Greg Johnson

Patriot Pitch Competition

Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Janis S. Reed Scholarship helps BAM student keep her focus

Greg Johnson — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 19:44:42 +0000

Janis S. Reed Scholarship helps BAM student keep her focus Greg Johnson Fri, 04/18/2025 - 15:44

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 �� and completing the bachelor’s to accelerated master’s (BAM) program, she already had her eyes on the larger picture.

Anh Tran

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 ADVANCE Program before transferring into the accounting program at George Mason. Her path is now leading her to completing the CPA exam after finishing her master’s degree courses.

Tran was drawn to the Costello College of Business 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’s 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.

Still, her course load was increasingly heavy, so Tran was relieved that the Janis S. Reed Scholarship helped pay off her financial costs. “It’s my first time taking both the undergraduate and also the grad classes, so I really want to focus on school,” she says.

Not only did the scholarship help with finances, but it also gave her other opportunities, like connecting her with Reed herself. “I had a chance to talk to her and other recipients at the scholarship luncheon,” she says. “She 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.”

The scholarship luncheon, which brought together Costello donors and recipients to the Fairfax ��, was an experience that Tran was grateful to take advantage of.

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.

“At that event, I had my first opportunity to talk with real recruiters, and it was really special for me,” she says.

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—a great learning experience in the professional tax services area at a public accounting firm.

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. “I want to work for a public accounting firm, perhaps in the tax area as well,” she says. “I believe I am familiar with taxes after my past internships, and I’d like to gain more knowledge and experience about this field.”

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’s 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.

Topics

Costello College of Business Scholarships

George Mason alumnus launches AI software startup for law enforcement training

Greg Johnson — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 16:05:48 +0000

George Mason alumnus launches AI software startup for law enforcement training Greg Johnson Wed, 02/26/2025 - 11:05

Delivering immersive, voice-driven simulations for law enforcement through building skills, gaining real-time feedback, and preparing for real-world scenarios, Kaiden AI is a software startup co-founded by its CEO Ali Aldubaisi, BS Neuroscience ’21.

Ali Aldubaisi

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.

After a few years working on the project, he co-founded Kaiden AI with his vRealm partner, Ali "AJ" Aldjaei. “When we first started, we were focused on the higher education market,” he says. “We initially built the AI platform for grading and evaluation. Like most startups, you build where you initially think is the right fit, and that’s going to be the market for you.” Throughout the process of building his startup and attracting investors, he would find each day bringing surprises.

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 George Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being and a former FBI special agent. He immediately recognized its potential for law enforcement training and encouraged Aldubaisi to explore that path.

“We put the MVP [minimum viable product] in front of police chiefs and academy directors, and their reaction was completely different from our earlier demos,” says Aldubaisi. “That’s when we knew we had to double down.”

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’s investors are venture capitalists largely outside of the law enforcement space.

Ali Aldubaisi (right) at the 2024 Patriot Pitch competition. Photo by John Boal Photography

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.

“A lot of the concepts mirror each other,” he says. “What goes into marketing, how to understand people, how people learn.”

In 2024, Aldubaisi led the keynote discussion at the Patriot Pitch Competition, an event organized by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to support ideas and early-stage business ventures from George Mason students and recent alumni. He is now in talks with Rebecca Howick, the center’s director of operations and engagement, about getting more involved with their efforts.

“Having a center where somebody in whatever discipline that they’re studying can articulate or put together an idea or experiment on ideas is so crucial,” says Aldubaisi. He knows there are many intelligent people with brilliant ideas who may be hesitant to pursue their ventures because they don’t know how they’re going to get the funding or backing.

Having gone through that process, Aldubaisi offers crucial advice to aspiring entrepreneurs that reflects his scientific background. “Having the courage to focus on that one thing that you’re trying to prove out is probably the biggest thing,” he says. “Second thing is always look at what your idea is as an experiment, and the goal is to prove or disprove as soon as possible.”

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.

In This Story

Rebecca Howick

Learn more about AI research at George Mason

Topics

Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

entrepreneurship

Center for Advancement of Well-Being

Artificial Intelligence

Finance alumnus is making a big difference in his native Mongolia

Greg Johnson — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 15:54:10 +0000

Finance alumnus is making a big difference in his native Mongolia Greg Johnson Mon, 11/11/2024 - 10:54

Born in Mongolia’s capital city of Ulaanbaatar, Itgel Bold, BS Finance ’08, moved to the United States in eighth grade so that his father could complete his master’s degree in New York City. A year later, his family moved to Washington, D.C.

