Students from all majors take “Introduction to Entrepreneurship” and those who do always remember their $20 investment, a lean start-up assignment to develop a minimum viable product, or prototype, that grows in value throughout the semester. Morello’s goal for his students, and their $20, is to measure progress through validated learning. “Entrepreneurial success is not a black box. There’s no secret handshake. It’s not a hero’s journey,” Morello explains. “It is the result of a series of systematic choices.”

With invited guests, Morello illustrates how a venture comes together from the opportunities and decisions that shape it so that revenues are always bigger than cost. “The benefit is actively participating in class in projects that give real life feedback to guide you,” says Jolie Emma Njike ’29, a marketing major and poly sci minor. “The class is as hard as you make it and it makes you less nervous to try things.”

Morello asks his students: How did you recognize the opportunity? How did you know your idea was something people wanted? This semester, he asked Hendricks the same. “I’m a fan of HGTV for design inspiration. One day I was watching it while I was getting my nails done. I thought this is what I’m doing. Our renovations are better. I could do it in a more entertaining way,” she says. “And get Beloit some positive attention.”

Hendricks has spent her 20-year career combining an undergraduate degree in marketing, a real estate license, and a love of her hometown, Beloit. She placed her first bet on Beloit when she and her husband built their own home before they knew anything about construction.

She increased that bet when she turned their hands-on learning experience into a side hustle building new-construction homes. Her time and money investment surpassed $20 but the process was the same. Evolve your idea; get feedback; assess your risk.

And invest in relationships. Students in Morello’s course rely on his guidance and their classmates’ analyses to build skills and resilience in a supportive learning space with minimal risk. Hendricks relies on her husband Matt, a plumbing contractor and former home builder, Pete Woodkey, project manager for Corporate Contractors Inc. (CCI) with 20 years of experience in Beloit including the renovation of CELEB, and her mother, Diane Hendricks, owner and chair of ABC Supply, to grow her knowledge of the renovation opportunities in the area.

Hendricks explored the area around Beloit College her mom had recommended asking herself: What makes Beloit different? What makes Betting on Beloit different? Hendricks knew she would have to rely on her love of design, the character in the old houses, and her team’s enthusiasm. The team completed a sizzle reel (a high-energy video to demonstrate a brand), found an agent, marketed to media outlets, and received a lot of nos. Hendricks’ story, her efforts to follow up and strategies to maintain a belief in herself, resonated with students.

“When you watch something on television, you know it’s scripted. The people answering know what question is coming,” said Ian Ladd ’29, a business management and math minor. “Here are two people sitting in front of college students who don’t know what question is coming. What I learn from their genuine responses is relatable, memorable.”

Hendricks also described how as a student she avoided risk, even public speaking, and situations that might reveal her failure. “You’re not going to accomplish something big like that,” she said. “I wish I would have been braver when I was younger, and more adventurous with my decisions in business. Fear of failure holds you back.”

Beloit College brings experts to campus for their professional experiences and their willingness to share these vulnerabilities. “It’s important to hear about the risks, to hear that you’ll get told no,” said Maddisyn Adams ’29, business management major and entrepreneurship and sports management minor. “And to stick with it.”

Betting on Beloit is in its second season on A&E, changing the narrative about Beloit, and now it’s also part of Morello’s 15-year run changing the narrative about entrepreneurship.