Zarb Events Preceding the Presidential Debate at HU

As Hofstra University gets ready to host the September 26 presidential debate, we are pleased that the Zarb School of Business will host two of the many pre-debate events being held on campus.

Check www.hofstra.edu/debate for more information on the debate and the related events — and to see event updates.

• Tuesday, September 13, 4-6 p.m.
  Panel Discussion: World of Work
  The typical employment relationship has changed drastically over the last few decades and will continue to evolve as the millennials assume leadership positions in organizations and technological advances shape the world of work. Employers strive to create organizational cultures that are responsive to workers and support various work-life-balance initiatives while navigating a myriad of employment legislations that frame the relationship. From the type of work to the methods of collaborating and producing, organizations are facing transformative decisions regarding the optimal form of strategy and structure to remain competitive. What should the new employment relationship look like? How can employers balance competing interests and still move the economy forward?

Sponsored by the Frank G. Zarb School of Business.
Guthart Cultural Center Theater, Axinn Library
Host: Janet Lenaghan, Vice Dean, Zarb School of Business

• Wednesday, September 21, 4-6 p.m.
  Panel Discussion: Analytics and Decision Making
  Big data is getting more precise, more accessible, faster and cheaper. Analytics software is becoming increasingly more advanced and widespread. As a result, the proliferation of data and advances in new technology enable private business, government, education and the military to make better decisions, faster and cheaper. The world of business is changing. The economy is changing. The impact and value of analytics in major sectors of our economy will be discussed by the panel.

Sponsored by the Frank G. Zarb School of Business.
Guthart Cultural Center Theater, Axinn Library, First Floor
Contact: Janet Lenaghan, Vice Dean, Zarb School of Business

 

The Zarb School’s 2016 Undergraduate Dean’s Award for Service

The Hofstra University undergraduate student organization 180 Degrees Consulting is “a branch of the world’s largest student consultancy that helps nonprofits achieve a greater social impact.” The group’s mission is “to strengthen the ability of socially conscious organizations in order to achieve high impact social outcomes through the development of innovative, practical and sustainable solutions.”

During the current 2015-2016 academic year, 180 Degrees Consulting has received two major awards: Pre-Professional Organization of the Year at Hofstra University and 2015-2016 Zarb School of Business Dean’s Award for Best Student Organization.

As the Zarb School’s Patricia Ciavarello reports:

“The undergraduate student organization 180 Degrees Consulting has been awarded the Frank G. Zarb School of Business’s 2016 Undergraduate Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service.. The group prides itself on giving students the opportunity to combine their passion for business with their passion for giving back to the community. This year, the organization consulted with seven local nonprofit organizations including Bethany House, New Ground Inc., STW Advocacy for at Risk Youth, Morrison Mentors, IPOV Agency, The Book Fairies, and Heeling Soles.”

“Students assisted these organizations with a variety of services including creating a comprehensive strategic plan, addressing recruitment and marketing issues, creating awareness, and improving financial viability. In addition to the plan proposals, students also donated their time to support their causes. At the conclusion of each semester, the organization held a final presentation night where students completed their reports to each of the organizations and present recommendations to the leadership of each nonprofit.”

As Brendan Rourke (BBA 2016) noted: “When I created 180 Degrees Consulting at Hofstra, I was looking for a unique experience to introduce students to the concept of corporate social responsibility and get them better acquainted with the constant challenges that are present in the non-profit sector. In addition, we are assisting our consultants to effectively run a business and think analytically and creatively – skills that anyone, regardless of career path, can apply to a professional setting.”

German MBA Students at the Zarb School

As part of their overseas practicum, Hochshule Bremen City University of Applied Sciences MBA students recently visited the Zarb School of Business.

Their visit began with a lecture given by Dr. Richard Hayes of the Management and Entrepreneurship Department regarding Innovation and Entrepreneurship; and this was followed by a company visit to Canon’s U.S. Headquarters where they toured the product showroom and learned about sports marketing, branding, and Canon’s corporate message.

