Twenty-six students participated in Phoenix Summer, held July 6-17 on Elon’s campus, where they immersed themselves in hands-on, college-style academics while fostering curiosity, community and independence.

“The transition from high school to college is one of the biggest milestones in a student’s life, and after working with first-year students for many years, I’ve learned that one of the most common things they say is ‘I wish I had known what to expect,’” said Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs. “Phoenix Summer gives students the opportunity to experience college before they get here full time.”

�þ��� lived in the residence halls, navigated campus, ate in the dining hall, learned from Elon faculty, connected with staff and explored the academic and social opportunities Elon has to offer.

�þ��� selected two courses to take throughout the camp, including Order in the court!, An introduction to law and justice, taught by Shilanka Lewis, assistant professor of law; Chemistry in the kitchen, taught by Mary McManamy, associate �þ��� professor of chemistry; Exploring astronomical and poetic light, taught by Claudine Moreau, assistant �þ��� professor of physics; and Start-up Spring: concept to creation, taught by Elena Kennedy, associate professor of entrepreneurship and Dan Reis, assistant director of creative learning technologies.

“The Phoenix Summer faculty were truly the highlight of this pre-college experience,” Higgins said. “Their enthusiasm, passion and genuine engagement with their subject matter inspired students to see college as a place to explore their interests and discover new possibilities.”

Each day the students spent time learning and engaging in the classroom through a variety of hands-on lessons.

“The law class was my favorite part of the camp,” said Ava Hendricks, an eleventh grade student from Raleigh, North Carolina. “I have always been interested in law and what we have been doing in the class to prepare for a mock trial has been so cool. Phoenix Summer gave me the opportunity to picture college. I would never have known what college would be like without this possibility.”

During the day, students participated in their courses, while evenings and weekends were filled with social events, activities, several off-campus excursions and signature Elon experiences to help students build community. Activities students participated in included a trivia night, human bingo, s’more making, karaoke, a water balloon fight and a sip and paint.

“My favorite parts of the camp were meeting new people, living in a dorm and attending the classes,” said Sienna Rohan, a twelfth grade student from Greensboro, Georgia. “It’s been nice meeting new people, and I’ve learned a lot about Elon.”

Higgins’ hope is that students left the camp with not only a greater appreciation for Elon, but also a renewed excitement about the possibilities that lie ahead as the students transition from high school to college.

“The primary goal of Phoenix Summer is to provide high school students with an authentic college experience that builds confidence, independence and a sense of belonging before they begin their college journey,” Higgins said. “The most exciting part of the camp was watching the students truly thrive in the experiences we intentionally designed for them.

“I watched them blossom from students who arrived on the first day feeling nervous and uncertain about what to expect into confident, engaged learners — and, in the case of our Order in the Court students, budding lawyers in training. I hope they leave believing in themselves. Whether they ultimately choose Elon or another institution, I hope Elon will always hold a special place in their hearts as the place where they first experienced college and began to see themselves as future college students.”

For more information about Phoenix Summer and information about future camps, contact Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs, at thiggings7@elon.edu.

The case, “” focuses on Grupo Los Danzantes as the company considers whether to launch a lower-cost mezcal line to remain competitive in an increasingly crowded global spirits market.

The proposed line, Encantado, could help the company reach broader international audiences and respond to distributor needs. But the move also raises questions about whether expansion could weaken the brand’s artisanal identity, cultural mission and long-standing relationships with producers.

The case asks students to weigh the strategic, operational and cultural trade-offs of growth within a mission-centered organization. �þ��� must consider whether Destileria Los Danzantes should pursue category expansion or preserve its differentiated identity amid industry pressures.

The case was published by Harvard Business School through Harvard Business Publishing with co-authors James Riley and David G. Fubini at Harvard Business School and Bernal Cortes.

Harvard Business Publishing case studies are used by business educators to bring real-world decision-making into �þ���, MBA and executive education programs.

Cerecedo Lopez joined �þ��� in Fall 2024. Lopez’s �þ��� and research focus on organizational theory, entrepreneurship and strategy, with particular interest in how individuals make decisions under uncertainty.

The research, “” looks at how perceptions of inclusion and acceptance in residential communities carry into the workplace.

Using survey responses from 151 employees at a U.S.-based manufacturing company, the researchers found that employees who viewed their communities as more inclusive reported greater psychological safety at work. That sense of psychological safety not only inspires the confidence to express the one’s true self at work but is also linked to a stronger intent to stay with their organization.

