2019-2020 Session #2: Entrepreneurship and Business Management

Date: November 1, 2019
Location: Metalab
Title: Entrepreneurship and Business Management
Session Sponsors: Prism Renderings
Leaders: Barak Yaryan & Kevin Parks
Documentation: Sofia Dusek & Kiza Forgie

Prior to CKLDP Session 2 on entrepreneurship and business management the below preparatory reading and informational podcast set the stage for what was to come.

• Friction Podcast: ‘The Basic Hygiene of Management’
• Managing the Professional Service Firm, (Seven page summary), David Maister

Hosted at Metalab, the session began with a welcome and presentation by Thomas Perry; AM radio talk show host of ‘Right Path Real Estate’. His presentation focused on entrepreneurship and his amazing story of how his healthcare insurance business went from being a casualty of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 to successfully owning and operating Houston Home Buyers and ultimately selling it to become a Real Estate talk show host.

The session focused on four areas of Entrepreneurship and Business Management:

1. Entrepreneurship and Business Management through Office and Firm Management
2. Entrepreneurship and Business Management through Leadership, ownership, and transition
3. Entrepreneurship and Business Management through Financial and succession planning
4. Entrepreneurship and Business Management through Business and project management standards

Following the presentation by Thomas Perry, the scholars jumped into an interactive break out session in which the scholars were broken into four groups and challenged to develop a business plan using some of the principles Thomas had discussed during his presentation. Scholars were tasked with quickly developing a pitch for the new business. Elements of the business pitch were required to include: a business name, business focus, location, traction, vision, credibility, and product source. Ultimately scholars were required to present to a panel of judges in which Thomas Perry took part.

In keeping with the topic of education for the day, a round table discussion was held next with a focus on starting a firm, building a culture, and planning for growth. Four business owners ranging from a sole practitioner to a business owner with 150 plus employees were invited to the discussion and moderated by our scholars Barak Yaryan and Kevin Parks. The businesses and owners represented included: Danny Rigg of Rigg Studio, Becky Zimmerman member of Design Workshop, James Harrison co-owner of Harrison Kornburg, and Joe Meppelink co-owner of Metalab.

The session ended with a role playing group session amongst the scholars involving the game ‘Brick by Brick’ by Procore. Scholars were invited to engage in a simulation of a construction project where each scholar played a role as a Project Manager, Superintendent, or Tradesman.