GCU students sold on conscious capitalism

Photos by Ralph Freso

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story originally appeared in the February issue of GCU Magazine.

As a business leader and growth strategist in real estate deals, John Kaites witnessed Grand Canyon University’s rapid growth in the West Valley over the last 15 years.

But he also saw its positive impact on the community.

That influence in 2019 helped convince Kaites, whose business represents the Milwaukee Brewers and 13 other Major League Baseball teams, that the Brewers needed to commit to the community by including GCU’s K-12 academic help center, the Learning Lounge, at the team’s revamped Maryvale spring training facility.

That transaction also served as his reference point for conscious capitalism – a firm pillar of the University’s Colangelo College of Business.

Since taking over as the college’s dean in October, Kaites has been impressed by the motivation of students who have fulfilled GCU’s mission in implementing ethical business practices and distributing a portion of their business profits to help others.

“It is so encouraging to meet our students and to hear their heart for Christ and how that translates into action,” Kaites said. “And they are motivated not by self-interest, but by the desire to serve, to love God, to love others. And that service through the Grand Canyon model is easily implemented because of all the opportunities we have to serve.”

Andrew Bussmann, an entrepreneurial studies junior, needed no convincing to earmark $5 from every purchase of his clothing brand and ministry business, Fellowship Fits, toward sponsoring a child in Guatemala. The money assists with access to school supplies, housing care, clothes and social work.

“Lord willing, I kind of want to put, obviously, God first, business second,” Bussmann said. “But if I can tie them together, it’s always very fun to kind of incorporate business and spreading the gospel.

“It definitely can be a challenge, sometimes running a business and also kind of attending to others and trying to be supportive of all that. But it’s very fun and it’s very rewarding if you’re doing it, and you’re honoring God through it.”

Island Munchies became an instant hit this fall among GCU students from Hawaii and the Pacific Rim seeking to satisfy their appetites with native food, but owner Tate Yamashita, a senior majoring in business administration, also earmarked a portion of his funds to assist those affected by the Maui fires last August.

And after Jack’s Detail Garage won a $5,000 AZ Venture of the Year Award at the first Demo Day in December, CEO Connor Vicary, an entrepreneurship senior, was elated for more than just financial reasons.

“Because of this, we can hire 15 more people,” said Vicary, referring to GCU students he could employ.

In his first three months as CCOB dean, Kaites has witnessed numerous students who are eager to serve, love God and others and not be motivated by self-interest. The GCU model, according to Kaites, is easy to implement because of the resources available for students to serve.

“Every opportunity has a business component to it,” Kaites said. “Every opportunity requires students to put a pencil to it and for the math to work. And where conscious capitalism comes into play is that it is the application of business principles being focused on solving the problems all around us.”

As an example, Kaites held a preliminary discussion last fall with a student who had a business plan. Discussions resumed a day before the start of the spring semester, with Tim Kelley, founder and chair of Canyon Angels, and Robert Vera, founding director of Canyon Ventures, assisting the student in crystallizing his plan.

“That is a for-profit venture that will serve, dramatically, the community around Grand Canyon University and across the state,” Kaites said.

Kate Hames’ Anomaly Co. Christian clothing business achieved higher-than-expected sales at the first IDEA Club Marketplace in October. Her company sold enough products to enable her to hire her first employee.

A grassroots approach seemed natural for Hames, who grew up helping her father’s dry-cleaning business in Columbus, Ohio, and witnessed the importance of treating employees and customers well and setting fair prices.

As a Christian ministry major before switching to applied entrepreneurship, she learned to manage and build a brand in a conscientious way.

“One thing I’m huge on with my faith is knowing that everything that we have is the Lord’s,” said Hames, who donates 15% of her profits to charity. “So who am I to close my hands and try and keep it all for selfish gain, when there are other people who honestly need it more than I do?

“It’s really clear how, when the Lord calls you for something, He provides through it financially for you. But I believe we’re called to give back to those who need and just be the hands and feet of Jesus in that way.”

Kaites credited the IDEA Club – it stands for Innovation, Development and Entrepreneurship Association – and its leadership group for helping foster business ideas with a sound method to enhance conscious capitalism.

Vicary, who serves as IDEA Club president, and Jackson Godwin, CEO of Jack’s Detail Garage and IDEA Club vice president, operate a successful business with plans to expand from five to nine states, and they assist fellow students in their business proposals.

In his rare spare time, Godwin is a Young Life leader, and Vicary plans to follow a similar path.

“Here, we don’t just teach business,” Kaites said. “We do business right, and each member of the leadership of IDEA Club has a strong faith in God and wants to make that part of the investment in others as they develop these businesses.”

Conscious capitalism, according to Kaites, will remain sustainable and successful as long as students follow the college’s business principles faithfully and be transformational in the lives of others.

“Repeatable, sustainable processes,” Kaites said. “That’s what we teach here.”

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