Belmont University has established the Jeffrey Buntin Sr. Award for Creative Ventures, an award to be given to students starting a business with a creative arts component.
Established by the Buntin family in Jeffrey Buntin Sr.’s honor, the endowed fund will compound annually and support students from Belmont’s Jack C. Massey College of Business, Watkins College of Art and the O’More College of Architecture and Design.
A release does not note a monetary figure, simply referencing a “sizeable award.” Belmont will begin assisting students via the award in spring 2022.
Jeffrey Buntin Sr. founded The Buntin Group in 1972 after receiving an original loan of $5,000. The Nashville-based company now claims $200 million in capitalized billings. Clients include (or have included) Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Dollar General, HCA, Tractor Supply and Captain D’s.
“When we look across Tennessee, we see countless examples of incredible entrepreneurs who found the intersection between their drive for creativity and an innate business sense,” Sarah Gardial, dean of Massey College of Business, said in the release. “We see this same example in Jeffrey Buntin Sr. We are grateful for the example he and his family set for our students, and we look forward to the ways this fund will serve as a springboard for creative business solutions that can impact our communities in transformative ways.”
The Equity Alliance adds rap mogul Percy Miller to board
Nashville-based The Equity Alliance, a statewide grassroots organization focused on building
independent civic and economic power in communities of color, has named entrepreneur, philanthropist and record executive Percy “Master P” Miller to its board.
As founder and CEO of No Limit Entertainment, the Grammy award-winning hip-hop mogul brings more than 30 years of business experience to the TEA board and will focus on racial equity, social justice and economic advancement, according to a release.
“The inspiring grind-and-hustle story of Percy Miller’s music and business success closely resembles that
of The Equity Alliance’s origin story,” Charlane Oliver, co-founder and co-executive director with Tequila Johnson of The Equity Alliance, said in the release. “We are excited to welcome Percy Miller, who understands the realities of starting a business from the ground up and leveraging his talents to make a positive impact on the Black community.”
Through P. Miller Enterprises, Miller has created numerous products and brands such as Uncle P’s rice, pancake mix and syrup; Icon Noodles and potato chips; LA Great Beverages; Moneyatti clothing and shoes; Master Clean Life household cleaning products;
television shows and movies. In addition, he had a brief stay with NBA franchises Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors.
Of note, Miller — who founded the Team Hope Foundation (servicing at-risk youth and senior citizens) is the father of Hercy Miller, a student and freshman basketball player at Tennessee State University.
The Equity Alliance was founded in November 2016.
Newsweek recognizes MTSU, Vanderbilt
Newsweek magazine has recognized Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech University and Vanderbilt University as the state’s only three educational institutes on its Best Maker Schools in Higher Education 2021.
The universities, community and junior colleges, vocational and trade schools included on the Best Maker Schools in Higher Education list are those with curricula that encourage learning by doing; are supported by educators committed to collaborative problem-solving; have well-developed makerspaces, labs, and studios; and which support diverse, interactive communities that engage in knowledge and skill sharing.
Newsweek partnered with Make, publisher of the Make: magazine and books, to develop the list, which also includes Brown, Princeton, Yale and UCLA in the U.S.; Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Universidad de Lima in Peru; and University of Lagos in Nigeria, among others. The list does not rank the schools.
According to a release, MTSU’s James E. Walker Library’s Makerspace provides students and faculty with access to robotics, electronics, sewing, computers, software, laser etchers, button-making, virtual reality technology and 3D printing, among other resources.
“The Makerspace serves as an innovative hub for interdisciplinary experiential learning with a robust selection of technologies and support,” Walker Library Dean Kathleen Schmand said. “I am thrilled for the staff and faculty of MTSU to be recognized for their critical work in designing and supporting experiential learning on campus.”
Wayback provides $10K to Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee
Connecticut-based fast-casual franchise chain Wayback Burgers has awarded $10,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee.
The company provided the gift in honor of Melissa Smith of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee. Smith has played a critical role in Club Next, which provides online reading and mathematics tools to children, and Code Academy, which teaches children coding skills.
Founded in 1991 in Newark, Delaware, Wayback Burgers operates in 32 states with over 166 locations nationally and internationally in Brunei, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Pakistan, The Netherlands and Manitoba, Canada and Ireland. It plans to open in 38 provinces/countries, including the Middle East, Northern Africa, South Africa, Bangladesh, Ireland, Japan, Germany and in Canada, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
Locally, Wayback Burgers operates at 7050 Charlotte Pike at Nashville West.
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