and found it interesting to talk with people who did not know much about the station. “Honestly, we really didn’t know what to expect, but we couldn’t have been part of a

NEW DESIGN THINKING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM STARTING IN 2020 Ideal for both organizational decision makers and day-to-day problem solvers, the new design thinking certificate program will go in-depth into the methods introduced in this story. In the four-month program, participants will engage with experienced design thinking practitioners and work alongside the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy to support their mission and create opportunities for the youth of Kansas City. In addition, customized design thinking programs are available for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. For more information, contact Brian Daly at dalybr@umkc.edu.

better group,” Rooney said. “We let them know that we did not need feedback on journalistic content, but we were very interested in digital strategy, audience engagement and revenue generation.” Daly notes that KCUR’s experience exemplifies the benefit of applying design thinking concepts to issues that an organization can think are insurmountable. “They need to find the place where they can potentially change their influence on the business,” Daly said. “The design thinking process can be very beneficial for this. It enables them to ask deep questions, to really listen and use their brains to get past spreadsheets and into people.”

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NEW GIFTS SUPPORT UPDATE TO HERITAGE HALL Planned updates include centralized offices and remote classroom options By John Martellaro

ince its christening in 1986, Bloch Heritage Hall has anchored Kansas CIty’s business school. Now, it’s time for an upgrade. The historic building will be expanded and refurbished in a $15.2 million project. The effort has already received five gifts totaling $13.625 million. When completed, Bloch Heritage Hall will combine its original historic charm with 21st-century capabilities. “We are aiming for an environment that creates energy for students and signals that this is a place where important things happen,” said Brian Klaas, Bloch School dean. In part, the project is designed to address the need for additional classroom space, needs highlighted by the university’s strategic enrollment goals. But there is much more to the project than providing needed classrooms. Klaas sees the project as one that will reconfigure and enhance the building to provide more flexibility and support for students, offer a better student experience and improve student outcomes. Similar to Bloch Executive Hall, the redesigned Heritage Hall will employ a “hub concept” to create a stronger sense of community and make student support services more accessible and familiar. Programs such as academic advising, career services, supplemental instruction and support services and student organizations, plus individual and group study areas, would be located in the same central space. The goal is to create a purposeful traffic flow to promote collaborative learning.

“It will create an obvious hub for student engagement,” Klaas said. “This hub is designed to encourage students to connect with each other and with Bloch faculty and staff. It is designed to create a sense of community, a supportive community where students are encouraged to access all of the resources needed to be successful in their college career. This investment is designed to make a very real difference in outcomes for our students. And it is designed to help potential students visualize all of the opportunities available at UMKC and the Bloch School.” Another important goal is to upgrade technology, furnishings and room designs, to provide more flexibility for the multiple ways that students now access classroom instruction. Klaas said audio-visual links will allow students to attend class remotely, a feature that will appeal to students ranging from executives balancing travel

THE HISTORY OF THE HALL The core of Bloch Heritage Hall is the historic Tudor-style Shields Mansion, built in 1909. The Shields family called their new home Oaklands because of the many native oak trees that grew on the undeveloped part of the property. In 1954, it became the home of the Barstow School and later housed St. Paul’s Methodist Seminary. UMKC purchased the building in 1965 and completed a significant building addition in 1987.

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schedules to undergraduates with child care obligations. Construction is anticipated to begin in January 2021 and be completed by July 2022. Planning for the project has already begun, with architectural reviews and assessments underway along with focus group sessions designed to understand the needs of key stakeholders. Announced in August 2019, the largest single gift to support the expansion, $8 million, is part of a gift totaling $21 million from the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation. Another $5 million is part of an overall $15 million gift to the UMKC Foundation from the Sunderland Foundation. Three additional gifts supporting the project include $250,000 from the William T. Kemper Foundation, $250,000 from Bloch alumnus Mike Plunkett and $125,000 from the Capital Federal Foundation. When the Bloch Family Foundation gift was announced, UMKC Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal said the gift “honors the memory of Marion and Henry Bloch by building upon the legacy they created with the Henry W. Bloch School of Management as the provider of premier business education that Kansas City needs and deserves.”

THE BUSINESS OF ART A new minor at KCAI will help students achieve entrepreneurial success By Julie Whitsitt

he Fall 2019 semester marked the launch of a minor in Entrepreneurial Studies in Art and Design at Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI), taught by Bloch School faculty. It also signaled the blooming partnership between KCAI and the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, part of the Bloch School. Approximately 60 students are participating in the 16-credit-hour minor with courses designed to provide classroom and practical experiences. Whether they plan to start their own art studio or join an existing business, Bloch and KCAI administrators think the entrepreneurial studies minor will provide students with the skill set to succeed in both art and business. “A goal of the Regnier Institute is to educate students at UMKC but also to bring entrepreneurship education to the Kansas City community-at-large. This partnership is just one way we are doing that,” said Andy Heise, assistant teaching professor and managing director of the Regnier Institute. Increasingly, artists and designers require not only technical skill but a knowledge of business when pursuing ventures after graduation. Traditional career paths for artists are notoriously competitive and navigating health care, business insurance and financial planning while on their own can be uncharted territory. Heise said the entrepreneurship minor aims to broaden artists’ perspectives about how they can create and contribute to their field. “The systems and theories I’m beginning to understand in my courses will help me navigate the world professionally, no matter where I end up,” said Fiona Dougan, a junior majoring in graphic design at KCAI. “The Art Institute provides students with a very well-rounded education as it is, but this minor soothes

my and my parents’ nerves about life after graduation and the ‘starving artist’ stigma I want to avoid.” According to a study of the landscape of arts entrepreneurship in U.S. higher education by the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University, the idea of combining arts education and entrepreneurship in higher education began in the 1990s and developed during the 2000s. It wasn’t until after the Great Recession when the concept saw immense growth. As of 2016, just over 100 art and design schools offered arts entrepreneurship programming. Of those, 30 offerings were online courses or one-off classes and a fraction of those involved business schools teaching at an art and design institution. Among the noted programs is the Kauffman Campus Initiative, a project that sought to encourage new, interdisciplinary entrepreneurship education programs throughout American colleges and universities. KCAI alumni surveys showed a demand for business-related coursework which sparked the idea for an entrepreneurship minor. When exploring collaborators for such a unique venture and finding there currently aren’t any higher education-led art entrepreneurship programs offered in the Kansas City metro, KCAI approached the Regnier Institute. It was a natural fit. “Through our partnership with Regnier, our students have access to

ARTS ENTREPRENEURSHIP This fall, Regnier and the UMKC Conservatory will launch a certificate program for UMKC art students. For more information, contact Andy Heise at heisea@umkc.edu.

transformational entrepreneurship and business classes. Employers have always told us that KCAI graduates bring to the workplace unique attributes, creative experiences and critical thinking. When you add awareness of business fundamentals, they become even more marketable,” said Bambi Burgard, Ph.D., executive vice president for academic affairs at KCAI.

Lizzy Vivas, a KCAI junior majoring in painting, is using the skills she’s gaining to build Viva y Muerto, an environmentally conscious jewelry business.

Burgard also said KCAI is incorporating business classes into an upcoming project design major this fall and hopes to add more classes taught by UMKC into its catalog. “When you have that type of synergy going, it sets our students up for success,” Burgard said.

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ALUMNI FEATURE: MIKE PLUNKETT By Mike Plunkett

“I understand how an experience like being at the Bloch School can change a life.” – Mike Plunkett

Mike Plunkett (’91) is co-founder and COO of PayIt, a Kansas City-based government tech company that successfully closed a $100 million growth equity investment in 2019. Before that, he was a top executive in startups throughout the area. Very active as a Bloch School alumnus, he serves on the Bloch Accountancy Executive Board and the Bloch School Advisory Board. He also was the speaker for Bloch’s 2019 winter commencement ceremonies. He is, however, not the editor of the Bloch Magazine. That would be Mike Plunkett, who works in UMKC’s Division of Strategic Marketing and Communications (MCOM) and has written about business and entrepreneurship for various publications before coming to the university in 2018. Confused? So was PayIt’s email filter, which labeled Mike Plunkett (MCOM)’s emails as “Suspicious Impersonator” in Mike Plunkett (PayIt)’s spam box. Both sat down at the Bloch School to talk about lessons learned from Henry Bloch, working hard as an entrepreneur and giving back. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

