Greg Johnson / en Residency trip to New York City inspires Impact Fellows /news/2025-05/residency-trip-new-york-city-inspires-impact-fellows <span>Residency trip to New York City inspires Impact Fellows</span> <span><span>Greg Johnson</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-05-27T11:00:28-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - 11:00">Tue, 05/27/2025 - 11:00</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="TextRun Highlight SCXW232761902 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">While many of their peers were spending spring break catching sun at the beach, members of the </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/current-students/undergraduate-resources/impact-fellows-program" title="Impact Fellows Program | Costello College of Business at 海角社区"><span class="TextRun Highlight SCXW232761902 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Impact Fellows Program</span></a><span class="TextRun Highlight SCXW232761902 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US"> were busy engaging with organizations and professionals in New York City to see how they run their operations while being dedicated to social impact, sustainability, and community service.</span><span class="TextRun Highlight SCXW232761902 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">鈥�</span><span class="EOP SCXW232761902 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-05/impact_fellows_visit_new_york_city.jpg?itok=-M3VstAb" width="263" height="350" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Impact Fellows visit New York City. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW103759968 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Using the United Nations鈥� sustainable development goals as their framework, the Impact Fellows Program is a competitive two-year program for students in the </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/" title="Costello College of Business | 海角社区"><span class="TextRun SCXW103759968 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Costello College of Business</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW103759968 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> at 海角社区 who want to foster their leadership abilities and personal development.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW103759968 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW103759968 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The Costello students in the Impact Fellows Program come from different backgrounds and have different interests, but they are united in the belief that business should be a force for good in the world.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW103759968 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">鈥淎t the Costello College of Business, we believe deeply in learning that extends beyond the classroom,鈥� said Yena Kim, director of academic achievement and innovative learning at the Costello College of Business. 鈥淭he Impact Fellows residency trip is a powerful example of our commitment to student experience and career readiness鈥攇iving students the opportunity to apply what they鈥檝e learned, explore their purpose, and connect with professionals making a difference in the world. Experiences like this are where leadership is forged and career paths come into focus.鈥�</span><span class="EOP SCXW103759968 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW103759968 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Along with being plugged into a network of mentors and participating in a variety of co-curricular activities, the</span><span class="TextRun SCXW103759968 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentStart" lang="EN-US"> f</span><span class="TextRun SCXW103759968 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">our-day residency trip is a requirement of the program to give the students hands-on experience away from campus.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW103759968 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">鈥淲e had learned about the UN sustainable development goals, and we had done other co-curricular trips that were almost like steppingstones into this experience,鈥� said Camila Rosales, a junior studying supply chain and operations management. 鈥淭his residency trip almost felt like a final exam situation.鈥�&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW103759968 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">But rather than sitting in a classroom and filling out exam sheets, they joined several organizations who are making a real difference.</span><span class="EOP SCXW103759968 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-05/highlinetour.jpg?itok=yn7T2kaJ" width="350" height="263" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>High Line Tour. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW108296578 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Leaving on Tuesday and returning on Friday, the Impact Fellows had many places to see and people to meet during their residency trip to the Big Apple. Touring the High Line, they saw a clear illustration of sustainability for all who walk along or around it. Formerly part of the New York Central Railroad, the High Line was transformed into a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park. 鈥淲hen you go to a city like New York, you really experience the interconnectedness, the history, all of the fundamental values of community,鈥� said Mike Van Dyken, a senior studying business analytics and management information systems.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW108296578 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-05/godslovewedeliver1.jpg?itok=rPdoySzj" width="350" height="263" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>God's Love We Deliver. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW133322661 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">At God鈥檚 Love We Deliver, the group learned how the nonprofit cooks and delivers specialized meals to people suffering from chronic illnesses. 鈥淕etting to help those people hands-on and seeing how my work had an impact on people鈥檚 lives definitely inspired me to create my own nonprofit organization one day,鈥� said </span><span class="TextRun SCXW133322661 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Shriganesh</span><span class="TextRun SCXW133322661 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Sivakumar, a sophomore studying finance.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW133322661 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Leticia Nunez Nova, a senior studying marketing and business analytics, also has a passion for nonprofit work, and this was the first time she was able to speak with the operations team of a nonprofit. 鈥淚 love nonprofit work, especially marketing it,鈥� she said, 鈥淪o, that would be like my dream job. Maybe work for a social enterprise.鈥�&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-05/internationalwellbuilding1.jpg?itok=2wTC2xPX" width="350" height="263" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>International WELL Building Institute. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW56597152 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">At the International WELL Building Institute, the Impact Fellows had the opportunity to engage directly with leaders in sustainable finance and workplace innovation. During a dynamic conversation with </span><span class="TextRun SCXW56597152 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Minjia</span><span class="TextRun SCXW56597152 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Yang, vice president and head of sustainable finance, students gained insights into how companies are designing spaces that prioritize human well-being, environmental responsibility, and innovation. The visit not only deepened the students鈥� understanding of sustainability in business but also provided valuable networking opportunities with a global leader in the field鈥攁n experience many described as inspiring and eye-opening.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW56597152 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The Impact Fellows had a full itinerary on their trip, also touring the Tenement Museum and the United Nations Headquarters.</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-05/tenementmuseum_1.jpg?itok=gjXUSt3I" width="350" height="263" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Tenement Museum. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW190995981 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">鈥淚 really do owe a lot to the residency trip because I was on the fence of what to pursue, but having a week of experiencing what it鈥檚 like to be in spaces that are focused on sustainability and helping the community made me realize how much I want to do it,鈥� said Rosales.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW190995981 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Their experiences showed the students that profitability and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. 鈥淚t opened my eyes to the fact that there are businesses that have made it possible to get revenue and also do good,鈥� said Nunez Nova.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW190995981 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW191706525 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Besides seeing how everything operates, the Impact Fellows learned how to communicate and work effectively with professionals and volunteers from a wide variety of backgrounds.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW103759968 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW191706525 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">鈥淭he Impact Fellows Program teaches you not only cross-cultural communication but also how to implement and communicate with professionals that work in the industry,鈥� said Sivakumar. For several of the Impact Fellows, the trip confirmed career goals. 鈥淛ust overall, this program helped me stick with my original vision of how I could use business to have a positive impact,鈥� said Van Dyken.