Scholarship Criteria:
- Entering junior year in the fall 2011 semester
- 55 earned credit hours minimum
- Completed or enrolled in 1 ENT course
- Must file FAFSA to determine financial need
- Preference given to Michigan residents
- 2.5 minimum GPA and satisfactory academic progress
- Submit an essay (750 words max) addressing your interest in entrepreneurship
- Application due July 15, 2011
- Download the Application!
The 2009 Grand Valley State University Robert H. and Barbara Wood Scholarship for entrepreneurship was awarded to Isoke Karamoko, for her essay, entitled "The Grand Entrepreneur."
For more information or to apply for the Robert H. and Barbara Wood Scholarship, e-mail cei@gvsu.edu.
The Grand Entrepreneur
Opportunity, risk, venture, achievement, passion, and initiative are things associated with Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs are growth oriented individuals who utilize resources, creativity, competitive personalities, flexibility, and innovative minds to contribute newfangled ideas to the constantly changing world. An entrepreneur that I find most interesting is Madame CJ Walker. She was a business woman who successfully built an empire developing hair products for African American women. She stands as America’s first self-made female millionaire. Her most inspirational quote, “…I promoted my own factory on my own ground.” Another important entrepreneur is Margo Davidson. She is the creator and CEO of the renowned African American Female Entrepreneurs Alliance, a non profit organization (NPO) whose vision is to expand the profitability examples of innovators; their passion and creativity has help to pave the way for young entrepreneurs such as myself.
My name is Isoke M. Karamoko I was born in Detroit, MI to a mother who used her educational stature and innovative ways to extract entrepreneurial success. With these tactics, she’s built lucrative businesses that serve as assets to the community. Her accomplishments as an entrepreneur have influenced my life greatly and have encouraged me to follow in her footsteps.
My interest in entrepreneurship began previous to my collegiate experience. Extracurricular activities in high school, such as the Detroit Entrepreneurship Institutes, Young CEO’s and Investors Program have allowed me to develop my skills. I am the founder of Ekosi UniqueExpressions; an out-of-home hairstyling service that I created at the age of 13. In high school I decided to use my skills to make extra money. With such early success I knew that my chance to get involved with the business world would broaden once I matriculated to GVSU; I chose to major in Business Administration and Marketing with a focus in Entrepreneurship.
For the Entrepreneurship minor I chose to leverage my interest in hairstyling. My idea for a hair salon has since evolved and will now service the students of GVSU as their number one beauty outlet. Within five years I will branch out across the world and service multiple universities who lack beauty services.
To gain hands-on experience in the business world I have taken the initiative to seek multiple Business and Marketing internships. With my heart in business/entrepreneurship I am also interested in building a NPO that assists young men and women whose pursuit is to own their own business. I hope to equip them with cutting edge skills and tricks of the trade to ensure their success in all of their business endeavors. I will be highly involved in many business ventures and once I’ve gained my ultimate success. I’d like to strengthen my philanthropic efforts and share my knowledge with whoever shares my interest. I’d like to be able to offer aspiring business student internships in the businesses that I own. I believe that giving back is very important, and I also believe it is imperative that when the day comes for me to carry out these tasks to be very successful in every possible manor, and carry on as an elite businesswoman.
A Glimpse of the future (2020)…
Up and Coming Mag had the privilege of interviewing Isoke M. Karamoko, the CEO of Masani Small Business Assistance and the President of the most successful chain of university focused beauty salons, Ekosi UniqueExpressions. Here’s a summarization of the great things she’s accomplished in her thirty-two years of life:
Isoke began her work at the early age of 13, styling hair for small amounts of money. After taking very helpful classes in college with her inspirational teacher, Dr. Paul Lane, she knew that success wasn’t too far away. Through higher education Isoke obtained a B.A in Business and Marketing and Entrepreneurship from Grand Valley State University and MBA from Georgia Tech University her reign began. She opened the first of her many beauty salons and found Business-Like Architectural Design. She later opened the second addition to her chain of hair salons for the University of Miami. As the years passed Isoke’s business endeavors grew, her chain of hair salons were know open to 12 major universities. Due to her domination in the beauty servicing industry, her new passion was in helping those with interest in Entrepreneurship, thus she created a NPO whose main focus is to help young man and woman with small business interest. She has major plans for the future, including opening other servicing businesses around the world.
Download the 2011 Application!
Page last modified June 13, 2011