MIKE PLUNKETT (MCOM): Was coming to UMKC always part of your plan after high school? MIKE PLUNKETT (PAYIT): No, it was never in the plan. I wanted to get away from Kansas City at that age and looked at a lot of schools but ended up going to Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. And so I spent two years there but I was also working my way through school. I liked SMU a lot, but I realized I didn’t want to live in Dallas. I loved Kansas City. At the same time in 1988, Henry Bloch had put all of the investment into this school. And so it was a convergence of a desire to live and work in Kansas City, and I wanted to change schools and be in an area and in a situation that would lend itself to working after school. This was the perfect place to come. And that’s still something the Bloch School is about. They are very passionate about being fully in Kansas City and helping students make that transition. In many respects, it’s a small town. But it’s a big city. It offers world-class amenities, professional sports, all the things you have in a so-called NFL city. But you run across the same people with similar values who want to be here. It’s wonderful. Did you ever meet Mr. Bloch? One time. I wish I would have had an opportunity to speak to him, but I shook his hand and thanked him. I certainly have met Tom (Bloch,

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Henry’s son and founder of University Academy) many times. I have a tremendous respect for the Bloch family. I came to the Bloch School with just the intent to study business, and got into the accounting program because it was challenging and also just rich with opportunity for student government and student involvement. It was fun but also a very, I would say, life-changing experience for me.

And this is a great place for folks to come. It’s got affordable cost of living. It’s a good city. Although, we could use a few more nice days a year, weather-wise.

Tell us how PayIt came about.

What still drives that for you?

I had always been interested in the startup and entrepreneurial world. There’s a friend of mine, John Thomson, that I’ve known for most of that time. I was in a previous business and certainly they had the desire and intent for me to stay, but I was thinking about what I wanted to do. Being happy and being fulfilled and doing things that I’m passionate about is important. John had the idea for what is now PayIt: to digitize, modernize and simplify government for everyone. He and I met in coffee shops, Panera, etc., to talk about whether we were going to do this full-time. He decided to do it full-time and become the CEO. This is now six years ago. I decided I would do the same, to join him as a co-founder of the business. Lots of people said we were idiots and maybe we were.

Because the experiences I had at the Bloch School changed the course of my life. I mean, there’s just no other way around it. It was foundational for me at a young, maturing age to be connected and to gain the confidence and the knowledge and have mentors here, both on the faculty and fellow students. I guess I just have a strong sense of connectivity. I understand how an experience like being at the Bloch School can change a life. And I don’t think it happens for every student, but it does happen for students who want to be here, who invest in themselves and immerse themselves. It’s very similar to me, to my experience at Missouri Boys State. Those two experiences, as a 17-year-old and the other one in my early 20s, are foundational building blocks for me.

I read that PayIt may be Kansas City’s next billion-dollar company. When you hear that, what do you think? Well, we’re so focused on the building blocks of the day-to-day, what do we do at two o’clock today and three o’clock next week. Those kinds of potential outcomes, or even stepping back and looking at what we’ve done so far, is not something we focus on at all. Our intent is to build literally the next great Kansas City company. We were offered considerable amounts of investment to move that business in its early stages to Austin or Silicon Valley or somewhere else, and it’s rewarding to do what we’re doing here in Kansas City. I mean, just generally to answer your question, what do we think about that? The outcomes that we’ve had, and we will have, just are byproducts of the work. But I do think entrepreneurs that are so focused on the exit or the outcome can be at risk of losing sight of the work that it takes. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do the work with objectives in mind. Right. There’s this element of the glamour of entrepreneurship. People think startup life is you’re in Silicon Valley and you live in San Francisco and it’s wonderful. But it’s a grind. The people who want to be entrepreneurs for the glamour of it are destined to fail because it’s not glamorous being at a hotel at 11:45 at night, even at the stage we’re at, keying in things to get a 401k plan started or developing a proposal to a potential client because that’s just whatever it takes. And it takes everything from the most mundane detail to the most strategic aspect, and most of those all happen in the same day. They literally do.

It's fair to say that you have a strong loyalty to the Bloch School? I do.

