Annual Business Leadership Conference allows students to mix and mingle with successful alumni, friends of the College of Business
When College of Business students take their professional development and ethical leadership class, they know that what they learn will be put to the test in a variety of circumstances. Interview skills, resume building and networking are the key tenets taught in the class. Practice interviews are scheduled and administered by the Cunanan Center for Professional Success where students meet with industry leaders and COB representatives to review their newly built resumes and learn more about the student.
The COB’s annual Business Leadership Conference (BLC) is the college’s capstone event where students also get a chance to showcase what they’ve learned in a conference-like situation. For the recent BLC, held on Oct. 24 in the Main Campus Student Center, more than 1,000 students hit the ballrooms, dressed in business attire and armed with business cards, and soaked in advice on business leadership. Esteemed COB alumni, as well as industry representatives from companies such as Spectrum, Cisco Systems, MGM Resorts, Goodyear and others led breakout sessions that lasted throughout the morning.
Matt Crisp ’96 served as the keynote of this year’s BLC. He’s a successful entrepreneur and is the founder of Gravitas Private Capital, a firm that invests in start-ups across a variety of industries and markets. Crisp is a fixture when it comes to supporting the COB. He’s the benefactor of the Crisp Small Business Resource Center and visits the ECU and the COB throughout the year while serving on the university’s foundation board.
During his keynote, under the format of a fireside chat, Crisp had a specific message he wanted to convey to the packed ballrooms.
(Photo by Rhett Butler) Matt Crisp speaks to students at ’24 Business Leadership Conference
“It’s important for me to let students know that they can be incredibly successful from East Carolina University,” said Crisp. “Our students have work ethic, grit, and they’re incredibly intelligent. When you combine those three things together, it makes a powerful combination.”
On Display
New to this year’s BLC was a career fair. Almost 30 company representatives set up their displays and welcomed questions and resumes from the students who attended. It was not uncommon to see long lines at companies looking for the next future leader to join its organization.
(Photo by Michael Rudd) Sarah Maisto, center, took second place in the Speed Interview Challenge. With her is Richard Twilley, left, and John Chapman, right, director of the Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership.
Kathy Brown is the director of human resources for the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary. She had a busy day at the BLC, speaking during one of the breakout sessions and participating in the career fair.
“I had a lovely invitation from (the COB) School of Hospitality to be one of their speakers,” said Brown. “The students in my session were impressive and asked insightful questions about the world of hospitality. Participating in the ECU Career fair is something that we like to do as we hire hospitality students for summer roles as well as intern positions.”
At events such as the BLC, COB Dean Mike Harris walks the floors with Pirate pride. One of his favorite things to do is demonstrate how COB students are succeeding because of the time, talent and treasure of the COB’s alumni and partners. He believes when students interact with the alumni, it’s a win-win for everyone.
“The students are how we show the return on investment for those who have done so much for the college,” said Harris. “When we have opportunities to showcase the investments that are pushing us forward to attract the best and the brightest, we’re going to capitalize on them.
Another homecoming
ECU’s homecoming week allowed the COB to schedule events where students could mingle with alumni and promote themselves for future opportunities. The Gene T. Aman Pirate Challenge kicked off Oct. 22. Twelve teams from 75 student-led teams were chosen to move to the second round. The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization and the Miller School of Entrepreneurship held the Blueprint to Success Panel following the Aman Pirate Challenge in Isley Innovation Hub. The panel, organized and moderated by entrepreneurship major and Brinkley-Lane Scholar Roz Burgess featured entrepreneurs and leaders such as Van Isley ‘85, Sharon Moore and Henrik Skalmerud ’11.
“I wanted to have students from different majors come together and learn about entrepreneurship from the three successful panelists,” said Burgess. “I wanted people to be inspired, which I believed happened. Students stayed afterward to introduce themselves to the panelists and ask them specific questions.”
The busy homecoming week closed out with the Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership-sponsored Speed Interview Challenge. There, more than 45 students participated in a speed dating format and pitched themselves to BAC members over numerous rounds. First, second and third prizes were awarded. Entrepreneurship major Josiah Ortiz took first place and a $3,000 prize. Marketing senior and Brinkley-Lane Scholar Sarah Maisto and entrepreneurship senior Parker Raven took second and third, respectively.
“This past week has shown me the deep commitment our alumni have when investing in our growth and success,” said Maisto. “I could not be more grateful for all of their support.”
“If we can give Pirates chances to support Pirates, we’re going to do it,” said Harris. “That’s how we build leaders, and that’s how we demonstrate student success.”
Freshman entrepreneur student and Brinkley-Lane Scholar Roz Burgess moderates the Blueprint to Success Panel.