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Jump Start Kansas Competition Provides Grants to Entrepreneurial High School Students

Posted On: March 24, 2017
By: MC Admin

By Johanna Hoffman ’17, communication major

Entrepreneurship is a mindset that McPherson College implements in many ways. Students, faculty, and staff are provided opportunities to flex their entrepreneurial spirit and encourage expanding horizons through innovation, originality, and initiative to seize new opportunities. Jump Start Kansas was started six years ago and is an opportunity for high school and prospective students to get an inside look at the entrepreneurial program.

McPherson College receives concept ideas from high school students across the state each year. This year, 17 students were invited to campus to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges from the college. After presenting their concepts, each participant is granted up to $500 from the college to put their idea into action.

McPherson College President Dr. Michael Schneider says promoting entrepreneurship opportunities for high school students benefits the participants and the college.

“Jump Start Kansas is different than recognizing someone for their academic, artistic or athletic abilities. We value student ideas and their entrepreneurial spirit, and we hope that a few students get a chance to see that we are a good option for them to pursue their idea as a McPherson College student.”

Lizbeth Gonzalez of Independence, Mo., was a finalist with her idea for an online shopping app that allows customers to visualize what clothes would look like on before they purchase them. To her, entrepreneurship is about coming up with ideas to improve people’s lives.

“I’m always ecstatic about coming up with new ways to make the life of the consumer a tad easier. Being an entrepreneur is having the mindset of someone that is creative, bold, and looking for new ways to facilitate and build up the community.”

Yanet Cecenas-Salazar of McPherson, Kan., proposed an idea for a pet hotel. She says for her, the key to successful entrepreneurship is being able to think outside the box and not overthink an idea.

“Being an entrepreneur is a great skill. It lets you become a leader and gives you critical thinking skills.”

Schneider was particularly impressed with this year’s Jump Start Kansas participants and their well-developed concepts.

“More students came with ideas in the execution stage—they are coming in with ideas that they are already trying.”

The finalists for Jump Start Kansas were:

Sierra Brown, Lansing, Kan.: quilt designing business
Daphne Cassanova, Wichita, Kan.: Youga – traveling yoga studio
Yanet Cecenas-Salazar, McPherson, Kan.: Pet Hotel
Ja’River Dunlap, Kansas City, Mo.: Nonprofit youth volleyball organization
Lizbeth Gonzalez, Independence, Mo.: Estilo – shopping app that helps shoppers visualize what they’re buying
Kiara Grimes, Wichita, Kan.: Affordable daycare for low-income families
Demetrius Jobe, Hutchinson, Kan.: All-natural smoothie business
Anthony Loya, Kansas City, Kan.: Dental IT company
Paige Houchen, McPherson, Kan.: Incentive implementation for installing breathalyzer ignition interlocks
Regan Pourner, Wellington, Kan.: Grocery delivery service
Paige Rickman, McPherson, Kan.: App that connects people of different political views, allowing them to learn from one another
Taylor Rico, Wichita, Kan.: ΧΡΩΜΑ – all natural and customizable makeup line
Jack Setser, Wichita, Kan.: Build-your-own crepe shop, with different flavors of crepes and toppings
Stephanie Vickroy, McPherson, Kan.: Crème de la Crème – cat cafè that pairs with local humane society
Sara Wasko, Hanston, Kan.: App to allow people to easily publish thirty-second videos
Jarad Werner and Seth Coleson, Codell, Kan.: Company that designs a solar-powered drone capable of recharging battery at the same rate at which it is depleted by motor
Victoria Winger, Wellington, Kan.: Skirting Around – business focusing on homemade, custom fit skirts

Horizon Fund at McPherson College Helps Record Number of Students Pursue Their Entrepreneurial Ideas

Posted On: November 4, 2016
By: MC Admin

Horizon Fund recipients at McPherson College are the very definition of “entrepreneur”: creative people who solve problems in an innovative way.

This fall, Horizon Fund recipients presented a record number of ideas to solve problems in the world around them – everything online dating scams to a lack of authentic Mexican candy in the area to people washing their cars the wrong way. The college funded a total of 23 ideas from 23 students in the latest round of grants – about twice that of the previous set of grants in spring 2016.

Since it was introduced in 2010, the fund has given hundreds of grants of up to $500 to McPherson College students to explore making their dreams a reality.

Among the recipients in this round was Jonathan Cox, a freshman from Miami, Fla., who is starting his own car-washing business in McPherson named after his father’s establishment in Florida – “Beauty Buffers.” His business stands out a standard automatic wash or a self-service station, he said, because most car wash businesses do it wrong.

“Most people use soap. My dad and I don’t,” he said. “The reason is it leaves a film that attracts dirt.”

In addition, Cox gives careful, personal attention to each wash – hand-cleaning the vehicles and even making the rubber walls of the tires gleam with a special “tire dressing.”

Cox said he appreciates what the Horizon Fund encourages in him – an entrepreneurial mindset and the freedom to run his own business and set his own hours.

“I think it appeals to people to try new things,” he said. “The college gives students the opportunity to experience new things and see what might interest them.”

Matt Goist, senior, Navarre, Ohio, and Corey Long, senior, McPherson, Kan., plan to create a social campaign to raise awareness about online dating scams. For Goist, in particular, this is a cause that hits home – he was nearly a victim of one such scheme.

“It was very stressful,” Goist said. “I like to think I’m not a naïve person, but the first 30 to 45 minutes – it really scares you. We want to avoid others potentially falling into this.”

Dr. Ken Yohn, professor of history and a member of the Horizon Fund committee, praised Goist and Long for their concept.

“I think your idea meets one of our goals of social entrepreneurship and helping the community,” he said.

Felix Cervantes, a junior from Salinas, Calif., found inspiration in a sweet tooth and a nostalgia for the Mexican candy that he grew up enjoying.

“It just brings me back home,” he said. “The taste of it reminds me of where I come from.”

