Women in Business club tackles new fundraising strategy

It was a change of dress for junior business major and self titled goal-setter Lindsay Edwards.

Edwards is wearing a t-shirt, directing traffic at Memorial Stadium, just before the Akron football game.

She wasn’t getting paid, she said, and her work was a far cry from her usual business networking activities.

This year, the Kelley School of Business Women In Business club is working the parking lots at IU football games.

This kind of work might not be what one would expect out of a club that promotes making its members “the best of the best.”

But Edwards, the group’s vice president of communications, said she believe this temporary gig shows the group’s dedication and perseverance because for the first time ever, they had to reconstruct the way they raise funds.

“We used to work ‘the bagel stand’ in the Kelley School,” Edwards said. “It sold bagels, coffee, cookies, muffins and that kind of thing. But with the renovations going on here and the future cafe in the SPEA library, we’re no longer allowed to have it.”

The loss of the stand, Edwards said, was a detrimental loss to WIB’s revenue and image.

The club, she said, serves to guide its members through education and job search, teach them to utilize their skills in business world and build their female confidence and ability.

“We used to raise a significant amount of money through operating The Stand and were able to help other Kelley clubs earn money as well,” said senior Erin Duffy, vice president of finance. “But beyond the monetary impact, it was great for WIB’s image to have a business operating in Kelley.”

The revenue the bagel stand previously generated, paired with corporate sponsorship, is what keeps the group afloat.  

“It’s not just a sign your name on the list club,” Edwards said. “It is structured like a company, so all 76 girls have an important role.”

The group puts on a number of programs for the professional and personal development and also serves IU. Early next semester, they will be having both a business conference and leadership symposium that are open to all students.

Because they have these goals, the group has not let the closure of the bagel stand slow them down.

“Our Business Ventures Committee is currently working on new ways to raise funds to replace those lost by The Stand’s closing,” Duffy said.

“We would like to find a project that allows us to involve the local community. With time, I am sure we will be able to come up with something just as profitable as the bagel stand.”

Meanwhile, the executives said the job at Memorial Stadium parking lots is teaching these high-achieving women a few valuable lessons that are in line with everything their club represents.

“There are people of all kinds out there doing the parking,” Edwards said. “It made me think about what I have. It made me appreciate the fact that I’m able to go to college.”