CIE at George Mason University School of Business

11/16/2020

Our first Innovation & Entrepreneurship movie club is this Wednesday 11.18.20 at 12 pm est. we will cover The Social Network and The Social Dilemma
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This program builds off of our success of using movies and podcasts in our classroom and our super successful Smart People Still Read Books Book Club.
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If you want to join us 11.18.20 at 12 pm est email CIEMason (@) GMU.edu.
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#socialdilemma #socialmedia #facebook #thesocialdilemma #thesocialnetwork #zuckerberg @netflix #movieclub #gmu #mason @ciemason #experientiallearning

10/28/2020

The Business of Well-Being and the Markets

The Business of Well-Being and the Markets

09/11/2020

Reviewing edits on my Peloton book while waiting for CEO John Foley to appear on @CNBC to discuss their amazing Q4 2020 results! @onepeloton @nasdaq #trainpeloton #fitness $PTON #PTON #victorylap #profitable #professorsofinstagram #nonfiction #cnbc

09/10/2020

Blowout numbers for Peloton. 1.09 million connected subscribers, 24.7 workouts per sub per month is bonkers, bananas, and more. 3.1 million members!! Income for the quarter and $1.8 billion in revenue for the year with expectations for $3.5 or more in 2021!!!
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@onepeloton @nasdaq #moretocome #trainpeloton #q42020 #johnfoley #tomecortese #pelotoninteractive

09/01/2020

Well-being is big business - $4.5 trillion a year if you accept some studies. It’s broad & deep & there are some seriously smart, aggressive, strong and well capitalized organizations circling the space and charging in.
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I am impressed by Walmart’s declaration, though I was in a store yesterday (8/31) and it did not reek of health and well-being. I did by some organic petit carrots, but also Hostess cupcakes and one of the biggest boxes of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes ever (I have 3 kids at home - sorry, not sorry). I’ll be sure to visit on September and “see what I see” and focus on my well-being while shopping. Perhaps there will be signage and specials?
For those who are following my Peloton research, you may know Peloton clone / copycat Echelon has models available at Walmart.
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At @ciemason @georgemasonbiz our Business of Well-being Initiative is pushing hard to better understand the marketplace, strategies and innovators in the space. As well as the giants getting in such as Walmart, Apple, Google and others.
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#businessofwellbeing #wellbeing #walmart #wmt #healthylifestyle #pattilabelle #september #aapl #goog #bentonvillearkansas #samwalmart #ecehelon @echelon.fit #echelonfit #walmartplus #tiktok

08/20/2020

Our Smart People Still Read Books Book Club hosts a session on living icon Elon Musk through the prism of Ashlee Vance’s Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
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So many lessons in Musk’s rise and impact on the world. Countless singular instances and approaches in his life this far. So much better than fiction and so readable. The @georgemasonbiz @ciemason @georgemasonu community is going to get into some big topics during this session.
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#highered #elonmusk #tesla #spacex #books #nonfiction #businessbook #businessschool #bschool #businessbook #bestseller #rocket #spaceindustry #autoindustry #cars #teslamodels #falcon9 #mars #quotes #entrepreneur #teslamodel3 #spacetravel

08/13/2020

The Founder (2016) might be my favorite teaching movie. There are so many amazing entrepreneurship and innovation lessons in the film. Some lessons are technical, others human, all fascinating.
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“We’re an overnight sensation. Thirty years in the making. ” Mac McDonald. One of my favorite lines from the film. I’ve got about 10 more - many in the learning resources I am creating with my colleague Jim Wolfe.
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#businessschool #movies #michaelkeaton #raykroc #fastfood #thefounder #founders #businessschool @georgemasonbiz @ciemason #jimwolfe #management #newventure #2016 #script #awardwinning #famousbrothers #mcdonalds #teaching #mcdonaldsbrothers @ George Mason University

08/07/2020

@Wawa to open first stand alone drive thru in Pennsylvania in December 2020. Does this make WaWa a fast food venture?
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This marks an important and needed shift by Wawa - what I consider the best convenience store operator I’ve experienced as a customer. The company has nearly 1000 stores and I think I’ve been to 10% of them (due to kids travel sports in PA, NJ, DE, VA). I recently visited a new store in Vienna, VA near the @georgemasonu campus in Fairfax. I could not resist stopping in. (Second pic) Unfortunate I will not be on a campus as often during the fall semester. I love making WaWa runs. It takes business from Starbucks when it’s an option.
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Trend is clear; drive thru, convenience, smaller footprint, self-serve, apps, etc.
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#cstore #wawa #wawarun #wawacoffee #drivethru #kiosk #sheetz #modernarchitecture #fastfood #mcdonalds #selfserve #kiosk #beyondmeat #viennava #newstore #retail #retailgrowth

