Small Business Spotlight: Rust College A’Cappella Choir Shows Why Relationships are the Real Currency

By Launita Dawson

In this week’s Small Business Spotlight, we’re broadening the conversation beyond storefronts and balance sheets to talk about relationships, pipelines, branding, and long-term investment—the same fundamentals that sustain successful businesses.

I sat down in Milwaukee with Rust College A’Cappella Choir Director Dr. Karl E. Twyner, along with the Rust College Milwaukee Chapter of the International Alumni Club (RCMCIAC) President Tiffany Staples, and Vice President Melaney Paige. What became immediately clear is that the work they’re doing mirrors what strong business leaders already know: When you invest in people intentionally, the returns multiply.

Our Conversation
LD: Dr. Twyner, watching the choir perform today felt less like a college concert and more like watching a well-run organization operate at a high level. How do you approach building students the same way a business builds talent?

Dr. Twyner: That’s a great comparison, because I don’t see students as they are when they walk in; I see their potential. In business, you don’t hire just for today; you hire for what someone can become.

That’s exactly how I work with students. Some come in with rough edges, but they need structure, accountability, and someone who will check on them when they’re not performing at their best. That’s development. That’s leadership.

That’s workforce preparation.

LD: That sounds like talent development and retention.
Dr. Twyner: Exactly. We started this program from scratch three years ago. Today, many of our choir members are campus leaders—Miss Rust, Mr. Rust, SGA leaders. If you want leadership on campus, you’ll find them in the choir or music department.

That’s culture building.

LD: You also mentioned accreditation and program expansion. That felt very similar to positioning a business for funding and growth.

Dr. Twyner: Absolutely. Accreditation is like credibility. Grantors ask questions or legitimacy, how you maintain stability and how will you continue to build and grow?

We’re pursuing NASM (National Association School of Music) accreditation so that when our students graduate, their degrees carry weight nationally and internationally. We’re also expanding into instrumental programs—strings, jazz band, symphonic band—because diversification matters.

In business, if you only offer one service, you’re vulnerable. This is about building an ecosystem.

LD: One thing that really stood out was how you recruit across disciplines, not just music majors.

Dr. Twyner: That’s networking. I recruit students to Rust College first. Some are biology majors, computer science majors—many from Nigeria. What happens naturally is collaboration.

You see music students studying alongside science students. They trade strengths. Nobody fails alone. That’s exactly how a healthy workplace functions.

LD: Tiffany, from an alumni perspective, the work you’re doing reminded me of business development and market expansion. How do you see it?

Tiffany Staples: That’s exactly what it is. The International Alumni Club has a 10-10-10 initiative— recruit 10 students, recruit 10 alumni, and raise $10,000 annually. That’s goal setting. Which is a measurable impact.

We’re also focused on branding Rust College throughout Milwaukee and surrounding communities.

In business, if people don’t know your name, they can’t invest in you. The same applies here.
Rust is a small HBCU, but small doesn’t mean insignificant. Sometimes it means agile, personal, and deeply connected — which many businesses strive to be.

LD: And the personal piece really matters.

Tiffany Staples: It does. At Rust, students aren’t numbers. Faculty know their names. If something goes wrong, someone steps in. That kind of care builds loyalty—and loyal people become ambassadors. That’s true in education and business.

LD: Melaney, your focus on marketing and visibility felt very much like a brand strategy.
Melaney Paige: It is. We go into high schools, college fairs, alumni mixers, and community events because visibility matters. If you’re not present where decisions are being made, you get overlooked.

We also recognize that timing and messaging are key. Next year, we want earlier media engagement—TV, print, radio—because awareness drives turnout, and turnout drives funding.

Just like a business launch, you can’t show up after the sale is over.

LD: One thing I appreciated was how you all talked about the choir as ambassadors.

Melaney Paige: They are. When they walk into a city, they represent Rust College, the alumni, and the broader HBCU community. They’re selling excellence without saying a word.

But behind that excellence is discipline. Standards matter. That’s professionalism.

In closing: Education, arts, and business speak the same language
What this conversation reinforced is that successful education programs and successful businesses are built on the same foundation:

• Intentional leadership
• Strategic growth
• Brand awareness
• Relationship capital
• Long-term investment in people

Dr. Twyner isn’t just directing a choir—he’s developing a global brand rooted in excellence. The Milwaukee Alumni aren’t just hosting concerts, they’re expanding networks, pipelines, and opportunity.

And in a city like Milwaukee, where business, culture, and community are deeply intertwined, this is exactly the kind of model worth paying attention to.

Because whether you’re talking about music or commerce, the truth remains the same: strong connections create lasting success.