I think that I deserve...

I believe that I deserve A, or B+ grade in INDS 430A, because although, I have gotten mostly B's on my weekly blog postings,  I have never missed a class, I come on time every single time (sometimes early) and I have kept in constant contact with you with questions about assignments, and to make sure that I am up to speed with what was expected of you in the class ( especially during the first few months of our transition into the requirements of the class). I ask questions, and am engaged when we have had guest speakers I take notes in class, and am applying social skills and concepts to my daily life, and have been making connections because of them.  

 I attended extra credit lectures not just for the possible grade I could receive but to really get to know more about what it means to be an entrepreneur, not to mention working diligently to be ready for our presentations that we did last week. 

I believe that an A or B+ grade will signify that I have been a well rounded and balanced student that has put forth effort to really try, and learn from this class. 

Blog Links: 

These links signify my effort in achieving a decent grade in this class: 

Financing Sources Assignmentt

Blog Traffic Assignment

10 Social Interactions Assignment

Be a Leader Assignment

Marketing Budget

More Interactions

Berry Gordy Essay

Extra Credit Lecture Assignment

Marketing Budget

Method	Month 1	Month 2	Month 3	Month 4	Month 5	Month 6	Month 7	Month 8	Month 9	Month 10	Month 11	Month 12
Website	$ 100	$ 100	$ 100	$ 100	$ 100	$ 100	$ 100	$ 100	$ 100	$ 100	$ 100
Word of Mouth	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Flyers	60	60	60	60	60	60	60	60	60	60	60	60
Online Catalogue	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Paper Catalogue	$ 150	$ 150	$ 150	$ 150	$ 150	$ 150	$ 150	$ 150	$ 150	$ 150	$ 150	$ 150

Revised Enterprise Value

Enterprise Values	Apple	Google	Microsoft	Starbucks	Under Armour
IPO Price	$22.00	$85.00	$22.00	$16.50	$13.00
No. Shares issued in IPO	$4,600,00	$ 19,605,052	$ 3,095,000	$ 34,650,000	$ 145,488,000
IPO Enterperise Values	$ 101,200,000	$ 1,666,429, 420	$ 68,090,000	$ 209, 826, 128	$ 157, 612
Name of Founder	Steve Jobs	Larry Page	Bill Gates	Howard Shultz	Kevin Plank
Age at Start-Up	24	25	19	30	25
Age at IPO	25	31	30	38	30

Revised 12 Month Budget

Rent	Month 1	Month 2	Month 3	Month 4	Month 5	Month 6	Month 7	Month 8	Month 9	Month 10	Month 11	Month 12
Utilities	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000
Basic Office Supplies	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000
Hardware Supplies	500	500	500	500	500	500	500	500	500	500	500	500
Art Supplies	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000
Website	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000
Marketing Tools	310	310	310	310	310	310	310	310	310	310	310	310
Media and Technology Tools/ Software	1500	0	0	0	0	1000	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total Exspense	$ 7, 310	$ 5, 810	$5, 810	$ 5, 810	$ 5, 810	$ 6, 810	$ 5, 810	$ 5, 810	$ 5, 810	$ 5, 810	$ 5, 810	$ 5, 810
Revenues
# of works Sold @ 50 % commission	(4) $4,000	(4) 4,000	(4) 4,000	(4) 4,000	(4) 4,000	(4) 4,000	(4) 4,000	(4) 4,000	(4) 4,000	(4) 4,000	(4) 4,000	(4) 4,000
Consulting Services @ $300 per hour	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000
Total Revenue	$ 18,000	$ 18,000	$ 18,000	$ 18,000	$ 18,000	$ 18,000	$ 18,000	$ 18,000	$ 18,000	$ 18,000	$ 18,000	$ 18, 000

