Michigan Tech College of Business Newsblog

Author: Karen Johnson

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Students Find Success in Entrepreneurship Competitions

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(Left to right) Students Abigale Hayes and Ambarish Rao with Jon Leinonen

By Jon Leinonen, College of Business

At Michigan Tech, entrepreneurship happens across campus. “Entrepreneurial capacity and success continues to grow at MTU. It’s a great experience for the students,” said Husky Innovate director Jonathan Leinonen, assistant dean and teaching professor in management in the College of Business.

Husky Innovate, a collaboration between the College of Business, Office of Innovation and Commercialization, and Pavlis Honors College, is Michigan Tech’s resource hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. The program works to develop a campus where entrepreneurial spirit thrives throughout the university and across all disciplines. Among other activities, Husky Innovate hosts workshops, competitions, and other entrepreneurship-related activities. View this fall’s schedule of events, which culminates with the Husky Innovate Business Pitch competition on November 20.

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Elham Asgari and Co-Authors Win Tariq Farid Franchise Institute Award for Best Paper

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Elham Asgari, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship in the College of Business, and co-authors Richard A. Hunt and S. M. Abidul Islam were awarded the Tariq Farid Franchise Institute Award for Best Paper on the Topic of Franchising at the 2024 Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BCERC). The award will be presented at the 2025 BCERC Conference, June 4-7 at Babson College.

The award-winning paper is titled, “Franchising in the Metaverse: Entrepreneurial Pathways for Virtual and Mixed Reality.” An abstract of the paper is below.

Asgari’s research interests include corporate entrepreneurship, technological innovations, star employees, and the small satellite industry. She is a Charles C. and John G. Gates Professor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

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American Marketing Association Students Compete At Regional Conference

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Michigan Tech AMA students (L-R) Lydia Sterly, Olivia Perry, Ruby Walker, Tessa Baker, Maia Nelson, Jaylen Body, and Micah Volger at the 2024 AMA Regional Conference

College of Business students from the Michigan Tech chapter of the American Marketing Association were among 400 students from over 30 universities who participated in competition at the 2024 AMA Regional Conference on October 23, 2024, at University of Wisconsin Whitewater.

In the Digital Marketing Strategy Competition Micah Vogler (marketing) and Jaylen Body (management) were finalists.

In the Marketing Strategy Competition, Olivia Perry (marketing), Maia Nelson, and Lydia Sterly (marketing) were finalists.

In the Gatekeeper Competition, Ruby Walker (marketing) was a finalist and she and took home fourth place overall.

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Students Win Second Place in Associated Schools of Construction Competition

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Michigan Tech students and FHP staff at the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Great Lakes Region Heavy Civil Division Competition this October. Pictured (left to right) are Joe Scarpelli, Executive VP of FHP, Sam Fitzpatrick (civil engineering), Troy Pape (civil engineering), Jack Schall (construction management), Evan Deimling (civil engineering), Caitlyn Schmitt (construction management), Christo Short (construction management), and Mia Dadian, FHP college recruiting manager.

Michigan Tech students won second place in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Great Lakes Region Heavy Civil Division Competition this October. The team competed against Milwaukee School of Engineering.

“We received great feedback from the division sponsor, F.H. Paschen (FHP) Contractors,” says Andrea Andres, professor of practice in civil, environmental, and geospatial engineering. “They were extremely impressed with our team’s final presentation.”

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COB Alumni Sharon Pickering-Polzin ’93 Appointed the Chief Financial Officer of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center

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College of Business students on campus

Sharon Pickering-Polzin ’93 (B.S. Business Administration) has been appointed the chief financial officer of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. In this role, Pickering-Polzin will leverage her expertise in non-profit accounting and strategic planning and her passion for people to drive organizational success and make a meaningful impact within the community. Her educational background complements her extensive career dedicated to the non-profit sector, including significant roles with the YMCA of the Fox Cities and the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes.

Pickering-Polzin’s appointment to the role was covered by Fox Cities Chamber and Broadway World mentioned Michigan Tech alumna Sharon Pickering-Polzin (B.S. Business Administration) in stories about her appointment as chief financial officer of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center.

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