With few local or regional stores carrying these imported treats, Cervantes sees an opportunity to develop an untapped customer market. He has plenty of friends who also grew up with (and now have a craving for) candy such as “Rebanaditas” – a watermelon-flavored lollipop coated in chili powder.

In addition, he thinks people will be interested in discovering treats that are new to them, especially because Mexican candy tends toward an interesting blend of sweet and spicy. Eventually, he wants to expand into other areas of Mexican goodies, such as bread, fruit, even a popular street food in Mexico called “elote” – corn on the cob garnished with blends that can include chili powder, lemon or lime juice, cheese and sour cream.

Cervantes said he doesn’t think he’d have explored his entrepreneurial idea as seriously if it wasn’t for the Horizon Fund.

“That’s how small businesses start – with one idea,” he said. “From there, you can keep growing & growing.”

Abigayle Morgan, a sophomore from Lansing, Ill., loves working with her hands. To scratch that itch, last summer she started a business called “Old Crank Outlaws.” The venture is about creative home décor reminiscent of Prohibition-era America.

Using vintage found objects, reclaimed wood, and even canning jars, she makes everything from knick-knacks to full-size benches and other furniture to pinstriped decorations (thanks to her boyfriend, Lane Sutterby, a sophomore from Savonburg, Kan., who helps with the venture).

She’s been able to take her work to fairs at a profit, but what she’s enjoyed the most is making connections with other artists and crafters.

“There’s this whole following and culture around vintage markets,” she said. “The people are the best part.”

Without the Horizon Fund, though, she might never have dared to take the first steps toward creating Old Crank Outlaws. It allowed her to make it the focus for her summer work to earn money, rather than just a hobby.

“It’s really nice to have a college that gives you the opportunity to have your own idea and go with it,” she said.

The other recipients of a Horizon Fund grant in this round are:

  • Phil Reinhardt, sophomore, Tenants Harbor, Maine: Expand an independent Amsoil dealership, selling especially to McPherson College automotive restoration students who need the high-quality specialty oil for their classic and antique cars.
  • Micah Gilbert, freshman, Elkhart, Ind.: Continue to explore and expand his interest in photography as a career and hobby. Gilbert plans to use the funds to help pay for a new camera lens.
  • Monica Ewy, senior, Halstead, Kan.: A previous recipient of the Horizon Fund, Ewy plans to continue expanding her “Memory Catcher” photography business, focusing on automotive enthusiasts. She plans to use funds for frames at her senior show as well as digital storage.
  • Danielle Chapman, freshman, Amarillo, Texas: Chapman is creating T-shirt designs, with the intention of using proceeds to help students in need with items they can’t afford, such as groceries or clothing. Funds will go to marketing, packaging, and website development.
  • Ramon Martinez, senior, San Antonio, Texas: Martinez is a photographer who plans to make a business of selling photos to MC athletes and their families. Rather than standard portrait shots, however, he wants to capture the in-game moments of a winning shot or a touchdown pass.
  • Jacob San Martin, junior, Perris, Calif.: With a steady hand and an artist’s eye, San Martin is keeping an old art form vibrant – pinstriping. He’s planning a business to add pinstriping to hot rods and custom vehicles, as well as providing lettering and gold leaf services.
  • Tyler Depperschmidt, freshman, Wichita, Kan.: With a business called “Treehouse Clothing,” Depperschmidt plans to create T-Shirts with designs that offer nostalgia for the freedom and joy of childhood.
  • Kylee Martin, freshman, Colby, Kan.: Martin wants to create a dance studio on campus, focusing on families with children ages 5 to 16. Classes may include ballet, jazz, tap, or Zumba. The Horizon Fund grant will help with a sound system, promotion and materials for classes.
  • Corey Long, senior, McPherson, Kan.: Millennials have value to offer the working world, and Long wants to highlight that with a new collaborative blog and podcast website. The plan is to help people of his generation to help and encourage each other in realizing their dreams.
  • Nathaniel Buckler, junior, La Grange, Ill.: Seeing a need for affordable, reliable, and quick automotive service work, Buckler is planning to start his own car shop serving the McPherson area. The grant will help with shop materials, including a new car jack and a locking cabinet.
  • Barrett “Bear” Breitenbucher, junior, La Grange, Ill.: Rusty Peach Restoration is already an existing business for Breitenbucher, offering everything from oil changes to full restorations. He is now working to raise the professional look of Rusty Peach, with business cards, a business sign, and branded work shirts.
  • Eli Minson, freshman, Topeka, Kan.: With “Kicksclusive,” Minson plans to start up a local sneaker shop with a focus on limited edition and exclusive shoes to appeal to fashion-conscious consumers, collectors, and “sneaker-heads.”
  • Jordyn Lipe, senior, Hutchinson, Kan.: Bees are a critical part of agricultural ecosystems, as they are important pollinators in addition to providing honey. Lipe plans to help stave off the phenomenon of “hive collapse” with bee-friendly gardens on campus as well as “bee hotels” that would offer nesting habitat for wild populations.
  • Jared Whitten, senior, Topeka, Kan.: Whitten is developing his mobile DJing company to provide music and entertainment for event of all kinds. While he’s focused on Hip Hop and R&B styles, he plans to meet the needs of each client with a variety of genres.
  • Jared Thurston, sophomore, Wichita, Kan.: Working on vintage cars is Thurston’s plan, offering everything from basic maintenance to more involved restorations at an affordable rate. The grant will help him to expand his shop equipment and tools.
  • Austin Ehret, senior, Cape Neddick, Maine: Ehret plans to serve the motorcycle enthusiast, building one-of-a-kind custom bikes as well as parts made to order for a particular need. The grant will help him with purchasing shop equipment.
  • Jeromy Denton, senior, Mesa, Ariz.: Denton says “I live with a camera on me,” and is working on a photography business focused on serving “outdoorsy” people such as hunters and fishers. He also plans to shoot weddings and other life events. The grant will help him with a new lens and business cards.
  • Channing Wall, senior, McPherson, Kan.: Wall wants to help create a common marketplace where crafty and creative people can come together to share and sell their products – similar to Etsy or the planned “Mac Marketplace” at MC.
  • Allie Hicks, senior, Keller, Texas: This is the second Horizon Fund grant that Hicks has received for her campus and community campaign called “I Respect You” – designed to foster understanding and respect among different groups, especially in areas of controversy.

