Ross BBSA Blog

BBSA Leadership Team 2007 - 2008

2007-05-01T13:46:00.000-04:00

The Black Business Students Association at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business is pleased to announce the club's new leadership team for 2007-2008. The new leadership team will work to develop a term strategy towards further implementing the club's mission statement.

The Ross Black Business Students Association is dedicated to the professional, academic, and personal experiences of its members and the recruitment of black business students into the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

President	Ted McElroy
Vice President	Ambra Heard
Treasurer	Brian Corbett & Nicole Green
Member at Large	Erika Lewis
Recording Secretary	Vicky Escrojin
Historian	Tiffani Moses
Corporate Relations Chairs	Kwaku Ntoso & Sonya Mays
Alumni Relations Chair	Marion Ntiru
Conference Chairs	Ante’ Britten & John Owens
Community Service Chair	Chris Rocha
Media & Communications Chair	Justin Williams
Social Chair	Jeanny David
UpClose Chair	Aisha Taylor
Academic Rep	Sherman Powell
Evening MBA Rep	Ante Britten
Consortium Liaison	Shara Senior

Good, Cheap Car Mechanics in A2 - Love Your Hoopty

2007-04-20T10:39:00.000-04:00

Many MBA2s are leaving A2 to head off to MBA power jobs where they will make big bucks and then buy shiny new cars. Of course, you may still have to drive the hoopty you've had since you were 19 back to Some-where-town, U.S.A. If you need to take her in for one final check-up, tune-up, maintenance, etc. so that she will hold together long enough for you to drive her back, check out some of these "good, cheap car mechanics" recently recommended by some Ann Arbor natives and UMich students. For the MBA1s and incoming students, bookmark this page as you may need it for future reference next year!

"I would highly recommend Jamie Neylon, owner of Jamie's Lakewood Auto on South Industrial. (734) 668-9339. We have found him to be very knowledgeable, sincere, and trustworthy, as well as reasonably priced. "

"If you're car happens to be a Japanese brand, Joe at Japanese Auto -
563 S Main St, Ann Arbor, 48104 - (734) 996-4606 is the best around at
least in my experience."

"I heard from my friends that the Auto Shop in Shell on Plymouth Rd., North Campus is quite good. Two of my friends have their car fixed there."

"We've found Joe at Japanese Auto to be excellent too. They're thorough at inspections, and he'll tell you what you need to fix immediately and what you can live with. He's also told me that I didn't need a repair that I thought I did, which is always good in a mechanic. 743 930-2277"

"My previous car was a real clunker and I typically had it serviced at Mallek's. It's the gas station at the Y-junction when Huron splits and becomes Jackson and Dexter. They were brutally honest about the state of my car and how long I should keep it going :)" 1500 Jackson Avenue

"I have a lot of respect for Jack at the Marathon station on the corner of Miller and North Maple on the NW side of town. He seems to be able to fix any kind of car, and he's honest. "

Internship Success Tips

2007-04-19T22:59:00.000-04:00

Below are the top 10 internship success tips from the Ross MBA BBSA Class of 2007. The list was created by compiling feedback and advice from our individual members. We hope that you find this information helpful!

INTERNSHIP SUCCESS TOP 10 LIST

10. Go to ALL formal internship events and any informal events that you can. Your commitment to the internship and your interest in the company will be partially judged based on whether you make the internship social events a priority.

9. Find a mentor. Make sure you have a more senior “go-to” person in the company that you can bounce project ideas off of and ask for suggestions on how to do your best throughout the internship.

8. NEVER, EVER, present a negative attitude about the internship with anyone you work with. It WILL get back to people that make decisions even if you just think you’re having a casual conversation.

7. Meet with your manager weekly. Don’t give him/her an excuse to think that you’re not on top of your projects. Use this time to manage your boss’s expectations. If you’re getting the sense that your workload may be more than you can handle during 10 or 12 weeks, start to indicate that early so there are no surprises later.

6. Build a good working relationship with your direct manager and make sure that your manager’s boss knows who you are. These are the people that will have the most influence in your full time offer decision making process. They MUST have a good opinion of you and your work.

5. Ask for feedback – make sure you know where you stand throughout the summer. Whether or not your company requires it, make sure to have a sit down performance review with your manager mid-summer. Also make sure you’re getting a sense for your manager’s level of satisfaction with your performance during your weekly meetings.

4. Revise your final project presentation early. Run your project presentation by your manager and anyone else with an interest in your project at least a week before the final presentation. You want to make sure you have plenty of time to incorporate their feedback and to set their expectations about the direction your project is going.

3. Ask questions and ask for help when you need it! No one expects you to know everything. Ask your manager, people in other functions in the company, other interns, the BBSA - anyone that may be able to help. Leverage your networks to get the information you need. Do recognize a limit however. Asking questions to bring together all of the relevant data and come to a great conclusion will be respected. Getting so much help that other people are basically doing your project for you will not.

2. Understand the expectations early. Everything from your expected work hours to the preferred communication style to appropriate work attire to the format of your final projects should be very clear to you by the end of your first week. Fall short on these minor things and the company may feel you’re not the right “fit” at the end of the summer.

1. Network! Schedule as many lunch/coffee meet and greets as possible while still maintaining focus on your projects. Target Ross alums and senior level people at your company. Get on their calendars early in the summer and be proactive about introducing yourself. Even if the company does not end up being the best fit for you, relationships you build over the summer can help you later in your career.

Student Spotlight - Todd LeBlanc MBA 2007

2007-04-03T19:50:00.000-04:00

Todd LeBlanc

Hometown: Houston, TX

Undergrad: Rice University, BA in Economics and Managerial Studies

Pre-MBA Career: Human Resources Consulting

Post-MBA: McKinsey & Company

What is your long term career goal?
Long term, I plan to transition into a role that will allow me make an impact on the delivery of health care in underserved communities. There are a significant number of hospitals that are failing their populace due to gross mismanagement. Many have provided quality care in the past, and were once beacons within their communities. My ultimate aspiration is to develop turnaround protocols which can be replicated and implemented in health care institutions throughout the country.

Favorite Course or Professor at RSB and why?
Entrepreneurial Turnaround Management. The course is taught by Keith Alessi, a corporate turnaround artist and former CEO (Ross alum as well). His class is great because it draws primarily on both his successes and missteps in managing companies. You can’t beat a teacher that is informative and entertaining in the same breath.

How has the BBSA shaped your Ross experience?
Interaction with BBSA members prior to business school was integral to my decision to attend Ross. There is no question BBSA is one of the most active and dynamic student groups on campus. BBSA professional programming has afforded opportunities to network with companies in intimate settings. Academic support has been available throughout my two years at Ross. Our community service activities have provided a forum through which we can give back. In spite of all of the programming BBSA provides, the best aspect is the support system that creates a true sense of family throughout the organization.

Student Spotlight - Nicole Thomas MBA 2007

2007-03-20T16:24:00.000-04:00

Nicole Thomas

Hometown: Flint, Michigan

Undergrad: Florida A&M University (Architecture), University of Michigan-Flint (Computer Science)

Pre-MBA Career: Network Engineer for Computer Sciences Corporation and Motorola, Co-owner of a children’s book business

Why did you choose Michigan?

Among many other reasons, I chose Michigan because I knew that I could tailor my experience to strongly pursue my interests in social entrepreneurship and marketing. I also anticipated heavy international exposure through MAP, studying abroad, classes and what is now known as MAP2 (Global Projects) which made it very attractive. Additionally, I observed Michigan’s response to the Supreme Court case regarding diversity in 2003. The school dedicated significant resources to this case which solidified in my mind that I would have a strong support system and be surrounded by people who desired to lead organizations that represent the world around us. It also doesn’t hurt that Michigan has been ranked in the top 10 since BusinessWeek began ranking business schools.

How have you been active at Ross?

I decided to focus my activities on solidifying the communities of African-Americans and women at Ross by serving on the executive boards of the Black Business Students Association (BBSA) and Michigan Business Women (MBW). For the BBSA, I led student career workshops to prepare first years for the NBMBAA Conference, chaired a panel for the 2006 BBSA Conference, created the annual Meeting of the Minds, and I am planning a golf workshop for April, 2007. For the Michigan Business Women student club, I chaired Cocktail Connections, the kickoff networking event to the Women In Leadership Conference. I also led a team to put on the first ever professional dress fashion show with student models. Last year I also participated in Follies, a theater performance put on by the students at Ross, and led a team of 20 UM graduate and undergraduate African-American students to participate in the 2006 Super Bowl Halftime Show in Detroit.

Talk about the value of your MAP experience:

I expected to learn about social entrepreneurship in my MAP. I never imagined that I would learn it through the eyes of Indian people who make less than $10.00/day. I valued the opportunity to apply what I had learned for the first three quarters in a 7-week student consulting project. This type of experience was also great to have going into my internship. My MAP team worked really well together and we still meet monthly to catch up on each other’s lives.

BBSA Alumni Gerald Erasme Heads Up Nike's Basketball Marketing Division in China

2007-03-08T19:36:00.000-05:00

Gerald Erasme, like some 300 million others in China, loves to shoot hoops. He also has more than a passing interest in the sports business side. As Nike’s marketing director for basketball in China, Erasme is responsible for all of Nike’s basketball business.

“Basketball is the No. 1 participation sport in China, and we are the industry leader,” says Erasme, who moved to Shanghai in April. Its swoosh logo helps make Nike one of China’s most recognizable brands.

“We’re doing a good job as far as people understanding the value of our brand. I don’t think we’re quite at the same level as in the United States or Europe because the Chinese haven’t had as much exposure.”

Because of the steep learning curve in his new post, Erasme often works 12-hour days. Still, he finds time to lace up a pair of Nikes to play point guard in a weekly game in an intramural league.

“There have been times when I’ve asked myself ‘Why did I take this job?’ Then I look at the timing. The Olympics are one year away. China will be the next global superpower at some point. I am a black man working for a great brand and making history. That’s why I am here. “

China’s 1.3 billion people and growing economy make it Nike’s top growth opportunity globally, he explains. I look at basketball from the full 360 degrees, the entire marketing mix. Nike will sponsor 22 of China’s 24 sports federations, including basketball, in the Olympics in Beijing.

Before earning his MBA, Erasme worked in banking for Dreyfus. When he was looking for a graduate program, one of the attractions of the Ross School was its proximity to Detroit and family. “I also had the opportunity to meet Professor Al Edwards. That sold me. Michigan is such a great program academically, socially and in sports. Everything is at the highest level. It made the best sense. I never regretted it.”

