The career path that brought adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, Heather Tsavaris, to North Central State College’s Urban Center, is far from conventional.
Tsavaris characterizes herself as a typical first-born child. She worked hard and cared deeply about her grades. Naturally, when she went to college she started out on the path of many high-achievers: She thought she was going to study medicine or law, even then she had a desire to make the world better. Ultimately she decided on international affairs, which turned out to be aptly timed because her graduation was just shortly after 9-11 and the U.S. government had countless jobs to fill.
Her work as a counter-terrorism analyst eventually took her to Western Europe where she had the opportunity to work with youth. She was tasked with an interesting challenge–understanding why young people are attracted to terrorist organizations and how that behavior could be prevented.
What Tsavaris learned is somewhat surprising. She met entrepreneurs that were empowering youth, they were inspiring and making real social change, which wasn’t their goal, “They were doing what entrepreneurs always do, they were working, struggling, hustling to make their businesses work.”
The real problems were segregation and other social issues that therefore made terrorist culture more attractive, but the experience of creating and sustaining businesses of their own creation seemed to effectively break through these cultural barriers. Entrepreneurship was an effective catalyst for social change. It was her experience with entrepreneurs in the Netherlands inspired Tsavaris to go back and get an MBA.
She didn’t get just any MBA though, she studied finance, strategy and social enterprise at New York University’s prestigious Stern School of Business. While in New York she had the opportunity to intern as well as consult with several large organizations including the Gap Foundation. She returned to Washington, D.C. at the State Department as a communications adviser.
Ultimately her passion for entrepreneurs brought her back to her roots. She wanted to focus more on entrepreneurship and economic development, and Mansfield seemed a perfect place. It didn’t take her long to find work either.
A chance meeting between Cheryl Carter, North Central State College’s Director of Outreach and Recruitment, and Heather’s sister proved serendipitous. Carter and her family turned up at Sts. Helene and Constantine Greek Orthodox Church in Mansfield to volunteer, and within months Carter enthusiastically brought Tsavaris on board.
“If we don’t have a program we’ll create one, ” said Carter, and that is exactly what happened. Tsavaris set out to teach a 10 week course, but her students didn’t want it to end there. They became the first cohort, and a program was born.
Tsavaris, like many social entrepreneurs, doesn’t like to talk about herself, and that’s fine. She doesn’t have to. Her students say it all. When asked what he learned in the program Delvonta Cheathem, founder of EZ Records, said, “I learned how to stay motivated. My teacher kept me on track, she still keeps me on track.” Cheathem’s story is echoed throughout the cohort. Tsavaris is not only available to her students outside of class, she’s actively mentoring them long after they finish the program.
Entrepreneurship is hard, and most business owners struggle with opposition from family or friends, rejection and self-doubt. Then there are Heather’s students. Belinda Morgan, founder of Budget Custom Furniture says this about Tsavaris, “The first thought was, I have no business being here. I am too old to go back to school, but what kept me engaged was the professor. She will not let you quit. And the information she was giving was so awesome, so on point that it kept making me intrigued to go on and be motivated.”
Tsavaris’ students range in age from high school through retirees and their businesses are as unique and varied as the students themselves. Johnny Morgan, founder of Two Hearts Car Detailing always knew he wanted to be his own boss and started with 5 customers in his own driveway, he now has 150. Like any driven entrepreneur, he’s not planning to stop at 150, his goal is 3000.
Politicians, community organizers and concerned citizens often sit in meetings and wonder what can be done about Richland County’s “brain drain” problem. Some of these citizens even point to people like Heather Tsavaris and wonder how we can get more “people like her” to return to Mansfield.
Interestingly, she doesn’t want to be put on a pedestal or used as an object lesson. She wants to see her students shine and points to them as our future. Look at her work, and the ripples it is causing in the community. At it’s heart entrepreneurship is about finding novel solutions to problems, and what would be more innovative than fostering a cohort of smart and talented people in their own hometown?
