To kick off the first week of Minnesota Business Venture (MBV) at the University of St. Thomas, the students were greeted at registration by our CEOs, Resident Business Leaders (RBLs), and the rest of the MBV staff inside Koch Commons. The energy of the students combined with the excitement of the staff made checking in a breeze. After the students settled into their dorms and said goodbye to their parents, they headed into the auditorium, where Bob Kaitz, President and CEO of BestPrep, and Laura Dunham, Dean of Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas, welcomed all the students. Daniel Shannon, founder of Daniel Shannon Speaks, gave a motivating speech and offered advice on how to be a visionary and achieve your goals.
At the end of the opening session, the students were divided into their companies where they met their CEO(s), RBL, and the students in their company. After having a short meeting, the companies gathered for a motivational presentation from Anne Losby, Culture Transformation Leader at Thomson Reuters. Losby expressed the importance of controlling your energy and explained how handling your negative energy in a positive way can help you achieve your goals and make you the person you aspire to be.
The first exciting team-building activity of the week was called Junk Night, which involved each company picking random items of “junk” to then create a commercial for a product or service. All thirteen companies came together to present their commercials in front of all their peers and BestPrep staff where they were judged by the RBLs. After many laughs, the judges of the competition chose Company J as the winners.
It was a great first day! It was filled with positive energy that could only be found at MBV. The passion and charisma of the students was unmatched. From engaging with speakers to participating in the company meetings, the students found a way to keep the energy high and alive! We’re excited for tomorrow.