Kari Block, the CEO of Earth-Kind, will answer student’s questions in a question-and-answer session Wednesday Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Grise Hall auditorium for the Department of Communication’s new Executive in Residence program.

Helen Sterk, department head and professor in the Communication Department, said that they will try to invite people to speak at the program who can help students consider their career goals. Block is the first such guest for this program.

Block worked with Earth-Kind, a company that produces environmentally-friendly products, to develop Fresh Cab, a poison-free rodent repellant that is safe to use around children and animals. 

Sam Ford, who has Block as a client, said that Block developed Fresh Cab on her farm. 

“They were having issues with rodents on the farm,” Ford said “She began experimenting with all natural products.”

Block’s research led her to develop Fresh Cab, he said.

Ford, who is also director of audience management at Peppercomm and a chairman elect for the WKU communication department advisory board, will interview Block and help host the event.

“All of her research found that there were a lot of things humans like and rodents don’t,” Ford said. 

Block began selling her product in local stores, and it is now available across America and Canada, Ford said.

Ford said that the purpose of the Executive in Residence program is to bring executives from the business world who can talk with the Department of Communications and elsewhere.

“WKU has a lot of entrance points, orientation programs, first year programs,” Sterk said. “At least in our program we want to make sure there’s a good exit point too, to help students understand now what are you going to do with this education.”

Sterk said that, as part of her visit to WKU, Warberg will speak to five classes across several disciplines. 

“One is an entrepreneurship class, one is agriculture—it’s a farm management class, she’s speaking to a group communication class, and an advanced organization class and our senior capstone,” Sterk said. “She will be speaking about communication based topics with us, and farm management with them and how to build a business with the entrepreneurship class.”

Sterk also said that Block’s message will relate to all students across many disciplines.

“Her seven o’clock conversation on Wednesday night is going to be one that I think almost anyone can connect with,” Sterk said. “If they’re inventive and they think ‘What can I do with a product? How can I turn a product into a career?’ she will definitely have something to say about that.”