A Tradition Nearly Two Decades Strong
Following a record breaking 61st Annual Business Day, the student organizing committee for this year’s event has elected to donate its $6,221 surplus back to the Business Day Endowment, a move organizers say is a gesture of thanks for the support they received and to allow future cohorts to have the same opportunity.
“Our cohort was fortunate to receive support from the Business Day Endowment this year,” said Russell Noseworthy, co-chair of the 2026 committee. “Although, after a very successful event—particularly in terms of industry ticket sales and corporate sponsorships—we ended the year with a surplus. In order to ensure the continued success of Business Day for future cohorts, we decided that donating the funds back to the endowment was the most impactful way to use them. This way the Faculty can ensure that the funds can help not only next year’s class, but the class after that, and the class ten years after that.”
Co-chair Aman Gangani also echoed the sentiment, stating that the donation was proof of the trust that the event’s supporters have in it. “Being able to contribute to the endowment reflects the trust our sponsors and participants place in Business Day,” he said. “Their support shows they understand the importance that this experience creates for students, industry professionals and the business community. Our team is grateful to help carry that impact forward for future teams.”
For the committee, the decision to give back was about more than closing the books on a successful Business Day. “We sincerely believe that contributing back to the endowment helps support the long-term future of this annual tradition, which has now completed its 61st iteration,” the team noted. “It also gives future Business Day teams the opportunity to experiment, take thoughtful risks, and keep the tradition alive while allowing it to evolve with changing times.”
The success of the 2026 Business Day can be attributed to Faculty support and a team effort, with professors opening their classrooms to help promote the event, while committee members handled the marketing and communications, finance, sponsorship and event coordination. Among the highlights was the “speed networking” hour, a new addition built around this year's theme, “The Power of Connection.”
"For the first time, we implemented a ‘speed networking’ hour, formally connecting more students and industry professionals together," Noseworthy said. "Although coordinating the movement of over 100 students every 10 minutes was no small feat, the hour went even better than we could have hoped. Our aim is for this networking hour to be a core piece of future Business Days, solidifying the value proposition for corporate sponsors, alumni, and industry mentors."
A Tradition Nearly Two Decades Strong
Well before the 2026 donation, the endowment was started by the Business Day committee of 2007. “The fund was established after our volunteer committee organized a very successful Business Day,” said Josh Quinton, co-chair and president of the Class of 2007. “With strong ticket sales, careful cost management, and a tremendous volunteer effort, we finished the year with excess capital. Rather than simply closing out the event or treating the volunteers, we felt it was important to use those funds to help future classes get a head start on the costs of running Business Day. Since the event has been an important tradition since 1965, we saw establishing an endowment to support its long-term success and help future organizers continue building on that legacy.”
Nearly two decades later, Quinton said it means something to see the 2026 committee contributing to that fund. “It means a great deal to see the Business Day 2026 organizers add to the fund nearly 20 years later. To me, it reflects the strength of the tradition and the shared commitment to making the event better for each new class. It is encouraging to see continued support for creating opportunities that connect Memorial students and alumni with business leaders and strengthen the overall impact of Business Day.”
What the Endowment Makes Possible
The Faculty see the gift as a sign of just how far Business Day has grown, no longer tied to any one organizing committee but carried forward, year after year, by each new class of students. It's also seen as a sound financial decision: rather than treating the surplus as a one-time windfall, the committee chose to put it back to work for the long term. In practice, the endowment helps cover upfront costs like venue deposits and speaker fees before sponsorship and ticket revenue starts coming in. It's a reminder, too, of the partnership behind the event: staff support Business Day through mentorship and promotion, while students remain the ones driving its direction.
Dean Travor Brown echoed that view. “The decision by the Business Day 2026 committee to make a donation to the Business Day Endowment is the best of what we hope to foster in our students: leadership, initiative and a commitment to giving back,” Brown said. “The significance of this gift is that it comes from students who have made the choice to invest in the success of those who will follow them. Contributions such as this keep alive the experiential learning opportunities which are the hallmarks of Business Day to allow future students to continue to develop the skills, confidence and connections that will serve them throughout their careers.”
The Future of Business Day
Ultimately, the gift from the 2026 committee is about paying it forward. “We hope future organizers can use this contribution to keep experimenting with different formats over time, without being limited by financial constraints,” Gangani said. “We trust future organizing teams to make the best use of the contribution based on the evolving needs of Business Day. More than anything, we hope this support gives them the freedom to be creative, take thoughtful risks, and continue making Business Day valuable for students and the business community.”
The 2026 team’s gift, of $6,221, guarantees that the tradition first built by student organizers almost two decades ago and carried by every cohort since, will continue to open doors for Memorial business students for years to come.