In April, students from the Maine Business School’s Sport Management Club traveled to Chicago, IL, to connect with professionals and learn the inner workings of the sports and entertainment industry. 

Organized by Alex Versen, Lecturer in Sport Management and the club’s advisor, the trip portrayed a day-in-the-life at major sports facilities. “It’s one thing to talk about it in Orono, but it’s another to see the grit of gameday operations at an MLB stadium or the scale of a campus like the United Center,” Versen says. “I wanted to give them an industry visit that felt less like a field trip and more like an insider’s look at how these buildings function from the back-of-house. You can’t replicate the feeling of being in these spaces through a textbook.”

Behind the Scenes

It was a whirlwind trip starting with a tour of , home of the Chicago White Sox. Students enjoyed a facility tour and gained an insider’s perspective on professional league and stadium operations. They stayed for a game and participated in a pre-game on-field access.

“This was my first professional baseball game,” says Quincy Clifford, a senior studying Sport Management. “Sitting just nine rows behind home plate was amazing, and the pregame on-field experience made it even more memorable. Seeing the stadium from the players’ and coaches’ perspective was something I’ll never forget.”

The following day, the group visited the , home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks. Students spoke with industry professionals in event management and professional league sport, including Jonathan Vasquez, Senior VP of Stadium Operations for the White Sox, and Annie Cazarez, VP of Strategy & Development for the United Center. Students learned the technicalities of venue operations and event coordination, gaining an understanding of what it takes to manage one of the most well-known arenas in the country.

“I’m very interested in the operational side of sports, so this was an incredible experience for me,” Clifford says. “I was most interested in what is being built on the residential side of the United Center. A whole community is being realized with new hotels, apartments, and restaurants. I learned so much about project management and infrastructure, and the ways they directly impact venue operations and the overall fan experience.”

Finding a Community

The students wrapped up their visit by attending the Next Game Summit, an annual conference organized by the to build a community of athletes and support the transition to life after sports. By engaging with speakers and attendees, MBS students networked and discussed career paths and development. 

Through facility visits, professional league insight, and networking opportunities, the Sport Management Club’s trip to Chicago provided a well-rounded understanding of what a career in sports looks like and bridged the gap between textbook and real-life operations. 

“The best advice I heard on this trip was to say yes to a new opportunity,” says Ella Roy, a junior studying Sport Management and Marketing. “This trip gave me a stronger sense of self-confidence and community. The professionals we met were eager to share their experiences and seemed willing to help new people interested in entering the workforce.” 

Story by Regan Lawn

In March, 18 members of the University of Maine’s Maine Business School’s Student Portfolio Investment Fund (SPIFFY) and faculty advisor Dr. Sebastian Lobe traveled to New York City to compete in —one of the largest student-run finance conferences in the world.

This annual event is the largest student-run financial conference in the world, with over 135 universities and 1,200 students competing in the Global Portfolio Competition. This year, the 91¸ŁŔű SPIFFY team—a student-managed investment fund that oversees $6.2 million in assets for the University of Maine Foundation—placed third in the Undergraduate Core Portfolio. With over 135 universities and 1,200 students competing in the Global Portfolio Competition, this 91¸ŁŔű win was a significant accomplishment.

“Given their dedication, I am incredibly proud—but not entirely surprised—that SPIFFY has secured this award,” said Dr. Lobe, who has been advising the club since 2016. “These students do not get paid, nor do they earn educational credits for this. They are intrinsically motivated by a desire to master real-world finance, and these metrics prove that their hard work pays off. The credit for these achievements goes to the outstanding SPIFFY teams of the last two academic years. It is also a direct testament to the ongoing support of the University of Maine Foundation, SPIFFY’s founder Dr. Bob Strong, the MBS staff, and Executive Dean Jason Harkins.”