“I didn’t know much English at the time, so it was a very new beginning, new setting,” he says. “I had to adjust and settle in in a relatively short amount of time.” 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. “

I was able to develop and hone my hard skills, my analytical skills at [��], and then I was able to apply that knowledge,” he says. “Without George Mason and the level of quality of education that I received, I don’t think I would be where I am today.”

Itgel Bold, BS Finance '08, speaking at the
Boao Forum for Asia. Photo provided.

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’s $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.

Since its beginning of 2024, Bold has been the director of finance for this account. “By 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,” he says. The team expects the project to be completed by the deadline of March 2026.

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.

“At the moment, NovaTerra is involved with assisting the city of Ulaanbaatar to build a large scale 50-megawatt battery storage facility,” he says. “That 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.”

In his spare time, Bold, like many Mongolians, enjoys spending time outside playing and watching sports. “We have a lot of basketball, soccer, and traditional wrestling,” he says. “During the summertime, people go out in the countryside and watch horseracing and wrestling as well as archery competitions.”

Another vibrant part of the culture is folk art, especially paintings. In fact, the largest painting in the world, Nadmid Sergelen’s One Day of the World, 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.

“I was able to develop and hone my hard skills, my analytical skills at [George Mason}, and then I was able to apply that knowledge,” says Bold. “Without George Mason and the level of quality of education that I received, I don’t think I would be where I am today.”

Before he was ready to take on these ambitious roles, Bold was a finance student at the Costello College of Business. “When I was at George Mason, it was exciting times,” he says. “We went to the Final Four, and we had the first Black president in Obama and the country’s first female vice-presidential candidate in Sarah Palin.” George Mason’s 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. “It was a no-brainer,” he says.

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 Costello College of Business Alumni Chapter. “I 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,” he says. He’s also eager to build connections between George Mason and some of the reputable universities in Mongolia.

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.

Topics

Costello College of Business Alumni

Finance

Learn more about the Costello College of Business Alumni Chapter

In This Story

Itgel Bold, '08

FedWriters strengthens ties with Costello College of Business by joining Corporate Partners Program

Greg Johnson — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 19:48:26 +0000

FedWriters strengthens ties with Costello College of Business by joining Corporate Partners Program Greg Johnson Fri, 10/25/2024 - 15:48

Though they have offices and staff members across the United States, FedWriters’ headquarters is conveniently located just down the road from ��’s Fairfax ��. 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.

FedWriters team at headquarters with CEO Mitchell Cho (far right). Photo provided

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.

The company was recently recognized as NOAA’s Small Business of the Year, Washington Post’s Best Places to Work, Inc. 5000's fastest growing companies in America, Washington Business Journal's Fast75, and more.

Cho sits on the board as chair for the Fairfax Economic Development Authority, where he first learned of the Costello Corporate Partners Program from Patrick Soleymani, associate dean for outreach and strategic engagement at the Costello College of Business.

“I 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,” says Cho. “We really see George Mason as the perfect kind of platform to hire people and help them grow because that’s what we’re all about.”

The FedWriters team was already an engaged partner with George Mason, conducting mock interview sessions, reviewing resumes, and participating in career day events. “When this opportunity popped up to be a corporate partner, we jumped on it,” says Cho.

Moreover, much of their engagement focused specifically on the Costello College of Business, including supporting a student team in the Patriot Pitch Competition 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 Brian Ngac, instructor in information systems and operations management at the Costello College of Business. “I think I've personally done two letters of recommendation and validated work experience for three of those students out of PREP,” says Marc Fain, chief revenue officer.

Becoming an official corporate partner has strengthened FedWriters’ ties with the business college, as they support recruitment, internship opportunities, scholarships, student activities, faculty awards, and the Dean’s Excellence Fund as part of the program. In return, FedWriters receives high visibility, increased student recruitment, special invitations, and named scholarships, among other benefits.

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. “We 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,” he says.

