LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS Loyola University New Orleans President
The Rev. Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D. College of Business Dean
William Locander, Ph.D. Director, Portfolio & Internships
Kathy Barnett, Ph.D. Associate Dean
Angie Hoffer Development Officer College of Business
Traci Wolff Lucas Director of Editorial Services
Eve Peyton Loyola Executive Designer
Craig Bloodworth Photographer
Harold Baquet Photo Contributors
Kyle Encar Crystal Shelton Contributors
Kathy Barnett William Locander Nathan C. Martin
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS MAGAZINE LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS Fall 2014 • VOL. ?
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NO. ? • www.business.loyno.edu
COVER FOCUS 6 The Executive Network
FEATURES 12 Europe Is Our Classroom 14 Coming Full Circle Chris Screen ’72 is pleased to be back at his alma mater, this time as a faculty member. 16 LSBDC GNOR Takes Top Honors 18 MBA Team Experiences Entrepreneurship Firsthand 21 CoB Maintains Prestigious Business Accreditation 22 And the Winners Are... 24 CoB Students Take to the Highlands 26 Parting Thoughts, Graduate Reflections 30 2013 CoB Senior Reception On the Cover: The Executive Network Loyola Executive is published biannually for Loyola University New Orleans College of Business alumni and friends. Please address correspondence to: Loyola Executive Office of the Dean 6363 St. Charles Avenue, Box 15 New Orleans, LA 70118 News and photographs for possible use in future issues may be submitted by readers. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Loyola Executive Loyola University New Orleans 7214 St. Charles Avenue, Box 909 New Orleans, LA 70118 Loyola University New Orleans has fully supported and fostered in its educational programs, admissions, employment practices, and in the activities it operates the policy of not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex/gender, or sexual orientation. This policy is in compliance with all applicable federal regulations and guidelines.
From the Dean In this issue you will read about a number of activities in which the College of Business is involved. With the opening of the new Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development, Loyola is taking its place in supporting New Orleans and the region as a hub of innovative activity in the U.S. Our MBA team won the IDEA Corps Challenge against other graduate teams from around the country. Our Center for Spiritual Capital honored Frank B. Stewart Jr. for his lifelong commitment to ethical business practices. The college has re-launched a new fast-track M.B.A. program that is gaining increased attention from prospective students. Our undergraduate students continue to be very well-received in the job market and at prestigious graduate school programs. Our Portfolio Executive Mentor Kick-off event was a rousing success thanks to our guest speaker, Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves. Graves talked to our incoming freshmen about his journey (bumps and all) to starting a successful chain of restaurants – an industry marked by a number of startup failures. We are off to a great year as the university embarks on its new strategic plan – Loyola 2020. Our faculty and staff will work diligently to implement the plan in the College of Business and participate with other colleges on campus to add value to Loyola’s degree programs.
Cheers,
William B. Locander, Ph.D. College of Business Dean
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Loyola M.B.A. Team Brews up Entrepreneurial Success The Loyola University M.B.A. team won big for its client, Cajun Fire Brewing Co., while garnering accolades and high praise for the College of Business at the sixth annual New Orleans Entrepreneurship Week, or NOEW, competition – not an easy task when you consider the team was competing against the likes of the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Chicago, Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Tulane University. However, these big names were no match for our Loyola M.B.A.s who facilitated and earned wins in three categories. First was a win by M.B.A. client Cajun Fire Brewing in a presentation by Jon Renthrope, the microbrewery’s 6
co-founder and brewmaster. The team coached Renthrope on his presentation, which went so well that Renthrope walked away the winner, scoring a year’s worth of free legal services from the law firm of Chaffe McCall. The second win was the Impact Award, given to the M.B.A. team who has proved to have provided the greatest impact for the client. And finally, with the help of Loyola’s M.B.A. team, Cajun Fire Brewing won the biggest prize of all in NOEW’s Big Idea Competition: first place and a check for $50,000. That final competition came down to three entrepreneurial ventures who pitched their concepts to a panel of judges that included well-known New Orleans Loyola Executive
The winning MBA team: From left: Nic Hanson Billy Mather Felipe Massa, Ph.D. Kevin Gordon Melissa Gurdian Michael Barrera Ryan Murphy
business owners and celebrities: actor and community activist Wendell Pierce, football star (and Peyton and Eli’s dad) Archie Manning, chef Susan Spicer, artist Terrance Osborne and New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead. At the conclusion of each 3-minute presentation, the judges asked the competitors questions about their business plans and models and the challenges that lay ahead. After conferring briefly, the judges announced the winner – and the Loyola M.B.A. team began a well-deserved victory celebration.