Professional Development at a Leading Student Finance Conference

This year, the Quinnipiac GAME Forum featured over 100 professionals from industry-leading financial services companies. These professionals spoke on panels, led breakout sessions, and served as judges for the student-managed portfolio competition, giving students direct exposure to careers in investment management, financial services, and asset management.

The forum began with keynote speakers Lindsay Hans, president and co-head of Merrill Wealth Management, and Zach Buchwald, CEO of Russell Investments. They set the stage for additional speakers to continue the conversation on financial markets, asset allocation decision-making, portfolio investment, risk management strategy, and more. At the end of all sessions, students were given time to ask questions to the renowned panelists.

“I found it interesting to learn how the keynote speaker prompted AI to get exactly what he wants using the PICO (persona, input, context, output) method and what a difference good prompting makes,” says Ronny Roberge, SPIFFY Sector Head for Information Technology. “I think many people underestimate the versatility of AI tools.”

Molly Graham, SPIFFY Director of Marketing, enjoyed the networking with peers from other schools as well as the professionals and recruiters. “A lot of the sessions offered were about what’s really happening in the global markets today,” she says. “Many of the professionals were honest about how their jobs are affected by uncertainty, and that was really interesting to hear about.”

Student Investment Competition

Menelik Mekonen, SPIFFY Director of Performance, and Molly Graham led the Global Portfolio Competition and Poster Session respectively on day two of the conference.

All schools participating in the competitions sent two students to set up their posters in a large conference room. From noon to 2 pm, students, professors, and professionals were free to wander the room to check out the presentations from each team. “It felt like open office hours,” Graham says. At 2 pm, the doors closed to outside viewers, and the judges moved from table to table. Teams had 60 seconds to pitch their investment portfolio strategies to judges before the room reopened to the public at 4 pm.

“We’re a young team,” Graham says. “No one expected us to win anything, so to come in third place was incredible. I felt so proud!”

Building Connections in the Financial Capital of the World

Beyond the forum was a whole city to explore. Students were able to visit Wall Street, experience Times Square, and become familiar with the financial capital of the world. They were given the freedom to try local restaurants, walk through Central Park, and visit the World Trade Center Memorial, among other things.

“I definitely think we got closer as a group,” says Steve Corrigan, SPIFFY Sector Head for Real Estate. “Before the trip, I knew most of the other sector heads, but more at an acquaintance level. Spending so much time together, grabbing food, navigating the city, and just hanging out helped turn those relationships into something more genuine.”

Molly Graham agrees. “SPIFFY students have different majors and classes,” she says. “We all see each other once a week at our meetings, but we may not run into each other outside of that.” Turning a working relationship into something deeper made the trip more meaningful to her.

“SPIFFY works best when there is real trust and communication,” Corrigan says. “After this trip, it felt like we were no longer just a group managing separate sectors, but a team that understood each other better on both a professional and personal level.”

Experiences like the Quinnipiac GAME Forum highlight how University of Maine business students gain hands-on experience in investment management, build industry connections, and prepare for careers in finance.

Story by Sydney Lavigne

Seven students from the University of Maine’s Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) traveled to New Orleans, LA, from April 3–5 to attend the (ICC), marking the club’s first time attending since 2019.

Held annually, ICC brings together over 1,600 students from more than 130 collegiate AMA chapters worldwide. The conference offers students the opportunity to compete in national competitions, attend professional development sessions, and network with like-minded peers. For 91¸ŁŔű AMA, it was an opportunity not just to represent their university, but to grow as marketers and bring home a renewed vision for the future of their chapter.

Each of the seven attending members got the chance to apply their classroom knowledge to national competitions, including the JBL Design Lab challenge. “For this challenge, we were given 90 minutes to create a marketing strategy for their college campus influencer program. JBL representatives were there and actually judged our presentation,” says Elaina Eves, AMA Vice President. “I was able to really put my marketing skills to the test in a unique environment.”

Along with competitions, members also gained valuable insights to strengthen their chapter by attending educational sessions led by the leaders of chapters that have excelled in previous years.

