Reagan Perkins ’22 — I want to thank the CIBE for funding my experience in the Business Innovation Program. I would also like to thank the CIBE Business Innovation Program for the opportunity to participate in such a great program. Approaching my last week, I can reflect upon the experiences I have been so fortunate to have. I learned a lot during the first week while working in Microsoft Excel with alumnus Zach Karl ‘18 during his financial bootcamp. I learned many tricks and valuable skills, such as how to create a balance statement, income sheet, and cash flow statement. At the moment, I want to go into finance or business so that these skills will be beneficial to me throughout my life.
I also enjoyed going over valuable case studies such as Disney, Proctor and Gamble, Chase Sapphire, and Kate Spade. These were valuable as I learned how to make decisions when running a business. Reviewal of these cases allowed me to begin thinking like an entrepreneur and taught me how to make decisions in the business world. I will be able to use this in the future, not just when working at or running a business, but as I make decisions in other areas of my life such as buying a house or starting a family.
Another significant aspect of this program is the number of valuable alumni encounters. I much appreciated meeting Rob Shook ’83. Meeting with him was fantastic because he changed the way I viewed networking and altered my approach to building essential relationships. I enjoyed visiting David Waldman, as he taught me about how committed one must be to start their own business and continue operating it. Jacob Stone ’17 was able to show me what it means to build your brand and how to popularize that brand. Tony Unfried ’03 and Jim Engledow ’78 demonstrated the importance of market research and what it means to “ask the right questions.” Shane Fimbel ’02 and Jim Abercrombie ’02 convinced me of how important it was to adapt to and learn new technologies, while Pat Jones ’15 reminded me that helping the community and others around you should always be the top priority when running a business. Kas Koehring ’18 taught me the basics of emotional intelligence and how I can utilize it in the workplace. Mike Simmons ’88 taught me the basics of marketing, how to apply it, and how to be good at it.
The lessons and skills I have acquired during the Business Innovation Program will be of great value to me during my future career.