To learn more about entrepreneurship at McPherson College, visit www.mcpherson.edu/entrepreneurship.

McPherson College’s ‘Horizon Faculty Fellow’ Program Encourages Entrepreneurial Mindset Across Curriculum

Posted On: September 26, 2016
By: MC Admin

Natural science, automotive restoration, education, and athletics are probably not the first subject to come to mind at the word “Entrepreneurship.”

But the “Horizon Faculty Fellowship” program at McPherson College continues to prove that characteristics of great entrepreneurs – creativity, innovation, perseverance – are not limited to a single major or career.

That’s because the four professors receiving this year’s fellowship come from fields precisely as diverse as natural science, automotive restoration, education, and athletics.

Michael Dudley, assistant professor of technology, was recently named one of the 2016-2017 fellows, and said he’s had the opportunity to see a spark in students when they “get” what entrepreneurship can do for their education and career.

“New ideas can be invigorating,” he said. “When that ‘light bulb’ in my head goes off, it creates a mixture of excitement and passion to move on to the next step.

This is what I love about teaching. When I see the flicker of light in a student’s eyes indicating that they really grasp what I have been explaining, it fuels my passion to keep teaching.”

The fellowship program is one part of McPherson College’s entrepreneurship initiative, which started in 2010 to incorporate entrepreneurship across the campus. Horizon Faculty Fellows receive resources to incorporate entrepreneurial concepts into an existing class or to start a new entrepreneurial class. Part of this support is regular training sessions, which include current and past fellows. These sessions include discussions around literature and case study readings as well as reports on their own work integrating entrepreneurship into a class. They also are mentored by other MC professors who have been through the program.

Dudley will be adjusting his existing “Advanced Trim” class to add more real-world visits and experiences. He plans to encourage his students to explore the ways that the skills they gain with fabrics could apply outside of owning an automotive trim shop. For example, they could work as a historical researcher for restorers, or they could take their skills and make other items – such as handcrafted purses.

Jodi Ehling, assistant professor of physical education, is another of this year’s fellows. Learning about how to teach entrepreneurship at MC is a privilege and responsibility, she said.

“To become the best educator that I can be, I have to be willing to learn about aspects that are important to our college’s uniqueness,” she said. “If we, as a college, are going to ask our students to explore the entrepreneurial mindset, then I feel it is important for me to prepare myself with the background knowledge.”

Ehling is currently planning to incorporate entrepreneurship into a new Personal Training course that is going to be offered at McPherson College. It may combine well with other areas of study at MC, she said. For example, for someone studying child development, it could help them come up with ways to keep kids physically active.

Dr. Jonathan Frye, professor of natural science, is planning to incorporate more entrepreneurship into a course that has been at MC since 2007 – “Science in Society.” It focuses on fundamentals of natural science, how science leads to the development of technology, and the ethics surrounding these fields.

He will be adding a new major assignment to the course, where teams will work independently to identify a social problem, recognize how science and technology relate to the problem, and propose an entrepreneurial solution.

“The entrepreneurship initiative at McPherson College has been most successful when it has challenged students and faculty to propose and develop sustainable ventures,” Dr. Frye said. “This forces us to realize the scope of the work and the investment of time and energy required.”

Vicki Schmidt, assistant professor of education, will be working across departmental lines as a part of her fellowship, as she makes her “Elementary Science Methods” class more collaborative and applicable to real-life classrooms. Schmidt is working with Dr. Dustin Wilgers, assistant professor of biology, to have students in her class work with those in his “Stewardship Seminar” class.

The plan is that students in both classes will work together to develop hands-on lessons for elementary age students to learn more about the environment. The students will ultimately present the lessons in area elementary schools and assess their effectiveness. The classes will make the resulting full unit on environmental science available for area teachers to check out for use in elementary school classrooms.

Schmidt said that she’s been impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of the McPherson College faculty and wants to help continue to feed the flame.

“This entrepreneurship among faculty and the spirit with which it influences their work and ultimately the work of their students can be compared to smoldering fire,” she said. “Left alone, it would most likely extinguish itself. But with even a small breath of oxygen, it builds and grows larger.”

Horizon Fund at McPherson College Gives Students Cash Grants to Explore Great Entrepreneurial Ideas

Posted On: April 21, 2016
By: MC Admin

An innovative electronic duck call, a coffee table created from an engine transmission, and a goal to start a new volunteer venture in order to compete in the Miss Kansas Pageant – all dreams that could come true thanks to the Horizon Fund at McPherson College.

The spring round of grants for the entrepreneurship fund for students at MC is providing cash grants to 11 students with 10 creative and innovative ideas. Since it was introduced in 2010, the fund has given hundreds of grants of up to $500 to students to explore making their dreams a reality.

The Horizon Fund grant has been a long-term and sustainable benefit offered to students at MC thanks to help from the McPherson Chamber of Commerce, which has provided a $5,000 grant for the Horizon Fund under the chamber’s Entrepreneurship Loan Committee. Jennifer Burch, executive director for the chamber, said she was pleased that the grant to the Horizon Fund was approved.

Hunter Sury, Katy, Texas, freshman, was one of the beneficiaries. He received a Horizon Fund grant to develop a unique electronic duck call with a unique and convenient method to activate it. The concept occurred to him after he went duck hunting for the first time.

“I realized we were missing a lot of ducks because we had to take time for calling,” he said.