Key findings:

• Community experiences carry into the workplace. Employees who perceived their communities as more inclusive reported greater psychological safety at work.
• Psychological safety is linked to retention. Employees who felt psychologically safe reported stronger intent to stay.
• Support from inclusive communities may also help when workplaces are perceived as less supportive. The connection between community inclusion and psychological safety was strongest among employees who viewed their organization’s diversity climate as less supportive.

The research is also part of discussions in Singh’s Organizational Behavior and DEI courses at Elon.

“It serves as a great way to help students understand that employees’ perceptions regarding organizational culture and inclusion are not confined to the workplace alone but are shaped by larger societal contexts,” Singh said. “I incorporate these discussions in my classroom to encourage students to think about how leaders can create psychologically safe environments and how organizations can engage with communities to support inclusion and employee retention.”

The study was co-authored with Sarthak Singh of Sheldon B. Lubar College of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and T.T. Selvarajan of the College of Business and Economics at California State University, East Bay and published in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal.

Singh, who joined Elon in 2017, teaches courses in organizational behavior, human resource management and business ethics. His research has appeared in leading journals, including the Journal of Organizational Behavior, the Journal of Business Ethics and Human Resource Management.

The co-authored article, “,” looks at entrepreneurship beyond traditional business measures such as profit, growth and market opportunity.

It asks how religious beliefs and practices may shape the way entrepreneurs understand risk, make decisions, build organizations and define success. The research also considers how entrepreneurship may affect religious organizations and communities, making the relationship more complex than religion simply influencing business.

Key Highlights:

• Religion may shape entrepreneurship at multiple points, from how entrepreneurs recognize opportunities and judge risk to how they seek funding, respond to uncertainty and define success.
• Different religious traditions and practices may influence entrepreneurs in different ways. The article notes research connected to Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Judaism and other traditions, while cautioning that religion should not be treated as one single influence. Religious practice can also vary within the same religion.
• The article introduces a framework showing how religious beliefs and practices may overlap with entrepreneurial thinking and action. Religious beliefs may shape how entrepreneurs think about opportunity, while religious practices may shape how they build relationships, access resources or run organizations.
• The relationship may work both ways. Religion may shape entrepreneurship, but entrepreneurship may also shape religious organizations, practices and communities.
• Future research could look more closely at how religious entrepreneurs measure success beyond profit, including financial, social, psychological and spiritual outcomes.

“This research helps students think more carefully about how religion and faith can shape entrepreneurs’ motivations, decisions, relationships and definitions of success,” said Cerecedo Lopez. “That is especially relevant for students in the inaugural Love School of Business Summer Business Institute, who are serving as consultants for Hustle USA, a non-denominational, faith-based entrepreneurial support organization launching in Charlotte.”

The article was published in Entrepreneurship & Regional Development with co-authors Chris Welter and Brett Smith at Miami University Ohio, Amanda Lawson at the University of Cincinnati and David Townsend at Virginia Tech.

Cerecedo Lopez joined �þ��� in Fall 2024. Lopez’s �þ��� and research focus on organizational theory, entrepreneurship and strategy, with particular interest in how individuals make decisions under uncertainty.

Teza shares what she hopes to accomplish in her new role and how �þ��� students can benefit.

How would you describe your career path?

My career path consists of a series of lateral and advancement roles that provided exposure to multiple facets of the apparel industry. These positions prepared me to lead several market-leading brands, develop strong teams and implement transformation across complex regional and global businesses.

What does serving as an Executive in Residence at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business mean to you?

I am excited to mentor and guide the next generation of leaders. I look forward to translating classroom learning into real-world scenarios and creating professional pathways through networking, internship opportunities and exposure to different industries.

What kinds of conversations and experiences do you hope to create for Elon students during your time on campus?

I look forward to meaningful conversations regarding leadership, insights into managing domestic and global businesses and how students can create a pathway to finding a career in which they will thrive.

What perspectives from your work in global consumer brands are you most excited to share with Elon students?

Leading a winning global brand combines emotional brand equity, operational scale and local execution. Managing global teams is both challenging and rewarding; it is critical to be well-versed in regional cultures to maximize employee engagement, create consistency in brand positioning and delight consumers.

What advice would you offer students who are interested in leading teams or managing large, complex organizations?

Leading a large organization requires the alignment of people, capital and processes to deliver results at scale. Aligning on priorities, building strong teams, operational excellence, constant communication, establishing decision-making rights and protecting a culture are the foundational blocks for success.

Beyond your résumé, what should people know about you and what you enjoy outside of work?

My primary focus is my family and making the most out of every day. My husband and I travel extensively to explore off-the-beaten-path locations, and we have a passion for boating, pickleball and golf. We enjoy spending time with our three children as they navigate their own career and life journeys, and we continue to coach people and businesses to help them maximize their potential.

