Brigham Young University-Idaho is #1 in Idaho and #23 in the nation for producing business owners, with 6,025 BYU-Idaho alumni owning a business.
In a recent study conducted by Clarify Capital, BYU-Idaho has emerged as a leading institution in fostering entrepreneurial spirit among its graduates. This achievement highlights the university’s commitment to nurturing future business leaders and innovators.
The university’s success in producing business owners can be attributed to both the support offered by expert BYU-Idaho faculty and the grit, determination, and partnership of BYU-Idaho students.
It Starts as Students
Several successful businesses started when the alumni were still students, and that tradition continues every semester.
Current BYU-Idaho students Nick Hepworth and Aoi Kuriki are already award-winning entrepreneurs with their business, Subitt—a small-business subscription platform. They won first place among 70 other college start-ups at the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge and are headed to the semi-finals of Boise Entrepreneur Week on October 3, 2024.
“I think that most people here just want to succeed, but they have an urgency to succeed in their own way,” said Hepworth. “So, you’ll meet people here, more than ever, who want to run a business, and you have programs, like IBC [Integrated Business Core], that enable you to get hands-on business experience and connect with people who are like that.”
Hepworth sees Rexburg’s small-town feel and long winters as inspirations for his company’s success.
“Being in Rexburg and creating opportunities from pretty much nothing, I think it’s almost a motivation. If you can prove it here you can really prove it anywhere,” said Hepworth. “There’s just very unique ingredients out here for people to solve these problems.”
Integrated Business Core
Senior students pursuing business and marketing degrees participated in Integrated Business Core (IBC)—a comprehensive nine-credit course where students experience all aspects of creating and running a real business.
“IBC was my first taste of becoming a business owner and thinking outside of textbooks that got me ready for graduation,” said Emily Rushton ‘06, Founder and CEO of Hire Integrated, an award-winning recruiting company headquartered out of Salt Lake City, Utah. “We had exposure in all elements of the business.”
IBC students have access to business management faculty mentors with executive-level experience in entrepreneurship, business law, operations, and more, but it’s ultimately up to each student team to make their business work.
"We like to hire students that have been through BYU-Idaho's IBC Program because they are always willing to roll up their sleeves and find a way, no matter the task,” said Stuart Draper ‘08, Founder of digital courseware company Stukent and podcast host of Startups with Stu.
Looking Ahead
Ranking #1 in Idaho and #23 in the nation for producing business owners is a tremendous achievement, but it’s only one measure of success.
The primary measures for success at BYU-Idaho will always be how students grow and develop—as disciples of Jesus Christ and as leaders in their homes, the Church, and their communities.
Teachers at BYU-Idaho are focused entirely on student success, helping students gain the real-world experience and skills they need to succeed right away.
“We want to make sure students are ready to work and they hit the ground running with full confidence once they graduate,” said Luke Alley, a faculty member in BYU-Idaho’s Department of Marketing.
For the full study visit the link:https://clarifycapital.com/colleges-with-the-most-business-owner-alumni
Have a story about a business-owning alum? Email magazine@byui.edu