Erasme maintains his ties with the Ross School, serving on the Alumni Society Board of Governors, contributing financially, supporting alumni activities in Shanghai and recruiting future students.

“I volunteer when I can and was incredibly flattered to be asked to join the alumni board. I get tons of e-mails and phone calls from students who are applying to the Ross School and from alumni.”

Before joining Nike 14 years ago, Erasme worked as a production assistant with NBC Sports at the Olympics in Barcelona. When the 1992 Olympics ended, he worked at the Metropolitan Athletics Congress, the New York metropolitan area’s association of USA Track & Field, where he helped organize more than 70 track and field meets. “I pursued Nike the entire time,” he recalls.

Shortly after joining Nike as an assistant brand manager, Erasme was promoted to regional brand manager, a move that took him from New York City to Portland, Oregon, where he became director of sports marketing for Latin America and Canada. He returned to New York and worked at various positions within brand marketing before his latest promotion.

“I’m constantly surprised at how quickly China’s economy is expanding, Erasme says, making it possible for more Chinese to purchase consumer goods such as Nike athletic shoes.”

Also, China is experiencing the one-child generation. “These only children, sometimes called ‘little emperors’, have a lot of buying power. Their parents and two sets of grandparents wait on them hand and foot,” says Erasme, and will pay $120 to $150 (U.S.) for athletic shoes.

Although Canadian missionaries brought the game of basketball to the Chinese in the late 1800s, it didn’t take off until basketball superstar Yao Ming, the 7-foot-6-inch center who dominated the Chinese Basketball Association in the late 1990s, transferred to the National Basketball Association.

Because the U.S. game represents basketball’s pinnacle, the Chinese watch and mimic what is happening in the United States, Erasme notes. You can’t take a cookie-cutter approach to marketing. We really understand the category very well and are able to bring enough of the basketball element and tweak it to make it appropriate for China.

The Chinese are passionate about basketball, explains Erasme, because the game allows participants, especially teenagers, the freedom to create.

“In China, much like in the United States,” says Erasme, “how well you do in high school determines the rest of your life, what college you get into and your career path. Parents place a high premium on schoolwork, so the kids are stressed. Basketball allows them to get out and express themselves.”

For the first several months after he arrived in Shanghai, Erasme says, “my head was spinning, trying to adjust to the nuances and culture. I’m from New York so I’m used to some aggressiveness, but here it’s at a whole different level. They’re more aggressive, I think, because so many people are vying for limited space and commodities.

“China has its own pace, especially in Shanghai. There’s communism and then there’s capitalism. They’re tying to learn to live with one another. It can be fascinating and frustrating to watch. All I learned about business had to be turned on its head. You have to make up a lot as you go along.”

By Mary Jo Frank

Upcoming Social Events - Party with the BBSA!!

2007-02-06T20:15:00.000-05:00

Ross Students Teach Business Skills to Area Youth

2007-02-06T10:56:00.000-05:00

(click photo to enlarge)

Written by Monroe Street Journal Reporter Maureen Shay

In the midst of this frantic time that we at Ross call recruiting, forty of our fellow classmates took time out of their busy schedules to give back to the local community. On Friday, January 19th, the Black Business Students Association (BBSA), in partnership with Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan and Target Corporation, held the second annual BBSA Junior Achievement Teaching Blitz at Scarlett Middle School in Ann Arbor. Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization that strives to teach students in grades K-12 to value free enterprise, business, and economics in order to improve the quality of their lives. The event was organized by first year MBA student Kevin Hamilton and three second year MBA students Jiboye Adeoye, Erica Butler, and Omurhu Onokpise. Target Corporation’s monetary donation to Junior Achievement covered the cost of all of the educational materials used throughout the day.

A team of forty Ross volunteers, including members of the BBSA, HLBSA and Consortium gathered to teach over five hundred 6th – 8th graders. One to two volunteers were assigned to classrooms of approximately twenty students. The volunteers presented six individual lessons which were designed to teach the students about self-awareness, the link between education and income, and basic economic and financial concepts. While Ross students are adept at answering tough interview questions, several volunteers were surprised at the inquisitiveness of these youngsters. How much money did you make at your last job, do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, and can you get Flava-Flav’s autograph are typically not covered in the OCD recruiting guide, but certainly added some excitement to the day! Not to be outdone by his MBA volunteer, one enthusiastic 6th grader confidently defined opportunity cost correctly, prior to the concept being taught. A gunner in the making perhaps?

At the end of the day students were treated to “Target dogs,” Frisbees, and certificates of completion as a reward for their hard work. Ross volunteers attended a post-Blitz happy hour, where they were able to unwind, share their stories of the day, and pontificate about a career change to education. The Principal and teachers at Scarlett Middle School were appreciative and impressed by the Ross students and the volunteers left with a feeling of satisfaction, knowing that they had truly led ‘in thought and action’.

You can learn more about Junior Achievement at www.ja.org. More details about the Black Business Students Association can be found at www.rossbbsa.com.

Pictures from the 2nd Annual Coretta Scott King Jazz / Poetry Night

2007-02-05T16:37:00.000-05:00

The 2nd Annual Coretta Scott King Jazz / Poetry Night was a huge success! With a turnout of over 70 people, we are happy to have had the opportunity to host this event and look forward to making it even bigger and better next year!

Check out some of these photos from the event.

Black History Month Trivia

2007-01-29T01:28:00.000-05:00

During the Month of February in celebration of Black History Month, the BBSA will be sponsoring a weekly Black History Month Trivia question. Each week one individual with the correct answer will be awarded $25. Please find this week's question below:

Black History Month Trivia Question #4
I am ____

This gentleman founded the largest African American owned publishing company in 1942. His international media and cosmetic empire includes magazines, cosmetics, and fashion. The covers of early issues of his magazines were graced with celebrities like Lena Horne and Dorothy Dandridge. Unfortunately, he recently passed away, but during his years he sat the Board of Directors for Dillards Inc., First Commercial Bank of Little Rock, Dial Corp., Zenith Radio Corp., and Chrysler Corp. Credited as the first African American on the Forbes 400, his influence can still be felt throughout the African-American community.

Please send your replies to Onokpise@umich.edu by 5pm on Thursday, February 22. A winner will be selected and notified on Friday, February 23.

Black History Month Trivia Question #3

Congratulations to Katie Piet!!

I am

(1) Sheikh Mohammad Hussein Al Amoudi, $6.9B; Corral Petroleum Holdings and MIDROC - construction, oil refineries, real estate

(2) Michael Lee-Chin, $2.1B; CEO of AIC Limited (Canadian mutual fund), Chairman of the National Commercial Bank of Jamaica

(3) Oprah Winfrey, $1.4; Entertainment / TV / Magazine, HARPO Productions

(4) Robert L. Johnson, $1.0B; RLJ Companies Inc., Founder and former President/CEO of Black Entertainment Television, Owner of Charlotte Bobcats (NBA franchise)

(FYI…Sheila C. Johnson, former wife of BET founder Bob Johnson, is considered the first African-American female Billionaire, but is not currently on the list of Forbes’ Billionaires)

In 2006 Forbes reported that there were approximately 790 international billionaires. Of these, there is currently four of some African/Black descent. Three of these four reside in the North America. Please name all four of these individuals and in what businesses they came to prominence.

Please send your replies to Onokpise@umich.edu by 5pm on Friday, February 16. A winner will be selected and notified on Sunday, February 18, when the next question will be posted.

Black History Month Trivia Question #2
Congratulations to James Somers!!

Who am I ???

I AM

The case was Oliver Brown et al. v. The Board of Education of Topeka et al., Kansas.
Linda Brown Thompson was the girl who attended Monroe Elementary while the all-white Sumner Elementary denied her access.

The plaintiffs were: Oliver Brown, Darlene Brown, Lena Carper, Sadie Emmanuel, Marguerite Emerson, Shirley Fleming, Zelma Henderson, Shirley Hodison, Maude Lawton, Alma Lewis, Iona Richardson, and Lucinda Todd.

Thurgood Marshall, who was later appointed to the US Supreme Court, argued the case before the Supreme Court on behalf of the plaintiffs.
The defendants were: Roderick Elliott (Briggs), Board of Education of Topeka Kansas (Brown), County School Board of Prince Edward County Virginia (Davis)

In 1954 a case was decide regarding a young lady who was denied admission to her local elementary school because of her race. The landmark decision by the US Supreme Court explicitly outlawed racial segregation practices in public education facilities. This unanimous decision overruled the “separate but equal” doctrine of Plessy v. Ferguson. The chief counsel of the plaintiffs would later be appointed to the US Supreme Court. Please name ALL the parties involved in the case (including Plaintiffs and Defendants) and the name of the case itself.

Please send your replies to onokpise@umich.edu by 5pm on Friday, February 9. A winner will be selected and notified on Sunday, February 11, when the next question will be posted.

Black History Month Trivia Question #1 - Week Ending Feb. 3

Congratulations to Jason Forton!!

Who am I ???

I am Patricia Roberts Harris

I served as a law professor and Dean at Howard University, one of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, during the 1960s. President Lyndon B. Johnson named me Ambassador to Luxembourg, making me the first African-American woman to hold such a position. Later, President Jimmy Carter appointed me secretary of Housing and Urban Development again becoming the first African-American woman to serve in a cabinet post. Unfortunately, I lost my Washington, D.C. mayoral run in 1982; nonetheless I am still a part of the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Who am I?

An Interview with Kwame Jackson: Keynote Speaker at the upcoming Alfred L. Edwards 31st Annual BBSA Conference

2007-01-28T19:18:00.000-05:00

Kwame will be a keynote speaker at the Black Business Students Association's upcoming Alfred L. Edwards 31st Annual BBSA Conference at the Four Points Sheraton Ann Arbor on February 16 – 18, 2007.

Kwame, a final candidate from the reality TV show “The Apprentice”, received an MBA from Harvard University and is the chairman of Legacy Holdings LLC.

Who has been the most influential person in your life?

My mother Marilyn has been the most influential person by far. She passed away due to cancer when I was 15 and she was 41.

However, she provided the can-do spirit of confidence and self-esteem that I have now. My grandfather was illiterate and my grandmother completed the 9th grade, but my mother found a way to go to college on scholarship at Howard University where she pledged Delta Sigma Theta and became the first person in our family to attend and graduate from college.