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What started as a conversation between friends in �þ���’s dining hall has grown into a startup venture with roots in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Bernardo Vargas-Lopez ’26, a sport management major from Austin, Texas, and Juan Daniel Chiriboga ’26, an entrepreneurship major from Quito, Ecuador, are developing , a plant-based energy drink inspired by guayusa, a leaf long used by Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The idea first took shape after the two friends traveled to Ecuador during Thanksgiving break in 2024 and visited the Amazon rainforest.

“We came back from visiting the Amazon forest and were just talking through the trip,” Vargas-Lopez said. “That’s when the idea came out. What if we took one of those plants and built a drink around it?”

From that early conversation, the idea quickly became something more serious. The two students began researching the beverage industry, speaking with community members in Ecuador, gathering feedback from mentors and testing whether the concept could become a real business.

For Chiriboga and Vargas-Lopez, YAPA has become more than a passion project. It has also become a way to explore how entrepreneurship can connect product development, cultural learning and long-term impact.

Building a business from the ground up

As they began shaping the company, the pair focused on a growing interest in cleaner, more transparent beverage options.

“I think the issue we were looking at was the energy drink industry and what a lot of those products contain,” Chiriboga said. “We saw people looking more for clean-label, natural ingredients and more transparency in what they consume.”

That focus helped define YAPA’s early direction. The students describe the drink as plant-based and made without preservatives, with an emphasis on ingredient transparency and product quality.

The company’s name also reflects that approach. In Ecuador, “yapa” refers to a small extra that someone gives you, something unexpected and added with generosity. The students say that the idea shaped both the brand name and the kind of experience they hope to create.

“It’s a little extra you were not expecting,” Chiriboga said. “That is what we want the product to feel like.”

Turning that idea into a business, however, has required far more than product vision. The students have spent months navigating sourcing, formulation, packaging, shipping and compliance, all while balancing the demands of college life.

“The biggest thing is persistence,” Vargas-Lopez said. “We could have stopped a long time ago, but we just kept going.”

They also made an early decision to prioritize product quality, even when that meant making tougher financial choices.

“We decided there were a few strategic points where we would not go for lower quality,” Chiriboga said. “Starting from ingredients and sourcing, we were not going to sacrifice what the product stands for.”

Learning through mentorship and hands-on experience

Both students say their experience in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business helped them approach the company with more confidence and curiosity.

They pointed to classroom experiences and faculty connections as central to how they approached building the company, often working closely with professors including Sean McMahon, professor of entrepreneurship, Elena Kennedy, associate professor of entrepreneurship, and Brittany Mercado, associate professor of management and chair of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship.

“The ability to communicate clearly with people who know a lot more than we do has been huge,” Vargas-Lopez said. “The Love School of Business does an amazing job of making professors approachable.”

That accessibility changed how they engaged with their coursework and mentors.

“There are professors that I’ve ended up talking to just because I saw them in the hallway,” Vargas-Lopez said. “They’ll come up to you, ask what you’re working on and start giving advice. You don’t feel intimidated asking questions.”

As the idea for YAPA developed, those conversations became more intentional.

“We started staying after class and asking more specific questions,” Chiriboga said. “The professors would connect what we were learning directly to what we were building.”

Faculty feedback also helped refine the venture as it evolved.

“We don’t need people to just cheerlead,” Vargas-Lopez said. “We need people who will tell us what worked, what didn’t and how to improve. That’s what has really helped us move forward.”

Their time studying abroad also played a role in shaping the venture, even as they were in different parts of the world.

“He was in Australia, and I was in Japan,” Chiriboga said. “We couldn’t really work on operations, so the only thing we could do was talk to people.”

Instead of slowing progress, that shift pushed them to focus on learning.

“We talked to people in the jungle, we talked to people at big companies and we talked to mentors in finance,” Vargas-Lopez said. “We were just trying to understand everything we could.”

“We were sponges during that time,” Chiriboga added. “We just gathered as much information as we could.”

Those conversations helped them return with a clearer sense of direction.

“When we came back, we had a better idea of what worked, what didn’t and what problems we needed to solve,” Vargas-Lopez said.

Friendship at the center

At the heart of YAPA is not only a product idea, but also a partnership built on trust.

The two met during their first year at Elon and became close friends before ever becoming business partners, something they say has made navigating the ups and downs of building a company more manageable.

“If I cannot do something right now, I know Juan Daniel can do it, and vice versa,” Vargas-Lopez said. “That trust was built before the business.”

That foundation has shaped how they approach both their work and their time as students.

