Sykes Media Coverage

Sykes College of Business Media Coverage

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News Analysis: Vietnam and Afghanistan: America’s two longest wars, with very different lasting impacts

L.A. Times
Sept. 5, 2022
Abigail Hall Blanco, Ph.D., associate professor of economics, was interviewed by the L.A. Times on the parallels and differences between the wars in Afghanistan and Vietnam. 

Ask the Experts: Gap Insurance

By Jennifer L. Burton
WalletHub
Marketing professor Jennifer L. Burton is featured in WalletHub's article on gap insurance.

Are investors right in expecting a dovish Fed pivot?

By Vivekanand Jayakumar
The Hill
Aug. 8, 2022

Is a recession inevitable?

By Vivekanand Jayakumar
The Hill
July 25, 2022
In a piece published in The Hill, Jayakumar, Associate Professor of Economics, Sykes College of Business, assesses the risk and potential severity of a U.S. recession.

New era of inflation will bedevil central banks and bond markets

By Vivekanand Jayakumar
The Hill
July 1, 2022
In a piece published in The Hill, Jayakumar, Associate Professor of Economics, Sykes College of Business, considers the potential risks facing monetary authorities and bond markets from an inflation regime shift.

University of Tampa launches students into business | Morning in America

NewsNation
June 23, 2022
Check out the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center in this feature by News Nation on Morning in America.

Ron DeSantis' Immigration Crackdown Could Prove Costly

By Fiona Harrigan
Reason
June 22, 2022
Michael Coon, Associate Professor of Economics, was interviewed by Reason Magazine about Florida's new immigration law that requires all law enforcement jurisdictions to participate in 287(g) Agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Where the Fed went wrong

By Vivekanand Jayakumar
The Hill
June 17, 2022
In the piece published in The Hill, Vivekanand Jayakumar (Department of Economics) examines how repeated forecasting errors and shifting forward guidance have hurt the credibility of the US central bank (The Federal Reserve).

How resilient are US consumers? We’ll soon find out

By Vivekanand Jayakumar
The Hill
June 8, 2022
In the piece published in The Hill, Vivekanand Jayakumar (Department of Economics) considers whether the American consumer can remain resilient in the face of growing headwinds.

State of Business: Preparing for a Post-Pandemic Economy

Vivekanand Jayakumar was the keynote speaker at an event sponsored by TD Bank and the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Will EU’s hawks kill off free trade with Asia?

By David Hutt
Asia Times
April 13, 2022

Vivekanand Jayakumar’s piece on globalization ( Is the current era of globalization coming to an end?| The Hill, 04/11/22) was highlighted in the Asia Times article:

Vivekanand Jayakumar, an associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa, argued last month: “Following the peak of the recent globalization wave, we are now entering the de-globalization phase.”

‘Weaponisation’ to undermine dollar’s status as reserve currency 

By Issac John
Khaleej Times
April 10, 2022

Vivekanand Jayakumar’s piece on the US dollar ( The weaponization of finance threatens the future of the dollar standard | The Hill, 03/01/22) was highlighted in the Khaleej Times article:

“Given the emergence of the China-Russia alliance, and, considering China’s continuing rise as an economic and military power, we cannot underestimate the future risk to the dollar’s global status. Strengthening US alliances with emerging powers (like India and Brazil) and establishing closer ties with the African continent will be essential for the West as we enter a new era of geopolitical competition,” argues Vivekanand Jayakumar, an associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa.

Painful as it may be, pandemic wage and business subsidies will eventually stop 

By Don Pitts
CBC News
September 9, 2021

Vivekanand Jayakumar’s piece on the stimulus debate ( It’s time to ease up on the stimulus accelerator | The Hill, 08/03/21) was highlighted in the CBC News article:

A flood of fiscal stimulus and low interest rates is already causing dangerous distortions in the economy that could lead to a combination of slow growth and high inflation, warned U.S. economist Vivekanand Jayakumar, writing this week for the political website The Hill.

"Additional stimulus risks tipping the U.S. into a stagflationary trap, characterized by a slowdown in growth (driven by constrained supply) and surging price levels," said Jayakumar.