She later went on to start her own CPA firm and to provide a "Cosby-like" upbringing for me full of blessings. She was the ideal professional and personal role model, someone who created a “no excuse” culture of rising above your circumstance.

What would you have done differently if you had to redo your experience on “The Apprentice”?

Obviously most would say not hire Omarosa! Ha!

But I don't live a woulda, shoulda, coulda life. I conducted myself with professionalism, dignity, and class which have all taken me thus far as an entrepreneur, business owner, professional speaker, media personality, and to the doorstep of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. For all of that, I'm very proud of the way I conducted myself on the Apprentice and would not change a thing.

I have no regrets, I'm living life on my own terms, defining my own success, all while owning my own time! I can't complain, I have been blessed.

In your opinion, what are the top three traits of a successful entrepreneur?

1. Tenacity!
2. Vision
3. Passion
4. When all else fails, remember point 1

At Harvard, you were involved in several dot-com start ups; you've worked on Wall Street and also for P&G. Which of those experiences has been most meaningful in terms of shaping your approach to business?

I think they have all helped to shape the business person that I have become in different ways
1. HBS provided a stellar pedigree, problem-solving framework, and network to access almost any business opportunity seen or unforeseen.

2. The dot-com ventures provided me with a glimpse into the high stakes world of entrepreneurship and vision manifestation. They also connected me with what it means to be passionate about an idea in business. Lastly, they taught me the tough lessons on business failures and the difference between being a preferred equity versus common share holder in the event of a successful buyout. Always be on the right side of the fence on that one!

3. P&G was my first foray into the Fortune 500 world of Corporate America. I literally went from working fries at McDonald's in high school to interning at Procter for 4 summers via the Inroads minority internship program (http://www.inroads.org/).

I did a lot of growing up and learning in my 4 summers and 2 full-time years at Procter and I'm proud to say that it was one of the most nurturing business environments I've ever experienced. They really know how to train managers, leaders, and world-class marketers...for that, I'm eternally grateful and will always know that they placed me on solid footing for my eventual application at HBS and future marketing/brand endeavors. I have so many great supporters and friends from my time at Procter & Gamble, I can not say enough about my overwhelmingly positive experience!

You have been quoted as saying street smarts are better than book smarts. How do you define street smarts? How have street smarts contributed to your success?

I've lived in Brooklyn and Harlem now, so I know a little bit about street smarts first hand. Street smarts are learned instincts from your environment. How to interact with people, assess situations, stay on your hustle, grind, make a dollar out of 15 cents!, etc.

Book smarts are learned in the hallowed halls of UNC, HBS, and the Ross School. They are great at opening doors, building relationships, establishing a pedigree...but in the end, this is a HUSTLER'S world (legal of course, the illegal is a whole other subject matter)! You either have that innate drive to succeed and hustle or you don't, school can't teach you that! But school will open doors for you and provide the needed credibility that so many minority professionals must have just to be given a chance or treated fairly.

I think the combination of both street smarts and book smarts is critical, but I give the edge to street smarts if you have to pick one over the other and/or what will make the average person more successful.

Street smarts have helped me with my #1 skill: Social/Human intelligence. How to interact with people, charisma, communication, influence, etc. are all key factors for a successful visionary or entrepreneur.

Most importantly street smarts reinforce this notion of hustle, ambition, desire! That separates middle management from the CEO and activist entrepreneurs from passive dreamers.

Your website describes Legacy Holdings LLC as a company involved in 'real estate development, fashion, television, and film production'. How have those interests come about? Also, what are the biggest challenge facing minority-owned businesses?

Legacy Holdings LLC like all entrepreneurial ventures and start-up firms is a fluid work in progress, so don't read too much into our interest areas. We have worked on projects in all of those areas but have narrowed our focus through tough lessons. We have continued to reinvent ourselves in order to find our niche and we are currently focused on private investment in real estate, development, and my personal media ventures under the Kwame Inc. banner.

I think like any entrepreneur, I had so many things coming at me, that we all had to drink from the fire hose for a while... and after gorging yourself on fools gold sometimes you get a tummy ache and wake up!

I think access to capital continues to be the #1 issue for minority owned business in particular. We face all the common challenges of other entrepreneurial firms and established ventures but continue to suffer from the inability to access friends and family for initial funding as well as formal capital markets like home equity lines of credit, bank lending, venture capital, and investment banks for later growth rounds.

I always refer to the first challenge as the historic lack of "rich uncles or aunts" in our community. I have so many colleagues of different ethnic backgrounds that are able to access $250,000+ from a friend or family member pre-business plan based on an idea, passion, and a family relationship.

Minority owned businesses are still struggling with establishing these types of relationships, net worths, sense of family fiscal responsibility and shared risk taking that allows entrepreneurs and business owners to be successful.

Even among the talented tenth of monied [well- payed] elite athletes, entertainers, and business owners in our community there is not always that emphasis on reaching back, each one teach one, nor celebrating the journey of entrepreneurship vs. the destination once someone has become successful.

Or more simply, just the mentality that says, let me invest in this young talented sister or brother behind me!

Unfortunately, we are often afraid to be duped and/or help our own for various reasons be they legitimate or illegitimate. We have to break this cycle!

For more information about Kwame Jackson, please visit his website: http://www.kwamejackson.com.

Pictures from Winter Break!!!

2007-01-18T18:14:00.000-05:00

Alumni Profile - Agai Jones (MBA 2003), Country Representative, Population Services International

2007-01-17T15:01:00.000-05:00

Agai Jones, a native Washingtonian, graduated from the School Without Walls High School and went on to complete his undergraduate degree in chemistry at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. After finishing Morehouse, he served for two years as a Secondary Education, US Peace Corps volunteer in Luderita, Namibia where he taught physics and chemistry to 9th and 10th graders. He also taught English as a second language to 12th grade students.

After completing his Peace Corps service in Namibia, he returned to the United States and worked for AARP before earning a Master’s in Business Administration from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2003. His area of focus was Corporate Strategy and International Business. Currently he is living in Ezulwini, Swaziland and working in AIDS prevention for PSI.

Agai has worked in over nine African Countries; he especially loves Southern Africa. He enjoys jazz, DC summers, homecomings, family celebrations and Covenant Baptist Church located in Washington, DC. He dislikes “blissfully contented ignorance, kleptocracy and gum under tables and on the pavement.” The one thing that he knows for sure is that “God is and all is possible with faith, planning and action.”

Over the next few years, Agai hopes to transition from health development into economic development and entrepreneurship. He also plans to own property in at least two counties in Southern Africa. He believes that “family businesses are viable and necessary and that we must support them!” Additionally, Agai believes that “Africa needs our talents and contributions, and for those willing to educate and humble themselves, the possibilities are limitless!”

To Read the full Where Are They Now profile, click here (coming soon).

BBSA "Meeting of the Minds"

2007-01-14T19:55:00.000-05:00

Before the Winter Break, BBSA first and second year students joined together to talk about the state of the African American community at the second run of what is an annual club event called "The Meeting of the Minds". Absolutely nothing was left off the table - club members discussed the definition of success, giving back to the community, relationships, and class and racism in America.

Above are a few pictures from the event. The Media & Comm chair had to use photoshop to brighten the pictures up so apologies for the hard to view shots...she also couldn't help but use a couple of photoshop effect features on a couple of the pictures...Anyway, below are paraprhased thoughts of just a sampling from opinions at the brain meeting.

"I want to move back to the hood. I feel a sense of responsibility to help the community that I come from. Maybe I can help children in my neighborhood make better decisions."

"Perhaps the reason black people aren't united on a single front anymore is because there isn't one issue that concerns everyone. Socioeconomic status within the black community has created distinct classes that don't relate..."

"My problem with people like Bill Cosby is that they attempt to separate black people into 'us' and 'them'."

"No one can argue that Bill Cosby has not given back to the black community."

"I think many black women are without love because they are intelligent and have wonderful careers...but this doesn't mean that they are loving, caring individuals..."

"I do not need a partner in order to feel successful. If I don't meet the person who can contribute/compliment my lifestyle, I am okay being alone."

"I influence the perception that I want people to have about me. I make sure that people remember me as the most articulate black man they've ever met."

"Success to me is mentoring and having an affect in the lives of children."

"Success means being true to my own personal code. Simply, that means treating others as I want them to treat me."

"As women get over 25, I think many of them find their choices limited in terms of potential compatible partners. Women should be a little more assertive about going after what they want instead of waiting for their knight in shining armour."

Black History Month 2007 - Celebrate with the Black Business Students Association

2007-01-14T19:09:00.000-05:00

(image from TimeInc)

Join the BBSA in celebrating Black History Month 2007 with the following schedule of activities:

Friday. January, 19th
8:30am – 2:30pm
Junior Achievement (JA) at Scarlett Middle School, Ann Arbor, MI

Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization that has the goal of educating young people about business and economics. Volunteers from the business community teach JA materials to children ranging in age from kindergarteners through seniors in high school. (Event sponsored by Target)

Friday, February 2nd, 5pm – 7pm, Ross Business School Student Lounge
2nd Annual Jazz/Poetry Night in memory of Coretta Scott King

Come join us for a night of Jazz, Song, Spoken Word, and Poetry, with refreshments to set the aura. This is an opportunity to see the talents of classmates as well as the local community. Please feel free to bring some of your own work and talents to display!!

Sunday, February 11th, 6pm – 9pm
Movie Night - "Boys of Baraka" - Discussion following – K1320

"The Boys of Baraka" won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Independent or Foreign Film, as well as Best Documentary Awards at the Chicago and Newport film festivals, a special Jury Award at South by Southwest (SXSW), and Audience Awards at the Woodstock and SILVERDOCS film festivals.

Read more about the film here.

Friday, February 9th, 8pm – 10pm
Young Professionals Happy Hour
Location: Four Points Sheraton (Boardwalk)

For more information please contact Omurhu Onokpise at Onokpise@umich.edu

Black History Month Events @ Michigan

2007-01-12T11:18:00.000-05:00

Monday, January 8, 2007

MLK Symposium Opening Lecture: Frank Wu 4:30 PM • Michigan Union, Pendleton Room • Sponsored by 2007 MLK Symposium Planning Committee and the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives. • Click here for more information.

