There is almost nothing more satisfying than a big, hearty breakfast to start one’s day. However, combining this fantastic buffet with speeches from flourishing, upstanding gentlemen assures the listeners (and the eaters) that you can have your cake and eat it too. The morning of Friday, October 3, 2003, was filled with sustenance and success all around. Ned C. Hill, dean of the Marriott School of Management, complimented and raved about the accomplishments made from members of this prestigious school. He mentioned the attention the MBA program has drawn to this institution. In the Wall Street Journal, Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management advanced to 26th from 38th in the 2003 ranking of top business schools worldwide. BYU was also ranked 2nd in the new “Emphasis on Ethics” category as “best for hiring graduates with high ethical standards.” He also thanked the ones who instill these standards and values into the students, for without them, these well-trained, highly distinguished scholars would be missing a vital part of themselves: their own personal code of ethics.

Dean Hill took great pride in reminding us that our beloved prophet wants this university to be number one…in everything! So far, we are making our mark and working our way up on the success ladder of life.

Larry Linton, chairman of the Founders Board of Directors, introduced several men who have been stalwart examples of ethical, thriving businessmen. Dave Bateman was one of them. Founder of Property Solutions, Bateman won the Business Plan Competition held at BYU Winter semester 2002. Since then, his business has grown very successful and we are excited to see what sort of headlines him and his company will make.

Other success stories include Rob Cornilles and his company Game Face, Inc. After beginning his career in the entertainment business working for various studios in Hollywood, Cornilles took on the greatest challenge of a young sports marketer in 1991: selling tickets for the Los Angeles Clippers, who at the time, held the worst record in the NBA. Cornilles began sharing his successful sales techniques with major and minor league teams across the country.

Taylor Richards, President of Taylor’s Boats, and Rich Crandall, of Crandall & Associates Consulting Dieticians, Inc., both spoke about their beginnings and how they owed much of their success to the Founders of the Center for Entrepreneurship. This is very true; without our established Founders who support and uplift our programs, the Center would not be able to support our students and would not be able to provide the help that we do now. This we do in thanks to the Founders and other men and women who have earnestly fortified the Center for Entrepreneurship.