Tag Archives: HBCUs

The HBCUpreneur Corner – Tennessee State University’s Trina Morris & Style Root

Posted on June 18, 2013 by | 1 comment

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Name: Trina Morris

Alma Mater: Tennessee State University

Business Name & Description: Style Root Inc., a public relations and personal development consulting firm

What year did you found your company? Started as a freelancer (sole proprietor) in 2002 and officially launched as an incorporated business in 2005.

What was the most exciting and/or fearful moment during your HBCUpreneur career?

Exciting- Every time I saw one of my clients in the press (print, online or TV), I was over the moon! Every time I proved that my petite PR powerhouse could contend with the PR giants (via international clients, corporate sponsorships, national campaigns, etc.), I was beyond delighted. When I would see the images from events that I produced, I was truly proud. Doing PR is an art as much as a strategy for me, so my events were like live exhibitions ; )

Fearful- In 2009-10, when the recession hit hard. Across several industries, PR was “the last hired and the first fired.” Also when ‘Web 2.0’ launched with social media and the abyss of the blogosphere. Whether other PR pros will admit it or not, that immediately pulled the rug from under all of us. We had to learn Web 2.0, get on the other side of (this new way) and figure out how to make it ‘billable’- in spite of it being something the client could do for free/on their own. As a very small firm, I was stressed OUT. This was also amidst a print publishing collapse. Thus, my media services and contacts were in jeopardy and I was slowly melting.

What made you want to start your own company? Networking and exploring NYC provided me with loads of connections. These industry and creative professionals (rising and seasoned) wanted to build their brands in some way, but were too close (to them) to have an objective view and fresh positioning approach. Its like they were Style Root clients-in-waiting, so I knew starting my own firm was inevitable and fast-approaching ; )

Who was the most influential person/people for you during your time in college? My sophomore Resident Assistant (RA). Her style and charm were matchless, and I knew I could learn soo much from her. Our relationship evolved upon me joining her/our sorority, and I will forever refer to her as my ‘special’ sister.

TSU’s PR Director at the time. Once I realized that Public Relations was ‘the name of this mystery career’ I duly researched, I asked to volunteer in her on-campus office. She solidified my interest in PR, and was the catalyst for my decision to pursue my Masters degree (in PR).

Trina HBCUMoney Shot

My English Professor (from hell) whose academic approach challenged me in a way I’d never been before. She made me analyze and express myself from a deeply authentic place, and defend myself in a way that has served me tremendously- as a female, black woman, intellectual and communications professional. In the end, I waved my white flag (in surrender) and she applauded my growth and talent. Turns out, she was God-sent ; )

How do you handle complex problems? To quote Nina Simone “Oh I’m just a soul whose intentions are good, Lord please don’t let me be misunderstood.”

Prayer, Yoga, Meditation, Tears, Counsel from my closest confidants, Inspirational Reading, Long Showers, Laughter, Wine- lol

What is something you wish you had known prior to starting your company? ‘Exit’ or let me say, ‘Growth’ Strategies- ones that are not purely professional, but also personal. When you are young and inspired, you dare think that you’d ever tire of the work you’re doing, or that things will change (for the bad or good). I wish someone had told me that it was not just okay to rebrand myself/business, but its necessary for long-term success. Internal and external influences must be factored in on a regular basis. OMG, I was sooo emotional about the whole process. Part of me felt like I was betraying myself/business/clients/industry, or claiming defeat. But thank God, today… I know better ; )

What do you believe HBCUs can do to spur more innovation and entrepreneurship while their students are in school either as undergraduate or graduate students? If I answer that, I will expose Style Root’s new product details prematurely. I’ll just say stay tuned for YouArePR, launching this Fall. Also this summer, I am hosting workshops (locally) which examine how to be #wholeselfemployed. My hope is to bring these unique solutions to HBCUs directly.

How do you deal with rejection? (Refer to my answer to the Question How do you handle complex problems?)And actually… I’ve gotten much better. As I’ve mentioned, the recession, Web 2.0 and my subsequent lifestyle changes were like my training grounds. I just recently re-tweeted PR veteran @TerrieWilliams who said, “Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us.” Its true. So to answer your question, I think rejection is simply the divine means to reception ; )

When you have down time how do you like to spend it? I have the biggest ‘auntie crush’ on my 1-yr old niece, so whenever I can hop on a plane (to the Midwest) to love her up… I do. As an entrepreneur, college professor and yoga instructor, I have a strict schedule and mainly live from a “To Do List”. Thus, I enjoy breaking up the monotony via travel- domestic or international. With others or solo. I’m definitely a beach bum, but when I can’t get there, I simply follow the sun and go on ‘staycation’ (a rooftop, park, backyard, spa, or hey… my stoop!). I also enjoy cooking. Researching and trying new recipes is my nerdland (s/o to @MHarrisPerry), and pop culture (media, fashion, music and art) will forever be a major source of inspiration.