The MLK Symposium Planning Committee and the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives invite you to discuss key issues of the day with Frank Wu. In 2004, Frank H. Wu became the ninth Dean of Wayne State University Law School in his hometown of Detroit. From 1995 to 2004, he served on the law faculty of Howard University, including two years as Clinic Director. He has been an adjunct professor at Columbia University, a visiting professor at University of Michigan, and a teaching fellow at Stanford University. Dean Wu is the author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White, and co-author of Race, Rights and Reparation: Law and the Japanese American Internment. His writing has appeared on a professional basis in such periodicals as the Washington Post, Detroit Free Press, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Chronicle of Higher Education, Legal Times, and Asian Week.

Dean Wu serves as a Trustee of Gallaudet University, the only university in the United States serving primarily deaf and hard of hearing; in late 2006, he became Vice-Chair of the Board. He has taught over several short periods at Deep Springs College, a highly-selective full-scholarship all-male school enrolling twenty-six on a student-run cattle ranch near Death Valley. He served briefly by appointment of the D.C. Court of Appeals on its Board of Professional Responsibility, which adjudicates attorney discipline matters, as well as two terms on Board hearing committees. He was appointed by Mayor Anthony Williams as Chair of the D.C. Human Rights Commission for 2001-02. He joined the Board of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund in 2004. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute, and a member of the Committee of 100, a civic group founded by Yo-Yo Ma, I.M. Pei, among others, to promote Asian American political participation, as well as a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He testified at the trial of the University of Michigan affirmative action case.

His media appearances have included the Oprah Winfrey show, Now with Bill Moyers, Lehrer Newshour, O'Reilly Factor, Book Notes with Brian Lamb, Talk Back Live on CNN, NPR, Voice of America, Fox Movie Channel, and the Al Franken show. He has hosted episodes of the "Asian America" PBS-syndicated television show. He was named among the top twenty scholars in the nation by Black Issues in Higher Education in its twentieth anniversary issue, to Crain's magazine's list of "40 under 40" and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association's Best Lawyers Under 40.

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Racism: Where Does It Come From? 4:00 PM • Classical Studies Library, 2175 Angell Hall • Sponsored by Department of Classical Studies. • Click here for more information.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

The Dream Alive Program featuring Joe Rogers 6:00 PM • University of Michigan - Dearborn Social Science Building 1500 (Lecture Hall B) • Sponsored by University of Michigan - Dearborn MLK Committee & the Student Activities Office. • Click here for more information.

A Dedication to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Open Mic Night: Expressing Identity Through Words" Part of our MLK Resistance through the Arts Series 7:00 PM • The League Underground • Sponsored by Zeta Sigma Chi Multicultural Sorority, Incorporated. • Click here for more information.

Click here for information about this event.

Simulcast of the 20th Anniversary MLK Symposium Memorial Lecture: Kweisi Mfume 10:00 AM • Gallery in the Duderstadt Center, 2281 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor; on the North Campus of the University of Michigan • Sponsored by Digital Media Commons • Click here for more information.

People who are interested in the Keynote presentation by Kweisi Mfume, but who are unable to attend in Hill Auditorium, will be able to view a live broadcast of the presentation on North Campus in the Duderstadt Center.

March to Undo Proposal 2 Noon • Meet at the corner of South Forest and South University • Sponsored by BAMN. • Click here for more information.

This year's Martin Luther King holiday must be more than a routine expression of respect for the work and beliefs of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now, more than ever, the Martin Luther King holiday must become the day when the new civil rights movement asserts our power and places our demand for full political and social equality before the American people. The key to defeating the ill effects of Proposal 2 and to stopping the spread of anti-affirmative action ballot proposals to other states is building the strength and determination of the new civil rights movement. The broad passive support that exists in Michigan and throughout this nation for affirmative action programs needs to become active this Martin Luther King Day holiday. On January 15, 2007, students and youth from across the state will march and rally at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor demanding that there be no drop in minority enrollment in higher education in Michigan. Following the rally will be a state-wide conference where further actions will be planned..

Journeys Toward Understanding (film presentation): The Long Walk Home 12:10 PM • Rackham Amphitheatre, 4th floor, Rackham Graduate School • Sponsored by Rackham Graduate School. • Click here for more information.

Rackham will present two films that illustrate how racism can be eradicated when there is concern and commitment toward equality for everyone. This is the first of the two films. Between films there will be a short intermission.

The Long Walk Home (1990); Starring Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek; Directed by Richard Pearce; 1.5 hours

This exceptional 1990 film is set against the backdrop of the emerging civil rights movement of the 1950s South. Spacek plays a Southern socialite who becomes gradually enlightened by the plight of her housekeeper, played by Whoopi Goldberg, as she struggles to raise her family amid the increasing turmoil, prejudice, and violence around her.

See the 2:00 PM entry below for information on the second film.

Inside-Out: Re-entry from Prison into the Community 1:00 PM • Room 126 East Quadrangle, 701 E. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 • Sponsored by Prison Creative Arts Project • Click here for more information.

Building the Beloved Community by Acknowledging and Preserving Our Past 1:00 PM • Center for Afro-American and African Studies Conference Room, 4701 Haven Hall • Sponsored by CAAS and The African American Cultural and Historical Museum, Washtenaw County • Click here for more information.

19th Annual B & F MLK Convocation 1:00 — 3:00 PM • Rackham Auditorium • Sponsored by Business and Finance Diversity Committee. • Click here for more information.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux – "Economic Justice in the Beloved Community: Where Do We Go From Here?" Lecture at 1:30 PM, followed by a reception • Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre (Located at the Michigan League) • Sponsored by Stephen M. Ross School of Business • Click here for more information.

Recognized for her provocative, progressive and insightful observations, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, an economist, accomplished author and commentator, is the president and CEO of the multimedia production company, Last Word Productions Inc. Described by Princeton's Cornel West as "the most iconoclastic public intellectual in the country," Dr. Malveaux's observations on issues such as race, culture, gender and their economic impacts, are helping to shape public views in 21st century America.

As a writer and syndicated columnist, Dr. Malveaux's work appears regularly in USA Today, Black Issues in Higher Education, Ms. magazine, Essence and the Progressive. Her writings focus not only on the economy, but also on issues of affirmative action, social status and class, women's rights and the American educational system. Her weekly columns appear in numerous newspapers across the country and she is well-known for her appearances on national television network programs.

In addition, Dr. Malveaux is an accomplished author and editor. She recently co-wrote "Unfinished Business: A Democrat and a Republican Take On the 10 Most Important Issues Women Face."

Helen Zia — "Diversity Challenges and the Coming 'Minority Majority': Crossing Boundaries in Search of the Beloved Community" 2:00 PM • Michigan Union Ballroom • Sponsored by University Library, co-sponsors: Bentley Historical Library, Information Technology Central Services, Law Library, School of Information, University Housing. • Click here for more information.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Majora Carter and Regrowing our Cities: an open dialogue/discussion 11:30 AM • CAAS Conference Room, 4701 Haven Hall, 505 S. State Street, Ann Arbor MI 48109-1045 • Sponsored by the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies. • Click here for more information.

Why Are You in My Space?: Reflections on Interdisciplinary Relations in TCAUP 4:00 PM • Art+Architecture Building • Sponsored by Urban Planning MLK Jr. Committee. • Click here for more information.

Beloved by Toni Morrison Book Club Discussion facilitated by U of M Asst. Professor Meg Sweeney 5:00 — 6:00 PM • Room 1334 at the University of Michigan School of Nursing • Sponsored by the U of M School of Nursing Office of Multicultural Affairs • Click here for more information.

"Jazz: Resistance Through Song" part of our MLK Series Resistance Through the Arts 7:00 PM • The League • Sponsored by Zeta Sigma Chi Multicultural Sorority, Incorporated. • Click here for more information.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Defending the Poor, Prisoners, and People of Color: the Work of the Equal Justice Initiative 2:00 PM • 250 Hutchins Hall • Sponsored by the Law School. • Click here for more information.

Multicultural Career Fair 2:00 PM — 6:00 PM • Michigan Union • Sponsored by The Career Center. • Click here for more information.

Separate is Still Unequal: Reflections from an Advocacy Trip to Washington DC 6:00 PM • McGregor Commons, School of Social Work Building • Sponsored by Social Welfare Action Alliance/ Association of Black Social Work Students. • Click here for more information.

In December 2006, over 30 University of Michigan students went to march on Washington as the Supreme Court was hearing two court cases that addressed racial integration in public schools. Hear about their experiences from this trip, how the Supreme Court's decision will impact K-12 education, and future steps to address this issue. This event is sponsored by the Association of Black Social Work Students, the Social Welfare Action Alliance, and the School of Social Work Office of Student Services.

"Shaping the Profession" — Marshall E. Purnell 6:00 PM • 2000 Bonisteel - Art & Architecture Bldg, Room 2104 Art & Architecture Auditorium • Sponsored by National Organization of Minority Architecture Students & Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. • Click here for more information.

Innovation, Purpose, Courage and You: Annual UROP MLK Symposium 6:00 — 7:30 PM • Rackham Auditorium • Sponsored by Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. • Click here for more information.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

A New Look at an Old Challenge: Whither Diversity in STEM? 4:00 PM • Biomedical Research Sciences Building Auditorium • Sponsored by ADVANCE and the National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID). • Click here for more information.

Why are You in My Space?: A Conversation about Race, New Urbanism and Public Housing 6:00 PM • Auditorium in the Art+Architecture Building • Sponsored by Urban Planning MLK Committee. • Click here for more information.

Finding Filipino-American Identity 8:30 PM • Michigan League Underground • Sponsored by University Unions Arts and Programs. • Click here for more information.

FOKUS Film Series: Unsound Mind Time to be determined • Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty Street • Sponsored by FOKUS and The B.I.Z. • Click here for more information.

"Shaping Space" — Allison Williams 6:00 PM • 2000 Bonisteel - Art & Architecture Bldg, Room 2104 Art & Architecture Auditorium • Sponsored by National Organization of Minority Architecture Students & Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. • Click here for more information.

Allison Williams sets the design strategy for the San Francisco Perkin+Wills office's major projects including corporate headquarters facilities, cultural institutions and urban, high-rise and civic mixed-use developments. Allison has led the design of such nationally significant projects as The San Francisco Civic Center Complex, The San Francisco International Airport Terminal, and currently The African American Cultural Center of Pittsburgh and The International Museum of Women in San Francisco. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in the Practice of Art and a Master's of Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Recently appointed to the Harvard Design Magazine advisory board, Allison is a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and also serves on the University of California, Berkeley's Capital Planning Design Review Committee, and on the boards of directors for The Museum of the African Diaspora and The Exploratorium.

