Colangelo College of Business

GCU’s students don’t have to travel all the way to New York to learn about the world of finance. They can do so right here on campus at the new Charles Schwab Foundation Finance Center, which opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday. The 34-seat classroom, yet another of the campus’ hands-on learning spaces (or Lopes Live Labs), is where students not only will take classes, but it will be where finance clubs meet and where speakers will visit with students. It’s also where they can get experience on the center’s Bloomberg Terminal, a computer system chock full of real-time financial data and news feeds. “These students have the ability to basically sit in Wall Street in Phoenix, Arizona,” said finance professor Alan Klibanoff.

The first One Foundation Lunch and Learn of the 2021-22 academic year is scheduled for Monday, and this year’s topic offers faculty a topic ripe for discussion: “Human Flourishing: Embracing Our Purpose.” Monday’s session will focus on the greatest sermon ever, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Chris Goodson’s master’s program in Organizational Leadership and Entrepreneurship at GCU inspired her to pursue an entrepreneurial — and life-changing — goal in the Kansas town where she lives. The 2019 graduate used her knowledge as a real estate appraiser to arrange construction of 10 cottages for the homeless. “I really believe this is God’s project. He’s the one moving this forward,” she said.

Lopes Live Labs serve a variety of student needs, particularly in the Colangelo College of Business. Future certified financial planners will receive first-rate training in the new Charles Schwab Foundation Finance Center, and GCU Hotel and Canyon 49 Grill serve as a classroom for the hospitality program. “We very intentionally bought the hotel, fixed it up and built a restaurant to give students an applied learning lab,” said the CCOB dean, Dr. Randy Gibb.

One of the most unusual examples of a Lopes Live Lab is Canyon Ventures, the business incubator where students can gain valuable experience by working for startups. Or they can do what Weston Smith did — start their own business and become a Canyon Ventures tenant. Lux Longboards is a model for what Lopes Live Labs are all about: He has collaborated with people from all across the University. “Wes has engaged the spectrum of GCU,” said Robert Vera, Director of Canyon Ventures.

Bekah Ritterling doesn’t consider it work to talk to people. She loves it. So she’s a natural for the hospitality industry, and her people skills and positive demeanor on an internship with Drury Hotels inspired two guests to rave to management about their experience with her. Dr. Jennifer Elfenbein, Chair for Hospitality Management in the Colangelo College of Business, said of Ritterling, “She is so genuine. She’s just so happy. That is her.”

If you’ve walked around campus recently, you might have noticed the Lopes Live Lab signs on many buildings. And maybe you wondered: What is a Lopes Live Lab? The cover story in the August issue of GCU Magazine answers that question in detail with more than just a definition — it includes examples of the many ways students can have hands-on learning experiences outside the classroom.

GCU marketing and advertising major Tayler Alonzo-Taggart grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, but found herself touting the wonders of Phoenix as an intern at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, where she is in charge of the organization’s blog, “What Makes Greater Phoenix So Great,” among other duties. Fellow senior James Fritz also interned at GPEC this summer and had a lot of free reign on his projects. The computer science major with an emphasis in big data developed an alert app for the GPEC team and put together market sentiment analyses. “It’s been a really nice environment to work in,” he said.

Tim Kelley of the Colangelo College of Business has worked hard to infuse entrepreneurship into every college at GCU, not just CCOB, and his latest hire is yet another example of that effort. Abenezer Gebrehiwot, an IT/cybersecurity major, is the new Executive Manager of Kelley’s Canyon Angels investment group. Gebrehiwot was instrumental in organizing and executing a recent Canyon Angels event.

Shawn Boskie and Tyson Hintz both waited a long time, for various reasons, to earn their bachelor’s degrees from GCU, but they didn’t stop there. Both are members of the Colangelo College of Business advisory board, and Hintz actively recruits GCU students for his company, Knight-Swift Transportation. “That’s college today,” said Dr. Randy Gibb, the CCOB dean. “You can go back and finish it anytime.” Reprinted from the April issue of GCU Magazine.