Missouri Western State University’s Craig School of Business has announced that two Missouri Western alumni will have the chance to own and operate their own business. Katie Parra and Stephanie Tripp have been awarded stores through the school’s franchise program.
Parra and Tripp were among students in a senior-level applied entrepreneurship class this spring. The students created business plans for a store and presented their plans today to an interview panel made up of Steve Craig, benefactor of the Craig School of Business; Missouri Western graduates who won franchises in previous years; Missouri Western faculty members; other business leaders; and representatives of franchise companies, including Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
“I think it was universally felt that the candidates that were here today were, although a smaller class in size than other classes, some of the best candidates we’ve seen in the program,” Craig said. “We’re delighted that we continue to see outstanding people who are very much interested in becoming entrepreneurs.”
Parra received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in marketing and management this spring. She has been a marketing and administrative assistant at Spectacular Settings LLC since last year, and also worked in Missouri Western’s Office of Admissions and the One Step Ahead Learning Center. She will purchase a yogurt store in Illinois.
“We’re really excited about our next steps and what this brings to us,” Parra said.
Tripp graduated from Missouri Western with a Bachelor of Elementary Education in 2012, and went on to earn her Master of Educational Administration from UMKC in 2015. She has been a classroom teacher in the St. Joseph School District since 2012, and also serves as operational manager of a family business, Triple T Lawn Care LLC. She will have the opportunity to open a new franchise in St. Joseph’s East Hills Mall: Auntie Anne’s, a pretzel bakery. A date for the store opening has not been set.
“I’m very excited that we can keep our family business thriving in St. Joe, as well as taking on another business and giving back to our community,” Tripp said.
Parra and Tripp will join 20 other program alumni who have opened 26 businesses in 11 states.
In addition to the new alumni, a winner from last year received a new opportunity. Ernest Chamblee, a 2011 graduate of Missouri Western, has managed the St. Joseph Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and Aspen Leaf Yogurt since last year. He will be purchasing a store in Virginia.
“This program makes blessings come to reality for so many involved, and I’m truly grateful for this opportunity,” Chamblee said.
The program to present Missouri Western graduates with this unique opportunity was founded in 2009 by Craig, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and Missouri Western to offer entrepreneurship opportunities to graduating seniors.
In 2012, the program partners announced a significant expansion, allowing any alumni of the Craig School of Business to take the class and compete for a business, no matter when they graduated. Other franchise companies have joined Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in the program as well: Aspen Leaf Yogurt; Auntie Anne’s; Blaze Pizza; Flip Flop Shops; Fresca’s Mexican Grill; Golden Corral; U-Swirl Frozen Yogurt; Which Wich Superior Sandwiches; and Yogurtini Self-Serve. In the past year, two of the winners have expanded to take over non-franchise businesses: a used car lot and an Italian restaurant.
The program provides initial capital for the stores, which the alumni pay back over five years. The entrepreneurs also receive ongoing support from faculty members, the Craig School of Business Advisory Council, Craig and each other. Additionally, the owners are expected to donate a portion of their store’s proceeds back to the University. So far, those donations have totaled nearly $150,000.
Frank Crail, founder and CEO of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, said the Missouri Western franchise program is the most exciting thing his company has done in its 35-year history.
“To see how successful the Missouri Western alumni have been is a testament to their hard work,” Crail said at a celebratory dinner the night before the competition. “We are so happy to be a part of this program.”
At the dinner, Erik Garcia ’11, who was awarded an Aspen Leaf Frozen Yogurt Store in December 2013, was presented with a Young Entrepreneur Award and it was announced that he has paid off his store. Carol Roever, Tom Payn and Dave Shinneman, who were instrumental in the program’s start and have continued to be involved, received Champion of Entrepreneurs Awards.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.