For Blake Dubinski, it began with a flying duck logo. In 2014, biology professor Brice Noonan showed his logo creation to Dubinski, then an MBA student. After the two brainstormed business ideas, that duck landed on some polo shirts and in 2016 a new company took off—GenTeal, an apparel line now with distribution in 130 specialty retail stores in 19 states and with a strong online presence.
Which brings us to today. With a growing business, and an accumulation of expertise, Dubinski is nurturing a new crop of aspiring entrepreneurs at The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at Ole Miss where he is entrepreneur-in-residence and an adjunct instructor.
“In my opinion, there is no greater mental challenge than growing a business from the ground up,” said Dubinski. “I can make a difference in helping with those early growing pains,” he said about the classes he teaches.
“Because of the phenomenal network the university and, in particular, the business school has to offer, I invite guest speakers to share their experiences,” he said. “Connecting the examples and fundamentals I provide in class with the guest speaker’s personal experiences is where the dots connect; you see the light-bulb go off for the students, which is ultimately the most rewarding part of this role.”
Got a great idea for building a business from the ground up? Just talk to Blake. He’s here to help.