The Plan Room, specifically designed as a resource for racial minority contractors and construction business owners to help them grow their businesses, launched with a virtual workshop in February based on curriculum recommendations from UofL College of Business leaders.

“We met with OneWest leadership and developed a focus group to assess the needs of the business community and then developed a curriculum plan,” said Robert Garrett, director of the UofL and chair of Management and Entrepreneurship, who coordinated the effort. “We then identified six areas for workshops to help participants learn specific skills.”

Those skill areas include: landing great projects, developing project management skills, effective networking, management skills and financial management and technology skills specific to the construction industry. Early users of The Plan Room also received access to the College of Business’ Project Management Certificate. UofL faculty will develop the curriculum for project management and management skills.

“We are fortunate to have the partnership and expertise of the UofL College of Business as we develop the curriculum for The Plan Room,” said Evon J. Smith, president and CEO of , a community development corporation committed to elevating the city through commercial development growth in west Louisville. “Their executive education team jumped right in to get to the essential knowledge and skills related to this industry. This approach is so important, and the UofL team gets it – you have to start from what the clients want, not from an assumption based on any one group’s perspective.”

Garrett said the project is the kind of opportunity the college is eager to engage in to empower the local business community.

“We want to be valuable partners with the community by supporting minority enterprises and helping all constituents of the population be successful. It is our opportunity to be a good neighbor,” Garrett said. “I am genuinely excited to be participating in this project. The Plan Room is very professionally run by committed and passionate people.”

Todd Mooradian, dean of the UofL College of Business, hopes the college will share its strengths in more of these types of projects in the community.

“We hope this is the first of many collaborations between the College of Business and OneWest for the purpose of economic development and wealth creation in our city, with a special commitment to ameliorating legacy disadvantages and improving access for everyone,” Mooradian said. “This effort targets the construction industry, but the college’s core competencies revolve around teaching business skills across sectors, and our mission compels us to invest in using those strengths to improve social and economic justice.”

Emily Vitale, director of business development for OneWest, said the needs assessment and curriculum plan developed by the UofL group were important assets to guide The Plan Room’s activities.

“Thanks to the UofL data collection process, we know the specific areas of competency to focus on with our Minority Business Enterprise construction accelerator programs at The Plan Room – from building and managing the business and projects, to growing and implementing the technology skills that are so prevalent in the construction industry today,” Vitale said.

The first workshop, held Feb. 27, focused on teaching entrepreneurs how to create, discover and take advantage of business opportunities, and the second workshop is in development. Although the workshop was held virtually, The Plan Room soon will inhabit a physical space where it will support business owners through education, training, mentorship and networking opportunities.

Along with the workshop series, The Plan Room provides the business owners with services ranging from procurement and bid opportunities to technical assistance, and aims to help business owners connect with minority-owned firms, mentors and professional service providers who understand the construction industry. Additional support for The Plan Room is provided by Louisville Central Community Center, KPFF Consulting Engineers and the 7PM Group.

The students, grades 9 through 12, created new products, including ways to clean hot tubs from your smart phone, unlock your car with your fingerprint and laser-cut cheaper musical instruments.

Lt. Gov. Jenean Hampton said she started this competition, now in its second year, to introduce high school students to the mechanics of starting their own business, and “plant the seed” that they can one day become entrepreneurs.

“When kids are exposed to things, they tend to do it,” she said. “They can see it; they know they can do it themselves.”

The UofL event was one of five regional competitions to determine which teams would advance to the statewide finals at the end of April. There, they will compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships.

The two teams advancing from this region are: BluSpark, which created a bluetooth remote for safely lighting fireworks, and The Helping Tree, which created a new device for carrying multiple bags of groceries without smashing anything.

“An event like this gives young, creative spirits the encouragement and empowerment to change the world – whether through entrepreneurship or though other paths,” said Dr. Todd Mooradian, dean of the College of Business. “And that is our mission and our passion.”

The Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship in the College of Business co-sponsored the UofL event, along with the Office of Admissions and the Office of Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation.

Judges from the EVPRI also selected a team to win the UofL Product Innovation Award, given to a student startup whose product is particularly innovative and has the potential to advance its industry.

The winner of that award was the CCHS Tardy System, a team of freshmen from Carroll County Schools that created a system to help their teachers more easily take attendance.

“It was very rewarding to see the work that my students put into developing their idea and pitch be recognized by the judges,” said Will Yager, the students’ adviser and teacher. “I am very excited and Kennedy (Daigle) and Luke (Heveline) are very eager for the opportunities to come as part of their award, being back on campus and working with entrepreneurial, business, and engineering professionals.”

The team will get time with UofL experts to talk about prototyping and intellectual property, as well as the opportunity to attend a taping of “Dream Funders,” the Forcht Center’s pitch competition show.

