Written by Prof. Jack Rose

Miramar, FL – The Summer 2024 term, at United International College, ended with the largest Business Expo in the college’s history, when 22 budding entrepreneurs showcased their businesses to visitors attending the Expo.

Under the direction of Professor Jack J. Rose, students learned not only the challenges of opening up a new business, but the importance of growing their business to achieve a higher level of success. Students had to submit their product/service for approval and identify their primary and secondary target markets. Ongoing marketing research was a key ingredient that Professor Rose emphasized, since each location has different clientele. As a former buyer, he stressed the importance of a merchandise plan, and knowing everything about their customers. Today, localization marketing is the key to all businesses having more than one location. 

From an economic standpoint, most cities want businesses to come to their community to boost the economy – providing employment and becoming involved community members. Globally, student must know the laws of each city/country, and the importance of knowing what marketing techniques are best to reach the target customer.

Chikamo Farms is the brainchild of Kumawuese Chiattitor. The farm specializes in producing organic vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, pepper, carrots, different bean varieties, and celery.

At the Expo, Kuma spoke with Thai Tran, the founder of Chao, featuring traditional Vietnamese Cuisine. Since Thai’s business is built on quality ingredients, a “marriage” was made between the two entrepreneurs.

Diana Carolina Enciso’s Exquisite Clean is a high-end luxury cleaning service and exclusive provider of cleaning and maintenance solutions for luxury home and properties located in the affluent neighborhoods of South Florida.

Rank Marathon Digital Solutions is the service provider created by Sadat Fahim. His company offers a comprehensive range of marketing services, including, but not limited to, Website Audit, Email Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, On-Page SEO, Of-Page SEO, Google Ads, and META ads. Rank Marathon’s goal is to provide convenient and effective marketing solutions for start-ups and established companies.

Nicholas Lamont Gravely’s 2047 Restaurant is the fulfillment of his dream to open a restaurant featuring American and Soul food, and become an important member of the community by being open 24 hour — serving breakfast, lunch and dinner 24/7. Every item arrives from the kitchen freshly made with the finest ingredients and love. Most important is the customer service experience to keep his customers returning to his business.

SnackSmart’s motto is “Fuel Your Day the Smart Way” and founder Jahed Hosson’s company provides vending machines to any company or organization that wants to promote healthy choices to their employees. These machines offer a wide-range of products, including organic snacks, gluten-free options, protein bars, fresh fruits, and natural beverages.

Sam’s Sweet Bakery attracted many attendees since they were invited to sample some of Samantha Igor’s delectable creations. Her slogan, “Find Happiness in Every Bite” came to fruition as each visitor sampled her baked goods. Within five years, Sam intends to build a great marketing brand and be an active member of the community.

Tanjim Ul Kahn’s Green Buds Waste company specializes in repurposing cigarette butts into a range of eco-friendly products including keyrings, mosquito repellants, pillows, dolls and more. By recycling these discarded butts, the company not only reduces environmental pollution, but also creates unique and sustainable items that serve various purposes.

Zen Rolls is looking to be the premiere establishment for sushi rolls. The brainchild of Maria Paula Malaver, her goal is to become the go-to place for real hand rolls, where besides the traditional rolls, customers will have the opportunity to sample different rolls, all made of the finest quality ingredients.

Marrying his love of baseball and his dream of owning a restaurant, Anthony Monroy, plans to open All Star Kitchens, using a baseball theme motif throughout the venue. His target market are families, students, and tourists who enjoy experiencing different cuisines in a friendly, inviting atmosphere. His future growth of his company includes becoming a source for family events, company picnic, and community events as the only source for successful events in the area.

Aqua Flow Essentials is a business that Benjamin Morganti is extremely excited about since his passion for water sports lit the lightbulb of excitement for his business as an entrepreneur. His tagline, “Flowing Towards Efficiency – Unlocking the Power of Fluid Dynamics for a Sustainable Future” aptly states the intention for his business. Benjamin sees his business location on the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk offering top-quality paddle boards, water sports clothing, and extreme sports gear. His future goal is to grow his business within other beachfront locations throughout Florida and beyond.

Carolina Posse’s Inner Journey Expeditions is a travel agency that seeks to sell tours for women to erotic destinations or with a spiritual vibe, not only to get to know the destination, but to make a healing workshop on different topics such as female lineage, healing of the uterus, healing of father and mother, etc. Her target market is the group of Latin women (because tours will be in Spanish), over 35 years of age, and who are in search for their lkigai (purpose of life).

David Rhead’s Hills and Valleys clothing company reflects his religious beliefs and looks forward to spreading the word throughout the USA and Canada by helping others represent their faith. His target market are Christians, ages 20-35, and is convinced his slogan, “Put God First” will attract more people to love and believe in their faith.

Mikael Silva’s MSS Soccer Club, fulfills the dreams of this Brazilian Soccer player who wants to develop talents for this sport. His ambitious goals are to start with five youngsters that he will coach, and grow MSS Soccer Club in five years to ten coaches, each having a group of 50 kids. With his drive, hard work, and motivation, Mikael will succeed in developing players for not only Brazil, but the world.

Artem Sorokin has created JumpBall Agency to assist athletes to locate schools in the USA and Europe where they can receive a great education and participate in the college of university’s basketball program. A member of the United International College’s basketball team, Artem has the experience in knowledge in navigating this goal for so many young people.

Elite Skills FL was created by Elias Vera and his tagline, “Create Your Own Path,” mirrors his goal for training young athletes interested in basketball, with an emphasis on skills development, fitness training, and competitiveness drills. Within five years, Elias sees Elite Skills FL becoming the only destination for basketball training in the region, expanding their services to include summer camps, specialized coaching programs, and partnerships with school and youth leagues.