What was your most memorable HBCU memory? Its soooo hard to just give one memory when you are a TSU alum!! All of our Greek Weeks were INSANELY entertaining (Skeeee weeeee!! to my Alpha Psi Sorors of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc!!) and Homecoming was just BANANAS!! I was also on the Student Union Board of Governors (SUBG), which coordinated nearly all of the student activities throughout the year. So I could pick ANY of those events between 1996-2000… honestly, the prequel to my PR career ; )

In leaving is there any advice you have for budding HBCUpreneurs? Take personal development as seriously as professional development. Accept that you aren’t just good at one thing (and honor them as ‘transitional skills/talents’). Know your core values and deal-breakers. Volunteer. Slow down. Evolve. Do yoga ; )

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The HBCU Endowment Feature – Coppin State University

Posted on June 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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School Name: Coppin State University

Median Cost of Attendance: $25 593

Undergraduate Population: 3 295

Endowment Needed: $1 686 545 760

Analysis: Coppin State University needs an approximately $1.7 billion endowment for all of its undergraduates to attend debt free. The university is located in Baltimore, Maryland. Coppin State University has become an orphan among stepchildren. The state of Maryland of has historically been brutal to HBCUs and it does not help that Coppin State University shares the state’s largest city with 2 other HBCUs and John Hopkins, the nation’s leading research institution. It is considered by many to be a diamond in the rough. Unfortunately, it is hard to see anyone uncovering that rough so long as the school remains in Baltimore. Location seems to be harming and not helping Coppin State University. It has no room to establish an identity or expand more importantly. The school should consider a relocation to Waldorf, Maryland which is located over a hour away from Baltimore. Waldorf is the 5th largest city in the state and has a 54 percent African American population. Only Baltimore has a higher African American percentage of African Americans. This space could give Coppin State University the opportunity to recruit students in Baltimore who might want to go “away” from home without being too far. Coppin State University has been known for producing quality nurses and teachers. The problem lies in that neither of these occupations produce the high quality donors that universities need to build their endowments. Of course if it honed its nursing program on the specialties that were the top earners that would greatly help. Coppin State University badly needs to find a professional niche it can grow. No small task and one that requires understanding the lay of the land, vision, and leadership. All of which Coppin State University has been lacking for many years now. Despite many problems there is no denying that Coppin State University possesses something special it just needs the space to show what it can do.

As always it should be noted that endowments provide a myriad of subsidies to the university for everything from scholarship, faculty & administration salaries, research, and much more.

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HBCU Presidential Opening? Hire Neil deGrasse Tyson

Posted on June 13, 2013 by | 2 comments

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

neil-degrasse-tyson-with-telescope-rocket

I will admit that while I respect a great many of the new and rising leadership at HBCUs I still feel as if there is a secret sauce missing. We often still mentally box what we view leadership must be like to lead our colleges and universities. They are often from traditional African American disciplines or professions. That is not meant to be a slight at them because they are what they are. Those disciplines are needed but sometimes you need different. That difference could be the missing sauce to make this new hamburger we are building or re-building standout (depending on how one looks at it). To make it dynamic.

After watching Dr. Tyson speak before the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee it became clear to me that this is someone who could lead the STEM and research revolution amongst HBCUs. There is currently no more prominent of an African American face associated with STEM. Would it cost to get him? Yes. Is he interested in an HBCU? As often the case we will not know unless we ask. The real question is what board or alumni would be creative and aggressive enough to pursue someone like Dr. Tyson. If we want to improve our place in STEM then we need someone who understands it intimately on a structural level and on a public relations level.

Currently, HBCUs as a whole do about $600 million combined annually in research expenditures. On the surface while that sounds like a lot, it would not make the list of top 30 list of  research budgets at colleges and universities across the nation. Yes, there are 30 plus institutions that do over $600 million individually annually in research. Florida A&M, who led HBCUs in research in 2012, is doing only $53.5 million. The top of the heap continues to be John Hopkins University who conducts $2.1 billion annually in research by itself. It also would potentially create avenues that could allow HBCUs to become more competitive among the minefield that is the National Science Foundation and its questionable grant disbursements. Historically, HBCUs have received inadequate research funding from even the NSF and while President Obama has promised HBCUs $850 million over 10 years it would be much nicer if HBCUs were in position to receive the over $1 billion annually that the NSF hands out to the top tier research institutions.