“ I really liked that clubs talked about how they were structured and how their structure allowed them to expand and attract high-quality members who were in it for the long term,” says William Chase, AMA director. “We want to bring that back to help us build an involved, high-performing member base.”

Outside of the competitions, there was so much to explore in New Orleans and time to bond as a team. “I had fun on Bourbon Street, which is infamous for hosting Mardi Gras. It was a great way to learn about New Orleans culture and tourism,” Chase says. “Even on an out-of-season weekend, it was really nice to just people-watch walking down the street, it really showed a fun culture of activity.”

The executive board is now excited to implement what they learned. Plans for the upcoming school year include restructuring the board to encourage more member participation and introducing fresh events and initiatives. The ICC experience has set the foundation for 91¸ŁŔű AMA’s next step to growth and success.

Story by: Andie Lovejoy

In November, 15 students from the Maine Business School embarked on an unforgettable journey to Vermont and Montréal, gaining firsthand insights into the worlds of sport management and international business. This experiential learning trip, led by Dr. Nick Swim, Associate Professor of Sport Management, and Dr. Stefano Tijerina, Senior Lecturer in Management, blended educational exploration with cultural immersion.

Expanding Perspectives Beyond the Classroom

Dr. Stefano Tijerina, who has been leading student trips to Canada since 2005 through his work with 91¸ŁŔű’s Canadian-American Center, emphasized the importance of these cross-border experiences. “My goal is to facilitate cross-cultural connections that help expand the lens through which students see the world,” Dr. Tijerina says. “The trip also helps deconstruct misconceptions about Canada, especially the Anglo-centric view of the country.”

This year, Dr. Tijerina was joined by Dr. Nick Swim, who incorporated unique sport management experiences into the itinerary.

Behind-the-Scenes Sports Experiences

The trip began with a stop in Burlington, Vermont, where students toured Centennial Field, home of the , a collegiate summer baseball team. This gave students a close-up look at how smaller sporting organizations operate and engage their communities.

In Montreal, the group explored several iconic sporting venues:
• The , where they learned about the history and culture of curling in Canada.
• The Montréal Circuit, home to the world-famous Canadian Grand Prix.

“This was my first time in Canada, and my favorite part of the trip was the Formula 1 track,” says Regan Lawn, a student from Egg Harbor Twp, New Jersey. “The sponsorship team gave us an engaging presentation on how they maintain relationships with their partners and gave us a tour of the facility.”

For the second year in a row, students attended a MontrĂ©al Canadiens hockey game—an unforgettable experience that immersed them in the passion and energy of Canadian sports culture. “Attending the MontrĂ©al Canadiens game allowed students to see sport management principles in action,” Dr. Swim says. “From the marketing to fan experience, the Canadiens provide a world-class environment. Attending a game pushed them to watch an NHL game, but also see the behind-the-scenes work that goes into putting on a professional sporting event.”  

Experiential Learning

Experiencing business internationally is only a 5-hour drive away for MBS students. Having the opportunity to visit cities in Canada, such as Quebec City and MontrĂ©al, exposes students to a new business culture by immersion. “Students can witness the challenges and opportunities of international business dynamics, exploring how companies market products, adapt customer service strategies, and navigate cultural and linguistic differences,” Dr. Tijerina says. It’s also a lot of fun.

In addition to structured tours, students on this trip also had time to explore MontrĂ©al independently, allowing them to appreciate the city’s vibrant culture, history, and diversity. Some students took advantage of the city’s outdoor opportunities with a hike of Mount Royal, while others explored the bustling streets and cultural landmarks.