</span><span class="EOP SCXW191706525 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-05/unhq.jpg?itok=q39Grlv6" width="350" height="263" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>United Nations Headquarters. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW142749899 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW142749899 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">For the Impact Fellows, the residency trip to New York City brought their program experience full circle. When they graduate, they will be entering the workforce with connections, leadership skills, and the inspiration to make the world a better place through business and innovation.</span><span class="EOP SCXW142749899 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW142749899 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW142749899 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">If you are interested in learning more about the Impact Fellows Program and how you can get involved, </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW142749899 BCX0" href="https://business.gmu.edu/current-students/undergraduate-resources/impact-fellows-program" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW142749899 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">visit us online</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW142749899 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCXW142749899 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12501" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12376" hreflang="en">Business for a Better World Impact Fellows Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/911" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="21bf8b3d-4ea6-4e88-a55b-9aca7910e883"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://business.gmu.edu/current-students/undergraduate-resources/impact-fellows-program"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn more about the Impact Fellows Program <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 27 May 2025 15:00:28 +0000 Greg Johnson 117551 at Accounting Advisory Council Scholarship broadens horizons for international student /news/2025-04/accounting-advisory-council-scholarship-broadens-horizons-international-student <span>Accounting Advisory Council Scholarship broadens horizons for international student </span> <span><span>Greg Johnson</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-04-25T09:58:26-04:00" title="Friday, April 25, 2025 - 09:58">Fri, 04/25/2025 - 09:58</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/kking28" hreflang="en">Karen King</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW162478857 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Haoling Wang was taking a professional skills development course taught by </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/profiles/kking28" title="Karen King | Costello College of Business"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Karen King</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">, an associate professor in business foundations at the </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/" title="Costello College of Business | 海角社区"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Costello College of Business</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">, when she encouraged him to take advantage of the resources being offered by the college.&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-04/haoling_wang_rszd.jpg?itok=v-Pi55Hj" width="233" height="350" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Haoling Wang</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW162478857 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Shortly thereafter, Wang learned about the Accounting Advisory Council Scholarship and submitted his application. In many ways, receiving the scholarship was a validation of his decision to leave China in pursuit of higher education in the United States.</span><span class="EOP SCXW162478857 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW162478857 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">鈥淚n Beijing, it鈥檚 the professor leading study,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut here it鈥檚 the students leading study, and we can ask more questions and embrace the community.鈥�&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW162478857 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">With his father working as a general manager and his mother serving as a vice president at a school鈥攑rimarily overseeing logistics and operations鈥擶ang grew up observing both executive leadership and the practical coordination required to support large institutions. These experiences sparked his interest in business structure and financial systems.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW162478857 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">鈥淢ath is my favorite subject, and I鈥檓 pretty good at it,鈥� he says. 鈥淎lso, the calculating is pretty interesting for me because I can find financial reports on the company for their different activities.鈥�</span><span class="EOP SCXW162478857 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW162478857 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">As an international student, Wang finds it easy to connect with other students who share his cultural background. However, winning the scholarship and attending events associated with it helped him build connections with students of different backgrounds. George Mason鈥檚 diversity had been a major selling point for him, and he now has a much more diverse network and friend group. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty meaningful for me to explore and broaden my horizons during this program,鈥� he says.</span><span class="EOP SCXW162478857 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW162478857 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Last year, Wang broadened his horizons further when he was a participant in the </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/current-students/undergraduate-resources/global-learning-and-study-abroad/global-engagement-scholars-program" title="Global Engagement Scholars Program | Costello College of Business"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Global Engagement Scholars Program</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, a semester-long series of workshops covering topics such as cultural intelligence, cultural values, cultural influences, and how to use these factors in the workplace. 鈥淒uring that program, I just met so many interesting people. Some of them would be future classmates, and we work together in the same group for marketing courses,鈥� he says. 鈥淣ow they are my best friends in the school.鈥� In addition, he is an active member of the Chinese Student Association and Beta Alpha Psi at George Mason.</span><span class="EOP SCXW162478857 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW162478857 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Embracing the challenge of coming across the world to pursue his dream of being an accountant has already brought many rewards for Wang, including tremendous personal growth. 鈥淚 can handle so many things,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing journey that changed me a lot.鈥� Graduating soon with his degree in accounting, Wang plans to stay in the United States to pursue a master鈥檚 degree and potentially a PhD. As he progresses through his studies, he鈥檚 keeping an open mind about which route in accounting he wants to take, but he is especially interested in corporate accounting and financial planning roles. 鈥淚 want to work in areas like management accounting or corporate finance鈥攈elping companies analyze costs, manage budgets, evaluate investments, and optimize their financial performance,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚 enjoy interpreting financial data to support smarter decision making and long-term strategy.鈥�</span><span class="EOP SCXW162478857 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW162478857 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW162478857 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">George Mason students come from all 50 states and 130 countries, and they are taught by faculty members who reflect that diversity. Though members of the community are from different places, they find a home within the cohesive culture at Costello, where opportunities are plentiful and a wide range of career paths are supported.</span><span class="EOP SCXW162478857 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12501" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14016" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business Scholarships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4056" hreflang="en">Scholarships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:58:26 +0000 Greg Johnson 117291 at George Mason entrepreneurs win big at the 2025 Patriot Pitch Competition /news/2025-04/george-mason-entrepreneurs-win-big-2025-patriot-pitch-competition <span>George Mason entrepreneurs win big at the 2025 Patriot Pitch Competition </span> <span><span>Greg Johnson</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-04-23T11:34:46-04:00" title="Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 11:34">Wed, 04/23/2025 - 11:34</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">鈥淟et me be clear, innovation has always been, and will always be, the solution to the world鈥檚 challenges,鈥� said Patriot Pitch emcee </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/profiles/psoleyma" title="Patrick Soleymani"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Patrick Soleymani</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">, associate dean for outreach and strategic </span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentStart intro-text" lang="EN-US">engagement</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US"> at 海角社区's </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/" title="Costello College of Business | 海角社区"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Costello College of Business</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">. 