AC
Alyssa Constant
  • Class of 2012
  • Nine Mile Falls, WA

Nine Mile Falls Native Alyssa Constant Among 20 Gonzaga U. Students Who Met With Finance Icon Warren Buffett

2011 Nov 18

Alyssa Constant, a Senior, from Nine Mile Falls, WA, is among 20 Gonzaga University entrepreneurship students who spent a day in Omaha learning about business, ethics, and life from billionaire Warren Buffett, the "Oracle of Omaha," one of the world's foremost business authorities.

During the trip Nov. 10-12, the Gonzaga students toured two subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., took part in a lengthy question-and-answer session with Buffett, and had lunch with and personally meet the financial guru.

Buffett is chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, an Omaha-based conglomerate of more than 70 companies with nearly a quarter-million employees. Berkshire Hathaway also invests in numerous companies and other investment vehicles. Buffett invites a select number of universities to Omaha every year.

Todd Finkle, who was named Gonzaga's Pigott Professor of Entrepreneurship in fall 2010, initiated the visit with the assistance of Paul Buller, the School of Business Administration's Kinsey-Robinson Professor of Business Management.

"Buffett does not invite just anyone to Omaha. You have to earn your visit," said Finkle. "I assigned a creative and innovative project to Gonzaga's entrepreneurship students last spring. Their objective was to create a brand new product to catch Buffett's attention to get him to invite us to Omaha."

Finkle's class sent three products to Buffett: the design for a Warren Buffett Pinball Machine; a parody of the game Clue, which focuses on Gonzaga and Buffett; and a DVD about Gonzaga.

"We heard back from Buffett within five days and he said that he liked all of the projects and was inviting us to visit him this year," said Finkle, who grew up in a family owned business, started four businesses of his own, and co-founded a nonprofit.

For more information, contact Professor Finkle at (509) 313-7048 or via e-mail [finkle@jepson.gonzaga.edu].

Gonzaga University News Service • Spokane, Washington 99258-0070 • 509-313-6398