HIGH POINT, N.C., July 20, 2015 – Two High Point University students landed summer internships with Marcus Lemonis, star of CNBC’s “The Profit,” entrepreneur, investor, and chairman and CEO of Camping World and Good Sam Enterprises. The experience working for his holding company, Marcus Lemonis Enterprises LLC, is preparing them for future careers in financial services and entrepreneurship.
Rising senior Zach Pallis of Springfield, New Jersey, and rising junior Chris Kiley of Raynham, Massachusetts, both business administration majors who are studying entrepreneurship and finance at HPU, are serving as data analyst interns for the summer. Their daily responsibilities include assessing the profitability of products and businesses, building budgets and cash flows, and creating tools that show a quick overview of the company’s financial situation.
Pallis says the internship fits together well with his studies at HPU, as he’s getting firsthand experience with the financial challenges of entrepreneurship and developing solutions to improve profitability. He plans to pursue a career in wealth management after completing his studies at HPU.
“I took supply chain management with Dr. David Little and learned the ins and outs of the processes of product development and inventory management,” Pallis says. “His class gave me the foundation I needed to work with the various small businesses comprising Marcus Lemonis LLC’s inventory. Understanding concepts and tactics to become more profitable in the long run has definitely helped while analyzing many of these companies.”
Kiley is taking special note of all he’s learning through the internship. His goal is to start his own holding company and invest in businesses from various industries.
“This internship and my classes at HPU are preparing me day by day to reach my goal of becoming a successful entrepreneur,” Kiley says. “Learning from successful entrepreneurs like [HPU president] Nido Qubein and Marcus Lemonis has given me firsthand experience of the desire, drive and ethic needed to run a successful company. This opportunity has been extremely advantageous in helping me get a jump on the goals in my life.”