Grad Launches Company to Support Homeless Veterans in LA

Justin Groza '04

"I hate veteran homelessness," Justin Groza '04, says simply. Groza's ten year military experience and desire to help others has spurred the launch of Logos, a business aiming to employ homeless veterans in a sustainable way. 

Groza was very involved  in campus activities during his time at BW as a brother of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, a member of the varsity soccer team and manager of the Student Activities Center. After graduating with a degree in Business Administration, Groza enlisted in the United States Army and became a commissioned officer. Following his military service, Groza continued his education at Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem in Budapest, where he earned an MBA.

Image from Groza's Logos crowd-funding campaign

After earning his master's degree, Groza developed and refined the concept for Logos and moved to Los Angeles. He recently launched a a crowd-funding campaign to support his idea and to educate the public about the prevalence of homeless veterans and the importance of long-term employment.

"I'm extremely proud of the project and have received excellent feedback from social workers at the VA and Salvation Army offices in Los Angeles," says Groza.

Alumna Reinvents Career, Creates Nonprofit for College Search

Nichelle McCall

Baldwin Wallace graduate and BOLD Guidance CEO, Nichelle McCall, has been featured in Inc Magazine as a "Woman Tech Founder to Watch," Crain's Cleveland 40 Under 40, and this fall, in a Plain Dealer article highlighting "career reinvention." But just 5 years she was wrestling with unemployment.

After a series of jobs following graduation, McCall took a fellowship in New York and Washington D.C. with the promise of a full-time post with a Cleveland nonprofit when she returned home. Instead, the organization went in a different direction at the end of her fellowship, and McCall found herself unemployed at age 27.

It was a turning point for McCall, who decided to become a consultant, rather than labeling herself unemployed. McCall noted to the Plain Dealer that, "What I learned is that a job is not secure. At any time someone can decide that they want to go in another direction or that your services are no longer needed. At least with entrepreneurship, even if something doesn't work out that I'm working on, I can always create something new."

She consulted with schools and nonprofits, forming college access programs. Within two years, she found herself making more money than ever before, and added a technology-based product in order to continue growing.

In 2012, McCall launched "Bold Guidance," a software company that not only makes the college admissions process easier and more accessible by walking parents and students step-by-step through the process, but also caters to colleges by supporting marketing strategies for enrollment.

Bold Guidance's CEO and President Nichelle McCall
-Photo Courtesy of The Plain Dealer

The Plain Dealer acknowledged the steep hill McCall climbed to make her business a success. "Women represent just 8 percent of venture-backed companies in the country, but for black women, the number shrinks dramatically to .2 percent. McCall has raised $500,000 in the last two years for her company, 'Bold Guidance.'"

In regards to her time working college admissions at Baldwin Wallace, McCall is quoted as saying, "that's when the seed was planted for wanting to make a difference for underprivileged students."

Healthcare MBA Graduate Leads Summa Cardiovascular Institute

Dr. Michael Hughes, MBA '12

Dr. Michael Hughes earned his health care MBA from BW in 2012. Earlier this year, he was named president of Summa Health System's Cardiovascular Institute.

Hughes, who specializes in international cardiology and cardiovascular disease, has held a number of leadership positions at Summa Health including medical director of the Cardiac Cath Lab and founding co-chairman of Northeast Ohio Cardiovascular Specialists. In addition, he also serves on the executive board of Summa's accountable care organization, New Health Collaborative and sits on the Summa Health Board of Directors.

Summa Health is one of the largest integrated healthcare delivery systems in Ohio and encompasses a network of hospitals, community health centers, a health plan, a physician-hospital organization, a multi-specialty physician organization, research and the Summa Foundation.

Hughes was honored with the American Heart Association’s Sauvageot Volunteer Service Award in 2012 and served on the AHA’s Board of Directors as its president. He also has been named a Cleveland Magazine Top Doctor in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

MBA Alumnus Named Hub Group's President and COO

Donald G. Maltby- Courtesy of Hub Group

After 25 years at Hub Group, one of the United States' largest transportation management corporations, Donald G. Maltby, a Baldwin Wallace MBA alumnus was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer this fall.

