Day three of Minnesota Business Venture began with a welcoming message from our BestPrep staff, followed by Mock Interviews! Our Mock Interviews are one of MBV’s key activities. They replicate a business environment where students practice their soft skills and prepare for future interviews. Today is also Entrepreneur Day, made possible by our wonderful Mock Interview volunteers who helped students grow, along with our sponsor of the day, Cargill!
Today’s keynote speaker was Beamlak Tesfahun Petros, a 19-year-old student at the University of St. Thomas and a top 3 finisher for multiple national and international Fowler Innovation Challenges! Beamlak taught the importance of identifying a problem first and taking small steps towards success. Taking that initial step into the unknown is what drives you to seek resources and continue to grow!
After the keynote, all campers were divided into 3 breakout groups, an operations group, a finance group, and a marketing group. Campers were assigned to their group beforehand, and the breakout sessions were ways for them to gain more knowledge into their respective areas. Our operations breakout was hosted by Preenon Huq, an accountant with Metro Transit. The finance breakout was hosted by Adam Revoir, a third-year law student at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Lastly, the marketing breakout was hosted by Oie Dobier, the owner of Bloomdocking.
Today, MBV ended with bowling night at the Anderson Student Center, where laughter and friendly competition strengthened friendships beyond just business. It was great to see everyone more open and driven about their business plans. These next few days will be the most difficult, yet the most rewarding.