MCE/MCE+1 – Blog Post Prompt – July 15, 2019 – Student Entrepreneurship

Your Name: Connor Damon

Micah Toll – Student Entrepreneur: Based on what you see in the 5:36 video on Micah, how does his background and training as an undergraduate engineering student influence his entrepreneurial activities (i.e. how is an engineering student like Micah a good fit for an independent business-related activity)?

Micah used skills and knowledge acquired in his training as an undergraduate engineering student in order to invent a new type of construction material, combining both plastic and foam into a lightweight and durable building resource. What sets Micah apart from the average entrepreneur is his ability to incorporate his skills in the engineering field into the business world to make a profit and help develop affordable and sustainable housing for third world countries. Rather than relying on other companies or countries to produce his product, Micah creates and constructs it himself, bypassing any complications or confusions along the supply chain. His ingenuity and desire to help others by providing them with affordable construction materials not only benefits society as a whole by allowing those who would not otherwise be able to afford a house but also enters Micah in the seemingly untapped market of inexpensive and sustainable construction in developing countries. All in all, Micah uses his engineering background to aid him in the business world by applying his skills into the creation of his product, making it easily producible and affordable.

Pitt Business Students as Entrepreneurs: Now – thinking about how this video/topic could apply to you – how will your background and training as an undergraduate business student influence your entrepreneurial activities (i.e. how is a business student a good fit for an independent business-related activity?)

As a business undergraduate student, the independent business world will be different for me than for Micah Toll. Micah uses his background in order to create the product; however, my background will help me sell a product or service and produce it efficiently and inexpensively. With the knowledge I will gain as a business student, I will be better suited than many independent business owners without similar training in the field because of my ability to network between clients. Business students also have a predisposed understanding of the economic ins and outs of the product and factor markets, giving them an advantage over students in other fields. Though the physical production of the good or service may require a greater amount of third parties to acquire the resources and build the product, a business student, like myself, will benefit from their understanding of and ability to navigate through the business cycle, ultimately allowing them to prosper in entrepreneurial activities.

Other Examples Like This?: So – if you have the opportunity to work with student entrepreneurs like Micah (either as a peer or as their boss/manager one day) – what support would you give them to get them to fully develop their talents/skills?

Personally, I would give student entrepreneurs whatever I am able to provide them in order to develop their talents because of the importance of entrepreneurship in the world. The world is ever-changing, and entrepreneurs are quintessential in the enrichment and betterment of society. All the major advancements in the last two centuries are the result of entrepreneurship. From the light bulb to the steam engine to the computer, things we take for granted nowadays, everything was once revolutionary but has been improved upon thanks to entrepreneurs and inventors who dream up new and better products and methods. So, I believe that it is paramount that these entrepreneurs are provided with all that they need in order to create, whether that be money, resources, or support.