Maltby, who most recently served as a consultant to the Hub board, had worked his way up the ladder at the top 50 publicly traded company, holding numerous management positions, serving as Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Executive Vice President-Logistics Services, President of Hub Online and President of Hub Cleveland.

The Chicago area-based  Hub Group has more than 2,500 employees and $3.6 billion in annual revenue.

In a Hub Group press release, company Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, David Yeager said, "I am very pleased that Don has chosen to take on the role of President and Chief Operating Officer. He is a hard worker and a strategic thinker with deep knowledge of the logistics industry as well as Hub's business and culture. I look forward to working with him to drive our company forward."

Prior to joining Hub, Maltby worked at Sherwin-Williams. He received his Masters in Business Administration from Baldwin Wallace in 1982.

White House Initiative Recognizes Work of Alumnus

The work of Cleveland's nonprofit Esperanza Inc. and executive director Victor Ruiz '99 continues to gain praise, most recently winning recognition from The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.  Ruiz says Esperanza, which is dedicated to the educational needs of the Hispanic community, is humbled by the White House recognition. "Esperanza is honored to be included in such a prestigious list of organizations that work tirelessly to improve the academic achievements of this country’s Hispanic communities."

Victor Ruiz passes out bookbags at Esperanza's Back to School Event. 

Photo courtesy: Esperanzainc.org

Esperanza was highlighted among the White House Initiative's "Bright Spots in Hispanic Education, one of 230 nationwide programs dedicated to Hispanic education listed.

According to a Crain's Cleveland Business article, Esperanza, under Ruiz's leadership, has helped to raise the Hispanic graduation rate in Cleveland from 30% to 64.3%, more than doubling it within three years by 2014.

A Freshwater Cleveland article added, "While the numbers are still below the national average, Esperanza and Ruiz continue forward, with a mission to only improve further."

Ruiz is also a 2014 Baldwin Wallace Alumni Merit Award winner.

Sustainability Major Creating a Greener Cleveland

Senior Stephanie Poutz is dedicating her summer to creating a greener Cleveland. The sustainability and business administration double major is working at West Creek Conservancy in an internship that is supported by the Cleveland Foundation. The Foundation's internship program connects undergraduate and graduate students with experiences in nonprofit and public sector agencies.

Just two short years ago, West Creek Conservancy was a run-down ten acre parking lot. After years of planning, the parking lot was demolished and the Conservancy, home to wetlands, plants and wildlife was created. 

Every day on the job is different for Poutz. Her internship responsibilities range from assisting with identifying additional restoration areas for future wetlands to working on volunteer management, open-house activities and professional development.

In a post on the Cleveland Foundation blog, Poutz described how her internship has inspired her passion for sustainability. "I get the pleasure of spending time in nature each day while working with people who share the passion for improving our environment. These experiences have helped me learn more about watersheds than I ever would have in one of my classes, as well as help me discover a new love for the outdoors." 

BW Career Network Helps Marketing Major Land Internship

Senior Kevin Fredrick may be spending his summer days working 8-5, but he doesn't mind.

With help from the BW Career Network (BWCN), the marketing major from Archibold, Ohio found an internship that perfectly aligns with his major and his interests. Fredrick is working at American Tank and Fabrication (AT&F), one of the world's premier metal fabricators, as a Marketing Intern. The BWCN is a web-based platform designed to connect BW students and alumni with employers for jobs and internships.

Fredrick's position keeps him busy throughout the day with a never-ending to-do list that consists of tasks like creating trend reports, maintaining the company's customer relationship software and editing press releases, articles and other publications. Fredrick also assists with internal marketing for the company.

Fredrick tells us he enjoys the variety. "My days aren't repetitive. I do a lot of different things for a lot of different departments and people. Though the workload can be a challenge, it's one that I welcome."


AT&F is a small family owned, family operated business and in the three months that Fredrick has worked there, he feels as though he has created solid relationships with his AT&F colleagues.

"I feel cared about. The people here are seriously focused on group success and it feels much more gratifying to be working with people who share in each other's successes."

Post graduation, Fredrick hopes to work for an advertising agency, doing content marketing, and he feels fortunate to have an internship that is preparing him for a future in his intended career field.

