Business Leadership Conference to Kick Off Second Year
USD-Sioux Falls is set to host their second annual Business Leadership Conference (BLC) on Friday, April 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The goal of BLC is to give students perspective about their future careers.
“The target audience for this event is business students ranging from freshmen to graduate students across South Dakota schools,” Abbie Schechinger, Co-director of the Business Leadership Conference said. “While students gain valuable knowledge in the classroom, this conference is designed to bridge the gap between academics and real-world experience.”
Although not directly related to the Business Leadership Conference now, the inspiration first came from the investment club on campus, wanting to bring a student-led conference for students in South Dakota.
“In the short term, students can gain motivation, clarity in their career direction and even learn about possible internship or job opportunities,” Jaxton Schiller, co-director of the BLC said. “Long term, it’s about building relationships, having practical tools for leadership roles and becoming more aware of what opportunities are out there.”
The conference will start off with a panel focused on leadership in professional and personal life. After the panel, students will have the opportunity to attend breakout sessions across industries such as finance, marketing, sales, along with a session featuring C-suite executives. Over 20 speakers will give talks throughout the day.
BLC will continue in the afternoon with an interactive workshop, followed by two keynote speakers. This year’s keynotes are Ben Marcello, President of PREMIER Bankcard, and Lisa Gerner, Chief Financial Officer of PREMIER Bankcard.
“This portion allows students to actively apply what they’ve learned throughout the day and collaborate with their peers,” Schechinger said. “We’ll conclude the event with a networking opportunity, giving students the chance to connect more personally with professionals and build meaningful relationships.”
Meals and refreshments will be provided throughout the day, with a dinner after the conference to wrap up the event.
Schechinger and Schiller, along with their executive team, have been planning the conference for nearly a year. Their goal is to have 100 students attend the event.
“Working alongside Abbie has also helped me grow in collaborative leadership,” Schiller said. “It’s been a great experience in balancing communication, leadership and time management, and we couldn’t have done it without the support from the Beacom School of Business, its faculty and our executive team.”
