In other news: November 2024

Scary-good business lesson

Not long after midterms, Halloween arrives as an antidote. But what if Halloween is the midterm?

Students in Professor Tim Flood’s new Flash Entrepreneurship course found out their assignment was to open a Halloween pop-up shop. The Heel-o-Ween shop took over The Pitch on West Franklin Street just a few days before the holiday, offering costumes with profits going to Hurricane Helene relief, garnering attention from the University, The Daily Tar Heel and 97.9 The Hill.

A dozen undergraduates oversaw all parts of the business, including managing inventory, marketing and social media, and ringing up customers.

“This has been the most immersive class I’ve had so far, and the most hands-on learning experience I can get,” Alex Lakatta (BSBA ’26) told 97.9 The Hill.

Click on the play button above for a behind-the-scenes look at how Heel-o-Ween came together.

The course was created by Flood, Mike Griffin (BSBA ’87) and Jared Porter (BA ’24) to offer students hands-on experience with the complexities of entrepreneurship and the logistics of turning an idea into a small business.

“The innovation, the problem-solving, the critical thinking, the handling of fires in front of you … [those] are the kind of skills that come from entrepreneurship, but they absolutely apply to Fortune 100 companies,” Flood told 97.9 The Hill. “[They] need students like this who can think through problems and come up with a solution.”

Thought leaders

• Professor Sreedhari Desai (right) was profiled by UNC Research as part of its Rooted feature, recognizing members of the Carolina community crucial to the school’s research enterprise. Desai’s research focuses on ethical decision-making, gender diversity and fairness within organizations.
• Professor Sekou Bermiss was a guest on the CUInsight Experience podcast, sharing his insights on effective leadership, building resilience and the complexity of the credit union industry.
• Professor Katrijn Gielens shared her research on the strategic implications of minimum advertised price policies for brand manufacturers at a talk at the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.

Standout students and alumni

• Addie Hileman (BSBA ’26) won first place and Nethali Padmaperuma (BSBA ’26) took third at the Association for Business Communication’s annual international writing competition. Professor Kelley O’Brien (MPA ’01) submitted Hileman’s work and Professor Jenna Haugen submitted Padmaperuma’s.
• The team of Ellie June (MBA ’26), Tim Raiford (MBA ’26), Mac Roberts (MBA ’25), Sabrina Tran (MBA ’26) and Michael Zorger (MBA ’25) placed second at the annual National Energy Finance Challenge.
• Basant Singh’s (MBA ’14) leadership approach within the fintech industry was featured by CIO Look. Singh is chief product officer at iPaySmart.
• Joe Rudisill (BSBA ’04) was named CEO of HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital. He most recently served as CEO of HCA Florida Englewood Hospital.
• Brian Tuttle (BSBA ’89, MAC ’90, MBA ’03) was named CFO of ProPharma, a global provider of clinical and regulatory life science industry services. He was previously CFO at LabConnect, World Clinical Trials and the American Materials Company.
• The Port of New Orleans Board of Commissioners appointed Beth Ann Branch (MBA ’00) as the CEO of Port NOLA and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. She was most recently CCO of the Alabama Port Authority.
• Geoffrey Gardner (BS ’97, MAC ’98) was named executive vice president and system CFO of the University of Florida Health clinical enterprise. He previously spent 16 years at Novant Health, most recently as senior vice president of finance and revenue cycle.

Spotted on social

• David Selva (BSBA ’27) reflected on launching his barber shop, Selva Cuts, two years ago and being selected to cut hair at a Latino Heritage Month event on the Business School’s campus. The same day he learned he had been admitted to the Undergraduate Business Program. A Daily Tar Heel article also showcased Selva Cuts. “I envision Selva Cuts being a place that provides a platform with opportunities for unique barbers passionate about building connections with every client,” Selva (standing at right) wrote on LinkedIn.
• Camille Walton, associate director of career and leadership for MBA programs, shares how using a walk-up song is the “secret weapon for interview confidence.”
• Gloriana Carboni (MBA ’25) wrote on LinkedIn how untraditional MBA classes helped her find her strengths in the business world as a physical therapist who has already launched two businesses. Classes like design thinking and improvisation “helped me see that my true strengths lie in innovative thinking and strategy. My diverse background is an asset, not a disadvantage.”
• Linkage CEO Tamla Oates-Forney (BSBA ’94) shared her experience returning to her alma mater for a 100 Women fireside chat with Dean Mary Margaret Frank (BSBA ’92, MAC ’92, PhD ’99). “I felt the ‘heart’ of our new dean … and her desire to make a difference,” Oates-Forney wrote on LinkedIn. “I left feeling a deep obligation to support and empowered to impact change.”
• The Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise shared a recap video of its annual Frontiers of Business Conference, which featured executives, academics and policymakers discussing how to make businesses more resilient in unpredictable times.