当人们去学校获得学位时，他们追求的不仅仅是 阅读写作和算术。 他们去磨练技能，建立人脉，这将推动他们进入富有成效的职业生涯。
Two 威尼斯人娱乐城 亨利w布洛赫管理学院 alumni are still building those connections — and building up Kansas City along with them.
The partnership between the two began when Kiona下沉 (MBA, ’21), the digital strategy manager for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, noticed a local hinderance and decided to turn it into an opportunity. Sinks was aware that 亚历克·罗杰斯 (B.B.A. ’20), a fellow Bloch School graduate, had purchased the local ice cream staple Betty Rae’s, and she wanted to show her support.
“I think one thing that I've learned in Kansas City — we have all the right people, all the right tools, all the right resources, but sometimes we're not great at aligning things strategically,” Sinks says. “Ice cream and baseball historically go hand in hand. 当你去棒球场时，你会得到一个热狗和一个蛋筒。 That’s when I thought it’d be 很酷的 to reach out.”
一个甜蜜的新合作就此诞生。
“Kiona reached out asking if we wanted to partner with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and of course it was a yes from the start,” Rodgers says. “I thought it would be fun to raise funds and awareness for the museum — even just for the collaboration with ice cream and the museum itself. 简直是天造地设的一对。 Baseball and ice cream go so well together anyway.”
这个计划开始实施了 贝蒂的 Rae’s truck outside of the museum. 路人都迫不及待地想看一看那辆亮蓝色的卡车，天气这么暖和，需要点冷的东西。 每个购买独家新闻的人都可以享受2美元的博物馆入场费折扣。 这次合作还产生了一种标志性的口味：蛋糕，面糊 面糊 — a spin on the classic flavor with the colors of the museum swirled in. 这次款待是一次全垒打，两人的新伙伴关系也很成功 鲁斯.
“I think working with 威尼斯人娱乐城 alumni has been a testament to the culture at 威尼斯人娱乐城,” Rodgers says. “It’s great. When you’re on campus and involved, you start to feel like it’s home. It’s been neat to make the city an extended home of 威尼斯人娱乐城. It feels like you’re seeing people you know everywhere, which is so comforting.”
辛斯对她在威尼斯人娱乐城的研究生院经历也有同样的感受。 That’s part of the reason she reached out to Rodgers in the first place.
“I've watched his story progress in the community, in his 20s, thrust into this new role,” Sinks says. “When he took over ownership, I really wanted to be a support to him. And obviously, I literally love ice cream.”
亚历克·罗杰斯
当谈到她对冰淇淋的感觉时，绝非只有sink一个人。 Rodgers just so happens to have a special connection to Betty Rae’s that extends beyond the scoops.
Rodgers made headlines in 2021 when he took over Betty Rae’s fresh out of the Bloch School. 当他还是威尼斯人娱乐城的学生时，他在那里舀冰淇淋，这对他有帮助，但这不仅仅是一份兼职工作。 He often spent time in the stores — even when he wasn’t scheduled to work — catching up with work friends while making a fresh batch of waffle cones. 这些商店也为学习提供了一个不同的环境。
Because of his passion for Betty Rae’s, Rodgers did not hesitate for a moment when the previous owner came to him about purchasing the business, even during a pandemic. 从那以后，他经历了很多成功，尽管作为一名年轻的企业主，他仍然面临着挑战。
“It's definitely a little intimidating most days,” Rodgers says. “In other ways it's been 很好的 因为在一个年轻的老板手下有很多员工，这让我有了不同的视角。 I find it’s easy to relate to them and where they are in life.”
Under Rodgers’ leadership, Betty Rae’s took the slower winter season to develop new offerings, like cakes and ice cream flights — which will have vegan and non-dairy options — in addition to seasonal rotators and fan favorites.
Betty Rae’s has also added some new creations. Their rotating stock has featured flavors inspired by McLain’s Bakery, Andre’s Chocolates and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, as well as 威尼斯人娱乐城, of course. 去年8月，Roo Blue Swirl的口味被添加到商店，第一勺是由校长c·毛利·阿格拉瓦尔（C. Mauli Agrawal）获得的。
威尼斯人娱乐城与布洛赫商学院的两位校友都有明显的联系。
Kiona下沉
Rodgers’ time with Betty Rae’s goes back to his college experience, and Sinks’ time at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum follows a similar path. Having been with the museum for more than a year and a half, Sinks started her work as digital strategy manager while earning her master’s degree at 威尼斯人娱乐城.
“Students in the MBA program are working professionals, first and foremost, and then you slap trying to get a formal education on top of that,” Sinks says. “It can be difficult. 事情没有得到承诺。 当我开始攻读学位时，我没有这份工作。 我自己做咨询，我没有等着什么东西来找我。 Looking back, it was a great self-investment for me.”
辛克斯也知道，布洛赫商学院的MBA项目在社交机会方面有好处。
“With the Bloch school, I can't tell you how many people are in the local business community,” Sinks says. “They're CEOs, they're executives, and I’m regularly able to interact with and get to know them. 你可以看到人们对这个机构倾注的爱。 它让你感到骄傲。 这就是你想要的。 You want to be proud of where you've invested your time.”
与此同时，黑人联盟棒球博物馆正准备庆祝杰基·罗宾逊打破肤色障碍75周年。 辛克斯急于把这个消息传出去，并扩大博物馆的规模。
“These life lessons that stemmed from the story of the Negro Leagues continue to be an inspiration to me every day, and I think that was the motivation to reach out to Alec,” Sinks says. “Obviously, it doesn't hurt that he’s also a 威尼斯人娱乐城 alum. 它把事实和事实联系在一起。 He's a great person, and I’m wishing him all the success for all he's going to do in Kansas City.” 社区可能也没有看到他们友好伙伴关系的结束。
“We both quickly realized that we share a love for Kansas City, a love for the communities that we’re involved in,” Rodgers said. “Kiona has a servant-leader heart, and it was quickly recognizable in her. 我们都意识到我们在这方面也有很多共同点。 我们只是互相宣传我们在这个城市的长期目标和想法，然后他们就一致了 很好.”