The Curious Case of Low Bond Yields

By Samantha Barnes
International Banker
September 23, 2021

Vivekanand Jayakumar’s piece on US Treasury bond yields ( Is the recent dip in Treasury yields a cause for concern? | The Hill, 07/30/21) was highlighted in the International Banker article:

“The ongoing build-up in pricing pressure is likely to persist into 2022 and beyond as widespread supply constraints crimp productive capacity worldwide even as global demand remains robust,” Vivekanand Jayakumar, associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa, recently opined in The Hill.

How did the Fed get it so wrong on inflation?

By Vivekanand Jayakumar
The Hill
Nov. 16, 2021
Associate economics professor Vivekanand Jayakumar discusses rising inflation rates lasting longer than initially predicted by the Federal Reserve.

Ask the Experts: Car Insurance

By Thomas J. Stockwell
WalletHub
Oct. 22, 2021
Economics professor Thomas J. Stockwell is featured in WalletHub's article on car insurance.

Professional Responsibilities for Loan and Debt Relief Application Assistance

By Steven Platau
Florida Institute of CPAs
April 17, 2020
On April 17, 2020, Steven Platau, UT professor of accounting, presented a one-hour webcast to 202 CPAs from the Florida Institute of CPAs. His webcast, "Professional Responsibilities for Loan and Debt Relief Application Assistance," discussed how CPAs needed to be mindful of risks involved in providing client assistance in newly-created PPP and other SBA-administered loan programs. Platau’s webcast centered on appropriate documentation, engagement letters, professional liability risks and insurance issues faced by CPAs quickly responding to these COVID-19 assistance requests. 

Economist Says Florida's Economy Will Recover, It Just Might Take A While

By Liz Burch
10News WTSP 
April 14, 2020
Assistant Professor Abigail Blanco on how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting Florida's economy.

Tampa Bike Shop Feeling Pain as U.S.-China Trade War Continues

By Ashley Paul
Spectrum Bay News 9
Aug. 27, 2019
Assistant Professor Michael Coon on the latest round of tariffs in the trade war with China.

A local North Carolina race could reinstate an ICE program that targets Latinos

By Alison Durkee
Mic Dispatch
Nov. 3, 2018
Assistant Professor Michael Coon on the local North Carolina race that could reinstate ICE programs that target Latinos.

Abby Hall on the Boomerang Effect and the Militarization of the US Domestic Police Force

By Abby Hall 
Economics Rockstar Podcast 
April 14, 2018
UT Sykes College of Business' own Abby Hall shares her podcast on the boomerang effect and the militarization of the US domestic police force. 

Jobs Report and appointment of President Trump's new economic advisor

By Abigail Hall Blanco 
970 WFLA
March 15, 2018
UT Sykes College of Business' own Abby Hall shares her radio interview on the most recent jobs report and the hiring of Larry Kudlow. 

How Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Could Affect Tampa Bay

By Michael Coon 
970 WFLA 
March 9, 2018
UT Sykes College of Business' own Michael Coon shares his radio interview.

There is no 'chain migration' problem

By Michael Coon and Abigail Hall Blanco 
Real Clear Policy 
Jan. 26, 2018
UT Sykes College of Business' own Abby Hall and Michael Coon share their co-authored piece in  Real Clear Policy. 

A Trumped-up drone program

By Christopher J. Coyne and Abigail Hall Blanco 
Tribune News Service
Oct. 5, 2017
UT Sykes College of Business' own Abby Hall shares her co-authored piece in this month's  Tribune News Service.

Future Focused: A Clear Path to Success

By Brent Fritzemeier
BizEd Magazine
Aug. 31, 2017
UT Sykes College of Business' own Dean Frank Ghannadian and Stephanie Thomason share their thoughts on the key to graduates becoming leaders in this month's BizEd Magazine.

Feds Should Focus Less on Fixing Immigrants and More on Fixing the Law

By Abigail Hall Blanco and Michael Coon
The Hill
Aug. 22, 2017
An op-ed with assistant professors of economics, Abigail Hall Blanco and Michael Coon, was recently featured in The Hill. The article discusses the broken U.S. immigration system and whether the U.S. should focus on fixing its broken immigration system rather than focusing on deporting millions of people. 