WISE Scholarship Recipients

Women in Sports and Events Cleveland (WISE Cleveland) annually honors amazing women who contribute to the field of sport management/events in the greater Cleveland area. Two BW students, Mackenzie Nelsen '17, a sport management and business administration major and Rebecca Brown '16, a sport management major, were honored as recipients of WISE Scholarships at the fourth annual WISE Women of the Year Awards and Scholarships event.

Nelson

Every year, four college-aged women who are pursing careers in sport management/events field are chosen WISE scholarships. The award recipient have a

Brown 

demonstrated track record of participation in event planning, sport management volunteerism or participation in the business of sports or athletics such as coaching or team management.

Brown and Nelson  received their WISE recognition at a spring luncheon at the House of Blues in Cleveland.

Read the full recap, courtesy of WISE Cleveland, here.

BW's "Big Data" MBA Track: Taming Information Overload

As "big data" continues to make headlines, BW's new MBA in business analytics is highlighted as a solution in this month's Cleveland Business Connects (CBC) magazine. The article highlights the dilemma of "information overload" or what's described as "infobesity." The challenge for business and managers is to tame data that has grown so large and complex that traditional ways businesses process data have become inadequate.



“You have all of these inputs and sources of data coming into an organization, and organizations are struggling to make sense of it all,” John Lanigan, Dean of the BW School of Business, told CBC. “In some cases it’s very specific information, right down to the product level. And in other cases it’s customer experience information. Some of it is very formalized. Some of it’s informal. It could be a Facebook post — ‘I love your product’ or ‘I hate your product.’ How do you make sense of all that information? How do you organize it? How do you gather it? How do you analyze it?”

Lanigan also told the magazine that a variety of MBA students will benefit from the data analysis track. "I don't think you could pigeonhole one type of student that might be interested in this," said Lanigan. "It's not industry specific. It's not job description specific. That's what's kind of fun about it."

It has been predicted by U.S. News that in three years there will be a shortage of roughly 190,000 people with the skills to analyze and manage big data. BW's data analysis MBA track is available starting Fall of 2015.

MBA Alumni Team up to Open Eye Candy Optical

A fashion-forward optical shop that was born at BW is getting national attention, was in the black within 10 months of opening and is on track to achieve its three-year revenue goal a year early! Eye Candy Optical in Westlake, the brainchild of MBA graduates Anton Syzdykov '13 and Steve Nelson '99, was recently featured in an Inside Business (IB) magazine story on entrepreneurship education. 

In 2013, while still pursing his entrepreneurship MBA at BW, Syzdykov encouraged Nelson to audit a business-plan development class that he was taking and it was there that two men developed the plan for Eye Candy Optical with support from Professor Ven Ochaya. After Syzdykov graduated, the pair dipped into 401(k) accounts and personal savings, and secured a small business loan to open the store in a 1,300 square foot space in the Promenade at Crocker Park.

“The hardest thing about starting a business is [getting funding] and finding a framework — actually vetting out an idea and saying, ‘OK, does the idea have legs?’ and then, ‘How are we going to put all of the pieces together?’ ” Nelson told IB. “We had the opportunity to do it all in a classroom setting.”

Anton Syzdykov MBA '13 and Steve Nelson MBA '99

With roughly 1,400 eye glass frames for customers to choose from, the business was ranked number two on a list of America's 10 finest optics retailers by InvisionMag. According to Invision, "Eye Candy is [Syzdykov and Nelson's] answer to this question: 'What if Victoria's Secret and House of Blues opened a glasses shop?' "

Like Eye Candy Optical's Facebook page for news, updates and a good laugh!

Alumnus Joins WNBA Coaching Staff

Photo courtesy of the LA Sparks' Facebook page. 

Two time WNBA champions, the Los Angeles Sparks have added Baldwin Wallace alumnus Curt Miller '90 to the coaching staff as professional women's basketball sees action for a the 2015 season which runs through September.

Miller, a 2015 Alumni Merit Award Winner, earned his BA in health and physical education and business administration. Early in his coaching career, he coached collegiate women's basketball teams at Colorado State, Cleveland State and Syracuse. Miller spent 11 seasons as the head coach at Bowling Green State University and most recently spent two years as head coach at Indiana University. 

