Spring 2008

LylesReview is a publication of the Lyles Center, issued each semester, to update our readers on current and future developments.

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Lyles Center holds annual $10K Business Plan and Elevator Pitch Competitions

Click picture to view all competition winners. (Requires Windows Media Player.)

Fresno State and partnering community college students had the opportunity to compete for $10,000 in the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s annual Business Plan Competition. This year’s competition drew 13 entries which were cut down to just three teams during the semi-final round on April 18. Those three teams competed against each other on May 3 at Fresno State.  

An Elevator Pitch Competition was held in conjunction with the $10K Competition. “Elevator Pitch” literally means “tell me about your business in the time it takes to ride up an elevator.” Contestants had 90 seconds to explain their ideas to a panel of judges.              

Although the winners of each competition have very different business ideas, they have one thing in common—a desire to grow their business and a passion to succeed. 

The team with an idea and business plan for the website HealthSitter.com claimed first place in the $10K Competition. The team was awarded $6,500, as well as an office space in the Lyles Center’s Hatchery and a scholarship to attend the E-Myth Leadership Intensive Seminar, a two-day event valued at $1,500. In addition, the team will be automatically entered into the Draper Fisher Jurvetson $250K Venture Challenge.

The team’s website will allow people concerned with health issues and various traditional, contemporary or alternative treatments, to talk to one another. Alastair Macleod was inspired to create such a web site because he has struggled with health issues and believes such a site would have helped him. The site is divided into social networks so that the users can talk with others who are going through the same things as they are. “I wanted to create a web site that people could understand and didn’t just contain a lot of medical talk,” Macleod said. “The concept is something that if it took off, it could really help a lot of people.

The team continues to work on their business and is moving into their hatchery space at the Lyles Center. Macleod said his team is excited about their new place to conduct business as well as the many resources and people they will have access to. 

The team that claimed second place is working on a business called Tomorrow’s Music. They received $2,500 and will also move their business into a hatchery space at the Lyles Center. Although they are not automatically entered, the team is bidding to be entered into the Draper Fisher Jurvetson $250K Venture Challenge as a wildcard entry.

Tomorrow’s Music is a web site with multiple internet radio stations that focus only on new classical music. Like HealthSitter.com, Tomorrow’s Music organizes user’s interests by social networks. Users will be able to listen for free and download songs or albums. Tomorrow’s Music is unlike any other web site because it gives half of the proceeds to the artist and gives 10 percent back to the user in the form of credits that they can apply toward future purchases.

The team is planning on entering more business plan competitions to try to get as many resources as possible to help their idea succeed. “We want to take our idea on tour,” said Corey Whitehead, a music teacher at Fresno State University who also serves as the team’s faculty advisor.

The third place team, who received $1,000, created and presented a business plan that they created for a class assignment. The team derived their name, ODAK Technologies, from their first initials. They invented a microphone that utilizes MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) Technology. Their improved design allows for the best technology in the smallest package at an affordable price.

David Huynh is not sure if he and his team will continue with their business but he said this competition has given him the confidence he needs to push forward with other entrepreneurship endeavors of his own. “This was kind of a turning point for me and I am looking forward to doing more things with entrepreneurship in the future,” Huynh said.  

Preceding the $10K Competition, fifteen people participated in the Elevator Pitch Competition. Timothy Snyder, who took first place and won $300, already sells snowboards from his garage. The idea that he pitched to the judges involves creating an actual store with an attached skate park so he can host events. It also encompasses a website where customers can communicate over a discussion board about the products and then go directly to Snyder’s online store to purchase them. Second and third place winners were rewarded $200 and $100 respectively.

Although the contestants were supposed to complete an entry form to participate, some of those who had signed up did not end up attending. This gave one lucky onlooker, Mike Stewart the chance to pitch his idea. He received sixth place and one of three $50 runner-up prizes.

The winners from both competitions are excited to receive any money to help them push their ideas or existing businesses in a positive direction and are looking forward to the next step and more involvement with the Lyles Center. “We are very excited to be in the Lyles Center because we want to use all of the incredible resources they have to offer. We are truly honored to be a part of it all,” Whitehead said.

