Throughout this thesis I will talk about what I have learned in my entrepreneurship and leadership class throughout the semester. A large portion of this will talk about personality tests I took and what I agree and disagree with from those. I have also included the business plan for Bar Harbor Technology, a company that I co-founded with three other students through the McGuire program in the Eller College of Management. Our company is centered around providing improved efficiency for full-service restaurants by reducing wait times and improving accountability of liquor bottle usage. As the CFO of the company, I handled the financials of the company.

This thesis compiles my work in the Entrepreneurship program at the University of Arizona. Along with three other team members, this business plan was created for a potential venture concept. 69% of Americans in the U.S. today are considered overweight or clinically obese. Being overweight can cause preventable illnesses including diabetes, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack. Americans obesity challenges cost employers over $1.3 trillion annually due to rising health insurance premiums, productivity loss, and absenteeism. Through conducting secondary and primary research, in‐depth interviews with industry experts and business owners, Wellspark Health was created by four students in the Eller Entrepreneurship Program to help businesses combat the financial costs of obesity and empower individuals to live healthier lives. Unlike traditional worksite wellness programs, Wellspark combines best practices from the industry with customizable solutions for both employers and their employees. The program consists of both online and onsite tools and support from health coaches and registered dieticians. Wellspark will initially target businesses with between 50‐250 employees because this demographic is not being served by current wellness programs.

Over the past two decades, obesity in America has more than doubled as our society continued rewarding the destructive habits that contribute to poor health. This business plan is a detailed layout of the development of WellSpark Health, a company that provides comprehensive wellness programs to the small and medium sized businesses. With the increasing health insurance premiums linked to rising obesity rates and the prominence of related chronic illnesses, WellSpark’s preventative solutions bring together all affected parties in order to spur healthy life style changes. While small businesses purchase our programs, WellSpark then provides our services to the client company’s employees. The plan looks at why WellSpark Health chose to target small and medium sized demographic and the details of what we offer through our wellness program. The strategies WellSpark Health will implement to marketing its brand and mission in the community, the operations, as well as our plans for expansion, risk analysis, and financial analysis of the value of our company to investors, the economy, and the local community best demonstrate the feasibility of WellSpark Health being a thriving business. This is a composite of the efforts of four individuals from the McGuire Entrepreneurship Program.

As a student in the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship program, I have developed a multitude of skills associated with business innovation and entrepreneurship. My four teammates and I have spent the last year creating a scalable new venture, Athena Virtual Reality (VR). Athena VR enables universities to customize an engaging technology to market their school to prospective students. Users are able to view college campuses, curriculum and career opportunities to improve four-year student graduation rates. Following the collection of validation research, our team developed a business plan that outlines Athena VR’s objectives and strategies to achieve the company’s overall goals. Our team also participated in several trade shows, including the New Venture Competition in which we prepared a 1-minute, 3-minute and 5-minute pitch for investors. The Honors course in this program primarily focused on cross-border business between the U.S. and Mexico-Sonora. By conducting our own research and listening to several guest speakers, we were able to expand our knowledge about Mexico’s economy, culture and relationship with the U.S. I traveled to Mexico-Sonora with my classmates to experience the region’s opportunities in business development and analyze how Athena VR can learn from and/or utilize these opportunities in its strategies.

The following business plan outlines the strategies involved in the potential launch of a new venture. valueXchange is a networking solution for small business owners in need of financing and individuals and institutions interested in lending. The company acts as a third party and is in the business of exchanging contact information. valueXchange automates the already existing practice of private lending and has significant alternate value for society. More specifically, valueXchange increases cash flow, stimulates the local economy, and decreases the level of stress that is currently present and toxic to society.