OSbrU

The Background

Join us in helping students gain a life changing experience by going through the process of starting and managing an actual business. As part of Oklahoma State University’s continued dedication to entrepreneurship, this is a new class where students will walk through the process of starting and running a coffee shop. This Hands-On Business Experience (HOBE) initiative is designed so that all aspects of setting up and running OSbrU are completed by the students. In year one, the HOBE experience will start-up a coffee cart company.

There are three goals of HOBE:

- First, HOBE will provide an active learning experience to help students who would like to gain start-up and managerial skills but lack either the experience, the seed capital for a start-up, or the ability to risk losing their capital on a venture. HOBE will also serve to inspire students who may have never thought of being an entrepreneur before. - Second, HOBE will serve as a social venture in that all profits will flow into both growing the HOBE businesses and funding scholarships for both incoming and current students. The goal for HOBE is to continue such that a new student-led venture is launched each year while subsequent businesses operate under student management. Endowment growth through both donations and revenues from the HOBE operations will result in multiple scholarships being awarded yearly. - Third, HOBE will serve as an active research lab in which students will work with faculty on conducting experiments with pricing, products, promotion and placements that will help them learn to conduct market-based research and facilitate the use of such knowledge in their future businesses and careers.

To make the HOBE a success, we need your help. The full cost of endowing a scholarship is $25,000 and the start-up for OSbru coffee cart is also estimated to be $25,000. Thus, we have set a goal to raise $50,000 and we have secured $10,000 thus far. To date Spears Schools of Business has raised $7500 to get this experience and operational cost initiated. This class is already underway with 16 upper class men dedicated to making the HOBE a success! Thank you for your time and consideration of this request.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this request. This is such a special initiative and we feel privileged to be able to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders. With your support, OSbrU can provide valuable learning opportunities for students with untold implications.

Your contribution to this Oklahoma State University PhilanthroPete project will be managed and receipted through the OSU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are fully tax deductible unless otherwise indicated in the project rewards section.