Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship
The Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship is an entrepreneurship education resource that provides classes, coaching and assistance to entrepreneurs. It builds relationships among and between CSB/SJU students, faculty, alumnae/i, and community members to create and strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit.
Hear what our Entrepreneur Scholar Alums have to say-
2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards
Registration is now open for the 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards! Winners will be announced in June. Cost is $45 dollars per seat. This year our event will be held at The Depot, in Minneapolis. To register for this event, click the link below. If you have any questions, please contact Terri Barreiro at tbarreiro@csbsju.edu or by phone at 320.363.2373
2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards
September 5th, 2013
11:15-2:00pm
The Depot
225 Third Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Click here to register for this event!
For more information on this event, click here.
The Eric Rego BIG Idea Competition is an annual competition for all CSB/SJU students who have a dream to make the world, or things in it, better. Individuals or teams can apply by submitting a venture idea description and presenting the idea in a 90 second "elevator pitch" The ten finalists will repeat their elevator pitch before a panel of business and nonprofit leader alumni/ae and selected Entrepreneurial Studies students during Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day. That event occurs every year at the end of April. Winners receive cash prizes and promotion of their idea on campus, to alumni and to local and regional community.
Wednesday, April 23rd
Sexton Fireside Room, SJU
6:00-8:30pm
1st, 2nd and 3rd place will present their ideas again as part of Scholarship and Creativity Day!
Wednesday, April 24th in Quad 263, SJU from 1:00-2:00.
For more information on the 2013 Eric Rego competition, and to apply online, CLICK HERE.
SJU Solar Winter Greenhouse Groundbreaking!
We are pleased to announce the groundbreaking for the solar Winter Greenhouse at St. John's. This winter greenhouse will be managed by a team of students. It will produce lettuce and other green vegetables for the Dining Service at SJU, starting later this semester. At 3:00 on Monday, January 28th, we celebrated the beginning of the construction with a groundbreaking ceremony west of the hockey rink in Flynn Town.
SJU Senior Steve Johnson is the student who developed the concept in a Social Entrepreneurship course fall of 2011 and who worked with many at SJU to make it a reality. The mix of financial support that came together to initiate this project shows the breadth of support for sustainability and student led ventures at our colleges.
We particularly want to thank the Saint John's Senate for their early contribution to the project last spring. Not only did they provide needed funds but also a needed voice of support for the value of this project to students. Their second gift this fall came as the construction costs increased and additional funds were needed. Saint John's Senate went out of their way to step forward to help this project become a reality.
There will be two solar winter greenhouses on our campuses. There is a similar greenhouse in the works at the College of Saint Benedict with a planned start of construction March 2013. The Office of Sustainability at CSB is the home base for that student project.
The contributors to the SJU Greenhouse are as follows:
McLeod Family Trust
Mitsch Family Foundation
Sterling House
Saint John's Student Senate - contributed both in 2011-2012 and in 2012-13
President's Office, Saint John's University
In addition the Saint John's Dining Service and an Anonymous Donor provided some needed support
Loans were also obtained to support this project -
Sustainability Loan Committee
McNeely Center Loan Committee
We want to publically thank all who provided funds to help launch this venture.
The Donald McNeely Center welcomes Pat Maxwell, our 2012-2013 Executive in Residence!
Click here to read more about Pat and the executive in residence position.
Entrepreneur of the Year Awards
The 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards was a huge success! We had over 240 alumni/alumnae and friends of the Colleges in attendance. Congrats to this years winners Margaret Murphy '90, Cary Musech '80, and Joe Cavanaugh '81!
Click here to read the bios of our 2012 winners.
The 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards will take place on Thursday, September 5th. To nominate someone for the 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year, click here.
More details on this event to come.
