BC students participate in USG competition, meet Nobel Prize recipient.

Twelve Bainbridge College students joined President Richard Carvajal, three Bainbridge College faculty members, and five community members at a statewide economic development conference that featured 2006 Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who is known for his concept that social problems can be solved through business models.

Below, with Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Muhammad Yunus are Bainbridge College faculty member Kathy Ketterer and her team of students at the statewide economic development conference in Atlanta. From left are Diana Dollar and Clarissa Hines, both of Bainbridge; Ms. Ketterer; Dr. Yunus, and Catherine Robinson of Donalsonville.

Hosted by the University System of Georgia at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, the Social Business and Microcredit Conference attracted approximately 1,200 students from USG’s 35 institutions and from three private colleges. The competition for students focused on finding business solutions to pressing community issues such as domestic violence, adult illiteracy, unemployment, and housing.

BC’s Shante Cooper, Roger Johnson and David Hernandez, all of Bainbridge, Brandon Cox of Pelham, and Alyson Elam of Iron City, presented "The Southwest Georgia Bazaar," a project to develop a centralized place to buy and sell locally made products and to offer information about needed services in the community such as health care, child care, education, and jobs. They were on the team of Dr. Michael Stewart, associate professor of sociology.

Tracey Rizer and Isaac Rogers, both of Bluffton, Andrea Stafford of Cuthbert, and Amber Gardner of Jakin, presented "Building Brilliant Bobcats," which proposed developing a conveniently located day care facility to assist teen mothers in completing their high school and post-secondary educations. They were on the team of Renee Spence, assistant professor of business administrative technology at BC Early County Center.

Catherine Robinson of Donalsonville, and Diana Dollar and Clarissa Hines, both of Bainbridge, presented "Modern Mentors for Social Change." They were on the team of Kathleen Ketterer, BC communication skills instructor.

The BC teams were among 38 student teams in the competition based on Dr. Yunus’ concept that social problems can be solved through business models that provide a minimum profit to the business in order to sustain a project and do not provide for individuals to profit personally from the project. The Bangladesh native pioneered the concept of microcredit designed to spur entrepreneurial activity by extending very small loans (microloans) to persons in poverty.

Student teams were to identify a social problem in the community, conduct a market analysis, develop a strategy to address the problem, and prepare a social business plan based on the principles Yunus developed. Dr. Yunus told the conference attendees that the future of society depends on the world’s youth and their engagement. "This is your age, this is your time," he said. "You are the most powerful generation in the entire history of mankind."

Attending the statewide economic development conference in Atlanta are the 12 Bainbridge College students and three faculty members seen here from left (at front): Brandon Cox of Pelham and Alyson Elam of Iron City; Renee Spence, assistant professor of business administrative technology at the BC Early County Center; Diana Dollar of Bainbridge; Andrea Stafford of Cuthbert, and Amber Gardner of Jakin; (at back) David Hernandez and Shante Cooper, both of Bainbridge; Catherine Robinson of Donalsonville; Dr. Michael Stewart, associate professor of sociology; Kathy Ketterer, instructor of communication skills; Clarissa Hines of Bainbridge; Tracy Rizer of Bluffton; Roger Johnson of Bainbridge, and Isaac Rogers of Bluffton.

Community members traveling with the BC delegation to the Oct. 17th conference were Celia Bostwick, public affairs manager with Georgia-Pacific Cedar Springs, Greg Grimsley, manufacturing manager with Birdsong Peanut Co., Christy Haynes, executive director of Blakely-Early County Chamber of Commerce, and Phil Van Trump, director of process development at Meredian.

Judges from the private sector and higher education looked at the strength of each plan’s business model, its financial requirements, its sustainability, and the degree to which it would meet the problem and generate social benefits in the community. The winning entry, "Restoration Trust," by a Southern Polytechnic State University team, envisioned the creation of a company with a mission to improve the lives of victims of domestic violence.