鈥淚nnovation transforms potential into power and drives us forward as an institution, community, and ultimately a civilization.鈥�</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2025-04/soleymani_patriotpitch25_2.jpg?itok=zGJ7XiyD" width="560" height="373" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Patriot Pitch emcee Patrick Soleymani addresses packed house in the Johnson Center Bistro. Photo by John Boal Photography</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">As emcee of the 2025 Patriot Pitch Competition, presented by 22nd Century Technologies Inc., Soleymani addressed the packed house. Eight final teams</span><span class="TextRun SCXW26966521 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">鈥�</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">two from each track</span><span class="TextRun SCXW26966521 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">鈥�</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">had been refining their business models with their mentors and practicing their pitches for several weeks in preparation for the afternoon鈥檚 competition.</span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Housed within the Costello College of Business, the </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/centers/center-for-innovation-and-entrepreneurship" title="Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship | Costello College of Business"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE)</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> led the programming efforts and organized the final pitch event on Thursday, April 10. </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/profiles/dean-ajay-vinze" title="Ajay Vinz茅"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Ajay </span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Vinz茅</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, dean of the Costello College of Business, reiterated the importance of entrepreneurship and what it meant to the college鈥檚 namesake.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">鈥淚n 1976, Donald and a partner founded Century Stair Company, which grew to become one of the largest stair manufacturers on the East Coast,鈥� he said. 鈥淗is passion for entrepreneurship is here with us, in spirit. Today, we are honored to have his trusted former business partners, Joe and Peg Contrucci, with us in the room.鈥�&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">海角社区 President Gregory Washington was also in attendance, along key stakeholders from the George Mason entrepreneurial ecosystem.</span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">After Ava Uppal, BS Marketing 鈥�19, interviewed technology founder and executive Sid Banerjee (founded </span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Clarabridge</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> that was acquired by Qualtrics in 2021 for over $1 billion) in </span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentStart" lang="EN-US">a</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">n illuminating keynote discussion, the competition commenced</span><span class="TextRun SCXW26966521 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">鈥�</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">this time with a record amount of prize money.&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2025-04/jwb_041025_gmu-bizpitch-1757-final.jpg?itok=qzigrigw" width="560" height="374" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Mason's Choice Award winners. Photo by John Boal Photography</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">One by one, finalist teams in the STEM, Social Impact, General Entrepreneurship for Undergraduate Students, and General Entrepreneurship for Graduate Students and Recent Alumni tracks took the stage to make their pitches to four judges</span><span class="TextRun SCXW26966521 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">鈥�</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">subject matter experts chosen for each track</span><span class="TextRun SCXW26966521 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">鈥�</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">and to the audience of George Mason community members. Following each 5-minute pitch, the presenting team fielded questions from the judges. Students in between classes quickly filled the back of the Johnson Center Bistro as they cheered on their classmates and friends.</span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Anticipation filled the air as another Costello alumnus and community leader, </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/profiles/jhowel4" title="Jason Howell"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Jason Howell</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, BS Accounting 鈥�97, took the stage to announce the winners:</span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>STEM&nbsp;</strong></span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <ul> <li> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>First place: </strong>Barty AI<strong> </strong>(Sahil Jagtap)</span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </li> <li> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Second place: </strong>Q Haven (Caden Green)</span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </li> </ul> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Social Impact&nbsp;</strong></span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <ul> <li> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>First place: </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">CarbonSecure</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> (Maddie Gray, Maha Raja, Ryland </span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Plodpluang</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, Juan Zambrano-Lozano)</span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </li> <li> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Second place:</strong> The Allocated at Delia鈥檚 House (Marisela Zelaya Delcid, David Osorto)</span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </li> </ul> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>General Entrepreneurship Undergraduate&nbsp;</strong></span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <ul> <li> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>First place: </strong>Valor (Caleb Fink)</span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </li> <li> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Second place: </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">NOVAFoam</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> (Ethan Ford, Trevor Geissler, Mikhail Ivanov, Stephano Barra)</span><span class="EOP CommentStart SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </li> </ul> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>General Entrepreneurship for Graduate Students and Recent Alumni&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <ul> <li> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>First place: </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Viralbite</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> (Emmanuel </span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Nwokeabia</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">)</span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </li> <li> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Second place: </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">EchoPods</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> (Raghu Manjunatha, Pooja Manjunatha Swamy)</span><span class="EOP SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </li> </ul> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2025-04/emmanual_nwokeabia.jpg?itok=yOxl61p2" width="560" height="373" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>George Mason Emmanuel Nwokeabia presenting Viralbite. Photo by John Boal Photography</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Following each track of presentations, audience members scanned a QR code on the screen to vote for the separate Mason鈥檚 Choice Awardees. The winners were The Allocated at Delia鈥檚 House and </span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Viralbite</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Emmanuel </span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Nwokeabia</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, a 2024 graduate of the Costello College of Business, received the most prize money</span><span class="TextRun SCXW26966521 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">鈥�</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">$13,000 between his two awards. 鈥淭his was more than a win</span><span class="TextRun SCXW26966521 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">鈥�</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">it was a powerful encouragement to pursue my vision. I encourage anyone with an idea to take that bold step, and see how the world responds,鈥� said </span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Nwokeabia.</span><span class="EOP CommentStart CommentHighlightPipeRest PointComment CommentHighlightRest SCXW201031583 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201031583 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The 2025 Patriot Pitch Competition showcased the entrepreneurial spirit of the Costello College of Business and 海角社区. Approximately 250 audience members attended to watch </span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">the</span><span class="TextRun SCXW201031583 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> innovative concepts and products being pitched.