This past Spring, as part of my Entrepreneurship class, I invited several guest speakers (mostly small business owners) to share their experiences, wit, and wisdom with my students. In all, we had eight incredible speakers across 16 exciting weeks. One morning in particular, our guest asked the class, “How many of you have worked in foodservice to make a little money?” Not a single hand went up. Zero. Zip. No one. Of my thirty-three students, none of them had ever worked in a restaurant or convenience store establishment. We had to pause in that moment to explore why – and what the consequences of that reality might be. Unexpectedly enlightening, it may have been one of the most telling moments I have experienced in two years as a university professor.

READ MORE