As FedWriters continues to grow rapidly—hiring about 100 new employees so far this year—they typically first look at George Mason via career fairs and Handshake, George Mason’s platform for students seeking jobs and employers.

A few of the publications from FedWriters. Photo provided

Since its inception, FedWriters has only gathered more steam growing both their staffing and client list and earning remarkable accolades along the way. “The employee’s experience matters to us, making sure that they know that we support them when things happen in their lives,” says Susan Parr, chief operations officer. “When you take care of people, they perform. Our customers are happy, and the company grows.”

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.

Housing the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting, 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.

Student Alejandra Villanueva sits down for
one-on-one coaching during FedWriters
Takeover Day. Photo by Greg Johnson

“Government 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.”

With their mission of “communicating the business of government,” 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.

Learn more about the Costello Corporate Partners Program

In This Story

Patrick Soleymani

Brian Ngac

Topics

Community Partners

experiential learning

Mason Enterprise

Strategic Direction

Photography entrepreneurs continue to grow businesses while studying marketing

Greg Johnson — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 14:18:18 +0000

Photography entrepreneurs continue to grow businesses while studying marketing Greg Johnson Wed, 06/26/2024 - 10:18

Many students graduate from the Costello College of Business at �� with bold plans to start their own companies. Bethany Rivera and Alex Tugbang, both undergraduate marketing students and classmates in Jiyeon Hong’s marketing course, had already launched their respective businesses, Rivera’s Photography and Photuggraphy, prior to enrolling.

“In my digital marketing course, I’m 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,” says Hong. “This is because the digital world is constantly changing, and I believe the best learning can come from hands-on experience.” Focused on their career ambitions and passions, Rivera and Tugbang knew what they wanted to learn more about to become even more successful entrepreneurs.

Bethany Rivera

Her family and friends knew it was only a matter of time until Bethany Rivera became an avid photographer. “Ever since I was born, I was surrounded with cameras and pictures,” she says. She fondly recalls her father giving her a Canon camera when she was 12 years old, but it wasn’t 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.

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.

Alex Tugbang

Alex Tugbang’s 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’t happy with how his pictures were turning out, but he continued to practice and teach himself until they got better and better.

“When 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,” he says.

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.

Both Rivera and Tugbang find their current coursework, especially Jiyeon Hong’s course, immensely helpful in growing professionally. “She doesn’t know this, but every time she’s teaching something I always make the changes on my website,” says Rivera. “Like 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.” One of the course’s projects that Tugbang finds particularly helpful is analyzing a company’s website and social media presence to make recommendations. In fact, it’s something he finds himself doing often for his business. “For example, this dental company reached out to me, and I could see they didn’t even have a website and needed this and that,” he says. With an analytical eye and a strong marketing skillset, he can help clients reach their goals. “I’m very proud of my students who are pursuing their entrepreneurial spirits while managing their academic responsibilities,” says Hong. “I wish them all the best for the continued growth of their businesses.”

Rivera is already doing professionally what she’s 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. “Before I started my business, I was a homebody who didn’t go too far unless it was with family or friends,” she says. “Now that I have clients in different locations, I get to see different locations I wasn’t aware about, and I get to connect with different people from different cultures.” The sky is the limit for Tugbang’s business as well. “I definitely want to keep focusing on my business,” he says. “It allows me to grow myself and grow the community as well because there’s other photographers I’m helping, and they help me with my own projects as well.” With ever-expanding client networks and skillsets, Bethany Rivera and Alex Tugbang are excited to continue growing their businesses to new heights.

Topics

Marketing Area

entrepreneurship

Learn more about the Marketing Area's Academic Programs

In This Story

Jiyeon Hong

Dean hosts fireside chat with president and CEO of EagleBank Susan Riel

Greg Johnson — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 14:51:19 +0000

Dean hosts fireside chat with president and CEO of EagleBank Susan Riel Greg Johnson Mon, 06/24/2024 - 10:51

In This Story

Ajay Vinzé

Ajay Vinzé, dean of the Donald G. Costello College of Business at ��, sat down with Susan Riel, president and CEO of EagleBank, for a fireside chat on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 10.

Susan Riel, president and CEO of EagleBank

In front of faculty, students, and community guests gathered on George Mason’s Fairfax ��, their discussion covered a range of topics, from EagleBank’s 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.