Revised Enterprise Value

.	Enterprise Values		Apple	Google	Microsoft	Starbucks	Under Armour
.	IPO Share Price		22.00	$85	$21	17.00	$13
.	IPO Oustanding Shares		54,215,333	19,605,052	$24,715,113	12,716,735	12,124,000
.	IPO Enterprise Values		1,192,737,326.00	1,666,429,420	$519,017,373.00	209,826,128.00	157,612,000
.
.	Current Share Price		106.00	337	$18.00	11	17
.	Current Outstanding shares		890,553,779	240,289,354	8,890,562,873	63,000,000	36,827,553
.	Current Enterprise Value		90,439,870,057	80,977,512,298	10,600,301,317	693,000,000	626,068,401
.	(all values as of 3/25/09)
.
.	Name of founder		Steve Jobs	Larry Page	Bill Gates	Howard Shultz	Kevin Plank
.	Age at Start-up		24	25	19	30	25
.	Age at IPO		25	31	30	38	30

Be a Leader

The first principle that I exercised was "If you must find fault, this is the way to begin", this is principle 1. I was instructed by a professor to help a fellow student catch up on missed work, and understand why his paper received a D. I was very tactful in addressing his issues, and careful to give honest and open opinions about his work first, but then giving him encouraging compliments so that he wouldn't feel too bad.


The second principle that I used was (in this same situation) was letting him look at one of my papers, and being forward and expressive about my struggle with writing, the teachers instructions, and the revision process. This is principle 3. After talking about my own imperfections with the class, writing, and following instructions due to the teacher direction, he seemed more open and friendly, and worked evenly and encouraging together.

Now because of me using these principles we are going to consistently consult one another to peer review with one another before assignments are due for the remainder of the semester.

Jeannie L. Howe Lecture- Extra Credit Assignment

Guest Speaker:
Jeannie L. Howe
President, BayCliff Associates, Inc
Building on more than 20 years in leadership positions with nonprofit, she worked with an organization that helps people get onto a donor registry for cancer patience (bone marrow), small grassroots organizations, legislative for the city of Baltimore, state wide advocacy, and became a board member of Everyman Theater and is currently operating her own business.

Jeannie, started out her lecture with discussing what the definition of an entrepreneur is. An entrepreneur is a risk taking business person, according to a dictionary definition she ran across. An adapt definition according to Jeannie, especially when it comes to the non-profit sector.

Developing relationships in the non-profit sector is the key to success. Although sometimes these relationships don't amount to anything, in the immediate sense, the contacts and the relationships usually come back to mean something for the organization.

She went on, for a little while discussing how talking to powerful people about important issues and really mustering up their emotions is necessary in a cause based, non-profit business. Finding people that really care about the mission, and the purpose of the non-profit, to understand the importance of the organization in a business aspect.

Pulling people into relationships with the non-profit, by exercising care, and responsiveness with these organizations. Having important people affected by issues be a spokes person for a cause, and an organization.

She discussed how even in the nonprofit organization that is nessicary to take risks for the good of the buisness, that ambition is needed to get things done and to make the money nessicary to keep these nessicary organizations functioning.

Being versatile, and being a flexible buisness woman is one of the major concepts that I am taking out of this lecture. Having an undergraduate degree in Theather to going long and strong in a non-profit buisness career and a freelance consultant, is definitely a way that she substains herself. She finds pleasure in being a non-profit- Jack of All Trades so to speak. The flexibility, and some of the blind risk needed to take to be successful is something that I hope to be more comfortable with the idea of and very willing to let the adventure of life take me for a ride.

Although Jeannie's life now, seems very glamarous as far as her getting to make a living doing what she loves, is only because she allowed herself to seize oppurtunities, she took time to find her niche, and she took smart risks without pressuring herself into success and goals.

An adirmable work ethic, that I am highly coveting.

Something else that, I got out of this lecture was the idea of making a buisness based solely on your skills, being a consultant to other people who need your specific expertise and services. This for me is an interesting concept, it almost has me interested in changing my buisness plan for the class!

Financing Sources

1.

The first financing source is a fiscal sponsorship source called, Fusion Group located in Baltimore M.D. A fiscal sponser "is one entity accepting and managing funds for another. The fiscal sponsor commits to supporting the charitable activities of individuals or groups by extending its tax-exempt status, thus enabling donors to make tax-exempt contributions to support their work. The fiscal sponsor accepts financial and legal LIABILITY for the charitable work being done by the group or individuals".

Fusion Group works with Maryland individuals who have missions alligned with there missions, they also manage and organize grants for projects under their umbrella.

