John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship Annual Report - 2023

JOHN W. ALTMAN INSTITUTE FOR

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

“I have so many friends at different colleges that are strictly doing busy work when I get the opportunity to create a business, invest in real companies, and connect with top talent around the country—and we call it class.”

Abigail Van Drunen

by

Photo

Annie Henrichs

Our students enjoy EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING opportunities through our many co-curricular programs that provide full immersion experiences, practicing and implementing their newly acquired skills to SOLVE

Our classes and co-curricular programs all integrate entrepreneurial ecosystem partners where students receive MENTORSHIP, ADVICE, and COACHING from some of the best.

DIRECTOR’S REMARKS

Entrepreneurship at Miami University’s Farmer School of Business: Preparing Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurial Leaders To Be ‘Job Ready, Day One’

Creativity, innovation, and an entrepreneurial mindset are guiding forces in the increasingly dynamic and ever-changing environment of the 21st century. Why? Because creativity, innovation, and an entrepreneurial mindset equip society to flourish in environments that require courage, tenacity, and passion, always ready to pivot and respond to emerging challenges, dynamic change, and opportunities.

Miami University and the Farmer School of Business have developed a much-deserved reputation as having one of the undergraduate entrepreneurship programs in the world Department of Entrepreneurship and the John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship are home to leading scholarly academic research in entrepreneurship that annually ranks among the Top 50 in the Global University Entrepreneurship Research Productivity Rankings. Our innovative curricular and co-curricular entrepreneurship programming was awarded the NASDAQ Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence Award as the top entrepreneurship institute in the world in 2020, the USASBE Model Program Award as the top entrepreneurship program—graduate or undergraduate—in the world in 2024, and has ranked among the “Top 10 Public Schools for Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Studies” for sixteen consecutive years in The Princeton Review® and Entrepreneur Magazine annual survey of undergraduate entrepreneurship programs.

“Creativity, innovation, and an entrepreneurial mindset are guiding forces in the increasingly dynamic and ever-changing environment of the 21st century.”

At the Farmer School of Business, we believe in the transformative power learning by doing. Driven by relentless pursuit of excellence, we combine strong research academic scholarship immersive, practicebased experiential learning opportunities in every class and in every cocurricular program that connects students with leading entrepreneurial ecosystem builders across the nation. Distinguishing features include small and faculty with entrepreneurial experience personalized learning interdisciplinary focus that engages students from every undergraduate major across campus—from business, science, engineering, and technology to the humanities and the arts. Our goal is to unleash students’ entrepreneurial mindsets, ignite their imaginations about what is possible, and motivate them to innovate, create value, and elevate their impact on society

I invite you to join us on our entrepreneurial journey as one of the top entrepreneurship programs in the world. Together, we will prepare tomorrow’s entrepreneurial leaders to be ’job ready, day one.’

Love and Honor,

Tim R. Holcomb Ph.D.

’22-’23

ESP by the numbers

#5 AMONG ALL PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

#3 AMONG ALL UNIVERSITIES IN THE MIDWEST

#1 IN OHIO

THE PRINCETON REVIEW® AND ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE, 2023

53 different undergraduate entrepreneurship courses offered

4,164 students took an entrepreneurship course

12+ unicorns founded or led by Miami alumni since 2023

116 different majors from across campus participated in an entrepreneurship class

$153k scholarship/awards granted for the study of Entrepreneurship to undergrads

820 professionals officially mentored undergraduate students through a school sponsored program

100% of undergrad entrepreneurship students have developed an actionable plan to launch a business

63.7% of businesses started by Entrepreneurship program undergrads within the last 5 years are still in business

$375+ million amount of funding raised by graduates within the last 5 years

An interview with

Abigail Van Drunen

Finance and Entrepreneurship Co-Major

From childhood experiences in business to internships and extracurricular involvement, Abigail shares insights on how Miami University’s entrepreneurship department shaped her perspective and prepared her for a career in finance and tech risk consulting.

Why did you choose Miami?

I’ve always had an interest in business. I grew up being the oldest of three children. My family comes from a background of entrepreneurs, dating back to my great grandpa and beyond.

I started a business when I was 10. Ended up starting sort of a non-profit that imported coffee from Rwanda that helped the women that suffered through the genocide. So from there I met with my professors and was like, “Where do I go to business school? How do I get more plugged in?” Toured Miami and heard about everything done here, and then...the rest is history. Got plugged in here.

How did you decide on finance?

My dad was a finance major, and I’ve always been his mini. So I interned at his financial planning company and really fell in love with everything they were doing there. But on the entrepreneurship side, hearing more about the Altman internships, the FYIC. I loved ESP 103 and after that I had to have a minor or major just because it was like the real world and tangible skills from those classes.

focus like “Should I be doing this as my first job?”, “Where should I be pouring into my energy?”. That class taught me more about myself than anything has.

Are there any specific lessons you’ve learned from any of your entrepreneurship classes that you are going to take with you throughout your career?

