by: Ayla McDonald
In the Meet the CobraVenture Student Entrepreneurs! Part 1 installment article from the January 31st edition of the Prospectus Newspaper, we met four of the Parkland students who have been chosen to partake on the journey towards being their own business owners through CobraVenture, Parkland College’s first business cohort for students.
During spring semester 2019, the ten CobraVenture student participants will meet regularly to receive mentorship from an advisory committee consisting of Parkland faculty, local business owners, and other community members who have experience with business. “The cohort model provides for a close-knit group to embark on the process together, through a series of workshops on topics important to getting their businesses started,” the CobraVenture page of parkland.edu said. “Led by a facilitator, workshop topics are presented by Parkland faculty, business leaders, and alumni. Students do not receive academic credit for participation, but rather real-world skills that enhance what they have learned in the classroom.”
In this the Part 2 installment, we are introduced to two more of the ten CobraVenture prospective student entrepreneurs, Dylan Tyler and Gayle McDonald, and read as they share about their business ideas.
Dylan Tayler: Good Game and Food
“Hi, my name Is Dylan Taylor. I’m majoring in Computer Science. My business idea is a gaming Cafe for retro games, modern games, board games, and card games. I wanted a way to share the joys of retro gaming with people, and realized that retro gaming can cost hundreds just to get started.
I’m excited about this opportunity with CobraVenture because it allows me to meet people who have made it through the process, and it allows me to have mentors in this field.”
Gayle McDonald: PS 31 Productions
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Gayle McDonald is a Communications and Media Production major at Parkland who plans to start a business of Conference and Event Planning.
“Windsor Media Productions is an all-inclusive event-planning and conference production company started by Gayle McDonald. It incorporates multimedia and live performance in original ways that ensure participant engagement and enjoyment.
Originally from Los Angeles, Gayle honed her conference planning skills early by coordinating over 150 academic and social conferences over a single summer. She honed a system during those early years that ensured conference participants would enjoy a well-run event. However, she never felt that was enough.
After spending many years in education learning new ways to engage students of all ages, she decided to expand those skills into her conferences. When she moved to central Illinois, she quickly added the media production skills she learned at Parkland College to the mix. The result of the combination of these skills will be events that are beyond imagination. Engaging, entertaining, and motivating will be the hallmarks of any event produced by Windsor Media Productions. Gayle’s multimedia and event management skills, combined with her research in education and engagement, will surely lead to an extraordinary experience for all participants.
McDonald can be contacted through her business email address at WindsorMediaProductions@gmail.com.
“Students can earn up to $3,000 in seed money for their business.”
At the end of Spring semester 2019, the CobraVenture student entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges for a shot at receiving up to $3,000 in seed money from Parkland College. “For the 2019 cohort, students can earn up to $3,000 in seed money for their business through participation in the CobraVenture capstone Pitch Showcase in May,” the CobraVenture page at parkland.edu said.
For updates on the CobraVenture student entrepreneurs, and for information about the CobraVenture cohort for Fall 2019 semester, search for CobraVenture at parkland.edu and check the Parkland College newsfeed.