</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2025-04/2025_patriot_pitch_participants.jpg?itok=INOACooM" width="1200" height="800" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>2025 Patriot Pitch participants</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/dean-ajay-vinze" hreflang="en">Ajay Vinz茅</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/psoleyma" hreflang="en">Patrick Soleymani</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/jhowel4" hreflang="en">Jason Howell</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="858c6013-217f-4aef-b0ae-0413c7034201"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://business.gmu.edu/"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn more about the Costello College of Business <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="4e9e4336-80dd-4721-9995-a8043ce70138" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related News</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-c8ec4dec8a4c78711d119f0997bf07e2a74487194731263d6edbb828d0c852d8"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-07/alumna-whitney-woods-lead-denver-domestic-violence-survivor-center" hreflang="en">Alumna Whitney Woods to Lead Denver Domestic Violence Survivor Center</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">July 7, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-07/doing-well-doing-good-theres-framework" hreflang="en">鈥淒oing well by doing good鈥�? There鈥檚 a framework for that </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">July 2, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-06/watershed-year-george-mason-university-sustainability-data" hreflang="en">A watershed year for 海角社区 sustainability data </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">June 30, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-06/student-led-chesapeake-bay-project-showcases-george-masons-commitment-environmental" hreflang="en">Student-led Chesapeake Bay project showcases George Mason鈥檚 commitment to environmental stewardship</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">June 25, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-06/alumnus-uses-his-creative-voice-build-connections-honor-heritage-and-foster-peace" hreflang="en">Alumnus uses his creative voice to build connections, honor heritage, and foster peace</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">June 18, 2025</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12501" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/19226" hreflang="en">Patriot Pitch Competition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1806" hreflang="en">Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/536" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17356" hreflang="en">Strategic Direction</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:34:46 +0000 Greg Johnson 116916 at Janis S. Reed Scholarship helps BAM student keep her focus /news/2025-04/janis-s-reed-scholarship-helps-bam-student-keep-her-focus <span>Janis S. Reed Scholarship helps BAM student keep her focus </span> <span><span>Greg Johnson</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-04-18T15:44:42-04:00" title="Friday, April 18, 2025 - 15:44">Fri, 04/18/2025 - 15:44</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW90677258 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Receiving the Janis S. Reed Scholarship sharpened the focus even more for the goal-oriented Anh Tran. Wrapping up her final semester as an undergraduate student in accounting at 海角社区 and completing the </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/programs/bachelors-accelerated-masters-programs" title="Bachelor's Accelerated Master's Programs | Costello College of Business"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">bachelor鈥檚 to accelerated master鈥檚 (BAM) program</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">, she already had her eyes on the larger picture.</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-04/anh_tran_rszd.png?itok=6BEJPTt7" width="259" height="350" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Anh Tran</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW90677258 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Following a similar path as her aunt and nearly 30 other students each year, she attended two years at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) in the </span><a href="https://advancesuccess.gmu.edu/" title="Advance Program | 海角社区"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">ADVANCE Program</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> before transferring into the accounting program at George Mason. Her path is now leading her to completing the CPA exam after finishing her master鈥檚 degree courses.</span><span class="EOP SCXW90677258 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW90677258 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Tran was drawn to the </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/" title="Costello College of Business | 海角社区"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Costello College of Business</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> because of its reputation for excellence and diversity. After transferring from NOVA, she worked with an academic advisor to see how she could earn the credits required to sit for the CPA exam. That鈥檚 when she first learned about the BAM program. At first, she was concerned that taking undergraduate and graduate courses at the same time would be too much. However, as she eased into the course material, she found that it was nothing she could not handle. Tran is now one of more than 60 BAM students pursuing this accelerated path to the MS in accounting degree.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW90677258 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW90677258 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Still, her course load was increasingly heavy, so Tran was relieved that the Janis S. Reed Scholarship helped pay off her financial costs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 my first time taking both the undergraduate and also the grad classes, so I really want to focus on school,鈥� she says.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW90677258 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW90677258 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Not only did the scholarship help with finances, but it also gave her other opportunities, like connecting her with Reed herself. 鈥淚 had a chance to talk to her and other recipients at the scholarship luncheon,鈥� she says. 鈥淪he gave us good advice for our academic journey and then also tips for the career journey that we asked her for. It was really a great opportunity for us to meet her, and she was very sweet and friendly.鈥�&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW90677258 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The scholarship luncheon, which brought together Costello donors and recipients to the Fairfax 海角社区, was an experience that Tran was grateful to take advantage of.</span><span class="EOP SCXW90677258 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW90677258 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Looking back on her experiences at the Costello College of Business, Tran is glad that she took advantage of many of the opportunities, some of which were recommended or assigned by professors. She recalls attending the career fair for the first time with one of her classmates.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW90677258 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">鈥淎t that event, I had my first opportunity to talk with real recruiters, and it was really special for me,鈥� she says.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW90677258 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">It was at that career fair where she had the chance to interview for her first internship. The internship was exactly what she was looking for鈥攁 great learning experience in the professional tax services area at a public accounting firm.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW90677258 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW90677258 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Through focus, hard work, and informed planning, Tran is on schedule to sit for the CPA exam after graduation. She plans to begin her career immediately and balance her CPA studies with her work schedule. 鈥淚 want to work for a public accounting firm, perhaps in the tax area as well,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 believe I am familiar with taxes after my past internships, and I鈥檇 like to gain more knowledge and experience about this field.鈥�&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW90677258 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW90677258 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW90677258 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Tran is excited to begin her state and local taxes internship at a public accounting firm in the summer of 2025. Another summer plan that she鈥檚 looking forward to is the global residency trip to Rome, Italy, as part of her global accounting environment class, where she will be able to engage with local companies and explore the culture.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW90677258 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12501" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14016" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business Scholarships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/13701" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/13676" hreflang="en">Master's in Accounting Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/13716" hreflang="en">Accounting Area</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4056" hreflang="en">Scholarships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1926" hreflang="en">ADVANCE</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 18 Apr 2025 19:44:42 +0000 Greg Johnson 117076 at Business analytics alumna from Russia finds home at Costello /news/2025-04/business-analytics-alumna-russia-finds-home-costello <span>Business analytics alumna from Russia finds home at Costello </span> <span><span>Greg Johnson</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-04-15T17:58:33-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 15, 2025 - 17:58">Tue, 04/15/2025 - 17:58</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW26306499 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Born and raised in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Marina Komarova, MS Business Analytics 鈥�24, knew she wanted to get a business degree from a respected American university.