Community College Entrepreneurial Pathway off to successful start

The Community College Entrepreneurial Pathway Program, which is funded by the Coleman Foundation and directed by the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fresno State, is off to a successful start.

 The project is designed to partner community colleges with the Lyles Center in an effort to build curricula, classroom content and community support for students interested in entrepreneurship. The program will work closely with the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Central Valley Business Incubator (CVBI).  The ultimate goal of the grant is to produce a higher yield of successful business start-ups in the Central Valley. The initiative hopes to do so by encouraging cooperation and collaboration between the various educational institutions in the area.

During the first year, five Coleman Scholars were chosen: Brent Calvin from the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Monte Paden from West Hills College in Lemoore, Ida Ponder from Colombia College in Sonora, Eric Nasalroad from Reedley College and Alex Brandenburg from Porterville Community College. The program provides extensive resources and support to the scholars as well as education on entrepreneurship.

The scholars, who are faculty members at the various community colleges, are the driving forces behind the development of entrepreneurship programs on their respective campuses. They are laying the foundation for courses and programs with the goal of forming a consistent pathway for students to launch their businesses and continue onto four-year universities.

In order to help accomplish these goals, the scholars will receive numerous benefits throughout the three year initiative including a yearly stipend for their efforts.

During the initial year, the program has worked toward developing curriculum and running nine workshops that focus on development and coaching. During the first year, the scholars attended the National Foundation for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) annual convention in San Antonio, TX. The conference gave them the necessary skills to implement entrepreneurial courses and programs on their campuses. The scholars also attended intensive training conducted by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and participated in several of the nine workshops at Fresno State. The scholars have begun aligning future introductory entrepreneurship courses between the community colleges and Fresno State.

In addition, they are making progress toward creating several chapters of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) on the various campuses. In November, some of the scholars and their students attended the CEO annual convention in Chicago, which was attended by more than 1,200 students from across the country.

In the program’s second year, five additional Coleman Scholars will be chosen from five more community colleges in the Central Valley. The program hopes to offer introductory courses on the original five campuses as well as work toward developing new curriculum. The scholars hope to establish business incubators on the primary campuses. The scholars will continue to attend NFTE and NACCE trainings and conferences and continue to attend the workshops offered at Fresno State.

During the third and final year of the initiative, introductory entrepreneurship classes will be offered and more incubators and CEO chapters will be established. The main outcomes that the initiative hopes to attain on all 10 campuses by the end of the three years are significant enrollment numbers in the courses, knowledge gained by the students and considerable amounts of business start-ups and matriculations to four-year universities.

Because this initiative is the first of its kind, the Central Valley will serve as a model that can be implemented in other areas. 

The program is open to all community college campuses throughout the San Joaquin Valley and is now accepting applications for the 2008/2009 year.

CEO Club members take time to mentor local students

Members of CEO (Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization) at California State University, Fresno invest their time and energy on a regular basis to help young entrepreneurs throughout the community.

TTheir efforts to begin junior CEO programs have begun at Tenaya Middle School as a club that meets once a week during the students’ lunch hour. The inspiration to begin the program came from within CEO. Many of the entrepreneurs felt this type of assistance would have benefited them at a younger age and wanted to offer it to students in the community.  

At the TEO (Tenaya Entrepreneurship Organization) meetings, which are hosted by CEO members, the middle school students run through entrepreneurial scenarios and conduct brainstorming activities. The club has about 13 members who voluntarily give up their lunch time to be part of the organization.

“The idea behind the program is to instill the idea of entrepreneurship in young kids,” Michael Biondo, President of CEO, said. “We try to bring entrepreneurship down to a level that they can understand.”

Aurora Arevalo, Marketing Director of CEO oversees the program at Tenaya Middle School. She says she tries to teach entrepreneurship to the students in creative and interesting ways.

The program at Tenaya Middle School is in the second semester of its first year. Biondo said that it will serve as a blueprint for future similar programs at other middle schools in Fresno. The goal of the program is to have students begin their entrepreneurship endeavors in middle school and continue them throughout their education and careers. “We hope they will ride the wave through middle school, high school, college and beyond,” Biondo said.

CEO members are there to help students along the way. Some CEO members volunteer to mentor high school students in collaboration with NFTE’s (National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship) classroom business plan competition. Through the NFTE program, which is run through the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fresno State University, students create their own business plans.

