Entrepreneurship Socity at the University of Notre Dame

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Officers

Mark Bennett, Founder & Co-President

Jaime Urquijo, Former Director of Recruitment; Current Co-President

Don Whitley, Chief Financial Officer

Anne Laughlin, Vice President of Education, Marketing, and Corporate Development

Katie Grennan, Chief Information Officer

Kate von Hoffmann, CEO Dinner Series and Speaker Chair and 1st Annual Conference on Entrepreneurship Chair

Michael Streit, Vice President of Social Entrepreneurship Consulting

Christine Lynch, Marketing Chair

Nick Walker, Founder of El Campito Financial Consulting Group

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Mark Bennett

Role:

Founder & Co-President

Hometown:

Palos Park, IL

Class:

2009

Major:

Economics and Computer Applications

Contact:

mbennet2@nd.edu

Employment

Understudy to the CEO of a Boutique Executive Coaching Firm

Personal

Mark is a double major in Economics and Computer Applications and has for the Dean's List the majority of his time at Notre Dame. Mark has worked at UBS Financial Services and Northern Trust the past two summers. In the summer of 2008 he will work at Performance Potential Inc., a boutique performance management consulting and executive coaching firm. He aims to pursue a career in consulting, sports law or management, entrepreneurship, or venture capitalism. On campus, Mark is teaching assistant and a Co-Founder & Chairman of the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Chapter at Notre Dame. Before transferring to Notre Dame as a sophomore, Mark played on baseball scholarship for Northwestern University and was also a substantial contributor to his high school's state championship football team. Mark studied abroad in London during the spring of 2007. During his free time, Mark enjoys traveling, tennis, boxing, and reading. Mark's father and sister are graduates of Notre Dame.

Why Entrepreneurship Society?

"I believe I was attracted to the creative, competitive, and high energy spirit of entrepreneurship by my previous athletic experiences. I naturally became curious about the elements that separate a flourishing team or organization from the rest of its competitors. Similarly, growing up with my father, who has founded and grown his own medical practice in Chicago, caused me to be fascinated by the mentalities that help a person meet their full potential.

My experience leading the Entrepreneurship Society has been an opportunity to apply the endless academic theory to a real-life setting. It's been an opportunity to be part of a winning culture, to learn from "hands-on" leadership experiernces, and to create meaningful experiences for our peers here at Notre Dame. This organization was founded to teach students how to become impact players and how to shoot for the stars. We are doing both. I believe the entrepreneurial approach to any problem or situation has the power to change the world, and if business figures like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, or Richard Branson, could offer any input, we think they'd agree."

Roles and Organizational Accomplishments:

• Founded and grew the Entrepreneurship Society from 1 to over 100 active members while installing the necessary mechanisms for sustainable succession and performance.
• Identified, recruited, and unified top talent in assembling a management team.
• Led a project team in constructing the initial 32 page mission, vision, and strategic planning statement.
• Led a project team in redesigning and writing content for the organization's website.
• Arranged CEOs to speak and founded an educational case studies challenge on growing business enterprises.
• Led several case study teams, including one with several other club leaders, which studied the thriving Entrepreneurship Chapters at Oxford and Stanford (300+ active members) in the winter of "07"
• Judging Panelist for the Invention Convention, a program designed to help underprivileged high school students refine their business plans
Selected by the Career Center to represent the Entrepreneurship Society as 1 of 4 student hosts for Notre Dame Consulting Night '07, introducing McKinsey, Bain & Co., Boston Consulting Group, and Accenture
• Launching Notre Dame's first student-run business publication, the Notre Dame Business Review, and the 1st annual Notre Dame Conference for Entrepreneurial Leadership

Jaime Urquijo

Role:

Former Director of Recruitment; Current Co-President

Hometown:

Manila, Philippines

Class:

2010

Major

History and Political Science

Contact

jurquijo@nd.edu

Employment

Understudy to the CEO of Oishi Snack Company in China

Personal

Jaime is a Political Science major who hails from Manila, Philippines. Jaime has grown up in an entrepreneurial background. He is a true international citizen, living in Spain, England, and the United States. Last summer, Jaime worked in Florida with a financial services company and a diamond mining company in Africa. He will be working with a Food and Beverage Company in China the summer of 2008.

Why Entrepreneurship Society?

