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Eastern Michigan University Works on Engaging Michigan Entrepreneurs
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Dr. David Mielke, Dean of Business School at Eastern Michigan University was gracious enough to explain to ARZIKA’s Communication Specialist the steps EMU is taking to encourage the growth of Michigan business.
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BATE: Why is Michigan Emerging important to you?
MIELKE: Michigan Emerging is providing critical support to change the culture in Michigan. We must reshape Michigan’s economy to foster entrepreneurship and innovation. It is not just about helping to start new companies it is also changing the mindset of business people to have them look for new opportunities, to pursue those opportunities and to develop new markets. Michigan Emerging is a perfect complement to the business education we are delivering at EMU and provides us one more avenue to interact with the business community.
BATE: What is currently happening at SPARK East?
MIELKE: SPARK East has 10 tenants and about 5 virtual tenants. There are a number of ongoing training sessions also offered to actual and potential entrepreneurs. We are on target for the number of tenants and have celebrated the first “graduation.”
BATE: What is EMU currently doing to engage entrepreneurs? Are you seeing an increase in career re-training and re-education?
MIELKE: The College of Business has a number of programs within their Center for Entrepreneurship. We have a major commitment to outreach activities with our Small Business and Technology Development Center network operating in Metro Detroit (Wayne, Oakland and Monroe counties). We operate four offices with full-time counselors to provide free services to entrepreneurs and small businesses (100 or fewer employees). Last year we provided services to over 750 clients, over 2,000 went through our training programs and we helped start 23 new businesses. We have the most extensive set of academic entrepreneurship programs in the state with a major and minor, specialization in our MBA and a graduate certificate.
In fact, we have the first and only graduate certificate offered in Michigan that is completely online. We have a very active advisory board for the Center for Entrepreneurship, all members are entrepreneurs. Among their initiatives is a mentoring program for our students. Our student organization, CEO club, has an annual regional conference for high school, community college and university students. Last year over 300 students attended. In addition, our annual business plan competition, with cash prizes had almost 100 entries last year—25 from high school students. There are 2 divisions, high school and a combined university and community college division.
BATE: What is your background?
MIELKE: I have an undergraduate degree in math and worked full-time for 2 years and a number of summers for an entrepreneur with a retail do-it-yourself business. I opened their first branch store. I left and got my MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago. I spent 3 years in investment banking working on new stock and bond offerings, then went to a company in central Wisconsin and was engaged in 4 acquisitions in 3 years and then when the company was sold to Beatrice Foods, I realized that Beatrice did not need another Treasurer, so went back to the University of Wisconsin and received a PhD in Accounting. I was at Marquette University in Milwaukee, some time as dean and teaching for 19 years, went to Grand Valley as Dean in 1999 and have been at Eastern since 2004.
BATE: Best/Favorite thing about Michigan?
MIELKE: Diversity of the businesses and people. We have 12 active advisory boards, one for every program in the college. The members represent a vast array of companies and industries—and many of the members are non-alums. The member’s commitment to the college and our students is incredible. It is an honor to work with people who have a strong motivation to “give back” and to help our students.
