Brewing Up Business

Bauer alumnus Derek Shaw owns The Nook Café, located across the street from Bauer, where he earned his MBA in 2012.

“It is nearly impossible -- and nowhere near as fun -- to succeed in business alone. Partnerships, friendships, networks and connections with fellow Bauer alumni have been the biggest blessing in my professional career.”

Read the full story in Inside Bauer Magazine (PDF)

Style Lines

Bauer Alumnus Connects Business to Men's Fashion

Bauer alumnus Fola Lawson earned a master’s degree in accounting. While working full-time as a CPA, Lawson found his passion in menswear and started his own style blog called Southern Gents with partners Tunde Lawal, Olu Lawson and Stephen Mosby.

Working to communicate a “new school vintage aesthetic,” Lawson introduced the blog alongside a series of young professional mixers and community outreach events. After only one year, Southern Gents opened its first online retail store and fills the gap in the market with affordable, quality men’s accessories.

“My time at Bauer helped me to understand beyond what I’m passionate about as a person and being able to make that work in real life,” Lawson said. “Those are the important things that make or break a business.”

Read the full story in Inside Bauer Magazine (PDF)

Not Afraid To Dive Right In

Executive MBA Alumnus’ Offshore Construction Company Rides Fast Wave of Success.

“While my fellow classmates were graduating,
I was offshore on my first project.”

When a business opportunity presents itself, Texans like to dive right in. We’re a state of movers and shakers, and we won’t settle for anything less than our best.

Take Bauer EMBA alumnus Trevor Davis. With just $10,000 cash, a couple of credit cards, a Ford F-150 pickup and the experiences gained from working in the commercial diving and construction industries, Davis started his own company, Hydra Offshore Construction, while finishing his EMBA at Bauer. Within three months of graduation, Hydra Offshore Construction became a multi-million dollar company and is currently growing at a rate of 40 percent per year. Davis is a prime example of our alumni who have become a successful CEO thanks to our EMBA program rooted in business leadership.

Read the full story in Inside Bauer Magazine (PDF)

Recipe for Success

Bauer Alum Savors the Fruits of His Labor with 8th Wonder Brewery

“Our time at the University of Houston taught us that community is such an important aspect of having a successful business. Our goal is to be an important part of changing the landscape of Houston and making our city a better place.”

In Texas, we pride ourselves on being game changers, especially when it comes to business.

Take Bauer MBA alumnus and Houston native Ryan Soroka, who is part of the next wave of leaders in the city’s food and beverage industry. He graduated with a dual MBA and MS in Hospitality Management in 2011, using the knowledge gained as a student to launch 8th Wonder Brewery, which sells craft beer with a local point of view. Over the last five years, 8th Wonder has grown from a concept to a profitable business focused on customer service and quality.

Soroka is one example of Bauer alumni who have leveraged the education and connections from our MBA program to build an innovative business, rooted in Houston and in Texas.

Alumni in Action Video: Ryan shares his experience.

It's only Rock and Roll (But I Like It)

Recent Bauer Graduate Pursues Music Industry Career Onstage and Off

“I try to make smart decisions, but I'm not afraid to fail. Learning from those failures is an important part of the journey.”

Alumnus Josh Wilson, who studied marketing at Bauer College and now leads marketing efforts for one of Houston’s most storied concert venues as well as for his own band, Catch Fever.

Alumni in Action Video: Josh Wilson discusses his work.

Taking the MBA to the Extreme

Bauer MBA Takes Passion for Competition and Applies it to Her Studies.

“Bauer has challenged in a lot of my studies. At some point I think, ‘why did I put myself into this,’ but I always answer myself that you have to go through this. You have to struggle now but when you come out of the program, you learn so much.”

Spotlight Video: Yuvarani Loganathan shares her story.

Student Spotlight: Zachary Cousins

Entrepreneurship Alumnus Zachary Cousins Creates First Bottled Vietnamese Iced Coffee Caphin

“If you’re an entrepreneur you have to be a jack of all trades, and the Wolff Center and Bauer has prepared me to know a little bit of everything, and provided me a jumping point if I need to know more about a certain subject.”

Bauer entrepreneurship senior Zachary Cousins, who is using the skills he acquired through the college’s nationally recognized Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship to develop a Vietnamese iced coffee start-up called Caphin.

Spotlight Video: Zachary Cousins shares his story.

Writing a New Chapter

Entrepreneurship Alumna Spreads Literacy in Developing World with Crowdfunding Campaign

“When I’m not working on my business, I’m working on my business. I literally spend most of my time doing something business-related, whether that is researching online, or working on social media. Finding people who do what they love that has something to do with literacy and education is my passion.”

See how Bauer College alumna Jessica Bolaños is using the skills she's acquired through the college's Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship to impact the world.

Spotlight Video: Jessica Bolaños tells her story.

Passion for Fashion

Bauer Alumna Lillie Parks Takes Her Business Idea on the Road

“I firmly believe that what you want to do as a child is what you are meant to do in your adult life.”

Lillie Parks, who studied sales and marketing at Bauer College, took her love of fashion and knowledge of marketplace need and created Park Boutique, offering Houston trendsetters a mobile shopping experience. Our alumni are rethinking traditional business models and blazing a trail for other independent thinkers.

Read the full story in Inside Bauer Magazine (PDF)

Gourmet MBA

MBA Alumnus Edose Ohen Opens Houston’s First 24-Hour Gourmet Doughnut Café.

“I realized there’s a distinct trend for gourmet donut shops. We don’t have that in Houston, and Houston’s the next global city. I wanted to be the first person to do it.”

Edose Ohen, an alumnus of Bauer College’s undergraduate and MBA programs, recently opened Glazed – the doughnut café, Houston’s first 24-hour gourmet doughnut restaurant, fulfilling his vision of bringing the city a better quality pastry handmade from the finest ingredients, alongside world class coffee.

Learn more about the Gourmet MBA (PDF)