At both the middle school and high school levels, the students rely on the college students for business and entrepreneurship advice, however, they also serve as role models because the students are able to see young people who have created their own businesses. “We show them the mentality that if I can do it, you can do it,” Biondo said. Arevelo said that many times the students view business owners as older, and not as students. “We show them that these ideas can become a reality. They see that we have businesses and that they can as well.”

While helping the young entrepreneurs in the community, the CEO members also benefit. “If you teach something, you learn it twice as well,” Biondo said. “The CEO members learn entrepreneurship concepts better by teaching them to the students. They are also able to learn how to manage and motivate people, a highly necessary skill.” Arevalo said “Sometimes I know I am supposed to be teaching but I feel more as if I am learning.” 

By building the club at an early age, CEO hopes to sustain their own membership by encouraging entrepreneurship throughout the students’ education, which eventually includes joining CEO at the collegiate level.  

Along with mentoring middle school and high school students, some CEO members work with Kids Invent!, an after school program, also offered through the Lyles Center. Kids Invent! introduces entrepreneurship and enforces creativity along with math and science concepts through fun and inventive projects.

CEO is also in the developmental phase of another community outreach program to teach entrepreneurship to young people. The program involves CEO members visiting elementary schools to lecture on business and entrepreneurship, a program that is in other parts of California but has not yet come to Fresno.

By giving back to the community, CEO is able to share their passion for entrepreneurship and inspire the younger community to embark on things they did not know were possible.

CEO is supported by the Lyles Center through its involvement with Kids Invent! and NFTE. The Lyles Center faculty also serves as advisors to the CEO members and provides valuable tools to help them accomplish their goals and spread entrepreneurships throughout the community. “The Lyles Center supports everything that we do and I know that they will always try to help us,” Arevalo said.

For more information on CEO, please visit www.ceofresno.com.

Lyles Center brings National Entrepreneur Week to Fresno State

The Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship brought a nationally recognized event to Fresno State during the last week of February. The 2nd Annual National Entrepreneurship Week featured special events offered to Fresno State students. The purpose of the events was to celebrate the national affair, which is sponsored by the Consortium for Entrepreneur Education. The week aimed to recognize the value of entrepreneurs to the American economy and to encourage the growth of entrepreneurship education as a lifelong learning process. By hosting these events for Fresno State students, the Lyles Center supported the national mission and encouraged entrepreneurship across the campus.

“The Lyles Center is pleased to continue its participation in National Entrepreneur Week by providing students with engaging and innovative forums that promote and encourage entrepreneurial behaviors,” said Executive Director Dr. Timothy Stearns.

The week began with a “Welcome to Entrepreneurship Breakfast” with Stearns and the entrepreneurship faculty. The conversation focused on entrepreneurship and the possibilities the program opens for students.  

Mike Summers filled a room in the student union on “Technology Tuesday.” He held an open forum where people were able to ask questions and have their creative ideas assessed. Although their ideas were mostly intellectual at the time, participants had questions regarding commercialization and patents, Summers said. Summers spoke about his successes and failures, as well as current projects and technologies that he is working on. The next step the participants face is getting their idea explained on paper along with financial hurdles. They must also consider the overall potential of their idea by asking themselves, “Does someone really want or need it?” Summers said.

On Wednesday Dr. George Vozikis discussed joining the Institute for Family Business at the “Assessing Your Family Firm” event.  

The closing event to National Entrepreneurship Week was “Hop on the Idea Elevator,” hosted by Craig Scharton, CEO of the Central Valley Business Incubator. Although senior entrepreneurship major David Hoff was the only participant at this event, his efforts above other entrepreneurs proved worthwhile.

Hoff had one minute to present his idea for a user-generated web site called “collegeguides.com,” which will help students transition from college life to adulthood. He explained his web site as more sophisticated than a social-networking site, but with features similar to Craigslist where students can sell items such as textbooks.

“His business idea seemed very feasible,” Scharton said.

Because he won the event, Hoff now has the opportunity to attend two classes of his choosing offered at the Central Valley Business Incubator free of charge. The classes will help him establish his idea and grow it into a business.