“We’ve gotten really good at knowing when to talk business and when not to,” Chiriboga said. “If it’s not working time, we try to focus on being friends and being present with other people.”

Living together has only strengthened that balance, allowing them to stay in sync while also setting boundaries.

“It’s not always 50-50 all the time,” Vargas-Lopez said. “But we know we’re in this together, and that makes it easier to handle everything that comes up.”

For Chiriboga, the partnership is one of the most meaningful parts of the experience.

“I couldn’t be more grateful that my best friend is also my business partner,” he said.

As they prepare to graduate, both say some of the biggest milestones are still ahead.

“The biggest one is getting the cans,” Chiriboga said. “That’s when it becomes real, when you can actually hold the product and take that first sip.”

Even so, the process has already reshaped how they think about risk, learning and what it means to build something from scratch.

For other students considering a venture of their own, their advice is simple.

“Don’t be afraid to start,” Chiriboga said. “If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.”

Vargas-Lopez added that one of the most valuable lessons has been staying open to what others know.

“Use your resources,” he said. “Ask questions. Learn from every conversation. We haven’t had a single meeting where we didn’t learn something.”

Hosted in partnership with William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business, the summit invited participants to think not only about how AI is changing higher education, but also what should remain central to the student experience: judgment, curiosity, ethical decision-making, human connection and the ability to keep learning.

The summit opened Friday evening with a program that blended student innovation, music and conversation about AI’s role in business education. Haya Ajjan, dean of the Love School of Business, welcomed attendees before Margarita Kaprieylan, associate dean of the Love School of Business, guided the event as the program’s main host.

The evening featured student AI tool showcases, AI Fellows presentations, a performance by Vital Signs, Elon’s a cappella group, and a fireside chat with higher education leaders.

Student presentations highlighted a range of AI applications, from financial education and career preparation to human resources and access to technology. Projects included a gamified credit simulation that helps students practice financial decision-making and GRIFFIN, an AI-powered tool designed to support human resources classification and pay decisions.

The fireside chat was moderated by Casey Evans, associate dean for �þ��� programs and student services at American University, who also joined the discussion alongside Stephen Walls, assistant dean at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, and Hussein Issa, associate professor of accounting information systems at Rutgers Business School.

Saturday began with a keynote conversation between Anuj Mehrotra, dean of Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business, and Jeff Sanders ’00, chief architect at Microsoft.

“Even a year ago, people were still doubting whether AI is here or not,” Mehrotra said. “At this point, AI is here.”

For Mehrotra, the question is no longer whether students should use AI, but what business schools are preparing them to do in a world where AI can already summarize, create, analyze and simulate.

“What has not changed is curiosity, the value of integrity, judgment and the importance of human relations,” Mehrotra said.

He challenged business schools to think beyond content knowledge and focus on the value students bring when information is abundant.

“We have to figure out what that North Star is going to be,” Mehrotra said. “It’s not going to be simply knowing something or being able to analyze something, because AI can do it for them.”

That theme continued during the “What Industry Wants Now” panel, which brought together leaders from Microsoft, Gartner, Bank of America and OpenAI.

“Universities now have the task not just to prepare students for a first job anymore,” said Nicole Perrelle, head of AI executive advisory service at Gartner. “It is to prepare them to have that life of continuous learning.”

For panelists, that preparation includes more than technical fluency. It also requires judgment, communication and the ability to use AI responsibly in complex workplaces.

“How do we accelerate the adoption of AI but do it in the right way?” said Danielle Nashold ’04, head of AI monitoring and controls strategy at Bank of America. In a highly regulated industry, Nashold discussed the importance of building governance, monitoring and control structures that allow organizations to use AI responsibly.

Amy Robbins ’14, brand insights lead at OpenAI, said AI fluency was expected when she interviewed for her role, but the conversation focused more on the human skills she would bring to the work.

“They were much more interested in how I think, how I approach complex problems, how I communicate,” Robbins said.

For Robbins, that human perspective remains essential, even inside an AI company.

“It’s not layering AI into existing systems for us,” Robbins said. “It’s layering the human into the AI systems.”

Jeff Sanders ’00, chief architect at Microsoft, added that higher education and industry will need to learn together as AI continues to change careers and roles.

“We don’t have all the answers,” Sanders said. “We know that careers are going to change. We know jobs are going to change.”

During the AI Fluency Mapping session, Tawnya Means, founding partner and principal of Inspire Higher Ed, helped prepare participants for the afternoon design sprint by walking them through ways to use AI with more purpose.

