Nov.
11, 2015 in “Events”
Entrepreneurship
speakers to share lessons learned in Foisie Business School series
It
all began in the cramped space of a laundry room in a rented
California farmhouse.
Like
many entrepreneurs, Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey started out
with just a little bit of money and a dream.
Thirty
years later, their kernel of an idea – tweaked, tinkered with, and
fostered over the days and decades – has blossomed into one of the
country’s most successful wine labels, Barefoot.
The
industrious couple came into the wine market with barely any prior
industry experience – so for them, entrepreneurship has been about
evolving, giving back, and constantly learning from (often constant)
mistakes.
Today,
since selling their brand to California-headquartered E&J Gallo
Winery, they share their compelling story through speaking
engagements, training, and consulting.
This
week, they will talk about their entrepreneurial successes and
failures at WPI as part of the Robert A. Foisie School of Business’
Entrepreneurship Speaker series.
The
events are made possible through an ongoing grant from the Coleman
Foundation catering to faculty member entrepreneurship fellows.
The
goal is to “just trigger ideas for these faculty members who are
not in business, but who recognize that their students are going to
go on to become entrepreneurs or innovators,” said Frank Hoy, Paul
Beswick professor of entrepreneurship and director of the
Collaborative for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. “Innovation and
entrepreneurship is one of President Laurie Leshin’s initiatives.
This is all part of WPI’s mission.”
Houlihan
and Harvey will offer three programs spanning Thursday and Friday
that will focus on branding, marketing and innovation, management,
and taking a brand global.
According
to Hoy, the Coleman Foundation Faculty Entrepreneurship Fellows
Program is aimed at faculty members whose main disciplines are
outside the business school. Currently there are 14 fellows, he said,
whose areas of expertise range from arts and humanities, to chemical
engineering, to robotics.
Although
the event is prioritized for fellows, the public is welcome to
attend, Hoy said.
Previous
speakers in the series have included Miroslav Pivoda, innovation
consultant from the Czech Republic; Benyamin Lichtenstein of UMass
Boston; and German economist Alexander Koeberle-Schmid. Future
planned speakers will include Candida Brush, vice provost of Global
Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College, and Nitin Sanghavi, a
professor of retail marketing and strategy at Manchester Business
School in England.
This
week’s event with Houlihan and Harvey, meanwhile, came about when
Hoy met the couple and heard them speak at the annual conference of
the United States Association for Small business and
Entrepreneurship.
“I
was fascinated by their story, I was fascinated by them personally,”
Hoy said, describing them as having “great personalities,” and
being “really open, wanting to share, wanting to help other
people.”
“Their
venture from the beginning was designed not just to be a moneymaker,
but to have a social impact,” he said.
Michael
Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey will offer three events this
week
–“Branding,
Marketing and Innovation,” 6 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Salisbury
Laboratories room 411.
–“Going
Global,” 10 to 11 a.m., Friday, Salisbury Laboratories room 011.
–“Management:
The 3 Core Competencies,” Noon to 1 p.m., Friday, Washburn Shops
and Stoddard Laboratories room 229.
Visit
their website at http://thebarefootspirit.com.
According
to their bio, the couple started the Barefoot label in 1986, nearly
going bankrupt in their first few years of business. But by learning
to adapt and employ various innovative methods, they worked through
obstacles and established new markets for their brand. Along the way,
they also emphasized performance-based compensation and what they
call “worthy cause marketing,” or supporting nonprofits that
represent equal rights and environmental causes.
Since
selling their brand to E&J Gallo in 2005, they have spoken across
the country, received numerous entrepreneurship awards, and authored
the bestselling books, The
Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1
Wine Brand,
and The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways to Engage and Empower Your
People.
“They
got into a business and industry that they didn’t know,” said
Hoy. “They made every mistake that an entrepreneur could make. But
they didn’t make the same mistake twice. They went on, recovered,
and persevered.”
Ultimately,
he stressed, their story offers numerous examples of how
entrepreneurs in all areas can mess up along the way, but in the end
“still survive, still succeed, still accomplish goals.”
– BY TARYN PLUMB
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