By Chris Falcone

Kristen Jones represents a growing number of students at the University who hope to one day successfully run their own business. However, unlike most, she has already taken steps towards turning such a dream into a reality.

Jones, a junior marketing and mass media studies major, plans on eventually becoming a financially successful entrepreneur, choosing to be her own boss rather than ultimately answering to someone else. Yet, her journey to success started during her early teenage years in Bethesda, Md. Jones took advantage of her free time to learn trades and acquire knowledge leading to the creation of a dream. One that Jones felt was not highly embraced by her own parents.

“My dad just doesn’t get it,” Jones said. “He thinks it’s a little hobby.”

Entrepreneurship is a rising trend on college campuses, appealing to a new generation of students. With success not guaranteed, college is considered the best time to take risks, Dr. Jeff Brice, founder of the entrepreneurship program at the University, said.

Entrepreneurship, an academic major, is offered in the management department, is something significantly new to colleges across the United States. Universities began entrepreneurial courses as recently as 10 to 15 years ago, according to Brice, who was hired by the University in 2002.

“We just got into the game and were already on the level with a Florida State and Notre Dame,” Brice said. “We’re considered one of the top 50 entrepreneurship programs in the country out of 1,000 programs.”

Brice recognized entrepreneurship in colleges as the wave of the future. Due to this newly founded program, he has come across students in his class and on campus who have created their own business in hopes of becoming the next Bill Gates or Michael Dell. He considers them successful to a small degree. There is definitely something in the makeup of entrepreneurs, Brice said, that differentiates them from the everyday college student, a different kind of makeup. What that unique trait is, however, is still open to debate.

“There is a certain skill to do this and it takes a certain kind of person,” Brice said, who was a young entrepreneur himself. “There is no finite agreement on which separates these people whether it is something behavioral or psychological.”

Jones’ story further exemplifies the characteristics needed to succeed. She created an online magazine known as Fifth Ave. Magazine when was just 12 years old.

“I loved computers. I was really into them, I taught my parents how to use them,” Jones said, who quickly became acquainted with the “e-zine,” which is an online magazine. “I would spend all day and night on it.”

She began her first “e-zine” as a type of message board for rap artist, Mase. From there, she went on to other celebrities and musicians until finally ending with Eminem. By that time, she was ready for a change.

“I got tired with the celebrity thing, I was bored so I moved on to fashion,” Jones said. “I also taught myself how to create Web pages, which also stemmed from my love of computers and helped to eventually finance my print magazine.”

Jones was the sole developer behind her national fashion magazine, fifthavemag.com, which attracted hundreds of subscribers early on but became an increasingly heavy weight upon her shoulders, physically and financially. Originally setting out as a weekly publication, it soon turned into a monthly publication by the time she began high school. Finally, prior to her senior year, Jones brought her magazine to a halt.

By the winter of 2003, Jones decided on turning her online experience full circle by moving her publication into a seasonal print magazine. By her sophomore year in college, Jones had acquired nearly 20,000 subscribers, but enough money to get the magazine out. Sensing a growing personal enthusiasm for this idea, she began to advertise to her online subscribers in the fall. Eventually, raising enough money to release her first print issue that summer, the question became how to her readers to spend money and purchase her magazine.

She sent her first issue, which had blossomed into a multi-faceted mixture of art, music, fashion and culture, to some of the major magazine companies in the city, People, Cosmopolitan and Seventeen were some of the recipients of Jones’ magazine along with Cosmo Girl, who liked it so much they gave her an internship that summer.

Jones hired a team of writers and designers by posting advertisements online. Finding willing participants through fashion forums and message boards such as livejournal.com, who were willing to work without pay, Jones hired people from all ages from across the country and Canada to as far as Norway and Korea. The magazine now consists of two designers, an assistant editor, 15 writers and a street team in Asia and Europe.

Two issues have been released so far, in the summer and fall of 2003, which can be found in small boutiques in the village, at fashion shows, through independent designers and also trunk shows, which are mainly underground.

Until now, Jones has been forced to foot the bill for her publication. This included working as a waitress at three restaurants, spending money intended for school books on her magazine and driving home to Maryland on weekends to print out her issue, all the while trying to get her work noticed. Yet, Jones still loves what she is doing and cannot see herself working for anyone else.

Her ideal goal is to find a distributor within two years to circulate her magazine on newsstands. When she graduates, Jones plans to open a restaurant.

‘I have the business plan for it already and a few partners; it’s going to be a New Orleans style Creole restaurant in New York City,” Jones said.

Entrepreneurship is the smallest major within the business school at the University, but the fastest growing, with the initial group scheduled to graduate as early as the end of this academic year, Dr. Kaushik Sengupta, professor of management at the University, said.

“The initial reaction has been positive, therefore the program should grow,” Sengupta said. “So far it has been nothing short of a success.”

The program appeals to students who feel they cannot rely on corporate employment. Studies show people switch jobs over 10 times in a lifetime. Nowadays, more students want to express themselves, Brice said.

“[Entrepreneurship] as definitely frowned upon back in the day. You were told by your parents to concentrate on the book,” Brice said.

Another student seizing such an opportunity is Ilyssa Rosenblum, a senior public relations major. She started a local event planning company for young professionals over the past summer called Silver Rose Entertainment.

While interning for the New York Society of Young Professionals, Rosenblum, who is graduating in December, was responsible for coming up with ideas for activities and events throughout the city. She hosted events and made contacts. Those events included happy hours and wine tasting parties.

“I was planning and hosting their events for the company so I felt that I could definitely do it on my own,” Rosenblum said.

Even Rosenblum’s mother was skeptical about the idea at first but quickly changed her feelings and now, along with her husband, fully supports her daughter’s endeavor.

“She didn’t take me seriously at first, she thought it was just a joke,” Rosenblum said. “But now they support me, although they wouldn’t want me to give up my day job.”

Rosenblum has been as successful entrepreneur in the garment district of New York City for several years.

Although she has only thrown one event so far, a Wednesday night happy hour at Bar Room in New York City, Rosenblum considers her company a growing success. She does concede that it has been harder than she originally thought it would be.

“I didn’t realize all the business aspects involved,” Rosenblum said. “It was more technical than I thought, determining if you want a limited liability corporation, or LLC, or a sole-proprietorship to designing a web page. I also realized that you have to be a cutthroat kind of girl to prosper in business.”

You need to have the, “what do you have to lose?” mentality, Brice said, because if you start small while in school, when you graduate you may have cultivated something that can grow.

For now Rosenblum tries planning events in New York, where she does not have any out-of-pocket costs. To expand her business, she said she needs to put money into advertising and promoting so that bigger corporations can hear about her.

At the University, students take a practical, hands-on approach, which Brice assures is no easy task. This is what separates the program from others.

The program also benefits from its proximity to New York City, which Rosenblum said is an excellent place to start a business.

What sets young entrepreneurs apart from the masses is the love for what they do. Passion is a prerequisite to success.

“I love so many things. I like creating my own thing, I feel you can be successful at doing what you love to do,” Jones said. “And right now this is what I love.”