Noted speakers to join UF panel discussion on entrepreneurship

July 19, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the University of Florida will host a panel discussion on entrepreneurship July 25, featuring notable speakers such as Alex Sink, last year’s Democratic candidate for governor.

The discussion will kick off the final week of a five-week pre-college summer program for high school juniors and seniors, UF Young Entrepreneurs for Leadership & Sustainability, known as YELS. The discussion is open to the public.

On June 26, UF welcomed 38 highly motivated and accomplished students to participate in the only summer program in the United States developed specifically for high school students to learn about entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, leadership and sustainability. YELS launched in 2007 with just 19 students. This year, more than 160 students applied, and there was a waiting list.

During the program, the students complete two college-level courses, perform more than 80 hours of community service each and meet successful entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs and community leaders. Students participate in evening programs, including a speaker series featuring notable leaders in the fields of entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship, a mentor program, as well as a plethora of activities and field trips to allow for additional engaging and interacting experiences outside the classroom.

As part of the YELS speakers series, the panel discussion will focus on entrepreneurship and includes three distinguished panelists: Sink, Jason Lucash and Whit Whitney. Sink, who has a background in corporate banking, was the Democratic candidate for governor of Florida in 2010 and is now a senior adviser at Hyde Park Capital. Lucash, who has a background in innovation and entrepreneurship, starred in the second season of “Shark Tank” on ABC and is the co-founder and director of business development for OrigAudio. Whitney is an entrepreneur in residence at UF’s College of Engineering. He is the director of Energent Ventures and is the founder of the Growing Entrepreneurs Network for high school students.

The discussion will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in Hough Hall, Room 150. The discussion will be moderated by professor Arnie Heggestad, founding director and professor emeritus of the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the University of Florida. Also in the audience will be the incoming class of students pursuing their master’s degrees in entrepreneurship.

The program is sponsored by University of Florida’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, in partnership with UF’s Center for Precollegiate Education and Training, UF’s Office of Sustainability, UF’s department of sociology, UF’s Center for Leadership & Service and NobleHour.com. The program is staffed entirely by undergraduate and graduate students, under the direction of Kristin Joos, coordinator of UF’s Innovative Sustainability & Social Impact Initiative (http://warrington.ufl.edu/fire/entrepreneurship/cei/socialimpact.asp).

See http://www.ufyoungentrepreneurs.org/ for additional information on the program.