CSB/SJU takes 1st and 2nd at National Entrepreneur Scholar Elevator Pitch Competition
The 8th group of E-Scholars traveled to Denver this February to compete in the annual National Elevator Pitch Competition. CSB/SJU took 1st and 2nd place wins! Tu Tran took home the trophy and a cash prize of $500, with her idea- Healthy Vending Machines, and Anthony Retica tied for 2nd place and took home $300 with his idea for a breathalyzer that is present in bars around the state. We are very proud of our Entrepreneur Scholars! Way to Go E-8's!!!
(Anthony and Tu are the two individuals on the left)
The McNeely Center has selected the 10th group of Entrepreneur Scholars!
Amanda Urbanski
Christine Gunderson
Daniel Hammerseng-Nelson
Elia Medina
Frank Zellner
Ian Scherber
Jake Barrientos
Jenna Laufers
John Moore
Lizeth Martinez-Ayala
Maggie Chase
Teddy Kline
Morgan McGrath
Congratulations!!
The Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship has an Executive in Residence.
The Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship will host its second Executive-in-Residence. The goal of the program is to build on the success of our current alumni mentoring program and deepen the opportunity for student connection through more frequent and informal access to seasoned and accomplished leaders dedicated to sharing their experience and expertise.
Social Entrepreneurs and future nonprofit leaders assisted by the Center
The mission of the Donald McNeely Center includes reaching those with entrepreneurial visions to address social and community issues. The Center provides individual advice and coaching to students and community leaders. Read more about this work.
Donald McNeely, Inspirational Founder, 1914-2009
Donald McNeely, aged 94, passed away March 9th, 2009. He was the inspirational founder of the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship and a frequent advisor for staff and students. He will be greatly missed.
Current Events
Entrepreneurial Leadership Series Luncheons
Our next event is our is on Thursday, May 16th! Featuring keynote speaker, Mike Wethington, President and CEO, Outsell. Click here to read more about Mike.
Note: Starting in November 2011, the McNeely Center will be switching over from paper to electronic invitations only for The Entrepreneurial Leadership Luncheon series. To make sure you are on our electronic invite list, please email Kelli Gradin at kgradin@csbsju.edu.
The Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship proudly celebrates the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards!
2012 Winners
College of Saint Benedict Entrepreneur of the Year:
Margaret Murphy, Olson
Saint John's University Entrepreneur of the Year:
Cary Musech, Tonka Bay Equity Partners
CSB/SJU Entrepreneur of the Year:
Joe Cavanaugh, Youth Frontiers
2011
Click here to read the bios and to view the videos of our 2011 winners.
Campus 2 Canvas Sells Painting in St. John's Bookstore
Below is an email from one of the student founders to the McNeely Center:
"Today when I walked into the SJU Bookstore, I noticed that something was missing. It was the first ever C2C painting to sell in the bookstore, of the Stella Maris Chapel. After my immediate joyous fistpump, I snapped a picture of the empty easel display and couldn't help to think about the significance of that moment.
I am writing you today, because you have profoundly influenced and impacted me. I just want to share this moment with you and share my gratitude for all that you've done. The venture is blossoming, and I can't wait to see what happens once the season comes into full swing. I really appreciate all your advice and help throughout the last 10 months, this wouldn't have been possible without you. Thank you so much."
E-Scholar Venture Pays off Loan!
Clemens Perk was our first student started-student managed campus venture. It began with a large loan from St. Bens for equipment and space renovation needed for the coffee shop. Each year a new group of students step into leadership roles and run the venture successfully. As of August 2010 the coffee shop has successfully paid off its original loan. Per the recommendation of the founding students as well as other management teams now Clemens Perk is contributing and will be listed as a Sponsor of the E-Scholars program. Beginning this fiscal year they will contribute $5000 to become a full annual sponsor.
Remembering Eric Rego, E-Scholar first cohort. Eric graduated from St. John's in 2006 and was part of the first group of Entrepreneurial Scholars. Eric passed away in December 2008 and will be missed by everyone who knew him.
Check us out on Facebook and Twitter!
