March 23, 2016

The Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship partners with KYW Newsradio and CBS Philly to highlight successful entrepreneurs and foster the innovative spirit in Philadelphia. Starter's Review consists of the Founding Dean of the Close School, Dr. Donna De Carolis, interviewing entrepreneurs and finding out what makes them successful and what makes Philadelphia such a great place to be for business owners and employees alike. This series is yet another facet of the Close School claiming its place at the forefront of entrepreneurship in the Philadelphia region - just listen for yourself.

Each month, Starter's Review introduces you to another innovator. These interviews are recorded and available as podcasts at the cbsphilly.com/starters website. On the webpage, you can also find information and stories about Drexel entrepreneurship not featured in the podcast. Starter's Review is another resource for finding out what's happening with entrepreneurship and innovation in Philadelphia, making it a one stop shop for entrepreneurial insight in the Philadelphia area.

Throughout this series, Dean De Carolis discusses the growth of entrepreneurship from her viewpoint as an educator and from the viewpoint of business owners living it every day. Listeners can gain insight on what the journey of an entrepreneur looks like and gain the necessary outlook needed to start something. Starter's Review provides an opportunity to learn from the people that have been there before and found success.

In the first edition of Starter's Review, Donna interviews Nick Bayer, President and CEO of Saxbys coffee. Bayer discusses his entrepreneurial passion, his strong belief in company culture, and his belief in turning a business into a vehicle for change. Being a Philadelphia based entrepreneur, Bayer understands the importance of staying connected to his community and being a part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem that has grown in recent years, an ecosystem that continues to grow exponentially. Bayer also teaches a course at the Close School on franchising. He favors experiential learning to show students exactly what running a business looks and feels like. There is even a wholly student run Saxbys Coffee on Drexel's campus. All facets of the business are carried out by 27 employees, or team-members as they are called at Saxbys, with one undergraduate student running the shop.

In this podcast, Bayer discusses how Philadelphia embraces entrepreneurship with a mentality of rooting for the underdog. He claims, "That's the entrepreneurial spirit I love so much about Philadelphia." He also discusses the journey to make Saxbys a success, a journey full of unexpected roadblocks and near-failure; a journey of entrepreneurship. There were doubtful times and desperate times, but through all these experiences Bayer realized the grit and pure pursuit of success needed to bring his company to the forefront. He discusses how passion is a large differentiator between successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurs. The full podcast can be found here.

Throughout the year we will bring you entrepreneurs from all walks of life, ensuring a diverse look into the process. Stay tuned each month for the Starter's Review.

Christian Larsen, Communications, Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship