Dolan School of Business students can look to newly appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Chris Hamer as a representative success story in the business world. Hamer, a technology entrepreneur, has joined DSB in a position that provides DSB students the chance to learn from a professional, successful entrepreneur.
According to the Dean of DSB, Dr. Donald Gibson, there is a process to be named EIR, with candidates needing to be nominated for the position by anyone who feels that the person fits the qualifications, before the school appoints its official choice. Hamer previously worked with business students in a capacity before his appointment as EIR.
“He’s already working closely with students in Professor Scheraga’s Technology Ventures class. He has offered students entrepreneurial ideas based on his own company, CrowdFlik,” Gibson said.
Gibson believes that the EIR program provides students with the opportunity to learn from the successes of those in the entrepreneurial field, like Hamer. In addition to Scheraga’s class, Hamer will also be mentoring teams for the Business Plan Competition and new businesses in the Fairfield University Accelerator and Mentoring Enterprise program, an entrepreneurial start-up mentoring program.
“Students have the opportunity to examine these ideas and provide their feedback on how they think the company should proceed. It’s a great opportunity for a ‘live case’ where students are able to experience what it’s like to lead a successful entrepreneurial firm,” he said.
Junior Napali Bridgelall, a management major, agrees that students need exposure to outside resources like Hamer.
“I think business business programs like [EIR] are good,” Brigdelall said. “It’s important to hear real stories and know what real experiences sound like so we’re actually prepared for life after and outside college.
Senior Jon Bernardo agreed, stating that he thinks Hamer’s appointment is a good thing, since many Fairfield students are interested in entrepreneurship, including himself who wants to own a company someday.
Hamer founded and is the current CEO of Crowdflik, a patented mobile-based video app that provides users with the space to share and use video clips to create multi-angled video clips. The app is run by Chris Hamer Media Partners, LLC, Hamer’s company, which caters to media-based platforms.
Gibson also sees Hamer’s cross-platform experience in various mediums such as marketing, entertainment, digital media and technology as a benefit for the school, which houses a very large marketing major.
“Being exposed to Mr. Hamer helps students to understand the risks and rewards of an entrepreneurial path. Being around a person of Mr. Hamer’s caliber could be life-changing for our students,” Gibson said.
Leave a Reply