At 10-Year Milestone, Dean Ghannadian Has Witnessed Massive UT Growth

Tampa Bay Business Journal
April 27, 2017

Dean Frank Ghannadian currently oversees more than 120 faculty and staff in six departments of the Sykes College of Business with more than 12 undergraduate majors, four MBA programs and four master of science programs. Check out this video featuring our very own Dean Ghannadian talking about the tremendous growth he has seen here at UT during his time as dean and where he sees Tampa Bay's future in the next 10 years.

UT Students Create App That Could Revolutionize Job Searches

By Kera Mashek
ABC Action News
April 3, 2017

Two of University of Tampa's graduate students could be on the verge of a career search revolution. Together, Markus Waite and Karan Walia created an app called Zuloc that "allows candidates as well as companies to match make each other in a way that's more relevant than other job sites," according to Karan Walia. Employers list more than just a job opening, they describe how the company operates and what type of worker they are looking for.

What We Can Learn From Portugal's Drug Policy

By Kaila B. Preston and Abigail Hall Blanco
Inside Sources
Feb. 28, 2017

An op-ed with one of our students, Kaila Preston, alongside Abigail Hall Blanco, has been published by Inside Sources. The piece describes how Portugal's drug policy might inform U.S. policy. Portugal shocked the world in 2001 by voting to decriminalize all drugs and to view drug users as ill rather than criminal. This new policy has had a drastically different impact from what many predicted. 

The Unintended Consequences of Minimum Wage Hikes

By Abigail Hall Blanco
CNBC
Jan. 18, 2017

CNBC News has featured a commentary article by our very own Abigail Hall Blanco, assistant professor of economics at The University of Tampa. The article dives into the repercussions of lawmakers attempting to manipulate prices and the labor market. Hall Blanco states that while minimum-wage increases will boost the pay of some workers, it will send others to the unemployment office.

5 Free Resources for the Aspiring Business Owner

By Eric Liguori
Mediaplanet
January 2017

Eric Liguori, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at The University of Tampa, wrote an article that appeared in Mediaplanet. Liguori's article stresses the importance of rallying behind the individuals who are brave enough to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. He also provides five different resources that can help entrepreneurs along their journey.

Economics, Safety and Bureaucratic Logrolling

By Abigail Hall Blanco
Forbes
Oct. 6, 2016

Abigail Hall Blanco, assistant professor of economics at The University of Tampa, has contributed to the Opinions section of Forbes. Her article discusses how the technological innovations that fuel our economy and improve our lives every day can sometimes be seen as disruptive. She uses the app-based ridesharing services provided by Uber and Lyft as current examples.

Column: Floridians Push for Reform of State's Criminal Justice System

By Abigail Hall Blanco
Tampa Bay Times
Sept. 30, 2016  

Once again, Abigail Hall Blanco has continued to represent the Sykes College of Business in a positive light. Blanco has had another one of her articles published, this time in the Tampa Bay Times. The article discusses Pinellas County's announcement to launch an Adult Pre-Arrest Diversion program, described as one of the most ambitious criminal justice reforms in Tampa Bay. 

Lessons From Brexit: More Sovereignty, More Trade

By Abigail Hall Blanco
Forbes
Aug. 29, 2016

Abigail Hall Blanco, assistant professor of economics, continues to make The University of Tampa proud. Recently, she had her work about this summer's Brexit published in Forbes.

Should He Be Fired for That Facebook Post?

Harvard Business Review
March 2016

Congratulations to UT professor Mary Anne Watson and Gabrielle Lopiano MBA '13 for having their case study published in the March 2016 issue of the Harvard Business Review. The case study is available in the library, both in print and in the databases through Esearch. "Should We Fire Him For That Post?" Harvard Business Review 94.3 (2016): 103-107.

Has the Gender Pay Gap Decreased - or is That Just What We'd Like to Think?

By Bamzi Banchiri
The Christian Science Monitor
Feb. 11, 2016

Abigail Hall, a research fellow at the Independent Institute and assistant professor of economics at The University of Tampa, had her blog post featured in an article for The Christian Science Monitor stating, "The first problem with the gender wage gap idea is how it’s measured." According to Abigail Hall, "When discussing the 'gap,' people often bring out the statistic that a woman makes 77 cents for every dollar a man makes." She adds, "But this is not a fair comparison, and the statistic is grossly misleading."

