Ranked in Top 5 Nationally – Saunders Provides a Foundation for Company Founders

Saunders College of Business ranks #5 in the nation according to Bloomberg Businessweek’s study on colleges with the highest percentage of alumni who have started their own businesses.

Students and alumni cite the “mixture of technology and business,” “knowledge of professors and real-life experience shared in each course,” and “technology and analytics focus” as the best features of the Saunders MBA program.

“It is great to be recognized among the best business schools in the United States by Bloomberg Businessweek,” said Dean Jacqueline Mozrall. “We are proud of our alumni that have been demonstrating their entrepreneurial abilities around the globe, and see their successes in starting their own businesses.”

Entrepreneurial ventures are supported by the top-ranked Albert J Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which is a University-level center attracting students from a wide array of backgrounds, including engineering, design, computing, business, and the arts. The Simone Center provides student programming that supports business ideas from the beginning stages of idea creation to commercialization.

Resources for Saunders students to receive assistance in developing their business plans include The Construct makerspace, used for rapid prototyping, Saunders Student Accelerator, and mentoring by experienced coaches. Other programming such as IdeaLab, Innovator’s Hour, and Tiger Tank also motivate students to develop their ideas.

Recent businesses emerging from Saunders College of Business include the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF) founded by RIT graduate Tyler Schrodt and OWA Haircare founded by graduate Kailey Bradt. EGF is a successful platform for competitive high school and college esports, and recently signed a deal with the Disney corporation. OWA Haircare is taking off as a high-tech, sustainable beauty business.

Supported by a strong foundation in relevant coursework and entrepreneurial programming, Saunders graduates continue to be inspired by serial entrepreneur E. Philip Saunders – founder of many companies including Travel Centers of America, Genesee Regional Bank, and Sugar Creek Farms – and they are following in his footsteps and making him proud.