"As an eager freshman, a friend of mine suggested that we attend an Entrepreneurship Society meeting. From the very first meeting it was obvious that the group of people involved were eager and enthusiastic about their club. It was contagious. I wanted to be as involved in this exciting and relatively new club as much as possible. The fact that it was in the start-up phase made it even more appealing - as I could be an integral part of what could potentially become an enduring enterprise. I look forward to the year ahead of us with much anticipation and I cannot wait to get started."

Roles and Organizational Accomplishments

• Jaime has been instrumental in the club's strategy, marketing, and recruiting
• He led the establishment of El Campito, a service project dedicated to providing financial education to underprivileged people in the South Bend area
• Jaime and several other club leaders personally studied the thriving Entrepreneurship Chapters at Oxford and Stanford (300+ active members) in the winter of '07
• In January of 2008, Jaime led the biggest case study in the history of the club, where over 100 members sat in attendance to learn about maverick entrepreneur Richard Branson's Virgin Group. The meeting was the first of the year and made the front page of the Notre Dame school newspaper, The Observer

Don Whitley

Role:

CFO

Hometown:

Long Island, NY

Class:

2010

Major

Finance

Contact

dwhitley@nd.edu

Employment

Sales for Manufacturing Firm

Personal

Don Whitley is a Finance major from Long Island, New York, who graduated from Regis High School in Manhattan, and is now a junior at Notre Dame. The son of an entrepreneur, Don spent the summer of 2008 employed as a sales representative at Building & Restoration Technologies, Inc., a firm that represents manufacturers of building materials, which his father founded in 1991. After earning his degree, he plans to pursue a career on Wall Street before concentrating on starting his own business. Don has a passion for volleyball, and was captain of his high school's varsity squad for two years. He enjoys a variety of competitive and strategic sports, traveling and reading (often simultaneously), and manages to occasionally serve as a judge for his high school's state champion speech & debate society, of which he was once president.

Why Entrepreneurship Society?

"I was introduced to the Notre Dame Entrepreneurship Society by Jaime Urquijo and Bob Huguelet, my close friends. They convinced me to attend a few meetings and I instantly fell in love with the club and its members. I remember being amazed at how much effort the clubs members put into this particular extracurricular, and how they managed to keep such a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in the process. I really should thank Bob and Jaime, because many of my closest friends are in the club, and I've derived a significant amount of enjoyment from the freedom the society gives me to turn my dreams into realities."

Roles and Organizational Accomplishments

• Currently serves as Chief Financial Officer
• Created the first proposed budget for the NDES (Summer 2008)
• Served as Co-Chair of Operations (Spring 2008)
• Founded NDES Merchandising, a start-up merchandising company
• Founded Grace Club Finance, and undergraduate student holdings firm that serves the NDES and is looking to expand to serve other undergraduate organizations
• Organized the first annual Case Study Challenge.
• Led a case-study program for the club that featured two team-based case studies (Fall 2007).
• Organized the CEO Speaker Event and CEO Dinner featuring Diane Stover, VP of Marketing at Memorial Health System.
• Worked in collaboration with other members on a case study on the Oxford entrepreneurship organization (300+ active members) aimed at identifying ways to grow the club (Fall 2007)
• Has played an instrumental role in visual marketing for the club, creating posters, flyers, invitations, and other club tangibles.

Anne Laughlin

Role:

Vice President of Education, Marketing, and Corporate Development

Hometown:

Northfield, IL

Class:

2010

Major

Marketing and Graphic Design

Contact

alaughlin@nd.edu

Employment

Understudy to CEO of Jewelry Firm in New York

Personal

Anne is a junior at Notre Dame and is from Northfield, Il, a suburb of Chicago. She is majoring in Marketing and Industrial Design. Anne has always been inspired by the fast pace, ever-changing world of the fashion industry as she is interested in both its business and the artistic dimensions. She would love to be a consultant for new fashion designers by helping them work on their business plans, finding their perfect market, and expanding their possibilities. Eventually, she would enjoy starting her own apparel line, as designing and constructing clothes has always been one of her hobbies. Anne worked at Jennifer Miller Jewelry in both Southampton and East Hampton this past summer. Jennifer Miller, an entrepreneur that started her own successful boutique, worked with Anne to show her the many aspects of entrepreneurship. As Anne had a wide variety of jobs at her internship, they mainly included merchandising the inventory and working as a stylist for customers.

Why Entrepreneurship Society?