Casey Evans, associate dean for �þ��� programs and student services at American University’s Kogod School of Business, offered examples from Kogod’s redesigned curriculum, where students learn to evaluate AI critically and understand where their own judgment adds value.

“�þ��� really need to learn how they are adding value, not just cutting and pasting,” Evans said.

Means then introduced tools participants could use in the design sprint, including the CRAFT framework, which helps users build stronger prompts by defining context, role, action, format and tone.

The summit also featured faculty pitches from �þ��� and William & Mary, giving participants examples of how instructors are already experimenting with AI in their classrooms.

In the afternoon, participants applied ideas from the summit during the “Hack the Business Curriculum” design sprint.

The design sprint concluded with three winning teams.

First place went to Calibra, a classroom tool designed to help faculty evaluate and strengthen assignments for AI resilience, critical thinking, curiosity, metacognition and career development.

Second place went to Essentials of Business Reimagined for AI, which proposed redesigning an introductory business course around a semester-long AI-powered simulation.

Third place went to Roast My LinkedIn, a career-readiness tool that uses humor to review LinkedIn profiles before offering practical feedback.

The summit concluded with remarks from Katherine Guthrie, associate dean at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business.

“This doesn’t end here,” said Guthrie. “This collaboration started after William & Mary hosted an AI summit last year, and it has grown into a shared effort to create space for educators, students and industry leaders to think more intentionally about AI in higher education. We’re looking to next year, where the summit will continue at William & Mary and build on what has been started here.”

The summit was supported by sponsors including Quinncia and Global Academic Ventures. Quinncia provides career-readiness tools that support students in the job search process. Global Academic Ventures supports study abroad programming and international learning opportunities.

Additional sponsors included Breakout Learning, Interpretive Simulations, McGraw-Hill, QuantHub and GMAC.

Katherine Guthrie, associate dean at William & Mary with fellow colleagues

Casey Evans, associate dean for �þ��� programs and student services at American University, moderating the discussion alongside Stephen Walls, assistant dean at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, and Hussein Issa, associate professor of accounting information systems at Rutgers Business School

Margarita Kaprieylan, associate dean at the Love School of Business introducing the keynote

Tawnya Means, founding partner and principal of Inspire Higher Ed, and Casey Evans, associate dean for �þ��� programs and student services at American University’s Kogod School of Business, at the AI Fluency Mapping session

Quinncia presenting at the AI Summit

Global Academic Ventures presenting at the AI Summit

Margarita Kaprieylan, associate dean at the Love School of Business, and Katherine Guthrie, associate dean at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business

Vital Signs performing at the AI Summit

Casey Evans, associate dean for �þ��� programs and student services at American University, moderating the discussion alongside Stephen Walls, assistant dean at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, and Hussein Issa, associate professor of accounting information systems at Rutgers Business School

Anuj Mehrotra, dean of Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business, and Jeff Sanders ’00, chief architect at Microsoft

Anuj Mehrotra, dean of Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business, and Jeff Sanders ’00, chief architect at Microsoft

Anuj Mehrotra, dean of Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business, and Jeff Sanders ’00, chief architect at Microsoft

A full list of award and scholarship recipients appears below.

Academic Achievement Award Recipients

Academic Excellence Award in Accounting
Kirsten Myburg
Allie Rosinger

This award is given to a senior Accounting major who has demonstrated superior academic achievement, provided significant contributions to the department, and possesses potential for intellectual growth.

Challenge and Expect Award in Accounting
Kate Rohan
Zachary Taylor

This award is presented to a senior Accounting major who has demonstrated excellent growth in academic achievement and in contributions to the department.

Earl D. Honeycutt, Jr. Sales Leadership Award
Alex Scheinler

This award recognizes a senior majoring in marketing or minoring in professional sales who has shown leadership in the sales program, has the potential to positively impact their future organization, and has demonstrated an overall positive attitude in supporting their fellow sales students.

Excellence in Financial Education Student Award
Justin Betts
Andrew Glas
Em Orendorff

This award is given to a senior finance major who has demonstrated excellent academic achievement and possesses potential for professional growth in financial services.

Goldstein Family Award
Maggie Blakeney

This award is for a graduating senior who, after transferring to Elon (and the LSB) earlier in their academic career, has established a record of sustained engagement and high academic success and who embodies the university’s engaged learning focus through participation in high-impact learning activities.

Walter Hattenbach Award
Kaila Burke

The senior marketing major with the highest GPA receives this award, which Dr. and Mrs. James W. Johnston established in honor of their friend, Walter Hattenbach.

John Kappas Economics Award
Quinn Faller

This award goes to the senior economics major who best demonstrates enthusiasm for economics, potential for leadership and classroom excellence. It is named in honor of the late John Kappas, a 1985 Elon graduate.

