Alfred University students create and run their own businesses through experiential learning program

Alfred University students are learning what it is like to run their own business, thanks to a new initiative in the College of Business that focuses on the importance and benefits of experiential learning.

The students, working in teams, spent part of the summer developing and marketing their own business ventures, with support from the College of Business's Institute for Experiential Entrepreneurship (IEE). Launched in the spring, the IEE emphasizes providing students with real-world business experience to complement classroom instruction.

"At the College of Business, we believe in experiential learning. Just roll up your sleeves and do it-you learn so much more by doing," said Mark Lewis, dean of the College of Business. "I'm beyond thrilled with how this has gone."

Students were supported in their summer projects by a gift from alumnus Joseph F. Smith Jr. '66 and Alice Smith to fund experiential learning initiatives. The Smiths' gift, in addition to investments in entrepreneurship and student business from alumnus Lance Shaner '75, were given in support of the IEE.

On Friday, Sept. 12, five students gave presentations on their experiences and fielded questions from faculty and two members of the College of Business Advisory Board-alumni Zach Harrington '14 and Dave Stirpe '93. Harrington earned a degree in finance and is a partner and financial advisor at Rise Advisors, LLC, in Rochester. Stirpe earned a degree in business administration (public law minor) and is a serial entrepreneur in Central New York, with a current focus on the restaurant industry.

The first students to present were Mark Ungarian, a senior computer science and marketing major from Odessa, Ukraine, and Nicolas Toribio, a senior computer science major from Sao Paulo, Brazil. They talked about their business, Fliply, a student-run developer of business websites.

Mark Ungarian (left) and Nicolas Toribio give a presentation on their student-run business project.

Ungarian said he and Toribio created Fliply's website and also websites for the student-run business Albrin English (which also presented on Friday), and Alfred Market Insights, a student-run not-for-profit housed in the College of Business which conducts market research for area businesses.

"Our website showcases the services we provide," Toribio said.

"We spent so much time figuring this out," Ungarian said of the process of developing their business. "We'll be making (websites) much faster because we learned from our mistakes."

Albrin English is an online English tutoring platform for students from Ukraine considering attending college in the United States, with a special focus on proper pronunciation, vocabulary, and conversational English. It is run by two Ukrainian students-Anna Koreiba, a junior marketing and communication studies major from Kyiv, and Sabrina Hryhorieva, a sophomore finance and marketing major from Dnipro.

Koreiba and Hryhorieva are both familiar with the impediments that can arise when cultural and language barriers exist. They are among a growing group of students from Ukraine who have enrolled at Alfred since war broke our there in 2022 following the Russian invasion.

"We come from a non-English speaking country. It was a big shock," Koreiba said. "The English spoken in Ukraine is not the same as it is spoken here."

Hryhorieva said she and Koreiba have five years of experience teaching English in Ukraine. "We had a cultural shock when we came here," she said. That experience indicated a need for a business that can help prepare international students coming to the U.S. To develop instructional content, the students collaborated with schools in Ukraine that teach English.

Albrin English offers instruction on English proficiency over four weeks with two classes each week. The classes are in the form of podcasts that the business creates, edits, and uploads to its website. Sessions for users to practice English are also offered. Hryhorieva said although the business was initially created to serve students from Ukraine, it could expand to serve students from around the globe.

Naimul Haque gives a presentation on his student-run business project.

Naimul Haque, master's degree student in electrical engineering, presented his business, a website designed to ease the process of applying to graduate school. His website-gradmate.ai-helps students find their best match for grad school, connect with faculty who share similar research interests, and navigate the process for finding paid graduate assistantships.

"It will simplify the application process," Haque said. The website has artificial intelligence tools that assist users in completing application materials-including writing statements of purpose; and drafting emails, cover letters, and personal statements. It also facilitates mock interviews, and has online sessions aimed at improving reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

"I've been around AI for seven years. I started working in deep learning before it was cool," joked Haque, who has a bachelor's degree in computer sciences and engineering from Ahsanullah University of Science and Engineering in his native Bangladesh, a master's degree in computer science, and a background and interest in artificial intelligence.

Students will continue developing their businesses throughout the 2025-26 academic year.

Fliply will finalize the Albrin English pilot site this fall and will begin prospecting for new clients with a goal of having two more by the spring 2026 semester. A modest budget will cover the cost of hosting a website on Wordpress, domain fees, and software purchases.

Ungarian and Toribio hope their business will be self-sustaining. Throughout the year, they will train Alfred University students to be able to run the business after they have graduated. "We'll hand the project off to them as an IEE-affiliated team for continuity," Toribio said.

Initially, Albrin English is offering its services as a pilot program and hopes it becomes a resource for international students hoping to study in the U.S. Koreiba and Hryhorieva will continue collaborating with schools in Ukraine that teach English to develop new instructional resources.

Alumni Dave Stirpe '93 (left) and Zach Harrington '14, members of the Alfred University College of Business Advisory Board, heard presentations from students on businesses they created through the college's Institute for Experiential Entrepreneurship.

Harrington, who participated in a number of experiential learning initiatives while a student at Alfred, praised the students for their work on their businesses and in being prepared for their presentations. "This is the most fun AU thing I've ever been to," he said.

Stirpe advised students to not get too tied to a particular business plan or model. "There are a lot of people out there who want to have their own business," he said. "Don't get too caught up in your product. You need to find out what people want and adapt."

The students said experiential learning programs like the student-run businesses serve to help them in their academic pursuits and in their professional careers.

"I learned how to get real work done from start to finish. I set up meetings, asked clear questions, broke big tasks into small steps, set check-ins, and held myself to the plan," Ungarian said. "We built real things for real clients. We agreed on goals, hit milestones, fixed problems, and got advice from professors along the way. It felt like a real job, and it gave me skills and confidence I can use right after college."

Haque credited the mentorship and guidance of Jean Ellefson, assistant professor of analytics, for helping him during his project. Ellefson, along with Shelly Freyn, associate professor of marketing, and Jason Morrison, assistant professor of finance, are co-directors of the Institute for Experiential Entrepreneurship.

"I gained practical experience in entrepreneurship. One important lesson was understanding how to manage a team, especially in a remote setting. Coordinating with overseas team members was challenging, as schedules and motivation levels varied," Haque said. "I also learned valuable leadership skills and how to implement marketing strategies without a large budget, which taught me the importance of creativity and resourcefulness in the early stages of a startup."

Of the benefits of learning by doing, Haque said, "I believe entrepreneurship is best learned through experience rather than theory alone. Experiential learning opportunities are especially valuable in college because students have the time and freedom to try new ideas. Such opportunities develop problem-solving skills, creativity, resilience, and practical understanding-all essential for success after college."

Morrison, who is supervised the students in their work over the summer, was pleased with the work they put into developing their businesses and in presenting to alumni.

"Working with our students this summer was an outstanding experience," he said. "Each group brought incredible energy and focus, tackling challenges with creativity and asking thoughtful questions along the way. Their final presentations to Alumni were not only polished and professional but also earned enthusiastic feedback."

Morrison believes the IEE can benefit all students at Alfred, not just those enrolled in business programs. "The Institute for Experiential Entrepreneurship is poised to become a powerful resource for students across campus, not just within the College of Business, helping them build the strong business foundations they'll carry into their future careers."

Alfred University students who created businesses through the College of Business's Institute for Experiential Entrepreneurship shown outside the college's Olin Building are, from left: Naimul Haque, Nicolas Toribio, Mark Ungarian, Anna Koreiba, and Sabrina Hryhorieva.