Scharton said the most important aspect of a new entrepreneur with a fresh idea is a clear vision, a well developed plan, and the ability to execute. Scharton said that Hoff seems to have the ability to think things through.

Throughout the week “students benefited from sharing ideas with presenters, learning how they can get involved and building a base of support for their own entrepreneurial success,” Stearns said.

Be sure to put February 21-28, 2009 on your calendar to celebrate the 3rd Annual National Entrepreneur Week 2009.  

Local Business leaders lend a hand to aspiring student entrepreneurs

Young entrepreneurs involved with programs and services offered through the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship competing received advice and guidance from local entrepreneurs and business specialists at workshops throughout the spring 2008 semester. The four workshops, which were held at the Lyles Center, focused on how to write a winning business plan, legal issues to starting a business, financing your business and presentation skills.

“If you’re going to launch a business, have a plan,” Travis Sheridan, of the Central Valley Business Incubator, said at the “Writing a Winning Business Plan” workshop. He advised the students that it is important that they write their own business plans. “If it’s your business plan—take ownership for it,” he said. He also informed them that “a plan does not guarantee success, but a lack of a plan creates a greater likelihood of failure.”

At the “Legal Issues to Starting a Business” workshop, Walter Riley discussed the types of legal structures entrepreneurs should consider when starting a business and the pitfalls from not doing so correctly. Mirroring the advice of Sheridan, Riley advised students on the usefulness of a business plan. “If you end in failure or success, you need to have a plan,” he said.

Walter said that he thinks it is important and valuable for new entrepreneurs with limited business experience to buy a couple hours of legal counsel to know and understand where the problem areas are. He enforced the fact that students have numerous resources available to them that they should utilize. “Avail yourself to all available resources, he said. “There are many experienced business people and professionals that want to help you. Don’t do it alone.” 

Students learned about the use of equity financing from Tracewell Hanrahan of Pacific Community Ventures at the “Financing your Business” workshop. She stressed the idea that an investor needs to believe in and trust what they are investing in. “An entrepreneur may have the greatest idea or product but if they are not open to outside advice or are not able to work well with the potential investor, the investor will choose another one of the many potential decisions out there,” Hanrahan told the participants.

Like the other workshop leaders, Hanrahan echoed the same advice by telling the participants to seek advice if they need to. “Some entrepreneurs don’t have the financial experience they need and that is perfectly okay,” she said.

The last workshop, “Presenting Like a Champ,” was held by Betsy Hays who owns and manages her own company that specializes in PR writing and counsel. She had a simple answer when the participants asked what they should wear when presenting—”what looks good and what fits.” When no one asks a question, she told them to ask one themselves. As far as being nervous, Hays said to avoid eye contact. “Look at noses instead. Eyes are scary, noses aren’t!” Her best advice, although traditional, is always helpful—prepare and practice.

The workshops allowed young entrepreneurs to receive practical advice that will help them with their business plans or in general with their entrepreneurial endeavors. One participant, Aurora Arevalo, said that the workshops are very helpful and teach her things she does not learn in her classes. Alastair Macleod, who was head of the team that won the $10K Business Plan Competition, said that they workshops he attended were beneficial in writing and approving his business plan and formulating ideas. “I can always learn more,” he said. “The workshops are helpful and open doors to many other resources.”  

Fresno State Entrepreneurs help high school students create business plans

Fresno State entrepreneurship students give back to the community by being mentors to high school students participating in NFTE’s classroom business plan competition.

NFTE, National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, allowed five area high schools to participate in this year’s competition. They are Fresno, Hoover, Roosevelt, W.E.B. Dubois and Carter G. Woodson High Schools. Each student that participates in the program learns business concepts and skills through the process of creating their own business plans.

The students must be able to feasibly manage their businesses at present and creating the plans can seem overwhelming to young entrepreneurs who have little or no business experience. To help them with the task, the college mentors visit the schools on a weekly basis to answer any questions the students have along the way.

The mentors, who volunteer their time, became involved with the program for different reasons. Dalitso Ruwe, a junior majoring in psychology with a minor in entrepreneurship said he became involved so that he could learn from the students. “Working with them often reminds me of some of the stumbling blocks I have encountered,” he said “Their imagination is exciting to be around. I am hoping it will rub off on me.”  

