ciocca center – Page 4 – Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society Blog

May 10, 2023

Student Highlight: Nick Lazzaro ’23

“Holy Cross helped foster my passions as an entrepreneur” shares Nick Lazzaro ’23, “and helped me to learn how to take risks.” Nick was a long time participant in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program and heavily involved in HC Launch, the student entrepreneurs group. “Encouragement from professors and advisors at the College’s Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society allowed me to network out of my comfort zone” states Lazzaro, “and created a space for me to flourish in business. I learned that taking risks academically and professionally are crucial to success and the best way to accomplish your goals is to be your unique self.”

In 2022, Lazzaro won first place during the annual Shark Tank Competition for his pitch on Nick’s On-Site Auto Detailing business. The company not only details cars but we seek to help others via a scholarship fund for Millbury students, where the business has donated more than $1,500 to future college-bound entrepreneurs. He was also named one of Worcester Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2022.

Read more in the Holy Cross Newsroom.

April 30, 2023

Fenwick Scholar Max Hendrix ’23

Max Hendrix ’23, Fenwick Scholar, recently presented on April 25, 2023 to discuss his work on Intricacies of Agency: Rational Choice, Behavioral Economics, and Our Normative Commitments, after a year long research project to explore the image of agency and rationality in economics through a philosophical lens.

He is a Finance & Banking Certificate graduate pursuing a double major in Philosophy and Economics. Following graduation, he plans to pursue a career that will give him the opportunity to combine the critical thinking, writing and communication skills that he has developed in the classroom as a liberal arts student along with his interests in working with markets, investment strategies, and financial institutions.

Congratulations to Max!

Read more in the Holy Cross Newsroom.

April 27, 2023

Annual Business Social Congratulates Business Certificate Graduates

April 27, 2023

Dear student,

Congratulations Business Certificate Program Graduates!

After years of workshops, tutorials, internships, coursework, and job shadowing experiences (not to mention a pandemic!), we are proud to name you as a graduate of the Business Certificate Program offered by the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society at the College of the Holy Cross.

As a graduate, you are among a select group of students who will be receiving a Certificate in Business Fundamentals, a Certificate in Entrepreneurship, and/or a Certificate in Finance & Banking.

While others were vacationing, you decided to immerse yourself in business, expose yourself to new concepts, build transferable skill sets, and network with successful alumni in the field. This dedication has made all the difference. Your liberal arts education from Holy Cross has equipped you with the skills to communicate effectively, problem solve, and think critically – the soft skills you can’t learn on the job. To complement this, your business certificate will be a differentiator in the job market and has provided you with competitive technical skills. Take this opportunity to appreciate all that you have accomplished. Continue reading “Annual Business Social Congratulates Business Certificate Graduates”

April 19, 2023

10th Annual Shark Tank Winner Announcement

The 10th annual Shark Tank Competition was held on Sunday, April 16th in the Performing Arts Center, hosted by HC Launch through the Ciocca Center. Held in person for the first time since 2019, this year’s competition displayed a new generation of Holy Cross entrepreneurs. From photography, candlemaking, to tech solutions, there was a variety of creativity and problem solving involved.

Three well-seasoned business professionals volunteered their time to select this year’s winners. The judging panel included former Ciocca Center Director David Chu, Venture Forum Executive Director Zak Dutton, and Inmedix Co-Founder Tim Sciarrillo ’82, as teams competed for $9,000 in prize money. Along the way, each team was connected with a mentor who provided guidance and feedback. Thank you to our mentors Brendan Candon ’10, Rob Murner, Larry Naughton ’93, Bill Phelan ‘04, Nalani Ramos Ruiz ‘21, Kelly Shaw ‘09 and Eamon Troy ‘11. Continue reading “10th Annual Shark Tank Winner Announcement”

February 23, 2023

Entrepreneurship Club Visits Local Startup

Experience shared by Alexander Christie ’24, Administrative Director of HC Launch.

