Ballard Center News 

Individuals and organizations interested in eliminating poverty worldwide will meet at Brigham Young University for the 12th annual Economic Self-Reliance Conference Nov. 5–6. The BYU Center for Economic Self-Reliance will host the event at the BYU Conference Center and invites researchers, practitioners, faculty and university students to participate.

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and many college students wonder how they'll survive in an increasingly competitive job market. But this summer, hundreds of students at Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management equipped themselves with skills to get ahead by interning for some of the biggest names in business.

Instead of getting an early start on summer boating or hiking, more than twenty Brigham Young University MBA and MPA students spent their free time improving small businesses around the world.

To most people, one dollar might seem like a drop in the bucket, but for The Tipping Bucket, every dollar brings a social entrepreneur closer to his or her goal of implementing positive change.

A new program at Brigham Young University is giving graduate students the chance to become board members of nonprofits in Utah Valley.

Innovating a franchise to fit local conditions may actually lead to less growth, shows a new study from Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management.

An innovative self-help program engineered by Marriott School graduate João Bueno, recently reached the 10,000-person milestone as it aims to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life in villages throughout Mozambique.

BYU entrepreneurship professor W. Gibb Dyer received a $5,000 grant from the Family Owned Business Institute to study how owning a business affects family relationships. “This is a very exciting research study to be involved in,” Dyer says. “I believe it’s going to have a significant impact in the field of family science.” Beginning May 1, 2008, Dyer and his son Justin will serve one-year FOBI Research Scholar appointments.

A group of BYU students is one step closer to building self-sustainable schools in India after winning the 2008 Social Venture Competition — which includes a $10,000 award to fund their goal. Established in 2004 by the BYU Center for Economic Self-Reliance, the Social Venture Competition is designed for students who, through a business venture, are combating social issues in areas such as healthcare, poverty and education.

Brigham Young University Academic Vice President John Tanner announced the appointment of Gary C. Cornia as the new dean of the Marriott School of Management. Cornia, the Stewart Grow Professor of Public Management, has been serving as director of the school’s George Romney Institute of Public Management since 2004.

The Marriott School of Management honored W. Gibb Dyer with its 2008 Outstanding Faculty Award, the highest faculty distinction given by the school. The award was presented at a banquet March 28 where 11 other individuals and seven retiring professors were recognized for significant contributions to the school.

During every transition of life, personal finances play an influential role in deciding goals for the future. In an effort to provide families and individuals with the tools and resources necessary to obtain financial freedom, the Marriott School of Management has introduced a personal finance Web site designed to help users at every stage of financial knowledge.

The planned addition to the N. Eldon Tanner Building is officially underway after ground was broken on the campus of Brigham Young University April 25. The groundbreaking ceremony was conducted by President Cecil O. Samuelson, with Elder W. Rolfe Kerr of the Seventy and Commissioner of Church Education, presiding over activities.

In its continued effort to provide new research information and strategies to a worldwide audience, the Economic Self-Reliance Center has released a new publication, ESR Review. The magazine, which takes the place of the center’s previous publication, the Journal of Microfinance, addresses the general topic of economic self-reliance, where the previous journal dealt mainly with the issue of microfinance.

KAM Accelerometer, Inc., a company touting an electronic personal fitness device that measures expended kinetic energy, walked away — make that ran away — with first place at Brigham Young University’s annual Business Plan Competition. A panel of business and venture capital professionals awarded KAM $50,000 in cash and in-kind services for the March 31 victory.

More than $100,000 in cash and business services are up for grabs Friday as judges pick the most promising new enterprises at Brigham Young University’s Business Plan Competition. The final event, where one of three final teams will walk away with the grand prize valued at $50,000, will take place at 2 p.m. in room 140 of BYU’s Joseph Smith Building.

BYU’s Center for Economic Self-Reliance will host its ninth annual conference Thursday and Friday, March 9-10, in the Wilkinson Student Center. This year’s conference is also sponsored by the BYU eBusiness Center. The 2006 Economic Self Reliance Conference will host a series of break-out sessions and discussions lead by keynote speakers.

At a time when public confidence in business is at a low ebb, Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management has released a new book that shows integrity and success are not contradictory in the business world but complementary. Featuring compelling speeches at BYU by top CEOs and educators, the book, “Business with Integrity,” inspires readers to keep the bottom line in proper perspective and conduct business with honesty and character.

How much does it cost to start a small chicken farm in Kenya? How about beginning a handbag business in the Philippines or opening a small clothing shop in New York? “Small Fortunes: Microcredit and the Future of Poverty” is an hour-long documentary that discusses how micro-lending institutions are helping people escape poverty.

The Marriott School has caught the eye of CEOs according to a new poll by Chief Executive magazine. The survey, released in the publication’s July 2005 issue, asked magazine subscribers to name their top 10 business school programs from BusinessWeek’s top 25 b-schools. However, the 477 respondents didn’t limit views to the likes of Wharton, Sloan and Columbia. They also nominated BYU along with a few other business programs.