Making yourself uncomfortable. That is probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned in my entrepreneurship classes. Especially 252. I think it is really easy to play it safe in life and choose what is comfortable. But I had a few projects and the reason I would get an A is because I made myself uncomfortable and pushed myself. I changed my mentality, I am in ice hockey right now and I’ve never done ice hockey before. I was in horseback riding. I am continuing to make myself uncomfortable to learn how to learn on the spot and I can totally see how that transitioned into my job. I’m tech risk consulting at EY, I’ve never done that before. Now I am so used to making myself uncomfortable and learning on the spot that it has become a habit.

“I am so used to making myself uncomfortable and learning on the spot that it has become a habit.”

What was your favorite entrepreneurship class?

ESP 252. It was extremely challenging but essentially what we would do in 252 is create your brand and your image and figure out where you want to end in life. So as strange as it was creating my eulogy, seeing where I want to end and how I need to get there changed my

Maybe failure is not a stopping point, it is just a “Why did this fail? What’s next? How do I push through? How do I learn from this?” Because it is a learning block. It’s not an end.

What co-curriculars have you participated in?

I was in Advancing Women in Entrepreneurship for a long time, and I assisted the CFO. I have been involved with Redhawk

Ventures since my freshman year, learning how to make real investments, how to determine what is the right investment, what to price the company at, how to value it. That eventually turned into me participating in the VCIC competition. From there, having that background, and then competing for Miami against other schools. I am involved in Cru, which is a Christian organization here.

How has your time in those organizations impacted your experience here?

Redhawk Ventures provided substantial growth because we had a learning program for the first semester of being a part of the fund, which is an educational program for us to understand clearly what VC is. From studying that for an entire semester, valuing my own company and presenting that in front of the entire fund as a freshman built my confidence to a whole new level. It made me ask more critical questions, look at things with a more critical eye. I remember doing this in high school, thinking everything was a great idea and for the first time in my life, I was like “There are problems. Do they understand the problem really well? Are they solving a real tangible problem?” So I think it helped with my analytical side. Especially working in groups and doing this for fun and not for a grade helped me to work on team building, how to motivate people and understand what everyone in my groups strengths and weaknesses were and how we could best use them and also how we could best grow them. So working with people that don’t think the same really helped. And then Advancing

Women in Entrepreneurship and Redhawk Ventures helps me to network with so many Miami alumni. From both of those, I have been able to create business mentors out of all of my extracurriculars, who I still meet with regularly and still help me grow. When I have those questions about what job I should take, I call them. It’s thankfully because of these clubs, it’s because I have these connections.

I have an awesome business mentor who I have met through my entrepreneurship class. I’ve met with him so much that he invited me over for family dinner and I’ve met his kids.

“I have been able to create business mentors out of all of my extracurriculars, who I still meet with regularly and still help me grow.”

Do you have a favorite faculty member in the department?

I have so many. I obviously love Mark Lacker, Teresa Sedlack, who has been a really special person to me, helped me with VCIC, Friedman of course, Zoeckler. I think the entrepreneurship professors are the best professors at Miami. They are willing to talk, so willing to help me. They take the time, like the HBDI, to understand me. Each intentionally got to know me and to know how to push me and challenge me.

How

was the VCIC experience?

It’s my favorite thing I have done at Miami. I was telling my sister, “You have to do it. It’s life changing.” It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Having, I think, 24 hours to look at three different

companies, just from a pitch deck, create our financials, create our valuation, understand where the problems are, talk to 30 or so individuals about who are in the markets, understand are they actually solving the problem. Is this a problem? Is this the right solution to this problem? And working with the team the whole time was so challenging and yet so rewarding in the end. I’ve never learned more. I had no idea how to value a startup. It’s so hard, it’s just an idea that doesn’t even have a prototype. So that was amazing. Now I feel confident to do stuff like that. I feel very confident to do financials. I feel very confident sitting in front of a CEO of a startup and say, “Here are 15 minutes worth of questions. Let me get to the bottom of it. Let me realize we are interviewing you and if you are the right person to be solving this problem.” And my team was amazing, I am still friends with them.

What are your plans for the future?

I am starting at EY to do tech risk consulting. So that would mean I interned there last summer and I was helping them with a large celebrity bank, I am not allowed to say much more. I wouldn’t have had these opportunities if it wasn’t for Miami and the alumni connection. I went to a networking event on Miami’s campus and talked to a partner. He specifically had me email him, got me moved to the Chicago

office and made the interview process completely seamless. They flew me out there. I met with him and he was like “Sign.”

Any advice you have for younger students or high school students?

The first question that I always ask high school students is, “What are you looking for?”

I thrive in smaller class sizes where the teacher knows me personally and the teacher is very intentional with me. So that’s why Miami was perfect for me. Each one of my teachers knows me by name, knows how to help me, and has opened up so many hours just to meet with me and let me pick their brain. I think the FYIC program, I don’t know a single college that does something better than that. So, if you are considering business, I tell people about the the FYIC program. I am like, “You will be consulting for Cleveland Clinic or KeyBank.” You will figure out what business means in 101, how to communicate in business, how to do your resume, how to do your Linkedin, how to present, how to write memos. Everything is so practical that I am using right now. And I can see the difference in my writing, business writing, compared to many other schools. This summer I saw that. And then ESP 103, learning how to be creative, how to think outside the box, understanding a problem, falling in love with the problem because so often we find a solution and especially in consulting, if I did not understand the problem well, I wouldn’t have been solving it in the best way.