"I view entrepreneurship as an exciting challenge in our global economy and as a way to convert my imagination into reality. My first year was a rewarding experience and I learned so much from both members and guest speakers. The Club is a great chance for people to share their ideas and to be inspired by a variety of leaders, as it also encourages students to use their talents as means of improving the lives of others. I feel that the club offers many amazing opportunities while its growth will help many students fulfill their dreams."

Roles and Organizational Accomplishments

• Anne has been a 2 year member since his freshman year when the club began.
• Chaired the first-annual Case Study Challenge
• Anne was the case study team leader on Facebook.com in Fall of '07
• Anne has been instrumental in the marketing, administration, and strategy of the club.
• Anne and several other club leaders personally studied the thriving Entrepreneurship Chapters at Oxford and Stanford in the winter of '07

Katie Grennan

Role:

CIO

Hometown:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Class:

2010

Major

Accounting/Psychology

Contact

kgrennan@nd.edu

Employment

PWC Summer Leadership Program and Highmark in the Financial Planning Department

Personal

Katie is a junior pursuing an Accounting and Psychology double major, along with an Irish Studies minor. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but she hopes to work in Chicago following graduation at one of the Big Four accounting firms as an auditor. On campus, Katie is a project leader for a division of the Accounting component of the Student International Business Council. Additionally, she will lead the Irish Dance team as Vice President and choreographer, using her 12 years of competitive dance experience. Katie competes in Irish Dance at the International level, and travels across the country and oversees for championships. Over the summer, Katie interned at Highmark in the Financial Planning department. Katie currently resides in Pasquerilla East Hall, and is spending her spring semester abroad in Dublin, Ireland

Why Entrepreneurship Society?

"I attended my first Entrepreneurship Society meeting at the beginning of my sophomore year, mostly to see what all the hype was about. The club was unique in the fact that it included a diverse amount of projects; there was definitely something for everyone. I also really clicked with a lot of the members. Entrepreneurship Society offers a student so many great experiences and opportunities for leadership, and I strongly believe that this club is on the path for success because of both its atmosphere and the people in it. I am very much looking forward to what the 08-09 school year has in store for us."

Roles and Organizational Accomplishments

• Was a team member of one of the first presentations of the annual Case Study Challenge
• Led a group of students in the Case Study Challenge, who won 2nd place
• Was selected to attended the CEO dinner with CEO Sherry Barratt
• Appointed CIO for upcoming 08-09 school year
• Assembled 2008-2009 Entrepreneurship Society Pitch-Book

Kate von Hoffmann

Role:

CEO Dinner Series and Speaker Chair and 1st Annual Conference on Entrepreneurship Chair

Hometown:

Orange County, California

Class:

2011

Major

Science-Business and Political Science

Contact

kvonhoff@nd.edu

Employment

Clerk for the Intellectual Property Law Firm, Knobbe, Martens, Olson and Bear.

Personal

Kate is a double major is Science-Business and Political Science who resides in McGlinn Hall. Originally from Orange County, California, Kate spent two summers working as a clerk for the Intellectual Property Law Firm, Knobbe, Martens, Olson and Bear. This summer she is working for Endologix, Inc., a medical device company that develops and manufactures stents to treat Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms. Ultimately she would like to work with start-ups in the medical device industry. In high school, she was captain of the Debate Team and a member of the first policy team from her school to ever qualify for State Championships. She also was a prominent member of the Model United Nations program, where she helped organize a conference at her school. Additionally she was Captain of the Varsity Equestrian Team and was the High Point Reserve Champion in Hunt Seat Equitation. She plans to ride on the Notre Dame Equestrian Team in the fall

Why Entrepreneurship Society?

"I stumbled onto the scene a few weeks into my freshman year. I don't know what I was expecting, but I found more than I could have hoped for. The people are welcoming and enthusiastic about entrepreneurship. There is a certain captivating energy about the club that made you pause and take a second look. The Entrepreneurship Society has been a wonderful experience for me and I'm excited to be part of these formative years."

Roles and Organizational Accomplishments

• Member of the Facebook (presented on Mark Zuckerberg's Leadership Style) and Virgin Enterprises (Company History and Richard Branson's Defining Role) Case Study Teams
• Member of the Operations Board Spring 2008
• Chair of the 1st Annual Conference on Entrepreneurship (in Spring of 2009)
• Chair of the of CEO Dinner Series 2008-2009
• Chair of the Speaker Series 2008-2009

Michael Streit

Role:

Vice President of Social Entrepreneurship Consulting

Hometown:

Crystal Lake, Illinois

Class:

2010

Major

Economics and Political Science

Contact

mstreit@nd.edu

Employment

Global Economics and Policy Intern with the Department of Commerce in Washington D.C.

