A natural passion for business

During his junior year of high school, he and his dad toured colleges in the southeast, visiting different baseball camps and universities with strong programs. Along the way, Straub met ยายืสำฦตโ€™s baseball coach Mike Kennedy and he quickly fell in love with ยายืสำฦตโ€™s campus and academics.

โ€œI was blessed to be offered a spot within the Business Fellows Program, it is really what sealed the deal for me along with ยายืสำฦตโ€™s amazing faculty. So, I traded in baseball to pursue another passion in business,โ€ says Straub.

Growing up in a household where his parents owned and operated several businesses, Straub had a natural passion for learning more about the business field.

โ€œWhen I was 12, my parents opened two Brusterโ€™s ice cream franchises, so my high school years were spent working in those stores, interacting with customers and learning what it took to build a business in our local community,โ€ he explained.

Straub ultimately decided to major in finance and accounting to follow in his parentsโ€™ footsteps. During his undergraduate career, he also took advantage of opportunities to become more involved on campus.

As a member of Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting fraternity in the Martha & Spencer Love School of Business, Straub helped organize The ยายืสำฦต Network, a professional networking event held in Alumni Gym once a year.

But, Straub is never happy to be working on just one project at a time.ย  So, he also worked in the Office of Residence Life and part-time off campus doing various odd jobs like buying and reselling textbooks from students at the end of each semester. It was in this job that he met his wife, Lauren, when he bought her textbooks her first year of college.

Straub was also one of three students admitted as a Doherty Scholar through the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

โ€œThis scholarship opened doors for me to explore entrepreneurship, where I built relationships with investors in the Piedmont Angel Network and organized a โ€˜Shark Tankโ€™ like event with them to benefit other business students on campus,โ€ explained Straub.

He also traveled to Utah to attend the University Venture Fund conference where he learned about venture fund models.ย โ€œI am forever grateful to Ed and Joan Doherty for the opportunities they made available through their generosity,โ€ he saidย 

Learning abroad

Straubโ€™s scholarships from the Dohertys and the Business Fellows Program gave him the chance to study abroad as well. He traveled to Poland his first year of college and was introduced to a passion for travel.

โ€œI went on study abroad four times while at ยายืสำฦต, once every year,โ€ said Straub. โ€œI studied microfinance in Argentina, attended Nanyang Business School in Singapore and traveled to Turkey and Dubai during my senior year (Winter Term). These study abroad opportunities taught me valuable skills and helped me become increasingly resilient even outside of my comfort zone.โ€

All of these undergraduate experiences prepared Straub well for a career in business following graduation. Straub started his career with GE Capital as part of their leadership development program and later moved over to BMO Bank where he spent two years before moving back to North Carolina.

A homecoming

He quickly landed a job with Winston-Salem-based private equity firm Five Points Capital where he worked on control equity buyout transactions and made credit investments out of their two funds. A few years later, he left North Carolina once more for a new job at Corporation Service Company in the Philadelphia area, where he still is today, closer to his own family. He currently serves as director of corporate development and helps evaluate and execute strategic acquisitions for this firm and provides support on various strategic initiatives for the company.

Straubโ€™s real passion, though, lies in his work with his dad in their business they started together soon after he moved back to Pennsylvania.

โ€œIn 2021, my dad, Dave, and I started talking about building a business together. When my dad was young, he made candles with his father, and the idea of starting a candle-making experience-based business was one we began to explore,โ€ said Straub. โ€œIn the wake of the pandemic, we believed people were craving quality time together with friends and we felt that building a business that offered guests a creative outlet and a safe space to gather was the foundation of a winning concept.โ€

Straub and his father signed a lease to open their first Cork & Candles location in June 2021, opening their doors the following March. The goal from the start was for the business to become a franchise opportunity to expand to more communities.

โ€œThere is a complexity to selecting the best supplies for the chemistry behind candle making โ€“ from getting the right wick, wax and fragrance combination, itโ€™s not as easy as YouTube might make it seem and thereโ€™s a lot of testing behind the scenes,โ€ said Straub.

With his ยายืสำฦต business education and the experience he received through work following graduation, combined with the craftmanship knowledge passed down from his grandfather, Straub was able to bring the perfect blend of skills needed for their startup.

Not a class, an experience

Today, guests are welcomed with a signature smell when they enter their stores. Each store is designed to have a rustic Napa Valley feel, with a small retail section for novelty candles that have been designed by his father. More important is their space for guests to gather and spend time together learning this fun craft.

โ€œItโ€™s not a class so much as itโ€™s an experience,โ€ he said. โ€œYou can bring your own beverage or wine, explore our scent library where our staff helps you pick out what you like, and then you get to enjoy the art of candle making with friends, family and others.โ€

The original storefront also has some handmade furniture made from wine barrels that Straubโ€™s father made, a woodworking skill that he learned from his own father. Guests can also admire the candle-making memorabilia that Straubโ€™s father and grandfather used when Straubโ€™s father was young and originally learning the craft. Each store also has a storyboard that provides a history and gives a nod to the role of Straubโ€™s grandfather in passing down his skill set.