Sixteen Maine Business School student members of the Student Portfolio Investment Fund (SPIFFY) student organization spent March 30 and 31 attending Quinnipiac’s Global Asset Management Education (GAME) Forum in New York City. “After a three-year Covid-related hiatus, it was great to enjoy an in-person conference again,” says Dr. Sebastian Lobe, SPIFFY faculty advisor.

is the largest student-run financial conference in the world. It brought together current and future leaders of the financial services industry to explore and discuss the topical issues the global investment environment faces. The conference included over 100 speakers and 77 industry-leading financial services companies, who presented at keynote panels, workshops, and breakout sessions. SPIFFY members were able to learn alongside 1,100 students in attendance from over 120 universities.

“It isn’t often that more than 100 student portfolio managers can show off their hard work to other students from across the country,” says Aidan Michaud, SPIFFY director of performance. “I learned that no one set of guidelines leads to market success. Rather, the commitment to sustain your values with passion and persistence leads to success in the markets. Finance is an art just as much as it is a science.”

On the first day of the conference, participants gathered to listen to 15 different keynote speakers. The speakers discussed their opinions and understanding of various topics, such as the current and future state of the United States economy, market and investment strategies, global asset allocation, and portfolio management. Students had the opportunity to ask questions directly to the keynote panelists at the end of each session.

“I am eternally grateful for these finance leaders to come and share their invaluable knowledge with us at these panels,” says Jackson Graham, SPIFFY director of investments. “I especially enjoyed listening to the Wealth Management Strategies Panel, where advisors from Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan shared their experiences. One main takeaway was realizing that people tend to change their strategy. You have to keep them steadfast through the boom and bust of the market. “

The second day of the conference offered breakout sessions, keynotes, and workshops. SPIFFY members could choose topics within the finance industry that interested them. Topics included asset allocation, wealth management, FinTech, women in finance, crypto assets and hedge funds, entrepreneurship finance, and many more. SPIFFY members also attended post-college career networking events, which allowed students to meet directly with company representatives and GAME alums. To end the day, SPIFFY members participated in the global portfolio competition poster session. This event provided members to present their actual, managed investment portfolio and compare their performance, strategies, and overall portfolio with other universities. Members also enjoyed learning different maintenance protocols from other funds.

“It was an amazing experience to talk with representatives of so many other student-run portfolios,” says Johnny Gray, SPIFFY sector head of consumer staples. “I was struck by the true uniqueness SPIFFY exhibits in its size, opportunities, and level of responsibility entrusted to undergraduate students. The event left me incredibly grateful to be a part of such a phenomenal club!”

SPIFFY members are extremely grateful to Dr. Robert Strong, professor emeritus, who founded SPIFFY in 1993, and the University of Maine Foundation.

Story by Nicole Cobb

Undergraduates in the Undiscovered Maine student research project took up a new task this spring semester—consulting with a Montessori school in Franklin County. This project perfectly demonstrated the mission of Undiscovered Maine, which is to provide valuable educational opportunities for students to learn web and social media strategies as well as organizational, management, and marketing skills to help small businesses in economically-disadvantaged areas of Maine.

“The students in the small business team were interested in doing a consulting project,” says Dr. Nory Jones, Professor of Business Information Systems and faculty advisor for Undiscovered Maine.” The (MMCH) was exactly what our team was looking for.”

Good old-fashioned networking connected the Montessori school with the Undiscovered Maine team. Kathy Stovall, Class of 2022, has a child who attends MMCH. She used the school as a philanthropic project in one of her management classes. Kathy knew MMCH was struggling with its marketing outreach and connected the director, Bethany Mahar, with the Undiscovered Maine team.

Public schools usually have the financial means to provide diverse programs to accommodate many different students. But small private schools in rural areas don’t always have that luxury. MMCH found it challenging to create awareness and position themselves relative to more traditional schools in the area. Located in Kingfield, Maine, MMCH offers a different approach to learning. A Montessori educational experience emphasizes fostering the whole child’s growth and creating a connection to the natural world. MMCH faced the challenge of how to educate potential new families about this holistic approach to education.