</span><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-04/marina_komarova_.jpg?itok=s9VGn8YL" width="276" height="350" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Marina Komarova. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW26306499 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">She had earned bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in Russia, which included a semester as an exchange student in Finland. 海角社区 had met all the criteria she was looking for鈥攎ost notably a top business college in a prime location. Not yet confident in her English skills, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentStart CommentHighlightPipeRestRefresh CommentHighlightRest" lang="EN-US">Komarova </span><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentHighlightPipeRestRefresh" lang="EN-US">entered through the </span><a href="/academics/into-mason" title="INTO Mason | 海角社区"><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentHighlightPipeRestRefresh" lang="EN-US">INTO Mason</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentHighlightPipeRestRefresh" lang="EN-US"> program, which really helped her transition going to school in </span><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">a new country.</span><span class="EOP SCXW26306499 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW26306499 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Currently, Komarova is a business analyst at </span><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">CakeBoxx</span><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Technologies, a company that designs and manufactures shipping containers for high-valued oversized types of cargo. Before accepting the position, she worked at the company as an intern while still studying at the </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu/" title="Costello College of Business | 海角社区"><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Costello College of Business</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW26306499 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Securing the internship was a critical milestone for her. Because of her status as an international student, Komarova found herself under increasing pressure to find a job position or risk leaving the country. After speaking with career services, attending multiple networking events, and refining her online searches, she found </span><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">CakeBoxx</span><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW26306499 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">鈥淎t that point, they had this position that was called a supply chain business analyst intern,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was honestly everything that I was looking for in my first internship because I have a background in supply chain, and I was studying business analytics.鈥�&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW26306499 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW26306499 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Komarova enjoys how flexible her job is and how it requires both </span><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">statistics</span><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> and interpersonal skills. 鈥淵ou need to know how to communicate with different kinds of people from different industries and how to actually put your ideas into words,鈥� she says. Much of what she learned from her Costello business analytics program she was able to apply instantly to her job. 鈥淭he knowledge I got from classes like marketing analytics predictions is helping me every day in my job. We have very customized solutions for different industries, so we need to do our marketing research and find out who can be our potential clients and how we can make them interested in our products.鈥�</span><span class="EOP SCXW26306499 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW26306499 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">As an international student at George Mason, Komarova never felt out of place or like she did not belong. 鈥淢y experience was great professors and university staff,鈥� she says. 鈥淓verybody was very helpful and very welcoming.鈥� She also thoroughly enjoyed the campus culture outside of the classroom and how the university was constantly holding events not only for academic interests and professional development but also for fun social gatherings. 鈥淭he social stuff actually helped me a lot,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 was worried a lot that I wouldn鈥檛 feel like I belong here, but that was not the case.鈥�</span><span class="EOP SCXW26306499 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW26306499 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW26306499 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Marina Komarova has come a long way in a short amount of time. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a crazy journey with some ups and downs, like from the moment when I was freaking out that that I wouldn鈥檛 be able to secure a job to the point when I graduated,鈥� she says. After overcoming uncertainty and bettering herself, she is thriving in a new country and in her career.</span><span class="EOP SCXW26306499 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12501" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8536" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/16881" hreflang="en">Master's in Business Analytics Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/536" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3676" hreflang="en">INTO Mason</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/721" hreflang="en">internships</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="836b67f4-ffde-4844-a286-bf8909b9ac11"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://business.gmu.edu/programs/graduate-degree-programs/ms-business-analytics"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn more about Costello's MS in Business Analytics <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> </div> <div> </div> </div> Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:58:33 +0000 Greg Johnson 117191 at George Mason alumnus launches AI software startup for law enforcement training /news/2025-02/george-mason-alumnus-launches-ai-software-startup-law-enforcement-training <span>George Mason alumnus launches AI software startup for law enforcement training</span> <span><span>Greg Johnson</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-02-26T11:05:48-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 11:05">Wed, 02/26/2025 - 11:05</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">Delivering immersive, voice-driven simulations for law enforcement through building skills, gaining real-time feedback, and preparing for real-world scenarios, </span><a href="https://www.kaiden.ai/" title="Kaiden AI"><span class="intro-text">Kaiden AI</span></a><span class="intro-text"> is a software startup co-founded by its CEO Ali Aldubaisi, BS Neuroscience 鈥�21.&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-02/alialdubaisi-headshot-rszd.png?itok=xa0qHdmI" width="350" height="350" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Ali Aldubaisi</figcaption> </figure> <p>Aldubaisi had begun studying neuroscience at George Mason with the intention of going to medical school. However, the distance learning forced upon by COVID led him to think outside of the box and start his first company vRealm, an online tutoring platform. &nbsp;</p> <p>After a few years working on the project, he co-founded Kaiden AI with his vRealm partner, Ali "AJ" Aldjaei. 鈥淲hen we first started, we were focused on the higher education market,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e initially built the AI platform for grading and evaluation. Like most startups, you build where you initially think is the right fit, and that鈥檚 going to be the market for you.鈥� Throughout the process of building his startup and attracting investors, he would find each day bringing surprises.</p> <p>After seeing limited traction in higher education, Aldubaisi and his team built a small-scale simulation demo to test a new direction. Among the first to see it was Steve Gladis, a senior scholar at <a href="https://wellbeing.gmu.edu/" title="Center for the Advancement of Well-Being | 海角社区">George Mason鈥檚 Center for the Advancement of Well-Being</a> and a former FBI special agent. He immediately recognized its potential for law enforcement training and encouraged Aldubaisi to explore that path.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲e put the MVP [minimum viable product] in front of police chiefs and academy directors, and their reaction was completely different from our earlier demos,鈥� says Aldubaisi. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when we knew we had to double down.鈥�</p> <p>Now, Aldubaisi and his team partner with law enforcement agencies and regional academies to implement their simulation platform, with organizations like the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy currently piloting the technology. Recently closing a $1 million pre-seed round, Kaiden AI鈥檚 investors are venture capitalists largely outside of the law enforcement space.</p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2025-03/jwb_041124_gmu-bizpitch-0299-final.jpg?itok=20Q7Acum" width="560" height="374" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Ali Aldubaisi (right) at the 2024 Patriot Pitch competition. Photo by John Boal Photography</figcaption> </figure> <p>Even though his current work does not appear directly related to neuroscience, Aldubaisi recognizes the value of his degree. In fact, he still keeps up with neuroscience journals, seeing the relevance between that field and running his company. Developing hypotheses and constantly experimenting has helped Aldubaisi and his team refine and optimize Kaiden AI, from its initial concept in January 2024 to its current phase today.</p> <p>鈥淎 lot of the concepts mirror each other,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hat goes into marketing, how to understand people, how people learn.