By Brandon Davis

Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation...................................................................... 1 Ethnogrophy ............................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Overview............................................................................................................................... 2 Interview with a Senior: Nicholas Birk ................................................................................ 2 Interview with Academic Advisor: Rita Baker ..................................................................... 2 Interview with a Professioal: Ian Allen................................................................................ 2 Personal Reflection ............................................................................................................... 2

http://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/entr/index.php

http://www.entrepreneur.com/
http://www.entrepreneurship.org/ http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/

Entrepreneurship isnt for everyone. You have to be dedicated and willing to put countless hours into your work. Are you someone who wants to work for a business? Run a business? Own a business? Or maybe even someone who wants to change the way business works? Entrepreneurship is not for weak followers, but for strong individuals with great ideas. Though it may not be for everyone, entrepreneurship can work for any interest. Most people think you have to be in business or management to be an entrepreneur but that is a common misconception. Purdue is a great place to learn about entrepreneurship and even start your own business. Purdue has entrepreneurship classes and a certificate of entrepreneurship and innovation. Though some school, colleges and universities have entrepreneurship majors and minors, Purdue decided to have a certificate. A certificate allows people from any major or and school with in Purdue to learn about become a successful entrepreneur and obtaining the certificate. Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship at Discovery Park is the building that holds all the things that has to do with entrepreneurship. Discovery Park holds centers that lead Purdue's large-scale interdisciplinary research efforts. The Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship fosters the understanding and application of entrepreneurship with faculty and students across the Purdue campus and with stakeholders throughout the State The Burton D. Morgan Center offers great programs, competitions, initiatives and resources. Some examples are elevator pitch competitions and Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy. The center gives you endless opportunities, just as the path of entrepreneurship does. Purdue offers the resources for you and me to become great business owners. If you take your classes to the best of your ability and use the resources available, you will do just fine. I have sat in on one of the classes for entrepreneurship so I could tell you how the class operates and what it takes to do well in the class. I also interview a senior who will be receiving his certificate in May, the academic advisor for the certificate and already successful entrepreneur Purdue alum. With all of these peoples story I how you will understand what it takes to get the certificate, a little bit more knowledge about entrepreneurship and some helpful hints about Purdue in general.

I opened the door to the university building and I instantly got lost. I found the class with five minutes to spare before it started. As close as I was, the door to the classroom was closed and the light was off. Sitting there puzzled, I waited for someone to come by. About three minutes later people started to flow into the classroom. All of a sudden a swarm of people entered the classroom most of them were white upperclassmen, but there are a couple of girls, underclassman, graduate students and a handful of other races. Some were talking; some were silent and others were eating their lunch of a burger and fries. The class had good mix of personalities.

Judging by the students, I could tell this class was going to be somewhat laid back. After most the students were in the classroom a man who screamed success walked in the class. He walked over to a podium and started to unpack his brown business looking bag. I guessed that he was Mr. McEvoy, the classs professor. Mr. McEvoy, along with all of the other entrepreneurial professors, was already a successful entrepreneur. I thought to myself, who else would be better to teach these classes then someone already successful in the area. I finally walked in the classroom to introduce myself to Mr. McEvoy. When I walked in I did a quick scan of the classroom. The front on the class had the podium that Mr. McEvoy was standing at, a two by one chaired table, a black chalkboard, and a projector screen with a celling mounted projector projecting on it. The rest of the room had chairs and desks shaped like a U, with two more two by one tables. I said hello to Mr. McEvoy and told him who I was. Mr. McEvoy then explained who he was and showed me to my seat, on the left side of the second table in the middle. I took at my laptop to get myself situated when the professor came back to ask me to introduce myself to the rest of the class. I closed my laptop, quickly introduce myself and sat back down. Almost immediately after I finished, Mr. McEvoy took control of the class. He told everyone to get in their groups and get ready to explain their answers to a case they had been working on prior to this class. The class transforms from scattered students around the room to consolidated, well working groups. Each group had a representative to give their thoughts and answers on the case. There was lots of whispering and chatting until finally Group One was ready to explain their answer on the question of taking a contract with more money but more risk or not. At first people were still a bit loud until the professor asked them to quiet down. Group Number One had a good speaker who communicated his teams ideas very well. Group Four talks next. I looked around and I saw some people were extremely focused; some were even taking what looked like notes. But, some people were joking around, still trying to figure out what their team was going to say and some were still eating their lunch. I quickly learned that this was a class where you got what you put in. After group four spoke the professor challenged the by asking about a bigger story. He said something about being a risk taking or playing it safe. He talks about how most people who dont take the contract are low risk takers and the ones who go for the money are high risk takers. While he talks the groups start to talk to each other and themselves about their answers, ideas and viewpoints. After listening in on some of the teams, I learned that each group has to submit a paper explaining if they would take the money and contract or not and why. The class was given a packet of Excel spreadsheets explaining financial statistics. It seems as though you need a little bit of background in finance before you take this course and there is a lot of application involved.