Open Mic Night: MLK Expression 8:30 PM • Michigan League Underground • Sponsored by the University Unions Arts and Programs • Click here for more information.

For January's Open Mic Night we would love to showcase musical and spoken word performances inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.'s beloved community. This event is free and open to the public. Performers should sign up for a 10 minute slot at 7:30 PM on January 19th in the Underground.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace Exhibition 10:00 AM — 8:00 PM • Palmer Commons, Windows Room • Sponsored by Value Creation Society. • Click here for more information.

The 26th Annual King's Feast 6:00 PM • Michigan League Ballroom • Sponsored by Student National Dental Association. • Click here for more information.

PLEASE NOTE: This is not a free event. General tickets are $25, student tickets are $15

Sekou Sundiata: the 51st (dream) state 8:00 PM • Power Center • Sponsored by UMS and OAMI • Click here for more information.

PLEASE NOTE: This is not a free event. Please visit http://www.ums.org for prices.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace Exhibition Noon — 5:00 PM • Palmer Commons, Windows Room • Sponsored by Value Creation Society. • Click here for more information.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Establishing Truth and Responsibility in Post-Conflict Societies 4:00 PM • Room 1636, SSWB/International Institute, 1080 S. University • Sponsored by the Center for Russian and East European Studies, Center for European Studies-European Union Center, and Center for International and Comparative Studies • Click here for more information.

Dr. Calvin Mackie 5:00 PM • Chesebrough Auditorium in the Chrysler Center on North Campus • Sponsored by the College of Engineering. • Click here for more information.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

MLK Symposium Closing Lecture: Tim Wise Noon • Michigan Union, Pendleton Room • Sponsored by 2007 MLK Symposium Planning Committee and the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives. • Click here for more information.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

9th Annual MLK Luncheon and Discussion Series Noon — 1:30 PM • Johnson Rooms - 3rd Floor, Robert H. Lurie Engineering Center, College of Engineering, 1221 Beal Avenue • Sponsored by Tau Beta Pi and the College of Engineering. • Click here for more information.

Movie of the Month: Hotel Rwanda 8:30 PM • Michigan League Ballroom, 911 N. University • Sponsored by University Unions Arts and Programs. • Click here for more information.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Monday, January 29, 2007

B & F MLK Closing Lecture: Prisons of Image 3:30 — 5:30 PM • Palmer Commons Auditorium — Forum Hall • Sponsored by Business and Finance Diversity Committee. • Click here for more information.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Equity and Access in a Post-Affirmative Action Environment 1:00 — 3:00 PM • Forum Hall, 4th floor of Palmer Commons • Sponsored by National Center for Institutional Diversity. • Click here for more information.

12th Annual North Campus MLK Spirit Award Ceremony 5:00 PM • Art and Architecture Auditorium, North Campus • Click here for more information.

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Genetics and Health Disparities: Building Communities to Address New Scientific Challenges and Opportunities Noon — 1:30 PM • Palmer Commons – Great Lakes Central • Sponsored by U of M School of Nursing MESA Center for Health Disparities, Grants and Research Office, The Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Program for Multicultural Health. • Click here for more information.

Entrepreneurship | Sam Zell Speaks at Ross - "Make no little plans"

2006-11-17T17:42:00.000-05:00

Sam Zell, a graduate of the University of Michigan Law program and a real estate legend, spoke to a crowd of MBA students on challenges for the modern 'entrepreneur' on November 16, 2006. Sam
was listed by Forbes magazine in 2004 as the world's 247th
richest person and the nation's top landlord with 128 million
square feet of office space and 225,000 apartments. Sam helped found the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute at the Ross School of Business.

In his talk, Sam discussed the top traits essential for today's entreprenuer, paraphrased below.

Entreprenuers must:

be extraordinarily observant to seek out and identify opportunities.
maintain and develop extreme focus to achieve success.
have an unendless stream of questions to challenge others as well as one's own ideas and convictions
have an enormous risk tolerance
possess a sense of urgency and the ability to recognize and execute on a unique opportunity and/or moment
be a salesman
see what others don't see - even if it is obvious.
have personality and be willing to test the limits and challenge the status quo every day
have a view, an opinion and a direction

Sam left the crowd with an inspiring quote by Daniel Burnam, the American architect responsible for the beautifcation of central Chicago.

"Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will not themselves be realized."

BBSA Community Involvement - Neutral Zone in Ann Arbor, MI

2006-11-16T17:24:00.000-05:00

On November 15, 2006, members of the BBSA spent the evening with a group of teenagers at the Neutral Zone, a teen center located in Ann Arbor Michigan. The center is dedicated to promoting the artisitc expression, community leadership, and the exchange of ideas.

Said Erica Bulter, VP of the BBSA, "AS SOON as we got in the kitchen over 20 teens surrounded the counter and sat there with forks and plates ready for 30 minutes while the food cooked! I always try to be the first in line for food... :) "

The BBSA will schedule a 2nd event with Neutral Zone in the Winter 2007 semester. If you are interested in participating, please contact Erica Butler or Omurhu Onokpise.

Thanks Chris for taking the pictures!

Alumni | Q&A with Shannon Bryan, MBA 1998- Senior Product Manager, Frito-Lay

2006-11-06T22:54:00.000-05:00

The online BBSA website includes a special alumni feature section entitled "Where Are They Now?" This quarter, the BBSA is very proud to spotlight Shannon Bryan. Shannon graduated from the Ross School of Business in 1998. He is currently a senior product manager at Frito-Lay where he has worked for the past 4 1/2 years.

What is your fondest memory of the BBSA and of Ross?
It definitely was the welcome back to School BBQ of the BBSA. We gathered at the apartment clubhouse and just kicked it. I enjoyed seeing old friends after the summer and meeting the new incoming BBSA students. For Ross, I loved going and just sitting and learning from Dr. E in his office – definitely a highlight!

What distinguishes Ross graduates from those of other business schools?
A Ross graduate brings the rich learning and strategic thinking of a top business school combined with a great teamwork spirit. Ross graduates are well rounded in everything.

What are the rewards / challenges of your position?
The reward for me is that I have ownership for big brands that people know and love. I run them like I own them! The challenge is finding a good balance between long term strategic thinking and activity vs. short term demands that your business requires to deliver the expected results.

What is your long term career goal?
I would like to be the Senior Vice President/ President/ CEO of a Fortune 500 company, while maintaining a well-balanced family life.

Which is more important – having the perfect functional position or the perfect manager?
A perfect manager. There is no way to have a perfect job without a great manager. That’s the challenge in most corporate environments, managers come and go, so you have to make sure you join a company where you love the culture and respect the people.

What book would you recommend reading and why?
The First 90 Days. It’s a great business book that will help you no matter what level you are at. Each time you switch companies or even more to a new role in the same company you should read this. What you do over the first 90 days of any assignments sets your tone for success.

What is your favorite quote?
You miss 100% of the Shots you don’t take! Net takeaway for me…if you don't even try, there is no way to succeed. Take some risks.

What do you do in your spare time?
I love to spend time and play with my kids; watching them grown up (learn something new each time we are together), hanging out with my wife (she is my best friend), playing golf and taking vacations.

Interviewing - Make a Good First Impression with the Right Look

2006-11-06T01:40:00.000-05:00

It's interviewing season at the Ross School of Business. The BBSA leadership team is working on a series of workshops to help prepare the MBA Class of 2008 for summer internship interviewing. Additionally, the Office of Career Development and the online website have a plethora of resources to help you sharpen your interviewing skills. After you have finished practicing the C-A-R format for the toughest interview questions, don't forget the finishing touch - your appearance. Here is a quick reference for both men and women to ensure you make the right first impression.

Men:
Suit
1) Navy blue or gray
2) Wool or wool-blend
3) Solid color, with or without pinstripes
(solid is preferred)
4) Single-breasted
5) Single-vent suit jacket
Think conservative and make sure the suit fits
well.
Shirt
1) WHITE--you cannot go wrong!
2) Professionally laundered with light starch
Tie
1) Stylish and modern, but not wild!
2) Make sure the tie complements the suit
Shoes
1) Black or burgundy (Black is preferred)
2) Wing tips, Cap toe, or standard Oxford
style
3) Laced shoes are preferred to loafers
4) Be sure to polish shoes before each
interview
Socks
1) Match color of suit
2) Solid or conservatively patterned
Be sure to purchase dress socks that will not
sag or fall down during the interview. This
would be very distracting!

Women:
Suit
1) Navy blue, black, or gray
2) Two piece (Jacket and Skirt; avoid pant suits and
dresses)
3) Conservative yet stylish
(Accounting/Finance/Consulting- more conservative)
4) Solid color or pin stripes
(Accounting/Finance/Consulting - solid color)
5) Conservative buttons (Avoid large, flamboyant
buttons)
Skirt length should be at, or slightly above the knee
Blouse
1) White or cream
2) Cotton or silk
3) Avoid low cut styles
Hose
1) Wear them!!
2) Neutral tones or suit color
(Accounting/Finance/Consulting - neutral is
preferred)
3) Solid; no patterns or decorations
4) Check for runs
Shoes
1) Color should match that of suit
2) Medium heel
3) No sling-back or open-toed styles. The most
important thing is that your shoes are comfortable
Accessories
1) Small, conservative earrings (gold, silver, or pearl)
2) Pull back long hair with barrette (preferably the
color of your suit or blouse)
3) Do not wear perfume
4) Wear natural looking nail polish
Be careful on your selection of jewelry. Avoid wearing
distracting accessories such as multiple rings, large flashy
necklaces, and extravagant pins.

The Annual Latin Party is Here !!

2006-11-06T01:22:00.000-05:00

A Night in Spanish Harlem

sponsored by John Deere

November 11, 2006 @ 8:30pm

Studio 4

The Black Business Students Association (BBSA) in conjunction with the Hispanic and Latin Business Students Association (HLBSA) is proud to present "A Night in Spanish Harlem" this November 11, 2006 at 8:30pm. The party will be held at Studio 4 (314. South 4th Avenue on the corner of 4th and Liberty in downtown Ann Arbor). $5 dollar charge - this is a party you don't want to miss!

BBSA Members click here to view the flyer

Ross BBSA Members Take Home 5 National Black MBA Conference Scholarships!

