LIM College's Center for Graduate Studies offers more than executive training needed to succeed in the fashion industry. Here at LIM College, students are given the opportunity to go beyond their textbooks. On Thursday April 10, 2014, David Freschman, a professor at LIM College and CEO of Fashinvest, invited his Investing in New Ventures MBA class to a digital media & entertainment investing conference in New York City. Students who attended were able to see firsthand what venture capitalists and investors do to find promising small businesses.
“Attending events such as the Fundingpost one, gave me a firsthand experience with expert individuals from the industry. Listening to the VC's speak was very influential and a once in a lifetime learning experience as an MBA student at LIM College. I will be able take what I learned with me in my future endeavors.” – Keri Murphy, Current MBA Student
left to right: Keri Murphy, MBA Student, Cristina Munoz, MBA Student, David Freschman, CEO of FashInvest, Theodora Papamihalakis, MBA Student
The event consisted of three panel discussions with expert investors. The first panel discussed early stage investing and how to meet investors, pitch to them and the details of what it takes to get them to actually invest. The second panel discussed how to grow media and entertainment businesses. They went into great detail about how to protect, sell and partner up for future growth. The last panel talked about the newest investing trend called crowd funding and how businesses can use it to their advantage. David Freschman, moderator of the last panel discussion, spoke briefly about exit strategies and personal experiences with companies.
Exhibiting companies gave live elevator pitches in person to the panel of investors during the event. Before and after each panel there was time for networking with the panel of investors where insights and advice were exchanged.
“Education is all encompassing. It’s not about textbooks, smart boards, or classrooms only. In today's competitive world it's about real life experiences that translate into real life knowledge. Having my students see the real world and meeting the industry influencers is what sets the LIM College MBA apart from other programs.” –David Freschman