Neeley Entrepreneurship Program Named Best in the Country

The year is certainly off to a rosy start for TCU. On January 15, the Neeley Entrepreneurship Program received no less than three outstanding awards from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) at the annual conference in South Carolina.

The Neeley Entrepreneurship Program was honored with the 2011 National Model Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program Award over 47 other schools and colleges. 

Dr. Ray Smilor, the Robert and Edith Schumacher Executive Faculty Fellow in Innovation and Technology and a professor at the Neeley School, was honored with the John E. Hughes Award for Entrepreneurial Advocacy for consistently contributing encouragement, support, resources, time, talent, development and/or finances to further the cause of entrepreneurship. Read Dr. Smilor’s bio here. 

Dr. Curt B. Moore, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, was honored with the Best Paper in the International Entrepreneurship division.

Best in the Nation
Out of a record 47 entries, TCU’s Neeley Entrepreneurship Program was chosen to make a final presentation at the conference for the 2011 National Model Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program Award competition. Ball State University and Oklahoma State University were the other two finalists. Brad Hancock, Director of the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center, Keith Hmieleski, professor of entrepreneurial management and academic coordinator for the Neeley Entrepreneurship Program, and Smilor delivered TCU’s winning presentation.

“We are honored that the judges in the national competition recognized the innovation, comprehensiveness and practical outcomes of the Neeley Entrepreneurship Program,” Dr. Smilor said. “This is a wonderful reflection of the commitment of our faculty and the entrepreneurial spirit of our students.”

Mr. Hancock said that the award for best undergraduate entrepreneurship program in the country was due to the dedication of numerous people over the past 10 years. “The Neeley Entrepreneurship Program has been built by people who embrace entrepreneurship and want to see it thrive at TCU, where it obviously does. These include our founding director, David Minor, our gifted entrepreneurship faculty led by Dr. Garry Bruton, and the tremendous support and encouragement of Dean Homer Erekson. Additionally, there are hundreds of TCU alumni, community business people and parents of students who have judged competitions, mentored students, spoken to classes and student groups, and supported the Neeley Entrepreneurship Program financially.”

TCU’s winning presentation focused on how the Neeley Entrepreneurship Program offers comprehensive, unique opportunities for TCU undergraduate students through the Neeley School of Business as well as a campus-wide entrepreneurship initiative. See the winning presentation here.

“Our approach to entrepreneurship begins with helping students identify and develop their individual talents and core virtues, and synergistically put them into action toward the accomplishment of entrepreneurial endeavors,” said Dr. Hmieleski. “This enables our students to focus on their strengths in a way that enhances engagement in the learning process and allows them to function with an economy of means. In the end, it is our hope to place each of our students on a path toward having a career and life of meaning. We believe that sets us apart.”

Interested in learning more about the Neeley Entrepreneurship Program? Visit www.nec.tcu.edu or contact Brad Hancock at brad.hancock@tcu.edu or 817-257-5946.