“Michael and Bonnie served as the speakers for the University of Tampa Fall 2013 Main Street Speaker Series program. Their story is amazing and they deliver it with a warm and approachable style. They exude a positive energy and the way they share the telling of the story between the two of them simply draws in the listener. It was a fun presentation with many valuable learning points. Virtually anyone who wants to build a brand and serve customer needs can learn from your story. Afterward, our students were lined up to talk with them and I heard significant buzz on campus all day!”
– Rebecca White
Professor, Entrepreneurship and James W. Walter Distinguished Chair of Entrepreneurship Director, Entrepreneurship Center, The University of Tampa, John H. Sykes College of Business 2012 President, United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE)
“Unusual experience and conversation of soft skills in such a beautiful place”
“One of the brightest impressions was a trip to stunning beauty of the winery and the history of the creation of the wine brand . Very interesting content from Michael and Bonnie”
“The overall impression was very positive. Impressive story and interesting approach to doing business”
– Skolkovo Students
“I found our session to be very interesting. As someone who has been engaged for many years in teaching entrepreneurship, I found many connections between the real-world Barefoot story and the specific learning outcomes of my courses.”
– John Clarke
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Tulane University
“Our entrepreneurship students thoroughly enjoyed their workshop on Michael and Bonnie’s estate; it was a refreshing change from their usual classroom lessons and they took away some extremely valuable, down to earth, business principles, which will serve them well in their startup endeavors.”
– Rick Tay
Chief Operating Officer, Nanyang University
“They were an inspiration to all. I heard their presentation three times, and I can honestly say that I learned something different each time and enjoyed it just the same. The students loved them and I have heard nothing but great things from people who heard their presentations (both in Calgary and Lethbridge).
– Heather Harty
Coordinator, Student Professional Development Faculty of Management, University of Lethbridge
“I’ve already been able to use [Michael and Bonnie’s] message in class and outside of it. The message was super relatable and applicable to a lot of the stuff we’re learning right now in our entrepreneurship classes. It was a great perspective, and was neat to hear the backstory of a massive wine brand.”
– Chris Rose
Entrepreneurship Student, University of California at Los Angeles
“We were delighted to have Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey as our Executives-in-Residence for 2014-2015 at the University of Lethbridge! They shared their story of the creation of Barefoot Cellars, a wonderful and inspiring saga of entrepreneurial courage and perseverance. They delivered a powerful, entertaining and inspiring presentation to students, faculty, and staff of the journey to becoming the world’s most recognized wine brand. Most important, I believe they transformed the lives of many of the students who they spoke to, who will now have the confidence and determination to begin their own journey in new venture creation.”
– Robert Ellis
Dean of Management, University of Lethbridge
“Bonnie and Michael are truly inspirational ! Their tag team approach to sharing their experiences is lively, practical and completely engrossing. Laced with practical tips and real-world examples, their presentation was a highlight of the course.”
– Dr. Jon Day
Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University
“Michael is an engaging, funny, experienced, wise, and philosophical speaker who will leave members of your audience feeling empowered, ready to tackle the world, and with a smile on their faces. I strongly recommend him.“
– Jim Lapsley
Ph.D. Adjunct Associate Professor, Dept. of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis; Researcher, UC Davis; Emeritus Continuing Educator, UC Davis Extension
“Michael and Bonnie painted a wonderful landscape of what entrepreneurs face as they continuously snatch success from the jaws of ever-present failure. they also offered portraits of leadership and strategy as the Barefoot journey moved beyond the start-up stage. The artistic way they presented the episodes of the Barefoot Spirit helped our students capture the essence of the lessons they wanted to illustrate. The vignettes are what the students will remember, but the base colors are always foundation principles of business. Perhaps this is why our students were so attentive and asked such good questions at the end because they were drawn into the Barefoot world like a master artist draws us into a masterpiece.”
– Michael Solt
Dean of Business Administration, California State University at Long Beach
“I don’t see you so much as a speaker, Bonnie, as an event creator.”
– Audrey, Chen Yihan
Manager (Graduate Programmes)
Nanyang Technopreneurship Center
“Spectacular!! Michael and Bonnie hit an absolute home run with my undergraduate Entrepreneurship class. I could not have asked for more in terms of how the material they covered related to the concepts we have covered in this class.”
– Bill Rossi
Associate Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at University of Florida, Warrington College of Business
“Michael and Bonnie were really inspiring to see on stage at our MIXER event. They spoke about how they used marketing techniques and a broad network to sell their brand. The audience, consisting mainly of engineer students, were thrilled and surprised to hear that they don’t need the perfect invention for a start-up, the most important thing is how you sell it.”
– Thomas Bergflødt
Project Leader, Start NTNU
“We have had some excellent entrepreneurship speakers on campus, however, none have gotten the students as engaged as Bonnie and Michael. The students really connected with them. It meant so much to the students to hear from individuals who are so open about sharing information….both the highs and the lows….the accomplishments and the mistakes. They gave such practical tips and advice that students could immediately apply to their business ideas and/or class projects.”