“We believe in planting the seeds of entrepreneurship at a young age, and these students certainly seemed excited about it,” said Suzanne Bergmeister, the center’s entrepreneur-in-residence and assistant director. “We wish them all the best of luck in the future and sincerely hope to see some of them back here as UofL freshmen in the coming years.”

Before he officially begins his new role on March 1, Mooradian took some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for UofL News. 

You have been at the College of William and Mary School of Business Administration since 1990. What did you see at the University of Louisville’s College of Business that attracted you to apply for the dean position?

I was initially attracted to the position at the University of Louisville because it is an important, national research university and the opportunity to lead the College of Business at Louisville is the sort of challenge I wanted and felt I’d prepared for. But as much as the University and the College have in the way of strengths and important work to do, it ended up being the people who really sold me on Louisville. In my first meeting with the search committee and then later during my extended visits to campus, I met great people with terrific abilities and important aspirations for their College. I am honored to have been offered the chance to lead the College and to work with these people – the students, the faculty, and the partners of the College of Business – and I have a strong sense that it’s going to be a lot of good hard work and a lot of fun.

What programs makes the UofL College of Business stand out? Is there anything you are thinking about adding?

It’s important to note at the start that the College has an important mission that includes “[enhancing] the intellectual and economic vitality of our city, the region, and the broader business community.” We deliver value to students, to the economy, and to the academy. That’s a compelling reason for being and all our programs and all our people contribute to it every day – they should and they do. Our world-class faculty, our terrific and hardworking staff – they’re all coming in every day and helping move our students, our city, and our region forward. It was clear to me in every conversation that the people of the College of Business are deeply committed to those goals and are passionate in pursuing them.

That being said – that every program is essential in fulfilling our mission – it is possible to look at niches of particular distinction. The College’s well-known emphasis on entrepreneurship is an important strength, and a timely one. The world is looking for graduates who can think entrepreneurially and recognize opportunities, whether in new ventures or as members of existing organizations. The Equine Business programs are also a rare and valuable resource that the College can and will leverage.

I also see the College of Business as being distinctive in the creation of new knowledge – that is, in doing important and impactful research. The faculty are doing incredibly interesting research at Louisville and we need to find ways to invest more in that knowledge creation; it’s part of our mission and it’s vital to the economy and the world.

Are there things I’m thinking of adding? I certainly believe that, in business education, new ways to deliver important value to students and businesses are emerging all the time and we’ll need to refresh our product portfolio both by revising existing curricula and by launching new degree and non-degree programs. Those have to originate in the organization – from faculty capabilities and school strengths – and they have to be owned broadly, not brought in from outside. So yes, I am thinking of adding new things and launching new initiatives, but I don’t come to Louisville knowing specifically what those will be. I come knowing the process needed to facilitate great new things: we have to build the structures and support, the culture, and the expectations for people to envision new and innovative things and then for them to feel supported to pursue those great ideas.

You have won several teaching excellence awards and also a student advising award. Do you plan to teach at UofL? If so, what subjects?

I won’t teach right away – I’d love to but I won’t have the time. As you note, I was an award-winning teacher and adviser – that was very gratifying and a very important part of my life; I miss it – but for the first year and maybe longer, I’ll be focused on moving the school ahead and on enabling others to do great teaching and great research.

If I do get back to teaching I will teach marketing strategy. I wrote the Pearson/Prentice-Hall textbook on Strategic Marketing and I enjoy teaching it.

What do you do in your spare time? Any hobbies?

When I am not working it’s likely that you can still find me somewhere on campus. I really enjoy being part of a university and its culture. I grew up a block from campus at the University of New Hampshire where my father was a football coach and then the athletic director and my mother was a librarian. I’ve almost always worked and lived on a campus. So whether it is supporting our student-athletes at Cardinal sporting events, attending cultural activities, or engaging alumni, my family and I find that being deeply engaged in the life of a university and all that it offers is part of “who we are.”  

If I am not on campus, chances are that I am attending one of my daughters’ events. I enjoy being a dad to two wonderful girls. With our younger in 10th grade, I only have so many more school activities left. While it is true that if I never see another hard-plastic bleacher seat I won’t miss it, one of the most rewarding parts of my life will always be the time I’ve spent supporting the girls in their pursuits.

As a family, we enjoy traveling and we have been fortunate to have lived in Europe for two extended semester-long stays. I still travel to Europe to consult and teach at least once a year.

Individually, I enjoy reading, mostly business books, biographies, or crime mysteries. I also enjoy biking for health and sanity and am pleased that Louisville is such a bike-friendly city with wonderful parks and trails to explore.

Louisville is a vibrant city with award-winning restaurants, many family-friendly activities and, of course, in addition to all of UofL’s outstanding athletic teams, we’re home to the Kentucky Derby. Have you ever been to the Kentucky Derby?

No, I haven’t been to the Derby although it is something that has always been on my “bucket list.”  It’s an important cultural event that anyone who loves sports would be thrilled to attend. I look forward to the 143^rd Run for the Roses!