From Professor to Program Champion

When Poets & Quants recognized our Entrepreneurship Program as a Rising National Program and me as one of the 2022 Best Business Professors, I felt honored, not just for myself, but for the University of South Florida’s Nault Center for Entrepreneurship. The award noted my global mindset, appetite for innovation, and the Management Design Thinking methodology that underpins my courses, such as Creativity and Innovation, Scaling Innovation, and Management Design Thinking. It captured my belief that every student has the agency to create the future they desire, and that our job as educators is to help them discover and harness that agency.

A Teaching Philosophy Rooted in Innovation

Coming from a background as a corporate innovator, I witnessed how organizations struggled to stay relevant amid technological change. That experience led me to academia, where I could build tools and curricula that empower future managers and entrepreneurs. My goal has always been to make entrepreneurship accessible and encourage students to view innovation as a spectrum from startup founders to intrapreneurs at major corporations. The USF program reflects this philosophy by offering real‑world learning experiences, encouraging creative thinking, and fostering transformative classroom experiences.

Building a Cross‑Campus Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

The USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship is more than a set of courses; it’s a campus‑wide partnership. Our Entrepreneurship and Innovation major has grown from 18 majors to 100+ undergraduates, while three minors enroll around 400 students. Through clubs, pitch competitions, and the Student Innovation Incubator, we reach nearly 3,000 students. The program collaborates with colleges across USF Health, Arts & Sciences, Engineering, and the Patel College for Global Sustainability, creating a rich ecosystem that mirrors the interdisciplinary nature of real business.

Impressive Outcomes & Community Impact

Our program emphasizes action over theory. In recent cohorts, 80 % of students launched a business or generated revenue before graduation, and 100 % were employed within 90 days. Alumni successes include Reuben Pressman, founder of the engagement platform Presence, who achieved a multimillion‑dollar exit within five years. Local mayors of St Petersburg & Tampa have even declared Entrepreneurship Days to honor our students’ contributions to the Tampa Bay economy.

Rankings That Reflect Our Growth

Since 2014, our program has consistently appeared among the top 25 entrepreneurship programs in the United States. In 2019 and 2020, the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine placed us in the top 10 . More recently:

• 2025 Rankings (for 2025 academic year) – The Princeton Review ranked our graduate program No. 10 nationally and No. 6 among public universities. The undergraduate program stood at No. 17 among public universities.
• 2026 Rankings – The undergraduate program rose to No. 24 overall and No. 14 among public universities. Our graduate program continued its strong performance at No. 11 overall and No. 7 among public universities. The rankings evaluate programs on over 40 data points, including academic offerings, faculty credentials, mentorship, and experiential opportunities.
• Poets & Quants’ Top 50 Undergraduate Programs for Entrepreneurs – In the 2026 list, USF (Muma) appeared at No. 38, highlighting our position among the world’s leading undergraduate entrepreneurship programs.
• CEOworld Magazine – In 2019, CEOworld placed the USF entrepreneurship program at No. 18 nationally and noted it was the only Florida program on the list.

These rankings reflect our deliberate investment in experiential learning and mentorship, as well as the strong outcomes our students achieve.

The Transformational Nault Naming Gift

A pivotal moment in our journey came in June 2023 when James “Jay” Nault, a USF alumnus and successful entrepreneur, donated $10 million to name the Nault Center for Entrepreneurship. Nault, president of Anclote Holding Company and Storage Zone Self Storage and Business Centers, credited USF for launching his own entrepreneurial journey. His gift ensures that future generations will receive world‑class entrepreneurial education.

Expanding Opportunities Through Philanthropy

The donation funds several strategic initiatives:

• Expanded pitch competitions and “shark‑tank”–style events to provide hands‑on experience.
• A new living‑learning community to immerse students in an entrepreneurial culture.
• Enhanced mentoring programs and potential new degree options for executives.

Looking Ahead: Continuing to Unleash Potential

My mission at USF has always been to unleash the creative potential of every student and to build bridges between theory and practice. As we look to the future, the Nault Center’s cross‑disciplinary approach, student‑first philosophy, and strong community partnerships will continue to set us apart. We will leverage our top‑ranked programs, the transformative Nault naming gift, and the hard work of our faculty and students to make USF synonymous with entrepreneurship excellence.

From being recognized among the best global professors to building and witnessing our program climb national rankings and secure a $10 million philanthropic investment, I am proud of how far we have come. The journey underscores a simple truth: when we invest in people and ideas, we unlock boundless opportunities.