It made me so incredibly well rounded and comfortable just because of those core classes in my freshman year. It set the tone for what we were going to be about.

What should people know about the entrepreneurship department?

Oh my, so much! I was telling my friends, it feels like a life class.

Fall in love with the problem, be comfortable with risk. All these different things are so hard for us to do. But getting comfortable with knowing more about yourself, knowing how to make yourself better, and knowing how to work with people who think so differently than you. All these different life skills and also being incredible business professionals through doing that. So I think that the entrepreneurship department makes the right choice. They are trying to make us a better person, become a better business person, all in one class. Instead of just being like, “Let me give you skills.” Like, “Let me make this a holistic approach.”

Besides that we have real projects. I learned how to actually market. But not market, not just by giving simple, “This is what people like.” It’s like, “why do people like this? Why do people press ’click’?” Because we understood the science behind everything.

And then also business consulting, I have been consulting for Total Quality Logistics. How to understand a problem well and how to solve it, how to present. I’ve done so much presenting. Essentially, the entrepreneurship program throws you into real world situations, gives you all the tools, and helps you understand yourself better.

“The entrepreneurship program throws you into real world situations, gives you all the tools, and helps you understand yourself better.”

CO-CURRICULARS

Miami university’s Department of entrepreneurship offers a vibrant array of co-curricular activities aimed at nurturing budding entrepreneurs. From Advancing women in entrepreneurship to redhawk ventures and participation in the vCiC competition, students gain invaluable hands-on experience in venture capital, business consulting, and networking with alumni mentors. these co-curriculars not only provide practical skills but also foster a supportive community where students can explore their passions and turn innovative ideas into reality.

ADVANCING WOMEN IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Advancing women in entrepreneurship is about building a legacy of affirming and equipping future female founders to succeed in entrepreneurial environments.

Awe offers innovative education and relevant experiences to engage our students at their point-of-interest and embed them in entrepreneurial networks around the country. through Awe, students can take part in the following opportunities:

• our winter term program Designing Your life immerses students in diverse entrepreneurial environments through on-site visits to female founders in Cincinnati and san Francisco.

• our spring semester course women and entrepreneurship tackles the internal and external barriers facing women in entrepreneurial environments and empowers and equips them with alternate techniques to turn challenges into opportunities.

• our Awe student organization runs innovative projects and campaigns to further Awe initiatives across Miami’s campus.

• summer internships with female founders and business leaders are hosted in our key alumni networks around the Midwest.

Hosted two femalefounded Pop-Up shops with 20+ vendors.

Welcomed 35 new members. Hosted 7 speakers. Hosted 12 member led workshops.

ALTMAN SUMMER SCHOLAR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Altman provides an immersive, practice based learning experience for students in startups and high-growth companies. Prior to embarking on their internship, students take a spring semester course, preparing them with soft and hard skills to ensure they get the most out of their experience. with opportunities to work on high-impact projects within host organizations, students also enjoy coaching from entrepreneurship faculty throughout the summer, and wrap up their experience with a portfolio of projects at the end.

Erin Freeman

growth intern

PieCes For DeveloPers

“the Altman internship prepared me with the skills i needed to be successful in my future professional experiences. i reconnected with tsavo Knott, Ceo and technical CoFounder of Pieces for Developers through the Altman program and could not be more appreciative of his support as well as the network of alumni willing to give back…. the startup environment gave me the flexibility to explore my strengths and build new skills around digital marketing, content creation, social media management, seo optimization, graphic design, product development, and much more. by the end of the summer, i wasn’t ready to leave. i asked to extend the opportunity through the school year and was able to continue to see through what i had started…i couldn’t imagine where i would be right now or what my future would look like without this experience from the Altman program and for that, i am extremely grateful.”

Paige Beattie

MArKeting intern

h&r bloCK

“Completing the Altman internship was an incredibly enriching experience that not only impacted my time at Miami, but the trajectory of my career. in class, we learned how to manage professional relationships and showcase the skills gained from other entrepreneurship courses. however, the Altman internship did more than that; it instilled a confidence in me that improved my communication skills, prepared me for scenarios i didn’t know were possible, and boosted my overall self-confidence. Participating in the Altman institute gave me a confidence i didn’t know i had. i found myself standing out from other interns effortlessly, thanks to the mindset and skills learned in class.”

Egor Zotov

MArKeting intern

ultiMAte toYs

“the Altman internship experience is one of the highlights of my time at Miami. From the skills learned to the great people i got to meet, i am forever grateful for the experience. wherever the road will take me i know that i will be prepared for anything.”

Samuel W. Rogers

FinAnCe intern

FiltrAtion grouP

“the Altman internship program equipped me with the tools necessary to ultimately secure a fulltime position. the program instilled in me the confidence to thrive among my peers, helping me to overcome any fears and concerns.”

