Muskegon Community College student receives $10,000 award for business idea

Alex Slocum graduated from Muskegon Community College this month with a Graphic Design Entrepreneur associate degree. Just before graduation, Slocum found out that he was being awarded the Nick Sarnicola Award, which is given to one MCC student every year based on student submissions of an entrepreneurial concept. Slocum's idea focuses on creating a media company that will create original content covering smaller market sporting events. Over the next year, Slocum will use the seed money to invest in what he needs to launch his new business.

MCC published the news of the award, which describes Slocum as a long-time baseball player and fan. Slocum chose to attend MCC because he wasn't sure what career path he wanted to take, but he soon discovered the Graphic Design Entrepreneur program which he felt was a good fit for his technical skills and creative side. His business concept will combine his passions and fill a void in sports news and entertainment. Nick Sarnicola said of Slocum's idea, "I love the niche. It's a very intelligent niche. It has multiple income stream opportunities. I think it's a business that could be acquired from other companies. It's also a high-profit margin business."

The 2021 Nick Sarnicola Award, established in 2017 through Sarnicola's Next Gen Foundation, was given to Slocum April 29 on a Zoom call with MCC Entrepreneurial Studies Instructor David Stradal, Next Gen Executive Director Patrick Adams, and the competition finalists. Reacting to the award, Slocum said, "Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for believing in this idea. This is something I always thought would be a dream job kind of thing to do. Getting $10,000 to do it is nothing short of a miracle."

The company, which Slocum plans to launch within the next year with his friend, Dalton Fuller, is tentatively being called Standing O Studios. Slocum explained the concept in more detail, saying, "The idea of the business is to create a small Midwestern, small market-based media company that focuses on reinventing authentic and creative content, as opposed to the bigger dogs, like ESPN, that will repeat the same headlines every single day. If we can have more story lines that focus on small markets, then maybe those small markets become bigger markets."

Slocum states that national coverage of sports from outlets like ESPN thrive on conflict in the context of big issues. He wants to offer a different take, providing content that approaches sports from the perspective of a fan rather than an analyst, which he hopes will offer a more fun and creative experience for viewers.

Slocum says that the $10,000 prize will allow him and his business partner to invest in equipment and will provide an advantage when he is ready to launch. He explained, "The biggest difference the Sarnicola Award is going to make is that I won't have zero dollars when I start. The Sarnicola Award allows me to get all of the equipment I need – the computers, monitors, green screen, office space, and desks. I have been working off a laptop for my whole college journey."

Slocum specifically mentioned MCC instructors Christopher VanOosterhout, Kevin Kyser, and David Stradal for their mentorship that helped him develop his winning business strategy.