08/06/2020

While the stock market is booming - driven by the largest tech firms, the debt markets are also hitting all kinds of records. @google parent company Alphabet just issued the lowest priced corporate debt on record.
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So many of us get so enamored by the stock markets, the day to day swings and the stories of massive capital gains on high flying stocks like @Apple @Facebook @amazon and that we forget that US debt markets are larger than equities markets and fortunes are made an lost there daily.
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Regarding the Alphabet sale of debt yielding almost zero. From the @reuters article: The deal garnered more than $31 billion in demand, according to Refinitiv IFR. Previously, Alphabet’s lowest coupon was 1.25% on a $1 billion May 2014 note.”
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Lots of capital out there. Assuming others are also issuing. Bankers making money too.
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Oh, but it’s not so easy for many many small businesses in the US to get money (don’t want to forget that), their balance sheets, cash flows and prospects don’t look like google’s. These are challenging times.
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#stocks #bonds #billions #capital #corporatefinance #cfo $amzn #amzn #cfostuff $goog #goog #wallstreet #lowcost #freemoney #investmentbanking #debt

08/03/2020

Awesome coverage of @chekmateapp on @hercampus ; Chekmate is a dating app with a range of innovative features that move users beyond texting and closer to healthy relationships.
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Really well researched and written article by @lizziekarpen @barnardcollege
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Chekmate’s founder Jimi Tele is @georgemasonbiz graduate that I’ve been working with for a few years. He is a true entrepreneur and has been working so hard building this venture. Jimi has filled out his team with great talent, including a load of @georgemasonu graduates.
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Chekmate is participating in our business of well-being collaborative where teams building ventures that improve well-being meet, work with mentors, receive stipends and more.
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Go download #Chekmateapp and experience a new approach to building healthy relationships
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#datingapp #studentfounded #gmu #mason #relationshipgoals #dmvstartup #dmvtech #consumertech #onlinedating #datingadvice #newapp #relationship @ George Mason University

07/31/2020

Truly mind boggling results from the largest tech firms.
While dramatic challenges claw at our society and economy, it’s clear there is incredible innovation and and growth taking place simultaneously.
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Hard to believe that @amazon is our new neighbor here in Washington DC
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@amazon @facebook @apple @ciemason @georgemasonu #earnings @wsj

07/31/2020

Truly mind boggling results from the largest tech firms.
While dramatic challenges claw at our society and economy, it’s clear there is incredible innovation and and growth taking place simultaneously.
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Hard to believe that @amazon is our new neighbor here in Washington DC
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@amazon @facebook @apple @ciemason @georgemasonu #earnings @wsj

07/30/2020

Been waiting for today for awhile, the IPO of @vitalfarms; the largest player in the pasture raised egg space.
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I’ve learned a great deal about food, farming and impact from a range of people of the past few years and pasture raised speaks a growing number of consumers. I’ve learned a great deal from @whiffletreefarm
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While the rise of Vital Farms out of Austin, TX makes sense; local vs national (or global) appears to matter in the higher growth, higher margins segments of the food business. I believe Vital Farms’ IPO is great because it will massively raised awareness of the goals beyond these food products and methods.
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@whitehall.farm @ciemason #wellbeing #local $VITL @nasdaq #IPO #pastureraised #pastureraisedeggs

07/20/2020

Elon Musk by @valleyhack is our next Smart People Still Read Books Book Club @ciemason @georgemasonu
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Register now for a free copy - our budgets may be slashed, but we will always give away free books. I mean, knowledge creation and dissemination is our business right?
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All welcome and encouraged to attend this session on August 20, 2020 at 12 pm
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This is a great chance to learn about Musk, Tesla, SpaceX and more and hangout with the coolest people on campus - digital or physical. This club is a good chance to recharge / charge your brain for the upcoming year.
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From the Chapter Titled Africa describing Musk’s childhood in South Africa: “The most striking part of Elon’s character as a young boy was his compulsion to read. From a very young age, he seemed to always have a book in his hands at all times.” See the pic for a full details on his reading as a young man. Makes me believe he would agree that smart people still read books.
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#bookclub #elonmusk #tesla #spacex #tsla #mason #gmu #businessbooks #bestseller #nonfiction #paypal #ebay #allwelcom #joinus #reading #readmore #freebooks @georgemasonbiz

07/06/2020

We're moving! Please be sure to follow and like our Center's updated page: https://www.facebook.com/CIEMason/ . We look forward to sharing programming opportunities and ways to engage with us.

07/01/2020

@campusfbn & @flowerzteaz cut, cleaned, sold and delivered their first batch of locally grown fresh cut flowers.
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The Campus Food & Beverage Network is part of an experiential entrepreneurship program @ciemason @georgemasonbiz @georgemasonu
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20% of CFBN revenue goes to combat food insecurity on campus.
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FlowerTeaz is a new venture created by Mason alumni @zpashawty and we are exploring distribution models together.
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The beautiful fresh cut local flowers went from farm to table in less than 4 hours!! How amazing is that?
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We have been planning this for many months (duh - we had to plant!!) and it took hard work and support from many - including @communityfoundationfornova @ibipash @whitehall.farm @cie_program_manager @whiffletreefarm @nkelleherauthor
@ George Mason University

05/21/2020

Congrats to the Mason Class of 2020!

