Spartan Blockchain Solutions Operations Updates FS19
With another school year starting at Michigan State, the team at Spartan Blockchain Solutions has been busy planning, coordinating and recruiting for the coming months. From leadership changes to rebrandings, SBS is set to have yet another successful year teeming with growth and increased notoriety amongst the industry.
At the top of the long list of changes in recent months is SBS’s soft rebranding to “Spartan Blockchain Solutions”. This coincides with the organization submitting final 501(c)3 documents and the new aim of the firm.
This rebranding merges the student organization, formerly “Spartan Blockchain”, with the consulting branch constructed last year. This gives SBS more freedom to perform more “firm-centric” actions while remaining heavily connected to Michigan State University and it’s resources.
“This allows us to have more freedom in consulting work and really compete with other firms,” President Andrew Marquadt explained. “And it coincides with our new service-offering model we’ve developed coming into this year.”
That service-offering model is a primary focus this year. “Diligence, Advisory, and Incubation” are at the core of what SBS aims to provide clients with this rebranding:
- “Diligence” focuses on performing semester-long research projects with the aim of identifying how blockchain may be implemented into a client’s organization to support growth and transparency in the future.
2. “Advisory” utilizes SBS’s network of professionals and academic resources . to implement a blockchain solution into the client’s infrastructure. This is similar to the work undergone at Land Grant Goods by SBS last year.
3. “Incubation” is aimed towards those clients that wish to bring their proposed blockchain solution to fruition. SBS will connect the client with their network and help them coordinate a plan to continue to grow their idea indefinitely.
“With this [rebranding and new model] in mind, we are finally equipped to continue taking a goal-oriented approach in executing on our vision of establishing Spartan Blockchain Solutions as the premier student-run blockchain advisory firm in the Midwest,” Marquadt said in an email to the firm’s stockholders.
Even with the massive change regarding the name and model of the firm, they are not the only thing changing at SBS. New faces are abundant on the executive board coinciding with the rapid growth of the firm.
Maggie Francis has joined the board as SBS’s Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion and will be heading the firm’s recruiting efforts for the semester ahead. Francis is a current Michigan State undergraduate student studying Accounting and Information Technology. Francis is currently a Consultant at Spectrum Consulting Group and the Director of Membership Enrichment on the Broad Student Senate.
SBS has also welcomed on Gerry Grifith as Vice President of Finance and Legal, who will be helping the organization navigate both the legal and fiscal sectors. Griffith is a current MBA and J.D. candidate at MSU, with experience at Michigan State Law Review as an Articles Editor and Venture Fellow at Spartan Innovations. Griffith currently serves in the Michigan Army National Guard as an Information Technology Specialist.
Lastly, Drew Goretzka has been promoted to Marketing and Outreach Director in the wake of Gigi Ngcobo’s leave of absence until November. Goretzka will be heading marketing and promotional material for SBS, as well as expanding the firm’s online presence in the blockchain space. Goretzka is a current Michigan State undergraduate student studying journalism and public relations. He also serves in the Michigan Army National Guard as a Paralegal Specialist.
The executive board is not the only part of SBS growing in accordance with the firm’s rapid growth. The firm’s vast array of technicians and specialists is expanding to meet the demands of clients. Recruiting efforts in the first few weeks of the semester have proved especially fruitful, with as many 80 candidates expressing serious interest at networking events.
On the engagement side of news, the firm and members within have worked tirelessly in previous months to successfully introduced three new engagements for the firm:
A student-led engagement focusing on the creating a blockchain-based platform for more secure disbursement and possession of student loans. Headed by Co-Founders and SBS Group Managers Parker Nolan and Majeed Farin.
Focuses on utilizing the blockchain to more efficiently track personnel who have access to regulated materials, specifically within MSU’s rare isotope beams facility. Headed by group managers Sam Stevons and Colin Barnes.
Focuses on identifying a use-case for an internal Ethereum-backed token for SBS operations or events. Headed by group managers Sawyer Ruben and Colin Barnes.
Despite all changes undergone in recent months, Spartan Blockchain Solutions is set to take the 2019 school year head on. Follow SBS on social media for updates on the biggest things happening in the firm and in the industry!