Priscilla Perez

intern Jll

“being a part of the Altman internship program leveraged my accountability and helped me navigate various internship opportunities within the entrepreneurship co-major. under the mentorship of faculty, i discovered my true potential and gained the confidence to pursue my aspirations. transitioning from intern to full-time consulting analyst at Jll, the program shaped the trajectory of my career in commercial real estate, instilling innovation and drive.”

Locations from Cincinnati to LA , and Chicago to Appalachia 45 students participated in the 2023 program

There were internships at large companies such as:

• H&R Block

• JLL

• Medtronic

• Warner Bros Discovery

• Gallo

• Great American Insurance

• Sherwin Williams

• PwC

• CDW

And smaller organizations such as:

• Ultimate Toys

• Arrive Logistics

• Summersalt

• Appalachia Service Project

• Cintrifuse

• Ocean

• LaTerza Artisan

Coffee Roasterie

• Mosaic Engineering and Consulting

CENTER FOR L.I.F.E.

Over $10 million in private funding raised in 2022-23

150+ scholars from 20+ countries participated in the 3rd annual L.I.F.E. Research Conference

(Leading the Integration of Faith and Entrepreneurship)

in 2023, the l.i.F.e. program was officially established as a stand-alone academic center, within the Altman institute for entrepreneurship. the Center for l.i.F.e. provides practically relevant, academically rigorous knowledge and experiences at the intersection of faith and entrepreneurship. established as a research lab in 2018, the Center for l.i.F.e. has expanded to include the l.i.F.e. research lab, the l.i.F.e. research Conference, the l.i.F.e. undergraduate academic course, the l.i.F.e. Ph.D. seminar, the l i.F.e postdoc program, and the l i.F.e student group. in addition, the Center for liFe is collaborating with universities, entrepreneurs, investors, and partners to provide this knowledge and experiences to educate the next generation of entrepreneurs about the intersection of faith and entrepreneurship.

in the past year, the Center for l i.F.e. raised over $10 million dollars based on generous donations from Miami alumni and friends of the program. this funding allows the Center for l i.F.e. to scale the subfield of faith and entrepreneurship in higher education through research, teaching, and student experiences.

the 3rd annual l i.F.e research Conference was hosted (virtually) in April 2023 with 150+ scholars from 20+ countries to discuss research opportunities on the intersection of religion and entrepreneurship.

REDHAWK LAUNCH ACCELERATOR

the institutes seed-stage startup accelerator for Miami university student led startups with high growth potential. based in the Cincinnati startup ecosystem, programming takes place in the spring out of union hall in over-the-rhine, led by faculty Daniel Jones. our 8th cohort included the following six startups: Coarse Culture, FlashPass, virra, ntrn, Crypto speedway and Crewmate.

Participating startups receive:

• one-on-one mentoring from Miami’s pool of more than 700 startup and business professionals across the U.S.

• a $750 grant to fund operations and customer acquisition

• the opportunity to make at least one investor pitch to more than 100 accelerator directors, angel investors and VCs from 20-plus states during the Altman Institute’s RedHawk Venture pitch competition.

THE 8TH REDHAWK LAUNCH ACCELERATOR COHORT

30

work-ready fund members

REDHAWK VENTURES

Student-led

VC fund

established in 1997 with financial support from Procter & gamble, redhawk ventures was one of the first student-led seed stage venture capital funds in the u.s. today, redhawk ventures stands as one of the few venture capital funds in the nation that is entirely run by undergraduate students and provides these students with the opportunity to invest in Miami university student or alumni-led startups, exposing them to the complexities of venture capital investing.

redhawk ventures maintains a hands-on relationship with our various portfolio companies by leveraging our student talent, resources, and professional network. last year, rv made a tranched (two equal $12,500 installments) investment of $25,000 in the Fan’s Place, a gamified customer engagement platform for bars and entertainment venues. Comprehensive diligence was completed on the company, and the fund opted for investment.

$25,000 invested during the ’22-23 academic year

Fund members come from diverse backgrounds and majors but all share one common goal: maximize the value of every startup that enters the investment pipeline while empowering a fluid entrepreneurial ecosystem at Miami university. through capital investments, consulting projects and hands-on collaboration with founders, the redhawk ventures team works to achieve these goals.

REDHAWK VENTURE PITCH COMPETITION:

held bi-annually at the end of the Fall and spring semesters, the $25,000 redhawk venture Pitch Competition provides studentfounders completing our redhawk launch Accelerator Program as well as our startup launch and technology Commercialization courses an opportunity to pitch startups to angel investors, venture capitalists, and accelerator directors in a Demo Day-style format.

MIAMI UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR CREATIVITY

AND

INNOVATION (MUCCI)

MuCCi is dedicated to creating an exciting and inclusive environment where students from all majors and campuses can spark their creativity, take on early opportunities to grow professionally and build a network of relationships that will support them beyond their years at Miami.

throughout 2022-23 MuCCi was able to unite all five colleges on campus through a creative celebration, engaging more than a third of oxford students in the oncampus celebration of Creativity City. internationally, there were connections made with 160 different countries, face-to-face Zoom conversations from all seven continents, and multiple hosting opportunities for guests from Africa to campus.

MUCCI made connections with 160 different countries throughout 2022-23

“World Creativity & Innovation Week has given me experiences and tools to think dynamically and examine problems in different ways, approaching them with unique perspectives and solving them with novel solutions. It is innovation.”

