Schmidthorst College Announces 2021 Hatchlings at Insiders’ Update

Written by Bailey Smith, Communications Intern

The Schmidthorst College of Business at Bowling Green State University hosted a December Insiders’ Update event, a virtual event for college advisory board members.

Ray Braun ’80, Dean of the Schmidthorst College, highlighted the extraordinary semester including the naming of the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business, the dedication of the Robert W. and Patricia A. Maurer Center, the induction of Richard Allen, Bethany Bryant, Al Green, and Brad Seaman into the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Hall of Fame, and hosting the first virtual Hatch program.  On Saturday, the College congratulated 121 new graduates, the first students to graduate from the Schmidthorst College of Business in the Robert W. and Patricia A. Maurer Center.

Dean Braun discussed the rapid response plan developed by the College’s Committee to Advance Teaching and Learning (CATL) to ensure degree progression for students during the pandemic.  CATL’s Ten Core Practices Essential to Distance Learning Experiences was recently featured in BizEd Magazine, the leading publication on business education, published by AACSB, the top business school accreditor in the world

“Even with these most extraordinary events, we are most proud of the adaptability, flexibility, and perseverance of our faculty, staff, and students to successfully complete the fall semester,” commented Dean Ray Braun. “Our students were adaptable, resilient, and understanding as we delivered our curriculum in a new way, in a new building, in a challenging environment.”

Director of the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Kirk Kern, provided an update on the 2020 Virtual Hatch. Kern reviewed the production of the first ever virtual Hatch program, several deals made with Hatchlings, and noted that over 3,000 households across the nation tuned in.

2020 Hatchlings Marissa Brubaker ’2020 and Brandon Bayes ’2020 shared their unique Hatch experiences with listeners. They discussed the preparation it took before, during, and after the program, working alongside their mentors, investors, and many others, to prepare for launching their ventures.

Hatch mentor, Paul J. Hooker ’75, and investor, Mark C. West ’90, discussed the Hatch from their perspectives. They shared that it’s an educational experience and talked about how much they enjoy being involved with the program and students. The two encouraged participants to get involved if they have an interest and the resources to assist!

Entrepreneurship Week is scheduled for April 19-23. Kern also announced the 2021 Hatchlings that have been selected to pitch their business ideas.

2021 Hatchling Ideas

Nathanael Slemmons, Freshman
Schmidthorst College of Business
Product: TV Remote & Personal Item Locator
 

Pablo Gomez-Estevez, Graduate
College of Musical Arts
Product: "Literally"

Joe Greve, Junior
Schmidthorst College of Business
Product: "CrankSaver Technology"

Nolan Thomas, Senior
College of Arts and Sciences
Product: "Rough and Rugged"

Kathryn Greenwell and Leah Schulze, Juniors
Schmidthorst College of Business
Product: "Wheely Warmers"

Hunter Mahl, Freshman
Schmidthorst College of Business
Product: Upside-Down Mowing Rake

Shakir Blackett, Senior
College of Technology
Product: "Touch Color"

Sophia Stockham, Junior
College of Arts and Sciences
Product: "Hear to Help"

Tim Tressel, Alumni
Schmidthorst College of Business
Product: "Tooling Around"