School of Business Advisory Board member, Michael Cusumano, Vice President of the Cusumano Real Estate Group, came up with the event concept, which includes a contest component called, “So You Think You Can Sell?” This year, 13 student contestants participated, selling items on stage for the duration of one-minute at a time.
The “So You Think You Can Sell?” contest consisted of two rounds. In the first round, the entire audience was able to vote through Survey Monkey, a hands-on process coordinated by Assistant Dean and School of Business IT expert, Dr. Nathan Garrett. In the finale, a selection of five top candidates did one more round of selling. This time, a judging panel, consisting of business executives, was tasked with selecting the top three spots.
Winners of the contest:
- Alan Martinez (Marketing) – $750.00, sponsored by Myfa Cirinna (Entertainment Partners)
- Alexis Ash (Fashion Marketing) – $500.00, sponsored by Ahdee Abramson (Pet Ventures)
- Oscar Barcena (MBA) –$250.00, sponsored by Michael Cusumano (Cusumano Real Estate Group)
Throughout the conference, students had the opportunity to have professional headshots taken, a project sponsored by Woodbury’s Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO), with make-up assistance from the Business and Professional Women of Woodbury organization (BPWOW).
The Creative Minds Conference was organized in joint effort by the student leadership teams of CEO and BPWOW, and the BBA Student Advisory Council, under supervision of School of Business Dean, Dr. Joan Marques, and BBA Director, Dr. Svetlana Holt. The event was also supported by the Accounting Student Association and the MBA Association.