Sury said he wasn’t sure what to think about the Horizon Fund at first, but the experience sold him on the fund’s value.

“You can pursue your own ideas,” he said. “If it doesn’t go big, it’s just a good experience of how the world works.”

James Virzi, senior, Oswego, Ill., is using his Horizon Fund grant to combine his interests in cars and in artistic creation. The idea came originally from, first, needing a coffee table and – eureka! – turning an engine transmission he had lying around into one.

He’s since considered how to apply the general concept of turning all manner of car parts into different home furnishings – end tables, lamps, and maybe even a chandelier.

“Instead of scrapping the old parts for next to nothing,” he said, “turn it into a nice piece of artwork or furniture.”

The committee responded enthusiastically and positively to Virzi’s venture concept, which he’s calling “Cranky’s Furniture.” A Horizon Fund committee member even purchased one of Virzi’s lamps on-the-spot.

Virzi said the value of the Horizon Fund extends beyond the grant check. It’s about building networks in the community and with other Horizon Fund students, as well as prompting students to see entrepreneurial opportunities when they come.

“When people see that opportunity, I think it triggers their creativity and they come up with ways to better themselves,” Virzi said. “There’s no other way but to see it as an opportunity.”

Other recipients of a Horizon Fund grant in the spring round were:

  • Michael Janzer, junior, Peyton, Colo.: Expand his existing Book Buyback business, which is designed to get college students more money for selling back textbooks in exchange for a wait of a few weeks while it’s sold online.
  • Allie Hicks, junior, Keller, Texas: Launch a campus and community-wide campaign called “I Respect You” which is designed to promote understanding and respect, especially in areas of controversy.
  • Miguel Luna Sanchez, junior, Salina, Calif.: Sanchez is working to provide free haircuts to his fellow students as a community benefit. The grant will help him to purchase and upgrade his equipment.
  • James Wasson, freshman, Hookstown, Penn.: Wasson plans to start and to print an automotive magazine with a deeper focus and smaller sticker price than similar magazines currently on the market.
  • Grant Barrett, freshman, McPherson, Kan.: Barrett is working to create a music studio for creative musicians on the McPherson College campus. The grant will help with the purchase of equipment for the studio.
  • Joel Kellogg, junior, Muncie, Ind.: Kellogg is working to expand an existing screen-printing business with a printer of his own for convenience and to save on business expense.
  • Susan Forgie, freshman, Wichita, Kan.: Forgie is starting a community service platform called “Be True, Be YOU!” that will be used to support those struggling with their identity and issues of depression. The venture will be central in her bid to compete in the 2017 Miss Kansas pageant.
  • Nathan Buckler, sophomore, La Grange, Ill., and Barrett Breitenbucher, sophomore, La Grange, Ill.: “Rusty Peach Restoration” will be a new partnership business providing automotive restoration services at an affordable price. The fund will help them restore their first vehicle as a showcase piece.

Learn more about entrepreneurship at McPherson College at www.mcpherson.edu/entrepreneurship

Jump Start Kansas at McPherson College Gives Grants to Entrepreneurial High School Students

Posted On: March 2, 2016
By: MC Admin

A 3-D scanner for cars, a unique food truck, a drone registration venture, and a traveling Yoga studio may sound like ideas experienced entrepreneurs would pitch to venture capitalists.

On Tuesday, March 1, however, the entrepreneurs were teenagers and the “investor” was McPherson College in the annual Jump Start Kansas competition.

McPherson College started Jump Start Kansas in 2012 as a part of its entrepreneurship initiative, which fosters the entrepreneurial mindset of innovation, creativity and daring in its students – regardless of major.

Because MC believes entrepreneurs come in all forms, in all careers, and at basically any age, Jump Start Kansas was established to encourage and reward high school entrepreneurs with grants of up to $500 for them to explore and develop their ideas.

This year, McPherson College received more than 60 ideas, of which 22 students (with 20 proposals) were invited to campus to pitch their concepts and have a shot at one of the no-strings-attached cash rewards.

Michael Schneider, President of McPherson College, pointed around the room as he welcomed the finalists to campus, indicating some of the faculty who were judges from across the educational curriculum – business, history, science, art.

Schneider, who started early as an entrepreneur and always worked for small organizations, told the students he knew some people in their lives wouldn’t understand their ideas and entrepreneurship. But that’s not the case at MC.

“I get it, and we get it at McPherson College,” he said. “You all should attend college, whether or not it is McPherson.”

Lina Saulters of Topeka, Kan., was one of the finalists who presented Tuesday with her business idea of “B.G. House” or “Boxing Gym House.” Saulters said she’s learned self-control and stress release from boxing.

“It is a way to control your nerves, to balance what’s out of balance,” she said. “You have to know who you’re fighting against, and sometimes it’s yourself.”

Autumn Blomberg of Wichita, Kan., proposed a unique food truck concept called “Munchie Mania” which would sport a design similar to the “Mystery Machine” van familiar to anyone who has ever seen the “Scooby-Doo” cartoon. In addition to daily soup and sandwich specials for customers to mix and match, she would also offer snacks of unlikely food combinations – such as a shake and French fries or pickles and peanut butter (the duo that spurred Blomberg’s idea). She expects that word of mouth will provide much of her advertising.

“They’re going to bring back their friends and say, ‘This seems really weird, but you’ve got to try this,’” Blomberg said.

Schneider encouraged the finalists to be vigilant and chase their passions.

“I hope you keep going,” he said. “I want you to keep pursuing your ideas. Every single one of you inspired me. Not only do you have great ideas, but you’re pursuing them in such a smart way.”

Dr. Ken Yohn, professor of history, was one of the judges for Jump Start Kansas and said he loves meeting young entrepreneurs

“I love it when students get to talk about dreams,” Yohn said. “We’re in the dream business.”

In addition to Saulters and Blomberg, the finalists for Jump Start Kansas were:

  • Kaleigh Hughes, Bel-Aire, Kan.: Denim Destroyer – a custom clothing business where customers select an item of denim clothing and the item is “destroyed” or distressed to the customer’s specifications to result in a unique piece of fashionable clothing.
  • Ubaldo Mendez, Dodge City, Kan.: Mendez plans to start a heating and air conditioning (HVAC) business serving Southwest Kansas, but with a special focus of serving non-English speaking communities. He will begin with Spanish-speakers and eventually plans to expand into K’iche (a Mayan language of Guatemala) and Swahili (spoken in many countries of Southeast Africa).
  • Zane Storlie, Haysville, Kan.: Start an home video editing service focused on serving small businesses or individuals with a limited budget.
  • Vanessa Ramirez, Independence, Mo.: Develop 3-D glasses for movies that will allow non-English speakers to be able to see subtitles in their own language only for them, so it will not creating a distraction to other movie-goers.
  • Sierra Cargill, Isabel, Kan.: The Glam Shack is an existing boutique store carrying clothing and jewelry that Cargill is planning to develop on a larger scale.
  • Jhavea Dunlap, Kansas City, Mo.: Plans to start a business selling her home-made jewelry, with 10 percent of her profits going to the Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation. She is naming the business “Lizzy’s Jewels” after her grandmother, who passed away.
  • Kaleigh Cobb, Liberal, Kan.,: Create an online “Bowtique” where customers can purchase unique hair bows.
  • Rashida Davis, Liberal, Kan.: A business selling smoothie drinks made only from fresh fruit.
  • Isaac Wilson, Maize, Kan.: Create a mobile app called “Grocery Tracker” that uses GPS to guide customers to the location of groceries and other products to their location on the shelf in stores.
  • Cole Leister, Salina, Kan.: FiveUp – an advertising business using surveys on Facebook not only to advertise, but also to give his clients more information about their consumers.
  • Leister and Tanner Vanamburg, Salina, Kan.: Create and sell custom-printed registration numbers for remote-control drones, now that the Federal Aviation administration has recently begun requiring drones to be registered and the number displayed on the device.
  • Shelby Bonn, Shawnee, Kan.: Shelby plans to create a “car scanner” which would be able to both X-ray the inside of a car and create a 3-D scan of it to spot damage a vehicle down to 2mm.
  • Angelica-Aveé J. Brown, Topeka, Kan.: “Simply Aveé” – a business selling unique, handcrafted, crocheted blankets and hand-made fleece Teddy bears.
  • Mikayla Shields, Topeka, Kan.: A business to creatively display poetry as an artistic wall-hanging to give as a present for any occasion.
  • Micah Carey, Dante Bonomini, and Mac Trible, Whitewater, Kan.: Develop a product called the “Towl Rack” which quickly dries bath or hand towels to prevent bacterial growth.
  • Devin Brady, Wichita, Kan.: Develop an app called InfoPic that will allow people to take a picture on their cell phone of any item and quickly find useful information about it by comparing the image to existing pictures already on the Internet.
  • Jaydon Marquez, Wichita, Kan.: Start an app and connected business called “Truck for a Buck” connecting people who own pickups or other vehicles with towing room to rent their services out to those who need a small moving job.
  • Cheyenne Thompson, Wichita, Kan.: Namaste – a traveling yoga studio that travels to customers, allowing them to decide when and where they practice yoga.

Jump Start Kansas at McPherson College Invites All Kansas High School Students to Receive Up to $500 for Great Ideas

Posted On: February 8, 2016
By: MC Admin

McPherson College wants to be the angel investors for Kansas high school students’ great ideas.

With the 5th annual Jump Start Kansas competition coming soon, McPherson College is continuing its tradition of supporting an entrepreneurial mindset among young people in Kansas. Jump Start Kansas awards those who enter and are named finalists with a grant of up to $500 to pursue their idea for a product, service or social venture.
The deadline for entering the competition is Friday, Feb. 12 at www.mcpherson.edu/entrepreneurship/jump-start-kansas and all finalists will be invited to campus on Tuesday, March 1 to present their idea to a committee that will determine the amount of their grant.

Abbey Archer-Rierson, chief of staff and head of the entrepreneurship initiative at McPherson College, said that Jump Start Kansas fits well with McPherson College’s focus on helping students discover and follow their passions.

“We believe in ideas,” Archer-Rierson said. “All ideas can have virtue. When you’re young is a good time to try out ideas. The risk is so much less.”

Jump Start Kansas finalists will also have an opportunity to tour campus, meet current McPherson College student entrepreneurs and connect with other high school entrepreneurs. They’ll also attend a mini entrepreneurship class to get a taste of what entrepreneurship education looks like at McPherson College.

Invited high school students who present on campus that day will be guaranteed a cash prize of up to $500, regardless of whether they ultimately choose to attend McPherson College. However, if they do choose to attend, they will receive an additional Horizon Fund grant of up to $500 to continue exploring their idea, once they arrive on campus as a McPherson College student.

Many students make the decision to attend MC after they see the opportunities available to entrepreneurial students. Among the finalists from last year now attending MC are Amanda Lolling, freshman, Haysville, Kan., and Blake Janes, freshman, Wichita, Kan.

Lolling said Jump Start was important in helping her make the decision to attend MC and to have some extra funds to get started in college.

“I loved getting to meet face to face with students already at the college and to fall in love with it,” she said. “Jump Start Kansas is worth the time commitment that you put into it.”

Janes said Jump Start Kansas helped him in regional idea competitions through Wichita’s Youth Entrepreneurs (YE) – which is a partner of McPherson College
“They gave me even better ideas for my plan to improve it,” Janes said. “You get their professional opinion right off the bat.”

Mohler Lecturer to Speak On Making Social Entrepreneurship Possible for All

Posted On: January 29, 2016
By: MC Admin

Read a story about social entrepreneurship – such as Kiva, Terracycle, Teach for America – and one might think, “Great, but I could never do that.”