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Also, for the second year in a row, the winning team was coached by Loyola College of Business professor, Dr. Felipe Massa (see accompanying article). Massa selected the six-member M.B.A. team from applications received in the fall semester based on the diversity of the applicants’ skills, backgrounds, and their passion for entrepreneurship. This year’s winning team included M.B.A. students Kevin Gordon (team leader), Michael Barrera, Ryan Murphy, and William Mather and recent graduates Melissa Gurdian, M.B.A. ’14, and Nicholas Hanson, M.B.A. ‘14. Prior to and following the week-long competition, the team attended Massa’s M.B.A. class where they were trained in the craft of new venture consulting, acquiring Fall 2014 www.business.loyno.edu
the necessary tools to carry out their team’s mission. Massa utilized case studies and brought in guest entrepreneurs during the class in order for the team to practice some of the how-to skills of business modeling and analysis. By having classes before, during, and after the conclusion of the competition, the team was able to apply the tools to the upstart microbrewery business immediately upon beginning the competition and continue working with the entrepreneurial endeavor implementing changes even after the other teams had left town. During the week of competition, the team works mostly on their own with the client, applying what they have learned in the classroom to real-world business situations. “It is a long and intense week that demands a great deal of focus and diligence” Massa says. And although the team was told who the client would be and was able to meet with the Cajun Fire Brewery folks a couple of weeks before the competition, everything that gets done for the competition has to happen within that one-week period. The Loyola team worked with Cajun Fire to evaluate its business plan and prioritize tasks to help the company expand its business. For Cajun Fire to increase local awareness and expand production processes, the team recommended focusing on local markets and promoting 7
Case team members discuss permit regulations with the city of New Orleans. Cajun Fire’s top two flavors. M.B.A. team leader Gordon says working on the NOEW case gave him the opportunity to lead a highperforming and talented M.B.A. team and support a local, real-life entrepreneur with a dream and passion for brewing craft beer and a potentially game-changing business. “This was an invaluable opportunity,” he says. “I was able to network and work with influential individuals within the New Orleans business community who support the local entrepreneurship ecosystem.” And Barrera says: “The opportunity to participate and win the NOEW 2014 IdeaCorps Challenge was an example of experiential learning at its best. For a week our team was immersed in the world of professional consulting, and the value we added to our client’s endeavors exceeded nearly everyone’s expectations.”
CAJUN FIRE BREWING CO. Cajun Fire Brewing Co. (drinkcajunfire.com) is a craft-brewery-in-planning looking to add innovative takes on traditional styles while diversifying the options of craft brews available in the Greater New Orleans region. Cajun Fire isn’t just your ordinary brewery, either; it is currently one of only a handful of African Americanowned and -operated breweries in the United States and one of only two craft breweries operating in Orleans Parish. Cajun Fire produces ales inspired by local flavors, such as its Acadiana Honey Ale and Praline Ale – sounds like some tasty brews. Co-founder and brewmaster Jon Renthrope was born 8
in Louisiana and raised in New Orleans East. He developed his passion for beer as a home brewer in 2008 while still attending school at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. When he moved back to New Orleans in early 2011, Jon saw an opportunity to fulfill a void in the local brew market and made brewing his full-time career. He teamed with partners Adam Dawson and Jomarque Renthrope to form Cajun Fire Brewing Co. in October 2011. “Working with the Loyola MBA team was a pleasure,” Jon Renthrope says. “I cannot speak highly enough of the collaboration between the entire Cajun Fire ‘krewe’ and the M.B.A.s. We developed a great relationship. The brewing business is a very demanding and regulated industry which requires extremely calculated precision to create a sustainable business model. The M.B.A. team rose to that challenge, which has enabled Cajun Fire Brewing to move that much closer to opening our doors. I am beyond proud of what they were able to accomplish. And my ties to Loyola didn’t start with this competition – I was actually a lifeguard at Loyola’s Rec Center my sophomore year of high school.” All in all, the experience provided Loyola M.B.A. students with the opportunity to gain valuable experience and insights that make them even more marketable in a highly competitive job market and gets Cajun Fire Brewery one step closer to realizing its dream. That’s a very successful brew indeed.
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Dr. Felipe Massa Breaking the rules and coming out ahead
ot one to adhere to conventionality, Dr. Felipe Massa has found an outlet for his nonconformist persona through his research and teaching in the field of entrepreneurship. “I like the idea of people breaking with social convention or rules to start something new –while at the same time having an impact and making a difference in their communities,” Massa noted. It was that perspective that led him to choose Loyola’s College of Business as his academic home in 2012. New Orleans appealed to him because the local entrepreneurship scene was really taking off at the same time he was on the job market. The scene continues to thrive with New Orleans often leading as a top city for
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young entrepreneurs. And though he had never visited the Big Easy prior to his interview, he quickly recognized that relocating to the city would be a natural fit for him as there are so many cultural similarities to his upbringing in São Paulo, Brazil. Both New Orleans and São Paulo sport a largely Catholic population, are working on correcting weak infrastructures, and perhaps most important people from both cities like to have a good time and live balanced lives. That’s important to Massa. For a short time after receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of Miami, Massa did follow a fairly conventional path, working in the banking industry as a financial analyst. But he was soon bitten 9
by the entrepreneurship bug, co-founding a translation and vocalization enterprise specializing in Portuguese and English translations. The company, still based in Miami and now run by a family member, was a full-time endeavor for him until the recession of 2008 when he found himself having to rethink his future. That downturn in the economy ended up being a fortuitous turn for Loyola as it led Massa to a Ph.D. program in organizational studies at Boston College – and eventually to his arrival at Loyola as an assistant professor of management. Another significant draw to Loyola for Massa was an early connection to the Jesuit philosophy. He attended a Jesuit school from the elementary level through the 10th grade and developed a deep appreciation for the Jesuit focus on education and actively helping others. “The Jesuits don’t just talk about doing good – they really do get out in their communities and make a difference,” Massa noted. That same perspective is what inspires him to volunteer with so many entrepreneurial, nonprofit New Orleans-based organizations such as Propeller, 52businesses, and the Idea Village. It’s his way of making a difference in his community. “The best way to help your community is to start a business,” he says. “You’re creating jobs and impacting the day-to-day lives of those around you.” In the short time he has been in New Orleans, Massa
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has established himself as one of the primary go-to guys in entrepreneurship, leading student case competitions, advising the newly formed Loyola Entrepreneurship Association, and helping Louisiana startups with formulating successful business strategies to guide them through the entrepreneurial process. He takes great joy in giving back to his newly found community. His nonconformity has even led to his living in an environmentally friendly house built by the Make It Right Foundation in the Lower Ninth Ward. Yes, that’s the same housing conceived and created by Hollywood actor Brad Pitt. The “Lower Nine” was devastated by Hurricane Katrina but has made a comeback with people such as Massa, people who are willing to take a chance and start something new. Massa and his girlfriend, Laura Cornell, have been busy planting a vegetable garden and satsuma and fig trees in the back yard (he envisions jars of fig jam as Christmas presents this December). There’s a rescue dog adoption in the near future, as well. When he’s not busy with coursework or advising that teaches others how to create something new, Massa is busy speaking at local and regional entrepreneurship programs, presenting his research at academic conferences, and traveling extensively just for fun. He’s always willing to help the latest startup get started – just don’t ask him to follow too many rules in the process!
