Published: January 22, 2016

UT’s Entrepreneurial Women Series Continues Feb. 4 With Michele Smith

On Thursday, Feb. 4, The University of Tampa will welcome two-time Olympic gold medalist and ESPN analyst Michele Smith as part of its Today’s Entrepreneurial Women speaker series. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. in the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center on the eighth floor of the Innovation and Collaboration Building, 820 W. North A St.

The event, which includes a networking reception and tour of the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center following the talk, is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and a reservation is required.

Smith is a two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist in fast-pitch softball and played 16 years for Toyota Shokki of the Japanese Professional Softball League.

In 2012, she became the first woman to serve as commentator for a nationally televised Major League Baseball game. In addition to being president of Michele Smith Fastpitch Inc., she is also an ESPN color analyst, coach, author, motivational speaker, mentor and hotel owner.

Smith started playing softball at the age of 5 and began pitching at 15. In 1986, while playing at Oklahoma State University, she was injured in a car accident, tearing the triceps and severing the nerve endings in her pitching arm. After nine months of intensive rehab she made her comeback pitching three miles an hour faster. Smith went on to be a gold medalist starting pitcher in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The number of businesses started by women has increased significantly in recent years. Because of this trend, the UT Entrepreneurship Center in the Sykes College of Business has created a forum that showcases female entrepreneur models. Today’s Entrepreneurial Women brings together women entrepreneurs to tell their story and interact with business leaders and students.

RSVP by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2. For more information, contact Lori Castellano at lcastellano@ut.edu or (813) 257-3227.