Love School of Business Academic Excellence Award
Greta Hessenthaler
Kirsten Myburg
Katrina Papierman
Anthony Vozella

This award is presented to the student with the highest GPA among those graduating with a major in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

Love School of Business Courageous Leadership Award
Noah Biggers

This award is given to a student who exemplifies courageous leadership within and outside of the Love School of Business.

Love School of Business Responsible Leadership Award
William Foster

This award is given to a student who exemplifies leadership, service and academic achievement within the Love School of Business.

Perseverance Award in Accounting
Ben Lyons

This award is presented to a graduating accounting senior whose resilience and commitment led to significant improvement while successfully navigating the rigors of the four-year curriculum.

Student Achievement in Business Analytics Award
Greta Hessenthaler

This award is given to a senior business analytics major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her courses as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Economics Award
Jin Kobes
Daisy Martinez-Jimenez

This award is given to a senior economics major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her courses as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Economic Consulting Award
Sivan Danziger

This award is given to a senior economic consulting major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her courses as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Entrepreneurship & Innovation Award
Juan Daniel Chiriboga
Taylor Sluss

This award is given to a senior entrepreneurship & innovation major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her major as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Finance Award
Liam Becker
Emily McAninch
Asa Traylor

This award is given to a senior finance major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her major as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Human Resource Management Award
Maddy Shapiro

This award is given to a senior human resource management major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her courses as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in International Business Award
Melena Hasskerl-Friedrich

This award is given to a senior international business major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her major as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Marketing Award
Rachel Buckle
Lauren Kulda

This award is given to a senior marketing major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her major as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Project Management Award
Anna Johnson

This award is given to a senior project management major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her major as well as promise for future achievement.

Student Achievement in Supply Chain Management Award
Maylee Clerici

This award is given to a senior supply chain management major who has shown enthusiasm and success in his or her major as well as promise for future achievement.

Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Dean’s Awards for Faculty and Staff

Excellence in Teaching
Jose Cerecedo Lopez

The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies the �þ��� teacher-scholar model. This person is outstanding in the classroom, engages students in the learning process, maintains academic rigor, and provides evidence of commitment to the intellectual development of students through mentoring and related activities.

Excellence in Scholarship
Feng Dong

The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Dean’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship recognizes one or more faculty members each year whose scholarly work has a significant intellectual impact in keeping with the Elon scholar-mentor model. Selection factors for this award include publication or presentation of peer-reviewed research in quality outlets and evidence that the faculty member engages in scholarship-related activities. These activities might include supporting the scholarly endeavors of colleagues, advancing the school’s reputation, and mentoring students in �þ��� research.

Exemplary Service – Faculty
John Wimmer

The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Dean’s Award for Exemplary Service-Faculty recognizes one or more faculty members each year who have contributed in meaningful ways to the ongoing welfare and betterment of the college, university and profession. This award follows from the Elon servant-leadership model. Selection is based on service in the preceding year, plus overall willingness to volunteer one’s time when needed and to carry new ideas to reality.

Exemplary Service – Staff
Sara DeVane

The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Dean’s Award for Exemplary Service-Staff recognizes a staff member who has contributed in meaningful ways to the ongoing welfare and betterment of the LSB.  This contribution includes performing duties above and beyond the staff member’s regular functions to support and advance the LSB.

Exemplary Service – External
Rob Springer

The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Dean’s Award for Exemplary Service-Staff recognizes a member of the larger �þ��� community who has contributed in meaningful ways to the ongoing welfare and betterment of the LSB.  This contribution can take the form of assisting the LSB with a specific program or project or providing ongoing support for LSB activities.

LSB Sophomore Recognition

Benjamin Grover Johnston Award
Andrew Abraham
Logan Brzezanski
Lindsay Butkus
Izzy Butler
Gabrielle Evans
Addie Gilner
Henry Ginsburg
Dylan Golden
Isabella Johnson
Avery Launer
Jordyne Lewis
Ben Peake
Hope Rosen
Isaiah Scott
Greta Smith
Casey Steinert
Dani Stuart
Ben Waechter
Ellis Weber-Provost
Sophia Winston

This award honors the sophomore(s) with the highest GPA in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Dr. and Mrs. James W. Johnston established this award in memory of Dr. Johnston’s brother, Benjamin Grover Johnston.

