Kelley faculty, staff inspire CLD’s young entrepreneurs and their future business plans

By: Dr. Demetra Andrews, Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing

Over the last 11-weeks, the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis hosted the Center for Leadership Development (CLD) Business Orientation Project. During the program, local business leaders and educators lead, inform, and inspire a cohort of 20 high-performing, college-bound high school students to clarify and pursue a business career.

It kicked off with motivational messages from Dennis Bland, president of CLD; Julie Manning Magid, executive associate dean of Kelley Indianapolis; Joe Zachery, director of the CLD College Preparation Institute; and Demetra Andrews, clinical associate professor of marketing and faculty coordinator of DEIB initiatives for Kelley Indianapolis. Alex Samuel, assistant director of admissions, and Derrick Williams-Bacon, associate director of diversity initiatives, gave a rousing introduction to the benefits of a Kelley Indianapolis degree and the pathways to the pursue a Kelley degree. Y.A. Perez, senior associate director of the Undergraduate Program, welcomed and addressed questions from students and their parents.

Kelley Indianapolis team members led core sessions, including Enjoli Hampton-Brown, senior associate director of Kelley Indianapolis Career Services, who discussed the importance of paid internships and mentors. Demetra Andrews, clinical associate professor marketing and faculty coordinator of DEIB Initiatives at Kelley Indianapolis, introduced students to the function of marketing and led an activity on market segmentation, targeting, and positioning. Kingsley Wabara, assistant professor of finance, led an interactive discussion titled “The Numbers Speak” during which students worked on a finance case study authored by Wabara.

Business and education leaders talked with the CLD cohort about programs at Butler University, Taylor University, and Ivy Tech. Students interacted with community business leaders to hone their personal branding skills. They employed new business language and insights to develop résumés, personal branding statements, academic and career objectives, and elevator pitches.

In the closing session, students presented posters to demonstrate their new knowledge of personal branding. Nolan Taylor, clinical assistant professor of information systems, Wabara and Andrews judged the posters and three were awarded prizes by Joe Zachery.

We extend a heartfelt thank you to all individuals who donated their time and talent to educate and edify the students in the Center for Leadership Development’s Business Orientation Project.