This week I was one of fourteen Holy Cross students accompanied by the Ciocca Center director and entrepreneur-in-residence, Rob Murner, to get off campus to visit a local stuartup on February 21. HC Launch, the entrepreneurship club within the Ciocca Center, organized a site visit to Geisel Software, a software development company focused on robotics and artificial intelligence located in Worcester. We were able to hear from a number of different people within this growing company including the office manager, a few engineers, and the founder/CEO, Brian Giesel. Feedback from students was that this site visit was an extraordinarily positive experience.

Giesel has something for everyone. There were a number of computer science majors in attendance who certainly benefited from hearing about the career experiences of the engineers. Those of us who weren’t specifically interested in software learned a lot about the intricacies of this field, which will only become more important to understand as technology continues to emulate life. Brian also talked about the founding and growth of the company, as well as the challenges that led the company to where it is today.

There are two primary takeaways from this experience for me and according to Brian, these are two of the key ingredients to his company’s success. Continue reading “Entrepreneurship Club Visits Local Startup”

February 20, 2023

Fullbridge Prepares Students for Internships and Jobs

My name is Maeley Nakamura and I am a freshman at the College of the Holy Cross. I plan to declare economics as my major, and I am also pursuing Certificates in Business Fundamentals and Entrepreneurship through the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society.

The Ciocca Center offers students opportunities to successfully incorporate a business education into any Holy Cross major through workshops, events, and clubs. For me, the Ciocca Center presents an incredible opportunity to combine critical business skills and experience, with Holy Cross’ well-rounded liberal arts education, which will help me ethically contribute to society and focus on more than just the bottom line.

For me, the Ciocca Center presents an incredible opportunity to combine critical business skills and experience, with Holy Cross’ well-rounded liberal arts education, that will help me ethically contribute to society and focus on more than just the bottom line.

Continue reading “Fullbridge Prepares Students for Internships and Jobs”

December 6, 2022

Women’s Impact on Business World Celebrated at Holy Cross’ 17th WIB Conference

Fireside keynote chat on stage in the Hogan Balroom — (L-R) Nancy E. Andrews, associate professor of classics, and Erin Robert ’06, managing director of impact finance with JPMorgan Chase & Co., sharing their keynote discussion at the 17th annual Women in Business conference hosted by the Carlyse and Arthur A. Ciocca ’59 Center for Business, Ethics, and Society. (Photo by Rob Carlin)

Women’s Impact on Business World Celebrated at Holy Cross Conference
The 17th annual Women in Business event encouraged alumnae, faculty, staff and students to share experiences and learn from each other.

During the keynote discussion, Erin Robert ’06, managing director of impact finance with JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Nancy E. Andrews, associate professor of classics, reflected on their time on The Hill, how it shaped their careers and how they continue to encourage women as colleagues and mentees.

“It’s incumbent on us that when we get to the tables, that we recognize that we’re there and what we can do to continue to open the doors and pull the women in behind us,” Robert said.

Robert shared that she uses her Jesuit liberal arts education to help implement and manage initiatives that incorporate the company’s goals of advancing racial equality, unraveling systemic racism in the financial markets, and combating climate change in emerging markets and putting them into action.

Colman Benson ’24: Ciocca Center Intern

My name is Colman Benson ‘24 and I am a junior at Holy Cross majoring in political science with a Certificate in Finance and Banking. Through the Academic Internship Program I am taking the class Policy and Politics: The Midterm Elections, taught by Tim Bishop and Peter Flaherty while I am working for the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society to fulfill my internship requirement for the Certificate. Throughout the semester I will be interviewing faculty and alumni to highlight their different career paths in the business world. I will also demonstrate how their liberal arts education and the values of Holy Cross have guided them through their respective business careers.