Congrats to the class of 2020 from Prof David J Miller. George Mason University George Mason University School of Business

05/06/2020

Check out the 2020 Ventures for Well-Being Showcase Playlist:
https://tinyurl.com/ycoa693x

03/28/2020

My heart is breaking for my students (more than 70% are graduating in the next 6 months). A great piece from David Yaffe-Bellany @nytimes points out the pain & challenges ahead:
“When the coronavirus pandemic forced college students across the country to leave campus in early March, the abrupt departure was especially painful for seniors. It meant rushed goodbyes, canceled graduation ceremonies — an overwhelming sense of loss.

Now, many of those seniors are home with their families, contemplating an even worse prospect: a job market more grim than any in recent history. Last week, according to the Labor Department, nearly 3.3 million people filed for unemployment benefits, more than quadruple the previous record.”

Further: “Historically, college students who graduate into a recession have settled for lower-paying jobs at less prestigious companies than people who finished college even a year earlier. Economists have found that the impact of that bad luck can linger for as long as 10 or 15 years, leading to higher unemployment rates and lower salaries — a phenomenon known as “scarring.”

Whether the class of 2020 will face long-term consequences depends on a range of factors, including the length of the pandemic and the severity of the recession that seems certain to follow. But it doesn’t look good.”
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The article has more data, but my reworked syllabus includes many assignments that have students working on career readiness, industry outreach and skill acquisition. I’ve ever gone this far into career readiness and job search in a class - I teach entrepreneurship & small businesses for gosh sakes; that said these are not regular times (no on campus recruiting, career fairs, and hiring freezes). I have an obligation to our students to help them get where they want to be - no matter how challenging that task has become. It’s going to demand creativity from me and my colleagues at @ciemason @georgemasonbiz and @georgemasonu as well as resilience and huge efforts from the students /grads themselves
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#classof2020 #onlinelearning #recession #recentgrad #jobsearch #internship #jobsearch #careerservices #recruiting #collegedebt @davidyaffebellany #nytimes @ George Mason University

03/20/2020

UPDATE on 2020 Ventures for Well-Being Pitch Competition:

The Center remains committed to supporting Mason students/alumnus and their ideas. Innovation and new venture creation in the well-being industry is arguably more important now than ever.

The application deadline has been UPDATED to:

Friday, March 27th at 11:59PM.

We will have a live broadcast on the Center’s StartUp Mason page this Monday, March 23rd at 2:00pm.

Just RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/884449635351158/ to reserve your spot for the discussion on Well-Being and Entrepreneurship Workshop.

We also will provide an ***update next week*** about how the Ventures for Well-Being Pitch Competition will be adjusted once the semester resumes.

Here's the app link if you need it: https://forms.gle/FGZnpDH3xVFW26sS8

As mentioned above, our commitment to fostering experiential entrepreneurship education will not change and we will continue to be an accessible resource for our students and alumni.

More details to come next week about the competition format and chances to connect online!

Sincerely,

--The CIE team

03/11/2020

The latest CIE newsletter is HERE!

http://bit.ly/CIEnews031120

Get a glimpse of the CIE Council meeting, app deadline approaches for Ventures for Well-Being Pitch Competition, local farm tour opportunity, read up on Dr. David J. Miller's research on student ventures and more!!!

03/04/2020

email : Webview : Mason's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Newsletter

Check out the latest CIE Newsletter: http://bit.ly/CIEnews030420

From selling 600 beyond organic eggs to visiting an innovative fitness hall, an upcoming farm tour, the new selection for the book club and much, much MORE!

03/01/2020

Last week @campusfbn distributed/sold 50 dozen pasture raised eggs from @whiffletreefarm...
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Our student venture program develops products, sells produxts and makes impact. 20 percent of gross revenue goes to combat food insecurity @georgemasonu
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This kind of experiential learning in the real marketplace is what we need more of. From meeting vendors, developing products and pricing with profit and impact in mind and selling, marketing and more, this program @georgemasonbiz @ciemason is special and growing.
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Let’s not forget, our student leaders and participants (more than 14 this semester) are directly helping other students in need & working with multiple new, local farms and businesses as they grow and develop their business models.
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The Student Venture Program provides real world learning experience and on campus internship opportunities to our students. It is efficient and effective. They are also learning about challenges and opportunities in our food system - from production and packaging to marketing and sales.
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#socialimpact #highereducation #experientiallearning #entrepreneurship101 #businessschool #farm #pasturedeggs #students #foodindustry #sustainableagriculture #georgemason #gmu #masonnation #northernva #fairfaxva #warrentonva #whiffletreefarm #bizschool #allmajorswelcome #oncampus #internshipprogram @ George Mason University

02/26/2020

email : Webview : Mason's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Newsletter

Happy Well-Being Wednesday!

Check out our latest newsletter: http://bit.ly/CIEnews022620

02/25/2020

Mason taste-testers chew over the ultimate question: Impossible Whopper or Beyond Burger? | George Mason

Missed our #plantbased burger taste test? Read all about it. Spoiler: people seemed to really like the Burger King Impossible Whopper:
https://www2.gmu.edu/news/583231

On February 24, 2020, the Board of Visitors named Dr. Gregory Washington the eighth president of George Mason University.