2006-11-06T01:13:00.000-05:00

The BBSA is proud to report that Ross students had the honor of winning 5 National Black MBA scholarships – more than any other MBA program! The winners were honored at the Scholarship Brunch Saturday, September 30, where they were awarded their scholarships and had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the companies that sponsored their scholarship funds. To win the scholarships, students had to submit essays on various topics relevant to African Americans pursuing MBAs. The students that received scholarships are listed below with their scholarship name:

Kenrick Chapman Class of 2007 Lloyd Trotter Scholar, sponsored by GE
Todd LeBlanc Class of 2007 Lloyd Trotter Scholar, sponsored by GE
Erika Lewis Class of 2008 Coca-Cola Scholar
Nicole Thomas Class of 2007 Gregory Boyd Scholar, sponsored by NBMBAA
Scott Thomas Class of 2007 Mercedes-Benz USA Scholar

Black Business Alumni Association | Alumni Dinner - Homecoming 2006

2006-11-06T00:46:00.000-05:00

The annual Black Business Alumni Association (BBAA) dinner as a part of Homecoming weekend was held on Sunday, October 29th, 2006. The event was attended by several BBAA members, including the 2006 alumnus of the year, Edward Hightowers.

Meet the BBAA 2005 - 2007 Executive Board

Chairperson...............Renee Rhoten, MBA 2000
Vice-Chairperson...............Bill Woodson, MBA 1986
Treasurer...............Duane Hart, MBA 1998
Secretary...............Charizma Williams BBA 2002
Alumni Affairs...............Ed Hightower, MBA 1995
BBSA Relations...............David Wooten, MBA 1987
Budget and Finance...............Duane Hart, MBA 1998
Development...............Chekesha Kidd, MBA 2001
Media & Communications...............open
Recruiting...............Kimberlee Burrows, MBA 2008

UpClose 2006 - Casino Night

2006-11-05T23:46:00.000-05:00

UpClose 2006, held this past weekend, November 2-4 2006 in Ann Arbor at the Kensington Hotel was a huge success! The weekend is designed to attract talented African American, Hispanic American and Native American applicants.

The event, chaired by Ana Archbold and Christine Llewellyn (MBA 2007) was participated by over 70 prospective students from around the country. Highlights from the weekend include a special welcome from Dean Dolan, student MAP testimonials, a career lounge, Ann Arbor City Tours, the Alumni Panel, Essay & Resume Review, the Application Workshop and of course - the annual Casino Night replete with a yummy chocolate fondue!

Current Students | Zipcar is on Campus!!

2006-11-05T23:39:00.000-05:00

For those of you without a car here in Ann Arbor, a solution could be car-sharing.Zipcar, North America’s largest and fastest growing car-sharing company, has arrived at the University of Michigan to provide University faculty,staff and students an alternative to the costs and hassles of keeping aprivately-owned car on or near campus.

Beginning November 1, 2006, a total of six self-service Zipcars – twoToyota Matrixes, two Mazda 3s and two Ford Escapes – will be available foruse 24 hours a day, seven days a week at three University locations,including Central, North and Medical campuses (locations and availabilitycan be accessed at http://www.zipcar.com/umich/find-cars).

The Zipcars will be available to all staff and students aged 21+ at a lowprice, with gas, maintenance, insurance, designated parking and XMSatellite Radio INCLUDED in all low hourly and daily rates. Zipcar wasselected as the car sharing vendor by the University based on its superiortechnology, membership experience and track record in providinguniversities and communities with a proven cost effective solution.

For university students who cannot or do not want to bring aprivately-owned car to school, Zipcar provides the opportunity and freedomto travel off-campus to attend interviews, run errands or take a weekendtrip. Zipcar also eliminates hundreds of dollars in monthly personaltransportation costs such as gas, insurance, maintenance and parking.Zipcar members report they save more than $436/month or $5,232/year usingZipcar versus car ownership, money that can be put toward other morerelevant expenses such as tuition and housing.

For faculty and staff who might consider parking off-site and lowering their parking expenses if it weren’t for the need for mid-day travel on or off-campus, Zipcar provides another option to explore. Subscriptionaccounts can be established for both business and personal travel.

Faculty, staff and students will be able to join Zipcar for an annual feeof $30, which will give members access to cars for $8 per hour or amaximum of $60 per day.

For membership information, please go to http://www.zipcar.com/umich/

Alumni | Q&A with Rudy Wilson, MBA 2002 - Brand Manager of Doritos, Frito-Lay, Inc.

2006-10-16T13:13:00.000-04:00

What was your professional background prior to business school and how did that lead you to Ross?

As a marketing undergrad at Arizona State University, I enjoyed a wonderful experience as a marketing brand intern at a company called Xyron. I absolutely loved it. My manager recommended I get into a cross functional career to start off because he felt it would help me become a better brand manager in the long run. My senior year I interviewed and was accepted as a buyer into the purchasing leadership program at General Mills. My purpose there was to learn how to deal with all aspects of the business. I did that for three years, loved the company, loved the experience; then I decided it was time for me to go to business school. I wanted to find a program that was right for me. I thought to myself, if I want to be the best, I have to go the best. I compared the top five schools (the University of Michigan being in the top 5) with the goal of finding the school that really was most like me. If I was going to spend two years of my time in business school, I wanted to be able to enjoy it. My experience during my visit to Michigan was compelling - the people there were down to earth, knowledgeable and passionate about what they were doing. They also knew how to have a good time! Life wasn’t just about a career - there were other things. I enjoyed that environment so I chose Ross.

How has your Ross experience helped your career as a marketer at Frito-Lay?

First, Ross prepared me with the education and technical training I needed. But what I value most from my experience is the team environment that we have at the school. I worked with a lot of dynamic people with different experiences, aspirations and goals. So it was almost like little mini-task forces composed of people interested in finance, international business, marketing, etc…all working together to get projects done. Learning how to apply technical skills while managing interpersonal skills was really cool. Those experiences definitely came to bear when I graduated and started working in the real world. Second, Ross did a really good job of helping to prepare me for interviewing with different companies. As a result, I was able to manage the job search process when recruiting season came around.

What makes Frito – Lay a strong marketing organization?

Frito Lay has its own direct sales force. That really allows us to have strong flexibility as an organization. We can react to consumers very, very quickly. Our sales force quickly implements our ideas tactically so we can work with consumers and create ideas from concept to finished product quickly. Another strength for Frito-Lay…well, people love our products! Frito Lay is fun food. It is really interesting when you work with a product that people know. When I mention to people that I am the brand manager for Doritos, it is an automatic 10-minute conversation! Additionally, from a career management standpoint, Frito-Lay gives employees a lot of responsibility from day one as an assistant marketing manager. For people who like that kind of challenge, it really puts you into an exciting place.

How long have you been with the company and what has been your career progression to-date?

I’ve been with Frito Lay for about 4 ½ years. When I came into the company I started out as an assistant marketing manager with Tostitos. For two years, I ran the day-to-day management of the business as well as the college sports strategy for both college football and basketball. Within that, I also ran the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, which included a National Championship game. After the 2nd year working with Tostitos, I wanted to try something new. I had a great opportunity to get into a position developing a customer innovation strategy. The idea of customer innovation was to investigate whether or not Frito Lay was in a position to develop exclusive products for key customers. After about a year, I was excited about my new opportunity on Sun Chips. I worked on the re-launch of the brand, which included in store activation, equity development and cause marketing (i.e. Susan G. Komen). I’m very proud of what we did as a team on the brand. That leads me to my current position as brand manager for Doritos. As brand manager, I am responsible for the equity strategy which encompasses brand communication (i.e. advertising) and brand innovation. One of the biggest things we are working on right now is a promotion called ‘Crash the Super Bowl’. We are giving consumers the opportunity to create an ad about what they love about Doritos. The top 5 ads will be posted on our website and consumers all across America will vote on their favorite. The winning ad will actually be played during the super bowl.

What advice do you have for current students interested in marketing careers at Frito – Lay?

Two suggestions. First, make sure you are aware of every single thing going on in the market. When I was at Michigan I subscribed to Brandweek and I read it every week. Magazines like Brandweek give you a good understanding of what is going on in the industry from a practical standpoint. It’s really important that you be versed on the marketplace. Another thing is, as a marketer sometimes you have to put your ‘consumer lens’ on. I think its easy to forget to leverage that. It’s tough too because while marketers are certainly not the typical consumer, it’s still important to be able to use you own intuition to make sure you are making practical business decisions.

M-Trek in the DR - Work Hard, Play Hard!!

2006-10-13T20:17:00.000-04:00

This summer, 5 members of the BBSA, Alex Sutton, Todd LeBlanc, Erik Franks, Michelle Brown and Vicky Escrojin, participated in a M-Trek to one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful and diverse islands – the Dominican Republic. The 9-day journey was extremely action packed, and full of fun times.

We began our trip on the Northern edge of the island in Caberete. From there, the group boarded a small boat and floated down the Islabon River, through dense stands of water lilies, to dine beachside. We made a beach bonfire and did some star gazing at the remote La Boca beach in Caberete.

Our next stop—the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua. For what you ask? You got it, canyoning! All of the trekkers kissed their fears goodbye and rappelled down a 150 foot waterfall. Did I mention that we also jumped from cliffs, some as high as 35 feet, into the crystal clear river water below. Yes, we all jumped (some multiple times), but this madness was definitely not for the faint of heart!

Of course, the adventures did not stop there. While in Caberete each of us grabbed our goggles, strapped on our tanks, and became Scuba certified. Who knew that swimming with the fish while breathing underwater could be so fun!

Our next stop was Jarabocoa, located in the Central Mountain Range of DR. The group geared up and prepared for a day of white water rafting on the Yaque del Norte River, the longest in the Dominican Republic. The “Mike Tyson” rapid, one of the strongest rapids with a very long drop, delivered the knock out punch and toppled me right out of the raft.

After all of the action, the group was in desperate need of some R & R. One word says it all, Catamaran!!! We spent a day sailing along the North Coast from Puerto Plata to Sosua, enjoying the views, loving the Caribbean music, and of course, sipping on the rum punch. We loved the rum punch!

We finished up our adventure filled Dominican Republic M-Trek when we arrived in the historic capital of Santo Domingo located on the southern coast of this beautiful Caribbean island. We celebrated the end of the great vacation and also the beginning of many great friendships.

This M-trek was definitely one of the most memorable experiences of my Ross career. What’s not to love when you mix 9 fun people, beautiful beaches, jungle adventures, water sports, cultural exploration, and fabulous nightlife (yes, salsa and meringue!).

The DR is definitely IN!

