Entrepreneurship in Italy
Ohio Wesleyan's Corns Scholars Explore How Businesses are Built in Sicily
Name: Kara Cannon '25
Hometown: Reynoldsburg, Ohio
High School: Reynoldsburg Encore Academy
Majors: Business Administration (Marketing Concentration) and Fine Arts
Name: Kevin Fratz '25
Hometown: Akron, Ohio
High School: Cuyahoga Falls High School
Major: Finance
Minor: Economics
OWU Connection Experience: Seniors in the Corns Business and Entrepreneurial Scholars Program traveled to Italy for a week to complete a project titled "Exploring Entrepreneurial Endeavors in Catania, Sicily." Their project was supported financially by a Theory-to-Practice Grant and by The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship.
According to their grant proposal: "Our objective is to learn about entrepreneurship and its characteristics in Catania, the economic hub of Sicily with a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. This project will allow us to explore a new economic environment, meet with various entrepreneurs, and discuss business challenges and solutions while comparing practices to those in the U.S."
Along with Cannon and Fratz, the Corns Scholars who participated in the research included Giorgi Bediashvili '25 of Tbilisi, Georgia; Kathy Habian '25 of Medina, Ohio; Katie Lucas '24 of New Bremen, Ohio; Cooper Meek '25 of Van Nuys, California; Jenna Norman '25 of Wilmington, Ohio; and Bavneet Singh '24 to New Delhi, Delhi, India.
They traveled for a week during fall semester with Destiny Coleman, director of The Woltemade Center, and
[I]t's important to understand how entrepreneurship is evolving on an international scale.
Why This Experience?
Cannon: "We chose this OWU Connection experience because it's important to understand how entrepreneurship is evolving on an international scale. We value diverse perspectives and landscapes so we wanted to experience something new."
Fratz: "This was the second OWU Connection experience I took advantage of, the first being a semester abroad in Barcelona. I really wanted to get one last chance to go abroad and learn as much as I can about different people and cultures, and when the Corns program brought this to my attention, I instantly wanted to be involved."
Favorite Moments
Cannon: "My favorite moment was experiencing Etna Urban Winery. It was really inspiring seeing how a family business came together with the support of their community."
Fratz: "My favorite moment was during one of our lectures with Isola. They brought in a professor and master's students from the University of Catania, and we got to learn and collaborate together on an assignment. I really enjoyed earning from a different perspective and talking with the students about what their plans were after graduating." (Isola supports innovation and entrepreneurship in Catania with co-working spaces and opportunities for training and discussion that experiment with new ways of working, stimulate creativity, and boost expertise.)
Lessons Learned
Cannon: "I learned how important entrepreneurship is in changing an environment. In all of my entrepreneurship classes, we learn about how entrepreneurship uplifts the communities around it, providing not just economic growth, societal growth and connection as well. … [W]e hope to inspire more scholars to pursue more endeavors just like this."
Fratz: "I found many common themes from our economics lectures to the topics we discussed in Sicily, talking about their current economic climate. It was interesting to see how even with good research institutions (University of Catania), the number of jobs available for the graduates in southern Italy just isn't there, so they are forced to emigrate or move up north to Milan for higher-skilled jobs. Most of the jobs in the south are farming or other agricultural jobs."
Campus Involvements
Cannon: "I am a part of the Black Student Union at Ohio Wesleyan."
Fratz: "Currently I am treasurer of Phi Gamma Delta." Fratz also is a Woltemade Economics and Business Fellow and an Accounting and Finance Fellow through The Woltemade Center.
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
Cannon: "I chose to attend Ohio Wesleyan because of the academic flexibility and well-rounded education it provides. … I was undecided when I began classes at Ohio Wesleyan University. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to do something creative. Eventually I settled on Marketing and Fine Arts."
Fratz: "I chose OWU because of the smaller class size, which makes it feel more personal and community-like with my peers and professors. I also like the historic town of Delaware and its proximity to Columbus."
Plans After Graduation
Cannon: "My post-grad plans are to work full-time and relocate to the East Coast. OWU is helping me prepare for these goals by helping me experience real-world career connections, and allowing me to travel while in college."
Fratz: "After graduation, I will be moving to San Diego, California, to work for Calpine Energy Solutions as a renewable energy analyst."