News Releases

Pro athletes-turned-entrepreneurs to speak at event on Wednesday

Bud Stallworth, Bobby Douglass and Deron Cherry

Bud Stallworth, Bobby Douglass and Deron Cherry

Thursday, October 30, 2008

LAWRENCE - Former pro athletes Bud Stallworth (KU and Seattle Supersonics), Bobby Douglass (KU and Chicago Bears) and Deron Cherry (KC Chiefs) will visittheKU School of BusinessNovember 19 forEntrepreneurship 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, KU School of Business student and 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 was a strong safety and punter at Rutgers University and played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1981-1991. In 1995, Cherry became the first African-American to co-own a professional NFL football team, the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is also a managing general partner with United Beverage, a local Anheuser-Busch distributor, and founded the public service organization Score 1 for Health, which provides annual checkups for children.

Robert "Bobby" Douglass is a native Kansan who played quarterback for KU from 1965-1969. Most of his professional football career was spent playing for the Chicago Bears, with stops with the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers as well. After retiring from his 10 season-career with the NFL, Douglass invested in Chicago restaurants and real estate sales, and was a partner in the ownership of three hotels, including the revitalization of the Eldridge Hotel in Lawrence in 2005.

Click here for more information on Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Click here forinformation on entrepreneurship programs at KU.


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