Hands-On Opportunity

UNC Asheville’s Management Consulting Practicum Class Partners with Helios Hand Sanitizer to Produce Essential Product during Pandemic

By UNC Asheville

May 28^th, 2021

Photos by Hannah Stuit

The students enrolled in Associate Professor of Management and Accountancy Susan Clark Muntean’s Management 488 class in spring 2021 knew their capstone course would look a little different. Desks for the in-person class were spaced six feet apart, and hand-sanitizer was available at the door, but for the 12 masked faces, that hand-sanitizer was more than just a COVID protocol. It was their business, and the classroom was a conference room where they discussed and debated aspects of running a company. The spring 2021 Consulting Practicum at UNC Asheville worked with Helios Hand Sanitizer to accelerate the business, gaining hands-on experience and, for three graduates, leading to first jobs following their degrees.

In total, 12 students worked on the semester project, but there was one more class attendee, present almost every class meeting Monday and Wednesday. Helios CEO and Founder Axie Blundon made it a point to be there in person and to extend the opportunity beyond the class through internships with the company.

“It was extremely validating to do this kind of work together,” said Blundon. “This is the intersection of the academic world, entrepreneurial work, established industry and emerging industry.”

Helios emerged in Asheville as one of Venture Asheville’s micro-grant recipients, became a member of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, and was accepted into Venture Asheville Elevate, which is how they connected with the class at UNC Asheville.

The students joined in every aspect of the entrepreneurial endeavor. The marketing team made fliers and developed social media plans. The operations team focused on compliance and regulations including labeling required by the FDA. The sales team implemented a customer relationship management system, coordinating sales and following up on the details.

“They didn’t just create a business plan. They actually made the business happen,” said Muntean.

In the three months the class worked with the business, they opened three new accounts in Asheville, were responsible for all social media growth, and supported the leadership team in scaling the business and gaining market share. Now the plant-based hand-sanitizer, made from a byproduct of CBD production, is in more than 100 locations and distributed via solar-powered stations. Helios also supplies emergency workers with hand sanitizer free of charge in all markets that they serve.

For a few of the recent graduates, the hands-on work continues this summer as well.

“This class for me has been an internship and introduction to the real-world of business,” said William Dollar ’21, who now works as finance manager for Helios and its parent organization House of Brandstracts.

“All 12 students now have that experience,” said Muntean. “They will have more confidence. They might start their own business. It empowers them to be impactful entrepreneurs or business leaders themselves.”

To learn more about Helios Hand Sanitizer, listen to UNC Asheville Career Center’s Cool Jobs Podcast Episode 12.

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