Launch students present at national student-run business conference
Five students from Launch: Lakeland Student-Run Businesses recently joined some of the top universities in the country in Boston Mass., for the Student Run Business Association’s national conference.
Launch leaders John Putnam, Aidan Hagar, Lizzy Hockenhull, Kelly Swope and Nidal Farah attended the SRBA conference with their staff manager, Kym Leibham.
With over 60 students in attendance from all around the country, the conference was an opportunity for Launch students to network, learn and grow.
And although Cornell, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, the Universities of Pennsylvania and Dayton, Loyola University and many of the other schools had much knowledge to offer, Launch and Lakeland’s students stayed in perfect pace with each of the 14 schools and had much to offer the conference attendees.
On the conference’s first day, Launch students led a breakout session titled “Maximizing Your Partnership: Strategies for University Owned Student-Run Businesses.” It was a beneficial time of sharing tactics and experiences Launch has encountered while engaging with other schools through questions and conversations after the session.
Besides attending the SRBA conference, the five Launch students spent the afternoon on the campus of Harvard University, meeting separately with the president and executive officers of the largest student-run businesses program in the nation. The time proved to be a mutually beneficial learning experience sharing ideas and building relationships.
“Our time in Boston was a productive time of learning and growth,” said Hockenhull, Launch’s chief marketing officer. “Not only did I learn about strategies to help me in my Launch position, but I also learned about matters which will help me in my future career post-graduation.”
Hockenhull added, “One of my favorite parts about working for Launch are the hands-on opportunities we receive now which most other students would not be able to experience until after graduation.”
Several donors, as well as support from Lakeland and President Beth Borgen, helped make the trip possible. “Without the university’s support, opportunities like these would not be possible,” Hockenhull said.
Launch currently operates four businesses, including Musko’s Campus Shop. Hockenhull said the group is proud of its businesses’ accomplishments and excited to continue the expansion of experiential and entrepreneurial learning at Lakeland.
To learn more about Launch business ventures or its impact on students, visit Launch’s webpage.
