Top Finishes at Small Business Institute Competition

February 2012 -- For the second year in a row, the College of Business and Economics earned top recognitions at the 36th Annual Small Business Institute® Conference. The conference was held over the February 16-18 weekend in San Antonio, Texas. The SBI Project of the Year Awards recognize field-based student consulting projects which are supervised by SBI members, such as university faculty.

Management professor Lois Shelton and her student team of Namdar Akrami, Robert Anton, Rohit Jain, Jeremy King, and Vanessa Walker won 1st place in the graduate feasibility category for their project on WatAir, Robert Rosner.

Business Law professor Melanie Williams and her student team of Chris Hanley, Victor Lazo, Tuan Nguyen, Sandra Sripapattanavong, and LaFaye Wilson won 3rd place in the graduate specialized category for their project on Sorrells Pickard Gourmet Peanut Butter, Bruce Sandzimier and Herb Dow.

“This year was the second year our MBA program participated in this competition, and we have gathered two first place awards. What a testament to the quality of work by our students and faculty, and an honor for our MBA Consulting Program that serves local small businesses and not-for-profit organizations,” stated Deborah Cours, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing and MBA Director.

These awards build on last year's recognition of Marketing professor Kristen Walker and her student team of Bahareh Zand, Beena Kulkarni, Rahikka Natkunanathan, Sandrea Piorek, Violetta Lebiodia-Skoczen. The team won 1st place in the graduate specialized category for their on Agora Realty and Management.

Formed in 1976, the Small Business Institute® is the premier organization dedicated to field-based student consulting and outreach to small businesses. Members are actively involved with small businesses, entrepreneurial firms, and organizations in their communities and regions.

The SBI Project of the Year Awards encourage its members and other college and university faculty to involve students in practical consulting projects. Faculty-guided, student-based field projects serve clients who own or operate local business ventures or non-profit organizations. Supervised by faculty, these projects provide students opportunities to help make lasting improvements in their clients' business operations. As a result, students learn about operating small businesses, gain a sense of achievement, and earn respect. The projects culminate in a final written consulting report that is delivered to the client. SBI recognizes first place, second place, and third place awards to programs in both undergraduate and graduate divisions that complete either specialized consulting projects or comprehensive projects.

Management Course Encourages Students to "Meet the CEOs"

Spring 2012 -- This semester, a select group of students have had the unique experience to interview and network with senior executives from a variety of companies for course credit. Team-taught by Professor Lois Shelton and College Advisory Board Member Roy Salter, MGT 496: Executive Leadership involves a competition throughout the semester among 10 to 15 teams of the students. The goal is for the teams to complete reports analyzing the various companies through field-visits with the senior executives and present the completed reports in class.

Students develop a strong understanding of “what is needed” in the real world, and preparedness for the real-world, by being challenged in all areas of professionalism. In addition, students develop a greater sense of career-direction from exposure to multiple-business types, business-personality compatibility and personal preferences.

Executives participating in the class this semester include:

• American Golf Corporation- Keith Brown ’88
• Electrorent- Steven Markheim '74 (College Advisory Board Member)
• Frazier Aviation- Bob Frazier (College Advisory Board Member)
• IW Group, INC- Bill Imada '84
• Keyes Motors- Howard Tenenbaum
• Paradigm Talent Agency- Sam Gores
• Premiere Radio Networks - Dan Yukelson '85
• Regency Lighting- Ron Regenstrief
• Save V Foods- Pete Vegas
• So Cal Edison- Kit Cole (College Advisory Board Member)
• The Scotland Group- David Auchterlonie '68 (College Advisory Board Member)
• Tropicana Hotels- Alex Yemenidjian ’77 

Leaders in Alliance Hosts COBAE Meet The Firms In May

May 2012 -- Leaders in Alliance in the College of Business and Economics at California State University, Northridge is hosting the 1st Annual COBAE Meet the Firms networking event. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm in the CSUN Northridge Center.

The networking event will bring together students from various disciplines: Business Law, Economics, Finance, Real Estate, Global Supply Chain Management, Management, Marketing, and Systems and Operations Management. The event will offer companies an excellent opportunity to interact with a very diverse student body of exceptional business and economics students.

Registration for the event is complimentary and includes a 6 ft. x 2 ft. booth, appetizers/refreshments and campus parking for representatives from participating companies. In addition, all participating companies will receive a resume book of interested students following the event.

COBAE students who wish to attend the event may register at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2012MTFStudent

Companies who wish to attend the event may register at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/COBAEMeetTheFirms2012

For additional information regarding COBAE Meet the Firms, please contact the COBAE Internship Program at 818-677-4697 or business.internships@csun.edu.

Leaders in Alliance facilitates communication and cooperation between the student clubs and organizations affiliated with California State University, Northridge’s College of Business and Economics. The student leaders strive to foster and promote college unity within COBAE, aid in the continual existence and success of all University-recognized clubs and organizations, and enhance the reputation of COBAE and in turn CSUN to the public.