Chinese Graduate Student Plants English Garden

The University of Tampa
Feb. 2, 2016

UT Sykes College of Business graduate student Yafeng Zhang, M.S. '16 started My English Garden. The service hosts video tutorials on YouTube and Tencent, the Chinese version of YouTube, which are accessible to people of all ages. The videos cover language as well as arithmetic, U.S. culture and science. After a month of being online, she has 70 videos available with a total of more than 6,000 views on Tencent. The live chat feature pairs Chinese students, from kindergarten through high school, with an English tutor here in the U.S.

Future Founders Names 18 Entrepreneurs to National Fellowship Cohort - UT Students Matthew Sarli Selected

PR Newswire
Jan. 27, 2016

The Fellowship is a selective year-long program that accelerates the success of the nation's top young entrepreneurs. Fellows have priority access to all Future Founders Startup services plus benefit from mentoring, entrepreneurial experiences, a peer community and volunteer opportunities through other Future Founders programs.

"The 2016 Fellows represent some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs across the country," said Scott Issen, president and CEO of Future Founders. "We have high hopes that this year's cohort will match or exceed the significant business and personal milestones that our 2015 cohort achieved. We're enhancing the 2016 Fellowship experience by launching intensive Founders Weekends and community-building activities to better support these rockstar entrepreneurs."

UT Entrepreneurship Center Named a National Model Program for Entrepreneurship Education

Bloomberg
Jan. 26, 2016

The Lowth Entrepreneurship Center in The University of Tampa was recently awarded the National Model Program Award for undergraduate entrepreneurship programs by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship at its annual conference in San Diego. The awards are given for exemplary programs that reflect innovation, quality, comprehensiveness, sustainability, transferability, depth of support and impact. “This award is arguably the most coveted award among entrepreneurship educators in the United States,” said Rebecca White, director of the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center and professor of entrepreneurship.

Why We Shouldn't Outlaw 'Unpaid' Internships

By Jennifer Schneible, UT Freshman and Abigail R. Hall, UT Assistant Professor of Economics
Newsday
Jan. 25, 2016

For a new college graduate, finding a job is stressful. In a job market dominated by resumes, connections and previous work experience, college students will often turn to internships, paid and unpaid, to gain a competitive edge. However, some critics want unpaid internships outlawed. Interns expect to benefit significantly from their experiences even if unpaid — or they wouldn’t take the positions. And if unpaid internships were eliminated, paid internships would be more difficult to find, would pay less than at present and would have worse working conditions.

2016 Debuts With Better Startups, Smarter Mentoring, Rising Venture Capital Interest

By Robert Trigaux
Tampa Bay Times
Jan. 22, 2015

The Tampa Bay startup community's resolution for the new year must have been to kick into higher gear. The good news is the area startup scene is starting to get more notice from venture capital firms and from Silicon Valley. Even Forbes picked the co-founders of a Tampa startup, Tembo, for its Class of 2016 30-Under-30 list. It's hard to believe Phil Michaels, now 28, came up with the idea for the Tampa startup Tembo only 15 months ago. He says Tembo is busy raising $1 million to fund the team's moving back to Africa to fine-tune its educational programs and mobile delivery system before "scaling the business up." So far, Tembo is talking to various potential investors and has also entered several other startup competitions.

Honors and Awards

BizEd
Jan. 11, 2016

The Lowth Entrepreneurship Center at The University of Tampa has been awarded the Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation Award by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC). The GCEC awards are judged by peer entrepreneurship directors to recognize top performers in entrepreneurship education.

UT Student Team Wins Local Round of Hult Prize Competition

By Justine Benstead
83 Degrees Media
Dec. 16, 2015

Each student team competes in a regional round before moving on to the finals in New York City next fall; but before teams can head to Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, or Shanghai for regionals, they must win the competition at the local level. In December 2015, a student team from UT, led by business management student Bay Downing, took top honors in the local round of competition.

Team OptiMrkt was chosen of the 10 competing teams because they “had the most compelling idea,” explains Hult Prize at UT Campus Director Caio Amaral. “The main argument was that the initiative and teamwork in OptiMrkt was very optimistic.”