– Barbara Millard
Associate Professor of Business, Johnson County Community College
“Their presentation achieved an overwhelming response from all who attended. I am still receiving feedback from both students and community stakeholders not only about their presentation but “how down to earth” they both were. Personally, I was impressed by the fact that they wanted (or insisted) to interact with our students. The fact that Bonnie walked around the student auditorium prior to the presentation and personally introduced herself to practically the entire student body really had an impact on the students and further solidified the success of the program. Michael & Bonnie left our students inspired to achieve their goals and it was truly a fantastic time.”
– Stephen M. Kozachyn III
Executive Director, External Affairs, Rowan University
“Bonnie and Michael provided very useful advice to our students. Their suggestions and lessons learned complemented our curriculum in a variety of areas, including customer discovery and validation, promotional strategy and branding, and bootstrapping. I highly recommend Bonnie and Michael as speakers both for students and experienced entrepreneurs.”
– Maddison Pedigo
Associate Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programs, Naveen Jindal School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas
“Thank you for hosting us and for organizing another unforgettable learning trip. The students enjoyed the trip and benefited from your experience and vivid sharing.”
– Chen Fang
Manager, Postgraduate Programmes at Nanyang Technopreneurship Center, Nanyang Technological University
“People seemed to most enjoy the candor that Michael and Bonnie displayed. It was incredibly refreshing to hear that they really had no knowledge of the industry and were still able to create a global brand just by learning and executing against customer requests. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the presentation. It was incredibly informative and proved to be a great compliment to the education that happens in the classroom. It was such a unique experience that I believe will be invaluable to our education.”
– Chadwick Ries
MBA Student, University of California at Los Angeles
“Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey provided an engaging, down to earth account of how they created America’s best selling wine brand from nothing in an entertaining and educational way. Students were at the edge of their seats and left with the feeling that they too could build a successful business with hard work and grit as Michael and Bonnie did.”
– Michael Luchies
National Growth and Programs Manager, CEO
“They both were wonderful and filled the room with such knowledge and wisdom that many lives of our students will be changed as a result of your visit. They truly inspired us with their “Barefoot Spirit”.
– Bonnie Chavez
Chair of the Business Administration Department, The Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
“Great story behind the founders of Barefoot Wines. The struggles and achievements leading to their success are extraordinary. The fact that they shared their management strategies and provided a resource link was amazing, Barefootbonus.com. What I took from these two great speakers was that, taking risks is the most important leap that needs to be taken for a chance at future success.”
– Ana Noyola
Student, Cal Poly Pomona
“On behalf of the Entrepreneurship Club at UT Dallas, we would like to you both for coming to our school and telling the fascinating story of Barefoot Wine, to our students. We received great feedback after the event and are still receiving it.“
– Parth Acharya
President, E-Club, Graduate Student at The University of Texas at Dallas
“Last January, 2013, I attended a USASBE conference in San Francisco. Bonnie and Michael were there to tell their entrepreneurial story. I was mesmerized, as was the audience of Social Entrepreneurs. Shortly thereafter, they came to Dallas to be the Keynote speakers at Business Week for the University of Texas in Arlington. Again, Bonnie and Michael mesmerized our Texas students. They were personable, engaging and honest. They came to teach. he students left encouraged and positive about what it really is like to “begin a project from idea to finish”. Bonnie and Michael were REAL people. The business professors commented that they were the most interesting and entertaining speakers of the 30 who came that week to UTA.”
– Bob Hopkins
The University of Texas at Arlington, Professor of Business Communications; Founder, Philanthropy World magazine
“I can honestly say that I’ve never stayed after class to meet with our speakers, but I really felt connected with what you both said. I learned a lot in the short 50 minutes (specifically about how to use resources out-of-the-box, such as asking what the “guy with dirt under his finger nails” had to say).”
– Laura Haselman
Student, Purdue University
“Bonnie and Michael provided an evening of real excitement for our students, faculty and visitors when they presented their entrepreneurial story about the birth and the success of Barefoot Wines. Their engaging style and superior presentation made for a memorable event at Cal Poly Pomona, and served as the ultimate model and motivator for our students. Their can-do attitude was truly contagious, and can be highly recommended to other universities.”
– Erik Rolland
Dean College of Business Administration, Cal Poly Pomona
“Bonnie and Michael’s visit to the Syracuse Student Sandbox was a transformative experience for the student startups. Their down to earth lecture style and real world business experience made complex subject matter easily accessible by even the most novice entrepreneur. Pivotal content included a discussion about hiring the right people from day one and ensuring you are cash flow positive from the minute you open your doors. The Sandbox very much looks forward to working with Michael and Bonnie in the future.”
– Braden Croy
Assistant Director of The Syracuse Sandbox at The Tech Garden
“Thank you so much for participating in O’Dowd’s Career Day. So many people commented on how great it was to meet you and see you in action. It’s both unusual and powerful for the students to be with professionals of your stature. That made for a wonderful connection and interaction. Thank you!“
– Kathleen Purcell
Counselor and Educator, Bishop O’Dowd High School
“Michael is an informative, challenging and engaging speaker. He holds the attention of the audience while he entertains and educates. He gives a unique perspective that can only come from experience.“
– Dr. William Silver
Dean, Professor of Business Administration, School of Business and Economics, Sonoma State University