Fusion Group:
Fusion Partnerships, Inc.
Contact:

Polly Lbezold, Managing Partners,Executive Director

Lbezold@fusiongroup.org

Mailing Address:
1601 Guilford Ave
2 South
Baltimore, MD 21202

Street Address:
302 E. Federal, 2nd Floor. Doorbell # 5
Baltimore, MD 21202
ph: 410-889-4700
fax: 410-889-4701

www.fusiongroup.org


2. The second financing source is Creative Alliance, located in Baltimore that works with other organizations and nonprofits to help artists, and art praticioners get money to fund their endeavors.


Luisa Bieri de Rios
Open Society Institute Fellow, Outreach Coordinator
x 209
luisa@creativealliance.org


Creative Alliance at The Patterson
3134 Eastern Avenue
Baltimore Maryland 21224

Phone: 410-276-1651
Fax: 410-276-3206

Enterprise Value

Here is last weeks enterprise value, the link wouldn't come up before, so I'm reposted it.


Enterprise Value

12 Month Budget

This is the Revised 12 Month Budget Assignment:


Revised 12 Month Budget

Interactions

The secret of socrates, is to ask questions that warrant yes answers from the person that you are in dialogue with. This provides a meaningful social interaction, because it is an easy way to get a person to see your point of view by having then genuinely agree with the questions that you are asking.

I used this method in an interaction with a friend who was leaning towards purchasing something in a store that wasn't flattering on her, and way too expensive. I asked her if she was trying to save money?, i asked her if she wanted me to help her pick out something she said yes, I asked her if she wanted to look around at some other options before she makes a final decision, she said yes, and then after rummaging through some more flattering less expensive items I asked her if she liked my own chooses and she said yes, and brought my suggestions instead of the original selection.

As far as finding someone from the retriever. I still haven't gotten any responses.

10 Social Interactions

Principles Used:

In this seris of interactions the suggested principles to exercise were being honest, not giving criticism, remembering the person's name, making the other person feel important, and smiling and being open. These were the ones that I used in my interactions, along with others in the texted not mentioned above.


Interaction 1:

I met a young lady in my Interpersonal Communication class, using the above mentioned items, discussing with her interest in editing papers, and also listening eagerly about her views and opinons of the class she is now willing to edit all my reading responses before we hand them as, as I sometimes struggle with that part of writing.


Interaction 2:

A nice young lady I met at whole foods, I complemented her on a Blouse she had, asked her her name and was open nice and interested in her fashion tastes. She proceeded to give me her employee discount on my purchases.


Interaction 3:
I was doing a photography assignment, I got into a converstation with a guy standing around we talked about the buisnesses in this section of Philadelphia, I found out he was in the mural I was taking a picture of and got him in the picture for my class.


Interaction 4:
I went for a job interview at Home Depo, I asked the assistant about herself and her life and found out she was a UMBC graduate. She seems very happy to talk about her life, and her job(s) and all the little stuff inbetween. I listened intently and asked questions. I also got the job!

Interaction 5:
I spoke very openly and nicely to a relative of a friend, Londa. This is someone who I have seen often, but never really got into a converstation about. I found out it was her birthday and told her happy birthday, asked her about what she did, and she spoke very openly and warmly about her job, her husband, and everything else inbetween. She was shocked I spoke to her in the manner which I did (detailed and intimately), but seemed to enjoy the amount of attention I was paying to her.


Interaction 6:

I met a lady who is the director for Fiscal Sponsership in Baltimore City for Community Projects. I asked her her name, her job title, and 1,000 questions about Fiscal Sponsership and her job. She seemed to be really eager fro me to ask quesitons, almost inviting, at the end of the converstation which was honest, open, and warm I got some really good information and a contact number and email address.

Interaction 7:

This interaction occured with a roommate who was having some issues with me and wasn't being very communicative. I came to her spoke very nicely, used her name, and a tone that was consoling and reassuring. I also attempted to find a common ground between the issues between us, by hearing her out and geuinely understanding her position and her concerns, she seemed to me alot more comfortable with what was worry her, and also took responsibility for her own contribution to the concerns. The result is a more harmonious living sitution for the both of us.


