Nineteen founders graduated from the Master of Business Creation (MBC) Online at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business following the summer 2024 semester. This is the second group to graduate from the flexile, online option in this unique, affordable and award-winning program designed specifically for entrepreneurs, and follows the May graduation of over 40 students from the MBC program.
The group includes founders of 18 companies. One of the companies had two cofounders who enrolled in the program together. Find a complete listing of the graduates and their startups below.
The MBC program is an academic offering provided by the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy in partnership with the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. Both are part of the Eccles School, which is ranked among the top 10 schools nationally for entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review.
“The online option of the MBC program is growing fast, because it provides the flexibility that founders need to grow their companies at any location and at times that work best for them,” said Paul Brown, director of the MBC program and a faculty member in the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy. “We invite founders everywhere to explore the MBC program and see how it can help them build their business.”
Founders in the MBC program receive mentorship and resources to grow and scale their companies. All benefit from Eccles School courses, applied curriculum workshops, practicum labs, networking opportunities, one-on-one mentoring, access to grants, and the intense learn-by-doing that occurs when lessons are applied to their own businesses.
The MBC program is one of the latest additions to the Eccles School, which celebrates entrepreneurship as a core value and fosters it throughout its undergraduate and graduate programs. The program was recently recognized by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers for “Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation,” and the program won first place recently in the professional-services category in the Utah Innovation Awards managed by Utah Business and Foley & Lardner.
The MBC program was created to blend the best attributes of a business curriculum with a startup accelerator. The founders develop their startups while taking classes from leading experts and receiving extensive resources and mentorship to help them address their immediate business needs.
“The Master of Business Creation is unlike any other degree,” Brown said. “We designed the program for working entrepreneurs. It is customized to the special needs of a founder who wants to grow their business with help from personalize support, networking opportunities, a great group experience, and access to funding and other resources.”
Sabrina Sherwood is one of the founders to graduate from MBC Online. She is a clinical pharmacist, enrolled from Boise, Idaho, and she is the founder of Idaho Barkery. The company sells gourmet dog treats.
“I enrolled in the MBC program to learn the business side of owning a company,” she said. “As a pharmacist, my experience with business education was limited.”
The MBC program was making a big impact on Sherwood’s business soon after enrolling. “I have already tripled my revenue and number of partnerships since joining the program,” she said while enrolled in the program. “The faculty and mentors are really invested in my success.”
Other graduating founders, husband and wife Matt and Stephanie Eau Claire enrolled from Lehi, Utah. They are cofounders of Clear Water Distilling, a company that creates unique, innovative liquors.
Matt said “the single most valuable thing” he has gained from the program was the simplification of their financial model. Previously, the Eau Claires struggled with a large, complicated financial matrix. After completing the MBC program, they were able to streamline their financial model, aligning it with the language understood by investors, banks and business professionals.
“Having all that coursework apply to your already established business, you can’t beat that model. Other programs are theoretical – most of the coursework is centered around things that are not concrete. In the MBC, you can derive benefits from it almost immediately,” Matt said.
Learn more about the Master of Business Creation and apply at eccles.utah.edu/mbc.
MBC Online Graduates for Summer 2024
Here are the MBC Online startups and the founders that graduated for this period (in alphabetical order by company):
- Bodomint (Rebecca Waldron, of Costa Mesa, Calif.) – Online premium diaper bag designers and sellers.
- Brooks Haus Entertainment (Brandon Brooks, of South Salt Lake, Utah) – One-stop-shop for artist booking, management and production services.
- Clear Water Distilling Co. (Matthew Eau Claire, Stephanie Eau Claire, of Lehi, Utah) – A distillery that crafts and sells premium spirits.
- Gforce Learning (Susan Kingsley, of Salt Lake City) – Software to convert PowerPoint documents into e-learning compatible files.
- Ghost 13 (Landon Hull, of North Salt Lake, Utah) – Limited-edition firearm cases and accessories.
- Griffin Waste Utah (Dane Eyerly, of Highland, Utah) – A dumpster rental and waste hauling business.
- Guided (Connor Chase, of Provo, Utah) – An app that combines meditation with AI to unlock effective and affordable mental well-being.
- Hope in Art Association (Kassidy Ricks, of Bountiful, Utah) – Art supplies and instruction for women in need to help the healing process of trauma.
- Idaho Barkery (Sabrina Sherwood, of Boise, Idaho) – Gourmet, all-natural dog treats.
- Leorian Education Refugee Service Provider (Susan Knott, of Salt Lake City) – Unique curriculum and childcare centers for refugee children.
- Maintain Bicycles (Michael “Tiger” Chase, of Chatsworth, Calif.) – Mobile bike maintenance and repair.
- Mandala Pies (Caitlin LaComb, Salisbury, Md.) – Pie bakeries on the Maryland shore.
- securesample (Arjun Gill, of Fort Collins, Colo.) – Secure fluid-sampling technology.
- Sexy Donut Company (Christine Mather, of Boulder, Colo.) – Meal and treat preparation service for college students, ordered by parents.
- Small Business To Go (Jeffrey Lunt, of Salt Lake City) – Marketing and operational services for small businesses.
- Utah Mobile Emissions (Daniel Diehl, of Lindon, Utah) – Mobile auto-emissions testing.
- Vida (Samuel Mehr, of Salt Lake City) – Data and analytics platform to connect musical artists with their most committed fans.
- Wonder Arts (Alexanna Wonder, of Salt Lake City) – Artwork based on tarot, witchcraft, herbalism and nature.
About the David Eccles School of Business
The Eccles School is synonymous with “doing.” The Eccles experience provides a world-class business education with a unique, entrepreneurial focus on real-world scenarios where students put what they learn into practice long before graduation. Founded in 1917 and educating more than 6,000 students annually, the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business offers nine undergraduate majors, four MBAs, eight other graduate programs, a Ph.D. in five areas and executive education curricula. The School is also home to more than 20 institutes, centers and initiatives, which deliver academic research and support an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation. For more information, visit Eccles.Utah.edu or call 801-581-7676.
About the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a nationally ranked hub for student entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Utah and an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business. The first programs were offered in 2001, through the vision and support of Pierre Lassonde, an alumnus of the Eccles School and successful mining entrepreneur. The institute now provides opportunities for thousands of students to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation. Programs include workshops, networking events, business-plan competitions, startup support, innovation programs, graduate seminars, scholarships, community outreach and more. All programs are open to students from any academic major or background. The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute also manages Lassonde Studios, a five-story innovation space and housing facility for all students. Learn more at Lassonde.Utah.edu.