Mason Seitz, ’25 Finance and Entrepreneurship

SOCIAL IMPACT FUND

20 members

Solely run by undergraduate students

the John w. Altman institute for entrepreneurship’s social impact Fund, is one of just eighteen studentmanaged social impact funds (sMsiF) in the nation and one of only two sMsiFs managed solely by undergraduate students. students are equipped with high-level skills and real-world learning in social impact investing and create a portfolio of impact investments for Miami university with an overall goal to build a better world through their investments.

in ’22-’23, the Altman institute’s $250,000 student-led fund made its first investment in Friend A Felon, a company targeted at aiding exconvicts with their reentry process through providing long-term housing and job opportunities upon release. the team also traveled to boston for northeastern’s social impact summit and spent spring break learning about trends in impact investing and networking with other universities across the globe.

with increasing applicants and demand, the fund has grown from 15 to 20 members.

Oscar Arenas ’25

MAJor: FinAnCe

investMent DireCtor

soCiAl iMPACt FunD

“one of the very few opportunities you’ll get as an undergrad student to invest in companies that are catalyzing change in communities around us.”

Una Marijan ’25

MAJor: PubliC ADMinistrAtion & reAl estAte

MAnAging DireCtor, soCiAl iMPACt FunD

“throughout my three years here i have seen siF shape freshman interest, develop careers, and create a real impact on both the Miami student and the ohio startup community. Personally, our siF trip to northeastern’s impact invest summit in boston opened my eyes to the broad reach students in social impact can have, leading me to pursue a leadership position in undergraduate impact investing society, a global organization enabling students in vC.”

Joshua Schreiber ’25

MAJor: orgAniZAtionAl leADershiP & entrePreneurshiP

Co FounDer, genZCruiting

siF’s trip to northeastern’s sustainable investment summit introduced a new concept of collaborative social entrepreneurship. Personally, i was able to learn exponentially more about sustainable investing, specifically the role that esg is expected to have as we move further into the 21st century. Additionally, i learned about carbon initiatives taken by startups and how to differentiate greenwashing from organizations that genuinely care about creating a better world. Miami’s social impact Fund now has the education, resources, and tools provided generously by the Altman entrepreneurship Department to foster and fund ideas that aim to tackle the important social issues of our time.

weeKenD™

techstars startup weekend™ is a weekendlong competitive experience where aspiring entrepreneurs, designers, creative thinkers, and engineers come together to produce a viable startup business model. During this 48-hour experience, teams and their ideas are judged by ecosystem professionals and given real world feedback to pursue their startups further.

LEARN MORE ABOUT STARTUP WEEKEND

53,352 milligrams of caffeine consumed

In 2022: 83 students from 28 majors and 38 professionals, mentors and judges participated.

Miami’s team finished 2nd in the global 2023 Undergraduate Venture Capital Investment Competition

VENTURE CAPITAL IMMERSION PROGRAM & THE VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT COMPETITION (VCIC)

the John w. Altman institute for entrepreneurship’s venture capital investment team competed in the global Finals of the 2023 undergraduate venture Capital investment Competition (vCiC) for the seventh consecutive year, finishing second overall this weekend.

Miami’s team has finished in the Top 3 of the global finals every year since it began competing.

this is the sixth time a venture capital investment team from Miami university has finished in the top 3 of the global finals since it began competing in 2017 and the second time Miami has finished as the runner-up in the finals.

the team of Jamie nguyen (senior in biology and entrepreneurship), Jack Marks (junior in honors Marketing and business Analytics), Anna thompson (sophomore in Finance and entrepreneurship), Abigail van Drunen (junior in Finance and entrepreneurship), ben skapura (senior in information systems & Analytics and Finance), and nick Corcoran (senior in Finance) traveled to the university of north Carolina -- Chapel hill to compete against teams from georgetown university, boston university, the university of Michigan, the university of nebraska, san Diego state university, brigham Young university, and the university of waterloo.

the finalists were the winners of regional competitions earlier this year. Farmer school teams have won their region every time they’ve competed and made the global finals six times.

“Coming out of regionals, we had more confidence in our overall process and built strong team

bonds during our semester working together. this foundation enabled us to bring our A-game at globals against very tough competition,” skapura said.

“vCiC was an exceptional experience for our team, not just for the venture capital immersion but also for the comprehensive learning outside the classroom that’s driven by the quality and enthusiasm of the faculty,” Corcoran said. “they drive these opportunities that present themselves so frequently to Fsb students. every time i’m asked, i say there’s nowhere else i would rather be for my degree, and that’s the reason why.”

“we couldn’t have done it without the mentoring and coaching of theresa sedlack. she has spent countless months designing the curriculum to prepare us along with connecting us to partners at prominent vC firms, lawyers to go over our term sheets, and various mentors from a wide variety of industries,” van Drunen said. “Along with theresa, i was so lucky to be on a team with Anna, Jamie, nick, ben, and Jack. they are all incredibly driven, intelligent, and hardworking individuals whom i look up to immensely.”