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Student Entrepreneurs Get Organized Faculty adviser Dr. Felipe Massa with officers Sean Rowland ’14 (economics and finance); junior Lily Wang, management; and Logan McCabe ’14 (economics and finance) at the Pitch Loyola competition.
With so much emphasis and interest in entrepreneurship taking place across Loyola’s campus, it’s no surprise that our students came together to form the Loyola University New Orleans Entrepreneurship Association. Chartered in the Fall 2013 semester, the association is open to all students. The group’s mission is to showcase student entrepreneurial talent on the Loyola campus and to enrich student involvement with the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Greater New Orleans area. It also aims to provide a path for students seeking employment in local startups or attempting to plan and create their own for-profit or nonprofit venture. Not wanting to waste any time in making a difference in the lives of Loyola students, the group held its first big event, Pitch Loyola, in January 2014. Participating student startups – drawn from the larger New Orleans community, not just Loyola – had 10 minutes to pitch their business ideas to a panel of three judges. Following deliberations, the winning results and prizes were as follows: Catherine Carter: Nanny GoGo, crowd favorite ($50 and pair of Feelgoodz sandals) Nanny GoGo provides parents with a reliable, safe, and easy way to find a temporary nanny when an unforeseen event delays them from picking up their children at school or camp. cartercatherine4@gmail.com Luke Livaudais, Loyola senior, economics: Holomua, third place ($100) Fall 2014 www.business.loyno.edu
Holomua is a social nonprofit that works to alleviate financial and health/wellness illiteracy in the Greater New Orleans area. holomualifelearning.org or llivaudais@gmail.com Ethan Levy: Launchange, second place ($200) Launchange (now Comefail) is a community of driven students, young professionals, and startup gurus from New Orleans who want to use their skills to create impact through collaboration. comefail.us or elevy4@tulane.edu Bryan Mooney ’14 (music industry studies): ArtistLance, first place ($400) ArtistLance works to connect emerging musical artists with young professionals to outsource their branding marketing. bryan@bamooney.com Sean Rowland ’14 (economics and finance), who co-founded the Loyola University New Orleans Entrepreneurship Association, saw a need for the group coming together. He says: “I have noticed that Loyola students from every college across campus have a general interest in entrepreneurship. We wanted to give these students a way to connect and make the process of starting businesses easier and more proactive. This association and its activities provide a significant vehicle for making those things happen.” Congratulations to the founding members for such a winning start! 11
Jon Atkinson
Loyola Launches Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development
In reading some of the preceeding articles in this issue, you have most likley come to the realization that entrepreneuriship is a very hot topic in New Orleans. The city has become a nationally recognized hub for entreprenurial activity. Each year from 2007 to 2009, for instance, 450 out of every 100,000 adults started businesses in the New Orleans metro area, a number that stands well above the national average of 320. To support these efforts, Louisiana has created a wide variety of targeted incentive programs (e.g., material rebates, deferred property tax assessments, contract lending, and other cost-saving programs) to lessen the tax burden and lower the overall operation costs, helping companies who are locating and doing business in our state to thrive. These incentives build a solid case for relocating, expanding operations, or starting a business in Louisiana, particularly in the increasingly talent-rich Greater New Orleans area. Tim Williamson, CEO of The Idea Village, said in an interview with Forbes: “When Katrina hit, New Orleans became a startup city. Everyone was an entrepreneur overnight because we all had to rebuild houses, neighborhoods, networks – with limited resources. As a result, leaders came out of the woodwork, fracturing the insular networks that had characterized New Orleans for some time. Almost overnight New Orleans became a globally funded city.” This focus on entrepreneurship presents a tremendous opportunity for the Loyola community – its students, faculty, alums, and friends – to be a part of starting something new and innovative, guiding and advising entrepreneurs in their endeavors. To that end, Loyola’s College of Business is pleased to announce the launch of the Loyola Center for
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Entrepreneurship and Community Development. The CECD’s mission directly supports the mission of the university and the College of Business. In the Jesuit tradition, the CECD supports the education of the whole student by fostering community engagement and building student effectiveness in creating positive change through deliberate action. The new center supports the CoB’s mission of providing enterprising students with a superior values-laden education that motivates and enables our students to become effective and socially responsible business leaders. The CECD will accomplish this by encouraging student and alumni engagement with the community and supporting student ownership of the community’s financial future. Moreover, the CECD will support quality research that serves local and intellectual communities. Additionally, it is the mission of the CECD to support Loyola in becoming a regional leader in entrepreneurship education through the support of stakeholder engagement in entrepreneurial activities, as well as through the creation of innovative programs that enrich the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our initial, broad objectives include the following: u Propel Loyola to become the top university hub for entrepreneurship and a leader in experiential education in the Gulf South u Strengthen the identification of College of Business alumni and local community business groups with Loyola through engagement programs u Provide socially conscious thought leadership to scholars and practitioners through an active agenda of quality research in entrepreneurship and community development across fields of study
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u Meaningfully impact entrepreneurial community development and growth in New Orleans and, more broadly, the state of Louisiana u Embody and strengthen Loyola’s commitment to social justice by providing access to information and resources for socially conscious ventures u Provide support to faculty educating graduates who are known for their entrepreneurial ways of thinking and acting u Be a flagship program in the Loyola campus as a function of innovative teaching, top-quality research, and high-impact outreach u Be a link between different schools and centers within Loyola and the College of Business u Serve as a model program in the entrepreneurship discipline, helping to foster the ongoing entrepreneurial revolution on campuses and ecosystems across the nation The center will provide stakeholders with engaging experience that will not only lead to learning but also to experimentation with and the creation of successful businesses. Dean William Locander says: “I believe that some of the best training, whether one chooses to enter the corporate world or start a new business, is to have to go through the grind of creating a new business. The center will allow our students to gain invaluable knowledge and experience while at the same time contributing to our community.” The new center will be led by Jon Atkinson, a veteran of the New Orleans entrepreneurial ecosystem. Jon comes to Loyola from South Coast Angel Fund, the region’s first committed-capital, equity investment fund focused on financing high- growth, technology-driven local entrepreneurs. Together, Loyola and South Coast piloted an innovative engaged learning curriculum in 2011 that puts students in the mix with real investors and real entrepreneurial companies. Atkinson will share a dual role with South Coast as Loyola looks to deepen and expand this partnership. Prior to South Coast, Atkinson has held various positions in entrepreneurial finance, including commercial and small-business banking and community development lending. He has also run and consulted for a number of small businesses and worked extensively with
