The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Michigan State University welcomes five successful Spartan entrepreneurs into its Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program’s inaugural cohort.
Starting this fall, students in the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation’s globally recognized program can expect to receive even more in-depth, one-to-one mentorship and learning experiences. Open to all majors, students who are part of the institute’s programming explore entrepreneurship as a career path and hone their entrepreneurial mindset.
- Jasmene Bowdry (B.S. Fashion Merchandising, ’05) is a retail strategist and fashion entrepreneur. She launched SHIFT StyleHouse®, a contemporary clothing boutique for the modern renaissance woman. Joining her love of business and passion for fashion, Bowdry also founded The Boutique Teacher, LLC, which provides both current and aspiring boutique owners with proven retail strategies to grow and scale their online businesses.
- Curtis Daniel III (B.S. Psychology, ’95) is co-founder and CEO of Patchwerk Recording Studios. Under Daniel, Patchwerk Studios has been the home to more than a dozen Grammy-nominated audio engineers and over 100 gold and platinum records. Patchwerk has also been the creative force behind several educational programs and music events, such as Music University, Weekend Workshops, I Do Music, and R&B Live.
- Stacey Marsh (B.A. Marketing, ’86) is the co-founder and former CEO of Flatout Flatbread. She lives by the simple words her father said to her,” Never wonder ‘what if.'” In 2015, she and Flatout Flatbread co-founder, her husband, Michael (B.A. Marketing, ’85), successfully sold their company to Lancaster Colony. Today, she enjoys giving back and helping young entrepreneurs bring their dreams to life.
- John Rood (B.A. International Relations and Political Theory, ’05) founded Next Step Test Preparation, which grew from a two-person tutoring operation to a market leader in pre-health entrance exam test preparation before selling to private equity. Today, he is the managing director at Greenrood Holdings LLC, which invests in education and edtech businesses.
- Jim Wirth (B.A. Accounting and Information Systems, ’89) is a co-founder and CEO at GiantMouse, LLC, and owner and CEO of Golden Gate Goods, LLC. Wirth started his career as a Computerized Information Systems Auditor at Price Waterhouse. He co-founded BASE Consulting Group in the San Francisco Bay Area, which merged with Knightsbridge Solutions before being acquired by Hewlett-Packard.
Read more in the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation newsroom.