Being an entrepreneur just got easier thanks to students like Alison Weeks.
On any given weekday, Alison, a first-year MBA student in the Bryan School of Business and Economics and ‘10 Bryan School graduate, can be found at Greensboro’s Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship doing what she likes best–helping local start-up companies market their innovative products and services while garnering invaluable, on-the-job experience.
Weeks is part of the Entrepreneur Assistance and Education Program (EASE)–an enthusiastic corps of UNCG undergraduate and graduate students who are helping Triad businesses survive and thrive in turbulent economic times. Launched in 2007 as a joint venture between the Bryan School and the Nussbaum Center, to date 10 EASE interns have worked with more than 35 small businesses and logged more than 1,100 service hours.
The EASE program provides an opportunity for students to work directly with entrepreneurs in areas from marketing and accounting to supply chain management. More than that, it also gives students a glimpse of the hard work needed to get a new business up and running.
On this day, Weeks works with the Anna Mae Breads Company to help find local flour, molasses, spices and other key ingredients for their signature sour dough breads.
“It’s not often that students get to see a business start from the ground up,” says Shana Martin, owner of Anna Mae Breads Company. “Alison has been an incredible asset to me and everyone at the Nussbaum Center.”
It’s not often that students get to see a business start from the ground up.
During her year-long internship, Alison will have the chance to work with the 57 entrepreneurs housed in the Nussbaum Center–businesses that range from online tutoring to fabric designers.
“EASE interns are being exposed to the highest levels of decisionmaking that aren’t usually available to students,” says Sam Funchess, president of the Nussbaum Center. “This a phenomenal experience for students.”
In return for their hard work, EASE interns receive full scholarships funded by Lincoln Financial and the Greensboro Partnership – investments that help students reduce debt and contribute to the economic development of the Triad region. So far, the EASE program has created 32 jobs and generated more than $1 million in revenue, according to Funchess.
Those results have earned the program national attention. The EASE program was named a finalist for the 2010 Award of Excellence in the business assistance and entrepreneurship category from the University Economic Development Association.
Getting real-world experience for her resume while helping launch new businesses inspires Alison. “Working with entrepreneurs allows you to take pride in their success,” she says.
Photography by David Wilson, University Relations
