It might be unconventional to seek business advice from a 17-year-old with no prior experience, but junior Petros Dulos is challenging that perception with Poly’s newest addition: the Business Club. Convening during club blocks, this dynamic and engaging club provides its members with a comprehensive introduction to the core tenets of business.
Dulos was inspired to create the club after recognizing a void within the Poly community. “A number of students like myself were interested in entrepreneurship and had the drive to learn about business in a more hands-on way, with nowhere to do so,” said Dulos. Although business clubs have previously existed at Poly, Dulos aimed to elevate his club’s impact by enhancing its ability to educate students. “My ultimate motivation for starting the club was to bring students in contact with small business in Brooklyn and their leaders in hopes of connecting the Poly community with the diverse and exciting Brooklyn business community.” (Dulos is the Business Manager for the Polygon.)
The club’s first meeting commenced on September 8th, focusing on basic business vocabulary alongside business theories. Dulos crafted an 18-page slide show explaining topics such as competition, profit, market values, and more. The club leader then posed engaging questions for the members and even assigned homework for the upcoming meeting. Members were asked to research a business, think about strategies, and then come prepared to share the business strategies that their subject used. “I wanted the first meeting to show that the club was the real deal,” said Dulos.
Junior and club member Karim Camara shared how Dulos navigated what felt like a “college-level course” on day one. “I went in thinking it would be pretty casual, but I walked away truly feeling like I learned something—and it was only the first day.”
A study by the Hechinger Report demonstrates that the amount of students majoring in business has gone up 60% in the last twenty years. Dulos noticed this increase, especially amongst his peers and their aspirations for college. Although many students want to embark upon a business career, many don’t know what that exactly entails.“I feel like most of the time, when people say they want to do business, they don’t really know what that means. So this club is, in a way, a space to explore individuals’ passion within such a broad area of study.”
In the spirit of entrepreneurship, Dulos proactively promoted the club’s existence by establishing an online presence, including the launch of an Instagram account for outreach and engagement. Junior Mila Taendler runs the account and is excited about its future. “I am planning on starting to share what we cover during meetings on the page. I think it will engage a lot of students and intrigue them to join the club,” she said.
Dulos is pleased with the high level of success and engagement the club members have exhibited thus far. What’s next for the business club? To sustain student interest, Dulos is actively coordinating a Zoom call for the club with local small business owners in Brooklyn. Learning from these leaders will not only provide invaluable firsthand lessons to club members but also foster a connection between the Poly campus and the outside community.
“I believe this upcoming phase will elevate the club to new heights. It will introduce aspiring business leaders to potential mentors and provide us with lessons that you cannot learn from a textbook.”