鈥�&nbsp;</p> <p>In 2024, Aldubaisi led the keynote discussion at the <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/PatriotPitch" title="Patriot Pitch Competition | Costello College of Business">Patriot Pitch Competition</a>, an event organized by the <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/centers/center-for-innovation-and-entrepreneurship" title="Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship | Costello College of Business">Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship</a> to support ideas and early-stage business ventures from George Mason students and recent alumni. He is now in talks with <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/profiles/rpierce4" title="Rebecca Howick ">Rebecca Howick</a>, the center鈥檚 director of operations and engagement, about getting more involved with their efforts.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淗aving a center where somebody in whatever discipline that they鈥檙e studying can articulate or put together an idea or experiment on ideas is so crucial,鈥� says Aldubaisi. He knows there are many intelligent people with brilliant ideas who may be hesitant to pursue their ventures because they don鈥檛 know how they鈥檙e going to get the funding or backing.&nbsp;</p> <p>Having gone through that process, Aldubaisi offers crucial advice to aspiring entrepreneurs that reflects his scientific background. 鈥淗aving the courage to focus on that one thing that you鈥檙e trying to prove out is probably the biggest thing,鈥� he says. 鈥淪econd thing is always look at what your idea is as an experiment, and the goal is to prove or disprove as soon as possible.鈥�&nbsp;</p> <p>By following these guidelines, Aldubaisi and his team have surpassed fundraising milestones and are excited to put Kaiden AI into the hands of many more law enforcement students and officers.&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/rpierce4" hreflang="en">Rebecca Howick</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="0390313d-d3e6-4159-ae09-96b8ed078c05" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="f483b9f2-7dba-4cdc-967b-9b5569a7ec69"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/AI"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn more about AI research at George Mason <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" 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class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12501" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1806" hreflang="en">Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6691" hreflang="en">entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1766" hreflang="en">Center for Advancement of Well-Being</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4656" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/536" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 26 Feb 2025 16:05:48 +0000 Greg Johnson 116006 at Finance alumnus is making a big difference in his native Mongolia /news/2024-11/finance-alumnus-making-big-difference-his-native-mongolia <span>Finance alumnus is making a big difference in his native Mongolia</span> <span><span>Greg Johnson</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-11-11T10:54:10-05:00" title="Monday, November 11, 2024 - 10:54">Mon, 11/11/2024 - 10:54</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span><span><span><span class="intro-text">Born in Mongolia鈥檚 capital city of Ulaanbaatar, Itgel Bold, BS Finance 鈥�08, moved to the United States in eighth grade so that his father could complete his master鈥檚 degree in New York City. A year later, his family moved to Washington, D.C.</span> </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know much English at the time, so it was a very new beginning, new setting,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 had to adjust and settle in in a relatively short amount of time.鈥� Years later he would return to his native country, with experience and sharpened skills, to support energy, water supply, and other issues critical in Mongolia. 鈥�</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>I was able to develop and hone my hard skills, my analytical skills at [海角社区], and then I was able to apply that knowledge,鈥� he says. 鈥淲ithout George Mason and the level of quality of education that I received, I don鈥檛 think I would be where I am today.鈥�</span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-11/itgel_bold_boao_forum_resized.png?itok=NyvH5Ymv" width="350" height="233" alt="Itgel Bold, BS Finance '08, speaking at the Boao Forum" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Itgel Bold, BS Finance '08, speaking at the<br><br> 鈥嬧€嬧€嬧€嬧€嬧€婤oao Forum for Asia. Photo provided.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Recently adopting a free market economy, Mongolia is seeking to advance via partnerships and collaborations with private entities and countries. As part of the Millennium Challenge Corporation鈥檚 $350 million (USD) investment, the Mongolia Water Compact, co-financed by the government of Mongolia, aims to increase water supply for the rapidly growing city of 1.6 million.</p> <p>Since its beginning of 2024, Bold has been the director of finance for this account. 鈥淏y this initiative, the freshwater supply of Ulaanbaatar will actually increase by 80%, and we are also utilizing recycled water to supply the needs of the thermal power plants in the city,鈥� he says. The team expects the project to be completed by the deadline of March 2026.</p> <p>Also based in Ulaanbaatar, NovaTerra is an investment, project management, and financial advisory firm that helps companies gain access to capital from foreign investors on energy transition projects. Bold is a shareholder and has advised the firm.</p> <p>鈥淎t the moment, NovaTerra is involved with assisting the city of Ulaanbaatar to build a large scale 50-megawatt battery storage facility,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat will be very crucial in meeting the energy needs of the city because during the peak times of wintertime, Mongolia actually needs to import electricity from Russia.鈥�</p> <p>In his spare time, Bold, like many Mongolians, enjoys spending time outside playing and watching sports. 鈥淲e have a lot of basketball, soccer, and traditional wrestling,鈥� he says. 鈥淒uring the summertime, people go out in the countryside and watch horseracing and wrestling as well as archery competitions.鈥�&nbsp;</p> <p>Another vibrant part of the culture is folk art, especially paintings. In fact, the largest painting in the world, Nadmid Sergelen鈥檚 <em>One Day of the World</em>, is from Mongolia and promoted by Bold at various exhibitions. The masterpiece, which took more than 20 years to complete, stands at 8 feet tall and 69 feet long and offers a unique perspective on various cultures and human experiences that make up the world, celebrating the diversity and uniqueness of 193 countries.</p> <figure class="quote">鈥淚 was able to develop and hone my hard skills, my analytical skills at [George Mason}, and then I was able to apply that knowledge,鈥� says Bold. 鈥淲ithout George Mason and the level of quality of education that I received, I don鈥檛 think I would be where I am today.鈥�</figure> <p><span><span><span>Before he was ready to take on these ambitious roles, Bold was a finance student at the <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/" title="Costello College of Business | 海角社区">Costello College of Business</a>. 鈥淲hen I was at George Mason, it was exciting times,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e went to the Final Four, and we had the first Black president in Obama and the country鈥檚 first female vice-presidential candidate in Sarah Palin.鈥� George Mason鈥檚 proximity to Washington, D.C., gave him a front row seat to many political and cultural events that were shaping the country. The campus location, along with the quality of the faculty and staff, is what led Bold to choose George Mason in the first place. 鈥淚t was a no-brainer,鈥� he says.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Even though he is now on the other side of the planet, Bold remains close to his alma mater by serving as director-at-large on the <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/alumni/business-alumni-chapter" title="Costello College of Business Alumni Chapter | 海角社区">Costello College of Business Alumni Chapter</a>. 鈥淚 want to give back to the students in any way I can by sharing my insights and knowledge as well as building networks and friendships,鈥� he says. He鈥檚 also eager to build connections between George Mason and some of the reputable universities in Mongolia.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Itgel Bold is executing a purpose- and passion-driven mission to help his country grow and thrive in partnership with his second home country. His connections to the United States are invaluable and so is the education he received at the Costello College of Business. He is excited to see his projects continue to progress as he builds bridges between the two countries.</span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12501" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8536" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3106" hreflang="en">Finance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/536" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="2e2ebdb9-3333-46f1-9fee-349f7307a5fc"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://business.gmu.edu/alumni/business-alumni-chapter"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn more about the Costello College of Business Alumni Chapter <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/itgel-bold" hreflang="en">Itgel Bold, '08</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Mon, 11 Nov 2024 15:54:10 +0000 Greg Johnson 114701 at FedWriters strengthens ties with Costello College of Business by joining Corporate Partners Program /news/2024-10/fedwriters-strengthens-ties-costello-college-business-joining-corporate-partners <span>FedWriters strengthens ties with Costello College of Business by joining Corporate Partners Program </span> <span><span>Greg Johnson</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-25T15:48:26-04:00" title="Friday, October 25, 2024 - 15:48">Fri, 10/25/2024 - 15:48</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">Though they have offices and staff members across the United States, <a href="https://www.fedwriters.com/" title="FedWriters">FedWriters</a>鈥� headquarters is conveniently located just down the road from 海角社区鈥檚 Fairfax 海角社区. FedWriters is a professional writing, research, and communications company serving more than 80 federal agencies across the scope of the federal government, including the Department of Transportation, every branch of the United States military, and science agencies such as NASA, NIST, and NOAA.