Students at DePaul University’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center who are taking the course Introduction to Entrepreneurship delivered their final business plan presentations to professional mentor judges, Ben Cole, Randi Binstock, John Dilenschneider and our founder, Kellee Johnson.
The students recently developed ideas for building new ventures to solve market problems. Demonstrated in a business plan were revenue channels and business models to pitch potential investors. Five student teams presented their business ideas with an understanding of the importance of innovation driven by demand.
Kellee shared the focus of Ballast Group to establish important ways for leaders to articulate their stories to their most important audiences in the channels that matter. Beginning her entrepreneurial journey by starting the firm 18 years ago, she related to their excitement. The boutique firm has evolved into an award-winning, full-service, cloud-based PR and marketing firm serving well-funded healthcare and technology companies located in the US, Israel and the UK. These companies benefit from campaigns initiated with storytelling strategies to attract third parties to help tell their stories with them, to stand out and to inspire.
Several of the student teams’ motivating ideas fixated on food and beverage products and the technology to enhance these industries in a post-pandemic world. Kellee related, having started her career at Tropicana beverages and later running influencer campaigns for Safeway grocery and Peapod, America’s first online grocer.
Kellee’s involvement with DePaul began as an adjunct professor in 2015 and grew into guest lecturing, mentoring, and judging competitions like this one that align with her passion for higher education, leadership, curiosity and connecting the dots – all traits of successful entrepreneurs.
Follow Ballast Group
 |  |
Follow our founder
| |
