NW Valley Times

Robert Vera and his son Matthew recently visited Blue Elephant Thailand Tours, where a worker sported a GCU Noggin Boss hat. The oversized hats, produced at GCU's Canyon Ventures, have garnered attention at events like the NFL games and are set to appear at the Olympics. These hats fascinated attendees at the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers' New Frontiers Bangkok Summit in June.

“Many knew of us,” Vera said about the 184 attendees who were either university professionals or members of the global consortium. “I don’t think they knew how big we were, nor did they know the robustness of our ecosystem. I was able to showcase how connected our curricular is to our entrepreneurship extracurricular programs.”

The summit aimed to foster sustainability in business development, challenging participants to create companies that balance economic growth with societal benefits and environmental protection. This marked the first event held by the international organization in Asia.

Vera brought along a RingMe Smart Ring, a product from a GCU student business, and a Noggin Boss hat. He also highlighted other businesses from Canyon Ventures such as 1920 (a multiuse apparel company), CarChap (a lip balm holster), Big Time Jerseys, Hoolest, and Branch49 (a sales and marketing consulting firm). His presentation aimed to demonstrate how these ventures provide students with competitive advantages while driving local economic growth.

“There were a lot of questions on how we do it (at GCU). It was seen as very innovative, as how we marry our extracurricular with our curricular,” Vera noted.

He explained that programs like Canyon Angels investors program, Student Marketplace, IDEA Club, Founder’s Forum, and Canyon Challenge are integrated into the curriculum to offer experiential learning opportunities for students.

Vera emphasized that entrepreneurship is accessible to all students regardless of their major. “It’s very collegial,” he said. “We’re all looking for new ideas to improve what we’re doing.”

Two organizations extended invitations for GCU students to participate in pitch events offering $2 million in prize money for their innovations.

“They view, as we do, that entrepreneurs change the world,” said Vera. He appreciated the hospitality provided by Sasin School of Management during the event.

Post-summit, Vera visited Chiang Mai near Laos' border and an elephant sanctuary employing sustainable entrepreneurship practices. He observed that tourists engage extensively with elephants throughout their visit on part of a 1,000-acre facility previously known for drug exports but now transformed into a tourist destination promoting sustainable practices.

In Krabi on Thailand's southern coast, Vera met various entrepreneurs including boat tour owners and tuk-tuk taxi drivers. “Believe it or not, tuk-tuk drivers follow much less [rules]. Road signs and lanes are merely suggestions,” he remarked.

Kevin McPhillipson from McMurry University joined Vera in wearing Noggin Boss hats during their visit. With declining college student populations in the U.S., Vera sees potential in attracting students from Asia and Latin America to study at GCU or start programs there before completing them online.

“I see that as a great opportunity for us to promote the brand,” he said. The visibility gained could encourage foreign students to consider studying in the U.S., which represents a significant market for entrepreneurial products and services.

GCU students have also been invited to apply for a Hult Prize with $1 million in award money.

“It’s really exciting for me to see we could expand our GCU brand and our entrepreneurship ecosystem to include entrepreneurs from across the globe,” Vera added.

Building partnerships with Christian schools or communities would align well with maintaining Christian values within education abroad. He cited an example of a Texas professor taking students overseas annually to solve entrepreneurial problems within 30 days—a model he finds promising for GCU’s Christian student body.

Reflecting on his observations from the summit, Vera believes GCU stands out among university entrepreneurship programs: “What I was encouraged to see is that we’re all working to build that next generation of great entrepreneurs.”

GCU News Senior Writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]

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