2026-27 Endowed Scholarships and Awards

The Andras Family Award
Abigail Mulvaney

The A. Vance Beck, Sr. and Gwendolyn D. Beck Scholarship
Virginia Manning

The Calvert C. and Margaret H. McGregor Scholarship
Maximiliano Camacho Garcia

The Charles David Smith Endowed Scholarship
River Cranford

The David A. Stevens ’81 Internship Scholarship
Chaise Hannibal
Winter Oaster

The David O. Bowden Economics Scholarship
Ellis Weber-Provost

The Department of Economics Endowed Scholarship
Sophia Winston

The Don S. and Margaret M. Holt Scholarship
Ashley Valency
Skylar Zimmerly

The Dudley Ray Watson Memorial Scholarship
Mackenzie Ross

The Frechette Family Foundation Fund for Global Engagement
Madisen Groff
Brennan Higgins

The Frederick K. Gilliam, Sr. Scholarship
Sophia Arminio
Lauren Beckman
Colleen Bolger
Elizabeth Moores
Anna Rubino
Jesse Sherrill

The Humphries Achievement Award
Loren Palma

The J. Harold Smith Scholarship
Jordyne Lewis

The James T. Toney Endowment Fund
Madeline Dolan

The Janie E. Council Scholarship
Patrick Drury

The John and Helene Sparks Scholarship for Business
Dulio Sorel di Donato

The John L. Sills, Jr. Scholarship
Benjamin Peake

The John R. Hill ’76 and Lesley W. Hill Endowed Fund for Engaged Learning in Business
Marlie Barhorst

The Linda Thompson Weavil Endowed Scholarship
Kristen Covington
Jasmine Newkirk

The Mark A. Horsburgh Study Abroad Scholarship
Michael Dumiec
Peyton Jones

The Mary C. Bullock ’47 and George P. Bullock ’47 Business Scholarship
John Cirelli
Jane McNeil
Avery Wilson

The Mills Family Endowed Scholarship
Tristan D’Adamo
Sahrahie Enamorado

The Myers Family Endowed Scholarship in Business
Aidan Roche

The Park Business Scholarship
Alyssa Adams

The Peter L. Tourtellot Endowed Scholarship in Business
Emma Cincotta

The R. Alston Team III Endowed Scholarship in Business
Eli Karpas
Emma Meunier

The R. Cruse Lewis Master Pools Guild/Love School of Business Endowment Scholarship
Gabriela Maldonado Alvarez
Ashlyn Wenner

The Rehnert Family Business Internship Award
Rita Ho
Korey Philpot
Fanyu Sha
Abigail Wong

The Rose Family Endowed Fund for Engaged Learning in Business
Samuel Bernard

The Samuel L. Burke Endowed Scholarship
David Graves
Elizabeth Shum

The Sirabella Family Scholarship for Engaged Learning in Business
Alison Whipple

The Taylor S. Davis Scholarship for Engaged Learning in Business
Anna Maddox

The Troy Family Endowed Scholarship for International Study
Shannon Cross
Jack Miller

The Waesche Engaged Learning Scholarship
Luke Shatkin

The Wells Fargo Scholarship
Jackson Steiner

The William A. Klopman, Jr. Memorial Scholarship
Megan Abbot

The Yearwood Family Scholarship
Bong Realiza

An accomplished business leader whose career spans global technology, consumer brands and corporate turnarounds, Findley accepted the university’s top award for entrepreneurship on April 22 inside LaRose Digital Theatre.

Findley currently serves as president, CEO and director of Sleep Number and has held leadership roles at Alibaba, Etsy and Blue Apron.

�þ��� President Connie Ledoux Book presented the medal alongside Haya Ajjan, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

The ceremony opened with a video tribute featuring remarks from Book, Ajjan, Elizabeth Caran and Jeffrey Pugh, former Distinguished University Professor and Maude Sharpe Powell Professor of Religious Studies at Elon, both of whom were in attendance.

Caran, Findley’s sister, emphasized her sibling’s commitment to making people feel heard and included. Pugh described Findley as someone who “makes everything better wherever she goes,” guided by both intellect and a strong moral compass.

In her remarks, Findley reflected on what entrepreneurial leadership has come to mean in her own life and career.

“When you told me I was receiving the medal for entrepreneurial leadership, I’ll be honest, I had a moment of pause,” said Findley. “Because when I think about entrepreneurs, I think about founders. People who start companies from scratch. And that’s not my path.”

Instead, Findley said, her career has been defined by stepping into companies in moments of change and choosing to lead with ownership, resilience and a willingness to act before feeling fully ready.

“Entrepreneurial leadership isn’t really about whether you started something,” she said. “It’s about how you show up, the risks you take, the responsibility you assume and how you bring people along with you.”

