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2021 Weekend Honors Program: Entrepreneurship & Human Flourishing

The Initiative on Faith & Public Life’s 2021 Weekend Honors Program—to be hosted in Chicago in partnership with Wheaton College’s Center for Faith & Innovation—is an intensive seminar on business and entrepreneurship for 25 Christian undergraduates from colleges and universities across the country and world. Unlike a traditional academic seminar, the program will primarily consist of interactive exercises and sessions that encourage entrepreneurial thinking. It will also provide a unique chance for students to explore questions about personal vocation and calling, as well as the proper role of faith and ethics in business through discussions and high-level networking opportunities.

 

Note: This year’s program will also feature a concurrent track for a select group of MBA students. If you are an MBA student and want to learn more about this opportunity, please email your resume and a brief statement of interest to our team at [email protected]. 

Location

Chicago, IL

Dates

October 29-31, 2021

Cost

Lodging, meals, and a travel stipend are all provided. 

Preference will be given to students who have not previously participated in a Weekend Honors Program or AEI’s Summer Honors Program.

Application Deadline: September 13, 2021

Applications for the program are now closed. 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Selected participants will take part in three interactive tutorials with Brian Brenberg, including: a hands-on group exercise on testing assumptions; a Harvard Business School case study examining the prototyping process and the social value and consequences of business; and a discussion about faith, personal identity, and what it means to fail by design. Additionally, students will engage in two practicums on design thinking, business model canvassing, career design, and vocational mapping, led by Haley Robison Dake. Beyond these sessions, students will have the opportunity to hear from and network with several Christian business leaders from Wheaton College’s network and current MBA students.

 

Past Guest Speakers Include:


Oye Waddell, Hustle PHX

John Coleman, Invesco, Ltd.

Bethany Jenkins, The Veritas Forum

Keith Johnson, Wheaton College

L. Gregory Jones, Duke Divinity School

John Kingston, Sword & Spoon Group

Andreas Widmer, The Catholic University of America

Questions?

Contact the Faith & Public Life team at [email protected].

 

Schedule of events:

 

Friday, October 29
8:30am        Breakfast and Introductions
9:30am       Tutorial I, Brian Brenberg
11:30am      Lunch
12:30pm      Tutorial II, Brian Brenberg
3:00pm        Break
3:30pm        Practicum I, Haley Robison Dake
5:30pm        Break
6:30pm        Informal Networking Dinner

Saturday, October 30
8:00am       Breakfast
8:30am       Practicum II, Haley Robison Dake
11:00am     Break
11:30am     Tutorial III, Brian Brenberg
12:30pm     Lunch
2:00pm       Site Visit to Local Business
3:30pm       Break
6:30pm       Closing Dinner and Discussion

Sunday, October 31
9:00am       Breakfast, Prayer, and Wrap-up Discussion
10:30am     Adjourn

*Note: Agenda is subject to slight modifications. 

SPEAKERS AND INSTRUCTORS

Brian Brenberg serves as Executive Vice President and Chair of the Program in Business and Finance at The King’s College. Prior to joining the King’s faculty, he worked in the financial services and medical device industries, as well as public policy research and philanthropy. He earned an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Haley Robison Dake is a Praxis Venture Partner. She was previously the CEO at Kammok, an outdoor brand based in Austin, Texas, that designs performance gear to elevate time outside. Having previously worked at IDEO, Bain & Company, and Stanford University, Haley’s most inspired at the intersection of design, business, and education. Haley holds a BA in Business and Finance from UT Austin and a joint MBA and MEd from Stanford University. She is a National Outdoor Leadership School graduate and worked as a field instructor in Wyoming, leading outdoor expeditions focused on personal leadership. Haley most enjoys adventuring outside with her husband Christian, son James, and dog Callie.

Eligibility:

  • Applicants must be current undergraduates. Preference will be given to juniors and seniors, and to students who have not previously participated in an AEI honors program.
  • Applicants must have a recommendation letter submitted on their behalf from a faculty member at their college or university.
  • International students are eligible.

Application Instructions:

  • Applicants must submit a resume, an unofficial transcript, and a personal statement explaining: 1) Their interest in business and entrepreneurship (and, if applicable, ways in which that interest is inspired by their faith); 2) Their future career aspirations; and 3) Why they want to participate in the Initiative on Faith & Public Life’s Weekend Honors Program.
  • Applicants must secure a recommendation from a faculty member at their college or university in order to apply. Faculty members must submit their recommendation through an online form which will be emailed to them after the student completes their application.
  • Note: MBA students may be accepted into a concurrent program featuring some unique sessions with Brian Brenberg & Haley Robison Dake. To learn more and express interest this opportunity, please email your resume and a brief statement of interest to our team at [email protected].
”

2019 Weekend Honors Program Participant

This weekend seriously changed my life. Through the exercises, conversations, prayers, and experiences I gained a new and true perspective of who I am as an entrepreneur, businesswoman, and child of God.

2019 Weekend Honors Program Participant

Almost all interactions I’ve had in any business setting, whether at my school or in internships, have felt transactional. Not at any moment during this weekend did I feel like the other students, the team, or any of the speakers lacked genuine care for others. This is so rare.

2018 Weekend Honors Program Participant

This weekend taught me so much about myself and what my calling could really look like in the future. It reframed my understanding of faith in business and encouraged me in ways that I never could have foreseen.

2018 Weekend Honors Program Participant

It is a great chance to be around like-minded people who understand the impact of business in the Kingdom of God. You will come away from it either affirmed in what you hope to do or re-directed in a powerful way for what God is calling you to in the marketplace.