In that case, the next Mohler Lecture speaker at McPherson College – Dr. Brett Smith – is coming with both good and bad news for you, “You’re mistaken.”

“Often we really do have the power to change the world,” Dr. Smith said, “but we don’t mobilize it, we don’t take advantage of it.”

Dr. Smith is professor of entrepreneurship at Miami University in Ohio and the founding director at the Center for Social Entrepreneurship, which focuses on experiential learning opportunities for Miami University students to develop innovate ways of solving social problems.

He will present “The Democratization of Social Entrepreneurship” for the 42nd annual Mohler Lecture at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 in Mingenback Theatre. In addition to his public lecture, Dr. Smith will also meet with McPherson College faculty to working in entrepreneurship as well as with classes that support the minor in transformative entrepreneurship at MC.

Dr. Smith said that social entrepreneurship is creating innovative solutions to social problems and is critical for filling in the social gaps where for-profit businesses and government organizations aren’t able to help. He hopes that those who attend his lecture will gain an awareness of social entrepreneurship and come to believe that they, too, can improve society. Ensuring that everyone has the tools they need for social entrepreneurship is what he means by “democratization.”

In his lecture, he will discuss some of the barriers that still remain to this democratization of social entrepreneurship. These include self-doubt of potential social entrepreneurs, the relatively new advent of the discipline in academics, how to measure the social value of a venture, and where to find growth-level funding for social entrepreneurship.

“Social entrepreneurship has exploded on the scene, but I think there are some big challenges that remain,” Dr. Smith said. “While there has been excitement and enthusiasm, there are significant challenges that remain.”

But he’s optimistic about the future of social entrepreneurship.

“I think it’s early. I think it’s encouraging,” he said, “and I think there’s a bright future ahead.”

For 42 years, the generosity of Dr. Robert and Mrs. Fern Shoemaker Mohler has brought prominent speakers and cultural programs to McPherson College – spanning academic disciplines and representing a wide range of human experience and thinking.

The first lecture in 1975 highlighted MC professor Dr. H.H. Nininger, famous for his work on meteorites and paleontology. In addition to providing information about Dr. Nininger’s lifetime of knowledge in meteorites, it also functioned as a 90th birthday party for both Dr. Nininger – the first speaker of the lecture series – and Dr. Moher – one of the lecture’s two benefactors.

The lecture is supported by permanent funds from the Mohler’s initial gifts as well as additional funding provided by their children and grandchildren.  Those monies are now held in the McPherson College endowment, meaning that the Mohler lecture will continue to bring great speakers to McPherson College for years to come.

Global Enterprise Challenge Winners at McPherson College Propose Entrepreneurial Marketing Campaign for Haiti

Posted On: November 20, 2015
By: MC Admin

On the fifth anniversary of the “Global Enterprise Challenge” (GEC) at McPherson College, students accepted the contest challenge to use the power of marketing and social media to actually save lives in Haiti.

The winning team of Ste’fon Walker and Jasmine Benson – announced on Nov. 20 – presented a social media campaign using the hashtag “#TogetherWeWill” to help bring attention to and raise money for needs such as clean water and quality medical attention. In just the few days of the contest, the two raised $150 for the Haiti Medical Project nonprofit through a GoFundMe account, created a promotional video with hundreds of views and applied for multiple grants.

In their presentation the evening of Nov. 19, Walker encouraged people to get in on the ground floor of a social movement.

“Don’t wait until it’s too late,” the Mendenhall, Miss., senior said. “Be the person who makes a difference.”

Benson said that even as college students, they can make a difference.

“Together as a McPherson College community, we are changing the world one step at a time,” the Lakewood, Calif., senior said.

Starting in 2010, McPherson College’s entrepreneurship program has helped MC students develop entrepreneurial skills such as creativity, innovation, and problem-solving across the curriculum. The program is based on the idea that all students in all majors can benefit from the entrepreneurial mindset – whether working at a traditional job or working as a social entrepreneur in a nonprofit. That’s why MC participates in during Global Entrepreneurship Week – Nov. 16 to 22 – with its GEC contest.

Since 2010, the challenge has recognized and rewarded McPherson College students who take on the “dare” to come up with entrepreneurial ideas to help those in other countries. Over the years, that has included Haiti, Panama and Ethiopia, and the winners of each challenge have won the opportunity to travel to that country as well.

This year the challenge again focused on Haiti – the same country as the first Global Enterprise Challenge in 2010. During that first year, students were asked to envision a new social venture to help in Haiti. This year, they were asked to help an existing program – the Haiti Medical Project – by developing a public relations awareness campaign for it.

The Haiti Medical Project started with funds from the McPherson Church of the Brethren and with the leadership of 1989 MC alumnus Paul Ullom-Minnich. Ullom-Minnich is a founder of Partners in Family Care in Moundridge, Inman, McPherson and Hesston, Kan. The Haiti Medical Project grew out of a medical mission trip that he took to Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake. The project grew and now provides mobile clinics across Haiti to those in need of medical care.

For the Global Enterprise Challenge, students could use any form of storytelling for the contest, such as writing, video, photos, graphic design, or any combination of these. The college will pay for Walker and Benson to travel with Ullom-Minnich to Haiti in 2016 to learn more about the country, further refine their awareness campaign, and then implement the campaign upon returning to the states.

Moreover, the judging panel was so impressed with the other students who competed, that they decided to also provide matching funds to any of the students who would still like to go on the trip to Haiti.

The Global Enterprise Challenge wasn’t the only aspect of MC’s celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week. Nov. 20 also saw about 130 high school students in Youth Entrepreneurs to visit the campus and learn more about McPherson College’s entrepreneurship program.

The entire campus and community also got to see diverse opportunities at MC at an Entrepreneurship Fair on Friday. Tables included recipients of the Horizon Fund (a grant program that awards up to $500 to MC students with great ideas), previous winners of the Global Enterprise Challenge, representatives of Etch (a student-run graphic design and marketing firm serving only nonprofits), and demonstrations of Mac Marketplace (a developing venture that will allow the creation of unique designs on one of the college’s two 3D printers).