In the class there are people in many different areas of study and each person has something to contribute to their respective groups. This requires a level of knowledge and the ability to apply your skills and not just waste them. After the professor challenged the class, the class became quieter and more focused. People began to raise their hands and the class became a lot more interactive. After a little bit a questions and answers, someone asked the professors what his thoughts were on the case study. He said even though there was no right or wrong answer, he would take the deal. Twenty five minutes of class had gone by and the class was still talking about the case study, thats how interested and how important this assignment was to them. Finally, after all the questions were asked and all of the answers were said, the class had moved on to a different topic. Mr. McEvoy passed out a packet talking about how the groups were going to do a new team exercise, using something called EBIDA. EBIDA is a calculation of different aspects of a company or business. Everyone in the class had to have some background knowledge in math too understand how to use EBIDA. All the groups worked vigorously on their exercises. As the professor walks around and helps out the groups, I look around and see some people leave themselves out of the group and again it just proves that this class is defiantly what you make it. While people finish up their assignments, the class begins to end. Mr. McEvoy finally goes over the assignment while people pack up. This class showed me a lot. I understand that this class, along with many other classes at Purdue, is a class where your output has a lot to do with what you gain from the class. This class is not one that you take to gets credits or to get a higher grade point average. It is one you take because you want to learn how to apply your knowledge and learn new information. I walked out of that class understanding what my journey will be like getting my certificate. As long as I am dedicated and focused on the task at hand and my productivity is great, then I will receive great things in return.

Ms. Baker is the coordinating academic advisor for the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Who better to understand the journey to getting this certificate from then the woman who sets up all the classes? I have met Ms. Baker twice before this interview. My first time was during a summer orientation program called Boiler Gold Rush or BGR. BGR had breakout sessions one day we were there and one of them was for entrepreneurship. The next time I saw Ms. Baker was in my Management 100 class. We often have professors come in our class and speak about their fields, to teach us and in some ways persuade us to go in to their discipline. Ms. Baker was one of the speakers in the class and she gave a speech about the certificate. When I emailed Ms. Baker for an interview she was more than happy to see me. She told me to meet her at the Burton D. Morgan in her office on the second floor of Burton, which was easy to find. Burton is an amazing new building that makes you think innovation the second you walk in. She told me to come on in and before we began we talked for a while and I understood that Rita Baker was a very easy going person good resource and a great person to talk to for academics, school help, business or life in general. My first question was what area of research did you study in your undergraduate career? Rita said that she graduated with a public relations and communications degree from Purdue. Following up I asked her how she got where she was now and she said quickly her advisor. She told me that her advisor helped her all throughout college. She said that if you ever have a problem or are in need of guidance then you should visit your advisor. In the same topic of school, I asked her what activates; clubs or organizations would be good to get into. She said that the best thing to do is to participate in things that you are interested in and if you are interested in entrepreneurship and innovation then Purdue Innovations is a great club to join. The next thing I asked her directly about school was what are the best classes to take to get ready for getting the certificate? She said, Instead of looking for classes, make sure that entrepreneurship is something that you have interest in. My next question was, what is the best advice you got as a freshman? she said, Just because one field isnt for you, doesnt mean youre a failure. Dont be afraid to try new things. I thought that was a great piece of advice. All too often people give up because they are not good at one thing? The last questions I asked went together with the topic of jobs and internships. I asked Rita, How do I find internships and jobs available for students? she answered by saying, internships will come to you.

My first question was what area of research did you study in your undergraduate career? Rita said that she graduated with a public relations and communications degree from Purdue. Following up I asked her how she got where she was now and she said quickly her advisor. She told me that her advisor helped her all throughout college. She said that if you ever have a problem or are in need of guidance then you should visit your advisor. In the same topic of school, I asked her what activates; clubs or organizations would be good to get into. She said that the best thing to do is to participate in things that you are interested in and if you are interested in entrepreneurship and innovation then Purdue Innovations is a great club to join. The next thing I asked her directly about school was what are the best classes to take to get ready for getting the certificate? She said, Instead of looking for classes, make sure that entrepreneurship is something that you have interest in. My next question was, what is the best advice you got as a freshman? she said, Just because one field isnt for you, doesnt mean youre a failure. Dont be afraid to try new things. I thought that was a great piece of advice. All too often people give up because they are not good at one thing? The last questions I asked went together with the topic of jobs and internships. I asked Rita, How do I find internships and jobs available for students? she answered by saying, internships will come to you. She told me about an organization called Interns for Indiana. It gives you the ability to work with a startup company that is part of the Discovery Park. She said that opportunities are always available. My last question was, Do you have any suggestions about how to best prepare myself for the working world? she said, the only thing I can say is that no one starts at the top. Hard work is the only way to get out of here with degree worth something. The interview with Rita was a great experience. Rita was able to teach me about important people to talk to and she taught me to do things that I like to do. When I heard her say that it was quite refreshing. She also explained a little bit more about the program its self. She explained how the certificate was a series of requirements including certain class, workshops and stud abroad experiences. Rita is a great person to talk to and if you are thinking about getting involved with the entrepreneurship program Rita is the best person for you to talk to.

