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Dividend The official online magazine of the Carson College of Business

A Message from Interim Dean Debbie Compeau – August 2024

Dear friends,

As the fall semester gets underway, campus is coming to life with the energy and excitement of a new academic year. Incoming freshmen are embarking on a significant new chapter. Meanwhile, seniors are preparing to take the final steps in their academic journey, poised to launch their careers with a freshly minted business degree from Carson College.

In this issue of eDividend, we highlight how our programs and initiatives are cultivating the next generation of entrepreneurs, equipped with the skills and vision needed to navigate and shape the future of business. The entrepreneurship program is a cornerstone of the Carson College, offering benefits to students from across the university system as it continues to grow in enrollment. The number of undergraduate minors and majors in entrepreneurship has risen from 103 in 2019, to 157 this past academic year. Nearly 600 students from across all majors were enrolled to take entrepreneurship classes.

Our feature on AgRooted, a Coug-founded agritourism business, shows how Carson classes and programs designed to support student entrepreneurs can inspire innovative business ideas and provide a launch pad to get them off the ground. In the past 10 years alone, more than 20 businesses have been launched with the help of Carson programs.

At WSU Tri-Cities, our three-course entrepreneurship series demonstrates our dedication to leveraging industry partnerships. These collaborations are essential in offering a progressive business education that empowers our students to address the most pressing challenges of the 21st century and beyond.

With the appointment of Paul Warner as the executive director of WSU’s Center for Entrepreneurship, we are further solidifying our investment in programs that produce career-ready entrepreneurs. His leadership will undoubtedly enhance our capacity to support and launch new ventures.

The 2024 Business Plan Competition showcased the incredible talent and ambition within our community. Altogether, the top teams earned more than $50,000 in seed money, providing crucial funding to bring their ideas to life. Second-place winner team PicsGenie took part in the Jones Milestones Accelerator this summer, securing additional money to propel their new business that allows people to use generative AI to design and purchase clothing.

We also feature graduates from our online MBA programs who are successful entrepreneurs. MBA alum John Howerton is the cofounder of Cord Analytics, an investing platform simplifying stock analysis for everyday users. His story illustrates how our graduates are leveraging cutting-edge tools like generative AI to revolutionize and expand their industries. Our feature on executive MBA alum and entrepreneur Bobby Wiese reveals how he has used his degree training to improve his business that creates high-end metal products for architectural purposes.

The Carson College is proud to be a catalyst for entrepreneurial growth and a leader in contemporary business education. I encourage you to join us in celebrating the achievements of our remarkable students, faculty, and alumni.

Together, we will continue to build a community that inspires innovation, drives change, and prepares future-ready entrepreneurs.

Go Cougs!


Debbie Compeau, Interim Dean

WSU Alumni Found AgRooted to Support Family Farms

Small family farms face significant challenges, including escalating production costs and fierce competition from large agribusinesses. Growing up on an 80-acre farm in southwest Washington, WSU alums and siblings Jessica and Sean Murray were acutely aware of the challenges facing small family operations like theirs and wanted to be part of the solution.

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Entrepreneurship Course Series Prepares Future Innovators

A series of three entrepreneurship classes offered at WSU Tri-Cities is pairing students with industry professionals to develop and launch new ventures in clean energy.

Paul Carlisle (’06 Busi. Admin., ’07 MBA), an adjunct professor with the Carson College who runs the program, says the classes are meant to be taken in succession. Students team up with a researcher who holds a freshly patented technology, often from nearby Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL), help create a business plan, and secure venture financing to create a viable business.

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A Matter of Trust: Maintaining Investor Confidence After a Product Failure

In the high-stakes world of venture-backed startups, nothing is more crucial than investor trust, especially when facing product development setbacks. New research from WSU's Carson College of Business offers fresh perspectives on how technology-based startup companies can secure funding even when their product development hits roadblocks.

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August 2024 – New Hires

Kirk Berentsen is an administrative assistant for the School of Hospitality and Business Management. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing with an emphasis in analytics. During his time at UI, he worked for University Housing as a resident assistant and for Vandals Dining as a marketing intern. After he earned his degree, he spent several years as an analyst in both the food and tech industry. In his spare time, he enjoys playing sports (currently pickleball), baking, or playing bass guitar.

Kacie Deerkop is a facilities coordinator for the Carson College of Business. She was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah where she attended the University of Utah to study geoscience. Previously, her work included retail construction management for the outdoor industry. In her spare time, she enjoys snowboarding, puzzles, and a good book.

Kim Harrod is an administrative assistant for the Carson College of Business as well as the School of Engineering. She graduated from WSU Tri-Cities in 2017 with a degree in hospitality. Assisting others and making others happy is a passion of hers. She has been in the hospitality industry for more than 10 years. In her free time, she loves to relax and watch football, basketball, or cooking shows with her son.

Paul Warner joins WSU as executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Carson College of Business. Most recently, he served as digital marketing and localization manager at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, where he oversaw global advertising, digital marketing, localization, and analytics. Starting with his first marketing role at a Silicon Valley startup, he has continuously gained marketing, journalism, and sales experience across several industries. After launching his own business in 2009, he has consulted for clients in government, education, and private industry. He has a bachelor of arts in journalism and a master of science in communications.

Drew Zamora is a director of development within the Office of Development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from Northern Arizona University, and a master of education in higher and postsecondary education from Arizona State University. Bringing more than 10 years of experience in both higher education and educational technology, Zamora joins WSU following his tenure at the Arizona State University Foundation. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family, playing golf, and cooking on his smoker.