By Scott Lyman, BA Finance and Social Relations & Policy, 2018
By Jake Sadilek, BA Psychology, 2019
Professor Stenzel and Scott Lyman with The Eli Broad College of Business, Dean Sanjay Gupta, and Amy Moon, Associate Director of Alumni Relations and Engagement for Broad College of Business.
For the second time in the last six years, The Spartan Global Development fund (SGDF) was awarded the Richard J. Lewis Quality of Excellence Award by the Eli Broad College of Business for its work during the 2016-2017 academic year. Awarded annually, the Lewis Quality of Excellence Award recognizes Eli Broad College of Business student organizations or individuals who advance the mission of the college through achievements in continuous improvement and innovation. This honor is awarded to the student organization that best exhibits the following characteristics: innovation, teamwork, benefit to the college, performance metrics, and sustainability.
None of this advancement would have been possible without Spartan Global’s commitment to bringing on dedicated students. Advancing the organization’s mission of facilitating microloans to aspiring entrepreneurs throughout developing regions, while simultaneously raising awareness for microfinance, would not be possible without a strong team; Scott Lyman (BA’18, Social Relations & Policy and Finance), appointed President in October of 2016, was able to assemble a team of high-functioning Michigan State Students in five short months.
Professor Stenzel and Scott Lyman with the Lewis Quality of Excellence Award
The 2017 Lewis Quality of Excellence Award is a big milestone for the organization as it conveys Spartan Global’s presence in East Lansing and in communities across the developing world. As the organization looks to increase its capacity and double its outreach in 2017, Scott and his team will be expanding their scope to include an educational component for new members. This educational outreach will take the form of a mentorship program, which will provide new members with the tools needed to further the organization’s goals and objectives related to microfinance and sustainable development. Moving forward, we hope to continue growing as an organization in order to continue supporting aspiring entrepreneurs around the globe who face systemic, structural, and financial barriers in growing their businesses.