After I had gone over most of my interview questions with Rita I had one more important question to ask her, Do you know of any students that I could talk to who are on their way to getting the certificate now? and Rita responded almost immediately after, Nicholas Birk. Rita gave me Nicks email and I emailed him immediately, asking him if he would be up to the task of being an interviewee. After playing email tag for a while, Nick finally agreed with a time and a place for us to meet. Nick wanted to meet in the Drawing Room of Krannert School of management in between one of our breaks before we had our next class. Krannert is the build where most of the business classes are held. The Drawing Room is like the lobby of Krannert. It has multiple circle tables on one side and rectangular tables on the other. It has a corner with a printer and a few computers, a couple couches and to finish it off, one baby grand piano. Nick and I had scheduled our interview at one oclock, so I decided to get there about fifteen minutes early to set up and look over my questions. As I waited I realized that neither of us knew who the each other looked like and, neither of us had each others cellphone number either. As I be began to franticly check my Email, a mid-height white male entered the build with a collared shirt and a backpack. He came in and sat right behind me. About a minute later, Nick had emailed me his number, so I decided to call. Of course, from some source of weird intuition, the person sitting behind me was Nick. He quickly picked up his stuff, moved over to the other side of the table I occupied and some after we began. I began with my first question which was how did you pick your concentration and major. After that, I rarely had to ask a question, nick was very good at telling his story and answered that question along with many others. Nick said, The first thing I picked was entrepreneurship, which isnt really a concentration, but I got in to it and I loved doing it. Kind of this think out the box thing. Nick knew that he wanted to do entre Nick knew that he wanted to do entrepreneurship, but he always loved numbers and wanted to try that to. He said, "I was always good at math so, I thought of doing the financial stuff." Nick thought of making finance as him concentration, but it quickly changed to international business and strategic marketing after a study abroad he took in Sydney, Australia. He explained to me about how he changed his majors and concentrations a couple times before the study abroad, but he realized that if he did what he liked to do then whatever discipline he fell into would be a good fit for him and would go well with entrepreneurship. During his time in Australia, nick had learned things about Australian culture and about his own culture. He built a new work ethic, learned a lot of great values and he became a stronger individual because of it. Nick really suggests studying abroad as much as you can and as soon as you can.

As we continued to talk, nick mentioned clubs that were good on campus. He told me that I should join clubs that involve things that I love doing or I want to learn about. He told me that the three big organizations for Krannert are Student Employers Forum, Student management council and Ambassadors, but he also mentioned that he was an ambassador for the entrepreneur program. He told me, "Rita and her team paid for me to go to an entrepreneur conference in Chicago" He told me how much fun it was and how many opportunities he had as an ambassador. Nick and I talked a lot about his past, a lot about his study abroad experience and many things about entrepreneurship. He gave a lot of information that made me realize that his experiences were priceless. He explained mostly through his experiences and that was something that he stressed a lot. I believe that nick learned a lot through experiences and I think it is a great way for us to learn and become better business people and entrepreneurs.

Getting up at eight oclock in the morning on a Saturday? Totally worth it. My interview took place in Rawls Hall which is part of the Krannert School of Management. Rawls is the newest addition to the Krannert family and you can tell when you first walk in. Rawls in very open and has a very modern feel. All of the classrooms are presentation based with a ceiling projector and semi-circle raised seating. The higher you go the more prestigious the offices, classrooms and study rooms become. I was told to go to room 3097, which is on the third floor all the way in the back on the left. The rooms at the end of the hall are all graduate students study rooms. When I got up to the room I knocked, opened the door and there he was. Ian Allen. Ian Allen is above six feet talk over two hundred pounds and can be quite intimidating when you first meet him. He has a very soft voice but is loud enough to be assertive, keep your attention and keep you involved with what he is saying. Like Rita, I had talked to Ian three times before. I was introduced to him by a mentor of mine so he could help me with some endeavors I was interested in. from there I saw him at a social event with his daughter and then we got together in a similar room as Rawls 3097 and he helped me understand the certain Krannert minors, which we call concentrations, among other things. Because Ian is a grad student and a professional, he was very short on time. So, instead of me asking interview questions, I asked Ian to gauge himself on time and give us a brief story of his life and journey through his ventures as a Purdue undergraduate to his current trials. He went right into his story.