OptiMrkt aims to reinvent the way that trade works for those “on the bottom of the pyramid” with a fresh approach to urban markets.

Announcing the 2015 Global Startup Battle Champions

By Dae Smith
UP Global
Dec. 14, 2015

LiftSync is a tech fitness company focused on transcending the barriers of fitness. Founded by Matt, Pat and Mariner, the idea hits close to home with all three feeling as if they have not seen the proper progress in the gym. The team has a wide breadth of knowledge from electrical engineering to entrepreneurship and finance. The LiftSync team placed 1st in Startup Weekend Tampa Bay and has received support from the Lowth Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Tampa.

3 Tips to Snag Startup Success

By Eric Liguori
Media Planet: Future of Business and Tech
Nov. 30, 2015

Navigating the complex world of starting and running a small business can be challenging, but that does not stop aspiring entrepreneurs from founding one of over 400,000 new U.S. businesses each year. That said, U.S. Census Bureau data indicates that since 2008 the U.S. has seen more businesses close than open. To ensure you’re not one of the thousands of failures each year, use these three tips to help navigate the uncertain and risk-laden small business environment. 

Working Poor Includes Professors and Childcare Workers

By Tammy Fields
WTSP - 10NEWS
Nov. 12, 2015

In the Tampa Bay area protests started early Tuesday morning and continued into the evening at Gaslight Park in downtown Tampa at the corner of Kennedy Boulevard and Franklin Street. The Bay area was among 20 cities across the state to join in on what's being called a National Day of Action to fight for an increase in the minimum wage to $15.

More Retailers Recognizing Thanksgiving Holiday

By Jenny Dean
WTSP - 10NEWS
Nov. 11, 2015

You've probably seen the sign from Nordstrom making the rounds on social media. The company does not decorate its store for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, and its locations will be closed for the holiday. It's a long-standing policy for the store. But does this hurt or help these stores hungry for Christmas season profits? University of Tampa professor and marketing expert Ronald Kuntze says for most retailers the decision is twofold. "There's a strategy element of ... am I really selling anything at Thanksgiving? Do I need to be open? And then there is this movement which I think is very important where ... my employees ... let me give them a day off before the holidays."

Governor Scott Recognizes Jared Shlager with Young Entrepreneur Award

Nov. 10, 2015

During a meeting of Florida’s Cabinet today, Governor Rick Scott recognized 24-year-old Jared Shlager with the Governor’s Young Entrepreneur Award. Shlager started his first business at 16 years old with the goal of creating high-quality pet products such as pet food and supplies. Throughout high school, and out of his dorm room at the University of Tampa, Shlager founded an online pet supply store through businesses such as JMS Creative Designs, Pet La Vie, and most recently, Boston Treat House and Pawmegranate. His products are sold in markets across the world including major stores such as Home Goods. He plans to expand to other retailers in the coming months.

Six Tampa College Students Made Final Cut for a $1 Million Clinton Prize

By Les Neuhaus
Tampa Bay Times
Sept. 27, 2015

Six students from the universities of Tampa and South Florida were in New York Saturday night as finalists in a prestigious competition for a $1 million award in connection with their work educating young children in Nigeria via cellphones over the summer.

The Tembo Education Group was the brainchild of a clutch of undergraduate and graduate students at the colleges who entered the annual Clinton Global Initiative Hult Prize. The students from Tembo, which means "elephant" in Swahili, were the only team from the United States who advanced to the finals out of the more than 20,000 students in the competition.

The Ex-Im Fight Makes a Comeback

By Robert L. Beekman and Brian T. Kench
Real Clear Policy
Sept. 22, 2015

Right now, both detractors and supporters of the Export-Import Bank are playing a waiting game. Everyone knows that, despite the lapse of Ex-Im's authorization this summer, legislators will try again to revive it. Some think it will come as part of the next spending resolution. Others think it could be attached to the next highway bill. Regardless, the debate continues.

Student Entrepreneurs to Compete for $4,000 Prize at University of Tampa

By Justine Benstead
83 Degrees
Feb. 24, 2015

Win $4,000 in 90 seconds? Student entrepreneurs in the southeastern United States will have just that opportunity during the Spartan Business Pitch Competition at the University of Tampa. The event is a part of the 2015 Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference, which will take place at UT on Feb. 27-28, 2015. Daniel James Scott, executive director of the Tampa Bay Technology Forum, is giving the keynote address. “I'm going to dispel the myths that attitude and failure are the magic bullets for achievement, and talk about the three shared traits - that you don't learn in college - that afford us the opportunity to win.”