Prospective Students | Q&A with Gwyneth Slocum Bailey - Associate Director for Under-represented Minorities

2006-10-13T19:56:00.000-04:00

BCG conducted a study and estimated that only 7% of students at what the firm considered 'top' 20 M.B.A. programs are minorities. What is the Ross School of Business doing to continue to attract and recruit minority/underrepresented talent?

The current MBA classes at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan include 11% underrepresented minorities. We work very hard to recruit an MBA class that reflects diversity in a broad sense. The fact that we have a strong general management program results in students coming from a variety of backgrounds whose career goals and interests are very diverse, which adds breadth and depth to class discussions and team experiences. We are continuing to attract and recruit underrepresented minorities in a variety of ways.

We are fortunate to be a member school in the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an organization dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in American business. As a result, prospective MBAs who may not initially have had the Ross School of Business on their list of schools get exposure to Ross through the Consortium website, mailings, and events.

We participate in events sponsored by other organizations - such as Management Leadership for Tomorrow and Riordan Fellows, and the NBMBA and NSHMBA Conferences- that are committed to developing African American, Hispanic and Native American business leaders.

Our students and alumni are our best recruiters. They refer prospective MBAs to the Ross MBA program. Their enthusiasm for Ross is infectious, and they are involved in every stage of the recruitment process, including talking with newly admitted students to answer questions about Ross, host students during visits, etc.

We have an annual Diversity weekend called UpClose, during which prospective underrepresented minority students can experience Ann Arbor and the Ross School of Business first hand.

E-newsletters with information of specific interest to various segments of our inquiry base are sent to prospective MBAs who have registered on our website.
Members of the Ross faculty and staff are available to meet with all our prospective MBAs.

How important are alumni in the effort to recruit talent into the program?

As indicated above, alumni are involved at every step of the process in recruiting talent into the program. And we’ve got wonderful alumni! I could list a variety of ways in which alumni are involved with recruiting and tell all kinds of stories about the impact alumni have in bringing top talent to Ross (and often hiring them afterward!), but here are few recent examples:

About a month ago I met a prospective MBA who wants to get an MBA in order to switch into the hospitality industry. She read about one of our Consortium alumni in a related industry and asked me about getting in touch with him. I wrote the alum at 10:05 p.m. one evening and asked if he would be willing to contact the prospective student. At 10:46 p.m. the alum wrote me that he would be more than happy to talk with prospective MBAs, and at 11:01 p.m. he wrote to the prospective MBA. This is not an isolated incident, but is repeated in various ways again and again by our alumni.

Two weeks ago I sent a message to alumni in Russia requesting their help at recruiting events in Moscow this week. One alum wrote back, saying that he was not in Moscow, but he would be happy to help with recruiting. So I asked him, “Where are you exactly, and what are you doing, so that I know what types of prospective students to put in touch with you?” It turns out he’s working for a major oil company on an island off the eastern coast of Russia. As for the type of prospective students whom I should put in touch with him, he replied, “I'd be willing to talk to any prospective student no matter what their background or career interests. Michigan is a great place to go regardless of what you want to do in the future.”

What steps would you recommend prospective students take to decide if Ross is the best MBA program for them?

I give all prospective students interested in getting an MBA and trying to decide whether Ross is the right the same advice:

Know Yourself: Take time to reflect on:
o what you’ve done – and what you enjoyed
o what you would like to do
o how you like to learn
o in what type of environment you thrive
o why will an MBA help you bridge what you have done with what you want to do

Get to know the Ross School of Business:
o Request materials and “register with us so that you receive our e-newsletter @Ross
o Attend a Ross Event
o Connect with a current student
o Check out Student Organizations and Clubs related to your interests
o Visit Ann Arbor and the Ross School of Business

What advice would you give to a prospective student who is interested in applying to business school but is concerned with juggling the responsibilities of parenthood?

This question resonates with me personally as my newborn son was three weeks old when I started my MBA. That child is now married and working on a graduate degree himself. From this vantage point I can tell you that if/when you are a parent, you will be juggling the responsibilities of parenthood with other responsibilities for decades, not just while you are getting your MBA. In fact, juggling these responsibilities may be easier while in school because as a student you will probably have more discretionary time than you would in most jobs. You will be able to adjust many parts of your schedule to fit parenting responsibilities.

So, should you get an MBA at all, given that many post-MBA careers are very demanding? I would say that while it’s true that MBA career paths can have demanding responsibilities, an MBA can give you the expertise and credibility you’ll need to negotiate a job or career with flexible work arrangements, due to the value you will bring to a company or organization, or your MBA may be the credential that enables you to network your way back into a career if you stop out for a time to be your child’s primary caregiver. As with most decisions, I recommend talking with people who are doing the things you think you’d like to do and asking them about issues of juggling various responsibilities in that particular career path.

If you decide to get your MBA, I can tell you that going to business school as a new mother was challenging, but doable. The Ann Arbor community has excellent resources for children and families. Some MBA student parents get involved in the “Baby MBA” group of our Ross Partners Club. The University of Michigan offers very affordable family housing that comes with instant neighbors and friends. The size of Ann Arbor makes it relatively easy to get around to the places you’ll need to get to, which is a help when you have deadlines and appointments related to school, your career search and your children.

All the best in your endeavors, and thank you for your interest in the Ross School of Business.

Gwyneth Slocum Bailey
Associate Director of Admissions
Ross School of Business

MBA 2007 | American Express Company New York, NY - Intern, Christine Llewellyn

2006-10-08T15:24:00.000-04:00

After graduating from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Psychology, I began working for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as a consultant. I worked on many interesting projects with great people but soon realized that consulting wasn’t the best fit for me. I am passionate about art and design and found that my hectic and very unpredictable schedule allowed me neither the outlet nor the time to express my creativity. As much as possible, I got involved in activities outside of work that allowed me to fulfill this void. I soon realized that what I enjoyed most were things that allowed me to express my creative side. Knowing that I would best be able to display my creativity through a career in marketing, I decided to get my MBA from Ross to obtain fundamental business skills while also learning from Ross’ renowned marketing faculty. In my first year I focused on getting the perfect marketing internship for me - one that allowed me to use and sharpen my quantitative skills while also providing an outlet for my creativity. I can definitely say I found the perfect balance during my strategic marketing summer internship at American Express Company.

This summer I interned in the Establishment Services division of American Express. My summer internship project was to design a nationwide promotion (to be rolled out in 2007) for all card members that would serve to create buzz and excitement while ultimately generating incremental charge volume. In the past few years, American Express has rolled out very innovative, exciting and largely successful promotions that provide great value to its card members. As a company known for being on the forefront of marketing innovation, the American Express seeks to ensure that its card members always are presented with new promotions that remind them of the premium benefits of membership. My role this summer was to do just that – design an innovative new promotion that would provide premium benefits for all card members. Having had no formal marketing experience before my internship, I was a bit nervous before I started but was even more excited about the opportunity to design a new promotion that all card members could experience.

The first few weeks of my 11 week internship were spent conducting a very brief competitive analysis of other financial institutions’ promotions. This was followed by an in-depth industry analysis to determine which industry the new promotion would target. Obtaining data for this project required me to do quantitative and qualitative analyses of different industries. I interviewed directors and VPs that worked on industry development teams to get an understanding of how these industries were performing as well as how a new promotion could best serve their respective industries. I also conducted an in-depth quantitative analysis of different industries and looked at variables such as industry size, growth, and AMEX share over the past few years. Once the formal analysis was completed and the industry was selected, I began designing the new promotion.

Though I had never designed a promotion or campaign, my internship was a huge success thanks to the exposure I was given to marketing professionals inside and outside of American Express. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with the advertising agency to develop my idea and to come up with creative around the new promotion. I also conducted brainstorm sessions with AMEX professionals, advertising executives and promotions experts throughout the course of the summer. My success was also due to my supportive team and my great manager - who also happens to be a Michigan alum J.

This summer I was able to find the perfect balance between business analysis and creativity. My internship experience did not only help me realize that American Express was the place for me but it also helped me to really experience the value of Ross’ rich curriculum. Having been on my MAP project right before my internship, I was able to frame my project, create an actionable project plan, and organize and present vast amounts of data with ease throughout the summer. For all these reasons and many more, I am glad I made the choice to attend Ross and hope to begin my career at American Express after graduation.

MBA 2007 | Navajo Nation Division of Economic Development – St. Michaels, AZ – Intern, Omurhu Onokpise

2006-10-08T02:37:00.000-04:00

Prior to coming to the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan I had already decided on the type of internship I would seek. My original thought was that I would either seek an internship that was internationally based or an opportunity that was with a small entrepreneurial firm. Respective reasons for seeking those paths include gaining an international basis and experience for my career in international economic development, and learning the intricacies it takes to develop a company from the ground up to apply the methods globally to other individuals within my interest of economic development, respectively. As the recruiting season began to arise it was tough to escape the lure of all the Fortune 100, multi-national firms seeking the best and brightest MBAs soliciting them with various carrots to attract the veritable plethora of soon-to-be executives. All though all these items and events were nice and exquisite I reminded myself of a statement from Al Cotrone, Director of Student Affairs at the Office of Career Development, “You go to graduate school to do what you want to do,” and what I wanted to do was international development. As none of the corporate internships were of the flavor I was seeking I decided to look more towards the university based partnerships, such as the Zell Lurie Institute’s Marcel Gani program, or William Davidson Institute internships. During my research of Marcel Gani internships I came across the Domestic Corps program (DC). After further research on DC I was able locate a few internships that I felt would help me reach my previously set goals. One of these internships was working with the Navajo Nation (NN) Division of Economic Development (DED). It seemed like the perfect opportunity to work “internationally” doing work in the field of my choice. Noting that the NN is a nation within and of the United States the fit seemed right. At the time I received the offer I was in Cuba with a class studying the business/economic environment of the country. After seeing what opportunities for economic expansion were available in Cuba, it did not take much thought to realize that opportunities such as the one being offered at the NNDED could be utilized extensively in the future.

Once arriving on the NN, there were some preconceived notions that I held (as all do upon arriving to a “foreign” location). These notions were clarified after the first two weeks of the internship. During this time we interns had a chance to travel across the NN, with the current DC coordinator and the DC founder, visiting a number of sites. These sites included the Window Rock, Monument Valley, Shiprock, and Mesa Verde. Then we were introduced to the DED and the work of the DED by our two summer supervisors. Even though I had an exciting time, it was much learning and much knowledge to be gain as we began to immerse ourselves into the culture. It is important to understand that learning about the people and their roots/ancestry aids in building relationships and trust for the work eventually delivered. When I tell Navajos I spoke to the World War II Navajo Code Talkers or participated in a traditional Navajo Sweat, the sincerity of our immersion becomes evident. In turn, the recommendations that I was able to give at the end of the summer did not come from an outside consultant, but from “family”. I call myself family because that’s how I felt the people embraced us.

