Where in the World was McGuire in March?

McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship faculty and staff were on the move in March. Here are just some of the places and reasons why we were on the move!   

"I traveled to Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe with McGuire Center entrepreneurship students as guest of the Japanese government through the Kakehashi program. Over the course of ten days, we visited Waseda University and their robotics lab, as well as small and large businesses. I then joined the Eller Evening MBA program on its Global Business Perspectives international trip to Chile and Argentina where we visited governmental and non-governmental organizations, leading manufacturing facilities and financial institutions. Finally, I was invited to participate as a keynote speaker at the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration conference in Guadalajara, Mexico. The conference, Enhancing North American Competitiveness, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, aims to bring together scholars, practitioners and entrepreneurs from the US, Canada and Mexico."

-- Carlos J. Alsua, Entrepreneurship Senior Lecturer
 

"I had the opportunity to meet with two excellent potential partner universities. Sampoerna University located Jakarta, Indonesia and the University of Mauritius. I was impressed by the friendliness of the Indonesians I met while visiting Jakarta. I was also impressed by the University of Mauritius, which sits on a gorgeous island. It was a long trip, but a truly valuable one for Eller."

-- Remy Arteaga, Director

"I had the opportunity to travel to San Francisco this month to help with the Impact Hub partnership launch. This was my first time in San Francisco and I enjoyed learning more about the city and seeing how entrepreneurship has helped San Francisco first hand. I had the opportunity to visit June, a start-up from an alum of the McGuire Program. It’s great to see the impact entrepreneurship education has on our alums!"

-- Casey Ann Carrillo, Program Coordinator
  

"I visited San Francisco to help kick off our partnership with Impact Hub San Francisco and also to visit with alumni. The highlight of the trip was visiting the June headquarters and interviewing Matt Van Horn ('06 BSBA Marketing and Entrepreneurship), co-founder & CEO of June. Before June, Matt was the VP of business for Path, ran business development for Digg, and co-founded Zimride (well-known now as Lyft). It was a pleasure to learn about his entrepreneurial journey, hear his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, and see June Ovens in action. Stay tuned for a video alumni profile to learn more!"

-- Sarah Mauet, Assistant Director
 

"I traveled to Japan with entrepreneurship students from the McGuire Center. We learned more about the Japanese economy and had the opportunity to tour large and small businesses. One of the most valuable activities that the students participated in was an exchange between students and professors from Waseda University, a private research university in Tokyo. Part of the program included a homestay, in which the students spent a night with a Japanese host family to learn more about Japanese culture. Overall it was a valuable experience that will hopefully result in more bridges between Japan and the United States."

-- Munerra Muhammad, Program Coordinator

"I was in Cambodia, visiting our micro-campus at the American University of Phnom Penh (AUPP). Our first cohort of Eller students at AUPP will graduate later this year and I had the opportunity to meet the students who are enrolled in my ENTR 485 class this semester.  While Cambodia has a developing economy, entrepreneurship is booming and many students have already started ventures, including one running the coffee shop on the AUPP campus.  The students seemed very engaged and appreciated having Eller faculty visit their campus." 

-- Mark Peterson, Entrepreneurship Lecturer

"From February 27 through March 6 I was in Japan with Carlos Alsua, Munerra Muhammad, and 22 entrepreneurship students, participating in a Kakehashi program. Designed to acquaint young people with what the country has to offer, our whirlwind introduction to Japan took in three cities, two trips on the Shinkansen bullet train, visits to small and large businesses, and, perhaps most importantly, opportunities to get to know the people of Japan. Everywhere we went, I was blown away by the unfailing consideration shown to others, the pride shown in the quality of Japanese products, and the efficiency of everything. As somewhat of a minimalist, I even enjoyed the compact hotel rooms! A big thank you to the Japanese government for making this experience possible."

-- Anne Stringfellow, Entrepreneurship Senior Lecturer
 

"I had a very busy trip to New York, Boston, and Austin (for SXSW), visiting computer science colleagues at RPI & MIT, entrepreneurship faculty from MIT and Montana, plus asset managers, VC's, startups, branding & marketing companies, design professionals, and many social innovators."

-- K Krasnow Waterman, Entrepreneur In Residence and Entrepreneurship Lecturer 

"I traveled to Ramstein Air Force Base to lead a Boots to Business training for active duty military members and veterans that are considering the launch of a small business or entrepreneurial venture after they transition from the military. The Boots to Business program is coordinated by the Institute of Military and Veteran Affairs at Syracuse University and works with entrepreneurial leaders and professors from across the globe. The program is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as a training track within the Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP)."

-- Rick Yngve, Entrepreneurship Lecturer

For more information, visit the McGuire New Venture Development Program.