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OPINION

My ‘beyond ready’ reality: Experiencing Miami’s world-class entrepreneurship program

“Everything you do makes a statement.” If you have taken a course with Jim Friedman, you’ve surely heard this phrase.

Ranked the eighth-best undergraduate entrepreneurship program in the world by Princeton Review 2025, Miami University holds a top 10 ranking for its 17th year in a row. As a first-year student, I have already gotten so much value from declaring my co-major and diving into the earlier content within the entrepreneurship courses.

Early hands-on experience

Last semester, I took the honors section of ESP 201 with Professor Kylie Heales. The course content tested me beyond limits I hadn’t crossed before. Three other students and I worked together in a group, creating an email optimization software venture that was eventually pitched to judges for a monetary prize.

Heales guided us throughout the semester right until the end, where we competed against other groups within all the sections of 201. Pitches were time-limited and subject to questions afterward, meaning we had to be prepared.

This thrown-into-the-deep-end experience in my first semester at Miami was the epitome of hands-on experience and the thrill that comes from the entrepreneurship world.

Highlight reel: Professors who care and prove ranks true

The John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship at Miami is stacked with professors who genuinely care about your growth as a person, student and entrepreneur. Notable impacts have been left on me by the following ESP professors so far: Jim Friedman, Kylie Heales, Anna Katharina-Lenz and Theresa Sedlack.

Jim Friedman

Friedman is the most shocking professor I have ever had. His lessons continue to influence my professional and personal life, through authentic leadership and taking personal accountability in every circumstance. The structure of his ESP 252 class gives me the worst headache, but also the best ignition to create and achieve more in life.

Friedman often preaches his beliefs on how the school system teaches the creativity out of young students and that “compliance does not foster innovation.” Deep stuff, right? Well, he does something to help fix this issue, too. The ambiguous setup and creativity tools he provides help reinstate and revolutionize the creativity that has been ripped from so many.

If you believe you’ve met a curious person, wait until you’ve met Friedman. Even when, and especially when, it seems unconventional – he is there, asking the questions on his mind.

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I find his child-like wonder inspiring to follow my curiosities and I admire his brutally honest personality … heavy on the brutal. The way he backs up the “Find your brand then live it” philosophy in his own life gives him credibility, regardless of whether I appreciate said brand or not.

In his class, he says there is an emphasis on how we walk through the world and that, in a way, what we look for is what we find. If you hold a victim mentality, you will rarely take responsibility and you will “spill whatever you are carrying.” Friedman makes you think, “What am I carrying? What do I embody?”

As his student – whether you love him or hate him – you know he takes risks and encourages his students to do the same.

Kylie Heales

Personable and honest would be the best words to describe Heales. She was the first person to introduce me to entrepreneurial concepts and help me realize that the program is built for me to apply and explore my interests and passions to the course concepts. I was frustrated with the ambiguity of assignments at first; I asked for more detailed descriptions of what problems she wanted me to explore when really that was for me to figure out.

Anna Katharina-Lenz

I would consider Lenz as the “poster child” for grounding and intelligence. Routinely in class, she will check in on her students and receive feedback on how they are taking the course concepts, and seeing how they are in general. Lenz entertains our questions and provides a wide variety of techniques for emotional regulation within our ESP 490 “Embodiment and Entrepreneurship” course. Her knowledge base is astoundingly well-rounded and in every class and conversation I have with her, I am reminded how grateful I am to be taught by her.

Theresa Sedlack

I am currently in Sedlack’s ESP 251 course where we break down entrepreneurial finances and entrepreneurial marketing. 251 is set up for students to gain a deeper understanding and thus better application abilities of these concepts. With her outstanding grasp on finances and even better storytelling skills, I believe Sedlack nails the course’s objectives by keeping students constantly engaged in the “why” behind what we are doing.

Takeaways

There are many ways to find a place in the entrepreneurship department. Get involved. Be a judge, keep timing at a pitch competition or TA for an ESP course. Join MUCCI, apply to AWE, get involved with COSE. Take a look into RedHawk Ventures, rush a business frat. Help with World Creativity & Innovation Week/Day or participate in Social and Startup Weekend.

You don’t have to do all of these, you don’t even have to do one. Just find your path of interest, wherever it may be, and follow it relentlessly. The Farmer School of Business promises its students will graduate as “Beyond Ready” for the workforce, and the entrepreneurship department delivers on it.

scottsl5@miamioh.edu 

Savana Scott is a first-year student majoring in strategic communication and entrepreneurship. She is on the social media team for The Miami Student and works for Miami Athletics as a photographer. She is also a Student Orientation Undergraduate Leader (SOUL).


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