Eccles Business Buzz David Eccles School of Business

Despite the rise in scrutiny of bachelor’s degrees, research shows that having access to college is a key indicator of future economic and financial success as well as physical and emotional well-being.

Studies show that people with bachelor's degrees have 57% more job opportunities than people with high school diplomas, and 60% of workers with bachelor’s degrees reported being highly satisfied at work, while only 38% of workers without college degrees reported being highly satisfied.

If a degree can play such a pivotal role in someone’s overall future success, how can access to college be expanded so that students can not just get in but thrive while they’re in school and graduate? Tara Hardison, assistant dean for undergraduate programs at the David Eccles School of Business, works on that question every day.

She joins host Frances Johnson to chat about the real-world impacts a college degree can have on someone’s life, the ways Eccles is helping first-generation and low-income students, and why that support doesn’t end after students have been handed a degree.

Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University FM.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, small businesses employ nearly half of the American workforce and represent 43.5% of the country's GDP. However, not everyone in the American economy has the same access to the tools and resources needed to launch and sustain a new business successfully.

The Master of Business Creation (MBC) program at the David Eccles School of Business is working to address some of these gaps by offering a degree program committed to helping entrepreneurs grow their startup companies.

Paul Brown and Rena Vanzo will join me today to discuss the program and its impact on creating equitable opportunities for entrepreneurs. Paul Brown is Co-Director of the Master of Business Creation program at the Eccles School.

Rena Vanzo is a graduate of the Executive MBA at the Eccles School and is currently enrolled in the Master of Business Creation program. She is the founder of The Boob Bus, which offers mobile breast imaging services.

They sit down with host Frances Johnson to explore the MBC program's unique approach to entrepreneurship education, combining aspects of an accelerator with an accredited master's degree program and focusing on practical, immediate application of business concepts. We will also hear how the MBC program helps founders from diverse backgrounds to develop successful businesses.

Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University FM.

In today's episode, we're focusing on the role of higher education in creating lifelong economic opportunities. Research shows that the average college graduate is 24% more likely to be employed than their peers who have only completed a high school degree.

At the same time, college is not accessible to everyone. According to the National Center for Education statistics, over 85% of college students receive some form of financial aid. Here to talk about the role of scholarships in increasing college access and lifetime economic opportunity is Mbe Agbor.

Mbe spent his career in the consumer packaged goods industry where he worked for Unilever and Reckitt. Mbe now invests in real estate and small start-ups. He also owns and operates Sosega Nigeria FZE, a cashew farming and processing operation in Nigeria.

MBE earned his BS in marketing and business management at the David Eccles School of Business and earned an MBA from the Eccles School in 2001.

Mbe and host Frances Johnson will delve into his personal journey and how his family influenced his pursuit of higher education, the added stress of overcoming financial barriers, and Mbe’s belief that college is a great equalizer, providing students with the confidence to pursue their ambitions.

Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University FM.

As we continue exploring the topic of economic equality and the different factors that influence a fair and equitable economic experience, today we are tackling the topic of student loan debt.

Americans owe $1.77 trillion in federal and private student loan debt as of the second quarter of 2023, and questions about whether and how borrowers should be required to repay that debt have become part of an ongoing national conversation.

Here to help us unpack all of this is Adam Looney. Adam is a professor and executive director of the Mariner S. Eccles Institute for Quantitative Analysis of Markets and Organizations here at the Eccles School. He is a nationally recognized expert on student debt, having testified before Congress multiple times on the topic of student debt forgiveness.

With host Frances Johnson, Adam shares his thoughts on how we got to this place of burdensome student debt. He’ll dive into the quest for equity in higher education accessibility, repayment options, and his thoughts on student loan forgiveness.

Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University.FM.

When it comes to creating more equitable access to economic opportunities, like buying a house or getting a loan to start a small business, financial technology innovations are moving the needle faster than almost anything else.

Joining us today to talk about FinTech and the role it plays in economic equality are Ryan Christiansen and Steve Smith. Ryan Christiansen is the Executive Director of the Stena Center for Financial Technology at the University of Utah. In this role, Ryan directs and coordinates the labs, venture fund, incubator, and student programs at the center.

Steve Smith is one of the co-founders and creators of the Stena Foundation and currently serves as Chief Engagement Officer, Global Open Banking for MasterCard. He believes that financial inclusion and quality education can be a catalyst for change and can break the chains of generational poverty to lift local economies.

Steve and Ryan join host Frances Johnson to discuss how FinTech innovations can help bridge the gaps in economic inclusion, how Utah plays a role in the greater FinTech landscape, and building out the intention and future of the Stena Center.

Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University FM.

We are exploring economic inclusion this season, and today we are diving into the history of banking and financial structures in the United States and how they have often excluded minority groups.

Ashley Bell is the co-founder and general counsel of the National Black Bank Foundation, which provides nonprofit expert legal, regulatory, and operational support to Black-owned banks. And Sui Ling Panoke currently serves as Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Zions Bank.

In this episode, Ashley and Sui Lang sit down with host Frances Johnson and discuss how banks were leveraged against people of color from the very beginning, finding a bank that supports your values, minority depository institutions, and some exciting developments right here in Utah, aimed at addressing and closing the racial wealth gap.

Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University FM.