The faculty and staff
at the Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute is committed to
helping students achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions. Our faculty
is not only accomplished academically, but many of them have started
their own businesses. This combination of practical theory and real
life experience gives students a dual perspective on entrepreneurship
that is hard to find.
Professor Hertz is a 1983 graduate of the University of Kentucky (B.A.,
Political Science) and a 1989 Graduate of the Salmon P. Chase College of
Law at Northern Kentucky University (J.D.).
Prior to joining the faculty at NKU, Professor Hertz maintained a general
civil practice as a partner in the Florence, Kentucky law firm of Monohan,
Hertz & Blankenship, then later as an associate with the Cincinnati law
firm of Finney, Stagnaro, Saba & Klusmeier. He is licensed to practice law
in Kentucky and Ohio.
Professor Hertz began teaching at NKU as a part-time faculty member in
January 2000. He was hired as a full-time Lecturer of Entrepreneurship in
the fall of 2001.
Professor Hertz teaches Fundamentals of Management and Marketing at the
graduate and undergraduate levels, Legal Environment (Business Law), New
Venture Creation, Emerging Enterprise Law, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
and Field Studies in Entrepreneurial Firms, the Entrepreneurship
Institute's rapidly growing internship program.
Professor Hertz also serves
as the faculty sponsor for NKU's chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs'
Organization (CEO).
Professor Hertz has served on the Institute's Advisory Board since its
inception and is a member of the Board's marketing committee.
Dr. Mueller joined NKU in 2004 after teaching at Texas Christian University and Florida International University. He received his Ph.D. in International Management Studies at University of Texas, an M.B.A. from University of Texas at Arlington, a Masters in Accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Mueller had 15 years of management and entrepreneurship experience in the computer industry.
His research is international in scope and has been published in several leading journals including Academy of Management Journal, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Business Venturing, and Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship.
Jeff Varrone
is originally from Saint Louis, MO and graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a Bachelor’s in Geography and a Minor in Entrepreneurship. While attending college, he successfully started and managed an entrepreneurial business venture for 3 years.
He joined the Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute while working on his Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a Focus on Entrepreneurship. He currently works as the NKU Entrepreneurship Student Coordinator. His role includes awareness of the entrepreneurship across campus and working with students on various events and academic programs.
He also serves as an adjunct faculty member for multiple disciplines at NKU.
Rebecca J. White is
the Founding Director of the Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute and
Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Northern Kentucky
University (NKU). She received an MBA and a Ph.D. in Strategic Management
from Virginia Tech University and a BS from Concord University.
As an educator, her
primary research and teaching interests are in entrepreneurship education,
funding strategies for startup firms and strategic leadership in
entrepreneurial firms. Under Dr. White's leadership the NKU program has been named in the top 25 undergraduate entrepreneurship education
programs in the country by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur
Magazine. In addition, the program won the Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Innovation in Leadership of
Business Education Award and has received support from a number of private
foundations including, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the Coleman
Foundation, The Joseph Schmidlapp Foundation, the Castellini Foundation and
the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation. Dr. White is a 2006
Athena®
Award finalist, a 2005 recipient of the Freedoms Foundation Leavey Award for
Excellence in Private Enterprise Education and was named Ernst and Young
Entrepreneur Supporter of Entrepreneurship in 2003. She has been
awarded several distinguished research and service honors, including the NKU
Alumni Strongest Influence award. She currently serves on the
Executive Committee of the National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers
and is the VP Elect for the Education Division of the United States
Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Dr. White was also
recently elected Vice President of Research for the Board of Directors of
the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, an
office that will begin in January 2007.
Rebecca is the
founder and CEO of adEsse LLC, a consulting company specializing in
helping startup ventures and established firms integrate and utilize an
entrepreneurial mindset. She serves on several private and non-profit
boards in the Greater Cincinnati Region. She has been a featured speaker at
a number of regional, national and international programs – including the
Institute of Food Technologists, ASTM Standards Worldwide, the Young
Entrepreneurs Organization, GE Women’s Network and Greater Cincinnati
Venture Association. Prior to her academic career, she was Manager of the
Medical Group Practice at West Virginia University and Marketing Director
for Joyce Engineering.
