An Entrepreneurial Crash Course

When Build-A-Rev kits featuring materials and instructions to create a miniature Reveille from building bricks became a coveted Christmas gift among Aggies in 2024, five Mays Business School graduate students — Integrated Business Experience (IBE) classmates and the creators of the product — found themselves immersed in the highs and lows of running a business. Giving students a deep dive into “doing business” is the focus of the innovative IBE course, a part of Mays’ 11-month Master of Science in Business graduate program. “IBE gives these students an entrepreneurial mindset where they think and solve problems entrepreneurially, in whatever role they have,” says McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship Executive Director Blake Petty, who teaches the course.

Intentionally scheduled at the program’s midpoint in lieu of a capstone, IBE offers students — who all come from diverse, non-business undergraduate programs such as engineering, animal science, and psychology — the chance to apply foundational business principles that they’re learning in their MS Business coursework.

In turn, IBE adds to the instructional scaffold, giving students a close-up look at the day-to-day realities of business before they focus on macro-level topics such as global operations and international business. “IBE is an important experience in these students’ educational journey, but it’s still just part of the journey,” Petty says.

IBE continues an entrepreneurial foundation introduced in students’ first courses in customer discovery and market research and is complemented by concurrent courses in accounting, finance, and marketing. In teams of five, students identify a product, prepare a business plan, and then pitch their product to loan officers from founding IBE partner, Aggieland Credit Union. After doing due diligence, loan officers can offer a financing package of up to $5,000. “The IBE program gives students real-world business experience, and we’re proud to support their growth,” says Tina Muth, Aggieland Credit Union executive officer. “We mentor students, offering financial and marketing guidance to help them refine their business models and build lasting success.”

With funding in place, it’s all hands on deck. Each student assumes a leadership role, and they work together to build a U.S. supply chain, keep the books, and market and sell their product. Inevitably, teams face issues, forcing them to solve problems and pivot. The Build-A-Rev team — made up of Andy Doyle ’23 ’25, Varsha Murali ’24 ’25, Luke Preston ’24 ’25, Reagan Partin ’24 ’25, and Kenady Smith ’24 ’25 — initially planned to outsource kit production, but the only qualified company was outside the United States. Instead, the team converted a portion of Partin’s home into a staging area and spent significant time compiling kits. Preston, who was tasked with working with suppliers, found himself in the hot seat when wrong-colored parts arrived right before a sales event.

The Build-A-Rev students and their fellow teams succeeded in overcoming these and other challenges — and the fall 2024 class’ 12 teams bested IBE’s historic sales records, earning gross revenues of over $137,300 (thanks in large part to receiving special permission to use Texas A&M University’s intellectual property due to Aggieland Credit Union’s relationship with the university). The Build-A-Rev team led the way with 600 kits sold over the span of three months and revenue exceeding $42,000, according to Murali, who served as CFO.

Net proceeds of $57,200, after costs and repaying Aggieland Credit Union’s loans with interest, was donated to nonprofits. The students came away with valuable skills they’ll be able to apply in any industry. “I learned about being part of a team, really leveraging everybody’s strengths and getting to know each other in order to have good communication, talk about problems, and resolve conflict,” says Smith, who plans to pursue a career in her undergraduate field of nutrition. “I’ll be bringing those lessons into my future to make sure my private practice succeeds.”

The Build-A-Rev team (pictured from left) Varsha Murali ’24 ’25, Reagan Partin ’24 ’25, Kenady Smith ’24 ’25, Luke Preston ’24 ’25, and Andy Doyle ’23 ’25, marketed and sold their kits at community events, such as The Local at Lake Walk. They also had significant success online through affinity groups, like the Aggie Moms Facebook group.

About the Class

Course Name: BUAD 720 Integrated Business Experience (IBE)

Instructor: Blake Petty, executive director of McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship

Number of students: 60

Years the course has been offered: 8

Number of undergraduate majors represented in the MS Business Class of 2025: 44

Amount that Build-A-Rev donated to their nonprofit partner, Voices for Children: $12,500