Minority Business Series presented by KeyBank
ABOUT THIS SESSION
This webinar took place on September 21, 2021. Every day there are significant business ideas that don’t make it off the coffee shop napkin, leaving millions of dollars of potential earnings literally on the table. In this session, we discuss how to take a business from a great idea to a money-making machine. Join our panel of experts who will talk about their strategies and experience for getting ideas from the drawing board to the marketplace.
Watch the Replay
Session Panel & Speakers
Dr. Nick Mmbaga
Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Butler University, Lacy School of Business
Dr. Nick Mmbaga is an assistant professor of entrepreneurship at the Lacy School of Business at Butler University. His current research focuses on how stigma, identity, and collective judgments of organizations influence strategic decision making in entrepreneurial contexts. His research has been published in leading journals such as Journal ofBusiness Venturing and Organizational Research Methods, and other publication outlets.He has taught a variety of courses focused on entrepreneurship and currently teaches real business experience at Butler University. Before his academic career, Nick founded several small businesses. He is the current chairman of Pauline and Thomas Healthcare, Inc., a company that operates in 6 different counties and employs approximately 100 people in Tennessee. Nick is also a key collaborator on an NSF grant focused on technology transfer from universities.
Mr. Larry Holmes
Industrial Product Designer,
SafeHolmes
Larry Holmes started SafeHolmes after a near tragedy involving his 3-year old son. Responding to the sound of running water at home, Holmes found his son had turned on hot water and put himself at risk of scalding and potential drowning. A consumer product designer by degree and profession, Holmes quickly went about developing a faucet handle restraint to help families avoid similar accidents. SafeHolmes was founded and the product introduced into the market through online sales at SafeHolmes.com. Today, Holmes continues to work on new and innovative consumer and industrial product designs.
Andrew Mendenhall
VP of Product Development,
Catalyst Product Development Group
Andrew is a Catalyst team member with over 22 years of professional experience in product design and over 55 patents who specializes in program planning and proposals, and product research. Andrew facilitates brainstorming sessions, conceptualization, product concept refinement, and provides oversight of the design and engineering team and projects.
Colin Byard
Idea & Concept Lead,
Delta Faucet Company
Colin Byard is the Idea & Concept Innovation Lead at the Delta Faucet Company. In his role, Colin focuses on using consumer-centric innovation practices to generate early-stage ideas, test them with consumers, and socialize ideas across the company. Prior to joining Delta Faucet, Colin served as a University Innovation Alliance Fellow, focusing on innovating to improve educational outcomes for first-generation students, low-income students, and students of color. With passions for equitable human-centered design, consumer insights, and trend research, Colin enjoys challenging organizations to innovate with a bias towards inclusion.
Series Sponsors & Partners