Undiscovered Maine students put their business curriculum into practice. The team performed a SWOT analysis to measure the school’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. “Many of the topics I have covered in class were transferable to this project,” says Hana Boucher, a second-year marketing major. “Specifically, the SWOT analysis and several marketing techniques, including identifying the target audience. Since I am from the economically underdeveloped region of Aroostook County, I’m no stranger to the struggles of small businesses. It was very rewarding to do meaningful work for the betterment of a Maine business.”

Business students researched areas of interest that directly impact MMCH. They offered ideas on attracting prospective families by building brand awareness, reinventing their social media, and collaborating with local businesses. Students also created actionable templates to help with social media and marketing and recommended a software system to help them automate their processes. Another area of research led to recommendations for new and thoughtful ways MMCH could collaborate with the local public school system.

“I was honestly amazed,” Mahar says. “I didn’t know that college students, who do not have young children of their own and are not in the education field, were able to grasp the essence of what MMCH is trying to offer our families and how we are marketing that. I was really impressed by this team. They offered me tangible information that could actually improve our business.”

91¸ŁŔű’s state championship CFA Institute Research Challenge team has been chosen to advance to the national competition as Sub-Regional Champions. Canisius College in New York and the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania joins 91¸ŁŔű in the Eastern U.S. division. The CFA Institute is an annual global competition that offers students real-world experience as research analysts.

MaineMBA students Robert Harvey and Daniel Thomas and Maine Business School undergrad Nicole Pelletier are led by faculty mentor Dr. Pankaj Agrrawal and industry advisor Michael C. Moore from Bigelow Investment Advisors. They won the Maine State title on February 24 and will compete in the finals on April 15, 2021. 

“The success with the CFA competition is a testament to our students, their hard work, and their excellence,” says Faye Gilbert, Ph.D., Executive Dean of the Maine Business School and Interim Dean of the Graduate School of Business. “This step toward the national competition is also an indicator of the impact our faculty have on student learning. Dr. Agrrawal invests his time to provide these transformative learning experiences for students in finance and for that, I am grateful. It is also a compelling part of the Maine Business School model to welcome external advisors. We are grateful for the time invested by Michael Moore to work with these learners.”

91¸ŁŔű team will compete against 14 other universities across the country. There are 30 international teams that span the globe from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. 

“The visibility that this brings to the University of Maine and our Business School is now at a national and international level,” says Pankaj Agrrawal, Ph.D. “I anticipate a bright future for Robert, Nicole, and Daniel, and great success for our MBA and business programs. The students have worked over six months at this point to get here. I am really very happy for the team and it continues to be a privilege to work with them.”

The Maine Business School and Graduate School of Business are pleased to announce that 79 students have been invited to join the International Business Honor Society this year.

Founded in 1913, Beta Gamma Sigma is the business honor society for . These are the top 5% of business school programs around the world. This is a prestigious honor, and to help our students join, the Maine Business School covers the induction fee for each student.

“Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest academic honor that an AACSB-accredited business program can bestow upon students,” says Faye Gilbert, Ph.D., Executive Dean of the Maine Business School. “When you meet a member of BGS, you are interacting with one of the top business minds in the world.”

Each Spring, the Maine Business School inducts the top 20% of MaineMBA students and  the top 10% of undergraduate Juniors and Seniors into our local chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma. This year’s virtual induction ceremony will be held at 2 pm on April 23rd. 

The ceremony will be presided over by the current BGS officers: Angelina Buzzelli, MBA president; Nicole Pelletier, undergraduate president; Katelynn McFadden, vice president; and Jeremiah Richardson, scribe. BGS academic advisor Grant Miles, Ph.D., Executive Dean Faye Gilbert, Ph.D., and Associate Dean Jason Harkins, Ph.D. will also help induct the next class of students. 

The current BGS Officers have also voted to include Erin Percival Carter, Ph.D., as a faculty inductee this year.

