By: Emily Lingenfelter ~Guest Writer~

The Student-Run Business Program (SRB) at Xavier continues to offer opportunities for student and faculty members through its spectrum of services and employment. Located within the Sedler Family Center for Experiential Learning in Business, the program enables students to apply core knowledge and teamwork into real-life scenarios. Current operations include Campus Solutions, a storage and movement service for students’ belongings over the summer; Aramis Consulting, an entrepreneurial management consulting firm; and Blue Blob Cleaners, a housekeeping, laundry and dry cleaning service for residential and off-campus students.

Businesses in the “pipeline phase,” which have yet to be fully completed, include Faves, a healthy eatery potentially entering the Gallagher Student Center bookstore; Xavier Urban Farm, a business agency for the current Sustainability operations; a bicycle rental and repair shop; and a haircutting service. These start-ups are being planned and executed by undergraduate students. An advisory board formed by alumni and professionals from the Cincinnati business community offers insight for immediate goals and application of the business strategy.

Owen Raisch, the SRB director, oversees the long-term goals. Raisch directs students to advise each other, since many businesses undergo similar issues.

While this particular experiential program may be new to Xavier, its collaboration is intended to complement the traditional Jesuit identity of “the head, the heart and the hands” approach to education.

“What has really impressed me … is the energy and dedication that students have brought to this process,” Dr. Margaret Cunningham, director of the Sedler Family Center, said.

“For the most part, they are not being compensated financially or through academic credit for this, yet they work extremely hard to produce something for the experience and the accomplishment to leave something here at Xavier for future students and the benefit of the university. We are poised for success,” Cunningham said.

The program is willing and excited to work with anybody seeking involvement with these kinds of initiatives, whether that may be proposing a new business idea or becoming an employee.

For further information about SRB, contact SRB director Owen Raisch at 513-400-4097 or email him at raischo@xavier.edu.