Studer to speak at UWF Center for Entrepreneurship workshop

The Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of West Florida College of Business is hosting a workshop on Thursday, Aug. 4 at 9 a.m. in partnership with the Studer Community Institute and the Florida SBDC Network.

The workshop, entitled “Achieve Success in the Workplace by Unleashing Your Inner Entrepreneur,” will feature a case study of Pensacola business leader Quint Studer. Its focus will be on “intrapreneurship,” or using entrepreneurial thinking to accelerate innovation in the workplace. The event, led by Dr. Cheryl Kirby from the Florida SBDC Network, will be free for UWF students and $49 for the general public. Registrants will also be able to watch the event live via online streaming.

“Quint Studer perfected a process and tools to teach health care leaders across the country a systematic approach to create a culture of innovation leadership,” Kirby said. “He included a culture of innovation leadership competencies to gain desired results from a workforce.”

After presentations by Kirby and Studer, attendees will participate in a hands-on exercise to practice a new approach in solving problems.

The workshop will come just over a year after the formation of the Center for Entrepreneurship, which was founded in July 2015 thanks to a $1 million gift to UWF by Quint and Rishy Studer. The Center’s goals are to encourage and support educational initiatives related to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking while serving as a comprehensive resource for economic innovation for students, industry and community partners.

“The UWF Center for Entrepreneurship wouldn’t exist without the generosity of Quint and Rishy Studer,” said Joel R. “Rick” Duke, founding director. “Quint is our entrepreneur-in-residence, and we’re incredibly thankful to have him as a resource. Working together, we can make a real impact on Northwest Florida through events like these.”

Since its formation, the Center for Entrepreneurship has been steadily building momentum on campus. Additions to the academic program in the College of Business include a faculty member specializing in entrepreneurship, Dr. Bob Perkins, and a Master of Business Administration degree with an entrepreneurship emphasis. Undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship certificates are now offered to students regardless of whether they are pursuing an academic degree. During the Fall 2016 semester, Duke will lead a new Freshmen Experience Course, entitled “The Creatives, The Innovators, The Entrepreneurs.”

The online registration form for the Aug. 4 workshop is available on the UWF Center for Entrepreneurship website at uwf.edu/cfe

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