This magazine coincides with the one-year anniversary of Mr. Bloch's passing. Are there any particular lessons and experiences that you feel Mr. Bloch has either directly or indirectly taught you in your own journey? Of course, and I’d put them into two major categories. First of all, in business, I think he demonstrated to all of us that hard work and a dream can go together to create massive change. And not only wealth but impact in the world. One of the themes, by the way, for me in my graduation speech, is dreams don’t have to be unrealistic. They shouldn’t be. They should be achievable. But dreaming should be part of what you do, visualizing something that’s not there and then working towards it. But you can’t just dream and not have the hard work that goes behind it. And then responsibility, or passion is probably a better word, to use what you have to give back and to make a mark on the world. It’s not just financial. Because Henry could have written a check and gone off and played golf for the rest of his life. He didn’t do that. He was in meetings and he’s understanding what the school needs. I took that at a young age. From the moment I got out of Bloch, I have given back to the Bloch School, whether it be mentoring students or recruiting students to work. That’s what I love doing the most, in addition to giving money for scholarships and other things. That’s a big lesson from him. Give of yourself with all the resources you have, including yourself.

As the photo shows, there are (at least) two Mike Plunketts in Kansas City.

What is it about Kansas City that still makes it so ripe for a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem? Well, I think there are a lot of things that coalesce to make Kansas City a great place to build a business. Amongst them is the geographic location. I think the work ethic of the people here works. People want to find places to invest their career, and it’s not such a transient workforce. Early in my career I had somebody say, “Hey, listen, you will always be able to leave your job to go make a little more money. Don’t make a life change for a pizza a week.” This is literally what he said, and I’ve never forgotten it. You don’t. I mean, you could always go make more money, but I think people here tend to get invested and they’re loyal. n bloch.umkc.edu

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ALUMNI BRIEFS AND CLASS NOTES Congratulations to the 2020 Alumni Awardees from Bloch The Bloch School is proud to have these alumni honored for their contributions in their careers and communities. Spotlight Award: Mark McHenry (M.P.A. ’89), retired director of the Kansas City, Missouri, Parks and Recreation Department Bloch Alumni Achievement Award Recipient: Heather Humphrey (EMBA ’11), Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Evergy

CALL FOR CLASS NOTES Hello, Bloch alumni! If you want to be featured in future Bloch magazines and other material, send us the following: 1. Your name 2. Graduation year 3. Current location 4. What you are doing 5. Any other notes. Send your notes to: Jana Boschert Director of External Relations UMKC Bloch School of Management at boschertj@umkc.edu.

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Matt Beem (M.P.A. ’95, Ph.D. ’18) was named chairman and CEO of Hartsook, and chairman of Hartsook’s ESOP Trust in 2019. Beem chairs the advisory board of the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy (Plymouth, United Kingdom) and is a senior fellow of the UMKC Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership. Paula Petersen (EMBA ’07), is the Executive Vice President and Director of Strategy, Marketing and Finance at Commerce Bank. Her banking experience encompasses 35 years, the last 29 at Commerce Bank. She was recently named by the Kansas City Business Journal as a 2018 Woman Who Means Business. Petersen serves on the Bloch School Advisory Council and the Bloch Executive Education Advisory Board. Mike Perry (B.B.A. ’89), was named president and CEO of Hallmark company in 2019. His appointment is only the second time in the company’s history that it will be led by someone not part of the founding Hall family. Perry has been with Hallmark for 30 years, having previously served as the president of Hallmark Greetings and the president and CEO of Crayola, part of Hallmark’s portfolio of businesses.

Felicity Pino (M.P.A. ’14), was promoted as Director of Continuous Improvement at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City in December 2019. She supervises the Quality Improvement and Performance Improvement departments. Pino also is an adjunct assistant professor at the Bloch School and an assistant professor at the UMKC School of Medicine. Before Children’s Mercy, she was a NASA astronaut instructor.

“When you are passionate about your vocation or avocation, your life has purpose.” —Henry W. Bloch

The 3D Bloch cube shows the way for Entrepreneur of the Year Award attendees. 33 n bloch.umkc.edu

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY Henry W. Bloch School of Management 5000 Holmes St. Kansas City, MO 64110 UMKC is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.

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2020 Bloch Magazine

Articles inside

Prepared for Liftoff

Giving Heart & Soul…and Then Some

Report Shows Big Gains for Bloch School Graduates

2020 Bloch Magazine

Design for Bloch

The Quest for Meaning

Regarding Henry

Alumni Briefs and Class Notes

Faculty/Staff News

Ready to Present

The Business of Art

From the Dean

B.B.A. gets a Makeover

Alumni Feature: Mike Plunkett

New Gifts Support Update to Heritage Hall

Making a Business Move