121 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEPARTMENT RECEIVES KAUFFMAN PLATINUM AWARD

MTSU’s BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEPARTMENT RECEIVES KAUFFMAN PLATINUM AWARD

Oct. 1, 2007
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919
Dr. Robert Lahm, 615-898-2785

MURFREESBORO—Middle Tennessee State University’s (MTSU) Entrepreneurial Studies Program was recently recognized as a Kauffman Platinum Award Recipient for its involvement and partnership with EntrepreneurshipWeek USA 2007.
“We have a lot of people to thank for this recognition, starting with my colleagues in the business communication and entrepreneurship department,” commented MTSU’s Dr. Robert Lahm, assistant professor of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship Intern Program Coordinator. “While we were partnering with national organizers, several other members of the local business community also showed their generosity and support of our efforts. The Southwestern Corporation provided several speakers and sponsored refreshments, Ms. Kissy Black (a recording industry PR expert) judged our students’ ‘elevator pitches,’ and we enjoyed the contributions of a number of other speakers as well.
“MTSU maintains an active chapter of a national organization, the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, and several of its students also pitched in and were really a great help,” Lahm added, who also served as EntrepreneurshipWeek USA 2007 Committee chair.
As a program partner, MTSU offered support and resources as part of a national effort to inspire and encourage young people to consider entrepreneurship as a career choice and to celebrate America’s unique culture of inventiveness, he said.
EntrepreneurshipWeek USA 2007 was sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and by government, not-for-profit organizations and businesses, including The New York Times and Inc. magazine.
“We were delighted with the leadership and expertise that Middle Tennessee State University’s faculty and staff brought to EntrepreneurshipWeek USA 2007 as program partners and contributors to our overall efforts,” said Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. “Educating our young people about entrepreneurship and reinforcing the value that entrepreneurs and innovators bring to our economy is critical to America’s long-term prosperity, more so now than ever before.”
“Entrepreneurship provides everything a young person needs in a career and to lead a fulfilling life,” Lahm added. “If one is spirited, passionate, creative, and energized by the challenge of changing the world, or on a smaller scale, helping customers achieve greater satisfaction by delivering value in a product or service, entrepreneurship provides an outlet with virtually endless possibilities.”
“The opportunity to work on my business planning efforts while I was enrolled in my entrepreneurship class as well as additional discussions I had with Dr. Lahm after I graduated allowed me to lay all of the necessary groundwork to launch my business,” said Mrs. Bonnie Ozburn, a former MTSU student.
Lahm will again serve as committee chair in 2008, and “National Entrepreneurship Week ‘2’ will be celebrated at MTSU, Feb. 23 to March 1.


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PHOTO CUTLINE: Lahm is shown pictured beside Ms. Dusty-Michelle Lindblad, president, Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, MTSU Chapter.