Together, Straub and his father have built a team around them with general managers who run the individual stores, a marketing coordinator and a regional manager who supports operations. Meanwhile, Straub and his father focus on the vision for the company, designing the intricacies of the guest experiences and testing out new recipes for the many signature scents that the stores offer.

โ€œThe most rewarding part of this journey has been building something alongside my dad,โ€ he said. โ€œSharing this experience together has been more than I could have imagined. Equally rewarding, building a business where our employees can come to work and have fun and getting to watch our guests enjoy themselves and interact with our employees is fulfilling. Itโ€™s the realization of a vision we had when we started โ€“ build a space where friends gather and watch the impact it can have in our local communities.โ€

Be proactive

Straub feels ยายืสำฦต prepared him well for the many opportunities that he has had since graduation. His love for working on multiple projects at once and operating in a space outside of his comfort zone all stemmed from his time at ยายืสำฦต.

“ยายืสำฦต has a tremendous number of organizations and ways to get involved both on and off campus. As a student, I often said ‘yes’ to so many things and juggled a lot at the same time. In hindsight, these competing priorities helped prepare me to multitask well and handle multiple business ventures at once,” Straub said.

Just last year, Cork & Candles began franchising and they sold their first franchise this year. The goal is to grow the brand nationally now that they have the licensing to franchise across the United States. As they grow, they are excited to support their franchises, helping them as they build their own love for business in their own communities across the country.

Straub hopes that all budding entrepreneurs dive in and pursue their passions. His advice to ยายืสำฦต students following in his footsteps is to network and just get started.

“Being proactive will set you apart from others in your field,” said Straub. “Find someone that is doing what you want to do and take them to lunch, then ask them about their experiences and learn from them. Don’t be afraid of negative feedback โ€“ the toughest feedback usually highlights your biggest growth opportunities.”

The programming began with Senior Vice President for University Advancement and External Affairs Jim Piatt offering a gracious introduction of ยายืสำฦต alumna Joyel Crawford ’97.

Piatt highlighted Crawfordโ€™s work as a career coach as well as her podcast called โ€œCareer View Mirrorโ€ and her book โ€œShow Your Ask: Using Your Voice to Advocate For Yourself and Your Career.โ€ Piatt then went on to welcome President Connie Ledoux Book to the stage, noting her work and development of ยายืสำฦตโ€™s ambitious strategic plan, Boldly ยายืสำฦต, guiding the universityโ€™s development until 2030.

Crawford facilitated a Q&A with President Book about the latest updates from ยายืสำฦตโ€™s campus. Their conversation discussed updates from ยายืสำฦต within the past year, including the addition of Founders Hall and Innovation Hall as well as the New Wellness Center which will hold health, wellness and counseling services on campus.

Along with new additions on campus, they also discussed the fastest-growing academic programs including the engineering and nursing programs. President Book also touched on the importance of the regional chapters of alumni, which began in Los Angeles. Regional chapters have since expanded to New York City and Washington, D.C., and have continued to expand from there, as it is a key way to connect alumni with the university and provide them with professional development opportunities.

Crawford asked about what President Book was most excited about within the Boldly ยายืสำฦต strategic plan, to which President Book highlighted her excitement for the mentoring programs for students on campus.

To wrap up their conversation, they discussed how artificial intelligence is working in the classroom and what the future might look like. President Book then elaborated that in general AI is changing the world and noted that ยายืสำฦต students and alumni will use AI as a tool to solve problems within the world.

Once the Q&A concluded, the Chapter President of the Philadelphia Alumni Board Ashley LaPlaca, offered some closing remarks ending with “Long Live ยายืสำฦต,” before the night ended with a dessert reception.

Thursday, Sept. 12
5-7 p.m.
City Tap
2 Logan Square
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Join fellow alumni and friends to welcome new alumni to the area! We will be providing appetizers and ยายืสำฦต swag. All alumni, guests and friends are welcome.

Please contact alumni@elon.edu with any questions.

Please RSVP here by Aug. 26:

Through the campaign, donors will build on ยายืสำฦต's position as a leader in higher education by investing in graduates the world needs, engaged learning, mentors who matter and the university's iconic learning environment. 

The event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 5, at David Geffen Hall on the Lincoln Center campus. A reception including a hosted bar and hors d'oeuvres will begin at 6 p.m., immediately followed by a program featuring remarks by President Connie Ledoux Book and special guests. 

ยายืสำฦต LEADS in New York
A celebration of leadership and philanthropy with President Connie Ledoux Book

Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019
6 p.m. Reception
7:30 p.m. Remarks by President Book

Lincoln Center
David Geffen Hall
10 Lincoln Center Plaza
New York, New York 10023

Business attire
Cocktail reception with hors d'oeuvres

RSVP at

Contact Jill Hollis '13 G'17 at jhollis@elon.edu with any questions.

Though rain was forecast for most of the day, the weather luckily held out for the alumni group as they worked to better the Cobbs Creek environment. Some tasks completed by the volunteers included hauling rolls of dilapidated carpet, cutting down noxious weeds, picking up trash, and digging out an embedded shopping cart from the creek bed.