EagleBank’s 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’s 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’s "Relationships FIRST" policy was echoed throughout Riel’s remarks. FIRST is an acronym, standing for flexible, involved, responsive, strong, and trusted.

Susan Riel speaks with Dean Ajay Vinzé

“Entrepreneurs depend on banks,” 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.

“Thinking strategically is an important part of any business,” 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.

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, “Speak up and share your ideas when you have them. Be open and outspoken.” But it is also advice that she would give to anyone looking to make their mark. “Don’t limit yourself,” she said. “Be open to opportunities.”

After asking his questions, Dean Vinzé opened it to the audience.

Riel spoke of the name recognition that came from naming George Mason’s EagleBank Arena and explained how EagleBank hires diverse thinkers by always attempting to hire the best person for the position.

This is the third fireside chat hosted by Dean Vinzé. The fireside chats are instrumental in providing knowledge and insights to the Costello College of Business community and forging partnerships with leaders in business.

Topics

Guest Speaker

�� News

partnerships

Sustainability MBA elective matches student teams with partner companies

Greg Johnson — Thu, 16 May 2024 15:09:06 +0000

Sustainability MBA elective matches student teams with partner companies Greg Johnson Thu, 05/16/2024 - 11:09

When hearing the term “sustainability” in business circles, there’s often a misconception that it hinders growth. For the last three years, the MBA elective course Environmentally Sustainable Operations has offered interested graduate students from across �� the opportunity to work with companies from multiple industries on making the business case for sustainability.

Dominic Leone, Jordan Heisen,
Sabrena Snow (Hyde), Rachel Edwards

Each year, new companies participate, mobilized by George Mason alumni, faculty and staff, and other community members. “I only need to have one conversation with them, and then they're on board,” says Ioannis Bellos, an associate professor of Information Systems and Operations Management (ISOM) at the Costello College of Business at �� and director of the MBA Program; Bellos developed the course and has been teaching it since Spring 2022. This latest semester the course featured consulting projects with: Schneider Electric, 4P Foods, Hyde, MAXSA Innovations, and Future Acres Urban Farming.

Because of the partnership building done by Bellos and others at George Mason, this course offers an excellent experiential learning opportunity where students help real companies, gaining insight from the executives in the process. “It was an exceptional opportunity to mentor MBA students from George Mason’s Environmentally Sustainable Operations course,” says Kevin DeLeon, program manager of sustainability business at Schneider Electric. “We were excited to participate and offer students a glimpse into the practical aspect of driving sustainable improvements. This collaboration is a reflection of Schneider Electric’s mission to champion sustainability and our commitment to engaging and educating future leaders.”

MBA students Rachel Edwards and Jordan Heisen had previously participated in the Global Residency program at the Costello College of Business, where they visited Sweden and Denmark to meet with businesses in the sustainability field, sparking both of their interests in the subject. For their sustainable operations project, they joined fellow MBA student Dominic Leone to work with Hyde, a Washington, D.C., based company pioneering AI-driven solutions to combat excess inventory in the apparel industry. The three of them worked closely with Hyde representatives to examine ways they could make their practices more sustainable.

“Apparel clothing discarded in landfills is now visible from space,” says Sabrena Snow, Hyde’s vice president of partnerships and sustainability. “We began working with the Costello College of Business to really quantify the impact of excess inventory, and its disposal, on the environment.”

The team of Costello MBA students examined Hyde’s business practices to see how they could best help them.

“A lot of companies are pumping out new fashion trends,” says Leone. “If that trend is going to continue, how can we do it in a more sustainable way where we don’t overorder and have a crazy amount of excess inventory?”

Once a week, the team met with CEO Rahul Jindal and Snow. “Going through the paper with Hyde and hearing the feedback from both representatives, they were an incredible pleasure to work with,” says Heisen.

“By building a framework, and combining our EPA data, company interviews, and Hyde's proprietary data, the George Mason team was able to size the impact of producing and dumping excess apparel inventory in the United States,” says Snow. 

The Hyde representatives took it a step further and connected the students with high-profile contacts from the fashion industry’s sustainability field. “When we started this project, Hyde was trying to get partners and funding,” says Edwards. “Being able to attach this white paper to any sort of funding that they’re trying to get later, this is their documentation of what’s going on.”

