Enactus hosts area high schools for Gallup Entrepreneurship event

By TODD GOTTULA
UNK Communications

KEARNEY – Students from four central Nebraska high schools received Gallup training and developed mock business models as part of a Gallup Entrepreneurship Workshop at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

The Jan. 20 event was hosted by UNK’s Enactus organization, which connects businesses and higher education to provide students opportunities to develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise.

The Entrepreneurship Workshop included a Gallup Entrepreneur Profile presentation and StrengthsFinder assessment by Dan Shundoff, CEO of Intellicom Computer Consulting in Kearney.

The Gallup Entrepreneurial Profile uses cutting edge technology to discern the intensity of predetermined entrepreneur skills that students will be able to use to start or grow a business. This workshop focused on the three Ds of an individual’s entrepreneurial talents: Discover, Develop and Direct.

“The morning session opened the students’ eyes to their respective talents and described how to use them to their advantage,” said UNK Enactus project leader Stephanie Duennerman of Amherst.

Following the Gallup presentation, students were strategically placed into small groups based on their strengths. Using a mission statement and SWOT analysis they developed, they put together business models and gave short presentations on those mock businesses.

In addition to Duennerman, other UNK Enactus students involved with the project included: Jamilla Coleman of Omaha, Margaret Fennessy of Norfolk, James Knights of Bellevue, Kelsey Martinsen of Primrose, Amber Pietenpol of Lincoln and Brookelyn Trampe of Sumner.

Participating schools included Pleasanton, Kearney High, Sandhills and Sumner-Eddyville-Miller.

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Writer: Todd Gottula, Director of Communications, 308.865.8454, gottulatm@unk.edu
Contact: Shawn Kaskie, 308.865.8135, kaskiesc@unk.edu