Bill Cunningham
Lecturer
Bill Cunningham is CEO of
Diamond Fiber Composites, an advanced materials company, which manufactures
nickel and copper coated carbon fiber for aerospace, electronic, biomedical and
defense industries. Prior to that Bill worked at AT&T, Data General and Apple
Computer in sales and marketing positions before launching his first startup,
CollegeView in 1992. He has been involved with 5 startup ventures since 1992.
Bill also taught for five years (1995-2000) at Xavier University's
Entrepreneurial Studies Department and served as director of the Entrepreneurial
Center from 1997-2000. Bill currently teaches as an adjunct professor for the
NKU Entrepreneurial Institute. In 1999, Ernst & Young selected Bill as the
Entrepreneurial Educator of the Year for the Ohio Valley Region.
Mr. Cunningham received a B.S.
in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from
the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College.
Bill was president of the
Greater Cincinnati Venture Association and serves on the board of Hamilton
County Business Center Advisory Board. He also serves on the WPI Alumni Trustee
Search Committee.
Keith
Schneider
Lecturer
Keith is a northern
Kentucky native and a graduate of Northern Kentucky University. He also
received his MBA from Xavier University. He joined the NKU Entrepreneurship
Institute in March of 2004 as the Innovation Center Director and soon after
began teaching courses in New Venture Management and Marketing Strategies
for the Entrepreneurship Institute.
Keith now serves the
Northern Kentucky region as the Commercialization Director for the Northern
Kentucky ezone, a division of the Tri-County Economic Development
Corporation. In this position Keith serves as a catalyst for
Knowledge-Based economic growth and development with a focus on new products
and technologies. He now manages a portfolio of more than 70 companies
along with a program that has brought more than $50 million in investments
to Northern Kentucky and assisted clients in achieving 41 awards for nearly
$2million dollars in state funding.
Prior to his efforts in
supporting entrepreneurship, Keith worked for Fifth Third Bank where he led
a branch turnaround resulting in the highest Compliance Audit score in the
region while increasing banking services sales by more than 300%. Keith
also spent time at General Electric as part of their GE Capital IT Solutions
division and earned the President’s Award as the national leader in sales
performance.
Northern Kentucky University
BEP 404
Highland Heights, Kentucky 41099
Professor Hertz is a 1983 graduate of the University of Kentucky (B.A., Political Science) and a 1989 Graduate of the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University (J.D.).
Prior to joining the faculty at NKU, Professor Hertz maintained a general civil practice as a partner in the Florence, Kentucky law firm of Monohan, Hertz & Blankenship, then later as an associate with the Cincinnati law firm of Finney, Stagnaro, Saba & Klusmeier. He is licensed to practice law in Kentucky and Ohio.
Professor Hertz began teaching at NKU as a part-time faculty member in January 2000. He was hired as a full-time Lecturer of Entrepreneurship in the fall of 2001.
Professor Hertz teaches Fundamentals of Management and Marketing at the graduate and undergraduate levels, Legal Environment (Business Law), New Venture Creation, Emerging Enterprise Law, Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Field Studies in Entrepreneurial Firms, the Entrepreneurship Institute's rapidly growing internship program. Professor Hertz also serves as the faculty sponsor for NKU's chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO).
Professor Hertz has served on the Institute's Advisory Board since its inception and is a member of the Board's marketing committee.
Dr. Donald F. Kuratko
The Institute for Entrepreneurship
College of Business
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
Dr. Donald F. Kuratko is the Stoops Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Founding Director of the Entrepreneurship Program, College of Business, Ball State University. He is also the Executive Director of The Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center.
His accomplishments include being inducted into the Institute of American Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame in 1990, Entrepreneur of the Year for the state of Indiana, and the only professor in the history of Ball State University to achieve all four of the university's major lifetime awards.
Dr. Kuratko has published over 150 articles on aspects of Entrepreneurship, new venture development, and corporate Entrepreneurship. Additionally, he has written eighteen books.
Under Dr. Kuratko's guidance, Ball State University's Entrepreneurship Program has been ranked in the Top 10 business schools for Entrepreneurship research over the last ten years.
Richard L. McGraw
RGI Design, Inc.
2245 Gilbert Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45206
Richard L. McGraw is president of RGI Design, Inc., a Cincinnati-based communication-design company conducting business in 23 states and 5 countries.
Mr. McGraw founded RGI Design, Inc. in 1988; previously he was the advertising manager of the Kroger Co.
