SHOW / EPISODE

S6E7. Driving Economic Inclusion Through Entrepreneurship with the Eccles MBC w/ Rena Vanzo & Paul Brown

27m | Mar 7, 2024

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, small businesses employ nearly half of the American workforce and represent 43.5% of the country's GDP. However, not everyone in the American economy has the same access to the tools and resources needed to launch and sustain a new business successfully.

The Master of Business Creation (MBC) program at the David Eccles School of Business is working to address some of these gaps by offering a degree program committed to helping entrepreneurs grow their startup companies.

Paul Brown and Rena Vanzo will join me today to discuss the program and its impact on creating equitable opportunities for entrepreneurs. Paul Brown is Co-Director of the Master of Business Creation program at the Eccles School.

Rena Vanzo is a graduate of the Executive MBA at the Eccles School and is currently enrolled in the Master of Business Creation program. She is the founder of The Boob Bus, which offers mobile breast imaging services.

They sit down with host Frances Johnson to explore the MBC program's unique approach to entrepreneurship education, combining aspects of an accelerator with an accredited master's degree program and focusing on practical, immediate application of business concepts. We will also hear how the MBC program helps founders from diverse backgrounds to develop successful businesses.

Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

When people create jobs they also create value

[11:55] Paul Brown: I really am just a firm believer, Frances, that when people create businesses and create jobs, wherever they are, they're just adding to the overall productivity and wealth of a society. And it's a miracle to me, and I love it, whether it's a nonprofit dance company in Rose Park, a software company in Chicago, Rena's company here in Utah, the Boob Bus, or somebody having a food products company in Botswana. They're creating jobs; they're creating value. People are trading money for the products and services they have, and they're getting satisfaction and value out of that. So, I just want to continue to help hundreds and ultimately thousands of entrepreneurs create businesses that make our lives better. It's amazing. I love it.

Business is impactful in a positive way

[21:44]: Paul Brown: I believe business is inherently impactful in a positive way. So I'm not one of these people who believes that markets, capitalism, and free enterprise are somehow icky, and the only way they can be good is if they're explicitly pursuing a social purpose.

Running a business can not only contribute economically but also to the community

[16:45]: Rena Vanzo: The health impacts and potential health improvements of the Boob Bus, I think, are exponential, and they're really exciting. We literally launched within the last week. The bus was here. We've started seeing patients, and so far, 90 percent of my patients are women who have never had a mammogram before. They've called, and they've said, I haven't felt comfortable going, or it's been harder for me to get to the hospital. Simply the access that the mobile environment provides, and I think just the welcome atmosphere of a more outpatient facility that doesn't even feel like a clinic, you know, that isn't affiliated with a hospital, is a really big deal.

How MBA gave Rena confidence

[23:17]: Rena Vanzo: I think my MBA gave me some confidence and maybe develop that knack for me, but it's like the MBC; I'm developing the blueprint for my business that probably would have taken me years to do on my own, frankly.

Show Links:

Eccles Business Buzz