A similar story appeared in the Tampa Bay Business Journal. 

Nearly 40 Percent of Wal-Mart’s U.S. Workers to Get Pay Raises

By Josh Thomas
WFLA
Feb. 19, 2015

Wal-Mart has announced it will be increasing wages for its associates. Entry-level wages will increase to $9 an hour in April and by February 2016, all current associates will earn at least $10 an hour. “A lot of employers are paying more than minimum wage because in order to get decent and good workers you basically have to pay $10, $12 or more these days,” said Frank Ghannadian, dean of the College of Business. “Wal-Mart being one the biggest companies in the world, I think that’s appropriate for them to do it.” 

Team Hopes Socially Conscious Idea is Worth $1 Million National Prize

By Dave Nicholson
Tampa Tribune
Feb. 9, 2015

A team of University of Tampa students, including two from Plant City, recently advanced to the next round of an international competition for the best solutions to global problems. Trent Lott and Bijen Patel, childhood friends from Plant City, along with UT classmates Vignesh Parameswaran and Caio Lombardi Amaral, will compete in one of six regional competitions for the Hult Award, which has a $1 million top prize. “We wanted to fight childhood mortality,” Lott said. Their plan calls for the team to sell the sanitation products in developing countries, with the profits used to create free educational booklets and toys that would be distributed for children.  

A Surge in Entrepreneurial Thinking

By Amy Martinez
Florida Trend
February 2015

Over the past decade, universities have had to respond to a growing demand for entrepreneurship-related courses from students of all majors. At The University of Tampa, Rebecca White, director of the Entrepreneurship Center, has increased enrollment in entrepreneurship-related majors to about 250 students, created partnerships with health care and tech firms and launched an accelerator project for students and recent alumni to grow their ideas. “Students today want the skills to be their own boss or to build something meaningful in the business community,” White said. “It’s about more than making lots of money. It’s about having a passion for something.”

Colleges Rush to Create Cybersecurity Soldiers

By Jerome Stockfisch
Tampa Tribune
Jan. 11, 2015

The ongoing cyber warfare being waged around the globe has universities working to educate students in cybersecurity. At UT an undergraduate major in cybersecurity will be offered this fall. “The demand is very high. I’ve had students get into cyberspace companies with just one security class, never mind an entire major,” said Kenneth Knapp, a professor of information and technology management at UT and head of the school’s cybersecurity program. “With all of the high-profile breaches over this last year or so, more focus has been on security than I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been doing it since I was 21 years old in the Air Force.”  

University of Tampa Tops the List of Tampa Bay MBA Programs by In-seat Enrollment

By Chris Erickson
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Dec. 19, 2014

The Tampa Bay Business Journal ranked MBA programs by local in-seat enrollment. UT came out on top, more than doubling the University of South Florida, which came in second. 

UT Student Entrepreneurs Compete for Global Prize Recognizing Solutions to Social Issues

By Justine Benstead
83 Degrees
Dec. 9, 2014

A team of five student entrepreneurs from the University of Tampa plans to bring bamboo to urban slums as a means of providing both sanitation and education. Their startup idea, called “BamBoost,” won the local competition of the Hult Prize in late November 2014. It involves selling bamboo-fiber diaper liners and toilet bags to families in urban slums -- products that address the need for improved sanitation and basic quality of life for disadvantaged children living in these impoverished areas. 

Vinik, James Match Wits with Wall Street

By Margie Manning
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Oct. 24, 2014

The program was billed as "Matching Wits with Wall Street," and two financial industry leaders didn't disappoint during University of Tampa's Sykes Hall of Fame Business Speaker Series. The discussion was led by Tom James, executive chairman of Raymond James Financial Inc. and Tampa Bay Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik, who started and ran the hedge fund, Vinik Asset Management, which closed in 2013. On adversity, James said, "In the early '70s, the market came apart at the seams ... I made a mistake because I tried to grow too aggressively."