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products that society could benefit from. “Entrepreneurship is where it’s at,” McCloskey said. “Ordinary economics… is based on accumulation, to which I say, ‘no.’ It’s not piling brick on brick. It’s innovation. It’s ingenuity that made us rich, not just getting more bricks. If you have a completely stagnant population, then you’re doomed to a non-progressive society.” McCloskey argued for capitalism, but not the capitalism she’s seen promoted in the last 30 to 40 years. “This system of market-tested

September 30, 2014 Business Alum’s Startup Gets Huge Boost From Salesforce.com Neil Crist ’99 Plans to Use Funds to Expand Venuelabs’ Services By Brenna Sussman ’15 PLU Marketing & Communications Student Worker It takes a lot of work to get a startup company off the ground—something Neil Crist ’99 knows a thing or two about. The PLU School of Business alum put his Finance and Entrepreneurship major to the test when he launched his Seattle startup, Venuelabs. However, finances might not be as

she’s grown to cherish. “This place called Pacific Lutheran University is very special, and it’s made up of the most amazing people,” Cunningham said. “I couldn’t have chosen a better work family.”   Cunningham’s career has included successful tenures in federal, city and state government; nonprofits; radio; television; higher education; and entrepreneurship. Despite the varied sectors and scenery, Cunningham said her goals and objectives always have drawn from the same source of passion

helped his friend Karl Philip Lund MBA ’00 start the PLU Daily Jolt, a successful web portal in the days before Facebook. They promoted it with flyers and chalk notices all over campus, and soon a significant percentage of students were logging in daily. “The administration hated it, because they didn’t have control,” he laughed. “That experience taught me a lot about entrepreneurship.” Foster is clearly passionate about instilling that spirit in students. “You have to seek out opportunity,” he said

to a wide range of careers in social service and mental health agencies, as well as on preparing graduates to become certified as school counselors. The public health program prepares graduates to respond to contemporary challenges in public health at the local, regional, national, and global levels. PLU’s AACSB-accredited MBA program focuses on strategy and innovation, and offers optional concentrations in healthcare management, technology and innovation management, entrepreneurship and closely

innovation management, entrepreneurship and closely held enterprises, and supply chain management. It also features a 10-day international experience at no extra cost. Recent destinations include France, Spain, China, Dubai, Taiwan, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and Peru. Students describe the experience as “amazing” and cite it as a major asset to the program. “Our MBA program is very unique due to our focus on global education,” said Mulder. “From courses to the incredible MBA International Experience

that Africa matters. “There are lots of opportunities for us to partner with the people of Africa, with businesses in Africa,” she said. She entered the MBA program purposefully, so she could learn the link between entrepreneurship and social responsibility. She’s interested in exploring business opportunities for trade and investment in Africa and finding actual projects to distribute in America. Cunningham’s personal mission statement, “to acquire massive financial wealth so I can spend the rest

in his hometown of Phoenix. He just needed a partner, an innovative concept and a little serendipity to rekindle his passion for entrepreneurship. Duncan worked for the Lennar Corporation in Tempe after graduation, a job that left him burnt out and craving change. He then moved back to Phoenix, where he got acquainted with Hartley Rodie, an aspiring bar owner who asked him for a tour of the downtown scene.“I showed him all over,” Duncan said, “and I told him about a little idea that I had for a

from Nepal. “It’s nice to be around people who want to experience new things and are inviting and warm.” Long-term, he hopes to work in tech for several years and then start his own business—wearing the many different hats that come with entrepreneurship. “The skills I’m building now as a software engineer can help me solve many problems,” he says. If he could give his first-year self any advice, he’d suggest “be okay with being uncomfortable.” Whether due to routine or introversion, it’s good to

Amazon, and from Microsoft to Starbucks. Being able to think in new ways will go far in any profession, whether you are considering a career as a teacher, working for a non-profit agency, attending law school, or starting your own business. I encourage everyone to look into the Innovation Studies minor as a possible pair with your major. It seems like a great fit for History majors. But actually… it is hard to imagine a context in which creativity, teamwork, and entrepreneurship skills are not