Interaction 8:

I met this lady from PETA, who was really passionate and eager to get me to donate to PETA. Although, I am not an animal activist I heard her out took into deep consideration her case and position, answered really good and challenging questions (i think), that I believed she answered well. Although, I didn't agree with everything she said I donated (2.00$) and she was very happy to get a donation from me and answer all of my questions.





Interaction 9:

I was at the tmobile store, and this lady elderly lady named Shiela was really frustrated with her cellphone. The store was crowded and she kept complaining about she was going to be late for work, but nobody was helping her. I asked her her name, asked her if I could see her phone and try to help her (I had that same phone at one point). I showed her how to use the function in her phone she need clarity on and she was able to leave the store and hopefully make it to work on time. During the course of the converstation, I listened intent about how she talked about her job, and her 4 grandkids that put the money together to get her a phone that was too hightech.



Interaction 10:

I spoke to a gallery owner in Philadelphia that I called to see if I could get some local collaboration for some projects I am working on. She was really open, telling me about her buisness and the hardships of selling art in the current economy. I got some really good information, and she also told me about some studio space tht were for rent, and some commerical spaces that were from rent that she thought I might be interested in.

Blog Traffic

With the new twitter phenomenon, I thought it would be interesting to include a twitter link in my blog page, and my blog in my twitter page. This way as I updated new information, I can tweet it and then followers of both my blog and my twitter page will know when I am updating.

- twitter page

My twitter

Interactions

Here is the summary of the interactions that took place this past week:

The people that I choose were, two different bosses of mine, my boyfriends mother, my sister-in-law, and this guy that I met who owned a "tea store".


Both of my bosses were seemly interested in the fact that I was talking to them about their personal lives and outside the realm of buisness. They were very friendly and opened up faily quickly and easy, it felt a little awkward though because I worked with them in a professional sense, and with one of my bosses she started disclosing some really delicate personal information about herself, and ended up crying about it in front of me, but it was a good experience because now I know that her and I have built a certian level of trust.


The exstended family memebrs interaction wasn't as successful because I'm very open and talk to them that way anyway. There's not really anyone that I know, or am related to that I don't interact with in that way.


The most interesting interaction was my interaction with the "tea guy", I can't pronounce his name (or spell it) to save my life, but I went into the store just to kind of see what it was, it was new and I had never recognized it before. When I went in the guy was kind of closed up, but when i asked him his name (smiled), and started inquiring about his buisness, he began to run down the whole history of tea (i didn't know tea had that large of a history) and discussed with me the specific variations of tea such as white tea, green tea, black tea, and processed tea, and what it was good for, and what foods go best with it.

I got alot of information, he seemed happy and excited to talk to me, and I also found out some information about his personal life. That he graduated from University of Penn with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, but his passion is for tea. It was kind of strange, but funny and informative.

Revised Whole Product Slide

Revised Slide

Interaction

I went to Chilli's in Philadelphia near my house.

The waitress introduced herself and her name, and I consistantly throughout the night used her name and spoke to her about how she was? what she was doing? 

We got into a converstation about working in hospitality and how she only gets paid like 2 bucks and hour and makes money almost exclusively off of her tips. I guess she needed to vent, anyway, she gave me a free slice of cheesecake, and I gave her a nice tip. 

- Marquita

Enterprise Value

According to what my finds where:

Apple's enterprise value (at IPO) was: $1,202,091,174


Microsoft's enterprise value (at IPO) was $64. 995,000

This indicates that Apple has the greater value at a rate of 1749.52%

Cell Phone Assignment

For the cell phone assignment, I asked my friend Rob ( a known tech geek) what cellphone he had. The last time I saw Rob he had a Blackberry Curve (probably about a year after that was first introduced) Now Rob has an Iphone. His reasons for this recent change is the application variety, and the marriage of a phone with an ipod. He spoke alot about the convience of that. He is very found of apple products in general. In my opinon according to the descriptions in "Crossing the Chasm" Robert would fall into the Early Majority, he's slightly conservative, based on the fact that he waits around for sometime until the product (or company) has worked out an efficent amount of bugs, but he's still up on the latest technology, especially in the research and study aspect of products.

He can tell you just about any and everything about a technological product before it comes out. 

Revised Essay- To be Graded

  To me, the most admirable qualities about being an entrepreneur is the passion that they all seem to possess for their businesses. Not so much for “business”, but for the industry in which they’re creating an original method and mechanism to make money and to market their ideas and passions.