The other competitors in the GEC who will have the opportunity to travel with the Haiti Medical project with matching funds are:

  • Andrea Kadeba, sophomore, McPherson, Kan., who proposed placing canisters in clinics, hospitals and pharmacies for donations to the Haiti Medical Project. She also plans to create friendship bracelets that would be for sale by donation to raise funds for the project. She cited a Haitian saying in her presentation: “Men anpil chay pa lou” or “Many hands will make the load lighter.”
    “If we can work together,” she said, “we can lighten the load on Haiti.”
  • Miranda Clark Ulrich, senior, Russell, Kan., and Channing Wall, sophomore, McPherson, Kan., who proposed a campaign called “Humans Deserve Health” with the slogan “Health care should not be a privilege, but a right.” They designed a logo for the Haiti Medical Project and had a goal of raising $5,000 for the project, along with collecting medical supplies and raising awareness through news releases and posters around the area.
  • Madison Hoffman, freshman, McPherson, Kan., and Rhianna Smith, freshman, Lindsborg, Kan., who propose a campaign of “Honk for Haiti” along with a relevant hashtag and products to raise awareness such as bumper stickers and T-shirts. The idea is to get people to honk their car horns when they see the phrase to show their support for helping in Haiti. They would work to raise awareness locally, around the state and nationally via social media.

Learn more about the Haiti Medical Project at www.brethren.org/haiti-medical-project and read more about the Global Enterprise Challenge at www.mcpherson.edu/gec.

‘Global Enterprise Challenge’ at McPherson College Tasks Students to Create Campaign for Haiti Project

Posted On: November 6, 2015
By: MC Admin

Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook or Microsoft founder Bill Gates are names that come to mind at the word “entrepreneur” – creators of successful billion-dollar businesses.

But as McPherson College is preparing for the fifth anniversary of its “Global Enterprise Challenge,” (GEC) they are focusing on a different kind of entrepreneur, a social entrepreneur – people such as Kiva co-founders Jessica Jackley and Matt Flannery, TOMS Shoes Founder Blake Mycoskie, or Terracycle founder Tom Skazy. These are people who use the traits of an entrepreneur – creativity, innovation, and problem-solving – to help others.

Abbey Archer-Rierson, chief of staff and head of the entrepreneurship program at MC, said the world needs both kinds of entrepreneurs and the GEC contest is designed to get students thinking about the possibilities.

“Making money is great,” Archer-Rierson said. “We want McPherson College entrepreneurs to make a great career doing what they love. At the same time, MC entrepreneurs also realize that they need to help society. Usually, even those entrepreneurs working to earn money also want to give back – to make the world better.”

McPherson College’s entrepreneurship program celebrates those who use their entrepreneurial talents in their careers, those who use them to help society… and those who do both. That’s why MC participates in during Global Entrepreneurship Week – Nov. 16 to 22 – with its GEC contest.

Since 2010, the challenge has recognized and rewarded McPherson College students who take on the “dare” to come up with entrepreneurial ideas to help those in other countries. Over the years, that has included Haiti, Panama and Ethiopia, and the winners of each challenge have won the opportunity to travel to that country as well.

Dee Erway-Sherwood, associate professor and program director of graphic design, is heading up organizing GEC this year. She said that between business and social, the GEC has a clear focus.

“I think entrepreneurial ventures can be both venture and social,” she said. “This is definitely on the social side of the house.”

Archer-Rierson said that this year the challenge will again focus on Haiti – the same country as the first Global Enterprise Challenge in 2010.

“We’re so pleased to focus the Global Enterprise Challenge on Haiti on the 5th anniversary of the challenge,” Archer-Rierson said. “It is an area of the world that needs so many creative and dedicated entrepreneurs to help.”

This GEC will have a slightly different challenge than the first one, however. During the first year, students were asked to envision a new social venture to help in Haiti. This year, they are being asked to help an existing program – the Haiti Medical Project – by developing a public relations awareness campaign for it.

The Haiti Medical Project started with funds from the McPherson Church of the Brethren and with the leadership of 1989 MC alumnus Paul Ullom-Minnich. Ullom-Minnich is a founder of Partners in Family Care in Moundridge, Inman, McPherson and Hesston, Kan. The Haiti Medical Project grew out of a medical mission trip that he took to Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake. The project grew and now provides mobile clinics across Haiti to those in need of medical care.

For the Global Enterprise Challenge, students may use any form of storytelling for the contest, such as writing, video, photos or graphic design. The winning student will get to travel with Ullom-Minnich to Haiti in 2016 to learn more about the country, further refine their awareness campaign, and then implement the campaign upon returning to the states.

Erway-Sherwood said working with an organization with deep roots in the McPherson community was great for the students in the challenge.

“That’s why I’m personally excited that our students get to do this,” she said. “It has that local tie.”

Students start with the challenge on Nov. 12 with a required sign-up and information meeting. Then on Thursday, Nov. 19, participating students will present their awareness campaigns to a judging panel. Finally, the winning student will be announced on Friday, Nov. 20 during an Entrepreneurship Fair starting at noon. That Friday, the college will also host a visit day for area high school students involved with Youth Entrepreneurs.

Learn more about the Haiti Medical Project at www.brethren.org/haiti-medical-project and read more about the Global Enterprise Challenge at www.mcpherson.edu/gec.

Horizon Fund at McPherson College Awards Grants to Young Entrepreneurs

Posted On: October 31, 2015
By: MC Admin

In October, McPherson College gave money to its students for 11 ideas in the first round of Horizon Fund grants this year.

Since it was established in 2010, the fund has enabled more than 200 McPherson College entrepreneurs to explore, develop and implement their dreams while still in college. It’s just one aspect of the college’s larger entrepreneurship initiative, which is working to develop the entrepreneurial spirit – creativity, innovation, and daring – across all areas of study at MC.

