TV Show ‘Shark Tank’ Ready to be Riveted by University of Mary Business Alumna
她的伟大梦想, pride in American-made products and passion for supporting our troops have helped sew a money-making business partnership.
俾斯麦,ND ——4月5日, 2004, University of Mary freshmen Lisa (Dobbs) Bradley (Columbus, MT), and Lori (Petoske) Yunker (Midland, SD), wowed a panel of five judges with their can-do spirit, business plan and entrepreneurial idea of Distex. They won first place after presenting their feminine hygiene disposable product at University of Mary’s popular Entrepreneurship Fair, or E-Fair — part of the Harold Schafer Emerging Leaders Academy at the Gary Tharaldson School of Business. 为期一天的活动，学生们, 有些在团队中, would have a short amount of time to pitch their product and business plan to judges — successful local business men and women that volunteered their time, wisdom and constructive feedback as to why ideas would fail or succeed. 利害关系, $2,现金奖励, trophies and a priceless chance at further mentorship from the judges.
“The University of Mary and E-Fair gave me the opportunity to try my hand at business in a real-life scenario and I discovered I truly enjoyed it,布拉德利评论道。, who was traveling to her retail shop in North Carolina.
Many competing students referred to it as the “firing squad” — an opportunity for judges to shoot holes into an idea or concept before it could move on to the next step, 但更重要的是, an experience of a lifetime for the students to battle test their product and toughen their skin, 可以这么说, 在演讲.
“他们的帮助是无价的, but they also told us they were not helping us for personal benefit,布拉德利说. “They wanted to offer advice and mentorship because when they were young, they had mentors that encouraged and inspired them. The only thing asked in return was that we do the same in the future.”
现在, 12年后, Lisa (Dobbs) Bradley is putting that experience into practice and reliving it on a much larger scale with the hit reality TV show called “Shark Tank.” Bradley and her new business partner and cofounder, 卡梅伦壶, hope to convince business moguls Mark Cuban, Lori Grenier, 凯文·奥利里, Daymond约翰, and Robert Herjavec that their company, R. Riveter, is worthy of a Shark investment on “Shark Tank,” airing this 2016年2月5日周五晚8点.m.(CT)在ABC播出.
“Being 18 and getting in front of a panel of very successful business leaders at the time was just as intimidating as the self-made millionaires on Shark Tank—minus the intimidation of being on national television,布拉德利补充道. “You could say the E-Fair experience started prepping me for the Tank”.
Riveter is a throwback to the courageous and spirited days of Rosie the Riveter during World War II. 他们的 rriveter.com website tells the story of how Bradley and Cruse, 军人配偶, armed themselves with a big idea and one small sewing machine. 他们的 mission began in Cruse’s attic making stylish handbags and totes out of recycled army tent canvas and surplus uniforms and blankets. The business has grown to equip around a dozen fellow military spouses, 或“铆工,” with materials wherever they may be stationed across the country — allowing them to support their husband’s military career. Each bag comes complete with a dog tag and yellow “support the troops” ribbon.
作为军人配偶, my cofounder and I had the opportunity to learn first-hand that frequent moves were a way of life,布拉德利说. “Even with a great college education, it is difficult for military spouses to pursue or maintain a single career path. Cameron and I knew we wanted to empower those women, 谁总是在移动, by providing them with a way to carry their job with them. 我们的铆工是军人配偶, 从海岸到海岸, who handcraft parts of our handbags from their homes and then ship them to our shop in Southern Pines, NC, 组装. The goal has always been to help as many military spouses as we could. So any chance we had to grow our business we were going to take, even if there were risks involved.”
承担风险, helping others pursue the American dream of starting their own business and finding an entrepreneurial passion or cause continue to be hallmarks of the Gary Tharaldson School of Business today. Lessons Bradley took to heart at Mary and continue with her to this day.
“R.Riveter has always dreamed of expanding west, to help more military spouses across the country,布拉德利解释道。. “We are really trying to change the face of at-home work, whether a military spouse or not. We are one of the few companies that allow you to set your own hours, 在家工作, and be ensured an opportunity to earn an income.”