BSC Entrepreneurship
Program
ENDOWED BY
JANE AND KEVIN STUMP
BSC
Birmingham-Southern College
BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN COLLEGE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM
a different kind of program
for a different kind of success
The BSC Entrepreneurship Program encourages and supports the study
of entrepreneurship with a focus on the for-profit sector. Since 2010, the
Entrepreneurship Program has awarded more than $40,000 to students in order to
foster a spirit of entrepreneurship among a new generation of business innovators.
BSC alums Jane and Kevin Stump generously endowed the program in recognition
of the College’s mission to cultivate a shared vision of business savvy and public
responsibility. An endowed fund created by Joseph S. Bruno, who grew a small
store established in 1932, to a publicly traded, multi-billion dollar corporation,
also supports the College’s Entrepreneurship Program.
The program centers on six components:
· Scholarships to recruit students with a drive to study entrepreneurship
· Courses in business emphasizing for-profit entrepreneurship projects
· Internships with companies focused on entrepreneurship
· Membership benefits to attend Birmingham Venture Club events
· Mentor relationships between students and entrepreneurs
· Annual lectures by nationally known entrepreneurs
JANE AND KEVIN STUMP
“I hope the program exposes students to the
concept of entrepreneurship, teaches them
what to expect as an entrepreneur, and helps
them develop skills to succeed. I also want
students to know that entrepreneurship
includes taking risks and that risk-taking
can be both exciting and rewarding if it is
approached in the right way.”
KEVIN STUMP
founder, president, and CEO
Interconn Resources, Inc.
scholarships
Each year, one $5,000 scholarship and three $1,000 scholarships are awarded to firstyear students with a passion for entrepreneurship who demonstrate financial need.
These scholarships are renewable for three years.
Students applying for a Stump Scholarship submit the following to the dean of business
programs:
· An essay describing their entrepreneurial characteristics and how two pursuits or
accomplishments demonstrate these skills
· Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a previous employer
The program is for students whose work—both inside and outside the classroom—
demonstrates entrepreneurial spirit. Such successes could include initiating a business
plan or activity, developing a nonprofit or service-learning project, implementing a
program in the fine arts, or undertaking other creative endeavors. Along with applying
to be a Stump Scholar, students may apply for and receive additional scholarships.
“If Ayn Rand’s words, ‘the ladder of success is best
climbed on the rungs of opportunity,’ ring true,
then this program is a ladder that leads to the
zenith of any career or ambition. All you have to
do is climb.”
KYLE DOIRON
A business major from Huntsville, Alabama,
Kyle plans to combine his interests in
entrepreneurship and law following BSC.
STUMP SCHOLARS
academics
The Entrepreneurship Program integrates the study of entrepreneurship across
BSC’s innovative liberal arts curriculum. Courses in business emphasize for-profit
entrepreneurship projects and enable students to draw connections between their
coursework in business with other areas on campus. For example, students can take
interdisciplinary courses that combine a modern foreign language and business.
Stump Scholars receive priority registration for business courses, including reserved spaces
in popular introductory courses during their first year, to ensure a swift introduction to
entrepreneurship. Spaces are also reserved in Exploration Term entrepreneurship courses
for Stump Scholars.
internships
Stump Scholars are guaranteed a fast-paced internship at a Birmingham company that
matches their entrepreneurial interests. These internships give students the opportunity to
connect with mentors, practice entrepreneurship in a real-world setting, gain professional
experience, and observe the workings of a successful business. Examples of past
internships include:
· Firms at Innovation Depot, a business incubator in Birmingham
· Integrated Media Solutions
· MyMarketStreet.com
· Bradley Arant, one of the Southeast’s largest law firms
memberships
Stump Scholars receive membership benefits for the Birmingham Venture Club,
an association of business professionals who seek to foster entrepreneurial
spirit and collaborate on shared goals. Scholars receive special invitations to
monthly luncheons that provide networking opportunities and a chance to have
conversations with leading entrepreneurs in Birmingham.
mentorships
Stump Scholars are paired with a faculty mentor in the business department as
well as an entrepreneur from the community. Faculty mentors guide scholars
through their academic career and offer advice on how to maximize opportunities
at BSC. Based on their interests, scholars are also connected with an entrepreneur
who has demonstrated business savvy and an active interest in cultivating a spirit
of innovation in a new generation of entrepreneurs. Mentorship opportunities are
available with environmental sustainability experts, consultants, health care leaders,
investment bankers, financiers, and lawyers.