Findley, who grew up in nearby Greensboro, told students that Elon played a transformative role in helping her see herself and her future differently. She described struggling academically and socially in high school before arriving at Elon, where she found an environment that encouraged exploration, curiosity and growth.

“Elon didn’t just teach me what to learn,” Findley said. “It taught me how to think.”

She credited the university’s interdisciplinary approach, study abroad opportunities and especially a set of religion courses with Pugh for reshaping her perspective.

“Those classes exposed me to such a broad world of ideas, perspectives, modern views on longstanding concepts,” she said. “That changed everything about how I thought of myself and what I could do in the world.”

That openness to possibility would later shape major decisions in her career, including a move to Hong Kong without a job lined up after finding it difficult to break out of communications roles in the United States. The leap eventually led to a role at Alibaba and marked a major turning point in how she thought about risk.

“You don’t wait until you’re ready,” Findley said. “You go. You do. You open yourself up to learning. And that’s what makes you ready.”

Throughout the evening, Findley returned to the idea that leadership is less about titles and more about how people are treated along the way. She said one of the reasons she wanted to become a CEO was her belief that companies can succeed without losing sight of the people who make that success possible.

“Customers and teams matter most, and you could build a successful company while still treating people like humans,” she said.

That people-first approach also shaped how she described her leadership style during a question-and-answer session with students. Rather than entering organizations assuming she has all the answers, Findley said she tries to create the conditions for others to do their best work.

“My assumption is that everyone else in the room knows more than I do,” Findley said, “and my job is to get out of their way and get everything else out of the way so they can do it.”

�þ��� asked Findley about topics ranging from career pivots and leadership style to failure, resilience and decision-making. In response, she emphasized the importance of core values, communication and internal resilience, especially when navigating uncertainty.

“You’re never going to please everyone,” she said. “You’re never going to make everyone happy, and you’re never going to have respect from everyone. But you will get respect for actually making a decision and making a change and taking action when people don’t like it.”

She closed her remarks by offering students three challenges: take one real risk in the next 30 days, put yourself in rooms where you are not the most qualified person, and act like an owner before you ever receive the title.

“Entrepreneurial leadership isn’t about starting companies,” Findley said. “It’s about taking responsibility for outcomes, for people and for your own path.”

About the �þ��� Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership

The Elon Medal Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership is co-presented by the Love School of Business and the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Since 2009, the award has been given to an entrepreneur who is a leader in industry and who exemplifies the values of �þ���. These values include integrity, innovation and creativity, passion for lifelong learning, and a commitment to building a dynamic community.

About the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship was established by an endowment gift from Ed and Joan Doherty, entrepreneurs from Saddle River, N.J., and parents of Kerry Doherty Gatlin ’07. The Dohertys have served on the university’s Parents Council, and Ed Doherty currently serves as an Elon Trustee. Their company, Doherty Enterprises, Inc., is one of the nation’s leading franchise operators of quality family restaurants, including Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Panera Bread and Chevy’s Fresh Mex.

Twenty Fellows collaborated on developing a U.S. market-entry strategy for Uniwellsity, a European digital wellness company focused on emotional learning and mental well-being. As the project progressed, eight students traveled to Prague to represent the team and deliver the final presentation to the client.

“Throughout the year, I stretched my global business perspective by thinking critically about how a Czech-based company could successfully integrate into the U.S. market,” said Maren Giambanco, a marketing major from Norwood, Mass. “Being able to then fully immerse myself in Czech culture during our visit made the entire experience even more unique and eye-opening.”

Her experience reflects the broader scope of the project, which required students to move beyond theory and into the complexities of entering a highly competitive market.

As the work progressed, teams analyzed positioning, refined strategy and collaborated across time zones to ensure the final deliverable reflected the full group’s efforts.

“Meeting with Czech Founders, a venture capital firm in Prague, was incredibly insightful, especially in understanding how they assess pitch decks and the qualifications that determine which ideas are strong enough to be part of their portfolio,” said Em Orendorff, a finance major from Annapolis, Md. “I also found it interesting learning about how the startup environment in the EU differs from the U.S.”

Those interactions offered additional context for the team’s recommendations and expanded their understanding of global business practices.

“Presenting in Prague made everything feel real,” said Jack Poulos, an economics major from New Albany, Ohio. “It was the first time I could clearly see how the work we do in the classroom translates directly into real-world impact.”

The experience reflected the expectations of a professional consulting environment, where preparation, adaptability and clear communication shaped every stage of the project.

“The presentation wasn’t just the end of two semesters of hard work,” said Jadon Dorsey ’26, an economic consulting major from Charleston, W.Va. “It showed how confidence, teamwork and believing in something can come together to create something meaningful.”