Berry Gordy Jr. was born in 1929, to a family of 8. His father was a white farmer and his mother a Georgian slave. Often criticized for his “get rich quick” schemes, Gordy dropped out of the 11th grade in a Detroit City high school with aspirations of becoming a boxer until his plans were put on hold by the draft in 1950.

In 1953 when Gordy returned, still using his entrepreneurial instincts to devise a way to make money, Gordy opened his own music store. Unfortunately, this small record business was unsuccessful and he ended up working a manual job at a Lincoln-Mercury plant. Soon after he was put in touch with an owner of a local bar and talent club where he met famous singer Jackie Wilson.

This began Gordy’s career in the music industry, and in 1957 Gordy helped Jackie Wilson co-write over 6 songs most of which topped the R and B charts nation wide and in the U.K. After the success with Wilson, Gordy redirected his interests in music from songwriting to producing. He went through a series of RandB groups his first being The Miracles in 1957. Only two years later he took 800 dollars and founded an R&B label called Tamia Records which housed artists such as Marv Johnson. Soon after United Artist Records picked up some of his artists for national distribution.

Only 12 months later Berry Gory created the famous record labeled known around the world as Motown, this included artists such as The Marvalettes, Smokey Robinson, Mary Wells, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight and The Pips, The Commodores, The Velvelletes, Martha & the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5.

What set Berry Gordy’s company apart from other producing companies is Berry Gordy’s attention to bringing his music and his artists to an international appreciation. In a Jim-Crow time period, Berry Gordy seemed to feel like it would limit his success to only promote his artist’s to a black audience, instead he was able to get many of his artists featured on White popular television, and at upscale white music clubs like The Tropicana.

Gordy made this possible through marketing. He marketed his artists to the interests and the taste of a broader audience. This often raised a lot of controversy in regards to what he was willing to “change” about his artists in order to reach a larger market in his music company. Changes that were made reflected the ideals and opinions of order, conservativeness, and beauty of the white audience that Gordy was trying to reach. Despite the criticism Gordy’s interest in a larger market and dedication to converting the skeptics, was indeed the major root of his success in that era.

In the 70s and 80s Gordy added to his list of artists Rick James, and Lionel Richie. He eventually sold his interests and the name in June 28, 1988 for 61 million dollars, including his publishing agency and movie department. A man like Berry Gordy has to be admired. He had the tenacity that was un-relinquishing. He would not stand for familiar, being uneducated, being poor and being black did not have any hold or constraint on the multitude of achievements he was able to accomplish.

He accomplished so much, that the world recognized it ant in 1998 he was inducted into the junior achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame for all his successful music endeavors. With 800 dollars and a passions for music Berry Gordy transcended into a level of professionalism and business savvy that made black music a vast contribution to popular color. He helped cross race and economic barriers in a Jim Crow United States through the universal language of music, and he expanded his company to include other aspects that appealed to the times. To even further fortify what made Berry an ideal businessman he knew when it was time to give his company up, and invest himself in his time when he sold Motown in 1988.

The reason why Berry Gordy is my favorite entrepreneur is because he took art and marketed it to people in a positive way. It still makes my parents (who are 69 and 70) to take out an old Motown Record and put it on their ancient turntable. Modern musicians are still using Motown Records for samples and inspiration for new songs. People still remember how clubs, and parties use to be segregated and the not too soon after that they were dancing to the Temptations next to people of difference races and enjoying life together.

Music does this. Art does this. Art crosses boundaries and Berry Gordy was able to make all that possible. The true entrepreneur in my opinion doesn’t just make money off an idea, but he helps people and makes a cultural and social impact. Gordy made sure that his entrepreneurial contributions will out live him, and made sure that what he did in the music industry changed the face (and the radios) of an entire nation.