Ian came to Purdue on a football scholarship. Ian wanted to do pre-law, but because Purdue didnt have a program at the time, he ended up in the sound department of theater and learned many things about music software and hardware. Later, he went to Electrical engineering but, he decided that things weren't going to work out and majored in general communications. Ian played in the NFL for six years, on the Eagles and on the Giants. After his professional football career, Ian created a music studio with the skills he learned when he was a theater major called ISO Records, but later changed the name to Nova 53 Records, where a couple of his tracks became famous. Ian said, "In about fifteen different radio markets, my tracks were ranked number one, and in overall national ratings we were ranked twenty nine. Not only did he create his studio and create successful albums, he also created his wife's fashion line business, IJO Designs. After Ian's entrepreneurial adventures, he decided to go to take an entrepreneurship course at Northwestern University. There he learned a lot about self-sustaining successful business. From there, Ian realized that it would be beneficial if he got his Master degree from Krannert. He believes that, "an MBA will give you the proper frameworks as to how you make business investment and decisions. Ian is currently pursuing his MBA here at Krannert. He still has his Nova 53 records company and his wife's business is stronger than ever. Ian made a great decision to go to Krannert for his MBA and I will follow him right after graduate. Ian is successful is what he does. Ian's story made me understand that it is okay to switch majors, as long as youre getting closer to what you really want to do. Ian is an inspiration and he gave us the story of his means to success. I just hope we all use it for our own means of success.

Lets take a look at all the information that has been provided. Starting with the analysis of the classroom, you can learn almost immediately that entrepreneurship is all about what you put in to it. In McEvoys class there were people who were leaders, and also people who were just following the group and contributing nothing. Those people will not make it into the business world and will not own a successful business. People who were putting in work, making their ideas known, and making changes, are the people who will be successful. In Mr. McEvoys class, things were really laid back. He would teach a subject and you would apply it with your team. All you have to do is be a team player, work hard and nothing less. Mr. McEvoys class is not difficult; yet, it requires a certain level of maturity, focus, application and self-determination.

Next, we can look at the several interviews I had. First was Ms. Rita Baker, the academic advisor for the certificate. She gave great insight in to the entrepreneurial program. She said that the best way to prepare for the certificate is to be interested and want to do it (Baker). She said that People who fail the classes and dont get the certificate are people who are doing it for the wrong reasons (Baker). Rita assured me that what I witnessed in the entrepreneurship class was correct. If you are there for the right reason and you put work in, you will get a good outcome and do well. The next interview I gave was to a senior Nick. He is a management student, just like me, and will receive his certificate in May. Nick was the best person for me to talk to, because of our similarities and commonalities. Among many things, we were both in management, both wanted to get our certificates and we both loved to talk. Nick is the ambassador for the certificate of entrepreneurship and innovation and taught me all about Purdue, Krannert, the certificate, and his own journey through out all three. Personally I believe the interview with Nick was the most beneficial for me. He taught me about internships and time management; but, he also gave me ways to think towards schooling and getting my degree and certificate. Nick told me, Just GO! Ideas are good doing them is entrepreneurship. I am living by that quote already and it has helped me immensely. My last interview was with Ian Allen. Wow. Ian went from a Purdue graduate to NFL player. Afterwards, he created his own music studio and then went to Krannert grad school with a wife and kids. Ian Allen is one of my role models and inspirations. Ian told me his story starting from freshman year when he switched majors three times, up to his current status of getting his MBA and taking up a job with General Motors in Corporate Finance. Ian has done it all. He has done everything he wanted to do and that is truly amazing. After looking at all this information, all these stories, and all this success, how can someone not be excited to start ones own career. I now understand how I am going to lead my life in Krannert as I get my degree and my certificate. From the classroom to the professional, I have learned so many valuable lessons and heard so many success stories that I know I am ready. Now the challenge is not in comprehending what these amazing people have said, but how to apply it. That is the hard part and its all on you. Personally, I am going to write my goals down and start planning. What about you?

Allen, Ian. Interview. Brandon Davis. October 2011. Recording.

Baker, Rita. Interview. Brandon Davis. October 2011. Recording.

Birk, Nicholas. Interview. Brandon Davis. October 2011. Recording. Purdue University. Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship. n.d. October 2011. . Discovery Park. n.d. October 2010.