Assignment 20 - Growing Your Social Capital


  1. Domain Expert - Dustin Stephany - Sustainability Director for UF Planning, Design, & Construction
    1. Dustin leads the charge for pursuing LEED Certification on all major UF projects.  He directs and coordinates all sustainability efforts on campus.
    2. Based on Dustin's experience and title, I felt like he would be an excellent Domain Expert.
    3. I have worked closely with Dustin over multiple projects and have created a solid working relationship with him through networking events with the University. I called him this morning.
    4. I asked if he would check over my Napkin Idea and gave him my quick elevator pitch on the product I'm proposing.  He was more than happy to take some time out to listen.  Being the enthusiastic guy he is, he was exuberant over the idea of a product that would truly benefit him and all of his efforts across these several products.  He wants to be a part of developing this concept.
    5. By including this person in my network, I could use his projects for beta testing of the software.  This would translate greatly over to a marketing standpoint when I can show that the University of Florida is on-board with my product.
  2. Market Expert - Jennifer Denault - Marketing Director for Scorpio Construction in Gainesville
    1. Jenn brings over 25 years of top-tier marketing experience with the University of Florida and Scorpio.  She's a very well-known name around town for not only her marketing expertise but for her community involvement as well.  She runs all of Scorpio's presentations for new projects in the Gainesville market.
    2. I selected Jenn as the Market Expert for the above reasons.
    3. I work with Jen, so I gave her a quick call since we are working remotely.
    4. She listened to my elevator pitch and critiqued my subpar delivery skills.  She's always critical of me but it makes me a better person.
    5. Jenn's ability to deliver a product or service into the local Gainesville market is about as good as it gets. She understands people-dynamics and has a great eye for aesthetics and branding.
  3. Industry Supplier - Matt Backensto - Senior Project Manager for Taylor Cotton & Ridley (a local door supplier in town)
    1. Matt is our go-to door supplier for our construction projects in town, so he's worked with us on all of our projects that have pursued LEED certification.
    2. I selected Matt as the Industry Supplier because of his door expertise and his experience with dealing with the pains of LEED Certifications.
    3. I have a close working relationship with Matt through the years working at Scorpio, so I called him and pitched him the idea
    4. Matt typically serves as the liaison between us (the contractor pursuing LEED certification) and the manufacturers (the parties supplying the LEED-certified products).  He said that it would be so much more efficient to have his manufacturers (Eggers Doors, Marshfield Doors, Masonite, etc.) upload their information to one place where he or I would be able to access the correct information.  He has had prior issues with more information was given than necessary or the wrong information was given, and this has resulted in having to revise and resubmit the information to LEED. 
    5. As the liaison to these manufacturers, Matt would be a prime distributor of our software and its capabilities to the manufacturers that he works with (which are responsible for many other trades as well).  He would more or less be an ambassador for the product to these folks.
  4. Reflection - In future networking events, my mind would be focused on which specific connections that I may have that would allow me to expand my product into some target sectors.  This would differ from prior networking experiences in that I typically would just be trying to solidify a relationship with others that will help both of us succeed in working together on projects in the future.  It's now shifted to a more strategic standpoint where I am looking to spread a product/idea across other platforms through various connections that I make.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Assignment 6 - Economic Opportunities & Regulatory Trends

Economic Opportunities As the Coronavirus continues to spread in China, the need for methods of detecting the virus in people climbs across the world. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51386575 This information shows the economic crises that are being spurred by the coronavirus across a wide range of sectors in and out of China, such as Ikea & Starbucks.  As more sectors of the world's economy (i.e. Flights, Hotels, etc.) continue to see this virus impact their sales, the need to detect the virus globally becomes more vital. The prototypical customer to this opportunity for further medical research would be governmental agencies such as Customs as well as public and private sector organizations such as airlines and hotels across the board. The opportunity is difficult to exploit, as methods to tracing the virus go beyond a blood sample, but defining recent historical travel and exposure in relative areas to individuals. I see the opportunity in the realization that the...
Read more

Assignment 8 - Solving the Problem

The Opportunity The opportunity lies within creating a database software that compiles information on materials and designs in ONE place that can be provided for companies moving forward. The Product The product would be a simple database software that compiles products and information on systems and provides EXACTLY what is looked for to achieve specific credits for LEED certification.  This could be a subscription-based website that could include an integrative system where manufacturers and consumers alike can go into the database and enter information on specific products.   For instance, 3M, one of the largest manufacturer of materials and goods (several used in construction) in the world, would be able to sign into the software and upload documentation and information for all of their products.  Each product uploaded would have its own page which specifies EVERYTHING, from pre-consumer & post-consumer recycled content, to location of manufacturer ...
Read more

Assignment 16 - What's Your Secret Sauce?

 Describe five ways in which you think you have Human Capital that is truly unique. I feel as though I have the willingness and drive to accomplish whatever I set my goals on.  I work a 40-hour per week job while taking a full class load and am completing my Capstone project for my program, which has already taken well over 100 hours worth of work outside of class and my job. My unique charisma sets me apart.  I am a goofy person, but I am also pretty analytical and wise in a sense for where I am in life.  I feel as though my exterior facade of being goofy, relaxed, joyfulness, and strong sense of humor often gives people a surprise when they come to see how diligently I work, how smart I am, and how well I do my job. I think I am confident in who I am, but one thing that I have developed recently is to put aside my pride and arrogance at times while also staying true to myself and my faith. I have a knack for connecting with others by finding a medium ground ...
Read more