Advising

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The Entrepreneurship Advising Team works with students throughout their entrepreneurial education including course exploration, co-curricular and professional opportunities. Advisors also process major decorations and minor releases.

 

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How to Declare

In order to declare your minor, you must first have a declared major, be in good academic standing, and have at least sophomore standing. 

If you meet those criteria, you must have an appointment with one of Entrepreneurship Minor staff advisors. We strongly recommend meeting with one of our peer advisors prior to that meeting. You can schedule an Entrepreneurship Academic Advising Appointment here

Peer Advisors

Students interested in the Entrepreneurship Minor should meet with an Entrepreneurship Minor Peer Advisor to discuss minor requirements and gain valuable student perspectives and advice.  Students can schedule advising appointments with Peer Advisors during the Fall and Winter terms.


Hayden Weber
Book an Appointment with Hayden

Hayden is a Senior majoring in Communication and Media with a minor in Entrepreneurship and a Sales and Business Development Certificate. She has various career paths that she would love to explore post-grad including marketing, advertising, working for a start-up, and sales. Her favorite class so far has been MKT 312 where she learned about the intricacies of retail marketing and worked on multiple case studies to improve brands marketing campaigns. 

On campus, Hayden is involved in Sigma Eta Pi (Entrepreneurship Fraternity) and Alpha Delta Pi. Beyond school, she has a YouTube channel where she posts college content and has an Etsy store with university digital prints. Over the summer, she participated in the IPE: Entrepreneurship in Copenhagen program, where she had the opportunity to create a start-up and intern at a local Danish company.


Rishika Vinnakota
Book an Appointment with Rishika

Rishika is a Senior from Bay Area, CA studying at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business with minors in Entrepreneurship and WGS. She is also part of the Sales and Business Development Certificate program! She got her start in Entrepreneurship by founding two of her own ventures in high school and it drew her to the world of business. She hopes to use her entrepreneurial mindset and creativity to compliment her interest in brand strategy and product development. 

Her favorite class so far has been ENTR 390 through the Entrepreneurship Leadership Program (ELP). During ELP, Rishika got to work with a team of grad students to build a real company with specialized mentorship and coursework. This past summer Rishika worked on marketing new products and innovations at PepsiCo. On campus, Rishika is part of Capital Consulting Group, BBA Marketing Club, and is also a Resident Assistant, Course Assistant, and BBA Ambassador at the Ross Undergraduate Admissions Office. Beyond school, she is a social media content creator, hiker, and avid photographer!


Jonathan Bandel
Book an Appointment with Jonathan

Jonathan is a Senior from Miami, FL pursuing a B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering with minors in Entrepreneurship and Material Science and Engineering. Jonathan's ultimate goal is to launch his own medical device company, dedicated to crafting life-saving products that improve the quality of life for patients. His favorite class so far has been ALA 223, Entrepreneurial Creativity, where he had the opportunity to collaborate with a team and bring a business concept to life, and getting invited to the Big Show! Ask him questions about the class! On campus, Jonathan is involved in Beta Mu Epsilon (Biomedical Engineering Fraternity), Chabad at the University of Michigan, and Latinos at Umich. Outside of school, he enjoys building and repairing mechanical watches, playing sports with friends, and spending time with his dogs.

Staff Advisors

In order to declare the minor students must meet with a staff advisor for the Entrepreneurship Minor. Furthermore, students can discuss petitioning, course mapping and/or longer term professional aspirations associated with the Entrepreneurship Minor. Advising is available year round. Please schedule an advising appointment here.

Timothy Webb, PhD:  Entrepreneurship Minor Faculty Director

Tim graduated from the University of Michigan with an Honors BA in History and Classical Archaeology before completing his PhD in Roman Archaeology from the University of Bradford. Professionally, Tim ran international archaeological field schools in Pompeii, Italy; Taught undergraduates in Italy, England, California and Michigan; worked in finance for HSBC Bank; and advised in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts at U-M prior to directing the minor.

Outside of work, Tim loves hiking, baking, and spending time with his daughters. He is also a huge soccer fan and loves watching Liverpool F.C.

Caitlin Diefenbach: Entrepreneurship Minor Director

Caitlin earned a dual BS degree in Mild-Moderate and Moderate-Intensive Special Education from Bowling Green State University and an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from Liberty University. Before joining the Ross School of Business, she spent five years as a special education teacher, working with diverse learners.  This experience fueled her passion for supporting students and advocating for their unique learning needs. 

Outside of work, Caitlin enjoys basketball, golf, traveling, and summers on the lake. She is a fan of college basketball, Michigan Football, and Grey's Anatomy. 

Lisa Darnell-Ferrara, Entrepreneurship Academic Advisor and Ross BBA Undergraduate Academic Advisor

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Lisa Darnell-Ferrara

Lisa is passionate about helping students realize their goals and potential through co-creating an enriching university experience. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with minors in Communication Arts and Psychology from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. She also holds Master’s of Business Administration and Master’s of Science of Organizational Behavior degrees. Lisa joined the University of Michigan after nine years at Benedictine, where she worked within the Offices of Financial Aid and Undergraduate Transfer Enrollment.

Lisa enjoys yoga, martial arts, kayaking, hiking, reading, listening to NPR, and watching science fiction movies and TV shows.

Kellie White: Entrepreneurship Academic Advisor & Ross Curriculum Support Coordinator

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portrait of Kelli White

Kellie graduated from Western Michigan University with a major in Secondary Education and Social Studies, with a minor in History. She also holds an MA in History from Fitchburg State University. Prior to working at Ross, she taught history for 7 years across the US. Kellie’s passion for education and student experiences allows her an empathetic approach in her role.

Beyond working, Kellie enjoys hiking the national parks, is a huge Michigan football fan, enjoys a good horror novel, and loves going to rock concerts.

 

Petition a course to count toward the Entrepreneurship Minor

Students may submit a petition to request that a class be counted toward the Entrepreneurship Minor requirements. In order to submit, students will be asked to provide a syllabus and an explanation as to how the course meets the criteria for the appropriate category: elective category or practicum category

Please note that for any practicum petition, the class must be completed prior to a decision being made by the Entrepreneurship Minor program. 

How to obtain your graduation audit or senior release

Prior to graduation, students must obtain an audit from all their programs of study as well as apply to graduate through Wolverine Access. We recommend getting your minor release the term prior to your expected graduation. To obtain a release, please email entrepreneurshipminor@umich.edu. It can take up to 2 weeks for the program to process your minor request.