April 15, 2025
COB Faculty and Students Recognized at National Small Business Institute Conference
The COB and the Miller School of Entrepreneurship (MSoE) made a strong showing at the 2025 Small Business Institute® (SBI) Annual Conference, taking home two national awards and contributing to several key discussions.
The SBI is the leading organization dedicated to advancing experiential student consulting, entrepreneurship education, and applied research. Its mission is to connect business, education, and community through impactful collaboration.
Representing ECU at the conference were Dean Mike Harris, Associate Dean for Research Amy McMillan, MSoE Interim Director Chip Galusha, Interim Director of Professional Services and Executive Education David Loomis, and MSoE faculty member Dennis Barber.
ECU earned two prestigious honors in the Experiential Learning Project of the Year category:
- Second Place, Undergraduate Feasibility – Specialized: “Sawyer Microfarm” by David Mayo and his student team—Molly Thomas, Ally Coble, and Aisleth Torres Tabora.
- Third Place, Undergraduate Feasibility – Comprehensive: “KidFit” by Dennis Barber and his student team—Larsen Doares, Drew Mirek, Daekwon Rogers, and Logan Sutton.
In addition to the awards, ECU faculty members led and participated in a wide range of sessions:
- Dennis Barber moderated two roundtable discussions—“Workplace Violence in Small Businesses: Exploring Challenges, Prevention, Strategies, and Research-Backed Solutions” and “Is SBI Still Adding Value? An Exploration of Value Proposition”. He also co-presented a session titled “Pathway to the Next 50 Years: Exploring the Value Creation of the SBI.”
- Associate Dean Amy McMillan and David Loomis presented “Regional Transformation as Societal Impact: A Study on the Office of Expert Services from Concept to Program.”
- Dean Mike Harris shared insights in his session “How to Create and Run an SBI Program.”
COB’s presence at the conference underscores its commitment to hands-on learning, entrepreneurial innovation, and community engagement through real-world business consulting experiences.
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