Left to Right: Grace Colley, Sabir Muhammad, Mia Whitney and Gabriela Gonzalez.
Upper School students say they love the Business & Entrepreneurship Club, and of the biggest reasons has to do with STORY. Not only do they meet important men and women from the Atlanta business community, but they also get to hear their personal stories about what it takes to achieve professional and personal success.
This yearβs meetings have included an A-list of speakers. So far, students have rubbed elbows with a successful NFL football agent, a Zac Brown Band music producer, an olympic swimmer, a national tennis tournament director, a chocolate company investor, and a former UGA national gymnast.
Last week the club had its largest turnout this year with guest speaker Sabir Muhammad. Immediately capturing student interests by comparing his life journey to that of the boy in the story The Giving Tree, Sabir challenged Mount Vernon students to seek out their passions. Inspiring the audience, Sabir explained that his passion for swimming (and hard work) earned him a swim scholarship to Stanford University, an academic scholarship to Emory Universityβs Goizueta Business School, and his passion ultimately led him to beat the U.S. swim record of his long-time idol and swim legend Pablo Morales. Along the way, Sabir also shared another life experience, one that had him working for actress Blake Lively. Sabir was her first employee to run Livelyβs e-commerce platform Preserve.
The Upper School Business & Entrepreneurship Clubβs other speakers this year have included Todd France with Creative Artists Agency, Eddie Gonzalez (MVPS parent) and Director of the BB&T Tennis Tournament, Heather Stepp McCormick former UGA National gymnast and current UGA Regional Director of Development, and Braden Copeland entrepreneur and Investor, Stock Car Racer & Team Owner, Chocolate Business Owner, and executive producer of Zac Brown Band’s “Foundation” Album.
Meetings are held every other Thursday 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. This yearβs co-presidents are all members of the Class of 2017: Grace Colley, Gabriela Gonzalez, and Mia Whitney. The club is currently scheduling guest speakers for January-March. For more information, contact club sponsor and Mount Vernonβs Chief of Brand Strategy & Partnerships, Allison Toller, [email protected] or MVPS alumni parent, Tom Mallory, [email protected], whose two children,Β Miles and Bliss founded the club in the fall of 2010 along with Alex Butler, Matt Sheldon, and Connor Martel.
Guest Heather Stepp McCormick – former UGA National gymnast and current UGA Regional Director of Development
Guest Todd France – Creative Artists Agency
Guest Eddie Gonzalez – (MVPS parent) and Director of the BB&T Tennis Tournament
Guest Braden Copeland – entrepreneur and Investor, Stock Car Racer & Team Owner, Chocolate Business Owner, and executive producer of Zac Brown Band’s “Foundation” Album