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various incubator programs around New Orleans. A strong believer in the value of a liberal arts education, he holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Davidson College in Davidson, N.C. A Tulane M.B.A. with a specialization in strategic management leadership and entrepreneurship, Atkinson was actively engaged in the early development of social entrepreneurship programming at Tulane and founded a successful early stage incubator program called the Changemaker Institute. As a result of this work, he was appointed to the advisory board for the Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching. “In today’s business climate, it is critical that all students are exposed to the process of entrepreneurship,” Atkinson says. “Whether you go on to start a business or become an ‘intra-preneur,’ the core entrepreneurial skills of developing and pitching an idea, creating structure on a blank sheet of paper, fundraising, building and motivating teams, working cross-functionally, learning to be customer-centric, and having the discipline to hone a strategy until the market tells you it is time to pivot are central to building a successful career. New Orleans has proved that it can be a startup city; the next phase is to prove that it can incubate companies and impact driven ventures to scale. That starts with training our next generation of entrepreneurs. Through complementing Loyola’s existing curriculum, research, and programming, with more high-quality engaged learning opportunities, I look forward to building a best-in-class center that will empower future leaders to build our region’s next $100 million companies and provide innovative, scalable solutions to tough social problems.” The center will advance entrepreneurship across the business school curriculum and the university. A proposed minor in entrepreneurship, open to students within and outside the CoB, will infuse the entrepreneurial spirit into disciplines that have seen increased demand for education in applied business disciplines that complement existing curricula. The presence of the center in the CoB will allow our students to think beyond basic course concepts to starting something on their own. The tools will be at their fingertips in a city that is fast becoming synonymous with entrepreneurship. A new generation of Loyola business leaders is born.
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Traversing Europe while earning course
Professors Jean Meyer and Chris Screen try churros, the Spanish version of the beignet. Where’s the powdered sugar?!
Salzburg, Austria, seen from above. Michael Morley, Afam Olie, Abram White, Paul Smith, and Charles Zoller enjoyed the sights in Austria.
Loyola CoB students strike a pose in front of the Royal Palace of Madrid.
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credits – not a bad way to spend the summer, wouldn’t you agree?
Senior Humberto Cuadra and junior Pablo Vallarino make a new friend in the Plaza Mayor, the main square of Madrid.
A lovely view just outside of Edinburgh, Scotland.
CoB students attended a business presentation at the global natural gas company Enagás in Madrid, along with some of the Enagás presenters. CoB students try out the press box at the stadium – where the players sit for interviews.
Ricardo Pla and Jorge Morales tour the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. Fall 2014 www.business.loyno.edu
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The Center for Spiritual Capital honors Frank Stewart Jr. n our daily lives at a Jesuit university, we are reminded of the value of incorporating ethics into everything we do. Loyola’s Center for Spiritual Capital recognizes those business leaders who emulate this perspective through diligent ethical standards incorporated into their business practices. Frank B. Stewart Jr., former chairman of the board for Stewart Enterprises Inc., was recognized as one such leader this year for his ethics in business and dedication and service to his faith. Stewart is the second recipient of the Alden “Doc” Laborde Award for Ethical Entrepreneurship and was honored during a dinner reception April 2 at the Audubon Tea Room. As the award states: “For some time now, the forgotten hero of U.S. business has been the entrepreneur. Every place of
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business, from the humblest storefront to the gleaming corporate campus, is testament to the existence of an entrepreneur’s vision. The motivation for entrepreneurship is not wealth but the desire to respond to human need and cultural challenges. We at Loyola believe that successful entrepreneurs sustain their organizations by creating workplaces based on values and ethics as a way of doing business.” Kevin Pollard, Center for Spiritual Capital advisory committee member and president of GlobalSolve Management Services, adds: “Frank Stewart’s personal, professional, family, and community contributions have been guided by his own strong foundation of ethics and moral values. This award from the center recognizes and celebrates those necessary values in Frank and, at the same time, all other entrepreneurs who are guided by the same principles.” Stewart has been a leader in the death care industry throughout his career and was honored in 2010 with a lifetime achievement award by the International Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Association. His family founded the business in 1910, and Stewart joined the company in 1959, becoming president and CEO in 1966. He was appointed the Fall 2014 www.business.loyno.edu
board chairman in 1984, overseeing Stewart Enterprises’ initial public offering in 1991 and an expansion that has resulted in its current position as the second-largest provider of products and services in the death care industry in the U.S. today. In 2003, after more than 44 years in the business, Stewart retired from all management positions with the company. He was appointed chairman of the board again in April 2007, a position he held until the sale of the company in December 2013. Stewart is currently the chairman of the board and sole owner of Stewart Capital LLC, one of the largest private investment holding companies in the Gulf South. In addition to his business activities, Stewart has a strong commitment to community service, demonstrated by his support of numerous charitable, religious, and civic organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America, the National World War II Museum, and the Business Council of New Orleans. He currently serves on many nonprofit boards, including the Better Business Bureau, Crimestoppers, World Trade Center, and Navy League and formerly served for many years on the Tulane University Board of Administrators and the Ochsner Medical Foundation Board, as well as the boards of the Rotary Club of New Orleans and the Salvation Army. 17
The Center for Spiritual Capital at Loyola University of New Orleans is a research, education, and outreach organization that works with business scholars, policy experts, and leaders to connect academic learning and real-world experience. The mission of the center is to promote innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit that advances a free, prosperous, and civil society.