Off of the court, Miller has served on the Women's Basketball Coach's Association Board of Directors, the NCAA Women's Basketball National Rules Committee and was chair of the Women's Basketball Coach's Association Russell National Coach of the Year committee. During his time at BGSU, Miller lead his team to eight Mid-American Conference titles and was named MAC Coach of the Year six times. 

Miller joins the WNBA's winningest head coach, Brian Agler, in leading the Sparks.

Alumnus Brews Up Booming Businesses

Alumnus Paul Benner (Left) and partner Justin Carson. Photo courtesy of Crain's Cleveland.

"Shop local" has become a leading movement in and around the city of Cleveland. Within the last few years local farms, clothing companies, bakeries and breweries have greatly contributed to the development of Cleveland's growing economy. Paul Benner, a BW alumnus with an entrepreneurship degree, has taken advantage of the "shop local" movement and built a successful business model around a passion for craft beer.

Benner and his partner Justin Carson opened Platform Beer Company in July of 2014. Located in Ohio City on Lorain Ave., the brewery celebrates local businesses and home beer brewing. Described by Benner as a "sensory experience," customers can sit at the bar and see, smell and hear the beer being brewed right in front of them. Just shy of it's one year anniversary, Platform Beer Co. has already become a mainstream brand and can be found on the shelves of 80 bars and 50 grocery stores in the area.

The business has also been featured in The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com, Cleveland Magazine, Crain Cleveland Business and Cleveland Scene, just to name a few.

Craft-beer drinkers from around Northeast Ohio recently voted on their favorite local breweries at Cleveland.com and Platform Beer Co. was ranked fourth, an impressive accomplishment for such a young company. Voting has reopened in order to select the best Northeast Ohio craft brewery out of the list of 10. You can cast your vote for Platform Beer Co. here and/or follow the company on Facebook for updates and news. 

Life Changing International Travel Marks May Term

Close to 60 students and five faculty members packed their bags and spent May term abroad on three very exciting and very different international experiences in China, London and Costa Rica.

Twenty-one students and two faculty members, Professor John Fuehrer and Dr. Liya Wang, traveled to China for a three week business and sociology-based exploration for students who took the Modern China course during the Spring 2015 semester.  Students focused on what it's like to do business in China's major cities and how understanding cultures can help when doing business globally. Students also visited cultural sites including the Great Wall, Forbidden City and different temples and monasteries. Other highlights of the trip included experiencing a new culture and trying different kinds of food.

The theatre Seminar in London was a nine day theatre tour that exposed students to a variety of theatrical performances as well as the history of the London theatre and the city in general. Twenty-three students traveled with two faculty members, Professors Jeff Herrman and Bob Taylor. The students attended eight shows in a variety of London locations, including The Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's plays were performed in the 1600's. They also toured the city and visited different museums.  For many, visiting Stratford, where Shakespeare was born and laid to rest was a unique and favorite part of the trip.

BMC Photography

For 12 days, 14 students and biology professor Dr. Chris Stanton, explored the biology and sustainability of Costa Rica and the country-wide sustainability progress that has been made in 2015. The group traveled the country by bus and did a variety of activities such as hiking, boating and community service projects all while interacting with the locals, learning about the culture and seeing the various habitats and wildlife. One day was spent zip lining through the Tropical Dry Forest.

For more stunning photos from the trip, you can visit this Costa Rica Facebook gallery posted by recent BW studio art grad and owner of BMC Photography, Brittney Callahan '15.

Studying abroad at Baldwin Wallace allows students to enhance their personal growth, educational experience and career development. BW is part of the national "Generation Study Abroad" initiative and working toward doubling the percentage of students who gain this life-changing experience by 2019.

BW Blackstone LaunchPad Contest Attracts Big Ideas

BW’s engines of creativity were running in overdrive this spring during StartSomethingBW, the recently completed, second annual Blackstone LaunchPad (BLP) idea contest. This year’s competition attracted 163 entries, a fifty-plus percentage increase over last year. Nine teams received a total of $1,800 in prizes in three categories.