Personal

Michael is a Junior residing in Alumni Hall. Michael is a Political Science and Economics Double Major who has also taken a significant number of business courses. He is a proud product of Crystal Lake, Illinois, a medium-sized town forty-five minutes from Chicago and thirty minutes from the Wisconsin border. His father is president of Keystone Display, a point of purchase display manufacturing factory. Michael plans to spend the 2008 summer interning with the Market Access and Compliance division of the Department of Commerce in Washington D.C., an internship he feels will develop his already strong interest in global economics. Independent of his schoolwork at Notre Dame, where Michael is also involved in the Student International Business Council and serves as his dorm.s official Liaison to Female Dorms, Michael is an avid reader, metaphysics student, and piano player.

Why Entrepreneurship Society?

"On a fateful Thursday evening in the computer cluster at Hesburgh Library, Michael's friend Vijen Patel dragged him from there to the Entrepreneurship Society's first meeting. The rest was history. I believe that the entrepreneurial spirit is incredibly powerful. Entrepreneurship, to me, means stepping away from the traditional ways of doing things. Entrepreneurship means looking at problems creatively, and doing things in ways that no one has ever thought of before. It means taking charge, calling the shots, and answering to no man. This feeling of responsibility for one's own actions and limitless way of looking at how to solve problems is something that transcends business. I was drawn to the Entrepreneurship Society because I felt that the projects and the opportunities to learn did an amazing job of enhancing one.s career prospects and developing an innovative mindset."

Roles and Organizational Accomplishments

• First real involvement was the Grey Goose Vodka Case Study in Fall of 2007
• Attended the Conference for Entrepreneurial Organizations with a half-dozen other members of the club in Fall of 2007
• Participated in the Virgin Group Case Study in January of 2008, which marked a turning point for the Entrepreneurship Society
• Helped organize the Road Show, an intense marketing campaign which, mostly through guerilla marketing tactics, attendance at meetings by over 300%
• Worked with the South Bend Small Business Development Center to give business consulting to BenchBuddy, a seat cushion company.

Christine Lynch

Role:

Marketing Chair

Hometown:

Newark, New Jersey

Class:

2010

Major

Marketing and Sociology

Contact

cylynch3@nd.edu

Personal

Christine Lynch is a Marketing and Sociology major from Colts Neck, New Jersey. She has worked at a landscaping nursery the past two years and has quite a bit of experience in the babysitting field. She hopes to one day own her own company or work for a company in a marketing field in a service based or community committed company. At Notre Dame, she currently lives in Pasquerilla West Hall where she participated in inter-hall soccer. She is a member of the Marketing Club, Sociology Club, Undergraduate and Women in Business. She also was a team leader for Take Ten, a volunteer program teaching non-violence conflict resolution to students in the local community. This past winter, she participated in Urban Plunge in the Bronx, New York where she volunteered. Christine loves sports and crafting. She also loves flowers, being outsides, listening to music, reading and spontaneous adventures.

Why Entrepreneurship Society?

""I wanted to become more involved in business-related clubs and the name sounded interesting. I really had no idea what to expect. I started with taking a plunge with a case study on Facebook, which opened numerous doors for my future leadership involvement. Through that project, I met quite a few new people and members in the club. From that point on, I wanted to be part of it. This past spring, I was the Intra-School relations officer where I worked with the "Road Show" by spreading the brand name in classrooms and to dorms. Now I'm working on other marketing-related initiatives. The club has been a great experience to meet people and improve my personal and professional skills at multiple levels."

Roles and Organizational Accomplishments

• Christine was a member of Facebook case study, the first of the semester
• She was the Intra-School Relations officer for 2008, working as an integral member of "the Road Show"
• She will work as Marketing Chair for the 2008-2009 school year

Nick Walker

Role:

Founder of El Campito Financial Consulting Group

Class:

2010

Major

Accountancy

Contact

nwalker1@nd.edu

Employment:

Ernst and Young

Why Entrepreneurship Society?

"Joining the Entrepeneurship Society might be one of the greatest decisions I have made while a student here. Not only have I gotten the chance to network with other students who are genuinely excited about generating positive change to the university, but I have also been able to give back to the community as well. This is by far one of the most well-rounded organizations on campus."