That being said, internships can be utilized as a launching pad of knowledge that can be translated for future opportunities, and I believe I was able to acquire that knowledge here on the NN. In international development there is much work with different governments, NGOs, and consultants, and my experience has endorsed that feeling. While here I was able to work on an infrastructure analysis for two of the ten industrial parks. The goal for this assessment is to help the NN review the current status of those industrial parks and to understand what work needs to be completed upon the parks to make them most attractive to solicit industrial firms. The more attractive the industrial area, the more likely that firms will seek to do business on the NN. As more firms do business on the Nation, other industrial and service firms will be more willing to do business here on the nation also, thus creating a multiplier effect bringing increased “wealth” and jobs to the community. This research was gathered from some of the great people I was able to meet here on the Nation, as well as some international development organizations such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Millennium Development Campaign, and the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. From these sources and through my work here I can affirm that my internship has prepared me for the world of international economic development and any other career paths I may seek.

Some students may wonder how this internship with a non-profit or socially/economically distressed people is different from the standard corporate internship. I say that this experience affords everything that a corporate experience does, with more room for greater responsibility. This responsibility is not just the breadth of tasks you can partake, but rather it is an opportunity to help a certain sect in society that you may not have otherwise had the opportunity to. The recommendations we made could be used to create actual jobs here on the NN, which could positively alter people’s lives. When people wonder about the money the MBA intern is giving up to take such an internship, I say it is a richer experience for me to see wealth created in a community which leads to a positive difference in a person’s current situation.

Wall Street Journal Ranks Ross No. 1

2006-09-19T21:38:00.000-04:00

9/19/2006 --

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---For the second time in three years, the Stephen M. Ross School of Business has been named the No. 1 business school in North America by the Wall Street Journal.

The Ross School is one of only two business schools to be ranked in the top four every year since the Wall Street Journal began its rankings in 2001.
“We're happy the Wall Street Journal has again ranked us as the best MBA program in the country,” said Ross School Dean Robert J. Dolan. “The Journal's ranking is particularly gratifying as it reflects the sentiment of hiring companies that see our graduates at work every day.”

The 2006 Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive survey is based on the opinions and behavior of more than 3,000 corporate recruiters who hire full-time MBA graduates. The ranking components measured include: recruiters’ perception of a school and its students; recruiters’ intended future supportive behavior toward a school; and mass appeal (the number of recruiters a school attracts). Each of these components accounts for one-third of the overall ranking.

The first component, recruiters’ perception, is based on 20 different attributes, including communication and interpersonal skills, ability to work well within a team, personal ethics and integrity, analytical and problem-solving skills, success with past hires, fit with corporate culture, leadership potential, strategic thinking, content of the core curriculum, faculty expertise and more.

Tips for Class of 2008

2006-08-29T00:48:00.000-04:00

Class of 2008,

The more information you have to prepare for your first year in business school, the less painful it will be. Yeah right!! Okay, so we all know that no one is ever TRULY prepared, but here are the top 5 tips the Class of 2007 would like to share with you as you start your journey.

5. Don't underestimate the power of group work. You will benefit from the synergy both in the classroom and in your groups, so speak up and learn something.

4. If you ever feel like you are drowning in your course work...immediately reach out for assistance. There are several resources available to you - professor office hours, BBSA academic support, and MBA2 tutors. Your classes will be over before you know it and the knowledge builds incrementally. Chances are if you were lost day 1, you will continue to be lost on day 2. Seek help!

3. Leverage the strengths of your classmates. Many of your section mates will come from industries that required extensive use of some of the information you are trying to absorb in your core courses. Make sure you ask them for help. Similarly, if you are an expert in a given field, be willing to help others who may be having a hard time.

2. Balance. Business school is the ultimate balancing act. It will do you well to prioritize everything in your life. Now.

1. Offload. From time to time, it will help if you offload by going out, joining an intramural team, or doing some volunteer work. Don't get stressed out. Again, don't be afraid to reach out to BBSA MBA2s.

BONUS TIP! Network. While this term is seriously over used the underlying principle still holds value. The relationships you build during these first several weeks will prove invaluable in the years to come.

MBA 2007 | S.C. Johnson Racine, WI - Intern, Erica Butler

2006-08-22T18:25:00.000-04:00

Synopsis: I had a great experience and learned more and was challenged more than I ever expected to be…I also found out that a mini-vacation in the middle of the summer is a necessity in order to recharge during a long internship.

I started my twelve week internship experience at S.C. Johnson May 30, 2006. I had a full month off after school ended and before I had to start my internship and boy did I end up appreciating it. I had a great experience but I think that any of us second years will agree that an internship - particularly if you're a career switcher - takes a lot out of you.

A little background on me: I have an undergraduate business degree from the University from Kansas. I studied marketing and did a marketing internship at Hallmark cards but ended up taking a consulting position at Deloitte following graduation. I focused in change management when I was with Deloitte so when I showed up at SCJ I can't say that I had much marketing experience to aid me during the internship.

Some info on S.C. Johnson: SCJ is a family owned company based in Racine, WI. They make all types of well-known brands from Ziploc to Glade to Raid to Scrubbing Bubbles. Despite all of these great brands people unfortunately still get the company confused with Johnson & Johnson all of the time. If you ever plan to interview with SCJ make sure you know they're two completely different companies!

I worked on the Scrubbing Bubbles brand during the summer. More specifically, I worked on new products within Scrubbing Bubbles. All of my four projects were focused on the new Automatic Shower Cleaner, which was great because I love the product. My first week or so was spent just trying to decode all of the marketing/SCJ jargon that was coming out of my co-workers' mouths. Once I figured out what people were talking about I had to tackle my project descriptions, and really figure out what I was supposed to be doing over the course of the summer. I have to say that I had a great range of projects. I worked on everything from a financial analysis to an online media assessment to a complete analysis of the test market for our new shower cleaner. I also worked on developing the FSI (Free standing insert - basically the coupon ads that you see in the Sunday newspaper) for the month of December. I even was able to sit in on several advertising campaign planning meetings.

I won't go into every detail of every project, but I will say that overall the challenging part of the summer was trying to figure out how to be proficient in a whole new area of business within a few weeks and then having to apply that new knowledge to various projects in a manner that showed that I knew what I was talking about and that I also added value. It was honestly not an easy task. I was lucky in that I had a couple of great managers that really were able to help guide my thinking without forcing me completely into their way of doing things. One of the first lessons I learned and what I wished someone had told me before I started the internship was that in marketing you deal with a lot of ambiguity. You'll never have 100% accurate information about every variable so you need to be able to make educated assumptions and come up with smart decisions based on those assumptions. Of course there are tons of experts in various functional areas there to help you make those decisions but ultimately there is no perfect data that can give you all of your answers. I spent more than a few days spinning my wheels trying to come up with the perfect solution on various projects before I could accept that there would be no "perfect" solution. When I came to terms with that I was able to get what I needed from data much more quickly and move on to creating actionable solutions without getting bogged down in the data.

Overall my internship experience was great. I will admit that I started getting worn down half-way in. I was lucky enough to have a fun weekend away with my boyfriend that helped to revive my energy half-way through (I now highly recommend to all interns that you plan a weekend mini-vacation during the internship to give you a second wind). As anyone will tell you, the last four weeks of the internship were definitely the busiest. Even if you try your best to spread out the work its inevitable that in a project based internship you'll end up busy at the end, when you actually feel like you know something.

In comparing marketing to my consulting experience, I have to say that the breadth of knowledge required in marketing is probably larger than in consulting. In consulting I eventually specialized in one area that I focused on during the majority of my projects. In marketing you're literally dealing with completely different business issues from the morning to the afternoon. The variety makes the job fun and unique. An advantage I will give consulting over marketing is that in my experience its definitely less bureaucratic. There is of course a hierarchy in both professions but in consulting your project teams are often fairly small and the work delineation is not always hard-defined. SCJ is a actually great in this regard because there are not proclaimed processes for every aspect of your job as there are in other well-known brand companies. Of course there are still clearly defined expectations at every level within the brand management career path, which could be frustrating if you're the type of person that wants to focus on broad strategy issues at all times.

I won't go on and on about my experience and what I learned over the course of the summer, but I will say that I learned more than I ever expected and was challenged more than I thought I would be. I'm definitely a better business person now and the knowledge I gained over the course of only 12 weeks will be hugely valuable to me no matter where my career takes me.

If you'd like to hear more about my internship experience please feel free to contact me at eebutler@umich.edu.

Welcome Class of 2008!

2006-08-22T17:56:00.000-04:00

The class of 2007 is thrilled to have you join us at Ross. We've been working hard over the summer to ensure that the BBSA has another outstanding academic and social year here at Ross! As you've hopefully noticed during GBR and OP, the BBSA prides itself on being a tight-knit family organization that is also thoroughly and deeply involved with the greater Ross community. Over the 2006-2007 academic year we're planning on becoming even more inclusive in our events and programs throughout the year.

We'd like to use this blog to share our experiences with one another and with other current and prospective students. If you'd like to contribute to the blog, please send an email to Tashira Gibbs at gibbst@umich.edu and she can provide you with instructions.

Thanks for viewing our blog and have a great first year at Ross!

Erica Butler
Vice President, Ross BBSA

2006-08-22T15:22:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the blog of the Black Business Students Association (BBSA) at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business!

The purpose of the blog is:

* To share BBSA club news and events
* To share club member opinions of and experiences at b-school
* To bring a frontline view to prospective students by providing insight into MBA life at Ross

We welcome your feedback and will try to respond in a timely manner to any inquires. Please enjoy your time on our blog and also be sure to visit us at our newly designed website.

Warm Regards,
The Ross BBSA Family

About the Ross BBSA
The Black Business Students Association (BBSA), founded in 1970, is one of the largest student-run organizations at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, located in Ann Arbor, MI. The BBSA is dedicated to the recruitment of Black business students and the professional and academic development of its membership.

Mission
The Ross Black Business Students Association is dedicated to the professional, academic, and personal experiences of its members and the recruitment of black business students into the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.