News Releases

Pro athletes-turned-entrepreneurs return to KU for Entrepreneurship Week

Former pro athletes Bobby Douglass, Deron Cherry and Bud Stallworth

Former pro athletes Bobby Douglass, Deron Cherry and Bud Stallworth

Monday, September 29, 2008

LAWRENCE - Former pro athletes Bud Stallworth (KU and Seattle Supersonics), Bobby Douglass (KU and Chicago Bears) and Deron Cherry (KC Chiefs) will return to the University of Kansas for Entrepreneurship Week. The athletes-turned-business leaders will speak to the public on Wednesday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m. in Woodruff Auditorium at the Kansas Union. Students, faculty and the public are welcome. Tickets are not required.

The KU Entrepreneurship Club (E-Club) will host the event as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, November 17-23, 2008, when universities and organizations worldwide hold events designed to inspire, connect, inform, mentor and engage the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Adam Hofmann, president of the KU Entrepreneurship Club, is certain that the event will be both informative and inspiring. "We are thrilled to have Bobby, Bud and Deron as guest speakers to describe how they leveraged their competitive athletic spirit to create entrepreneurial successes," said Hofmann. "Each has a fascinating and entertaining story which all who attend this event will enjoy."

In November 2006, the multidisciplinary E-Club was formed on campus, focusing on developing entrepreneurial skills and networks for KU students, staff, and faculty. Wally Meyer, director of entrepreneurship programs in the School of Business, serves as faculty advisor for the club. Past E-Club event guest speakers have included Michael Herman, past President of the KC Royals and Carl Schramm, CEO of the Kauffman Foundation.

Isaac "Bud" Stallworth played basketball for KU and later played five national pro basketball seasons with the Seattle Supersonics and the New Orleans Jazz (now the Utah Jazz). Stallworth owned restaurants in Los Angeles and Maui before returning to KU in 1987. Currently, Stallworth is the Assistant Director of the Design and Construction Management Department at KU, a limited partner in commercial property development projects in Lawrence. He serves as a motivational speaker and co-hosts a radio sports talk show on KWLN 1320 AM.

Deron Cherry played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1981-1991. In 1995, Cherry became a limited ownership partner in one of the NFL's new expansion teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is also a managing general partner with United Beverage, a local Anheuser-Busch distributor.

Robert "Bobby" Douglass is a native Kansan who played quarterback for KU from 1966-1968. Most of his professional football career was spent playing for the Chicago Bears. Among other pursuits he was part-owner in the revitalization of the Eldridge Hotel in Lawrence.

For more information on Global Entrepreneurship Week, visit www.unleashingideas.org.
For information on entrepreneurship programs at KU, visit http://www.business.ku.edu/FacultyResearchCenter-entrepreneurshipprograms



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