The Bloch Idea Salon is a diverse community of intellectually curious individuals who enjoy engaging in interesting conversations on leadership, business, strategy, civic issues, and more. The salon was launched with a four part series on leadership using the Michael Jordan Documentary, The Last Dance, as a case study. The discussion was led by local leaders: Scott Helm, Director of the Bloch Executive MBA program; Marvin E. Carolina, Jr., President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Kansas City; and André L. Davis, Corporate Engagement and Business Development Executive with Built Interior Construction.
The first session explored a variety of themes found in the documentary that are present in business beyond the sports industry. At the end of the session, participants voted on topics for the next two sessions. Drawing on current events, the last session in the series focused on racism, inequality, and implicit bias. Each session can be viewed below.
Future community discussions will be announced soon! In the meantime, join the Bloch Idea Salon on LinkedIn to connect with other intellectually curious individuals who enjoy engaging in interesting conversations on leadership, business, strategy, civic issues, and more.
About the Hosts
Scott Helm, Ph.D. is the Director of the Bloch Executive MBA program. Scott has spent the last several years working with for-profit and nonprofit businesses on strategy and design thinking. His primary research focus is social entrepreneurship and his work in this area has led to publication and several presentations at international and national academic conferences. Scott is an economist at heart and earned his B.A. in Economics at Washington College. After moving to Kansas City, Scott earned an M.P.A. in Nonprofit Management and Ph.D. in Public Administration and Economics from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. In the future, Scott would love to do more research into how people make decisions. Beyond the office, Scott and his wife, Gillian, stay busy with their three young sons and two dogs.
Marvin E. Carolina, Jr. is the President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Greater Kansas City. Prior to joining the Better Business Bureau of Greater Kansas City, Carolina was Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion for J.E. Dunn Construction Company where he led local and national programs designed to increase opportunities and operational capacity for small and mid-sized businesses and contractors. Marvin has been recognized for his professional achievements by receiving the Ace Award, Community Champion, Top 40 in Their 40’s Business and Community Leader, Top Contractors for Diversity (Kansas City); Innovation Award (Houston); Hispanic Community Builder Award (Atlanta). Additionally, Carolina is a member of the National Speakers Association and the author of two books focused on entrepreneurship and small businesses, Across the Middle: Entrepreneur Strategies for Growth and Success (2016) and Build to Win: A Playbook for Entrepreneurial Success (2017).
André L. Davis is a Corporate Engagement and Business Development Executive with Built Interior Construction. André is an accomplished thought-leader, mentor, coach, speaker and has moderated a number of events in and around our City. With over 20 years’ experience working with local CEOs and Executives he has worked in a number of industries while continuing to give back to the community. André is active on multiple Boards, Former Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board for Big Brothers Big Sisters – Kansas City, volunteers at non-profit organizations and most recently was hand-picked to participate in the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City Tomorrow leadership program. He’s also an Alumni of The Independent Magazine, Rising Star Award and co-founded a Scholarship at his alma mater College geared towards minority students.