Loyola University of New Orleans Center for Spiritual Capital
Guiding Principles
• A partnership of business and academe promoting the idea of spiritual values in the workplace • A search for the new ethical norms in economic relationships through the exploration of issues of spiritual capital • A desire to give rise to a spiritual culture for organizations grounded in leadership that fosters and empowers the human spirit “Spiritual capital” refers to our most fundamental beliefs about who we are and the meaning of our lives, with special regard to how those beliefs relate to our professional careers and to the economy. The center seeks to establish a home for business leaders, academic leaders, religious leaders, and community leaders to search for ethical norms that will guide evolving economic relationships in an era of globalization. The center is a locus for academic excellence and the inspiration for entrepreneurial leadership but also is the home for spiritual and cultural revitalization. Today, organizations need ethical decision-makers to support a productive culture. This culture, combined with entrepreneurship, creates a sustainable differential advantage for leaders who choose to follow the path of creating spiritual capital. A deeper and richer understanding of the spiritual nature of an enterprise culture remains vital to effective leadership
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SPIRITUAL MENTORING IN THE WORKPLACE
Mentoring in the workplace is an avidly researched topic among business scholars. Dr. Frankie J. Weinberg, assistant professor of management, and Dr. William B. Locander, dean of the College of Business, have taken the topic a step further, including spirituality in their mentoring scholarship. Their recent article, “Advancing Spiritual Leadership Theory: A Dyadic Mentoring Perspective,” published in The Leadership Quarterly, puts forth the argument that spiritual development and fulfillment at work may be best fostered through workplace mentoring relationships. Recently featured by Sociology Research as a key research article of profound importance to the field of sociology, the article proposes a theory of spiritual mentoring at work, which extends the literature on spiritual leadership to account for the unique individuality associated with spirituality and spiritual
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pursuits. Drawing on previous research, spiritual mentoring is organized into three categories – inner life, meaningful work, and context/connectedness – and presented as a temporal process through which formal or informal organizational leaders may provide these supportive behaviors. The distinction between formal and informal leaders is an important one, as workplace mentorships often come about organically: The two are not formally paired but rather begin a mentoring relationship purely because the pair is professionally attracted to one another. Further, it is important to recognize that a workplace mentor is likely not to be the protégé’s direct supervisor, and the two may not even be in the same line of work. Previous research, as cited in the article, has shown a trend whereby major organizations, including Deloitte & Touche, Aetna International, BioGenex, Taco Bell, and Pizza
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Hut, have embraced spirituality in an attempt to reap the benefits associated with engaging the hearts and minds of their people. However, until recently, the concept of spiritual mentoring has been predominately reserved for discipleships – that is, a mentor-protégé relationship between students and religious leaders. This article draws on the richness of a one-on-one mentorship as a context of learning and support to extend spiritual development to the lay world. The authors suggest a method through which mentors may initiate and sustain a spiritually developmental relationship with their protégés. The core of this process is to provide supportive behaviors that align with the three aforementioned spiritual mentoring categories. Inner-life support, the first of the three identified forms of spiritual mentoring, involves such behaviors as recognizing a protégé’s inner spirituality or inner life as an important part of his or her identity and helping the protégé discover new ways to relate to his or her own spiritual beliefs. Engaging a protégé in meaningful work entails encouraging the protégé to engage in work that is connected to what he or she thinks is important in life and suggesting that the protégé reflect on the meaning of his or her work and why he or she is engaging in it. The third pillar of spiritual mentoring, providing the protégé with a sense of context/connectedness, involves such activities as helping the protégé feel that he or she is a valued member of the group and helping the protégé see a connection between his or her work and the larger social good of the organization and/or community. Although designed for generalized practical application of spiritual development across or without consideration for religious denominations, the article emphasizes Jesuit principles and the ensuing stream of research is directly tied to the interests of Loyola University. Specifically, whereas Loyola’s mission centers on diversity and preparing
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individuals to lead meaningful lives, this manuscript focuses on nondenominational aspects of spirituality that are applicable across any religion or philosophy and can be useful to any member of the Loyola community. Second, in line with Loyola’s mission to strive to educate the whole person and benefit the larger community, this article specifically focuses on helping to develop someone individually with a focus on nurturing the whole person while also discussing the more macro-level positive impacts on work groups, the organization, and the community in which the individual is embedded. From a business perspective, scholars have argued that the spiritual impoverishment representative of many of today’s contemporary organizations impedes the ability to enact fundamental and long-lasting change. Business owners and managers are in need of a method through which to deploy spirituality to the individual level and sustain high levels of spirituality over time. Mentoring relationships are valued, in part, because of their ability to develop and strengthen over time, and thus the article proposes that protégé-centric spiritual mentoring may allow organizations to merge work and a higher purpose. Ultimately, it is hoped that this research will inspire organizations to begin to institutionalize and benefit from the support of employee spirit through mentoring practices in the workplace. This topic is of importance not only to employees and their employing organizations but to anyone interested in following St. Ignatius Loyola’s vision of practicing exercises in spiritual development that balance one’s personal inner developmental needs with the demands of one’s outer life. The original article may be accessed via the following link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S10489 84313001100. Any questions about this article or spiritual mentoring theory may be addressed to Dr. Weinberg at weinberg@loyno.edu