Congratulations to Dr. Carter and the following students:

Juniors

Connor Dominick Bell
Gabrielle Elizabeth Benson
Hope Bifulco
Devon Mycah Carrier
Joy Taylor Cartwright
Emily Kelly Chapin
Nicholas James Czuchra
Jennifer Marie Dean
Alexander Joseph Drobot
Ashton Hailey Dunbar
Alexis Ree Everett
Austin Scott Findlen
Eliza Foye
Chase Andrew Holt
Christopher Arnold Johanson
Kathryn E Kane
Kira Kutzinski
Erin Amy MacAskill
Jonathan William Maidman
Aidan Kent Michaud
Heather Emily Munroe
Kian Michael Murray
Nicholas I Poulin
Mikayla Marie Reynolds
Victoria Sophia Roman
Jakub Sirota
Kendall Rose Szumilas
Allison Elizabeth Treat
Samuel Walker

Seniors

Jacob Beauchesne
Grace Graham
Daniel James Guidi
Michael Alexander Labun Jr
Jonathan Matthew Yang Libby
Kassidy Shannon Mathers
Hannah Nugent
Chandler Crosby Perkins

MBA

Labeed Al Hanfy
Nargiz Ali Zada
Ross Baldree
Colby Bracy
James Brissenden
Joe Carroll
Sophie Cohen
Adam Comolli
Frank Cruz
Sina Dadfar
Michael Davis
Nate Faessler
Michael Galanek
Kevin Gallant
William Grover
Jill Harper
Robert Harvey
Darius Haskell
Connor King
Mike Kirby
Hrachya Kocharyan
Joseph Light
Cory Merrill
Kimberly Montero
James Nelson
Catherine Odede
Sarah Paine
Karissa Panzino
Matthew Penney
Derek Prox
Daniel Quinn
Tara Richards
Josh Rosen
Mikayla Roy
Keith Sample
Bennett Shaw
Kara Sleeper
Mimi Sokolowski
Samantha Sparda
Daniel Thomas
Jacob Watson
Allison Willard

To see the inductees from past years, please visit our website.

91¸ŁŔű brought home the CFA Institute Research Challenge state title for the second year in a row. MaineMBA students Robert Harvey and Daniel Thomas and undergraduate student Nicole Pelletier were led by MBS team advisor, Dr. Pankaj Agrrawal.

“This was an outcome of steady, consistent, and devoted work by the team captained by Robert,” Dr. Agrrawal says. “I’m glad they defended the CFA title and am privileged to be part of the many months of background work on the research.”

Two teams of Maine Business School and Graduate School of Business students are taking part in the 2021 annual . This global competition offers the students real-world experience as research analysts. Students get actual exposure to a Maine-based listed company’s finances and receive hands-on mentoring in financial analysis and professional ethics. Students are tested on their analytical, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills. 

“While this competition is a huge amount of extra work for the students, they rise to the challenge,” Dr. Agrrawal says. “The raising of the bar during the process, exploring new methods of analysis with the assigned team mentors, the industry linkages, and the exposure is all priceless.” 

This year’s teams include Nicholas Barto, Tee Soul II, and Kevin Williams on Team A. Their assigned industry mentor is Vincent Damasco from R. M. Davis. State title winners on Team B include Robert Harvey, Nicole Pelletier, and Daniel Thomas. Their industry advisor is Michael C. Moore, CFA, from Bigelow Investment Advisors. Both firms are located in Portland, Maine.

“When I received information regarding joining this year’s CFA Research Challenge, I knew immediately that I wanted to participate,” Daniel Thomas says. “I’m currently a level II CFA Candidate, so it was the perfect chance to gain some hands-on experience relevant to the CFA program.”

Students at Maine colleges and universities have been researching the financial prospects of IDEXX Labs, a global company in the area of veterinary diagnostics with an annual revenue of $2.5 billion. By design, the companies included in the competition are from Maine. The Maine state finals took place on February 24, 2021, and the national competition will be held in April. In 2020, the Maine Business School team, consisting of Samuel Varga, Nargiz Ali Zada, and Nikki Yutuc, placed first in the state competition. They subsequently presented in New York City for the national competition. 

