On paper, the Business of Art and Design Creative Business Management course at Ringling College is an opportunity for non-business majors to apply business concepts to real-world challenges. But in practice, the class consistently produces remarkable results for local nonprofit organizations and the people and causes they serve. And it leaves students with a sense of purpose, pride, and empowerment.
Seed Bomb preparation
At the start of the semester, students are divided into groups that “operate as a small organization with a shared team vision and mission,” explained Dr. Sarita René Guillory, who teaches the course. Each group chooses a nonprofit to contact, and together they begin assessing the organization’s needs and developing a reasonable goal that can be addressed in just a few months.
“As they apply the strategic management process, they conduct situational assessments, set goals with objectives, formulate strategies and initiatives, define KPIs, and create contingency plans so the team can still provide value if funding falls short or conditions change,” said Guillory.
Not only are they learning valuable business skills, but the students, many of whom are first-years, become personally invested in their projects. Along the way, they discover creative solutions that can work within a restricted timeline and budget.
“This project not only strengthened our skills in management, planning, and creative problem-solving but also reinforced the importance of empathy and purpose-driven work, said Nora Getchell, whose group worked with Give Kids the World. “It was an incredible experience, and we are all honored to have been able to give back to such a fantastic organization.”
In Fall 2024, Jackson Lapsley ’26, Film, and Ella Satterfield ’26, Film, worked together with Oyster River Ecology to create 150 Vertical Oyster Gardens (VOGAs), from fundraising and social media engagement all the way through hosting an on-campus workshop where a dozen students actually made the VOGAs themselves—while many more watched via livestream.
“This project was really good practice for understanding how business relationships work outside of school for Film students like us,” said Lapsley. “The whole experience showed us that our filmmaking skills can actually make a difference when we apply some entrepreneurial thinking.”
“We made something tangible out of an idea and helped leave Manatee County a little better than we found it,” added Satterfield. “Not only did I get to learn about the Florida ecosystem and find a new appreciation for it, but I have also found how easy it is to get involved with my community and make a real difference.”
As of Spring 2025, 290 students over 11 semesters have raised more than $26,600 for 42 organizations. Other notable projects include:
- replacing a hurricane-damaged wheelchair ramp and greenhouse
- creating custom, hand-painted garden toolboxes for a school’s gardening program
- hosting and teaching art to children while supplying all materials
- personalizing interest bags for underserved youth
- verifying material safety so stuffed animals were nontoxic for hospitalized children, and including handwritten encouragement notes
- creating Thanksgiving brown bag meals with all instant ingredients for those without access to cooking spaces
- providing teacher-requested classroom supplies for each teacher at an under-resourced school
- assembling mental health and self-care kits for educators and abuse survivors
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