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On the Fast
Loyola offers new one-year Fast-Track M.B.A. and Professional
Anyone who has gone back to school to get an advanced degree knows it can be tough to navigate. Unlike traditional undergraduates, those returning to school for advanced degrees often have full-time jobs and family and community responsibilities. Wanting to make the process more manageable, the College of Business has introduced a new fulltime Fast-Track M.B.A. that can be completed in one year – the only program of its kind in the area. And the CoB also will unveil a revamped Professional M.B.A. for working professionals that can be completed in as little as two years. Both programs are structured around six-week modules separated by “immersion weeks”: Launch Week, Venture Week, Career Week, and Ethics & Social Justice Week. Each immersion week helps M.B.A.s acquire knowledge in a wide range of timely and relevant topics; cultivate skills in entrepreneurship, leadership, and ethics; develop career and professional skills; and interact with alumni, executives, and the local business community. The new Professional M.B.A. program now includes specialization tracks that enable students to develop certain professional skills that prepare them for the job market. New tracks include Finance, Entrepreneurship and Marketing Innovation, Management and Leadership Consulting, and Organizational 22
Performance Excellence. This spring, a new International Capstone Consulting Project was launched in collaboration with the University of Chester in England. In the future, M.B.A. students will now have the opportunity to work on real consulting projects with firms in Europe. M.B.A. students will finish their M.B.A. degrees by completing a Capstone Project, an in-depth analysis of a local company that incorporates knowledge from all core M.B.A. classes and culminates in student presentations to a panel of executives. Jeffrey A. Krug, associate dean of Graduate Programs and the Jack & Vada Reynolds Chair in International Business, says: “Loyola’s new M.B.A. programs are designed to expose M.B.A. students to a wide range of topics that prepare them for the job market. Our approach is to teach M.B.A.s like other executives – by analyzing cases, participating in experiential exercises, and working on business plans of real companies. We will also introduce career planning, executive coaching, and mentoring programs that help M.B.A.s prepare for their professional lives after Loyola and create long-term friendships and professional relationships.” Dr. Felipe Massa, who teaches entrepreneurship M.B.A. classes, says: “The Professional M.B.A. offers something unique by leveraging a private
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M.B.A. programs for working professionals. equity course built around the South Coast Angel Fund, a consulting course that partners with The Idea Village, and several new initiatives that will be introduced as part of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development. Students choosing the Entrepreneurship and Marketing innovation track will receive the kind of training in lean startup methodologies, incubation and acceleration techniques, digital marketing, and consulting skills that are only matched by schools such as Stanford and M.I.T. This training is highly transferable in that students can choose to start their own business or startup incubator, become part of corporate innovation arms, or try their hand at newly formed new venture consulting outfits." Many of Loyola’s M.B.A. courses are taught by experienced executives who bring a real-world perspective to the classroom, including Clayton White, who teaches a popular elective course on private equity investments and heads the South Coast Angel Fund. The fund, of which Loyola’s CoB is a founding member, provides venture capital, resources, and management expertise to entrepreneurial startup firms in Louisiana and the Gulf region. “Our unique partnership puts Loyola M.B.A. students in front of real entrepreneurs and gives them direct experience acting as an angel investor evaluating real, early-stage deal flow,” White says. “This ‘other side of the table’
experience is invaluable to any aspiring entrepreneur or ‘intrapreneur.’” A number of Loyola’s M.B.A. students are working professionals who return to Loyola to earn their M.B.A. degrees. Katy Evans and Christine Soliva, co-presidents of the M.B.A. Student Association last year, both extol the benefits of Loyola’s M.B.A. program. “Loyola’s M.B.A. program benefits from a number of local professionals and academic experts on the teaching roster,” Evans says. “Students are exposed to coursework that blends theory with real-world application, in and out of the classroom. With small class sizes, we are given the opportunity to share career experiences, work with student colleagues to solve complex business scenarios, and connect with the instructor in multiple ways to understand difficult topics.” Soliva adds: “Loyola’s M.B.A. classes are designed to promote hands-on experience by encouraging students to work with local companies. With this initiative, not only do students have the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge they learn in class but it is an opportunity for Loyola to give back to the community by providing free business consulting services to local business and nonprofits.” For more information or to apply, go to business.loyno.edu/mba
M.B.A. Fall 2014 www.business.loyno.edu
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And the Winners Are.. Our College of Business students pack a lot of accomplishments into their time at Loyola. The faculty and staff of the CoB celebrate these accomplishments once a year in May. We are happy to share these photos from the 2014 CoB Annual Awards Ceremony.