Towards Certificate completion, I have completed several workshops including Fullbridge, Interview Prep, Banking Ethics and Corporate Finance and Banking in addition to the Excel Tutorial. I have been able to gain fundamental knowledge and useful business skills through my participation in the Ciocca Center workshops. During the Fullbridge Professional Edge Program I worked on a team to study the data and finance metrics of our company along with its competitors to develop a growth strategy throughout a fast-paced simulated work week. We pitched our final project to a panel of mock investors to show how our new product could penetrate the market and provide growth for our company. This workshop was very beneficial as it gave me the opportunity to solve a problem with my teammates and pitch our solution, including how and why our new product would increase our company’s revenue. The Corporate Finance and Banking Workshop has given me an insight into some of the top firms in the industry including Natixis and Wellington, asset management firms. I have been able to grow my connections and foster relationships with Holy Cross alumni that I have met at these firms through the workshop.

I am very excited to continue expanding my alumni network and to learn more about their experiences in the business world. I believe this will give me a great opportunity to enter the field of finance in the future.

Check out the following faculty and alumni interviews:

Ciocca Center Announces New Director in the College Street Journal

July 14, 2022

Ciocca Center Announces New Director

“I’m very honored and excited to take part in continuing the excellent programs that David, Cassie, and Kathy have developed” shares Rob Murner, new director of the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society “and we’re already in the planning stages for where we take the Center next!”

Rob joined Holy Cross in the spring of 2019 as an adjunct professor to teach the Business Fundamentals Lab. Commenting on his new role at the College, Rob states “I’m especially looking forward to meeting and interacting with the students and my door is always open.”

Prior to teaching he spent 30 years as a strategic and global executive where he focused on building enterprise value for public, private, and start-up organizations in the aerospace & defense, materials sciences, healthcare, manufacturing, and software industries. His work included engineering, program management, sales/marketing, company turnarounds, teaching/coaching, and corporate financial management to include international banking.

Drawing on these experiences we can foresee the Center to develop “an alumni-student mentoring program, and various efforts to connect with local business communities.” Rob goes on to share that “we will be initiating an outside-in look at what we have to offer and will be soliciting input from students, parents, alumni, businesses, and partner organizations within the College.”

Rob is a graduate of the University of Michigan (aerospace engineering), and Wright State University (MBA). He is a life member of the Beta Gamma Sigma academic honor society and U of M alumni community. He has conducted business in several countries including China, Taiwan, Canada, Europe, and Russia.

Rob started his career in the United States Air Force where he took part in the development of several aircraft, space, and jet propulsion systems. He lives in Shrewsbury Mass with his wife of 32 years, Christine.

June 28, 2022

English & Art History Major Pursues Career in Investor Relations

My name is Audrey (Qianqian) Wang ‘25 and I am a rising sophomore at Holy Cross, majoring in English and Visual Art History with a Certificate in Business Fundamentals. This summer I am an office intern at the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society. Some of my responsibilities include digitizing the Center’s files, drafting promotional materials, and identifying statistics to support the College’s celebration of coeducation next academic year.

Earlier this summer I participated in the Fullbridge Professional Edge Program, a weeklong intensive, virtual program (online due to a COVID-19 surge) designated to pave the way for Holy Cross students to succeed in the demanding business world. Since its founding in 2011, the Fullbridge program has been uniquely positioned to help aspiring individuals at every level bridge the knowledge and skills gap with immersive, affordable training, reaching over 350,000 learners worldwide. Born into a business family in a metropolitan, fast-paced Chinese city and growing up in both Massachusetts and China, I felt the Fullbridge program has empowered me to step out of my comfort zone. I can now confidently analyze the discrepancies between Chinese and American business cultures.

The majority of my cohort were also first-year students exploring business. On the first day of the program, I was immediately fascinated by the face-paced yet highly interactive learning environment made possible by experienced coaches and passionate participants. We built relationships through daily virtual webinars, Zoom office hours, and breakout room discussions. Additionally, it was a great opportunity to make new friends on campus who share the same passion.

We developed skills like data analysis, business IQ, design thinking, emotional intelligence, real-world problem solving, idea flow, and situational awareness which all matter to organizational excellence, test decisions made under pressure, and correlate with outstanding performance.

Continue reading “English & Art History Major Pursues Career in Investor Relations”