If we need a reminder of why research is important then we just need to look at the economic state of our communities and our institutions. My favorite example of just what research on college campuses can produce is Google. It was developed at Stanford University while the two founders were PhD graduate students. An issue of HBCUs further developing their graduate programs and keeping their most talented within HBCU institutions is another article itself. The search engine that is now a verb currently employs 50 000 people. That is equivalent to 1/6th of the entire current HBCU student population. That is just ONE company whose co-founders have a combined net worth of $52 billion. There are thousands of other companies who have emerged as a result of STEM research on college campuses. The impact is so profound that the Kauffman Foundation’s study shows that MIT created companies alone would be the 17th largest economy in the world if they were their own nation. Unfortunately, due to a number of different reasons – a scientific vision not least among them – HBCUs have been slow to re-embrace its strong research heritage of the late 19th and early 20th century when men like George Washington Carver and others were transforming the American way of life through scientific research on HBCU campuses.

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson could provide a necessary spark to bring attention and resources to an HBCU willing to make the commitment. His presence would certainly make many gifted African Americans interested in STEM potentially pause and consider an HBCU. A school like Morris Brown, St. Paul’s, or Lewis College of Business who want to transform themselves could become the HBCU Institute of Technology. If we want to reach for the stars just maybe it is time we give leadership to someone who knows literally where to find them.

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The HBCU Endowment Feature – Texas College

Posted on June 10, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Official Seal - Texas College

School Name: Texas College

Median Cost of Attendance: $17 208

Undergraduate Population: 878

Endowment Needed: $302 172 480

Analysis: Texas College needs approximately $300 million for all of its students to attend debt free. Located 100 miles from Dallas, TX and 90 miles from Shreveport, LA puts Texas College in a sweet spot geographically. This could allow the school to grow triple in size in a very short period if its infrastructure could keep up with such exponential growth. Part of this growth could easily come from establishing a relationship for transfers from Southern University-Shreveport which is a two-year HBCU. Texas College is actually closer to SU-S than the flagship Southern University-Baton Rouge and could easily sway students who want to be away from home but not more than a few hours. With less than 1000 students the school needs to hit a growth spurt and fast in order to graduate enough alumni on an annual basis and increase the donor pool available to it. Of course at its current size there is the opportunity to build very intimate relationships with these graduates and establish donor relationship much earlier and on a personal basis. Texas College in 2012 led all HBCUs reported in NACUBO in terms of return on investment at 12.8 percent in a year when 70 percent of the top ten HBCU endowments had negative returns. This type of continued performance could bode well for them if they can get the raw dollars to boost the size of the money it is managing. The school has the talent to manage the money but its demographics need to grow for it become a relevant endowment in this era of expand or die.

As always it should be noted that endowments provide a myriad of subsidies to the university for everything from scholarship, faculty & administration salaries, research, and much more.

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The HBCU Endowment Feature – North Carolina Central University

Posted on May 13, 2013 by | 2 comments

North_Carolina_Central_University_Law_School_in_Durham_North_Carolina

School Name: North Carolina Central University

Median Cost of Attendance: $23 495

Undergraduate Population: 6 416

Endowment Needed: $3 014 865 600

Analysis: North Carolina Central University needs an endowment of approximately $3 billion for all of its undergraduates to attend debt free. Its current endowment is estimated to be 0.7 percent of the needed amount. Located in Durham, NC which is steeped in rich African American economic history the university is one of the bigger undergraduate populations amongst HBCUs. It also boast being one of only four HBCUs to have a law school. A law school which carries much prestige in the state of North Carolina often pulling in law students from the two prestigious HWCUs located nearby. Inexplicably, it finds itself the only one of the four HBCUs with a law school not located in the top ten HBCU endowments. The school should be commended for digging deeper into its endowment coffers a few years ago to help a number of cash-strapped students. This will turn out to be either a great long-term move assuming one (preferably many) go on to become high quality donors back to the university. Otherwise, it will set the endowment back almost $500 000 over the next decade and $1.4 million over the next 20 years in potential added principal.  North Carolina Central University is taking a risk that not many colleges or universities – HBCU or not – seem to be willing to take and that is do whatever it takes to reduce its students debt load and increase its alumni population. A contrarian approach that could shape the university in the coming generation. It ultimately still must fix the issue of producing so many law graduates and the breakdown in its lack of high quality donors from the group. An HBCU endowment with an enormous amount of potential that has only scratched the surface.

As always it should be noted that endowments provide a myriad of subsidies to the university for everything from scholarship, faculty & administration salaries, research, and much more.

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