</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2024-10/fedwritersteam_hq.png?itok=tAyeK2LL" width="560" height="289" alt="FedWriters team at Headquarters" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>FedWriters team at headquarters with CEO Mitchell Cho (far right). Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p>CEO and George Mason alum Mitchell Cho founded FedWriters at the Mason Enterprise Center in 2010 as a one-person company, which today boasts $40 million in annual revenue with more than 375 employees.&nbsp;</p> <p>The company was recently recognized as NOAA鈥檚 Small Business of the Year, Washington Post鈥檚 Best Places to Work, Inc. 5000's fastest growing companies in America, Washington Business Journal's Fast75, and more.</p> <p>Cho sits on the board as chair for the Fairfax Economic Development Authority, where he first learned of the <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/about/corporate-partners-program" title="Corporate Partners Program | Costello College of Business">Costello Corporate Partners Program</a> from <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/profiles/psoleyma" title="Patrick Soleymani">Patrick Soleymani</a>, associate dean for outreach and strategic engagement at the <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/" title="Costello College of Business | 海角社区">Costello College of Business</a>.</p> <p>鈥淚 thought it was an ideal opportunity for us to expand our profile and really market the company to the student body as an exceptional place to start their careers,鈥� says Cho. 鈥淲e really see George Mason as the perfect kind of platform to hire people and help them grow because that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e all about.鈥� &nbsp;</p> <p>The FedWriters team was already an engaged partner with George Mason, conducting mock interview sessions, reviewing resumes, and participating in career day events. 鈥淲hen this opportunity popped up to be a corporate partner, we jumped on it,鈥� says Cho.</p> <p>Moreover, much of their engagement focused specifically on the Costello College of Business, including supporting a student team in the <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/PatriotPitch" title="Patriot Pitch Competition | Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship ">Patriot Pitch Competition</a>&nbsp;and speaking with business students about career opportunities in government contracting. In addition, they worked with a few different groups of students from the Professional Readiness Experiential Program (PREP) taught by <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/profiles/bngac" title="Brian Ngac">Brian Ngac</a>, instructor in information systems and operations management at the Costello College of Business. 鈥淚 think I've personally done two letters of recommendation and validated work experience for three of those students out of PREP,鈥� says Marc Fain, chief revenue officer. &nbsp;</p> <figure class="quote">鈥淚 thought it was an ideal opportunity for us to expand our profile and really market the company to the student body as an exceptional place to start their careers,鈥� says Cho. 鈥淲e really see George Mason as the perfect kind of platform to hire people and help them grow because that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e all about.鈥�</figure> <p>Becoming an official corporate partner has strengthened FedWriters鈥� ties with the business college, as they support recruitment, internship opportunities, scholarships, student activities, faculty awards, and the Dean鈥檚 Excellence Fund as part of the program. In return, FedWriters receives high visibility, increased student recruitment, special invitations, and named scholarships, among other benefits. &nbsp;</p> <p>Having graduated from George Mason with a BA in political science in 1999, Cho estimates that he has close to 60 George Mason alumni employed in their Fairfax office. 鈥淲e love having that kind of network and pool of really great candidates that we can pull from, and we also love to hire people directly who are early in their careers and help them grow,鈥� he says.</p> <p>As FedWriters continues to grow rapidly鈥攈iring about 100 new employees so far this year鈥攖hey typically first look at George Mason via career fairs and <a href="https://gmu.joinhandshake.com/login" title="Learn more.">Handshake</a>, George Mason鈥檚 platform for students seeking jobs and employers.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-10/fedwriters_publications.jpg?itok=RUenbUL5" width="256" height="254" alt="A few of the publications from FedWriters" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>A few of the publications from FedWriters. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p>Since its inception, FedWriters has only gathered more steam growing both their staffing and client list and earning remarkable accolades along the way. 鈥淭he employee鈥檚 experience matters to us, making sure that they know that we support them when things happen in their lives,鈥� says Susan Parr, chief operations officer. 鈥淲hen you take care of people, they perform. Our customers are happy, and the company grows.鈥�</p> <p>With the constant growth and acquisition of new contracts, and because government contracts are finite, employees are provided with new opportunities to work for causes that they are passionate about. &nbsp;</p> <p>Housing the <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/centers/center-government-contracting" title="Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting | 海角社区 Costello College of Business">Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting</a>,&nbsp;the first-in-the-nation university center to address the business, policy, and regulatory issues in government contracting, the Costello College of Business continues to build connections with the top minds in government contracting, many of whom directly share their expertise with students in the classroom. These well-prepared Costello students can look forward to entering into a stable industry.</p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-11/fedwriters_student1_rzd.png?itok=D3ISYiWz" width="350" height="233" alt="Student Alejandra Villanueva sits down for one-on-one coaching during FedWriters Takeover Day. Photo by Greg Johnson" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Student Alejandra Villanueva sits down for<br><br> one-on-one coaching during FedWriters<br><br> Takeover Day. Photo by Greg Johnson</figcaption> </figure> <p>鈥淕overnment services are always needed, and they play a big role in keeping our society running," says Cho. "Government contracting helps make sure these services are provided, and there will always be opportunities for people to work in various fields, such as defense, science, environmental, and finance.鈥�&nbsp;</p> <p>With their mission of 鈥渃ommunicating the business of government,鈥� FedWriters has embraced the innovative business collaboration at the top business school in the region by joining the Corporate Partners Program, and they look forward to preparing and recruiting many George Mason students.&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="15afadc2-2f73-4d3c-8253-7464e0c8850f"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://business.gmu.edu/about/corporate-partners-program"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn more about the Costello Corporate Partners Program <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="95f6efd9-b7b7-4b08-9962-433173e9efe1" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/psoleyma" hreflang="en">Patrick Soleymani</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/bngac" hreflang="en">Brian Ngac</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="478a0dcd-a4a1-4568-a528-ea141a502443" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div 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News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/186" hreflang="en">Community Partners</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3181" hreflang="en">experiential learning</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/536" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18666" hreflang="en">Mason Enterprise</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17356" hreflang="en">Strategic Direction</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 25 Oct 2024 19:48:26 +0000 Greg Johnson 114456 at Photography entrepreneurs continue to grow businesses while studying marketing /news/2024-06/photography-entrepreneurs-continue-grow-businesses-while-studying-marketing <span>Photography entrepreneurs continue to grow businesses while studying marketing </span> <span><span>Greg Johnson</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-06-26T10:18:18-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 26, 2024 - 10:18">Wed, 06/26/2024 - 10:18</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">Many students graduate from the <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/" title="Costello College of Business | 海角社区">Costello College of Business</a> at 海角社区 with bold plans to start their own companies. Bethany Rivera and Alex Tugbang, both undergraduate marketing students and classmates in Jiyeon Hong鈥檚 marketing course, had already launched their respective businesses, <a href="https://www.riverasphotography.org/" title="Rivera's Photography">Rivera鈥檚 Photography</a> and <a href="https://www.photuggraphy.com/" title="Photuggraphy">Photuggraphy</a>, prior to enrolling.