The mentors oversee and help the students in any way they can. Many of the students need help with the technical aspects of their plans. “For me, the concepts are so basic but for them it is hard and they need help,” mentor Angela Cardona, a senior entrepreneurship major, said.

Pa Yang, 18, is a junior at Roosevelt High School. Her non-profit company is called “Tutoring Knowledge” and focuses on tutoring high school students in math, history and American culture. She said the mentors have been especially helpful with the economics and math of the project; two things she says she often struggles with.

Julia Lee, 17, is a senior at the same high school. She says the most difficult part of the project was coming up with the initial idea. With help from the mentors and a love for beads, she was inspired to start her own jewelry company, “Rockstar Beads.”

The mentors see the students form their ideas and support them throughout the project and their presentations. Some of the mentors also act as judges in the preliminary round, which can be a comfort for many of the participants. 

“While the students present, they are able to make eye contact with someone who has been helping them all along,” said Program Coordinator AJ Johnston. Yang and Lee said they are nervous to present their business plans and do not always enjoy public speaking but will do what is necessary to help their businesses. “If I have to do it, I’ll do it,” Lee said.

It is important for the mentors to assist with the business aspects of the program, but they have also served as mentors in other areas. “The students love the idea that someone young is helping them. It is one thing if a teacher tells them something, but it is different if a student helps them,” Cardona said. 

Keith Smith, a senior majoring in business management, said he feels like he has been a mentor in other areas. “They ask me a lot of questions about what college is like and what I think they should do,” he said.

Like all entrepreneurs, the high school students come across challenges, however, theirs are not the typical problems most business owners face. Yang said the most difficult part of this project has been balancing her AP classes with her business but she knows that she will have to balance her responsibilities throughout her life and said that this is good preparation and practice.          The mentors, who are students themselves, are able to assist the students with problems such as these, while they help them put their business plan together.       

AAlthough the mentors significantly help the high school students, they have found that they also receive great benefits from the program. “The most rewarding experience is watching them find different ways to work smarter, persist to create something worthwhile and actually believe in their creation,” Ruwe said. “I tell them they can do this right now. Seeing them happy and helping them realize that it is something they can do is the most rewarding part,” Cardona said. Another mentor, Aurora Arevalo, said the greatest reward is seeing a student truly excited about his/her business. “I really enjoy making a difference,” she said.

The mentors help the young entrepreneurs with their business plans but more importantly offer support and inspiration. Cardona tells them “You can do this! I will be there to help you with anything you need.”

Entrepreneur Mentorship Program continues to help students

The Entrepreneur Mentorship Program, a three-unit class offered through the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, continues to help direct student entrepreneurs.

The program, led by Lyles Center Director Timothy Stearns, is designed to give aspiring entrepreneurship students a chance to interact directly with some of the Central Valley’s leading entrepreneurs. “The mentor program provides opportunities to meet business people from our community. I gain experiences that I would not be able to get anywhere else,” Angela Cardona, a student in the program, said. 

Through the program, students are matched one-on-one with a mentor that suits their area of interest. Rather than revolving around time in the classroom, homework and tests, the class focuses on seminars, social gatherings, field trips and interaction with the student’s individual mentors. “I learn leadership and networking skills. I am able to learn real-life experiences that I would not be able to learn in a regular classroom,” Cardona said.

Tom Jones, a local entrepreneur with extensive experience, is just one of the mentors involved in the program. He said that he liked to meet with his mentee, Aurora Arevalo, as frequently as possible. He often takes her to lunch, where they discuss their business plans and exchange ideas. They also communicate through emails and the phone regularly. “I always learn so much from him,” Arevalo said. “He makes me think of things and asks me questions that I wouldn’t think or ask on my own.”

Although the mentors offer their insight and advice, they also benefit from the program.

“He always tells me that they are old people learning from young kids,” Arevalo said. Jones said “the program is a mutual aspiration.”

The main goal of the program is to help students develop the skills they need to become successful entrepreneurs with the guidance and expertise of their mentors. Arevalo said, “The most valuable things our mentors provide is their support. You just know that they’ll always be there for you.”