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Delta Sigma Pi Outstanding Member Award: President Keigan Stacho to Kristi-Marie Weston
Northwestern Mutual, Hornsby Agency Scholarship: Associate Dean Angie Hoffer to Yasmine Johnson
Beta Alpha Psi Outstanding Sophomore Award: President Albert Clesi to Stephen Cooper
Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society Outstanding Senior Award: President Mary Crapanzano t Manuel Gandara
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Global Business Association/AISEC Outstanding Leadership Award: Professor Dr. Jeffrey Krug to Jackie Gross
American Marketing Association Outstanding Member Award: Professor Dr. Mike Pearson to Kate Trotter
Economics Club Outstanding Member Award: Assistant Professor Dr. Dan D’Amico to Patrick Testa
Jesse Barfield Award for Outstanding Accounting Graduate: Associate Professor Dr. Daphne Main to Katie Broadbent
Wall Street Journal Award for Outstanding Finance Graduate: Assistant Professor Dr. Mehmet Dicle to Logan McCabe
Dean’s Honor Awards: Dean William Locander to Samantha Cuellar
Fall 2014 www.business.loyno.edu
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Krewe of Freret founder is Young Alumnus of the Year By James Shields, Communications Coordinator
Loyola alumnus Greg Rhoades ‘06 (management and marketing) came to New Orleans in 2002 with some apprehension. Growing up in Oklahoma, Rhoades was excited about the Crescent City’s vastly different culture, but he didn’t know anyone in the area. Any doubts were soon put to rest. At Loyola, he quickly connected with an intimate group of classmates that shared his drive to get the most out of a Jesuit education by making a difference in the community – something he continues today. For that unwavering commitment to his community, Rhoades, founder and captain of the revived Krewe of Freret Mardi Gras parade, was named the 2014 Young Alumnus of the Year. Rhoades will be honored by the Loyola community at a future event. “This award truly means a lot to me because Loyola shapes people who can think for themselves and discover their excellence,” he says. “I’m honored to share my degree with so many talented, bright individuals, from the food industry to film, law, education, music, art, and more. I’m proud of the Jesuit education we received along with opportunities for leadership and service that instilled similar values.” At Loyola, Rhoades participated in many groups, including acting as SGA representative for the business school; recruitment chairman and secretary for the InterFraternity Council; advertising co-chairman of the University Programming Board; and social chairman and public relations chairman for Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, where the group helped feed the homeless and hosted fundraisers for breast cancer research and other efforts. Rhoades, 30, is a director of marketing for Leviton, the largest electrical equipment manufacturer inside the U.S. In 2012, Leviton acquired local small business Home Automation Inc., where Rhoades was hired after graduation. He led the transition of the company’s 50 employees to join a global corporation headquartered in Melville, N.Y. He currently sits on the Z-Wave Alliance Marketing Work Group to promote energy-saving wireless home automation 26
devices, and he is a Green Council member with the Greater New Orleans Home Builders Association. His role with Leviton allows him to join the company’s significant efforts to reduce waste and preserve the environment, something he has often sought to do in his own way. With an eye always to green initiatives, Rhoades, along with fellow alumni and students, debuted the environmentally conscious Krewe of Freret as a new Mardi Gras parade this year under a name that had been absent for 20 years. The krewe is committed to gradually eliminating disposable plastic throws and replacing them with specialty artisan items people will want to keep. As part of the krewe, Rhoades’ community involvement and volunteer service also reflect values the Loyola Alumni Association seeks for the young alumni award each year. With the krewe, Rhoades has been a strong advocate for the Crescent City, particularly the Freret community in Uptown New Orleans, with Rhoades and the others donating community service hours to the area, partnering with the Freret Neighborhood Center and the Freret Initiative. Rhoades has been instrumental in funneling in thousands of dollars to the community through meetings, food truck rallies, and concerts. The krewe even donated more than $13,000 in rider dues so that the children of the Son of a Saint Foundation could experience the joy of a lifetime as masked riders on their own float. “I’m really proud of the fact that it all began with seven Loyola students who loved Carnival and wanted to start making waves,” Rhoades says. “To us, it was important the krewe give back where possible.” Loyola Executive
Happy Trails, Bon Voyage and So On….
Recent and past faculty and staff gathered for a reception honoring the retirees. From left: Dr. Mike Pearson, former CoB dean and current president of West Texas A & M University; Dr. Patrick O’Brien; Janet Yochim; Dean William Locander; Mary Sue Oehlke; Dr. Lee Mundell; Carolyn Williams; and Sara Attaya.
Spring 2014 saw several Loyola Loyal CoB employees hang out their shingles for retirement. In all, their combined years of service to the university is 90- plus! We will miss them, but based on how busy they are now, we are not sure if they have time to miss us. JANET YOCHIM, administrative assistant, started at Loyola in 2000. Now she spends her time travelling – Atlanta, Baltimore, Las Vegas, and an upcoming Alaskan cruise. She helps out on the family farm tending to cows and horses, going to the movies in the middle of the day on a weekday, and getting around to home projects that she never had time for when working. She also gets to sleep in whenever she wants – what a life! JERRY GOOLSBY, PH,D., marketing professor, arrived at Loyola in 2001. Not quite ready for retired life, Dr. Goolsby is now vice president of marketing and performance excellence for Physician Partners of America. The company has opened 15 medical clinics and three ambulatory surgery centers since he arrived earlier this year. He is enjoying being in an environment where change is rapid and decisions are quick. And he also likes hearing from former students, which happens often. Fall 2014 www.business.loyno.edu
MARY SUE OEHLKE, administrative secretary, had the longest time at Loyola with 30 years of service. She is enjoying spending lots and lots of time with her grandson, Caleb. She and husband, Bobby, are cleaning out the garage so she has a place to park her car – now that she no longer has the long daily commute from “across the lake” as we say here in New Orleans. She is also traveling, getting in some pool and boating time, making jelly, and taking long lunches with friends during the week. Oh, and then there’s time for naps. MICHAEL PEARSON, PH.D., taught marketing in the College of Business for 20 years. Like others recently retired, he is filling his free time with lots of traveling. Destinations include: Alaska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas City, New York City. and Dallas – and that’s just in the first year. And now he has time for even more festivals. DR. JING LI, PH.D., was an associate professor of management for 18 years, teaching courses such as Production and Operations Management and Contemporary Decision Making. She has moved to California where she will enjoy well-deserved time with her husband, two children, and new grandchild. Now she has all the time in the world to spoil that new grandbaby! 27
Destinations: CoB Senior Following is a small sampling of our 2014 seniors and their post-graduation destinations: SEAN ROWLAND ’14, Economics/Finance Destination: Venture for America Primary Internship: Koch Institute While at Loyola, Rowland was instrumental in organizing the entrepreneurship movement on campus. He was selected as a fellow for Venture for America from among a highly selective pool of mostly Ivy League candidates. KATE TROTTER ’14, Marketing Destination: Epic Systems Primary Internship: Loyola’s Institutional Advancement Office, Department of Marketing and Communications. Trotter served in many leadership positions while at Loyola and completed a year-long study abroad program. She is now a project manager at Epic, a Wisconsin-based privately held health care software company. RON PALMER ’14, Marketing (Mass Communication minor) Destination: University of South Florida/Master’s in Education/Student Affairs Program Primary Internship: Tulane University School of Medicine During his time at Loyola, Palmer was very involved in campus activities, serving as both orientation krewe leader and resident hall assistant. His activities and jobs led him to the decision to pursue a graduate degree in higher education.
