University Innovation Fellows - User contributions [en]

Fellow:Ben Parsell

2024-02-15T16:14:41Z

Benparsell: Updated for 2024 alumni details

[[File:Ben Parsell.jpg|thumb|Ben Parsell.jpg]]Ben Parsell is a UIF Alumni from Grand Valley State University who studied Information Systems.
Now based out of Detroit, MI, Ben works at Instacart as a Sales Engineer supporting enterprise and local independent grocers with their digital commerce platforms, helping demo, scope, and partner with those retailers to build out a strong and tangible product experience for customers across North America.

Prior to Instacart, Ben had spent two years with VTEX, an enterprise digital commerce platform, and 3-4 years with OST, a local digital consultancy in Grand Rapids, MI. UIF had helped set the foundation during his college tenure to ensure cirtical thinking, problem solving, and work ethic were a core pillar of how he carries his day-to-day work now.

During college, Ben had gotten involved in a number of school-related projects, or clubs. One of those being the Collegiate Entrepreneur’s Organization (CEO) at GVSU, where Ben served as President for two years. He had also currently worked on a design thinking team to address the overall accessibility on campus for persons with disabilities.

Outside of everything else, Ben loves long-distance running, cooking, coffee and hiking in the deep wilderness, and is loving the downtown Detroit life.

Shoot me an email with any fun things you’re working on that might be related, or just to generally reach out.

Related Links:

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Grand_Valley_State_University GVSU Wiki]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/GVSU_Student_Priorities GVSU Student Priorities]

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGmKFqY06is GVSU YouTube Video]

Contact:

[mailto:parsellb@mail.gvsu.edu parsellb@mail.gvsu.edu]

[https://linkedin.com/in/ben-parsell LinkedIn]

[https://instagram.com/ben_parsell Instagram]

[https://twitter.com/benjaminparsell Twitter]

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Fellow:Ben Parsell

2024-02-15T16:08:54Z

Benparsell:

[[File:Ben Parsell.jpg|thumb|Ben Parsell.jpg]]Ben Parsell is a Junior at Grand Valley State University studying Information Systems.
With his tech background, Ben tends to come up with a variety of crazy startup ideas, including one of his latest, Inveigle. Inveigle hosts Flare.Rocket., an entrepreneurship and startup web application that will help entrepreneurs go from an idea, to getting a company off the ground, all within a single application. He tends to stay very busy with design thinking projects, and contracting for software outside of his main school, and work life.

Ben has gotten involved in a number of school-related projects, or clubs. One of those being the Collegiate Entrepreneur’s Organization (CEO) at GVSU, where Ben is President and is surrounded by a brilliant leadership team. He has also currently worked on a design thinking team to address the overall accessibility on campus for persons with disabilities.

Outside of everything else, Ben loves long-distance running, hiking in the deep wilderness, and planning to move to NYC or Chicago post-graduation.

Shoot me an email with any fun things you’re working on that might be related, or just to generally reach out.

Related Links:

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Grand_Valley_State_University GVSU Wiki]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/GVSU_Student_Priorities GVSU Student Priorities]

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGmKFqY06is GVSU YouTube Video]

Contact:

[mailto:parsellb@mail.gvsu.edu parsellb@mail.gvsu.edu]

[https://linkedin.com/in/ben-parsell LinkedIn]

[https://instagram.com/ben_parsell Instagram]

[https://twitter.com/benjaminparsell Twitter]

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2016-10-21T02:22:03Z

Benparsell:

2016-10-20T14:25:29Z

Benparsell:

== [[File:GVSU Campus.png|thumb]] ==

== Introduction  ==

Grand Valley State University (also known as GVSU), is a public liberal arts university in Allendale, Michigan, United States, west of Grand Rapids. Classes are also offered downtown Grand Rapids on GVSU's Pew Campus. Pew Campus supports programs in Engineering, Education, Nursing and Business. There has been a movement through the past several years to improve the innovation and entrepreneurship landscape on GVSU main campuses. This recent push has gained the momentum of numerous courses, clubs, workshops, competitions and other programs involving innovation and entrepreneurship. The infrastructure is slowly growing to empower a greater number of students with the skills and mindset of an entrepeneur and innovator. 

== Entrepreneurship & Academics  ==

The Faculty at GVSU integrates innovation and entrepreneurship in their courses through hands on projects and assignments. The classes below empathizes on I&E. 

*EGR 301 - Product  Design

*EGR 401 - Advanced Product Design

*MKT 450 - Marketing Capstone

*MGT 672 - Creativity and Social Entrepreneurship

*ENT 150/151 - Entrepreneurial Quest/New Venture Feasibility

*ENT 250/251 - Entrepreneurial Finance, Accounting, Marketing and Management

*ENT 350/351 - Entrepreneurial Business Plan and Project

*HNR 480 - Designing Social Ventures 

*LIB 323 - Design Thinking to Meet Real World Needs

== Events & Community  ==

Not only does Grand Valley State University supports it’s students in innovation and entrepreneurship both in and outside the classroom but the Grand Rapids community also supports it. There are many organizations that offer funding, advising, space and much more for small start up companies and businesses. Below is a list of some community organizations and GVSU programs that support innovation and entrepreneurship. 

==== Community:  ====

*StartGarden Speakers/Workshops

*GRIN - Grand Rapids Inventors Network

*GR Current   
*Emerge 
*Xcelerate 
*Seamless

==== Campus:  ====

*Idea Pitch

*CEO Club

*MWest 

*Hack Your Campus

*5x5 Night GVSU Edition



==== Resources:  ====

Engineering prototyping lab, machine shop, wood shop, newly formed Makerspace. 

A digital studio is coming soon. 

== Co-op Program  ==

For GVSU’s Engineering program, students must participate in a 3 semester co-op program. The last two years of an Engineer’s education, a student will alternate between co-op (usually at a company) and school every other semester. This allows students to apply what they have learned in real live situations and gain valuable industrial work experience. Typically students will get job offers after graduation with the company they co-oped with. The program also has a two semester long undergraduate senior project.  

Not only does all this hands-on experience cause students to develop work ethic/economics and project management skills, it offers a more active participation in innovation and entrepreneurship.

== Landscape Canvas/Student Projects ==

[https://docs.google.com/a/mail.gvsu.edu/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtGRsz4i6ggadDRGTjNxOXpmMDBhaTRDZkIxX1FGdUE&usp=drive_web https://docs.google.com/a/mail.gvsu.edu/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtGRsz4i6ggadDRGTjNxOXpmMDBhaTRDZkIxX1FGdUE&usp=drive_web]

[http://youtu.be/RH7qA0P-_JI http://youtu.be/RH7qA0P-_JI]

[[GVSU Student Priorities|GVSU_Student_Priorities]]

2015-2016 Landscape Canvas:

[https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fj98yWd--ZhvGRkGzg82-qwvVym08NI4qFcGUy8iPIk/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fj98yWd--ZhvGRkGzg82-qwvVym08NI4qFcGUy8iPIk/edit?usp=sharing]

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SG3a5OGLv0bJR5sxy3yft3LZ0xHrqXLbgInGc5rC6Ss/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SG3a5OGLv0bJR5sxy3yft3LZ0xHrqXLbgInGc5rC6Ss/edit?usp=sharing]

[[Jonathan Cook]]

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