“As a team, getting to display what we learned in the Altman institute’s venture capital immersion program at vCiC is the epitome of experiential learning,” Marks said. “the support of Professor theresa sedlack paired with the willingness of the Fsb network to pour into our learning of vC concepts made the competition a transformational experience.

students that participate in the vCiC are required to complete the Department of entrepreneurship’s 10 week venture Capital immersion program that immerses them in venture capital concepts, terminology, and practices. the program introduces students to the venture capital model, firm thesis and management structure, fund logic, funding rounds and stages, due diligence process, quantitative and qualitative deal analytics and valuation strategy, term and conditions, negotiating tactics, venture debt financing, equity crowdfunding, and the general implications of taking on outside funding

“overall we worked really hard for the past couple of months and it was extremely rewarding to compete and place against our nation’s top talent,” van Drunen said. “i would urge any student to consider the vCiC program. it is an opportunity unlike anything else.”

“...getting to display what we learned in the Altman Institute’s venture capital immersion program at VCIC is the epitome of experiential learning...”

In 2023 83% of all the world’s countries participated 522 individual creativity and innovation celebrations were registered

WORLD CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION WEEK (WCIW)

World Creativity and Innovation Week (WCIW) strives to make the world a better place through creativity. Headquartered here at Miami University, the organization works across 161 countries which host a collective 500+ celebrations. Here, the students annually host “Creativity City”, a celebration that hopes to unite all academic disciplines from artists and biologists to computer engineers and accountants. WCIW is constantly striving to include more nations, businesses, and disciplines across the world to spread their creative fire.

With 800+ celebrations in 127 countries across the globe, we had lots of unique expressions of creativity. Everything from workshops to exhibits, from hack-a-thons to cook-a-thons, creativity & innovation was happening everywhere.

Dr. Jim Friedman, the WCIW Chief Steward appeared, participated, or contributed to more than 20 international creativity festivals, panels, and collaborative calls to action this year.

Creativity and Innovation can and should span all sciences and academic disciplines. Our Headquarters celebration at Miami University worked to connect these students outside of the classroom in a fun and educational way. Our students promote and practice creativity and innovation on our headquarters campus through the 4th annual ’Creativity City’. The celebration brought together engineering and education majors, artists and biologists; computer scientists with creative writers; business majors with liberal arts majors, and many more.

Creativity and innovation can and should span all sciences and academic disciplines.

STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS

VaLanDria Smith-Lash ’23

MAJ ors : Au D iologY A n D s P ee C h PAthologY Foun D er A n D C eo, CoA rse C ulture

Forbes 30 Under 30 Local: Chicago, 2023

Main Street Ventures

Launch It: Cincy Pitch Competition Winner 2023

Coarse Culture: a sustainable, all-natural line of skin and hair care products that provides moisture and relief.

Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, VaLanDria Smith-Lash started her business because she loves her mother.

At the age of fourteen, VaLanDria’s mother was diagnosed with lupus, a long-term autoimmune disease that left her hair and skin brittle and irritated. VaLanDria was determined to do something to ease her mother’s discomfort and went to work asking doctors for recommendations and researching ingredients until Smith-Lash decided to make her own product- whipped shea butter with all-natural ingredients that provided comfort without aggravating sensitivities.

After seeing the positive impact VaLanDria’s homemade products had on her local community, she knew that she needed to expand and provide the same love and care she has for her mother to others by officially offer Coarse Culture products to the public.

As a full-time college student, VaLanDria re-branded and launched Coarse Culture in her height of her junior year. She worked hard to land her business a position in Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator Program and now offers Coarse Culture products nationally on their platform. During her collegiate career, VaLanDria made history as the first student to headquarter a business at Miami University’s new Lee and Rosemary Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship.

ENTREPRENEURS

Connor

Paton ’23

MAJ ors : F in A n C e A n D entre P reneurshi P

Co Foun D er A n D C eo o F nosh A ble

Sam Adler ’25

MAJ ors : hu MA n CAP itA l

MA n Age M ent A n D entre P reneurshi P

Co Foun D er A n D Coo o F gen ZC ruiting

Macallan Hoeweler ’24

MAJ or : e Cono M i C s

Co Foun D er o F nosh A ble

Noshable is a software enabled amenity that allows property managers to offer custom and scalable grocery concierge for their guests.

Joshua

Schreiber ’25

MAJ ors : org A ni ZAtion A l le AD ershi P A n D entre P reneurshi P

Co Foun D er A n D C eo gen ZC ruiting

GenZcruiting offers campus recruiting solutions to growing businesses by using our platform of social media reach, referrals and AI tools to source from previously unreachable intern talent.

GenZcruiting offers campus recruiting solutions to growing businesses by using our platform of social media reach, referrals, and AI tools to source previously unreachable intern talent.

63.7 % of businesses started by Entrepreneurship program undergrads within the last five years are still in business

LAUNCHING REDHAWK50

RedHawk50, launched in 2023, is an annual program to identify, recognize, and celebrate the 50 fastest growing private companies around the world founded or led by former students of Miami University. This program plays an important role in identifying and collecting information about promising and/or accomplished Miamians in the business community and about Miami-led companies. It also reinforces Miami University and the John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship as the “Cradle of Founders” and serves as a vehicle for the Miami University graduates and former students who lead these companies to pass lessons learned to the next generation of Miami entrepreneurs.

LONDON, ENGLAND

Jennifer Manners Design London, England

Fire Rover

Farmington Hills, MI

OROS Portland, OR

AiFi

Burlingame, CA

InGoodTaste Tiburon, CA

No Laying Up Denver, CO

Golden Ceramic Dental Lab Prospect Heights, IL

Mugsy Chicago, IL

Renovation Sells Chicago, IL

UPshow Chicago, IL

Xtreme Xperience Chicago, IL

Aleta Couture Cerritos, CA

Mad Rabbit

Los Angeles, CA

Steno

Los Angeles, CA

Unity Sourcing & Roasting Vernon, CA

Freestar Scottsdale, AZ

TEX Tickets

St. Louis, MO

Transactly St. Louis, MO

Arrive Logistics Austin, TX

THE INSPIRATION

The RedHawk50 is designed after similar programs at other leading business schools, such as Texas A&M University’s Aggie 100, which annually receives more than 500 company applicants and hosts a campus award dinner with more than 700 business leaders from across the US and abroad. The Aggie 100, launched in 2004, has been copied by a number of other top universities, including Louisiana State University (“The LSU 100: Fastest Growing Tiger Businesses”), the University of Florida (“The UF Gator100”), the University of Georgia (“The UGA Bulldog 100”), and the University of Houston (“The University of Houston Cougar100”).

PORTLAND

LOS

Flaherty & Collins Properties Indianapolis, IN

Zylo Indianapolis, Indiana

Hidden Harbor Capital Partners Boca Raton, FL

Midwest Power Products Miami, FL

ROCHESTER HARRISBURG

CINCINNATI

Eleeo Brands Cincinnati, OH

FC Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH

Interlink Cloud Advisors Mason, OH

Kinettix Cincinnati, OH

MIAMI

Kruger and Hodges Attorneys at Law Hamilton, OH

Republic Wire, Inc. West Chester, OH

Rooted Grounds Coffee Mason, OH

Saucy Brew Works

Rochester, NY

Align

New York, NY

BHDM Design

New York, NY

Orangewood Partners

New York, NY

Professional Fighters League

New York, NY

Campbell Psychological Services

Carlisle, PA

Bridge Industries

Chagrin Falls, OH

Cleveland Kitchen

Cleveland, OH

Orazen Extruded Polymers

Aurora, OH

Saucy Brew Works Cleveland, OH

SPR Therapeutics Cleveland, OH

Textbook Painting Lakewood, OH

Articulation, LLC Columbus, OH

Coastal Ridge Real Estate Columbus, OH

Foxen Columbus, OH

Loop Columbus, OH

Vellabox Columbus, OH

UpWest Gahanna, Ohio

COhatch Dublin, OH

MAY

Nomination period opens JUNE

Nominated companies receive formal application AUGUST Applications due OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER

Financial info vetted by a third party

DECEMBER 50 honorees notified FEBRUARY Company registration due MARCH

Reception and awards gala

FACULTY & STAFF

April Adams Administrative Assistant

Assistant Director

Lance & Diane White Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship

Brett

Cintas Endowed Professor of Entrepreneurship; Founding Director, Center for L.I.F.E.

David Eyman Associate Lecturer & FSB Director of Innovation

James Johnson Assistant Lecturer

Rob Miller Visiting Assistant Professor

David & Vicki Herche Endowed Associate Professor

Kerri

Visiting Assistant Professor

Jim Friedman White Family Clinical Professor of Creativity & Entrepreneurship

Daniel Jones Associate Director; Visiting Assistant Professor

Administrative Assistant

Michael Conger Associate Professor

Timothy Holcomb Professor & Chair, Department of Entrepreneurship; Director, John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship

Mark Lacker John W. Altman Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship

Bethany Schwan Assistant Director

Assistant Lecturer

Theresa Sedlack Visiting Assistant Professor

Geoff Zoeckler

Cissna

Smith

Amanda Lawson Assistant Director

Christopher Sutter

Greg Dern Visiting Associate Professor

Brenda Homan

Richard A. Forsythe Chair in Entrepreneurship

Anna-Katherina Lenz

Elizabeth Troy Instructor

Jenifer Domenico Assistant Director

Tara Hoppe

Timberly Revelee

Jack Weston Visiting Assistant Professor

Jessica Ashe Assistant Director

PROMOTIONS

MARK LACKER

Promoted to Associate Clinical Professor

MICHAEL CONGER, PH.D

Appointed Director for the Center for Social Entrepreneurship

BRETT SMITH PH.D

Appointed Executive Director of the Center for L.I.F.E

PUBLICATIONS

BRETT SMITH PH.D.

Navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurial identity threats to persist: The countervailing force of a relational identity with God. (2023). Journal of Business Venturing

ANNA-KATHERINA LENZ PH.D.

Microentrepreneurship in Brazil: Mind the Gap. In Brazilian Entrepreneurship (pp. 11-25). Springer International. Lenz, A. K., & Brito, R. (2022).