Students then met with Dr. Paul Martorana of the Management and Entrepreneurship Department to discuss Differences in Leadership in Global Companies and with Dr. Kaushik Sengupta of the Management and Entrepreneurship Department as they examined Global Supply Chain Management. Lifetime Brands in Garden City also hosted a tour and presentations for students by the controller, traffic coordinator and E-commerce marketing support officer. Class presentations concluded the visit as Dean Herman Berliner presented participants with certificates of completion.

Hochshule Bremen City University of Applied Sciences is an exchange partner with the Zarb School that also offers Zarb students the opportunity to study in Germany for a semester or during the summer break.

Below is a brief slideshow.
 

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The Zarb School Congratulations ALL 2016 Graduates

Sunday May 15, 2016 was a day for new alumni and their family and friends to celebrate the graduation of both undergraduate and graduate students at Hofstra University. The Zarb School of Business gives a big shout out for a job well done.

Stay in touch with your alma mater. Here are some great links for you. Please join sign up and join us:

• Zarb School of Business Blog
• Zarb School of Business on Facebook
• Alumni of Hofstra University on LinkedIn 
• Zarb School of Business on LinkedIn
• Zarb Alumni Association *Official Group* on LinkedIn
• Hofstra University, Frank G. Zarb School of Business Alumni Group on LinkedIn
• Zarb School of Business on Twitter

 

 

Winners of 2016 Hofstra CPXi Venture Challenge

The 2016 Hofstra CPXi Venture Challenge recently concluded with Hofstra undergraduate and graduate student entrepreneurs winning a total of $42,000 in prizes.

Here is the recap of the 2016 challenge, as reported by Hofstra’s Karla Schuster:

“A staring contest mobile app and a 3D-printed bionic hand won the top prizes in the 2016 Hofstra CPXi Venture Challenge entrepreneurship contest. The competition, sponsored by alumnus and trustee Mike Seiman, CEO of the digital media company CPXi, drew more than 57 competitors – the largest number since it began in 2013. A total of 17 finalists (11 undergraduate students and six graduate students) competed for $42,000 in seed money for their ventures. Seiman founded CPXi when he was still a student at Hofstra.”

“Look, the staring-contest mobile app, was conceived by a team of four students, two freshmen – engineering major Lynn Luong and biology major Anthony Avgi, and two sophomores – international business major Allon Avgi and management major Chris Catalano. All are officers of the Hofstra University Start-Ups club. Their team won the $15,000 first-place prize in the undergraduate competition.”

“Second place and $10,000 went to Beacon, a location-based app for those between the ages of 18 and 29 to meet those of similar interests was presented by juniors Christopher Davie and Taylor Ninesling. Dylan Ander, a senior won the $5,000 third place prize for GearLocker – a guitar lock with a GPS chip.”

“We come from such diverse backgrounds and we never thought we would get to this place,” Lynn Luong said. “Now we have the motivation and the fire to keep going.” The students also credited Hofstra’s Center for Entrepreneurship, which presented the 2016 Venture Challenge, with providing the guidance that helped them make a successful pitch. The center, through its Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and Accelerator programs, provided CPXi contestants with sessions on a wide range of issues including preparing a business pitch and plan, intellectual property issues, and how to build a business without outside capital. “The entrepreneurs-in-residence helped us so much,” Anthony Avgi said. “They gave us pointers on our presentation and our business plan. They spent so much time with us. We learned so much.”

On the graduate side, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine student Todd Goldstein took first place and $7,000 for Mano-Matic, a 3D printed prosthetic hand controlled with electronic motors and sensors. The runners-up were were: Urban Jungle Green Roofing, an innovative engineering and installation company founded by Nicholas Wejchert, which won second place and $4,000; and TobChat, a “connectivity media” alternative to social media for developing nations presented by Oluwatobi Kareem, which won third place and $1,000.

Photo: (from left) Software entrepreneur James Droskoski (judge), and CPXi CEO Mike Seiman (judge), LOOK team members Anthony Avgi ’19, Chris Catalano ’18, Allon Avgi ’18 and Lynn Luong ’19, Center for Entrepreneurship Executive Dean Mark Lesko, and judges Mike Zacharski, COO of CPXi, Dr. Elizabeth Venuti, senior associate dean of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business and Nasi Ali, CEO of Upstate Venture Connect and executive director of Seed Capital Fund of Central New York.