Each year, the power of the ยายืสำฦต community comes together to serve the Philadelphia area alumni call home. As Calley Grace Lev '08 said about her experience with the service project, "We worked super hard and made a big difference in the lot we were working on."

The Office of Alumni Engagement is proud to recognize the great work done by each of the regional alumni chapters. Thank you to everyone who came out and volunteered! 

Each year, the power of the ยายืสำฦต community comes together to serve the Philadelphia area in which they call home. On the morning of April 13, we will have an ยายืสำฦต group at the 35 annual Darby-Cobbs Cleanup at the historic 1766 Blue Bell Inn. Please see details and registration option below:

Philadelphia Chapter @ Cobbs Creek Cleanup @ Historic Blue Bell Inn

7303 Woodland Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19142

Saturday, April 13, 2019

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Suggested attire includes sturdy shoes, long pants and clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty. Bring a water bottle. Guests, families, and friends are invited, too.

Check out last year’s ยายืสำฦต group cleanup on E-net here.

If you have any questions, please let Joe Ward, senior coordinator of regional alumni engagement, know by emailing him at jward18@elon.edu.

Alumni of all generations are encouraged to attend as we kick off a new year of chapter events. Family, friends and guests are welcome to join. Free food and ยายืสำฦต gear will be available at all events. This is an opportunity to connect with other local ยายืสำฦต graduates and hear from chapter leaders about what is in store for the upcoming year.

Learn more and register for your chapter’s event by clicking the name of your city below: 
 

Alumni chapters in Alamance County, the Triad (Greensboro), Richmond, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. hosted events in mid-August. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@elon.edu or (336) 278-7500.

Presented in conjunction with the student-run Sport Management Club, the annual event kicked off with a dinner followed by a guest lecture from ยายืสำฦต alumna Jackie Sapio ’10, coordinator of community initiatives for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Banquet photos are available on the .

In her role, Sapio is involved in various outreach and fan development initiatives, including the management of the Phillies Fan Club. Prior to her current position, she was a member of the advertising sales department, where she focused on corporate partnership activation. She began her career with the Phillies as an intern in the community outreach department.

The self-described planner discussed how difficult it was not to have a position lined up after graduation, or the subsequent time before she landed her first post-grad internship in November. 

The following 25 months were also uneasy because while she loved working for the MLB franchise, it took her two-plus years to secure a full-time position with the organization.

Nonetheless, the southern New Jersey native cherished working for her hometown team.

“Being at the field for opening day – especially your first time – is something I won’t forget,” she said. “This was the team I grew up cheering for.”

Having moved departments and positions a few times, Sapio said she enjoys being back in community initiatives, where she started. “It’s a special thing to be involved with a program that can reach so many people,” she said.

She shared several pieces of advice with the departing seniors, charging them to continue to learn and surround themselves with good people. Sapio harped on the importance of relationship building “because digital connections are not enough,” she said.

She added, “Don’t get discouraged. No career path is a straight line.”

Sapio also pointed one advantage they have moving forward. “ยายืสำฦต has more than prepared you for the next step,” she reasoned.  

​Matt Cotton ’18 also received the James P. Drummond Service Award, named in honor of the founding department chair of Leisure and Sport Management (later renamed Sport Management). Associate Professor Tony Weaver initially introduced the service award, but the department chair noted that student Ryan Spaulding ’18 requested the honor of presenting Cotton with the accolade.  

​Following the department awards, Associate Professor Hal Walker also offered a few words recognizing outgoing Communications Dean Paul Parsons, who was in attendance.

Walker commended Parsons for his “humble, professional and steady hand” while helping guide the school and the department, noting that Parsons “epitomizes what we would all want in a leader.”

“You would be lucky to have a boss and leader like Dr. Parsons,” Walker told the aspiring professionals in the audience.

​The executive board members of the Sport Management Club were also recognized at the ceremony. These board members included Spaulding (president), Hannah Olson ’18 (vice president), Clay Bruning ’18 (treasurer), Ben Bean ’18 and Kara Shutt ’18 (co-marketing chairs), Megan Podgorski ’18 (social media chair) and Carrigan Bain ’19 (membership chair). The student organization is advised by Assistant Professor Shaina Dabbs.

Bean and Olivia Wamelink ’18 served the event’s emcees.

The banquet concluded with a five-minute video by Jenny Berman ’18 and Maddie Yih ’18, who also organized the event.

Alumni helped restore damaged sections of trails by building steps and diverting water run-off, as well as picking up trash and removing invasive plants. 

The Philadelphia Alumni Chapter hosts a different service project each spring in an effort to give back to the community in which they call home.

To stay up-to-date on Philly Alumni programming, .

The chapter’s board members, especially Denis Dotson ’15 and Calley Grace ’08, have done excellent work of coordination and execution to make this event one of the chapter’s signature opportunities of the winter season.

To keep up with the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter, follow the group on Facebook: .