Do political preferences affect policy learning and uptake? Evidence from a field experiment with informal entrepreneurs. Cesar Zucco (Associate Professor of Politics and Public Policy at Fundação Getulio Vargas/FGV EBAPE), Rafael Goldszmidt (Head of the MSc in Administration and Assistant Professor at FGV EBAPE), and Martín Valdivia (Senior Researcher at GRADE/Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo). Journal of Politics

CHRIS WELTER PH.D., TIM R. HOLCOMB PH.D., AND JOHN MCILWRAITH J.D.

The Inefficiencies of Venture Capital Funding. Journal of Business Venturing Insights.

AWARDS

BRETT SMITH

Awarded title of University Distinguished Professor by Miami University’s President Gregory Crawford and Provost Elizabeth Mullinex.

University

Distinguished Professors have national and international stature with demonstrated recognition and projected high level of scholarly productivity in the future. They must be a teacher of demonstrated excellence and a contributor to the life and mission of Miami University.

MICHAEL CONGER

Richard K. Smucker Teaching Excellence Award

Prodesse Quam Conspici Award from President Gregory Crawford

JIM FRIEDMAN

John E. Dolibois Faculty Award for Innovation in Global Programming.

DAVID EYMAN

Prodesse Quam Conspici Award from President Gregory Crawford

ESP DEPARTMENT

Presidential Medal of Expertise and Excellence

CHRIS SUTTER, PH.D., ANNA-KATHERINA LENZ PH.D., AND BRETT SMITH, PH.D.

Named to the Responsible Research in Business and Management Honor Roll

ENTREPRENEURS IN RESIDENCE

NICK JACKSON

Owner, Nick Jackson Speaks and Speakers of Love

Certified Coach, Five Capitals

JOHN MCILWRAITH

Co-Founder & Managing Director, Allos Ventures

Board of Directors, Meridian Bioscience

BILL TUCKER

Founder, ImpactCincy

Leadership Council, The Womens Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Board Member, Queen City Book Bank

Board Member, Women’s Business Center of Ohio

DAVID WILLBRAND

Chief Legal Officer, Picasso

Author

Professor of Law, University of Michigan

Charter Member, Tech GC

CANDICE MATTHEWS BRACKEEN

CEO, Lightship Foundation

HOLLY O’DRISCOLL

Founder & CEO, Ampersand Innovation

Innovation Strategist and Facilitator, Lenora Polansky and Associates

Consultant, Xavier Leadership Center

ERIC WEISSMANN

Executive Director, NEXT upstate

ADVISORY BOARD

CONTINUING OUR LEGACY

Entrepreneurship offered as minor

Redhawk Ventures begins

USASBE Model Program in Entrepreneurship Award

Entrepreneurship is offered as a major

First appearance as a Top 25 Entrepreneurship Program from Princeton Review

Center for Social Entrepreneurship founded

Entrepreneurship offered as a co-major

Selected by the U.S. Department of State to host Social Entrepreneurship Institute for future North African Leaders

Founding partner in Greater Cincinnati’s first social enterprise hub - Flywheel

Awarded Best Program in Social Entrepreneurship, GCEC

Ashoka Award for Innovation in Social Entrepreneurship

Selected by the U.S. Dept of State to host the Fulbright Afghan Social Entrepreneurship Seminar

First Techstars Startup Weekend at Miami University

MUCCI is formed (originally igoodea)

First World Celebration of Creativity

Altman Summer Scholars Internship Program begins

Selected by the U.S. Dept of State to host 3rd Fulbright Social Entrepreneurship Seminar

Selected by U.S. Dept of State to host Fulbright Seminar on Social Entrepreneurship & Creativity for Afghan students

Redhawk Launch Accelerator begins

First Creativity City event hosted

United Nations declares World Creativity and Innovation Day an International Day of Observation

First VCIC team created, placing 1st in the regional finals and every year since

First Social Innovation Weekend

Launch of L.I.F.E. Research Lab

Advancing Women in Entrepreneurship begins

John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship founded

Miami UniversityOxford, Ohio became the international home to World Creativity & Innovation Week and Day

Social Impact Fund created Department of Entrepreneurship is created

Awarded the Nasdaq Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence - GCEC

Awarded the Miami University Presidential Award

TCU Global University Entrepreneurship Research Productivity Ranking #33

WCIW/Day reaches 160 country celebrations

Awarded the Miami University Presidential Award Center for L.I.F.E. created Launch of Redhawk50 program

Ranked on the Princeton Review, Entrepreneur Magazine Top 25 Entrepreneurship Programs from 2006-2023

How Would You Like to Be Involved

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCES FOUND HERE:

Follow the link to learn about engagement opportunities from hiring an intern, being a guest in a classroom, judging a competition and more.

INVEST IN THE FUTURE

We invite you to join our journey as a speaker, mentor, or donor. Together, we will prepare tomorrow’s entrepreneurial leaders today.

Discover how you can support new ventures and initiatives at the John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship by reaching out to us at entrepreneurship@miamioh.edu.

MIAMIOH.EDU/ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CONNECT WITH US:

John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship

@miamientrepreneurship

@MiamiU_Ent

@miamioh_entrepreneurship