Sources:

Wikipedia contributors, "Berry Gordy," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Berry_Gordy&oldid=267894090 (accessed February 2, 2009).

http://www.history-of-rock.com/motown_records.htm

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/239162/Berry-Gordy-Jr

Standing on Top, ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh, oooh

Standing on the top, top
On the top getting down, down, down, down
Standing on the top (Sing)
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (Well, well, well, well, well, well)

Standing on the top (Well)

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (Standing on the top getting down)
Can you understand it what I'm talkin' about
When I say that funk is here to stay [We understand it]
Can you understand it what I'm talkin' about
That funk is here to stay, oh [We understand it]
If you understand it say, "Yeah" {Yeah...yeah...}
"Standing on the Top, The Temptations"

♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪
     To me, the most admirable qualities about an entrepreneur are the passion that they have for their businesses. Not so much for “business”, but for the industry in which they’re creating an original method and mechanism to make money, and to market they’re ideas and passions.

      Berry Gordy Jr. was born in 1929, to a family of 8. His father was a white farmer and his mother a Georgian slave. Often critized for his “get rich quick” schemes, Gordy dropped out of the 11th grade in a Detroit City high school with aspirations of becoming a boxer until his plans were put on hold by the draft in 1950. 

     In 1953 when Gordy returned, still using his entrepreneurial instincts to devise a way to make money Gordy opened his own music store, as his budding interest in music sparked. Unfortunately this small record business was unsuccessful and he ended up working a manual job at a Lincoln-Mercury plant, until he was put in touch with an owner of a local bar and talent club where he met famous singer Jackie Wilson. 

     This began Gordy’s career in the music industry, and in 1957 Gordy helped Jackie Wilson co-write over 6 songs most of which topped the R&B charts nation wide and in the U.K. After the success with Wilson, Gordy redirected his interests in music from songwriting to producing, he went through a series of R&B groups his first being The Miracles in 1957, and only two years later he took 800 dollars and founded an R&B label called Tamia Records which housed artists such as Marv Johnson. Soon after united Artist Records picked up some of his artists for national distribution.

      Only 12 months later Berry Gory created the famous record labeled known around the world as Motown, this included artists such as The Marvalettes, Smokey Robinson, Mary Wells, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight and The Pips, The Commodores, The Velvelletes, Martha & the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5. 

     After the Detroit riots Gordy moved his Motown Office location from Detroit to Los Angeles, California and reorganized his company to include other sources of entertainment such as movies, television, and publishing. Some of the movies in which Gordy and Motown are known for are Lady Sings the Blues staring Diana Ross, Richard Pryor, and Billy Dee Williams, Mahogany, and The Last Dragon. 

     In the 70s and 80s Gordy added to his list of artists Rick James, and Lionel Richie. He eventually sold his interests and the name in June 28, 1988 for 61 million dollars, including his publishing agency and movie department. A man like Berry Gordy has to be admired. He had the tenacity that was unrelinquishing. He would not stand for familiar, being uneducated, being poor and being black did not have any hold or constraint on the multitude of achievements he was able to accomplish.

      He accomplished so much, that the world recognized it ant in 1998 he was inducted into the junior achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame for all his successful music endeavors. With 800 dollars and a passions for music Berry Gordy transcended into a level of professionalism and business savvy that made black music a vast contribution to popular color. He helped cross race and economic barriers in a Jim Crow United States through the universal language of music, and he expanded his company to include other aspects that appealed to the times. To even further fortify what made Berry an ideal businessman he knew when it was time to give his company up, and invest himself in his time when he sold Motown in 1988. 

     The reason why Berry Gordy is my favorite entrepreneur is because he took art and marketed it to people in a positive way. It still makes my parents (who are 69 and 70) to take out an old Motown Record and put it on their ancient turntable. Modern musicians are still using Motown Records for samples and inspiration for new songs. People still remember how clubs, and parties use to be segregated and the not too soon after that they were dancing to the Temptations next to people of difference races and enjoying life together. Music does this. Art does this, art crosses boundaries and Berry Gordy was able to make all that possible. The true entrepreneur in my opinion doesn’t just make money off an idea, but he helps people and makes a cultural and social impact. Berry Gordy’s entrepreneurial contributions will out live him.

Wikipedia contributors, "Berry Gordy," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Berry_Gordy&oldid=267894090 (accessed February 2, 2009).

Temptations, The Lyrics,"Temptations, The Standing On The Top lyrics",http://www.lyricstime.com/temptations-the-standing-on-the-top-lyrics.html.