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VICTORIA LEHEW ’14, Marketing Destination: Mr. Mudbug/ 12 Seasons Catering Primary Internship: SMG ManagementSuperdome/New Orleans Arena/ Champions Square LeHew completed multiple internships in the marketing field, including stints at the Southern United States Trade Association, Centerplate, Eat Fit NOLA, and DMD Associates. She will be working as the social media marketing manager and event coordinator for Mr. Mudbug/ 12 Seasons Catering, a full-service catering company based in the Greater New Orleans area. ROBERTO HOMAR ’14, International Business Destination: Banco Popular Primary Internship: UBS International Homar was active in campus organizations, serving as president of Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity. He was a competitive rugby player on Loyola’s intramural teams. He also completed a study abroad trip to Europe while a CoB student. KATIE BROADBENT ’14, Accounting/Finance Destination: Ernst and Young, New Orleans Primary Internships: Ernest and Young and Sacramento River Cats Broadbent was a scholar-athlete, maintaining an exemplary GPA while an outstanding athlete on Loyola’s women’s volleyball team throughout her four years of college. ALBERT CLESI ’14, Accounting/Finance Destination: Ernst and Young, New Orleans Primary Internship: Ernst and Young
Loyola Executive
2014 Post Graduation Plans Clesi served as president of Beta Alpha Psi and vice president of Beta Alpha Sigma. He received the college’s highest honor as recipient of the John X. Wegmann Award for Outstanding Baccalaureate Graduate. PATRICK TESTA ’14, Economics (Music Industry Studies and Mathematics minors) Destination: University of California, Irvine/ Ph.D. program Primary Internship: Institute for Humane Studies/Koch Summer Fellow Testa had several student articles published and served as president of the Economics Club. He is looking forward to a career in academia. LOGAN MCCABE ’14, Economics/Finance Destination: KPMG Primary Internship: Merrill Lynch McCabe put his finance coursework into reallife applications while a student, serving as the vice president of finance for the Student Government Association and treasurer for the Freret Street Initiative Community Outreach Program. He will be an advisory associate with KPMG, an audit, tax, and advisory firm in Los Angeles. MARY CRAPANZANO ’14, Finance/International Business Destination: JPMorgan Chase Primary Internships: Louisiana Small Business Development Center and JPMorgan Chase Crapanzano was very involved in campus life while at Loyola as a member of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, the Student Government Association, Loyola Ambassadors, and Beta Gamma Sigma National Business Honor Society. Additionally, she completed a study abroad program in Belgium. She will be a credit analyst for JPMorgan Chase in Metairie. Fall 2014 www.business.loyno.edu
MANUEL (ROCO) GANDARA ’14, International Business/Finance Destination: UBS Primary Internships: Northwestern Mutual and UBS Gandara was a CoB scholar-athlete, maintaining a competitive GPA while playing for Loyola’s men’s basketball team. He was also active on campus serving for two years in the Student Government Association. He will work in UBS’ New York office. CAROLINA AVILA ’14, Marketing (Mass Communications minor) Destination: Salvadoran American Humanitarian FoundationPrimary Internship: Turkel Avila held five internships during her time at Loyola. Her interest in nonprofit organizations led her to serve as social media coordinator for Loyola’s Shawn M. Donnelley Center for Nonprofit Communication; she then became the student director for the center. She will be the communications and social media coordinator for the Salvadoran American Humanitarian Foundation in Miami. SEBASTIEN HOLMES ’14, Finance/Management (Legal Studies minor) Destination: Security National Bank Primary Internship: Louisiana Small Business Development Center Holmes plans to go to graduate school to pursue a dual J.D./M.B.A. degree in the near future. While at Loyola, he was a member of the golf staff at Metairie Country Club for more than two years. He will be a trust funds associate for Security National Bank in Omaha, Neb.
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2014 Senior Celebration with
Kate Trotter with her family
Dr. Daphne Main and Daniel Arango
All the way from Trinidad, the parents of Kristi Weston pose with the graduate.
Native New Orleanian Ron Palmer with his family 30
Loyola Executive
Family, Staff and Faculty
George Ramirez, sporting a bow tie, celebrates with family.
Andrew Alombro with his CoB family
Mary Crapanzano and her dad
Dr. Len Trevino with Weslee Davis and family Fall 2014 www.business.loyno.edu
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