Nicole Pelletier, the only undergraduate to take part in the CFA Institute Research Challenge this year, was encouraged to get involved by Nikki Yutuc from the 2020 winning team. “Daniel, Robert, and I put dozens of hours into our paper and presentation,” Pelletier says. “We have been working on this project since late November, and I don’t think we have taken a week off. I think I speak for all of us when I say I am so proud to represent the University of Maine, especially all of the faculty, industry professionals, and past students that have paved the way for us to be able to participate and supported us throughout the process.”

Dr. Agrrawal is elated that 91¸ŁŔű retained the CFA Championship state title. “The Maine Business School is now being seen in southern Maine and beyond as having a strong finance program that produces quality students at undergraduate and MBA levels,” he says. The Maine Business School has a strong faculty, and with support from undergraduate and graduate leadership, the students are finding jobs in established finance companies. “As a direct result of our participation in this competition, two industry analysts will soon guest lecture in our classes, and one of them wants to build an internship program with the MBS.” 

Tip Whip is a tips-only, ride-sharing service that aims to save lives by reducing drinking and driving.

More than 700 91¸ŁŔű students have registered with the Tip Whip mobile app since it launched in February. The company has 35 student drivers who have provided more than 1,000 rides in their personal vehicles to safely transport more than 3,000 of their 91¸ŁŔű peers.

AMA students met regularly with Wood to discuss the best ways to market Tip Whip. The students designed and created fliers and posters that they distributed throughout the university and surrounding community, helped redesign the Tip Whip website, and provided suggestions for taglines and social media campaigns.

“We brainstormed and created glow-in-the-dark rearview mirror tags to identify Tip Whip drivers at night,” Wood says. “This was huge because I had been looking for cheap, effective ways to identify Tip Whip vehicles and really struggled to keep the price down.

“I gave students the freedom to decide which marketing plans would be the most effective and which they would enjoy working on. I wanted them to tell me what we should do to make Tip Whip better and to get excited about working on a real business that meant something to them. I advised them to pay attention to details and aim for the stars.”

Students say they enjoyed working with Wood, who made them feel like leaders and that their input mattered. They were impressed with his entrepreneurial energy and business acumen, and came away with important lessons about starting and growing a company.

AMA president Connor Allan ’17, an accounting and finance major, says Tip Whip’s mission resonates with students, and the group was motivated and excited to not only promote Tip Whip, but to help Wood succeed.

“He demonstrated how being enthusiastic, having a good idea, and believing in others as much as yourself is foundational to success. It’s important to inspire others, and I think that is one reason he has been so successful,” says Karen Lucky ’17, a marketing major.

Peter Wells ’16, a marketing major who is working toward starting a business, says Wood has influenced his own marketing strategies.

“He hasn’t had access to big money advertisements, but through word of mouth, guerrilla marketing and social media, he has been able to generate a fairly large customer base that is rapidly growing,” Wells says.

Collaborating with the AMA provided an opportunity to give back to the university while offering students “real-life, real-time work experience on a business they know and use,” Wood says.

“Having a group of students with different backgrounds and opinions only helps drive a company forward. I learned a lot about my business and target market while working with the AMA students,” he says.

Chevaughn Kacer ’16, a marketing major and vice president of the AMA who uses Tip Whip regularly, says it’s clear Wood understands his business and intended audience.

“I saw how well he knows his customers and what they want. I think that’s the most important lesson — you need to know your environment. Spencer knows it for sure and I can’t wait to see him expand his business,” she says.

Students made suggestions that Wood says he plans to incorporate in the fall, including working with apartment complexes to add Tip Whip gear in welcome baskets for new tenants, taping fliers on delivery pizza boxes, and informing students and their families about the service at orientations and move-in days.

“Once you engage students with a challenge and give them the freedom to be themselves, special things start to happen,” Wood says.