Published: January 12, 2015
UT Hosts Nation’s Largest Entrepreneurship Education Conference Jan. 22-25
The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship® (USASBE), in conjunction with The University of Tampa, will hold its premier conference for entrepreneurship scholars and educators in Tampa Jan. 22-25. The 2015 annual conference, “Sun, Fun and Innovation—Advancing Entrepreneurship Education and Research,” offers a symposium for best practices in entrepreneurship education and program development.
“The University of Tampa, this year’s host sponsor, has been working hard for over an year to put together a world-class event that promises to be our best conference to date,” said Patrick Snyder, executive director of USASBE.
Rebecca White, director of the Entrepreneurship Center and professor of entrepreneurship, said UT is proud to be the co-sponsor of this conference.
“Entrepreneurship education is the fastest growing field of study in the United States, and the University of Tampa Entrepreneurship Center is at the forefront of educational programs and research that will propel a new generation of entrepreneurs to drive future economic development worldwide,” White said.
The keynote speaker for this year’s welcome reception is Richard Gonzmart, president of the Columbia Group, which owns the award-winning Columbia Restaurant chain, founded by his family in 1905. Gonzmart will present “Our Recipe for Success with Five Generations in One Business” on Thursday, Jan. 22, from 5 to 5:45 p.m. Entertainment and refreshments will follow his address at the reception event.
The conference, held at the Tampa Hilton, highlights model academic programs, pedagogy, research and outreach efforts in the United States. “By fostering advances in these areas, we support the development of entrepreneurship educators, who will in turn create the next generation of entrepreneurs,” USASBE President Tony Mendes said.
The conference’s closing plenary session on Sunday, Jan. 25, “What I Learned and What I Wish I Had Learned,” features former students from five Florida universities who will talk about their college experiences during a student success panel discussion. This revealing session will cap four days of educational workshops, plenary sessions and the annual USASBE entrepreneurial awards ceremonies.
On Friday, April 17, a panel of four industry professionals will present the obstacles and challenges faced in today’s business environment related to whistleblowing.
The panel will be held at The University of Tampa Sykes College of Business, Room 234, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. This “Hot Seat Event” is sponsored by UT’s Center for Ethics. The public is invited, and there is no charge for the event.University of Tampa film students will screen their work at the first annual Moon Dance Film Festival at UT’s Reeves Theater on Tuesday, April 14, at 8:30 p.m.
Aaron Walker, assistant professor of communication, said the festival is an opportunity for UT students both to screen their work and to curate the best work of their peers.“It’s fully student-run, so it shows how deeply the students care about celebrating the strong work of their peers, but also shows how much desire there is for our FMA students to create venues of success for one another,” Walker said. “It’s a terrific collaboration, and will be a terrific party for film. Plus, the movies are great.”
The Sustainable Business Coalition of Tampa Bay Inc. and The University of Tampa Center for Ethics is calling for nominations for their annual Sustainable Business Awards, which will be held on Wednesday, June 10, at The University of Tampa’s Vaughn Center.
Now in its seventh year, the Sustainable Business Awards, sponsored by the Sustany Foundation, recognize and honor for-profit businesses in the Tampa Bay area that engage in practices that increase economic opportunities and improve the environment and community.