</span></p> <p>鈥淚n my digital marketing course, I鈥檓 trying my best to keep my materials up to date and focus on skills and lessons of practical value, offering many opportunities for students to apply what they learn in class to real-world scenarios,鈥� says Hong. 鈥淭his is because the digital world is constantly changing, and I believe the best learning can come from hands-on experience.鈥� Focused on their career ambitions and passions, Rivera and Tugbang knew what they wanted to learn more about to become even more successful entrepreneurs.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-06/bethany-rivera.jpg?itok=Otj6c2U4" width="350" height="350" alt="Bethany Rivera" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Bethany Rivera</figcaption> </figure> <p>Her family and friends knew it was only a matter of time until Bethany Rivera became an avid photographer. 鈥淓ver since I was born, I was surrounded with cameras and pictures,鈥� she says. She fondly recalls her father giving her a Canon camera when she was 12 years old, but it wasn鈥檛 until high school that she realized she could make a living with it. She had taken a picture at a pep rally and sent it to her English teacher, who also taught the yearbook class. They selected the photo to use on the cover, and Rivera quickly became involved with working on the yearbook.</p> <p>Since officially launching her business in 2021, she has steadily grown her clientele from people she knows in the local Hispanic community. In addition, many of her clients are of Indian background, connections stemming from befriending the owner of an Indian restaurant.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-06/alex-tugbang.png?itok=t_Ucjv4m" width="350" height="350" alt="Alex Tugbang" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Alex Tugbang</figcaption> </figure> <p>Alex Tugbang鈥檚 passion for photography began more recently. Inspired by videos he watched on YouTube, he decided to bring a camera with him on a family vacation to Hawaii in 2016. At first, he wasn鈥檛 happy with how his pictures were turning out, but he continued to practice and teach himself until they got better and better.</p> <p>鈥淲hen I was in Hawaii, there was this crazy moment when the concierge sat me down and asked me if I made money off photography, and he walked me through how to open a business,鈥� he says.</p> <p>Shortly after the trip, he started doing photo shoots for friends performing activities like dance. As his content was put out there, dance studios began to contact him. As a graduate of Bishop Ireton High School, he became friends with the bishop who recommended him to several other churches in the area for projects. And so, his client network grew rapidly, all while being a self-taught photographer and videographer.&nbsp;</p> <p>Both Rivera and Tugbang find their current coursework, especially Jiyeon Hong鈥檚 course, immensely helpful in growing professionally. 鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 know this, but every time she鈥檚 teaching something I always make the changes on my website,鈥� says Rivera. 鈥淟ike when she was talking about SEO and how to optimize your SEO and everything, I was on my website making those changes in real time.鈥� One of the course鈥檚 projects that Tugbang finds particularly helpful is analyzing a company鈥檚 website and social media presence to make recommendations. In fact, it鈥檚 something he finds himself doing often for his business. 鈥淔or example, this dental company reached out to me, and I could see they didn鈥檛 even have a website and needed this and that,鈥� he says. With an analytical eye and a strong marketing skillset, he can help clients reach their goals. 鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of my students who are pursuing their entrepreneurial spirits while managing their academic responsibilities,鈥� says Hong. 鈥淚 wish them all the best for the continued growth of their businesses.鈥�&nbsp;</p> <p>Rivera is already doing professionally what she鈥檚 always wanted to do. Now her goals are just bigger and more ambitious. In addition to photography and marketing, she finds much to love about being an entrepreneur. 鈥淏efore I started my business, I was a homebody who didn鈥檛 go too far unless it was with family or friends,鈥� she says. 鈥淣ow that I have clients in different locations, I get to see different locations I wasn鈥檛 aware about, and I get to connect with different people from different cultures.鈥� The sky is the limit for Tugbang鈥檚 business as well. 鈥淚 definitely want to keep focusing on my business,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t allows me to grow myself and grow the community as well because there鈥檚 other photographers I鈥檓 helping, and they help me with my own projects as well.鈥� With ever-expanding client networks and skillsets, Bethany Rivera and Alex Tugbang are excited to continue growing their businesses to new heights.&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12501" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/13701" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/13726" hreflang="en">Marketing Area</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6691" hreflang="en">entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="f196ef6a-7116-4706-ac0f-00fffbd1b025"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://business.gmu.edu/faculty-and-research/academic-areas/marketing#programs"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn more about the Marketing Area's Academic Programs <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/jhong38" hreflang="en">Jiyeon Hong</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Wed, 26 Jun 2024 14:18:18 +0000 Greg Johnson 112686 at Dean hosts fireside chat with president and CEO of EagleBank Susan Riel /news/2024-06/dean-hosts-fireside-chat-president-and-ceo-eaglebank-susan-riel <span>Dean hosts fireside chat with president and CEO of EagleBank Susan Riel</span> <span><span>Greg Johnson</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-06-24T10:51:19-04:00" title="Monday, June 24, 2024 - 10:51">Mon, 06/24/2024 - 10:51</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/dean-ajay-vinze" hreflang="en">Ajay Vinz茅</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">Ajay Vinz茅, dean of the <a href="https://business.gmu.edu/" title="Costello College of Business | 海角社区">Donald G. Costello College of Business</a> at 海角社区, sat down with Susan Riel, president and CEO of EagleBank, for a fireside chat on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 10.</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-06/susan-riel.jpg?itok=tlMo-E_S" width="350" height="350" alt="Susan Riel, president and CEO of EagleBank" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Susan Riel, president and CEO of EagleBank</figcaption> </figure> <p>In front of faculty, students, and community guests gathered on George Mason鈥檚 Fairfax 海角社区, their discussion covered a range of topics, from EagleBank鈥檚 evolution as a startup to a community bank, to how regional banks support the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Having been at EagleBank since 1998, Riel has held several different positions, experiencing and driving the decades-long evolution of the bank and its impact on clients. &nbsp;</p> <p>EagleBank鈥檚 mission is to be the most trusted, experienced, and client-centric bank across the Washington, D.C., region and beyond. With clients over the years including MOM鈥檚 Organic Market and Honest Tea, EagleBank was founded on the belief that every person and business deserves individualized financial guidance from experts who care. The bank鈥檚 "Relationships FIRST" policy was echoed throughout Riel鈥檚 remarks. FIRST is an acronym, standing for flexible, involved, responsive, strong, and trusted.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-06/susan_riel-ajay_vinze.jpg?itok=Nymvrfl-" width="350" height="233" alt="Susan Riel speaks with Dean Ajay Vinz茅" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Susan Riel speaks with Dean Ajay Vinz茅</figcaption> </figure> <p>鈥淓ntrepreneurs depend on banks,鈥� said Riel. Despite the current challenges for commercial real estate, resulting from many employees not returning to the office following the pandemic, she explained how the banking system is as important as ever and has continued to evolve. Fewer consumers are making banking transactions in person at the brick-and-mortar buildings, leading to a reduction of bank branches. However, with nearly everyone completing their banking needs via mobile devices, digital products are more important than ever before.</p> <p>鈥淭hinking strategically is an important part of any business,鈥� she said. When considering a bank for employment opportunities, many job seekers think there are limited opportunities. However, Riel assured the audience that there are many professions within a bank, and especially at EagleBank. Many of the new jobs are results of this shift to a more digital banking experience.&nbsp;</p> <p>Leadership, and especially leading as a woman, was another major theme of the discussion. When addressing how women can get ahead in the workplace, Riel said, 鈥淪peak up and share your ideas when you have them. Be open and outspoken.鈥� But it is also advice that she would give to anyone looking to make their mark. 鈥淒on鈥檛 limit yourself,鈥� she said. 鈥淏e open to opportunities.鈥�&nbsp;</p> <p>After asking his questions, Dean Vinz茅 opened it to the audience.</p> <p>Riel spoke of the name recognition that came from naming George Mason鈥檚 EagleBank Arena and explained how EagleBank hires diverse thinkers by always attempting to hire the best person for the position.</p> <p>This is the third fireside chat hosted by Dean Vinz茅. The fireside chats are instrumental in providing knowledge and insights to the Costello College of Business community and forging partnerships with leaders in business.&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12501" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1986" hreflang="en">Guest Speaker</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">海角社区 News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/19541" hreflang="en">partnerships</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 24 Jun 2024 14:51:19 +0000 Greg Johnson 112771 at