Mr. McGraw serves on various charitable organizations, including the board of Kick for Kids and The Point ARC of Northern Kentucky. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University.
John C. McIlwraith
Blue Chip Venture Company
1100 Chiquita Center
250 East Fifth Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Mr. McIlwraith has been active in various aspects of the venture capital industry for fifteen years.
Prior to joining Blue Chip Venture Company as its third Managing Director in January 1997, Mr. McIlwraith was the Senior Vice President, Business Development of Quantum Health Resources, a publicly-traded provider of health care services. Prior to Quantum, Mr. McIlwraith was a Partner with Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue where he represented early stage companies and venture capital firms.
At Blue Chip, Mr. McIlwraith has led investments in 22 portfolio companies totaling over $100 million. Mr. McIlwraith is also a member of the Advisory Boards of Ohio Innovation Fund, Gazelle TechVentures, Arbor Partners and Fund Isabella. He has been a frequent speaker on venture capital matters.
Mr. McIlwraith received a B.A. degree from Hillsdale College in 1981, and a J.D. degree magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1985, where he was a member of the Law Review.
Timothy P. Rawe
Fifth Third Bank of Northern Kentucky
8100 Burlington Pike
Florence, KY 41042-1294
Tim Rawe is President and CEO of Fifth Third Bank, Northern Kentucky. He is accountable for the performance of the Northern Kentucky affiliate of Fifth Third Bank, a
diversified financial services company.
Mr. Rawe serves on the finance council for the Diocese of Covington and is a member on the Boards of Tri-County Economic Development Foundation, Brighton Properties, and Catholic Social Services.
He is the Chair Elect for the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. He is also on the College of Business Advisory Board for Northern Kentucky University, and the NKU Foundation.
Mr. Rawe received a B.S. in Management from Northern Kentucky University.
Mr. Rawe, a life-long resident of Campbell County, is married to Barb and they have two children: Jeff, 17 years old; and Sara, 14 years old.
Chris Sturm
Capital Software, Inc.
1881 Dixie Highway, Suite 220
Ft. Wright, KY 41011
Mr. Sturm is the co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Software, Inc.
Prior to creating his own company in 1998, Mr. Sturm worked for Donald R. Frey and Company, Inc. as a software sales specialist. Mr. Sturm was able to surpass prior company revenue records by $160,000 and expand customer base by 40% by concentrating his sales efforts in local and county government.
His current research focuses on conflict in franchise organization and the performance of publicly held franchisors.
Mr. Sturm successfully leads Capital's development and expansion efforts. Capital Software has product installations in over 17 states and its applications are used internationally. Capital Software was awarded the Emerging 30 award in 2003, 2004, and 2005 by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce as one of the 30 fastest growing organizations in Northern Kentucky. The Chamber also recognized Capital Software in 2005 by awarding Capital Software with the Small Business Success Award. The awards program recognizes small businesses that have shown growth, community service, financial stability, resourcefulness and creativity to excel in their industry.
Mr. Sturm is a NKU Alumni, obtaining his BS degree in Marketing/Oral Communication. He and his wife Jill are members of Calvary Christian Church in Covington and reside in Erlanger with their four children.
Raymond J. Stewart
Greenebaum Doll & McDonald, PLLC
50 E. RiverCenter Blvd., Suite 1800
Covington, KY 41011
Mr. Stewart is a partner in the greater Cincinnati offices of Greenebaum Doll & McDonald, PLLC, for which he serves as chair of its Corporate and Securities Practice Group and managing partner of its Washington, D.C. office.
He has over 20 years of experience in providing legal, financial, tax, merger & acquisition and capital formation services industry. Also a certified public accountant, he combines a strong legal background with a solid understanding of the financial consequences of business transactions.
He has assisted businesses in a number of different industries execute growth strategies through acquisition and integration. Mr. Stewart was a partner with Deloitte and Touche until 1990 and also served as an adjunct Professor in the Georgetown University Masters of Tax Program from 1986-1990.
Mr. Stewart is a member of the American Bar Association, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, and Texas Bars, the United States Tax Court, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Texas and District of Columbia Institutes of Certified Public Accountants.
A 1975 graduate of Thomas More College with a B.A in accounting, Mr. Stewart received his law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1978, and his Masters in Tax Law from Georgetown University Law Center in 1985.