Abbey Archer-Rierson, chief of staff and head of the entrepreneurship program at MC, said that each Horizon Fund grant is $500 or less. Opportunities for guidance and mentoring can also be arranged for those who receive Horizon Fund grants.

“It’s a relatively small investment with a big return for us,” Archer-Rierson said. “In my experience, when our college students are pursuing an idea they’re passionate about, they work harder, learn more, and get involved in campus life. The students benefit by getting to explore an idea they might not have considered otherwise. Some students have even launched new careers with their grant.”

Monica Ewy, junior, Hesston, Kan., was one of the grant recipients in October and saw a great opportunity to start a business she calls “Memory Catcher.” The idea is to create photography, paintings and even sculpture to help people preserve and relive their favorite memories in a treasured keepsake they can display.

“It’s something they can look at and re-live that memory,” she said. “These paintings should give you good feelings that you want to display in your home.”

The grant will help her to purchase necessary equipment and supplies to get “Memory Catcher” going.

Ewy started at MC as an art major, but moved over to the automotive restoration department after she realized how much artistic ability was involved with restoration.

“I realized I had this long, subconscious love for cars that could finally be fulfilled,” she said.

Because of her college focus, Ewy expects that while she is not limiting her business to classic cars, a number of her first clients will probably be automotive enthusiasts. In particular, she’s interested in capturing the fine details of treasured vehicles in her art.

“There are those few things that make that car special,” she said. “That’s what I want to capture… that whole essence.”

Colton Allemand, freshman, El Dorado, Kan., came to McPherson College in part because of a good baseball scholarship, in part because of his faith background and in part because he was intrigued by the possibilities the Horizon Fund presented.

With his Horizon Fund concept, all of these interests come together beautifully – the Wooden Cross Bat Company. Together with his friend Ethan Woodcock, freshman, Rossville, Kan., Allemand plans to create wooden bats for baseball players who want a way to express their Christian faith right on their game equipment. The first models will feature the words of popular Christian scripture where players can focus on it before stepping into the batter’s box.

“I’ve noticed that people are looking for a professional way to show their faith,” Allemand said. “I thought that with my bat company, while also creating a great product, I could also find a way to meet that need.”

For Allemand, pursuing the concept of the Wooden Cross Bat Company probably would have had to be a dream delayed, were it not for the financial assistance and mentoring from the fund.

“It would have been much harder,” he said. “I don’t know that I would have been able to in college.”

Zach McClure, senior, Trenton, Mo., plans to use his grant to innovatively pursue an old profession – McClure wants to become a blacksmith.

McClure already has much of the equipment he needs after learning the basics of the trade from Lee Teeter – a painter and amateur blacksmith who is a friend.

When he wants to move any of his (heavy!) equipment such an anvil, shears, or portable “rivet forge” between home and college, it means putting his car through the wringer and testing how well its suspension holds up.

“That poor Subaru has seen a lot of action,” he said.

As a result, friendship with McClure comes with its own set of occupational hazards.

“I can’t move the stuff myself,” he said. “So when I’m calling friends it’s usually to move something heavy.”

The Horizon Fund is helping to ease the financial burden of starting with materials such as coal and metal and some needed equipment. The money is helping him pursue an avocation he’s interested in and make it – at a minimum – a self-supporting hobby. McClure is most interested in traditional methods and products – such as horseshoes and square nails – but unlike his historical predecessors, he plans to ultimately set up an online store.

“I’m a huge history freak,” McClure said. “I really want to focus on the historical accuracy and items they would have had then.”

The other recipients of Horizon Fund grants in October are:

  • Logan Schrag, sophomore, McPherson, Kan.: “Resurrection Duo” is a Christian inspirational speaking venture, focusing on offering public speaking to high school and college groups on a donations basis. A previous recipient of a grant, the venture has already held evens in four different states.
  • Miranda Clark Ulrich, senior, Russell, Kan.: Offering affordable, professional photography, Clark Ulrich has received grants previously. This grant will allow her to expand her business with the purchase of a wide-angle lens.
  • Alexander Ramsier, freshman, Wooster, Ohio; Aaron Israel, freshman, West End, N.C.; and Mitchell Harms, freshman, Orange Cove, Calif.: These students are working to start an automotive restoration and customization business, with a focus on low-cost, “budget” cars to open this market to more people.
  • Davis Bint, freshman, Glendora, Calif.: Bint is working on a YouTube-based car program featuring unknown car restorers and customizers who have completed impressive work on classic cars that deserve a wider audience. Bint has already been successful on YouTube, making several thousand dollars, and has 6.5 million views on his channel.
  • Andy Fabianski, junior, New Lenox, Ill.: With “Stiches Upholstery,” Fabianski is aiming to create a business installing high-quality trim (automotive interior fabric) with a focus on affordability and customer service. A previous Horizon Fund recipient, this grant will help with marketing and a few tools.
  • Bobby Robertson, junior, Windom, Kan., and Mike Kokmeyer, junior, McPherson, Kan.: With a focus on “nostalgia” cars and finishing “garage projects,” Robertson and Kokmeyer are working to start a car restoration and customization business.
  • Jacob San Martin, sophomore, Perris, Calif.; Adam Mashiach, sophomore, Encino, Calif.; and Zane Luekenga, sophomore, Glenwood, Ark.: These three plan to bring more attention to the motorcycle restoration option within the automotive restoration department by creating a 1910s-era board track racer motorcycle from scratch in time for the C.A.R.S. Club Car Show in the sping. Board tracks were a type of motorsport arena popular in the early 20th century.
  • Andrew Lindstrom, sophomore, Vulcan, Mich.: Lindstrom envisions building a business based on the design and construction of custom motorized bicycles as a form of inexpensive transportation. He will also work to convert regular bicycles to running on electric motors.