Notable winning ideas in this year’s contest included David and Raquel Milligan’s “Shower Helper” for recuperating patients, in the Business Idea category; Basem Magd’s “Summer Tote Storage,” in the Baldwin Wallace category; and Kimberly Smith-Gerace’s “RFID Officer Safety” system, in the Social Enterprise category. A full list of winners can be found on the Start Something BW webpage.

As conceived by BW’s Blackstone LaunchPad entrepreneurship program, the annual idea contest has three primary goals: increase campus awareness of BLP; spur ideation and creativity throughout the university; and jumpstart the formation of companies and jobs by inspiring students to identify problems -- and devise solutions.

For many BW students, the idea contest is just the first step in the entrepreneurial process, followed by regular meetings with BLP consultants who provide students with the tools and strategies they need to succeed.

“Blackstone LaunchPad is a tremendous resource for aspiring entrepreneurs,” according to Mike Nock, BLP Director at Baldwin Wallace. “As part of the region’s fertile entrepreneurial ecosystem, BLP consultants can advise students and connect them with a variety of services and mentors as they move along the path to business creation. There are few programs like Blackstone LaunchPad, and few regions for startup support like Northeast Ohio.”

In its third year at BW, Blackstone LaunchPad is co-funded by The Burton D. Morgan Foundation in Hudson, and by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation in New York. The 15-school Blackstone LaunchPad national network is modeled after The Launch Pad, which was created at the University of Miami in 2008.

BW Business Students Attend National Enactus Exposition

BW Enactus reps in St. Louis, L-R, Cooper Moretz, Tessa Louche, Gwyn Dubel, and Jasz Joseph

With a new network of established business professionals and business students from across the country, BW's chapter of Enactus is ready to apply what they have learned at this year's 2015 Enactus United States National Exposition. Hosted in St. Louis, students in BW's School of Business, Cooper Moretz '16, Tessa Louche '17, Jasz Joseph '18, and Gwyn Dubel '18, embarked to the conference ready to present the outcomes of their annual service projects to a team of business professionals. 

For their 2014-15 projects, BW Enactus provided marketing assistance to Medina Creative Coffee (MCC), a nonprofit subsidiary of Medina Creative Housing, and helped to educate students in the Berea-Midpark Schools' Junior Achievement Cleveland program on "financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness." After sharing a report on their activities with business professionals, the BW team received constructive feedback to improve their impact on the Cleveland community in the coming year.

Along with the conference, these students met with potential employers at a career fair and brainstormed ideas with students from over 180 other colleges and universities. They also had the opportunity to explore St. Louis in their free time. 

Advised by Professors Phillip Bessler and Maureen DeVito in the School of Business, Enactus "enables its members the opportunity to utilize their knowledge and experience of the business field to aid in the general advancement and health of the community." Through their studies in business and their involvement in Enactus, these BW students will continue to apply their business education for a better quality-of-life for others. 

Adult & Continuing Education Grad Pursues Aviation Career

Adult and Continuing Education grad, Allan Borling '14, recently landed a position with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Borling '14 graduated Magna Cum Laude last Spring with an Organizational Leadership major and a minor in Human Resources and now serves as the Technical Operations Manager for the FAA in Pittsburgh.

The job involves overseeing airports in Pennsylvania and West Virginia as well as the infrastructure management and enforcing the integration and implementation of procedures as outlined by the National Airspace System (NAS).

Prior to attending BW, Borling earned his Associate of Science Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Lorain Community College. Borling has had prior experience in operations management as he served as Operations Support Manager for the Cleveland District and as the Support Center Manager for the Cleveland RADAR Systems.

BW Alum Excels Behind the Scenes at the Cavs

As the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare for the NBA playoffs, a graduate of BW's sport management program is playing in a key role behind the scenes. David Painter '98, the Cavs' senior manager of practice facilities, recently gave fans an inside look at the Cavaliers' Cleveland Clinic Courts that he oversees for LeBron, Kyrie, Kevin and company.

From the recognizable media room to the administration area, the BW sport management and business administration alum breaks down some of the efforts which go into the management of one of Cleveland's beloved pro sports teams.You can access and watch the video tour here.