“Receiving a Stump Scholarship has provided me with so
many opportunities that I never would have had otherwise.
I have met a number of people who are shaping my career
plans, and I have connected with powerful businessmen
and women. I have also formed many life-long friendships.
Participating in the Entrepreneurship Program is a very
rewarding and challenging experience that I believe is
unique to Birmingham-Southern.”
KATHLEEN PFITZER
A business major from Birmingham, Kathleen ran
a summer camp during high school and eventually
plans to integrate her interest in entrepreneurship
into a health care career.
speakers
The annual Stump Entrepreneur Lecture
Series brings a speaker nationally known in
the entrepreneurial world to BSC. For the
inaugural Stump Lecture in 2011, the campus
welcomed Jeff Taylor, one of the nation’s
foremost entrepreneurs of Internet business.
In 1993, Taylor founded Monster.com, which
grew to become a leading online career site
with networks in more than 30 countries.
JEFF TAYLOR
Frederick Smith, founder and CEO of the FedEx Corporation, delivered the 2012 Stump
Lecture. Widely regarded as one of America’s leading entrepreneurial pioneers, Smith
founded a company that grew into a $41 billion enterprise serving 220 countries and
employing 290,000 people.
Stump Scholars are invited to special events with the speakers, where they interact oneon-one with the entrepreneur and have the opportunity to participate in small-group
conversations on the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.
FREDERICK SMITH (LEFT, CENTER) WITH BSC STUDENTS
AND GEN. CHARLES C. KRULAK, BSC PRESIDENT (RIGHT, CENTER)
BSC ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM
advisory board
James Childs, partner, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and chairman of
the firm’s Venture Capital and Private Equity Team and Emerging Growth
Companies Team
Colin Coyne, managing principal of the Coyne Group and recent winner of
the $50,000 top award in the Prize2theFuture contest
Steve Dauphin, partner, Murphree Ventures, Bonaventure Capital, and Fidelis
Capital and advisor to Kirchner Food Security Group
Benny LaRussa, Jr., president of Sterling Capital Management and general
partner of Azalea Capital
Susan Matlock, president and CEO of Innovation Depot, Inc.
Dr. Bert Morrow, associate professor of business administration
George Salem, managing director of athenahealth and founder of Proxsys
Jennifer Skjellum, executive director of Central Alabama Angel Network and
founder and president of Runtime Computing Solutions, LLC
Kevin Stump, founder, president, and CEO of Interconn Resources, Inc., and
endower of the College’s Entrepreneurship Program
The director of the program is Dr. Sara Robicheaux, dean of
business programs at Birmingham-Southern College. BSC
Birmingham-Southern College
For more information on the
Birmingham-Southern Entrepreneurship
Program and to apply to become
a Stump Scholar, contact:
Dr. Sara Robicheaux
Dean of Business Programs
Birmingham-Southern College
900 Arkadelphia Road
Box 549023
Birmingham, AL 35254
[email protected]
(205) 226.4828
Or visit the Entrepreneurship Program section
of Birmingham-Southern College’s website:
www.bsc.edu/academics/business/stump.cfm
“The Stump Scholarship is a great honor to have and
is a constant reminder of how hard work can pay off.
I am extremely excited to be a part of a program as
unique as the College’s Entrepreneurship Program.
I believe the benefit of entrepreneurship is overlooked
by many institutions, and I am very proud to be a part
of one that honors it.”
PHILLIP BROL
Phillip is a business major from Huntsville,
Alabama. He interned with MyMarketStreet.com,
a firm at Innovation Depot, as part of his Stump
Scholarship. Phillip eventually plans to start his
own business.