One of the community partners who worked to recruit participating companies for the course was Fairfax County Government’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination. “When we were approached about working with Professor Bellos, it seemed like a perfect opportunity for companies in our Green Business Partners program,” says Gina Weil, co-manager of the Green Business Partners program. “We know that green business is good business, and helping businesses identify both the economic and environmental benefits to adopting sustainable practices is central to our mission.  We were thrilled to be able to connect his students with Future Acres Urban Farming, and we know the experience for the students and the company was incredibly positive and beneficial for both.” The mission of the Green Business Partners program is to support Fairfax County businesses in creating a carbon neutral economy through collaboration and learning opportunities that advance climate action.

Students with guest speaker Ian Gayman,
MBA '23 (Partner at Environmental
Resources Management)

Though there was more to the course than this collaborative project, the experiential aspect brought the learning experience full circle. Bellos worked closely with the company representatives to ensure that their organizations got the most out of the projects.

Heisen appreciated how he explained case studies in the classroom. “He does a really great job of breaking down each case and ultimately getting you to thinking of another perspective,” he says. Sustainable operations lead to profit, says Edwards, “Unless it’s actually making money and it’s financially viable, there’s no reason for a company to do it.”

Recently, 68% of all prospective graduate students surveyed by the Graduate Management Admission Council said that sustainability is important or very important to them. This course is in direct response to this increasing market need.

If you want to learn more about how you can become a business leader with a sustainability mindset, please learn more about the Costello College of Business MBA program.

Topics

MBA Program

Sustainability

experiential learning

innovative classes

impact fall 2024

Learn more about the Costello MBA Program

In This Story

Ioannis Bellos

Ambitious management and marketing student leads in many organizations across campus

Greg Johnson — Wed, 15 May 2024 13:10:51 +0000

Ambitious management and marketing student leads in many organizations across campus Greg Johnson Wed, 05/15/2024 - 09:10

After two years of studying management and marketing at the Costello College of Business and the Honors College at ��, Rakibul Alam’s academic credits have put him a semester ahead of schedule.

Rakibul Alam

Now planning to graduate in December of 2025, Alam has been working at an accelerated rate both inside and outside of the classroom. He saw how many opportunities George Mason had to offer, and he was keen to take advantage of as many of them as possible. Among his accolades so far are being named an Honors College Professional Development Fellow, co-founding the Collective Organizations of South Asia, serving as senator in the George Mason Student Government, being a student ambassador for the Costello College of Business, receiving the Shrivastava Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship, and being named the Schwartzstein First-Year Research Award Finalist for his research project, “Coastal Bangladesh: the Effect of High Soil Salinity & Sustainable Agriculture.”

Coming in his freshman year as a commuting student, Alam wanted to learn about the student body and find ways in which he could immediately get involved and feel at home at George Mason. The first group he joined was the Bengali Patriots Association, where he quickly became the freshman representative and most recently the treasurer. “Within the first two weeks, I also learned there was an election for student government,” he says. “I ran for election, and I won and have served as senator the past two years. Everything kind of spiraled from that.” Through the student government, he was also appointed as a student ambassador for the Costello College of Business. As a Costello College of Business ambassador, he’s interacted with and presented to students, prospective students, community partners, and even the Board of Trustees. The position has empowered him to build and expand on his skillsets as he showcases what it means to be a Costello College of Business student. Recently, he’s shifted his ambassador focus to marketing and has been creating social media content to engage the student body, reaching nearly 50,000 views.

This past April, Alam’s startup company, Project Hope, co-owned and established by management and entrepreneurship student Naila Ahsan, was awarded the top prize in Social Impact at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Patriot Pitch Competition. “Our campaign endeavors to furnish annual provisions of safe, sustainable, reusable sanitary napkins to marginalized communities,” he says. “In Bangladesh, 85% of the menstruating population cannot afford necessary menstruating products. Therefore, we are on a mission to end period poverty.” Presenting the prize check to Alam and Ahsan was Sumeet Shrivastava, MBA ’94, an individual whom Alam now considers a mentor. Always proactive in getting involved and making connections, Alam connected with Shrivastava and Christine Landoll, director of business engagement at the Costello College of Business, at several events across the university. Receiving the Shrivastava Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship opened even more doors for him. The scholarship is awarded to students who are contributing to diversity and inclusion through their leadership roles. Rakibul Alam is an exemplary Shrivastava Diversity and Inclusion scholar.