Trendy BW Senior Finding Success With Fashion Blog

BW Senior Marketing and Public Relations major Chelsea Glosser has a passion for fashion... a passion that sparked the creation of Chelsea's Glossary, a style blog that demonstrates how to dress well without breaking the bank.

Chelsea began Chelsea's Glossary in 2013 after major online fashion bloggers inspired her to share her personal style on the Web. Chelsea has always loved art and views fashion as an art form that allows her to be creative and express herself. Averaging seven to eight posts a month, Chelsea's Glossary presents a fully accessorized outfit featuring products, normally found on sale, from a variety of brands such as Kate Spade, H&M and Target.

Recently, The Limited contacted Chelsea to ask permission to use her blog photos featuring the Limited Brand on their Website and Instagram account. Chelsea's Glossary will receive credit for these photos, which provides an opportunity for Chelsea to build her blog following.

In the future, Chelsea hopes to move to New York City and work in social media and marketing in the fashion industry. Chelsea's style advice to BW Blog readers? "Invest in classic pieces that will last you a long time and buy trendier pieces on sale or at lower prices." she says. "Oh, and your best accessory is always a smile!"

BW Alumnus Touts the Benefits of 3/2 IT MBA Program

From Baldwin Wallace to a Big Apple media company, that’s the path that Ben Meadors took after graduating from BW in 2012. Meadors lives in Brooklyn, New York and works as the IT Manager and Post Production Engineer for ArkMedia, an award-winning production company that creates and produces television shows for PBS.

While at BW, Meadors participated in the 3/2 program, which allows students to receive both their Bachelor and Master of Business Administration degrees with one additional year of study. Meadors focused his MBA on IT and says that the 3/2 program was what attracted him to BW.

Meadors has found that his degrees are especially beneficial in small business settings where a broad set of IT skills are needed to help run a company.Meadors is the sole IT person at Ark Media and describes his position as a “one man IT department.” This means doing a variety of jobs such as: day-to-day tech support, designing and maintaining the network and writing tech policies for the company. It all gives Meadors “a great starting place into the corporate IT world.”

Meadors reports that Ark Media, has been doing quite well with recent projects. One television project, “African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross,” was aired on PBS and won two Emmy’s and a Peabody award. Another show produced by the company, “Cancer: The Emperor of all Maladies,” airs on PBS next month (March 2015).

Student Body Voices Heard in Election of New President, VP

For many students BW's February Election Day is just another day filled with classes, commutes in the cold, and many cups of coffee or hot chocolate. However, for the representatives of BW's Student Government, this day was focused on engaging students to make sure their voices would be heard in the Student Body Elections.

This semester's election had students voting on three different ballots: Student Senator Election, Student Body President and Vice President Election, and the Ratification of the Student Body Constitution.

Ashley King '16 and Tom Jackson '16

Students elected Ashley King '16 and Tom Jackson '16 as Student Body President and Vice President.

King, a human resources management and marketing major from Ravenna, Ohio, says "Through my experiences in many different departments on campus, I have been able to see the passion and drive that not only the student have, but the faculty and staff as well. I think that this new role will provide both challenges and successes and I could not be more excited to be working with Tom to grow the campus."

Jackson, a marketing and international business major from Hermitage, Penns is looking forward to advocating for students his new executive branch role. "BW has really become my home and I couldn't be more honored to serve the community in this capacity," he says.

Along with the election of a new president and veep, students voted to ratify the following changes to the Student Body Constitution:

96th Session of Student Government

"Each Senator shall now represent 65 to 95 students rather than 85 (exact number to be determined by the senate in the fall of each academic year).

Any student wishing to become a Senator must make and maintain a 2.7 cumulative GPA.

Any Student Senator wishing to run for Student Senate President must have served in two full sessions prior, with at least one of the two having been served in the year preceding the selection.

Any student wishing to become a Supreme Court Justice must make and maintain a 2.7 cumulative GPA."

With a set of newly-elected Senators and a new Student Body Executive Branch, Student Government looks towards another exciting semester in working to improve BW's campus.