While Alam has taken advantage of the myriad opportunities at George Mason, like with Project Hope, he has also identified and worked toward introducing new solutions and initiatives where he sees a need. He did this when he co-founded the Collective Organizations of South Asia. “The South Asian community was so strong, but it was very dispersed, and our goal was to unify under the organization,” he says. “Our main objective was to provide scholarships for South Asian students.” He is currently their vice president of internal affairs.

In addition to the organizations where he is an active member, Alam enjoys participating in events put on by others across campus. “Going to so many different cultural events helps make you a global leader,” he says. “Companies are very represented all over the world, so having that global understanding is very important.” From the get-go, he came into George Mason with a vision of using the university’s diverse resources to make his student experience as rewarding as possible. Furthermore, this summer he will be interning at the Pentagon with the United States Department of the Navy as a financial management intern. Only two years in, he has a resume stacked with accomplishments, a network connecting him with esteemed business leaders, and the drive to put all of his goals within reach.

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Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

diversity

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In This Story

Sumeet Shrivastava, '94

Christine Landoll

Healthy recipe content creator found niche while studying at ��

Greg Johnson — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 20:48:04 +0000

Healthy recipe content creator found niche while studying at �� Greg Johnson Wed, 04/24/2024 - 16:48

Brittany Mullins, BS Marketing ’07, found her professional niche while studying at the Costello College of Business at ��. Since graduating, she has founded and run her successful brand, Eating Bird Food, providing healthy recipes and more to her loyal followers.

Brittany Mullins, BS Marketing ’07

When Mullins began her freshman year at George Mason, she was determined to not gain the “freshman 15.” Even though she had always consumed the average American diet, now, she decided, was the time for her to turn over a new page.

As she got into top physical shape, she learned everything she could about health and nutrition, some of it by enrolling in nutrition courses at George Mason. Combining her newfound passion with her marketing background, she would soon establish Eating Bird Food, a platform providing healthy recipes.

With a combined social following of more than two million, Mullins has also published a cookbook and serves as a nutrition coach. Her brand continues to grow as followers recognize and trust her as an expert in her field. Eating Bird Food has been evolving ever since Mullins came up with the initial concept.

“After graduating, I got a job in marketing and also started a food blog to keep myself accountable to my healthy eating,” she says.

As Mullins states on her website, “Eating Bird Food simply means eating a wholesome diet focused on real foods—without labels.” Even though her personal preference is to eat plant-focused meals, she also eats fish and lean meat, enabling her to provide an array of healthy recipes to meet an individual’s own dietary preferences. On her website, she offers detailed recipes, complete with photos and videos, and organized by meal course, protein, diet, and cooking method. Furthermore, followers have the option to purchase a variety of meal plans.

Mullins has clearly found her own recipe for success when it comes to content creation. When asked for tips for someone who wants to break into the space, she says, “I say number one is just to start, and number two is to be really passionate about your topic and to niche down because the market with content creators is really saturated. Find something that is ‘your thing,’ and when people think of this, they’ll come to you for that specific content.” She continues to niche down even more, now focusing on more protein-focused recipes.

Though being her own boss gives her a lot of flexibility—something that the wife and mother of two greatly values—there are many challenges Mullins has to overcome. “I have to wear all the hats and do all the things, like the bookkeeping, taxes, and everything else,” she says. “Whereas if you’re an employee for a company, someone else manages those tasks and you don’t have to worry about all those extra things.” Additionally, she manages a team of four people and then contracts other professionals to accomplish tasks like videography and photography.

Having found her niche in content and amassing a large, loyal, and still growing audience, Mullins is excited to find more ways to expand her business. With a keen eye on updates happening with artificial intelligence and SEO, she’s considering new possibilities from affiliate earnings to expanding her products for purchase. Her expertise on both healthy eating and marketing have earned her a large following, which helps establish a built-in audience for whatever new venture she decides on next.

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Costello College of Business Alumni

Marketing Area